New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-23
Tn Immortal Romance of the Battle
Of RoRcesuaIles.
THE SCNsf OF ROLAND.
French ~ isabel Batter.
r. NIfftn 4 60.


In tie series OF special editions which the
Fioueldons have issued from the Riverside
Press 50 nan: S"od 'llh@S nave appeared mat
collectors arc '-sii''tlnE' we dare say 10 'ake
The various new ana excellent volumes rs
matter e course. But The latest addition 70 the
series commands sFeoial welcome If there IS
on literary Composition IN The world tlai u -
pleasure 70 read in Old Gothic type on broad
rage II is Thu Song %: Roland ana Miss Bu--
Gers prose version # the famous epic has been
given. upon ih-s occasion just This perfect 1o-a
The few pageS which make up the thin foilo
are printed i'm double Columns. with marginal
notes i'm golden brown. cGl Fabricated chap.c@
headings There are haiC dozen Illustration
drawn by Mr.. Bruce Rogers. from motives i"
the stained glass window at Charities. and these
have been admirably colored by rand. In ia
binding Of vallun. with decorative paper SIDES,
this is altogether beautiful piece oc book
making, and. We repeat. il is dedicated to d
peculiarly well chosen piece Of literature.
Miss Buffers prose-which by the way. was
riated FOR the first time iu 1904-has the great
merits Of clarity. coIpactuess and fair rapidly
These merits mean much i'm the translation of
! poem which is in nothing more remarkable
than in its dramatic point. TIL" sequence Of
events in which the battle of RoncesE allies is
fixed supplied TO early French Iatusirclsy only
the crudest materials. and. indeed. but doubtful
= heroisu. But genius for form went to
lie making Of The Song Of Roland and the
personalities concerned were such as TO invite
celebration in fabric essentially dramatic
With ChsTlen'aene to represent not only the
great militant power Of the West but the
Christian local, with Roland. his lh-Iate1 heu-
tenant 10 stand as type OF splendid IaIoF'
ard With The Saracen available as an emhodi-
men % $50 - $50 .,,, ~, ~
-. -. -. .t,, t., -7,s.. a.. l--7,v,-
-. = ..;-.;-- 80 : ,--1ac7
III" shape MAJ no lili=s native ie"Nsi
aiioNS HifhSel l" or '"ep'e1' "S -'s ''1-' ''e
1lG romance. with thoughts of checking II on
matters Of fact We know that upon Ger
tain nomeut0us day Charlemagne's reaTguard
.,5 ,ta- r5a 7-oli-icaI significance Of the whole
business was very different from that which
q carries in the "Song~-wherein the quarrel
hs,-reen Christian and infdel looms large from
ree;--7frp n end Rut what we know from
the record has little bearing upon the main
,se,,a II, the Song" That is an issue Of ro-
nance Of legendary heroisn. Of a life that
is lived over again in the imagination at the
behest Of poetry and art.
In The very opening lines Of the epic We are
made free OF that glamour which belongs %
Homer. 70 the Sagas TO the Arabian Nights
naYvetk that is by itself an euchantment, and
there is above all. the sense Of things human
and real. and yet strange Thus the tale be-
gins:
charles the King our great Emperor. has been
for seven long years IN S2aini ne mas Goaquerga
holds oi1y against him not a wall or city IS left
unshattered save SaTagossa WEIch STANDS hlgh on
Cod bur serves Mahound and worships ApoIlon; i'll
hap must in sooth hetall him
daS te rssses INTO he SHADE of his orchard: there
he sits on a terrace OF nae marble; ana around
1housand He speaks 10 his dukes and his counts.
saving: Here lords. What cyl oVeT~ielms Us;
his land to confonnd us nave no host 10 do
Eattle against him, nor any fox 10 discomfort his
6es-5 and shame =, But not a man has any word
Il answer, save Blancandrnr Of the Castle Of Val
10" quleA'E ooss me poet Drew MS tr"uoie'
40" bIlel ne is ana YET no" e'oqu'"HS Aus
sesilFe- IhehoeloIIA me aclio" moves allI-oSl
as III Wen XIII pay 1LlarIeIilashe ana MAT
SINE are presented III tIitF aii'aSo''i9US US
mons WIN d plush l-ial Snow pie0!S7'H "ii'' -
o.ll from me picture ana liS eeoioi.l "a ma
'etiais only heisAleHS me 'ei'S'"-i -i'eIe -
something ShaAesieaIiah ABOUT li'e Diea"'i
ana canooT OF the poem as II taxes Us from the
FayIil!h coull1i WIN lie embassy 10 iIaiie-
raasae' ana lheie pT4lsS us sNi'Y lace 70 lace
win Ro-Gnd me nero OF the drama ana cane
ION It's villain Il IS the human touch that Keeps
a eplc awe anu IL 7oHs 81 i'O49i'u - luii
a human touches. TIE debate between the En-
peror and ms barohs as 10 "hal messenger
EhaN be sent 70 SafSgossa IS comedy user, ana
eo., -, .-,.ordr1.-- ~ ,,-o-5s ,1,ora co,s+antlv
flashes forth the CLEAN Of character. That is a
cfC,-s,-- ra,esltrs, r,aeea,a in which C,araIon