The sun., 1919-03-16

Hated; in other words, almost entirely
work of romantic imagination-which is
best, unless an author is sure he is Thaek-
cray or Flanbert. The period take for
early fourteenth century, Siona for
Tuscan city never mapped. 1t is not e1-
aetly Siena, which didn't have duchesses
ibid It'll then, and was different in other
respects. There certainly was a real
tyrant Malatesta, terrible in war-though
scarcely artistic as a proper name, the
savors Of detestable malevolence being
overdone. I hope that there is no record
Of a duchy's tax collector having been
dipped by contumacious dyers and turned
blue. It happens IN Mr.. Goodwin's
pages, and if it is invented the invention is
immense Besides, the thing as an actual
precedent would be risky in the United
States Just now. A lot of US who have
been making out our income tax returns
might visit the Internal Revenue Collector
after asking the way to the nearest dyer's
establishment.
There is story of an ambitious yonth
abeut to commence author who sought the
advice of publisher on making his novel
salable and was told to be sure of strik
ing, original beginning, and this one re-
suited: "Chapter ]. oh help said the
Duchess, who 30 far had taken no part
in the conversation" Mr. Goodwin does
not 60 that length, but he does achieve
genuinely fine bravura opening, the first
paragraph of which is worth copying:
aMalatesta allowed them to remove his
helmet, but he would not part with his
sword, and sat in the great Chair of State
in the main hall with his bloody weapon
held In his left hand-he was left handed
man-looking like a very butcher from
the shambles. The hall was thick with
smoke, still wreathing rank and sullen
among the great oaken rafters, though the
fire, having done its work, was now fairly
stamped out in the outer hall and main
stairway"
Breathes there man with soul so dead
that he won't sit down hard with his feet
up on something to pass high old even
ing with book that starts like this'
Malatesta having conquered and left
breach in Siona's walls, Siona's Duke dies
and leaves the rule with beauteous red
headed daughter who won't marry, though
she allayed her dying parents anxieties on
this score by promising to submit to be
courted by all corners. Comes formidable
unknown who awes the entire encourage
with one glance of his powerful eye and
proceeds TO court like anything and not
without impression, till he says he is only
Pedro, hirelng soldier. OF course We
know better; the Duchess does not, and
she turns him over, trussed, to the rabble
to make sport with, she watching from
her tower, and the rabble chueks him into
the very unsanitary moat. | have not fig
ured out, even with due allowance for
medieval lack of squeamishness or possibly
Of noses, how any such moat as Ms. Good
win fingers lovingly over describing could
exist at the base of ducal tower without
an cary exodus on the part of. the ducai
fanny.
Pedro escapes, full Of hate and hurts
and sewage, and meets up with young
nobleman on the point Of committing sui
eide, whom he uses as a stalking horse in
order to get back inside the castle and
court the hated Duchess some more. The
dialogue of the meeting is intended to be
quaint comedy. 1t misses in part, because
this is one of the labored passages re
ferred to. Instead of letting his people
talk easy modern idiom, as in general he
has the sense mot being a chameleon
styist) to do, Mr.. Goodwin here makes
them speak toplofty historical novel Ian
guage-and mars a good, well conceived
scene.
The rest is very lively and really is
strong in narrative way. The story holds
up. You cannot get free of it. The eli
max Pedro's diseoTuftino Of the tvrant