The San Francisco call., 1897-03-28
A HISTORICAL ROMANCE.

woMAN's COURIER BY william Joseph
Woman. stone q KimbalL New ork Price
Hotel, City.
The famous forty conspiracy OF 1926, which
had for its object the assassination of William
III of EDgland and the replacing OF James ii
on the throne, is the kernel of this historical
tale. Around this central fact are grouped
number of interesting incidents OF adventure
and love wherein history mingles with ro-
nance. The descriptions OF some of the men
and women prominent in that period are WV
idly done and give history a stronger hold
upon our memories. The book has attracted
considerable notice in England.
The author has produced two books before
this both OF which received high praise. The
first was "King William the Third" which
one of the prominent literary papers COM
mended as having all the attractiveness of Sir
Walter Scotts historical novels. His second
venture was book OF poems, which so good
an authority as Gladstone Endorsed by writing
that he was very sensible of the gifts displayed
Yin it. Mr.. Yeoman is a lawyer, but divides
his time with literature. Until recently he
was writing leaders for the Liverpool Daily
Courier, and he is frequent contributor TO
other journals and magazines in England.
He is an athlete, and TO this and to the fact
that he spent most of his boyhood in an out
door life on the Scottish border and in Wales
is doubtless to be ttrlbuted the style of
rative which he delights to tell Feats of
strength and courage and wild adventures
with highwaymen, duelling and such have
evident fascin alton for him, and he has the
art to communicate this to his reader. A good
index to his feelings in this matter may be,
perhaps, found in the following words from
his book: "Yet l must not be taken to cry
down feats of arms and the like. God forbid
1t will be an i'll dsy for our country when her
sons are all clerks, and might of limb and
valor only to be read of in the works of the
Ecribes."
The title is derived from Sir John Tolbot's
having been sent by his sister courier to
warn her lover that he suspected of plot
ting against the Kings life, and as result of
this quest sll the stirring events of the tale
follow. Sir John himself suspects that his
sisters betrothed is traitor to the King he
loves and honors, but because OF his affection
for his sister he persists in his disagreeable
and dangerous undertaking, and he thus gets
an insight into the whole villainous plot. The
book contains some surprises and 1t is best not
TO risk spelling the readers interest and pleas
ure in perusing the exciting narrative by Civ
ing too full an outline of it here.
Among the prominent personages described
are the Duke of Shrewsbury, Lord MARI
borough, Sarah Jennings, Prince George of
Hesse, King William and Catherine Sedley,
Countess of Dorchester, who was the mistress
the litterateurs. at Wills coffee-house, and
among them Dryden. In style the book has
the strength of simplicity, and its perusal will
be found both entertaining and valuable as
fixing history more vividly in the memory.
The following description of King William |
the Third is a good example of what the |
writer can do: "I now had good opportun- |
ity of observing the workings of this wonder
full mans willard of witnessing the power of
control he was reputed to possess over emo
tions naturally strong and passions which
most people would have found absolutely un-
governable.
eNever did I behold him to greater advan-
tage, and never did Irealize more how the in
dividual was merged in the monarch than on
this occasion.
"Instead of a frail, sensitive, ailing crea-
ture-a puny inyalid-I saw before me calm,
cold, impassive machines thing of adamant,
impervious to sentiment, and apparently do
void of the usual feelings of fear AMI rage
which are supposed to dominate our kind.
Cool, calculating and reserved in manner, he
sat there - contrasting strangely with the
feverish anxiety and excitement OF those
about him.
"And as watched my blood rushed wildly,
and my pulses throbbed aloud with admira-
tion. For I experienced his dominating in
fuence. and knew how much he lowered
above US all"