The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
SIENKIE VICES NEW NOVEL.
a POWERFUL STORY or POLAND IN
THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.

Like All His NONelH, III y EIFbt n Dllsn th
n Literary weekly Paper of warsaw
some Weeks the Instnllment Fails to APP
penr-Thc Historic Subject and Incidents.
For more thar a year HENRIK Sienkiewicz,
the author OF Quo Vadis." has been engaged
in Warsaw writing the novel which Ia to follow
that famous work. Months before he began to
write no was shaping his story and fitting IL to
the period Of Polish history with which II deals.
Like all Of Sienkiewicz's novels. the book Is
first appearing in i~nstallments in n Polish liter
airy publication. The title Of the new work is
Observation-Disclosures KniRhtsl. and the install
ments have been appearing for over n year, In
the Warsaw 7vgodnik HustrotrdnV illustrated
Weekly. The distinguished novelist is not
rapid In literary composition. His preparation
ia most minute and laborioUs. At times he is
in the mood to write much and again the
weekly product is small. Sometimes the regular
in%stallment fails to appear and again II may
be unusually short. The first three numbers
OF the 7Vgodnik fiustro,rdny this year did not
contain n word of the story. The novelist was
amember OF the commit, 20 In charge OF the
ceremony OF unwilling the monument to Adam
M%ickiewicz u709-1S55). the celebrated Polish
poet, and he wrote this note to the publishero OF
the TDoodnik. which was made public:
DEAR SIN; Owing to the pressure of various occu-
pations incidental to the unwilling Of the monu-
ment. lam unable 10 send you At present the manu-
script Of "Krzyzacy." Sincerely yours.
II. stENKrEwicz.
He is writing the novel in the beautiful homo
where he and his two motherless children re-
side. The work deals with that period ofPolish
history when the marriage of the young and
beautiful Queen OF Poland. Hedwiga l3So). to
the Prince OF Lithuania brought the last
heather country in Europe to Christianity and
united the two countries. This event gave the
deathblow to the Order OF Teutonic knights,
which was then Mt the height Of its power and
prosperity. Many educated Poles say that the
novels OF Sicnkiewicz dealing with Polish his
tory give so accurate, philosophical and power
full a delineation OF the tragic drama OF the i'll
fated kingdom. as wholly to them
10 the attention Of historical students. The
new novel. like its predecessors. is full OF the
atmosphere and color OF TIE ines which the
author describes. The reader secs fourteenth
century life on the borderland of civilization.
Many Of the Incidents, such as that of a great
boar hunt. the death OF the Queen. a terrific
storm, in which men and horses perish under
the snow. and others. show all the masterful
descriptive power which has made this novel
list famous. The fiction illumines the charac-
Ter and deeds Of historic personages and the
times in which they lived. Let us briefly recall
the story of the Teutonic Knights with whose
acts and final disaster the novel has much to do.
Inc OTueT OF leuJOnlC hlllShls was olo vi
the military and religious orders 10 which the
crusades gave birth. The Knights were re-
CURED to be OF noble parentage. to defend the
Christian religion and promulgate it with all
their might. They wore a white mantle with a
black cross on the breast. The order rose to
great power and influence and enjoyed the
fullest confidence of both the Pope and
the German Emperor. 1t saw the hope
lessness of further attempts to eXpel the
Mohammedans from the Holy Land and
eagerly hailed the opportunity to transfer
its activity to another sphere. which was
afforded by an invitation to make war
upon the heather Prusslans and Lithuanians.
The knights conquered all of Polish Prussia.
as 1T is now called. invaded the Polish territory
and overrun the greater part of Pomerania.
They built fortified castles in all their terri
tories. The Grand Mastershipo OF Weinrich Won
Kniprode 135l-S1) was the most prosperous
period In the history Of the order. Knights
from England. France and Burgundy enlisted
in their ranks to fight the heather. The union
OF Poland and Lithuania in 1886 struck at the
root OF the orders prosperity by deriving 1t Of
its mission, when there were no more heath
ehS within reach to convert" and de-
spoil. The audacity OF these armed monks
was without limit. They converted souls
by fire and sword. Tho bright and glorious
era of Poland dawned only after the order had
been crushed. The final blow was given in
1854. when Casimir ". OF Poland defeated
these formidable enemies of his kingdom.
The Prussians. also wearied by the oppression
of these fanatical brigands. placed themselves
under King Casimir's protection. The Knights
were conquered after twelve years struggle
and finally submitted. They had to surrender
DantziG and Pomerania. At one time their
possessions extended from the Oder on the
west to Finland on the east. with a population
of two to three millions, and for a period the
order played the leading role in the political
history Of northern Europe.
1t is not likely that over half OF the novel has
yet been published. but a m OF zone OF
the incidents thus far related will give an idea
OF the dramatic material with which Sienkie-
wicz is dealing:
A young Polish knight. Zbyszko. accom-
panied by his uncle. Maciek. Is on his way to
Cracow. the capital of Poland. They stop at an
inn for the night ana while there the Princess
of Mazowsze. sister OF the King. arrives with
her suite. The Princess ia on her way to Ora
COW as the guest of the King to celebrate the
festivities in honor of the expected arrival OF
an heir to the throne.
When the Princess arrives. Zbyszko and his
uncle wish to withdraw. but the Princess gra-
ciously bids them to remain and mingle with
the gentlemen of her suite. Among the ladies
SSci "a lhb VIZ i AhN'p' 10 I" chtis slii
Danuska. the f~avorite of the Princess. ZbyszkC
is struck with her beauty and learns her his.
tory. She is the daughter of a nobleman.
Jurand de Spychowo. Jurand had II young
and beautiful wife and during his absence the
Teutonic Knights invaded and pillaCed his
castle, and one OF the Germans was about to
take the young wife away on his horse wher
she died of fright. The grief-stricke
husband took his little daughter to tho
5000 H. .t.a4a -
begged her to he II mother to Danuska
while he devoted his life to revenge
No German VINO tell into his hands received
mercy. There were terrible dungeons In his
castle. and in them the captive Teutoni,
knights persisted miserably. When Zbyszko
hears how Danuska had become motherless ht
COWS that he will Stay no less than three
knights in honorable fight.
TIL following morning the Princess's cour
continues its lOurnpy toward Crarow an,