The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-15

The novel of s'Ivanhoe' Is the very spotheosis of the romance of chivalry. Not the "Song of Roland" or the epic of Tasso Is so full of shining armor and changing shields, of knightly deeds and lances splintered for the love of ladies. In his mental and moral makeup Scott was himself so thoroughly the highest type of knight of the days of chivalry that "Ivanhoe'' was only an outgiving of his inner self.
 It will always remain the best known and the greatest of his works. Time only increases the lustre of the tale The gleam of the golden spurs of the knights who fought at Ashby and in the lists of Templestowe is brighter for the lapse of nearly century since the Wizard of the North flashed them before the world.
 One great charm of 'Ivanhoe' is the way in which it takes the reader out of the prosaic century in which he lives and go thoroughly transports him into the days of chivalry that the daily life of the Middle Ages seems as natural to him as the diurnal happenings of his own time. Another peculiar thing about the story is It's power of appealing to all ages. The boy reads 1t and his heart is filled with high asperations and lofty desires; the man of 40 reads it and his soul puts on fresh armor for the battle with the world; the old man reads 1t and his "dim spirits
 
 This novel alone would have placed Scott among the immortals had he writ ten nothing else
 "HE feast was high in the halls of
 Rotherwood. Cedric the Saxon was l entertaining with the rude and bountiful hospitality of his race two trav- elers who had sought shelter for the .;..i,t oOh afn ThaV were Prior Aymer of Jorvaux and the naughty Templar Brian de Bois-Guilbedt, lately returned from the Crusades. At the side of Cedric sat his ward, Rowena, the descendant of a long line of Saxon princes.
 On her union with Athelstane of Con ingsburg, the last of the direct descend ants of Alfred, the lord of Rotherwood had set his heart as a move in the game by which he sought to draw the Saxons to head against their oppressors, the Normans
 Because Cedric's son, Wilfred of Ivan hoe, had dared to love Rowena the stern father had banished him from his pres ence, and that valiant youth had gone with King Richard to Palestine, Rowena. who hungered for news from the Holy Land, encouraged the Templar to talk of the deeds of prowess performed by the champions of Christendom. But when he boasted exclusively of the valor of the Knights of the Temple of St. John she asked haughtily:
 Were there none in the English army whose names are worthy to be mentioned with those of the two orders?'
 Those warriors, lady" replied the Templar, "were second only in valor 70 those whose breasts have been the un- ceasing bulwark of that blessed land"
 Second to none!" exclaimed a stranger in the garb of a palmer, who had, like the more distinguished guests, sought shelter from the storm. 'I say-for l saw it-that Richard and five of his knights overthrow in the lists of St. John de Acre eighteen knights, seven of whom were knights of the Temple" Rapidly the palmer whose face was kept con- stantly and effectively concealed by his great pilgrims hood, named the English knights until he came to the sixth, when he hesitated and said: q forget the sixth knight"
 NO" exclaimed Bois- -Guilbert, you forget not. But I myself will announce the name. It was Wifred of Ivanhoe before whom fortune and my horses fault caused me to go down. But were Ivanhoe in England and dared he to re- new the challenge. I would give him ev- cry advantage and abide the result"
 q pledge me by this reliquary,' said
 
 table, "that Ivanhoe will meet thee when he comes again to England''
 If he underlie not thy challenge" re- torted the Templar. "I will proclaim him a coward in every temple court in Flu rope"
 Ut will not needr' cried Rowena. "If my word could add security to the pledge of this holy man I would peril fame and fortune that Ivanhoe gives this proud ieht he
 Among those who had claimed the shell ter of Rotherwood that night was an aged Jew. Isaac of York. As the Templar left the hall at the breaking up of the feast, the palmer heard him say words fin Arabic to two of his Eastern attend ants which boded Ill for Isaac's money. if not his life. Therefore. with the first light of morning the palmer, who was none other than Ivanhoe himself, sought the cell of the Jew ana warned him of his peril. Then he visited the sleeping place of a faithful swineherd named Curtin, to whom he revealed himself; and with Isaac as travelling companion he set out for the town of Ashby de Ia Zouche before the other inhabitants of Rothsr- wood had slept off their previous nights potatons.
 To Ashby were vending their way many other travellers: for a great tournament. presided over by Prince John the Regent in person. was about to be held there. The day came. The lists were erected in meadow On either hand the land sloped down to the level bottom, affording vantage point from which the populace could view the jousts. For the nobes galleries were erected, and between the galleries and the palings were spaces re- served for the yeomanry and gentry. The pavlions of the five challengers. all Nor man knights of renown, were pitched op- posite the southern entrance of the lists. while the tents of those who were to counter them were placed opposite the northern entrance.
 In one of the galleries sat Cedric, with the beautiful Rowena on one side and on the other Athelstane. huge of bulk and Ianguld of disposition, who the lord of Rotf1erwood strove In vain to excite to the forceful assertion of his claims :, the throne of Alfred.
 As Prince John rode around the list be- fore taking his seat on the throne pre- pnred for him he caught sight of Isaac If York, with his daughter Rebecca on his arm up among those Saxon swinc.' cried the Prince. pointing to where Ced- sic sat Isaac. afraid to disobey, began