The herald., 1893-09-17
[By L. BEHyMER.l j


Each year some book Is issued that
stands out in bold relief far in advance
of the front ranks OF the book world.
1t may not be deep scientific or pbilo-
sophical production, but simple,
stirring, magnetic work that reaches the
hearts OF the masses. A book that rich
and poor, learned and untutored can
appreciate. A book that can be found
in the homes OF the people as we'll as
in the public places. A book that will
be read and remembered, ,snot simply
glanced at and then forgotten. Such a
book was published several years ago by
the well-known firm OF Harper Brothers
and was entitled Ben Hur, written by
Gen. Lew Wallace. This year the same
publishers have added to their popu-
larity by publishing this authos's new
and much expected novel on the fall OF
Constantinope, entised The Prince of
India. or Why Constantinople Fell. a
panoramic story OF life in the orient.
This well-known author has written one
or two books OF phenomenal circulation
and has written other stories than Ben
Hur, as Mrs. Stowe has written others
than Uncle Toms Cabin, but they are
not known among the famous volumes
of the time. In this new effort OF
General Wallace he comes forward with
novel, plainly the most laborious he
has yet produced. The Prince OF India
is in two volumes of over 800 pages each.
and has occupied his pen for elk yeare.
1t is not book to be judged
hastily. The readers OF novels for
mere excitement and flimey emotion
intellectual food, a work for the
thoughtful and the cultured mind. The
historical novel is always admissible
and the theological novel is in fashion.
The Prince of India combines the essen
tial features of both. This book has
been written under ideal conditions.
The general accepted the mission to
Constantipople in order to elaborate it,
the subject being the fall of that city
before the Turk 400 years ago. 1t was
an epoch to the nations and religions OF
the world, and the place to grasp it his.
torically is within the ancient walls
overlooking the Bosporus. The charac-
iers assembled by the author are a
striking company, including the EN-
peror Constantine. the conquering
young Sultan NIohammed, and no less
parsonage than the Wandering Jew him.
self, whose football has already been
heard in some famous pages. Here he
is seen in new guise.
The Wandering Jew, in fact, is the
leading character OF the book. But how
changed He is a philosopher. weight
"A y folI ,clN
thirteen centuries OF unbrnken individ-
ual life. 1t is not unreasonable to sup-
pose that a man living 1000 years should
he 90 deeply grounded in worldly s8x-
perience and in religious speculation
that the ordinary generations of man
would regard him as a mystic beyond
their depth. Here, as the prince of In
dia, but little OF the man is left save the
religious philosopher, with nothing to
ask OF the world but belief OF conviction
and little living sympathy in some
quiet corner. Gould such character
grow from such a germ? According to
the earliest legends, as General Wallace
remarks in q note, the Wandering Jew
was about 80 years old when he stood in
the road to Golgotho and struck the
savior and ordered him to go forward.
At the end of every 100 years the undy-
ing man falls into trance, during which
his body returns to the age it wac when
Christ turned and replied to the blow
and the gibe to hurry on, "Tarry thou
till come"
But General Wallace has said con-
cerning his new Interpretation that it
has always seemed to him necessarily
true that the longer q man lived, if he
had common sense originally, the wiser
he must become. The prince OF India,
in his view, impressed himself upon
those who met him as a normal man.
except that he was very wise aud very
powerful, and that while generations Of
+ other men were passing he did not ap-
pear to die. His role in the book is
that OF an ardent religious reformer,
striving to unite all races in one creed,
which by the way, and not unnaturally,
10 very much like that of the Jews.
The story begins with this strange
Prince of India's visit to secret vault.
on the Syrian coast to replenieh his
wealth from great treasure concealed
by the king of Hiram. Three deaf sand
dumb slaves accompanied him ON the
ship. The princeAthe man denied
death till the second coming of Chfist--
lays upon a pallet, asleep, yet restless.
Then follows startling pen portrait OF
this wonderful character.
The visit to the vault ia dramatically
told. There in mouldering state, was
the body OF Hiram, king Tyre, the
friend OF Solomon. After SECURING what
he has come 60 far after. and discover.
ing that no one had been there since
his first visit, a thousand years before,
he pays tribute to the memory of the
great king and departs.
The women in The Prince of India
are virtually but two in number.
One of them, the Princess Irene,
is highly elaborated. The other, Lael,
thel adopted daughter of the Prince OF
India. is also a distinct creation. The
Princess Irene is a young Christian
Greek, dwelling in her palace on the
European side of the Bosporus. She ia
described with unusual detail, since she
Is by odds the heroine OF the book and
OF the fall of the great city. A great
part the princess plays in the affairs OF
church and state, in peace and war.
her love story is noble. II her own
heart was sacrificed she saved people
and church, or at least sheltered them
from enormous danger and hardship.
she was q great woman, and perhaps
not unhappy, for she performed a grand
duty. The tragedy Of Irene, by DR..
Samuel johnson. is founded on an incl
dent OF the Turkish occupation of Con-
kutantinople. Lael ia the motherless,
Auirliah douuht To- - T~-.-L ~ ,-----,