respect to our subject, and write as he thinks, combining, as it appears to us, a happy knack of lucid expression with a calm and temperate judgment.
A text from St. Paul as follows, "For we wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places," prefaces and in a measure explains
this very remarkable book. The hero of the story
is a king reigning in these latter days over a Christian
country that never once throughout the book
receives a name. The omission, however, is not
likely to be very early noticed by the reader, so intense
is the interest aroused by the narrative, so
rapid and sustained is its action. The king, married
to a beautiful but cold consort who has borne
him three sons, suddenly awakes to the fact that he
is not doing his duty to his people, and resolves to
go amongst them to see things for himself. He accordingly
does so in disguise, and actually joins a
society of Socialists. Hearing what is said about
his Ministers he tests them and vetoes a declaration
of war which is being brought about in the interests
of certain capitalists and through the agency of a
corrupt Press. Another conspiracy he contends
with and defeats is a Jesuit one, during which an
attempt is made upon his life, an attempt foiled by
a beautiful woman of the people, who receives the
knife-thrust in his place. One of the main themes
of the book is the love of the king's eldest son
Humphry for Gloria, a poor but beautiful girl. He
has secretly wedded her, and the fact coming to the
king's knowledge he upbraids his son and tells him
that, the marriage with Gloria being of necessity
morganatic, he must make a speedy alliance with a
princess of a neighboring state. Then ensues a fine
