After discussing the outbreak of news ea ihe Sense Bota tu teaver sea osset and thea erin Sethu tua ing aay er nae A Prisoner of the Crown Cures Seuexooun 2 ohn Wichowon e Watson, London, Be" By Evan John is a historical writer and has fo his credit a biography of King Charles T and a number of plays and Qhe-aet plays, apparently, from their titles, all dealing with historical subfects. The story which he tells under! the above title Is dedicated "to. the memory of James Stewart, frst hat name to rule in Scotland, com vanion-in-arms to Henry. the Filth, prisoner, poet, musician, soldier, 1a iver, lover and king, of whose strange lite and terrible death the tale re-told."" That gives-a. very fair idea of the sentiment. which has Inspired. the writing of a very long novel running into some. 575 pages
claim, 'a tale quite' in the gran:
a stirring and, as the publishers That Ghastly Night It will always be a matter for argue ment whether James Stuart "rst that name to rule in Scotland" was captured during "an Anglo-Scottish {truce or during actual hostilities. does not really matter. The fact is that James, the ancestor of the Stuart kings, became a prisoner of the English crown, and for years moved between the various castles in England reserved for the accommodation of Prisoners of For almost. two Geeades this unfortunate youth grew fo manhood awaiting all the time his ransom by, the Scottish lords—who Apparently had entirely different ideas fon the. subject—being trained. as a sturdy: man-at-arms and even in his captivity aedulring some of that slate: craft which eventually be was called tupan to employ in hie dealings with the turbulent Scottish chieftains over whom he had to rule. He fought in the campalins which followed Azin" court, was a musician and a first-class poet, and then, after twelve brool fess years full of tragedy and frustr tion, he reached at last that ghastly night at the Perth Blackfriars when the arm of Katherine Bar-lass, run through the sockets where a bar should have held the door, was the only thing which remained between him and his eventual death, ofa muta Reena ame eats ulteratces "ai Walcot that, the united. States, and washington., and London clearly Beer pirittin are determined "to $Fisthca Fapategs citorts even Te they Bae ieee hrs Into play the Ned "might of their, great navies Silly the trait natural eqntinue to. be Festless (oda danger® spot in Newspaper Sareasm It is when he comes to the question of the vilification of Japan. and Sty conduct during these hostilities "Posiseript for Pedants"
The book is an excellently written cone." Tt is almost in a grandiose style, for it moves with a majestic progress from peaceful Gloucestershire to the barren plains of war-stricken France, from the castles and cottages of the Scottish lowlands to the glens and islands of the savage Atlantic coast. Perhaps some of the length of the book is attributable to the care with which the author seeks to lay the foundation of the prologue and the nine succeeding books. But when he has established his groundwork—and to the average English reader a groundwork necessary for the proper understanding of the particular phases of Scottish history—the story moves with adequate speed and a very full sense of dramatic values Throughout it all he has endeavoured to maintain
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.