The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-24


BY Ammo tlolllnssworth Wharton. j.
Il. Lippincott & Co. OF philadelphia.
$500 net. Is illustrations.
Perhaps nowhere else in Tic world
of to-day, the busy. busting world,
with It's commandments and its
tri"iultties. does the spirit OF ro-
nance still llngcr with such haunting
influence as in the Italian lake country
and the chateau region or France
Miss Wharton's book begins It's rcla-
ton ut Bcllagio, italy. at the August
scason, when the colors OF sky. noun
tain and lake arc, In the opinion Of
=, the author. especially lovely. The
clinteauN in this lake region are 50
numerous that they receive incidental
mention The traditions concerning the
villa Pitninna and tho heroic and
beautiful Princess Christinnn Bclgto-
joso, tho friend Of Cavour and Carl
tnldi; those associatlns Blanca Sporxa.
bride of King MaNimillan of the Eo-
mans. with great storm on the puutil
Ill BcllaEio. which broke ny the we'd
ding fcte OH the shores of Como and
those which render the villa Curlotta
where Macmillan aud C'urlotta once
lived. MI the pages that lnriinc "a
reader In the way toward Isola Bella
=
giorc. most intcrcstingly.
IN: chapter given up TO the Chateau
dc Stacl, at Coppct. In the Swiss lake
region, with references to Madame dc
Stael and her brliiunt circle or friends
banishcd from the Paris that they
loved. is ono OF the most attractive in
the book. Additional chapters de-
scribe the Cathedral OF ST. tiaticn and
the archhishop's palace at Tours
France; tho old Chateau OF Plrssis-
l"s-Tours. bull, and fortified by Louis
~. of France; the ancient fortress at
IanEcais. with Its drawbridgc, its
great stone towers, massive walls and
beautiful salon, In which Charles VIII.
aud Anne dc Rrctagnc were married !:
the Chateau OF AzDy-Ic Ridcau. also
In the Tours ncighhorhoud. bnilt upon
an island around which the slow dow
Ing lndrc forms natural moat: tho
Chateau hmboisc, pcrchch upon rock
overlooking the Loire River. with a
bust or L"onurdi dn Ninci in it's ter
raced gardens. and its memories OF
Mary stuart in the joyous days Of
her youth and bridch0od: the Chateau
ChcnonccauN, with tho rich luNuriancc
OF it's facade concentration, and Its
portrait by Ir.niatictrC. of Diane, ot
Potticrs, for whom the chateau was
built by Henry II. OF France; the
chateau OF Lochcs, with the tower Of
Agnes SOffel and its garden terrace.
+! the ruins or the cid stronghold OF
Chinon. where the Maid of Orleans
first met the French King; the
Chateau OF Hlois, where the Duke OF
Guisc was struck down by the MS
sassins Of Henry ILL.,. where the vaga-
bond poet, Francois Nilon. was well
coined to the literary court of Charles
d'Orleans. and where Louis XIV Of
France first met Louise dc La Vallierc,
who was presented to him 10y his host
css Marguerite, Duchess OF Orleans
the ChntcauX OF Chaumont.. Chevcrny
and Chambord: Chaumont, with it's
memories OF hapiess old-timc lovers. in
Mars and Marie dc Gonzaguc: Chcv-
erny. with It's lovcly portrait OF Anne
dc Thou. dame of Chcvcrny; Cham
hord. where the Duchess d'Angoulemc.
daughter OF Marie Antoinettc and sole
survivor OF her family. lived to quite
an advanced age.
a chapter is given 10 Anglers aud
its old chateau, and another TO Or
| leans and It's Maid The last word is
written of the Chateau Of Vaux ,c-
Nicontc. to which Miss Wharton and
her party motorcd from Paris. In
this chateau, AIcicrc's play, Les
FachcuX," was given during a visit
of Louis XIV. and his court to NJ. Fou-
quot, the great fnlncinr. who subsc-
qucntIy fell into tho Kings dlsfavor.
The book has quite enough story and
sentiment outside OF It's chateau re-
lation to link II smoothly together.
1t Is an eloquent and beautiful descrip-
ton OF some OF the most beautiful To-