The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-18
A DELIGHTFUL ROMANCE
"WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOW
Err" THE ATTRACTIVE TITLE.
An Indiana Writer Ventures Into the
Field of Historical Fiction with
Pleasing Results.

An Indiana writer who has chosen to hide
his identity under the name Edwin Casko-
den'' has given to the public, through the
Bowen-Merrill Company, novel bearing
the title when Knighthood Was in Flow
er." 1t is happily named, for the hero pos
sesses the manly qualities that make the
true knight in all lands and all ages He is
not of the modern day, however, but of the
time OF jousts and tournaments, of daring
adventure and of dues fought on slight
provocation-the time, to be exact, of that
famous monarch Henry VIII of England.
The episode set forth is the love affair of
the Kings young sister, Mary Tudor, with
Charles Brandon. The author says the story
Is SO we'll known to students of English
history that he fears its repetition will lack
the zest which attends the development of
an unforeseen denouement, but except for
students he need have no such fears The
average man and woman know history by
periods and great political events, and not
in detail, and these, the chances are, will
ind 1t necessary to turn to textbooks to
satisfy themselves that the characters de-
scribed once really lived. They will find
the story verified in the arid chronicles and
will wonder that the incidents have not
been seized upon before by those whose
gift it is to clothe the dry bones of history
with the charm of life and romance. 1t has
remained for this Indianian to discover their
possibilities and to invest them with a real
ism that oftener belongs to the creations
of the imagination than to historical
records. The fact that the personages of
the tale really did exist adds an attraction
lacking in the stories of Mr.. Anthony Hope.
to which this work has been likened by sew
eral admiring reviewers. This resemblance,
by the way, is not in any sense that of imi-
tation, but is found in the atmosphere of
chivalry surrounding the heroes Brandon
and 'Rassendyl." In using his foundation
Of fact the author has not made the mis-
take, so common in historical fiction, of
overwhelming the tale with the lore of the
library. He is undoubtedly thoroughly
versed in the history of the period; so well,
indeed, that it is unnecessary for him to
dwell upon details or to use archaisms of
language to prove his familiarity What he
undertakes to do is to reproduce the spirit
of the time, and this by suggestion rather
than by obsolete speech and an insistence
upon conditions no longer existing. The
story purports to be drawn from records
kept by Sir Edwin Caskoden. ancestor of the
one who gives it to the world, and is told in
the first person. but with notifications of
language. The author says:
Il might give you the exact words in
winch SIR Edwin wrote, and shall now and
then quote from contemporaneous chroni-
Cies in the language of his time, but should
SO write 1t all, | fear the pleasure of Pc
ruSal would but poorly pay for the trouble,
as the English of the Bluff King is almost
foreign tongue to us. | shall, therefore,
memoir in words, spelling and idiom which
his rollicking little old shade will probably
repudiate as none of his whatsoever. So,
II you happen to find sixteenth century
thought hobnobing in fthe same sentence
With nineteenth century English, be not dis
turbed; 1 did it. If the little old fellow
grows grandiloquent or garruious at the
time-he did that. If you find him grow
ing supersentimental, remember that senti-
just then approaching its abSurdest climax
in the bombastic conscientiousness of Bay
ard and the whole mental atmosphere laden
with its pOmpouS nonsense
A SECONDTLOVE STORY.
This Sir Edwin Caskoden was Master of
the Dance in King Henry's court and the
firm and faithful friend of Brandon and the
Princess Mary, and did them much good
service, though he was by no means the
bold knight and valiant soul that Brandon
proved himself to be. His is winning per-
sonality, too, and his own love story Incl
dentally told is hardly less in interest than
that of his royal mistress. The object of his
affections is Lady Jane Bohngbroke, lady
in waiting to the princess, and herself an
attractive creature to all about her. These
four are the leading characters in the story.
but about them is the court with its in
trigues. and back OF them the shadow OF
King Henry. who loved his sister after a
fashion. but was ready to sacrifice her to
advance his own fortunes.
1t was a daring undertaking to depict the
loves of royalty and to represent princess
in the double capacity of high-borh lady
ship and simple girlishness, but this task
Caskoden accompanies well. Mary Tudor