The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-25 00:00:00

LITER-17URE.

A Hero in Spite of Himself. From the French
of Luis de Bellemare. By Captain Mavne
Reid, author of " Oceola," "The Scalp-hunters.'

Three Vols. Hurst and Blaekett.
This is another of those exciting stories for
which this author has so long beau celebrated.
It is replete with most marvellous adveniuscs from
first to last, and no reader who wishes for an in te-
reefing tale will be disappointed in the perusal of
these Pages. Some of the characters are very well
drawn, and it is amusing to mark how in the tur-
moil and excitement of those strange scenes some
were forced to become soldiers whether they had
any inclination for the warlike profession or not.
Among these Was Cornelio Lantelas, who was, by
a combination of circumstances, compelled to take a
prominent part in the drama then enacted. The
story relates to the period of the Mexican war of
Independence, and some of the names here men-
tioned figure also in the chronicles of history.
Great injury was clone to the cause of the Indepen-
dents by a ruthless band taking it up as their war-
cry, thus committing all sorts of depredations
under the name of liberty. Those attendants who
had any towards their masters made i!; a
practice to enrol themselves among the miscreants,
and to take advantage of the confus.en then preva.-
left to rob and sometimes murder their late em-
ployers. It was in consequence of a tragedy of
this nature that Don Rafael determined to transfer
his allegiance to the cause of Spain instead of
Mexico, as he had at first determined. It cannot
be said that he was justified in such a proceeding,
as the cruelties of such villians as Arroyo and
Antonio Valdez did not belong to the cause they
but to their own vindictive natures. I'o
add to the complication of events, Don Rafael. Ives
engaged to Gertrude, the daughter of a gentleman
in his neighbourhood just before his fatal
return, when he found his father had been murdered
by the bandits. He rushed away to seek redress,
and never explained to the family of Dan Mariano
the reason of his resolve to change sides in the war
then raging. As may be supposed, this led to
serious misunderstandings, and at one time the un-
happy young Gertrude nearly fell a victim to the
unhappy state of affairs. The fate of Mariaeita
was most sad, although it was far preferable to
her falling into the hands of the cruel men who
attacked her home. The death of t his young lady
and that of her unfortunate husband casts a gloom
over the conclusion of the narrative, which otherwise
seemed to brighten after the dark shades which had
enveloped it. Don Rafael had performed prodigies
of valour during the short space he had been
in active service, and his name was resounded with
acclaim on all sides, and Gertrude, while mourn-
ing over his desertion of their cause, yet rejoiced
at the prowess exhibited by her lover. Don
Cornelio was the aide de camp of Morelos, and
thus, contrary to his first intentions, he mixed
in the stirring scenes that ho had intended to
look upon from a distance. One of the most
curious characters mentioned here is Costel, the
Red Indian, who was imbued with all the strange
superstitions that belong to that mystical race,
who have been driven from their forests and
floods, but who yet delight to recall the past
glories of their race, and to picture to them-
selves the triumphs that await them in the hunt-
ing-grounds of the spirit-land, where no ruthless
destroyer shall uproot their strongholds, and no
shadow fall upon their prosperous course. For
skill in delineation, and vigour in description
this novel is not inferior to its predecessors, and
the numerous admirers of this style of narrative
will be delighted to meet with so brilliant a
work. There are so many persons introduced,
and the events are so startling and rapid
that the reader has enough to do to
carry them in his recollection as he
threads the mazes of the intricate labyrinth.
" A Hero in Spite of Himself" is therefore likely.
to prove a general favourite among the classes
who are desirous of meeting with excitement in
their novels; and its graphic accounts of peculiar
people in strange: times, its animated dialogues and
remarkable occurrences, certainly impart to it a
striking character.

The Life of Jeanne D'Albret, Queen of Navarre.
By M. W. Freer, author of " The Life of Mar-
guerite D'Angouleme," &c., &c. Hurst and

