The age-herald., 1898-02-06

| 1 the merry monarch of England. Mr. Wey-
 mans new story is called '"The Castle Inn, D I and deals with the England of George III. 1 Not many writers possess the power or 1 weaving thrilling romances from pure, 1 guileless adventurers, such as the genius of Weyman can do, and we hope in his new
 work, the opening chapters of which ap- peared in Munsey last month, that MT. Weyman will sustain his reputation by the same charm which has made "A Gentleman of France and Under the Red Robe,' such universal favortes
 l Tn nearly all of the quotations of book
 sales, '"rhe Choir Invisible,' by James Lane l Allen, stands second in popularity only to l "Quo Vadis." It may not generally be known that the lines by George Eliot, be- l ginning, "Oh, may I join the choir invis- | ible," which are given on the title-page of MT. Aliens "The Choir Invisible.' and | from which the title and motif of his book are taken, are engraved on George Eliot's tomb at Highgate cemetery.
 | Harry Thurston Peck, professor of Latin l in Columbia University, is one of the most | delightful of literary critics. He has pub 1 lished books bearing upon his life work, 1 and in "rhe Personal Equalization" re- ! cent volume he gives us the benefit of his l literary opinions; his criticisms are always
 marked by skilled and conscientious care 1 ana snow the orlSlnallly ana tHouSHl WHICH l could only be the outcome of broadly 1 read and we'll stored mind Whenever I 1 find a review unusually incisive and intel lectual In its grasp generally find the 1 name of Harry Thurston Peck at the end of it.
 And now Prof. Peck has been requested by the New York Times to inform as to the value of Quo Vadis as history, and itis gratifying to lovers of the book to know that so eminent an authority on ] Roman speech, history, and manners gives judgment that in the main is favorable
 to the Polish writer. I perceive that Prof. 1 Peck Is not devoid of that delightful quail 1 ity "humor" when he opens his review by l a comparison between two kinds of popular 1 novels by saying of Quo Vadis' that | "No enterprisng manufacturer, so far as I am aware, have yet brought out a Quo yads shirt collar or Q Scienkiewicz neck tie." Prof. Peck says there are three points as to which one should consider the book in estimating it's historical value l These are, first, the purely archaeological question as to the accuracy of its details; | second. the personnel relating to its repre- sentation of historical characters, and third, 1 Its general fidelity to truth in the impress 1 sion that 1t gives of the spirit of the time. 1 and of the thought and feeling of the Ro-
 man people during the reign of Nero. On
 the archaeological side it may be said that "Quo vadis." is in the main accurate and reliable" Yet while Prof. Peck cites much to prove the authors innate historical in- stfnct and sense of proportion, he cites also
 little slips such as miscalling the home of
 Petronius an "insula" instead of "domus,"
 etc., which after all may simply be the l opinion of a specialist"
 To the delineation of his characters the highest praise Is given which will not sur-
 prise careful readers of the book and to | the impression" given in the book of the , spirit and the tendencies of the Neronian age. he also adds that ''in this also Sen- 1 kiewicz is accurate and trustworthy"
 | So that those people who have been half afraid to declare good opinion of the his-
 torical value of the book, can now know that they have no less an authority than
 Prof. Harry Thurston Peck behind them. ] Close to the banks of picturesque Lake Geneva, whose eastern waves bathe the sombre walls of Chiffon Castle, where Bon- i ivard lay imprisoned for so many years and whose heroism three centuries later inspired Byron with his immortal home of i Mime. de Stael, and her mother Mme. l Neckar, the wife of the distinguished | statesman of France. M Neekar. a most l delightful ride of an hour from Geneva
 on the lake brings you to "Le Coppet." , The scene is enchanting, the lake with its beautiful and indescribablc blue tint-once | seen, never forgotten--lends a wondrous charm as 1t lay in peace and restfuI quiet.
 in strong contrast to the surrounding bril-