New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-07-15

a modern variant on the motive which, under
the hands OF ouevedo and others. led to memora-
Bile developments in Spanish literature, and in
deed. exerted powerful influence upon authors
all over the Continent and in England. The
hero's departure from Padua means his entrance
into vagabondage. He consorts with a rascalIy
Capuchin, and with Jewish pedler of crucifxes.
He mixes with courtiers and with strolling
players At one moment he is, as the saying
goes. on velvet. and in the next he is in the
hands of the SHIRT In other words, THE Fool
Errant" is a panorama of eighteenth century
Italy, seen mostly on its seamy side. It affords
Mr.. Hewlett every opportunity to give free play
to his high spirits and to his pictorial faculty.
He carries the narrative along with vivacity
that never hags-so long as the broad construc-
ton Of his plot remains rational and firm. If he
is scant Of breath at times and goes heavily
over certain stretches, it is because he has made
his novel little too long for the essential issues
involved. Strelley's pilgrimage is plausible af-
fair flowing naturally from the elements of
character and situation stated at the outset. his
hesitancy between Aurelia and Virginia is I'M
derstandable, and make no doubt that in
Italy, at that time and in his circumstances. he
could not but fall into a dozen entanglements be-
fore winning through TO the end of his quest
But Mr.. Hewlett is not on this occasion. as
every detail in his work seem part Of an organic
whole.
He piles incident upon incident until the
drama is swamped in the panorama, and the
reader feels that the author might just as we'll
have gone on indefinitely, filing volumes with
MS picturesque episodes. and allowing StreIley
as character, to go by the board. The plot. of
course, is kept we'll enough in hand It has a
beginning and an ending. But in between there
are too many occurrences for the integrity Of the
novel as a novel; occurrences which do not seem
strictly necessary, but impress US as further
studies of eighteenth century manners thrown
in by the author for good measure, and because
he is interested in the subject In two other re-
spects Mr.. Hewlett slightly disappoints US
Though he begins by making his hero talk like
q man of his time, possessing a certain char
acteT, he soon relaxes his vigilance and makes
everybody in the book talk in much the same
fashion, which is to say the fashion of Maurice
Hewlett, romantic narrator. The style is hap
PLY much freer from affectation than it has
been Of late-he has apparently taken to heart
the admonitions offered him on all sides when
he published THE Road in Tuscany'-but, on
the other hand. it is not diversified as it ought
to be by skill in making each figure in the book
speak in character. Finally. the regrettahle
tendency Of the author to put little more color
into his work than is consistent with good taste
is still discernible. Abiding to the Capuchin
and Virginia, he says 'he described her in terms
too luscious to be palatable" but then he pro-
ceeds to use the terms himself. and we find this
unpalatable fare in too many places in the book
without even the excuse Of the Capuchin's pres
ence. It is never possible, however, to part from
Mr.. Hewlett in severely critical mood. THE
Fool Errant," though not a perfect book or
characteristic Of the author at his best, is full
of individuality and strength. 1t may not SAVIOR
of genius. like the Little Novels of Italy, but
neither does it SAVIOR of mediocrity. 1t is a book
with which you are bound to so when you
have once begun to read it. and it has. with all
its faults distinguished quality.