New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-19

his On from knee to ankle. In the east there was
a platform carpeted, furnished with lounges, and
protected from the sun by red cabinet. Tins ordy
structure belonged to the king, his household and
mobiles and was separated by broad passages from
the seats of the commonalty.
Upon the appearance OF the monarch there was per
feet calm. Standing awhile by his couch he looked
the scene and not often has royal vision heeh wv
ter filed with all that constitutes royalty. OpposIe
him he the servitors Of his religions at his eet Mee
his and people almost innumerable wen a,
music the theater he thrilled with the ecstacy W
power The champions for the god then came III Gnu
as they strobe across to the western sue oc "
Such were the preparations for the conDat sucn ao
combatants And as the foemen faced escn otner,
ing the signal for the mortal strife fancy no nnr
has seen anything more beautui IMAM the ,uyaorn'
Among the faces the gaze swan as in sea- the gleain
ing OF arms and ornaments was Dewaerng Win o o
diversity Of coors In the costumes or the vast audience
was without comparison Win tne U the
arena, the royal platform was the cyhosre belu tnc
King, with a shield faced with silver stOOd MaAtla NE
liant against treachery or despair Inc array VI nooeS
the darkeyed beauties OF his household anu the canopy
nglng the air and softly unduatlng above nun ana tne
mighty congregation of subjects at his ieet ~ was WIN
Montezuma like revival OF the glory OF tue Hystspes
in short time he heard no music ana saw no spenuot
everything reminded him of the last picture on the west
wall OF the golden chamber
The issue of the combat, which is described with
the glow of passion inspired by the Joy oi military
strife was in favor of the Aztecs.
The attention of the people again directed to the
combat of the Tezcucan. The death of his comrades
nowise daun,ed the Tlascalan he rather struck the
harder for revenge his shield racked the feathers
in his crest away while the blades were red with
blood. Still il Jared but i'll with lztlf fighting for
hmsef His wound in the breast bed freely, and his
equipments were III no better plight than his antagO
DsCs. The struggle was that OF the hewng and hack
ing which. whether giving or taking, soon eXhauss the
strongest frame. AT last faint with loss of blood he
went down. The Tiascalan attempted 10 strike fna
blow darkness rushed upon hun; he staggered the
blades sunk into the sand, and he rolled beside his
enemy. ,,,.
might not behold their Gland OF bread again never
more for them hammock by the stream or echo Oh
And all the multitude arose and gave way 10 their
rejoicing; they embraced each other and shouted ana
sang the pabahs waved their ensgns aud the soldiers
saued with voice and peang shells and up 10 tue sun
assembled the name OF QuetzaP with form and oircuI-
hut ain the time the audience saw only the fortunate
hero standing calmly before them, the dead at hls
And the king happy the rest, and talked gayy
caring little for the living or the dead Inc combat was
over. ana QuetZaP not come. Mualox was a mailman,
not a prophet; the AZtecs had won, and the god was
populated the quesoner Of the Morning BATTERED
himself.
But the triumph of victory was of short duration.
During the night, the ships of Cortes, freighted
with the materials of conquest came sweeping
down the bay of Campeachy. The next morning
thew sailed up the Rio de Tabasco, beautiful with
its pure water and its banks fringed with mangoes.
In the evening a courier sped hotly through the
streets of the city, stopping at the gate of the
ROYAL palace. He was taken before the king,
and the rumor soon few over the city how QuetzaP
had arrived in canoes larger than temples, waited
by clouds and full Of thunder and lightning. Then
sank the mOnarchs heart, and though the Spanlard
knew il not his marvellous conquest was half com
peted before his iron shoe smote the shore at San
Juan de UllOa."
With this event the author may be said to APP
proach the heart of his story, which thus far has
been merely the prelude TO the magnificent sym
phonies which he proceeds TO construct from the
spectral fragments of Mexican history. The re-
mainder of the work is of character that does not
admit of critical analysis nor can it be reproduced
in isolated portions without doing injustice to the
general effect of the composition. 1t consists of
shining mass of description, dazzling the reader
withits powerful spendOTs, producing deep impress
sion by its intensity of life although not always set
forth in luminous order and sometimes defying the
greatest vigilance TO detect its symmetry and pro
portions amid It's flashes of lightning and flame
But no one can mistake the workings Of
creative genius in its glorious pictures of real life
from the rapture OF battle to the softness of love
The author has opened fresh field to the amateurs
of fiction blending the suggestions Of history with
the colors of imagination but demanding the exercise
of inventive power to no less a degree than if the
theme had been wholly original. The reader, who
is fond of superficial comparisons. may find some
semblance between the manner of Mr.. Wallace and
that of CARLYLE. Carlyle, however, reprOduces the
facts Of history in the form of romance, while Mr.
Wallace clothes the creations of romance in the garb
of history