The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-21

4
encounter with his Ostmen foes, and by
the sea. ut is on the debatable ground
| between Hy-Cualan and the Ostman ter
| ritory. and overlooking Dublin Bay, that
| the opening scenes OF the poem are laid.
Young Malmorda, standing by the sea,
tells his clansman, Angus, Of a battle
| he has fought where "A ship was taken
| from the Ostmen and finally burned
all the invaders being slain, save one
absent chief and his wife. This wife
Malmorda has taken as his spoil. She,
Torcala, with her red, gold hair and
"eyes that, blue to violet, burned" be-
comes now the one influence Of his life.
In the bloody scenes which follow, we
see man, brave but Of impulsve nature,
over whom there is no restraint, save that
Of a vague Christianity; his passionate
love for this woman gradually shuts out
all other emotions. All through the poem
Mr.. Clarke seems 70 be imbued with the
spirit Of the old sea-kings and their
deeds OF bravery and blood and succeeds
In communicating TO the reader Of his
little book a deep interest in these men.
Malmorda strives TO interest Angus in
this beautiful woman, telling OF their
walks and how
often on moonlight nights
We wandered, hand in hand, along the
hnls,
When all the air she peopled with her
elves,
And unto every bush and rock and tree
She gave a fairy, and the nightingale
To her a spirit was Of one who loved
AS we loved, and whose song told end
less bliss.
That death had no command upon
But his men grow restless when they
see their king neglecting all FOR this
|
and Ludaltha. with fleeting voice and
subtle tongue" sings:
How late an eagle. by a seagull charm
| ed,
Was turning gull himself. and all the
He meant the prlests-were cawing DER
II loud;
But one fell raven. louder still, croaked
! blood
And he would win his seagull back to
sea"
Nfalmorda Stays him. Then he is ready
| 10 pay "the price Of blood" and gives the
| pouch Of gold 10 young Cairbre. the slain
rhymers brother"
He goes on with his story:
"The priests, then, rallied the more on
Torcala.
Until. resolving all. straight resolved
To seek the hermit bishop out and have
Him wed US
The author shows a profound knowledge
OF human nature in the interview between
king and bishop, the king trying 10 per-
suade the bishop and himself that the
marriage must take place But the old
priest is firm.
'He never finished his full speech, for
swift
My passion mastered me. and ere I
knew.
The rocks were rudy with his blood. I
fed
In terror. for the calm OF his old face
Made ice Of all my blood that least was
FIRE"
This scene must be read TO be appre-
/ ciated. We see the king tortured by re-
/ morse. and ready 10 acknowledge the
| wrong done, but still pleading for the
| love and confidence of his friend.
"sacrilege and murder, twas most foul;
/ But, Angus. while then deepest damnst
II did think,
/ II grew out Of a heart made mad with
love.
{.
The thought that love Of one fair work
OF God should make me slayer Of a
fust.
Unpurchased priest. who knelt nigh
heavens gate,
Has wrought me punishment enough in
soOth
Ia left an aching in my heart that
not
The kisses OF my Torcala can cure"
He soon, though, returns TO his resolve
that the woman shall be his own. and
believes that If the husband. Asculp. can
only be slain, and by his blade nothing
then viii interfere with his happiness
on he goes to his doom. and there is
nothing finer in the book than the force
ful writing in which we are led through
the concluding scenes Of blood and fire.
For this conclusion we should have been
prepared, by the last lines Of the Fore
song:
"Then the Irish king. in his youth and
might,
with sweep Of battle and roar OF fight
About him, and circling his Norseland
prize,
The blue Of the sea in her wild sweet
eyes,
The life Of man in each strand OF her
And the glow Of a fame on her bosom
Mid storm and battle. by moon and
mist.
] saw through their very souls. I visit
And the shields that rang, and the sobs
that died.
And the echoing hills and the sombre tide,
Ever were shaping
Love and live and love"
MONA MAGICIAN, MEDICAL STU
IDENTIFY Graham Trlyers Apple
toms Town and Country Library; d.
Appleton & CO.. New York. Fifty cents.
For sale by West, Johnston & Co.
THE VOICE OF A FLOWER.-By Z.
Gerard joint author Of "a Sensitive
Plant" Appleton's Town and Country
Library; ID. Appleton & CO.. New York.
Fifty cents. For sale by West, Johnston
& Co
LITTLE MISS MUFFET.-By Rosa Nou-
Ghetto Carey, author of Esther" Aunt
DIANA" etc j. Il. Lippincott Company
Philadelphia. 1898. Sl.25. For sale by
West, Johnston q Co.
Hariot's Reprint.
Mr. j. J. English, Jr. has recently i'm
ported from England a new reprint OF
"Hariots Narrative Of the First Plan
tation of Virginia in 1855" 1t is publish
ed by Bernard Quaritch, Of London. from
the edition Of 1890. with De Rry's en-
cravings. This book has always been
OF especial interest TO those readers in
terested i'm the history Of this country,