Evening star., 1933-09-09
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY SARAH C.. BOWERMAN.
EDWARD VII. BY H. e. Workman.
Great Lives Series. New York:
The Macmillan Co.

Great Lives Series. New York:
The Macmillan Co.
Edward VII has already come to be
regarded, 20 short . time after his
death, Is more than the flgurehead
king Of Q constitutional monarchy. as q
real statesman. Mr.. Workman divides
his life into three periods-1841, when
he was born, to 1858, when he was
married; the next 80 years until he
came to the throne in 1901; and the
brief period Of his reign, from 1901 to
1909. He was 80 years old at his &C
cession, was already in falling health,
and had for many years as Prince OF
affairs Of Europe. AS King he became
the leader Of q group Of European pow
ers anita tagonistic to the group led by his
nephew, Kaiser wilhelm II Of Ger
many, q nephew toward whom he felt
decided antipathy. In England his In
fuence was Hberalizing, in contrast to
the strict regime Of Queen Victoria.
Many Victorians considered 1t demoral-
izing. The Edwardian Age was marked
by q letting down Of the barriers OF
rank, so that brains and wealth came
into prominence in public and social
life. The King was cosmopolitan,
rather than nationalistic, in his tastes
and principles. Edward VII was at
once a parsonage and q character. the
first King Of England since Charles Il
some pushed the parallel back to Henry
vIu-to be at once popular and fash
ionable"
The Prince Consort directed the edu-
cation Of his eldest son. the heir to the
throne, and his scheme did not include
q public school. The Prince was con-
stantly under the supervision OF a
tutor. There was task for every hour !;
no time was allotted to idling or recrea-
tions Of personal choice. There were
no story books, no games. He was
obliged to keep diary. which his
father read every day. What an en-
couragement to spontaneity! Yet the
Prince Consort wondered that his son
showed no signs of literary ability.
Companionship with other boys was
taboo because Of the fear Of evil in
fuences. This rigorous system OF edu-
cation has been often criticized and
ridiculed and was protested by the
Princes tutors, but Mr.. Workman says
1T Is doubtful whether a more normal
upbringing would have enabled the Sc
rious interests Of his life to take root
and flourish. The kind OF moral cour-
age which braves public opinion Is not
produced at our great schools and
without unusual moral courage the
Prince would never have been what he
was" During his long period Of man
hood before he reached the throne, the
Prince disapproyed his mothers ex-
travagant partiality for Disraeli and
tried to overcome her prejudice against
Gladstone, whom he greatly admired.
He believed in a national policy OF
friendship with France, while his
mother leaned toward Germany. At
home he participated in the movement
for social reform and served on numer-
Gus commissions. Mr.. Workman tells in
detail the story of the Tranby Croft
baccarat scandal, which for time
dimmed the Princes popularity. In
spite Of his undoubtedly pleasure-loving
nature, Edward VII, both as Prince
and as King, was hard worker. Dur
ing his last illness, Sir Francis Hop
wood, permanent undersecretary to
the colonial Office, who had been sum-
moneo for the transaction OF some
business, protested that the King was
too i'll to be working. Edward VII re-
piled: mo, shall go on. shall work
to the end. OF what use is it to be
alive If one cannot work." In the
writing OF this small, compact, and
most Interesting biography, Mr.. Wor-
than has made use of some OF the
material in his more extensive biog-
raphy, The Delightful Profession:
Edward VII, Study in Kingship.'
INDIAN AIR. Impressions Of Travel in
South America By Paul Morand.
Translated by Desmond Flower.
Boston: Houghton Miff1in Co.
Paul Morands French has all the
constructive perfection of the best prose
and the imaginative phrasing of poetry
As well as Is possible, Mr.. Flower has
preserved these qualities In his transla-
ton. Indian Air" is a book to be read
not for information but for pleasure in
the connotations Of suggestive style.
To most geographers and travellers the
Pacific is a vast ocean connecting the
Eastern and Western worlds. To M.
Morand it Is an ocean of fear and
solitude, of simplicity and magic, OF
white coral and black basalt, Of flowers
and pearls and skin diseases, OF fill
busters and geographers." It IS the
arena where tomorrow Asia and fur
thest Europe will decide the future OF
the world" The title Of the book. as
epplied to South America. seems at first
misleading, but the term Indian has
been the designation of the primitive
inhabitants of many countries. M.
Morand finds that of the four elements,
fire symbolizes Africa, earth Asia and
Europe. water Oceanica, and air Amer
lea. In the Americas especially in
less settled South America, life is OF
the open air. free and soaring, like
the flight Of the bird Over the birds
which inhabit the tropic jungles OF
South America, M. Morand becomes
lyrical They are of many kinds, more
numerous than the birds of other coun-
tries. birds Of the deep woods, of the
grassy plains, of the lakes and swamps
of the SHOWS of the Andes. Travelling
by plane, himself like bird, he stopped
but briefly'in cities and then was moved
by impressions rather than by fine
streets and buildings or by the people
The life Of an estancia which he visited
typical of his conception of American
life en- plein air, particularly pleased
him. with its corralling and horse
breaking. He dipped down also for g
glimpse Of archaeological remains OF
the Incas at Machu-Picchu. AS q
skilled painter Is able to give to pic
ture a prevailing tone, as of diffuseo
light, profound shadow, veiled mystery
so NJ. MOr6uQ mas SUCCeeQeQ III lulpdI y
ing to his Impressions OF South America
the prevailing tone of air.
*
Science is not dictator. The spiritua
realm has also its verify and its power
This is the theme of Sir Franci!
Younghusband in his book THE Living
Universe" Dutton). Faith, dreams
beauty have inspired man from the
beginning and supported him in the
face of realities which We now cal
scientific. Science has by no mean!
supplied the answers to all the mos
vital questions. Some day it may dt
so; but meanwhile leave the spirit o.
man its freedom to reach out beyont
the established fact (Which may mex
year prove not to have been established
at alb to the mystical truth which il
apprehends. Sir Francis Younghus
band, for many years in the British
military service, and later in the 1ndiar
civil service, has obviously been inf1u-
enced by the Oriental PHILOSOPHERS. with
which he Is intimately familiar. Medi-
toti0y1 iS f0r him aS irnn0rtant as re-