The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-18
THE PRINCE or INDIA.

already fully five hundred thousand peo-
pie have read this great book. That 1t is
great, the greatest of all Mr.. Wallace's
novels will undoubtedly be the verdict.
In the beginning, the nameless, myster-
ious traveller, delving into the hidden
and forgotten tomb of Hiram, king of
Tyre, stands out clear as a silhouette of
ebony against an ivory background, and
in spite Of the hints as to his identity. the
declaration contained in his mention Of
his visit to the tomb a thousand years
before, comes as a shock TO the reader.
1t is difficult, too, to reconcile the opu-
Hence Of this man, living on through the
ages because he is accursed with the
traditional idea Of the shoemaker who
spoke harshly to the Nazarene on his
way TO death, but, throughout the book
Mr.. Wallace preserves the unities, even
in this. He has given character of his
own conception; a new wandering Jew,
and withal one more in keeping with the
real national characteristics of the race.
The first chapters of the book move
slowly but the interest is sustained. The
description Of the concourse of pilgrims
on their way to Mecca is the first great
movement. In this, all that one has
learned from the stories Of travellers, all
that comes through the atlas of the
ubiquitous newspaper correspondent, is
related as by an eyewitness. There is
the racing and rushing of horses and
camels; the faltering and dying of foot
travellers along the way from WEAKNESS:
the deaths by epidemics: the noise and
confusion Of the different nationalities:
yet all faithful, all pressing to the same
goal to kneel and kiss the Kaaba. At
this stage of the story the Jew poses as
a man of great wealth from India, and
gives himself the title of prince. He is
on his way to Constantinople, and it is
over fifty years since he visited the
tomb of Hiram and carried away Jewels
enough to enable him to support this
title with proper magnificence. Upon
his arrival in Constantinople his object
is made plain. He is a student of all
religions. In his life of fourteen CEN
turtles he has had ample time for study
and research after wearying of all other
roads of passing time. He is imbued
with the idea of establishing a universal
religion. God is God. and all wise and
holy men who have preached His truth
and lived or died for Him are His sons
and His prophets. He seeks an audi
ence with Emperor Constantine. This
is granted. In this audience are the
monks and priests Of the city, already
divided amongst themselves, constantly
pickering over the small matters that
through all ages have tangled human
ity in the ecclesiastical machinery of
the churches. The description of this
meeting and the secession of Gennadius
makes one of the most spiffted chap
tiers in the second volume. 1t shows
too the state of affairs. religiousy and
politically. that made the Christian capt.
tai an easy prey for the Turk.
The Jew. though the central figure
in the history Zone hesitates in calling
it a story, is surrounded by strong
characters: the historical not more real
to the reader than those drawn from the
writer's Imagination. The young Jewess,
"Lael" will live in memOrysas sweet a
picture as SCOTS "Rebecca." The "Emir
Mirza," afterwards Count Corti," if he
be real or fictitious, is now a creature
of life and action: the loyal friend, the
fearless soldier, the grandest lover Of
woman that mortal mind can conceive.
Inc CIldldClGI u LUIS ElNtS
one vision of a man Of noble stature,
with a face where justice and mercy
blend and give it the gracious outlines
of strength and beauty. The Princess
Irene" combines all that is sweet and
grand and beautiful in womanhood.
The sultan. too. "Mahommed" it
objectionable to rejoice that he con-
quered the wrangling factions Of Chris
tians and proclaimed on entering the
church of Sancta Sophia, The house is
defiled with idolatrous images-Islam
is in the saddle?' If it be wrong TO be
glad for the youthful conquerer that all
things good and desirable came TO his
hand, then must Mr.. Wallace take the
blame to himself for drawing a charac-
ter so entirely adorable. The speech OF
the sultan to Irene" is a fine piece of
work Mr.. Wallace gives no references,
so the words must be his own. There
are expressed all the anxiety Of the
lover. who has been al but hopeless,
visiting the lady in disguise, and in
the ardOr of youth using all manner OF
articles to gain a glimpse of the lovely
face; there are proclaimed the noblest
purposes of a royal conquerer and
generous soul. still the lover. The
finesse, too; the reminder of the man
ner in which she may save her people.
and yet the liberty to go where she
wills. If it were simply a love story,
with all elements of history left out,
still 1t would be great for the play of
human passions and the deliniation of
human character. After a careful read
ing one is continually astonished at the
wealth of material Mr. Wallace has
used i'm these pages, and the vast re-
searches he must have made to draw
his material together. Besides the diff
ferent nations mentioned. their dress
and many of their usages of religious
and everyday life are described.
But it is this that makes a great ele-
ment of the historical novel. There, too,
astrology plays an important part The
reading of the stars is believed in by
small and great, and is considered a
part of religion. The descriptions of
buildings and streets could only have
been given after the most thorough
study as we'll as the enjoyment of the
fortunate circumstances that gave Mr..
Wallace opportunity to gaze upon the
centuries-old buildings of Constantinople.
It was a stroke of genius TO introduce
the cistern episode. / can recall nothing
so terrible and striking in former fiction;
not even the journey of Jean Vatican"
through the Paris sewer is to be compared
with it, The descriptions of natural
scenery are an interesting part Of the
hook PINT there are ALWAYS executions