The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-18
CRITICAL REVIEWS
OF THE SEASONS
LATEST O
Fiction Woven Around Cesare Borsia, Modern
Labor Troubles and Other Themes.
biography Of the Jolly Duchess Of 81. Adams -Ap.
probation of a Noted Priest-Poet.
History. Astronomy. Descriptive Travel. Greek Art.
Flower Arrangement and Other Subjects,

No attempt to whitcwash Cesare
Borgia is made by Rafael Sabatini in
THE Banner If the Bull' 81. Il. Lip.
pincott Company. but he succeeds. II
not In making a case for him, at least
in presenting brilliantly some Of tho
qualities that excited the admiration
VI Machiavelli when he wrote THE
Prince The three episodes which
MIR. Sabatini relates are connected
with n another by little more than
Cesare's presence: all serve to display
his amazing intelligence and subtlety
n make no concessions to modern
ideas OF honor or humanity. In the
second story. where "a girl marches her
wits against BorCia's and shows like
ruthlessncss. the reader very likely
may feel less aversion to his conduct
than to hers, though he will be pleased
al his discontinue. The author paints
his characters with grim humor and
with something Of h relish OF the
italian story tellers for the triumph,
OF real subtlety over coarser mach
nations. He shows that he shares
''iAti tioN III ia hou
the making of a great man in him in
spite of his iniquities and he takes oc-
casion to show the source of the more
vulgar accusations against the Borgia
family. The undoing of his COM
placent schcniers is very amusing II
the reader can stand the rough justice
OF a century that made little of the life
OF tho sufferings Of the weak. 1t Is
an artistic piece of work. a reproduce
ton OF sixteenth century ideas in a
form which the more sQueamish
twentieth century may perhaps appre-
bend.
A discussion Of labor troubles to-day
rather han A story is what Richard
Aumerle Maher offers in 1.-THE Heart
of a Man" CBenZiger Brothers. New
York;. which Is the more TO he re-
GREETED because the portrait of the
wise old priest is very lifelike n on
ditiorns in a n factory own are pic
tured faithfully. The long and fire.
quent arguments of the priests over
socialism and labor conditions. while
they may make clear what the views
of Intelligent Catholics are in these
matters. distract the mind from the
story. his tells of the conflict be-
tween the reckless. but capable. capi-
talist who owns the mills and the
equally capable and violent labor leader
opposed to him, who is held in check
by his religion. The scenes are vivid
enough, but the men are too palpably
only embodiments of IDEAS and prin-
ciples. The old priest. on the con-
trary, is human above all.
n IL "A worry charming and nnAtSca1
picture Anne Preston draws in THE
Glory and the Dream" IB. W. Huebsch,
New Yorh) of an imaginative little
Irish boy and his playmates. cal and
fictitious. first in Ireland and then in
the America To which his father mi
crates. His companions are a matter
Of fact small boy and a somewhat more
responsive little girl; to them he in
PRODUCES the creatures of his fancy.
After a time he becomes the master
of a dog and the rehabilitation Of the
dogs character becomes a matter of
serious import. There are delightful
and natural people In the tale. which
Grownup readers will understand and
enjoy more than children.
There is much needless suffering In
Christine F'aber's THE Burden of
Honor Up. J. Kennedy and Sons, New
York; and lying women are allowed
to have their way in a n that
viii seem strange to plain people. The
heroine gives up her own happiness
in order to secure the comfort of her
relatives. q piece Of altruism not to
he admired wholly; h Is placed In
charge Of a strange family of children
in an incomprehensible manner. Over
these she seems to exert little infiu-
ence. After they have grown up the