The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-14 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

ROGER DE FLOR; or,the ALMUGAVARS. 3 Vols.
This is a spirited and stirring history, full of inte-
rest and excitement, following closely in the path of
truth, yet embellished with all the graces of romance.
The events which it celebrates to: k place in the be-
ginning of the fourteenth century, when the ancient
glory of Rome had departed, and Constantinople was
ruled by Greek emperors, and inhabited by men,
who, according to Gibbon, "assumed and dishonoured
the names of both Greeks and Romans." When
Constantine chose Byzantium as the seat of his
mighty empire, he little thought he was preparing
the grave for Roman power, but so it was ; the
luxury and effeminacy of the East became the " con-
querors of the conquerors of the world." We may say
in the words of one of their own poets, when speak-
ing of the Trojans, " Fait Roma! et ingens gloria
Romanorum." Under these circumstAnces, the Turks
found little difficulty in seizing on the Greek pro
vinces in Asia—the descendants of the " rapid Greeks"
and " steady Romans" were unable to defend their
own. In this emergency, the Emperor Andronicus
gladly accepted the proffered assistance of Roger de
Flor, the leader of the Catalans or Almugavars. The
fierce and desperate character of these warlilo men
presented a striking contrast to the effeminacy of their
allies; born in the bivouac, reared amid the storms of
war, they were the very children of battle, daring and
irresistable. Gibbon, in speaking of them, observes
"it was reported that they could cleave a man and
horse with a single stroke," and he adds, " the report
itself was a powerful weapon." A large body of these
dreaded soldiers, under the command of Roger de
for, arrived at Constantinople, where they were re-
ceived with fear and doubt, for cowards are ever sus-
picious. The following is a description of the beau-
tiful Stamboul, as it appeared on their arrival :
" In front lay the capital of the world—lovely even in
its decline—rising almost at once from the bright waters
of the I'ropontis, while the silver line of the rapid Bos-
phorus stretched far away beyond the entrance of the
Golden Horn, until it could no longer be traced between
the closing shores of the rival continents. Behind was
the s a; and far, far off the lofty summit of Olympus
capped with snow, might have been easily mistaken for
the cloudy mansion of the ancient Gods of Greece. On
the right and left Europe and Asia extended into the re-
mote distance, until lost in the blue haze, which the
aching eye sought in vain to penetrate. The galleys
swept proudly on—the leaders and the troops crowding
the deck in their bright arms, which flashed back the
rays of the early sun, and dazzled the eyes of the crowds
that lined the shore in thronging multitudes."
" As the galleys approached nearer, the different fea
tures of the noble city came more distinctly into view.
First the huge palace, with its gardens and terraces,
stretching down to the very edge of the water, and ex-
hibiting in its varied architecture the taste (or perhaps
the want of it) of every emperor from the time of its
great founder. Further off the white pumice domes of St.
Sophia rose in the full maturity of nearly eight hundred
years, proving how well the architect Anthemius had
judged when he refused to permit the use of wood in the
construction of a building which he intended should last
for ever."

The interest of the tale is kept up throughout ; it
abounds with animated descriptions of the impetuous
Catalans, their combats with the enemy, and their
quarrels with the crafty Greeks. The conclusion of
the story is strictly in accordance with history ; the
fear and jealousy of the Emperor, and especially of
his son Michael, overcame every other consideration ;
Roger de Flor was summoned from the head of his
conquering army, to mcct the Emperor as a friend
and guest. His companions sought to dissuade him,
but with the confidence of a generous spirit he mis-
trusted their suspicions, and obeyed the royal invita-
tion. Seated by the side of the Emperor Michael—
in a s:ene of festivity, in the presence of the Em-
press and of his own wife, the Emperor's
cousin —he was treacherously assassinated; a
victim to the fears of a cowardly tyrant, who we s
jealous of his glory, and who dreaded his power. The
writer of fiction could hardly find a more romantic
theme, or one more fraught with interest and instruc-
tion : it is enough to say he has done justice to the
subject. Almost all the characters are historical,
except Melee, the Koord, one of the most interesting ;
he has been taken prisoner by the fierce Catalans,
but his life is spared by Roger. Overcome by gra-
titude, he swears to serve him faithfully till he can
repay the debt, and then he must seek revenge. The
constant companion of the brave warrior, he learns to
love a character which resembles his own ; at length he
saves the life of Roger, and the debt is paid. The unhappy
man imagines he can read the secrets of futurity, and
he foretells the glory of Roger, but tells him also that
he is fated to destroy him. When the chief was sur-
rounded by assassins in the banquetting hall, the
first impulse of Melee was to rush to his assistance,
when, remembering the prophecy, he raised his bow,
and struck him whom he loved so well ; then believ-
ing his mission fulfilled, he fled to the desert. The
following is an account of the conclusion of the most
decisive battle fought between the Turks and Almu-
gavars:—

" Far in advance Roger de Flor led the carnage,
and where he passed but little was left for others to do
Still the Turks fought on, and the tide of battle sway( d
backwards and forwards, with an obstinacy which seemed
to promise that it could only cease from the absolute
weariness of both parties, or from the death of all en-
gaged. But suddenly loud cries were heard on the
right of the Turkish cavalry, and Roccafort, with the
entire of his infantry, rushed down the hill upon their
flank with the impetuosity of a mountain torrent which
has burst its barriers, and descends into the plains,
sweeping flocks and herds, shepherds and cottages, in its
destructive course.
"'The infidels wavered, for their wearied hest was
assailed with a seemingly ceaseless flight of the terribly
javelins which made the attack of the Almugavars ab-
solutely irresistible All went down before
that dreadful shower, against which nothing was a de-
fence ; through mail shirt and padded hauberk, through
shield and steel cap, the javelins of the Catalans tore
their way, and men and horses were equally pierc“l
through and through. Human endurance could resist no
longer, and the Turks turned and fled
" So dreadful, however, had been the slaughter in that
hand-to-hand contest, where for five hours each man
fought for his life, that Montaner asserts the Turks left
six thousand horse and twelve thousand infantry dead
upon the field, without counting those who perished in
Marulli's pursuit and by the hands of the mountain
peasantry."