Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-23
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY The Booklouer


the writer of historical romance. Sir
Walter Scott found 1t so and wrote one
of his best romances about the conflict
of Louis and Charles-"Quentin Dur
ward" Alfred Neumann, In his novel
THE Devil" written In 1925, published
in Stuttgart in 1926, and very recently
translated into English by Huntley
Paterson, has chosen this same period.
The two romances, Quentin Durward'
and THE Devil" cover so much of the
same historical ground and are so alike
in their Interpretation of some of the
leading characters, yet so different in
method and emphasis, that 1t is inter-
esting to read them together In both
appear Louis XII, his confidants, Cardi-
nal Balue, Provost Marshal Tristan
IHermite, and the barber chamberlain,
Oliver, whose surname. according to
Scott. was LIE Dam and, according to
Neumann, Necker. Both agree as to
divers nicknames of lie Mauvais"
and lie Diable.' Neumann makes him
the hero of his romance, whereas the
hero of SCOTS is the Scotch archer,
Quentin Durward. Louis ks famous
guard of Scotch archers plays a prom
inent part in SCOTS romance, but is
merely mentioned by Neumann. Scott
introduces the astrologer, Galeotti
Marti, who plays so successfully upon
the superstition of Louis. but does not
use Jean de Beaune, Louis minister of
finance. as does Neumann. In connec-
ton with the melting of instruction by
Louis against Duke Charles in Liege,
Scott makes William de la Marck, the
Wild Boar OF the Ardennes," the in
strument of Louis; Neumann gives this
part TO Johann Won Wildt, a German
freelance.
Both Scott and Neumann portray
Louis XXI as intellectual, crafty. schem-
ing and ruthlessly cruel In this they
have only followed history. Louis, like
many another medieval monarch, con-
sidered anything justifiable which
seemed necessary to establish and retain
his own power. So given to religious
observance that he wore hat circled
by leaden images of saints, which he
often paused to pray to during his
daily activities, he yet had no mercy
for any one, not even a high ecclesiastic,
who had aroused suspicion of dis
loyalty Cardinal Balue, accused by
Louis of betraying him into the power
of the Duke of Burgundy. was punished
by being imprisoned in an iron cage in
the Chateau Of Loches, where he was
kept for IL years, until his last illness
released him. Both Scott and Neumann
consider Balue guilty of the treason
attributed to him and make his plots
against Louis, their outcome, and the
terrible punishment important parts of
their respective romances. Neumann
also emphasizes the senSuality of Louis
and makes his infatuation for Anne,
the beautiful wife of Oliver, "the Devil"
one of the chief motives of the romance.
Louis, over fifty, shrunken, almost de-
formed, ugly in features, fearing the
approach of senility, is represented as
finding in the youth and beauty of Anne
something Of the ideal which his life
has always lacked. His love for Anne
even threatens to interfere with his
political schemes and it is only the
dominating influence of Oliver. the in
jured husband, but the almost hypno-
tized devoted servant, which holds him
to his course. Oliver tells the King
have nothing to do with politics, If 1T
is not to become menace and
danger"
A dramatic climax In both Quentin
Durward" and 1.-The Devil" is pro-
duced by the Joint expedition of Louis
XXI and Duke Charles Of Burgundy TO
punish the rebellious city of Liege
Led by the advice of treacherous coun-
Selors, Cardinal Balue and the con-
stable of France. Louis has consented
to visit Duke Charles in his own terri
tory at Peronne, ostensibly for the pur-
pose of demonstrating his confidence
in the duke and making terms of peace,
really with the intent Of tricking by his
superior wits the duke. who is soldier.
but no diplomat. The intent of the
plotterS Is to deliver the King into the
hands of the duke, with the hope that
prolonged imprisonment, perhaps as
sassination, may remove the King from
power. The King, having gone TO
Peronne suSpecting. almost knowing,
the plot, saves himself as he has ex-
pected to do by his superior f1neSse and
the finesse of Oliver, almost equal TO
his own The cardinal and the con-
stable have arranged that soon after
the arrival of the King at the dukes
castle of Peronne the instruction at
Liege, long fomented by the King. shall
be prematurely started by Won Wildt,
so that the duke, outraged by the news
of rebellion in his territory and sus-
pecting the King, shall be driven to vio-
late the laws of hospitality and seize
the Kings person. The instruction
of Liege occurs prematurely, as planned,
but, through secret agents OF Oliver, he
and the King hear of 1t first, and the
King goes to the duke and tells him
the news and offers to join with him
Immediately in a punitive expedition.
The slow-witted duke suspects the re-
sponsibility of Louis for the insurrec-
ton, but is able to prove nothing; so
he reluctantly accepts the Kings offer,
and the two rulers shortly set out for
Liege, accompanied by the dukes army
and the Kings horSemen under his
grand master and the Scottish archers.
At Liege the King has some difficulty
in preserving the appearance of 1nno-
cence Neumann says: ITO escape being
compromised by any statement the
leader of the lance knights might make,
he displayed a ruthlessness which
pleased the duke very much. AT
last the town was stormed, ana the
King forbade any prisoners to be taken"
The punishment of Liege, with the con-
clusion of the romance of the young
archer, quentin Durward, ends SCOTS
story Neumann's story goes on with
the career of Louis XXI until his death,
which is followed by catastrophe for
"the Devil"
Farmer Churchward has long had the
ambition to annex q neighboring farm
and then to surround all his land with
ring fence. His own place, Wind
whistle, seemed incomplete without the
Narracott place, Twin Oaks, so he de-
cided to have his son John marry Cicely
Narracott. But John had other plans,
was in fact In love with Eve Mullis,
girl who could bring to a partnership
neither lands nor bank notes Old
Farmer Churchward ragged ineffectively.
but finally accepted the thwarting of his
plans, because Cicely Narracott mar
ried another man. This is the heart OF
Eden Phillpotts' recent novel of Eng
lish village life, 1.-The Ring Fence"
Nearly all of the inhabitants Of the VII
lage of Thorpe michael are concerned
IL, the story which Is one tYnical OF