Taw Sov oF Nyata—By Mrs, Camp bell Praed. Rider, London, 21/—Most religions have insisted that the human soul enjoys an individ existence which ts continued thro Sleath into an afterlife from th tenet two other interesting beets have evolved: spiritualism maintains that living. personalities: may cent. Iunicate with the spirits of "the dead: the" doctrine "of the. trans migration of souls postulates" that 2 Single personality ey 8 succession of earthly lives, inhabiting different bodily forms, "The Soul of Nyria" purports to /be @ record of the account given by 2 young woman, whist in a peculiar State of trance, of part of her fore mer existence in Rome othe slavd fit! Nyvia. The story rela the life of the city under of the Emperor Domitian during later part of the first century, We are assured that this young Women, the Instrument as she is called, had never' visited "Rome and " was inaequainted with its history "of that period. Mrs, Campbell Braed fscerts, moreover, that no. one me fivenced the story'of the Instrument suggestion, or in any way, and that mo details suffered subsequent Alteration or amplification. Beyond this bare assurance there is nothing to persuade us of the truth of the story. The name of the Instrument ig withheld, Most of the facts of Nyria's account, the topography of Ancient Rome, the events she describes, are in accord with our know-lodge of those times: this does not ing to lessen the doubt of " sceptic; the author of any historical novel can, by careful research, make sure of these facts for the sources are open to the author as they ate the critic. "The Soul of Nyri scientific or psychological value. therefore, Viewed as an historical novel this book has much to commend it. Autobiographical in form, it posses ses an unusual, naive but attractive style: the plot is not unduly centred in Nyria herself yet through the ory there is built up for us a delicate picture of a charming girl, This is the best thing which the book has to offer.
Nyria is personal slave girl to Julia, wife of the Consul Sabinus, who is plotting the death of her husband and of Domitia, wife of the Emperor Domitian, that she may become Empress herself, Domitian orders the arrest and execution of Sabinus on a false charge but the conscience-stricken Julia dies before her plot can be comploted, to her delight, is bought by. ti general Paulinus as a gift for hi wife, Valeria, whom the little sla has long wished to serve, Nyria becomes a convert to the now and Persecuted sect of Christian 'The second part of the book moves to a tragic end in an atmosphere of inevitable gloom, yet it is not depressing. Valeria, unfaithful to her husband, betrays the Chi among them Nyria, in order to xevenge herself upon' her lover ins 'Sura, who has returned to a former mistress. Nyria, faithful to her mistress, refuses to buy freedom. at the price of revealing to Paulinus ithe extent of Valeria's infidelity' to him, Amongst many others Nyria is thrown to the lions, The action of the story is overlong delayed by descriptions and by the recital of long conversations which add nothing to the unity of the book and render it somewhat tedious. There is x certain delicacy. of treatment which is attractive, however, whilst the descriptions of life in Rome during the first century bear the stamp of reality. The characters of Valeria and particul-larly of Nyria herself are very well revealed as the book proceeds. Bry.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.