Blackett's Standard Library.
Iliss Freer's admirable series of works on the
French history cf the middle ages is so well known
and popularly esteemed that there is little need
of criticism. The work before us, which originally
appeared some years since, formed one of those
consecutive biographies in which this accomplished
authoress has so fully detailed the eventful history
of that epoch. Commencing with the life of Mar-
guerite D'Angouleme, the beautiful and gifted
sister of Francis 1., she carried on her narrative
in the work before us, the memoir of Marguerite's
remarkable daughter, who inherited. her father's
nominal kingdom and his duchy of 13earn. Miss
Freer, as will be readily remembered, has since grow a
bolder in her undertakings, and has successively
chronicled the contemptible career of the worthless
Henry 111., King of France and Poland, and the
great achievements of that strange compound of
mental strength and moral weakness, the warlike
Henry the Fourth, son of Jeanne D'Albret. She
has besides, in a separate work, told us the tale of
the fair and gentle Elizabeth of France, " Isabel
of the Peace," as her Spanish subjects proudly
called her. In those volumes Miss Freer denies
the accusation brought against Philip 11. of having
accelerated her death, and totally disposes of the
romance woven round the names of Elizabeth and
the unfortunate Don Carlos. Her narratives are
always careful and trustworthy, showing
a minute and laborious investigation of
contemporary authorities and justifying her claim
to the study of numerous unpublished sources. The
recent admission of historians to the zealously
guarded archives of Simaucas is of incalculable
advantage to all writers on that period, since the
full and constant accounts forward to Philip 11. by
his ambassadors and emissaries in all parts throw
light on many hitherto dark places. In the work
before us Miss Freer has full scope for her ability as
an historical writer. Jeanne D'Albret was no mere
queen like Elizabeth of France, graceful and gentle
and fulfilling the duties of her station as consort,
but appearing as little more than a necessary
figure at a court pageant or grand procession.
Marguerite D'Angouleme was noted for her wit
and talents, and for the protection which she secretly
afforded to the preachers of the reformed doctrines.
But her daughter was something more. As Queen
regnant and married to a man of inferior intellect
and narrow mind, she was necessarily called upon
to take a more prominent place ; but her great
talents, strong will, and indomitable energy were
devoted to the support and encouragement of the
Hugenots. She accepted their doctrines wholly
and unreservedly, and was looked up to as the
guiding intelligence of their party. Her great aim
was to bring up her son to the same office and to
preserve him from the snares and machinations of
Catherine de Medici. The efforts of Jeanne to
keep him away from the evil influences
of the Court, and her anxiety and dis-
tress at the proposed marriage between her son
and Marguerite de Valois are all vividly described
by Miss Freer. The death of Jeanne d'Albert took
place in June, 1572, after a very short illness. Her
unexpected decease filled the whole party of the
Hugenots with gloom and consternation. Suspi-
cions of poison were freely expressed, which the
King himself was disposed to share. A post mortem
examination, however, has saved the memory of
the Queen-mother from the weight of an additional
crime.
wasthe
solemnised. For this purpose Henry, "at the head
emraimrrelageWefithheinr tshonreewmith"Mthasrogfn
of 800 of the most gallant cavaliers of France, all
clad in mourning habiliments," entered Paris.
The flower of Hugenot chivalry was there,
many of them members of the first families of
France, little thinking that the mourning garb
assumed, out of respect to the memory of Queen
Jeanne aptly prefigured their own doom. It
was a political oversight of the most fatal descrip-
tion, as Miss Freer justly observes, to have assembled
this large and formidable body of lugenot chieftains
in Paris. It would never have occurred, she re-
marks, had the Queen of Navarre lived, as her con-
tinual commands on this subject prove. She saw
the danger of confiding in the smooth speeches of the
court, and she knew the protection which dispersion
afforded. The numbers and valour of the band
.filled the court with alarm, and enabled Queen
Catherine to whisper dark suggestions into the
mind of her son. These Hugenot gentlemen alone,
she said, not to mention their followers, we re more
than a match for the garrison of Paris. On the 18th
of August the ill-fated marriage was celebrated,_a
and on the 22d that dark tragedy began, has
left left an indelible stain on the chivalry of
France..
were octi.
That goodly train of cavalierstheir
flying for their lives, or pouringls Freer
blood out on the stones of Paris. A
deserve to be
has given us the names of those
whoefused to execute
held in remembrance for havin
not say much, as her
she
awdiptrhs of of her sagacity •
the orders of the Count
the death of Queen
withineee having refused
domains. Of
the measure, however,
task is properly finished
Hugenots apart, proves a worthyla
Osirtsa.ndNalredssrs
keeping
hSno
chiefH remarkablenge n
Hurst and.
shown their usual discrimination in
the arrangement Library, by the
enhtayteoh eorf theire m
valuable and interesting work,
which affords a desirable change from the
selectionßsulfajepkleeintt of this
works included, althou
gh its clear style and event-
ful narrative may fasciaate readers who ahri,ak from
lengthened and tedious histories.