The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-01-01
PRICE: FIVE CENTs

But her health was not the best. and
! sne was obliged to checker London with
Italy. In that country, still warm with
the passions, intrigues and beauty of
the middle ages her love for the age of
chlvalry and mysticism was ouickened
She took to serious study of the 18th, 18th
and 10Th centuries. She learned TO fum-
pie Old manuscripts, to love their ivory
tones, their supple surface, their crackle
and rustic.
| This study Of the middle ages resulted
nrsU IN biography OF Margaretof Navarro
1t IS not an easy period-that of Francis 1.
IL is crowded with characters. 1t puIsateS
with all sorts of new impulses-mysti-
clsm, reform, learning, freedom of
thought. 1t Is filed with peculiar and
Trying antagOnisms, both material and
| spiritual, but Mime. Darmesteter goes
through it naturally and directly and
leaves one feeling that he has been fairly
treated, that he has been enlightened and
not bewildered.
In 1889 she published another book from
this same period-s'The End of the Mid
Gle Ages made up of sketches. The
work is all good in this book-a firm,
direct, inviting, historical narrative.
Inc last product of these studies is the
book OF which l spoke in the beginning,
the . Marguerites. - 1t is a pleasure to
notice how the French critics have well
coined this new conner in their literature.
IL has been cordially, almost invariably.
Anatole France says OF her: ssShe plsases
by her very foreignness. In running her
thoughts into new language she shows
an awkwardness which is a grace, an in
experience which is charm.''
The French academy itself has honored
her with prize. 1T IS not announced
yet, ~ said Nine. Darmesteter, in telling
me OF the pleasant compliment, .sbut
nave the money, and here it is in these
very curtains, - smoothing the draperies,
whose cords sne happened to be drawing.
The success of the ''Marguerites'' may
be inferred from another fact-the aristo-
cratic publishing house of Hachette & Co.
nave asked Nine Darmesteter for a volume
on Froissart, in French of course, a re-
quest which she is granting, the volume
being now in preparation.
1t has not been the sMarguerites''
alone, however, which have introduced
her In France. In 1888 M. James OAR
mesteter, now her husband, published
volume of translations from her English
poems. These TRANSACTIONS, though IN
prose, are sympathetically and deIicately
done They preserve the color, the mood
OF the lines though, of course. the music
is gone. They are preceded by a par
tlcularly true analysis of Miss Robinson s
genius, and were well received in France.
Although it looks as if the assimilation
" NAA4Cs 0eiA 111CotOtCI lAbO EI6nCu llbGld-
ture might in the end be as complete as
was that of the late Albert Wolf into
French journalism, yet she has by no
means severed her connections with the
English public so fond of her. At present
the FOrtHightly is running series of her
studies on ''Private Life in the Four
tenth Century, which ultimately VIII
be put into book form.
Although better known in both France
and England than in America, yet the
poetry OF Mary Robinson has long been
familiar to US. Another year it is quite
possible that her American admirers will
have an opportunity to change the ac-
quaintance made over her books into face
to face friendship. Prof. Darmesteter
has received an invitation to deliver
courses of lectures before the new Chicago
university, at Baltimore and at other
points, and though he has not decided to
accept, it is quite possible that he will do
so. If he does, Nine. Darmesteter wilt
accompany him and literary circles in
America will be certainly enriched by
their visit. IDA NJ. TARBELL.