Barbara Blomberg. By Georg Ebers. Translated by Mary J. Safford.
(Sampson Low, Marston, and Co.)—We get in Ebers's Barbara Blomberg a vivid picture of Charles V.'s Court at Ratisbon, and the somewhat peculiar morality of the period, delicately touched upon, it is true. We cannot say the subject is a very interesting one. No amount of glossing can prevent the reader from realising the degrading position of Barbara as the mistress of the Emperor. She is a woman of strong character, though of peculiar views. She is as selfish in her way as the Emperor. The true lover, Wolf Hartschwert, is a more attractive personality than either of these. The progress of intrigue, and the blending of political with religious zeal, is cleverly described by Ebers, who analyses motives and minds with his usual skill. It is a readable romance, but cannot rank with Ebers's best work, and we only wish that he had selected a more dignified subject.
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