New-York tribune., 1902-08-02
NEW NOVELS.
STORIES OF ANCIENT AND OF MODERN
LIFE.

JerDert lFeIlcll 1Ii4os PIP '-@-'
BRTNToN ELIOT. FROM YALE TO Y9Rks-
11o T9NN M B s SamfS The fqgsrld Msgeman Company
THE sEIGNEIJR DE BEAUFOY. BY Hamilton
I2a RnSmona Pe as I0stGn!ef BOstGn L g g Page a ( Co
THE MASTER OF GAXToSS hoSs f8y5ers By 2l9esFa sons
NIsER ROADLEY's SECRET. A Detective Story
BY Arthur ". Marchmont- 1llastfaateo- d-ii0'
PIP IN. 305 New-AmsterdaTn BOOK COMPANY
The Russian novel Of which Mr. Trench gives
us translation is really not so much a mover
as it is a study of Italian society in the age
of Leonardo da Vincix There is no plot IN liie
strict sense of the term. Incident abounds' put
it is rsed simply to illustrate the civilization OF
the Renaissance and not because i'll has any
reference 10 a dramatic scheme. The reauei
might be forgiven therefore. if he were 70 Ieei
a little impatient of Mr.. MereJkoWsh' Gum
planning that the latter beled the title OF ms
book; this is not romance except IN so laI
as the life story of Leonardo da Vinci is itself
romantic. But on the other hand the narrative
is indubitably pitched in beguiling Key Inc
scene shifts from Florence to Milan and to other
points in the Peninsula; across it pass number
of Fascinating historical figures, and there Is
no denying that the latter are portrayed with
unusual insight and a good deal Of art Some
where in the back of the authors mind there
would appear 10 be a philosophical intention
This volume is the second In trilogy written
We gather. with another purpose than that OF
merely amusing the public All through the
present publication there are indications that
the author attaches a special significance % the
contrast which he draws between the Christian
and pagan elements conflicting in the minds and
hearts Of fifteenth century Italians But TINS
strain in the book is obscure and what is more,
of serious Importance, for it is PLAIN that
the author has not the power to give dramatic
md aIe n IDEA which appears
TO be floating in his consciousness. What he is
competent to do is TO paint vivid pictures OF
an extraordinarily picturesque phase in the his
tory Of the South, and when all criticisms have
been made his book remains readable and even
delightful There are many passages which we
world like TO quote for the reality which they
give 10 personages and events Of a brilliant
epoch, but we content ourselves with one IN
which famous idiosyncrasy Of Leonardo da
Einci is most effectively illustrated Mr. MereJ-
kowski has set himself TO exhibit the many
sidedness of his hero, and after many instances
of the painters feeling for beauty he cites
from the pretended diary Of one Of his charac-
tiers. Giovanni Boltrafio pupil Of Leonardos,
the following fragment:
While was watching him, the child Jacopo
ran in laughing and clapping his hands:
''CrpPies, Messer leonardo monsters: Collne pine
your ways into the kitchen. have brought you
such beauties that you shall lick your nngers
for jey!"
whence came they"
From the porch of SAINT Anbrogio. Beggars
from Bergamo. / promised you'd give them
supper If they'd let themselves be painted
Leaving the picture of the Virgin unhnisAed'
Leonardo beteok him TO the kitchen, follow
ing. We found two brothers, very Ole and sWoi-
len with dropsF great hanslng g93lIes OF o +baTn
a withered little old body, whose name Rag
nina Qittie SPIDER seemed very suitable.
You see,' cried Jaeepo triumphantE, ! saio
you would be pleased! D9n't know exactly
leonardo sat down by the hobgoblin cripples,
ordered wine TO be brought served it to them
himself questioned them kindly, told them
absurd stories to make them laugh. At trst
they were restive and suspicious, not uhQeI
standing why they had been brought IN; @ nul
when he related an anecdote about e. dead Jew
whom his compatriots, TO eVade the Jaw @ loL
ilaing the burial of Hebrews within the con-
.iras of Bologna, had cut in pieces, plchleu'
sl,iced and sent to Venice. where he was eaten
BIZ a Florentine Christian. the Little SploeI
was Ike TO burst with laughter. Soon all three
were tipsy, and laughing and talking ana max
ing the most horrible faces l was disguStea
and looked away; but Leonardo watched them
with deep and ger curiosity; and when thelI
fideousness had reached its height, took OUT
his sketch book and drew with the same I Is.
lighted attention that he had iaVisheo Oh I1i0
smile of the Virgin -,
In the evening he showed me whole collec-
tion Of caricatures; grotesques not only OF men
but also of beasts-terrible shapes, like those
which haunt sick men in their deIrlnrIl' me
human and the bestial compounded 10 make one
shudaer The rnuzzle of a poTcIpine, its qullls
bristling its under lip pendent, loose, ana thin
as a rag displaying in a human grin two loIs
white teeth like almonds; an old woman, heT
-7ose spread and hairy, and scarce bigger imam
a mole her lips monstrously thick IKE thoss
squa. and vscid 4dngi which grow oul VI
withered trunks.
Mr. Farmer also is more Indifferent to the
need for a plot in a novel than IS customary
among latter day writers of fiction. "Brinton
Eliot" can scarcely be praised for its construc-
flor, The heros romance is entangled only In
the most casual manner with an extremely
episodical story of Revolutionary events But
Mr. Farmer like the Russian writer just noticed
rises superior 10 his limitations. de makes up
in the spirit and naturalness Of his dialogue
and in the interest of his situations, for the
absence of conference in his general plan. The
hook opens with pleasant picture of Yale stu
dents in the eighteenth century, Nathan Hale
among them, and some entertaining pages are
presently made out of the heros adventures
abroad where he meets Benjamin Franklin and
piaces a ship belonging TO his father at the SER
vice of the United States. He comes home in
the vessel and. Of course sees some nghting on
the ocean There are further exciting expert
ences related after Eliot has set foot upon his
native SOIL and the love interest is not forgot
ten Brinton and his Betty. at the end of the
book pretty nc-rly forget in their own happi-
ness the rejoiengs of the hero's brothers-in-
srms over the crowning glory Of Yorktown. 1t
is a bright, wholesome tale
In the first lines of 1.-The Seigneur de Beau
foy'' we are led 20 expect that the gentleman
who gives the book its title is going TO head
very merry life. 'Raimond de Beaufoy. hered-
itary suzerafn of the flef OF that name. had at
three-and-twenty little cause TO quarrel with
The world" But, as a matter of fact this
valiant Frenchman of the fifteenth century
swings through Mr.. Drumrnond's nine chap