Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06

Finally war ehronicler and Sitter-ln upon peace
conferences and domestic deliberations OF ma
tional moment. Sir Philip Gibbs by that taine
Novelist, essayist, lecturer-apything TO pre-
sent England to itself in the new conditions
and the new demands brought to 1t as effects
of the World War.
At Villiers street there stepped out beside MN
q most surprising hgure-a man strikingly
handsome OF gallant mien, yet by gear ana
trappngs clearly Of q day remote from tnlS
one A look passed between the two. Promptly
Sir Philip, so keen to romance and adventure
despite his sobriety OF bearing, stepped OH
beside this man Of command and lure 1nIo
the British Museum they went down into the
crypt, where chronicles anG documents pertain
ing to the great of other days lie buried. There
I am-George Villiers. See what you can make
of me-" And nobody at all stood beside Sir
Philip down there among the vaults OF the
museum.
But the seed was Sown the idea was planted.
So gathering up these papers, many OF winch
had not for two centuries seen the light OF day.
Sir Philip Gibbs turned toward history on the
trail Of George Villiers, first Duke OF Bucklng-
ham. Became biographer Of the great courtler
whom already both Scott and Dumas had
enlisted as hero OF romance.
IF my book is dull, it is a grievous sin and
not Buckingham's fault for despite the DEATH
vault atmosphere Of the British Museum
has been O gay task, for the personality OF the
man grips one, and his ghost Is very gallant"
But certainly the book is not dull" Here Is
the story Of O man whose personal beauty ana
striking personality lifted him to the estate OF
kings favorite through two periods OF the
Stuart rule. And 80 closely was he identlneo
with these kings that his history becomes that
of the court itself in its seventeenth century
pattern and effect upon the modern world 1uss
emerging from the Middle Ages.
Here Is the typical adventurer OF his time
A political agitator, not by design maybe, bat
k,xyh INN nature DV his COURAGE.
by his overbearing egoism. wooer Of women,
q queen among them, he created social
jealousies that grew to political mtrigues and
international disagreements.
II one were hunting the world for hero,
George Villiers would fill the pattern TO It's
utmost And that is what Sir Philip Gibbs
does in this Geographic study that reads like
romance and at the same time gives authentic
account Of the Stuart rule in all OF its essentials
and IN its effects. The novelist did wonders
for the historian in this case, just as did also
the war chronicler and the reporter OF peace
conferences and the domestic politics OF Eng
land The result of much of experience and
training is history that bears the charm OF a
great novel while at the same time it carries
an authentic account of important period
in English public life.
ALL PASSION SPENT. BY " Sackville-WeSt.
author of The Edwardians, etc. New
York: Doubleday, DorGn & Co.
DY a ready turn Of good stagecraft Miss Sack
- ville-West secures the double return Of
idyIic Autumnal romance and period sketch,
slight to be sure but of the general design over
which this lady appears 70 hold copyright
ownership
When Henry Holland first Earl OF Shane,
died. the formalities Of passing the entailed
estate and title and heirlooms to the next in
line re-embody a fixture of English inheritance
law and custom 1t is the family anxiety, how
ever over Lady Shane, widow OF Henry Holland,
that counts here. Her care and comfort be-
come the general concern. An old woman,
Lady Shane, but not old enough to yield her
own plans and desires. So at once she lets
1t be known that down in Hampstead Is
little place that she has long had In mind for
meeting exactly the situation now before her.
Indeed some time ago she had made arrange
ments to secure il and she felt quite sure that,
right then, 1t was in complete readiness for
her And it was. And here the beautiful story
Of such ingenious deVising spins itself out on
the gauzy webs Of Renaissance. Mr.. Bucktrout,
fussy and active and kind. Mr.. Gocheron,
friendly and genial, friends in a way, agents in
fact these become sympathetic audience, so to
speak, in many and many mild reference to
gay and grand days when Lady Shane was,
clearly, q queen Of beauty and graciousness In
the London of her day, in the India Of Henry
Hollands vice royalty there. And one day there
comes to Hampstead an aging man, friend Of
Lady Shane's grandson. AS a youth in India
he had seen this lady distantly and had loved
her The airs of Hampstead the thinned and
rarehed atmosphere Of the place, lead this man
to something Of revelation to Lady Shane Of
what she had seemed to him in those long gone
days. And so romance in Renaissance takes
possession Of this corner of England, where an
old woman englamored with an impression Of
youth holds q strange little court in which Q
group Of old men pay homage to q lovely lady
whose great-grandchidren worry over the pos
sible discomforts OF grandmother And grand