New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-01
ENGLISH ROMANCE.
The Scenes and the Real People of
Thomas H0rdy's Books.

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Crown Svo, pp SlG The Macmillan Company
Those who delight IL the work OF the master
novelist OF to-day win ind in this volume
welcome mass OF detail connected with the places
and tho real persons OF his stories. In Dorset
shire linger stfl the Quaintness. the simplicity
the rural loneliness which belong 20 the England
o. the poet and the dreamer. and which are fast
disappearing from other shires. This. says Mr..
Harper. is "a land OF great diaries. OF flowers
and trees. OF rural industries. where rustic ways
and speech and habits OF thought live long. and
the kindlier virtues are not forgotten in such
stress OF life as prevails IN towns" His record
OF summer days IN that charming cou. ~ bears
unimpeachable testimony 70 the truth OF MI
Haudy's studies OF men. women and nature.
Dorset is FUN OF oldtiEne romance. Moor and
wood and ancient ruin set forth strange tales
and curious instances TO the susceptible wan
derer. The place which. IN itself, is the most
romantic OF ell. IS. alas. sadly translated"
Gloomy. mysterious stonehenga where on the
Altar Stone. Tess took her last sleep in free
dom. has been utterly vulgarized; Il has been
claimed as his manorial property by the lord
of the adjacent manor. and he has put
baEbed wire fence round Il, and levies a fee
of a shilling a head for admission through the
tuTnstles. Another place OF gloom associated
with TESTS tragedy is the Elizabethan man
Eion. Woodbridge House. the old dwelling TO
which Angel Clare took his bride on their we'd
ding day. The two panel portraits described by
the novelist stiu leer and frown on the wall
AEr Harper recalls the ghost story that clings
20 this hOuse-fhe story OF Turberville who
centuries ago murdered a guest while the two
were riding in the family coach. and who still
drives they say. IN that blood stained coach
along the dreaTy road by night To any one OF
the race who sees It that vision Is supposed TO
Be the presags OF death. The church at Bere
Regis. wherein are the tombs Of the Turber-
vIles, described IN Tess" has some extraordi-
nary ola carvings on its piIlaTs-carvtngs which
go appealed 20 the author that no presents
sketches OF them One Is ''Toothache.' the gro
tesque head OF a man whose hands wildly clutch
at the sides OF his open mouth. The other is
Headache" showing an equally fantastic face
with closed eyes. half hidden by a hand pressed
upon the brow. The church has a wonderfully
carved and painted timber roof. covered with
figures OF bishops, cardinals and pilgrims
Throughout Dorset countless tangible re-
Eninders OF famous people OF the past. There is
the stone bench n Sherborne Park wherein sat
SIR Walter Raleigh. smoking his first pipe OF
tobacco. when q too jealous retainer. believing
that he was on IRE. threw over him a pail Of
water. There. IN Wimborne Minister. Is the
which the poet Prior when q boy. fell so fast
asleep that his upset candle burned through a
hundred leaves before he could wake and put
out the fire. He so neatly mended each page.
restoring SO carefully ali the missing letters, that
q Is difhcult author says. to detect anything
exceptional about the book. In the wall OF this
same minister Is the queer tomb OF Anthony
Etriclze. the magistrate before whom the Duke
Of Monmouth was brought when the unhappy
would have been glad TO see the fugitive escape.
and did not look with favor the magistrate,
who handed him over TO King Jamess untender
mercy:
and lived for eighteen years longer, Stunned and
may surely be regarded as the odd and altogether
insufficient revenge Of declaring that he would be
buried neither IN the Church Of WimbOrne nor out
OF it, ana aeoordingly in his lifetime had niche
bise5r 800 ss,rcoTbs55s still seen above Ground
was placed he was eccentric beyond this. Tor he
IL 70 be boldly carved on the side between two Of
the seven shields Of arms that in braggart fashion
family. That year he had imagined would be 1921.
but be actually survived until 1903. and the date
was accordingly altered las this day.. when
a last. 70 the satisfaction q WlmbOrne. he aid
pair he left twenty shilings annually. sum sun
administered by the Charity Commissioners; and II
certainly cannot be said that he does not receive
value for his money. because his eccentric lair is
maintained, heraldic cognzances and all. in the
most perfect condition
Ons OF the great houses OF Dorset Is Melbury
Park. Lord uehesteF's place. and the scene OF
HRrdys story. The First Countess Of Wessex."
This FIRST countess" was Elizabeth Horner.
VINO took the splendid property with her when
Eko married Stephen Fox. efterward Earl OF Il
chester. Z Is interesting TO know that this fair
Elizabeth Wns q direct descendant OF the Jack
Homer Of nursery rhyme who pulled a certain
plum out OF his Christmas pie. rejecting mean
while On his own Derfections. Jack Horner was a
real parsonage and his plum was the confls-
Gated Nells estate OF Glastonbury Abbey. which
hs purchased for much less than It was worth
upon the dissolution Of the monasteriss About
another great house. which Is only a ro-
rlRnt1O looking ruin. Hardy has woven no story,
though q might well suggest one This is East
buy EaT1. built BY Vanbrugh FOR George bod
EnEtcn, whose pgodigious wealth was the result
az persistent peculation IN Office He left ali his
zncney ana his gtiu unfinished house TO Bubb
DoclngtOn, his BrRndnepheW. who spent $4,000
on q. AFTER his death the immense place went
% a nOhleman who could not afford 20 keep Il
I'D. and who IN vain offered ZOO g year TO any
che VINO would i've in &c and keep It IN repair.
Could that thing happen IN these days of big
Sortunes9 Another Dorset ruin IS that OF the
chapel "a which that curious girl Kitty chud-
leigh Cnfterward the so-called Duchess OF King
EtOn) married her hrst husband. This pile OF
crumblng walls and broken gTavestOnes repre-
ssnts q church living worth $500 a year TO
neighboring vicar, who holds 1t by virtue Of one
annual sermon. This sermon, Il Is said. IS some
times delivered under umbrella IN stormy
weather 20 a congregation OF rocks and jack
DAVIS.