The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-22
NEW BOOKS.
Ernncols YllIon Tranaforned.

Francois Villon, who may have been
hanged in reality, though we believe 1t is
not surely known that he was, is brought
10 no such distressing end in Mr.. Justin
Hnntly McCarthy's new story about him,
Needles and Pins" (Harper 4 Brothers).
So far from swinging him on the gallows
tree. the novelist marries him Of hand
somely, well nigh smothering him with
love and money and honors. or course a
poet like Villon vas just the sort Of person
to be thoroughly appreciative Of such an
experience. He was we'll qualified TO see
ana seize every one Of his new advantages.
Bag though matrimony 10 a far better thing
than hanging, no matter what cynios and
parsons opulent Of an INSCRIPTIONS humor
may say, it has undoubtedly its irritations.
and hence the appropriate title Of this very
clever and entertaining story that Mr..
Mccarthy tells.
The reader will learn here how proud the
people of consequence in Poitou were OF
their own province. They were proud Of
everything in 1.-THE weather, the wine, the
cahbages, the famous. the inimitable Poi
tevin goose pie. Particularly they we're
proud Of themselves. Being that, they
we're competent TO hate an i~nterloper, and
they hated Villon when he married the
Lady Katherine de Vaucelles, the noblest.
richest and most beautiful young lady in
Poitou. 1t was astonishing enough that
our beggarly poet and worse from Paris
should have been able to do this thing.
Plainly he could not have done it without
extraordinary aid, II was that wonderful
monarch Of pious II not quite noble men,
ory, King Louis XI.. who helped him. The
King made a nobleman Of the poet, accord
ing to thiss story. He made him the Count
of Montcorbier. He chuckled as IL it we're
something Hike a good joke when the Lady
Katherine fell sea deep in love- with
yillon, and, the marriage performed, he
sent the pair packing of to ahorous exile
in Poitou. where the fair Katherine's an
cestral castle mellowed in suns and rains"
Both Of them found this exile very pleasant
for a while. Doubtless Villon, who was q
poet. was qualified to enjoy it indefinitely.
but Katherine had her limitations.
The Poitevin mobiles, who felt themselves
outraged and we're 30 choked with resent
ment that they could hardly swallow their
goose pies, broke rldely in upon the Joys
Of the honeymoon. The pair we're grossly
insulted in the cathedral at Poitiers when
they went to MAS on Sunday. All around
them. where the nobility usually sat, the
seats were left vacant. The Bishop directed
upon them a sermon full OF singularly Often
sive personalities. There was a lord Of
giant mould, "a bullfaced gogmagog OF a
man with red hair who had plainly or
gained the rude demonstration. He glow
cred at Villon in the cathedral, and when
the service was over and the insulted pair
we're riding away he shouted at the poet;
Take a friends advice. knave. Let one
Lesson serve to teach you hat Poitiers pre-
fers your room to our company" Villon
made no reply. Through all the business
he had seemed to be quite undisturbed.
But when he and Katherine had ridden a
little way he asked; who was the man
with the face like a bull and the hair like
Iscariot who gave us the godspeed 90 pleas
antly?s II was here that the pins and
needles proclaimed in the title began 10
appear. Katherine's answe was a cutting
reproach to the poet. 1t told him pretty
plainly that she considered him a poltroon.
He sighed. He felt the pins. likewise the
needles. He felt them again and still
again later on. Katherine was not en-
tirely noble except by descent. She made
the poet suffer.
But he knew what TO do. Under every
provocation he was calm and clever. The
same Sunday he squared matters with Lord
Gontier de Grigny. who was the buIlfaced
man. He intercepted that giant as he was
riding home after a bibulous dinner with
the Bishop. beat him at sword play and
suspended him in a ridiculous but not fatal
manner upon a gibbet. having first tackled
upon him a plscard which declared: Here
ewingeth the eminent Bullface OF Grigny,
GontieE the redheaded. suspended thus by
order Of his lieee and s~uzerain Francois de
Corbeht, Lord Of Montcorbier, as a warn
ing TO all other b~lockheads, pack asses,
malt horses, zaniee, ninnies and noodles
Vhatsoever." This was poignant. and NAV
be held to have been fairly satisfying, but
there was more and worse that was done
70 the Lord Of Grigny later.
Vllon needed all his qualities TO play
the game that was set for him in Potion.
he had to circumvent many enemies, in
Guiding, Of course, the King. He had to
resist the Kings daughter, the ardent and
beautiful Loysette, The difficulty Of this
may be thought. 'Loysette," says the
story, put her face close to his. so olose
that with the least movement their lips
would have met. i have taken a fancy
to you, master poet she whispered. Have
you taken a fancy 10 me?' II was very
tempting TO have those lips so close to
him, those lips that he had already kissed:
1t was very tempting TO watch her bright
ewes wooing him so audaciously: it was
very tempting TO hear such frank love
Words murmured.' But the face Of
Katherine came OF a sudden between him
and the face Of Loysette and blotted out
Loysette's face Strange enough, con-
sldering it is Francois villon who lie thus
deferred, but the story has hold Of the
poet now, and it preserves him. II il
shears him Of some Of his familiar dispo-
sition. it does not forbid him to be album
oantly surprising and interesting. 1t has
him fill the cathedral wit, beepars. fts him