The San Francisco call., 1905-05-21
-Four IfaIlan Stories
By Man1rce HeqgIeH

Maurice Hewlett has added an eighth
volume 10 the list of his literary pro-
ddctions by his new hook called Fond
Adventures, which consists of four
stories OF ItalIaa life in those bygone
ages Hewlett has studied so thorough
-. The rich beauty of his style is
so Well known that it is only neces-
sary to say tAat his new book is equal
10 the standard set by his former work,
and that i IS :, treat to read stories
TOLD by such Il -4aster of language Ia
view OF HcwieyFs success and of the
nigh place he holds IN the world of
nction writing. it is interesting TO
hear a report ne gives of his youth lie
says:
L wasted my time I dreamed. 1
tried to 40 things too big for me, ard
threw them up at the first failure;
diligently pursued every false god; 1
doni think L WAS very happy. and
am sure l was very oisagreeable."
II WAS during a tour abroad after
spell of illness that the idea OF en-
terlng the literary field came with
carnestness to him. Many readers will
thank fate for sending that sickness
upon him.
The most important of the four sto-
ries in the new book is called The
Love Chase" II is the chase of three
lovers for a fair slip of a girl. and
each one OF theIn once tastes the bliss
Of the promise of her. One of the
lovers is the warrior, Simone. the
Black log of Cittadella; another is a
golden haired young poet, scholar and
secretary, Nello Nelii. and a more un-
happy young man than Nello Nelli the
history of Pavia has not yet revealed" ("
The other lover was his Eminence the
Cardinal Gonzaga, and such were the
manners in those old Italian days that
il seems only a halfway dreadful
thing that the noEinally ceiIbate
churchman should expect to have the
beautiful girl. and she, albeit the
sweet heroine of the tale. once intend
ed to become the mistress of this, the
highest in rank of her lovers.
She writes of her purpose to her war
rior lover, but in language so dfscree1ly
veiled that the stern wooer only learns
that he is about to lose her. When her
poet lover, Nello Nelii, tells Simone Of
the Cardinals designs. the poet mingles
with the bitterness of losing the girl, who
once had promised herself to him, the Joy
of seeing her saved from the dishonor of
giving herself up to the Cardinals love.
This final encounter of the three men and
the girl furnishes the opportunity for
Hewlett to show his literary power, and
be does il.
Another stroEs scene is where Nello
Nelii bears a letter to this girl whom he
loves, and the youth, who is secretary to
the Cardinal, knows that the message is
from the churchman and that it is an
answer TO a letter from the girl in which
she had consented to become Gonzaga' s
love. Under the sting of the youths out
spoken reproach the girl changes her
mind and pledges her faith to Nello Nelli
So she is in the position of having
pledged herself to three men Hewlett s
art, however, holds her aloft above all
the men, and as Noteworthy through it
ALL an embarrassed and puzzled woman
rather than a false and calculating one.
She seems merely the victim of the chase.
and at last passes to the possession not
of the man she loves. but Of the man who
was strong enough to take her. Into the
strength of this mans taking she yields
either poet or Cardinal
Nelio Nelli afterward marries a mag
dalen whose repentance dated from a
song the poet sang for her once at a
voluptuous feast 1t was the one pure
thing in a mass of ribaldry, and the worn-
an, being in just the mood to appreciate
its beauty, from that day forth put away
wickedness from her life. Perhaps that
scene is the best one In Hewlett's new
book Nello Nelli tells the repentant
woman: "Adieu. be your own poet, your
own poem, live your music before the
world" And SO she did, unwavering.
(Harper & Bros, New York; 81 SOD