Crosby Lockwood. Price, 10s, Mra, Alfred Wingate, Lone on In that memorable book, "A Servant of the Mightiest," Mrs. Alfred Wingate made Central Asia of the twelfth century come alive, domi-hated by the tremendous figure of Chingiz Kahn, In "Jen," cays "John o'London's Weekly," she carries us again to Central Asia, shut now it is the thirteenth eentury, and the chief protagonist is Kubilai Khan, the grandson of Chingiz, who' extended the vast empire committed to his charge, and became the first Emperor of the Mongol dynasty of China. This isan epic story.
Though Kubilai, in an age of constant warfare, was necessarily a fighter—he was a great commander and served faithfully by greater commanders than himself—was essentially a man of peace, fan apostle of brotherhood. It was from Chutsai, a great Chinese statesman of the Mongol Court, that he learnt the meaning of the mystical word "Jen," In effect it typifies the union of opposites, of the Natural Law and the Moral Law, and to achieve that union men anust_be simple, virtuous, long suffering, eager for _knowled Chutsai summed up "Jen" thus 1 not only the flame that, the sgratiiztion not only But For it fa the mystery ite Te is the: Word which unites la Yellows and to alt other forme in "appropriate.
And. thug it also. un heaven. Ie is the for al creeds! and. may bs people.
"And the word took root in the heart Sof'ithe boy and flowered in his manhood. It was fostered byt! lovely "and serene Jambui character beautifully drawn by Mrs, Wingate), whom Kubilaj_m when' the throne seemed far To her all Jif was sacred, part of the "universal soul. "To "under-under his own seal ought to be sufficient to convert an empire in tone valley of which the, whole republic of Venice could have been tucked away unnoticed. This time they took Marco with them, and he} felt that at last he was one of the Company of the Free. When he was presented to Kubilai by- his father, Marco approached and knelt before the throne." The brown eyes of the ruler of the largest empire the world haa ever, knows eager and who had across the:
Between wae, no barrier of race oF Tank." Here was complete confidence, absolute sympathy fan. instinctive of natural Tight relation 'So Marco became a person of importance, Kubilai's confidant and adviser, a power in the land, He was sent on great embassies, controlled vast provinces, travelled to and fro like a prince.' Much of all his is set down in the wonderful Travels" of Masco Polo; he was a close observer, and made elaborate and careful notes. But at last he had to leave Kubilai (the author description of the parting is movingly human), and there was committed to hima final duty: to carry safely to a far-away country, by sea and land, a princess whom Marco loved himself, For political reasons she was to be given in marriage to a troubler of Kubil pence. How Marco fought against his desire, conquered the temptation, and reached Venice with his father and uncle, full of riches and honour, you may read here. It is} noble piece of romance. "Jen" not a novel in the ordinary sense; it is a kind of Saga, illuminated by the writer's imagination, but never departing from likelihood or the acute of reality,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.