Howard Pyle’s “Life and Adyentures of Robin Hood” (Scribner's, $3) is perhaps the best of all the modern Robin Hood books. Pyle loved a bold adventurer like Robin, and tells his story with the keenest joy—and what a story it is! Into it comes the noble figure of the king, and both Richard and John have adventures in Sherwood Forest. Many another brave knight and fair lady come gaily into the tale, with bad men too,—who get their deserts, most of them falling before the broad arrows of the outlaw band. There is a marvelous sweet breath of the green-wood blowing through these delightful pages, with song of blackbird and throstle, and the glint of sunshine to gladden you as you follow on, seeing the glimpse of a deer or a huntsman, hearing the laugh of a maid or the clash of a sword and buckler.
Much of the life of the common people is carefully pictured, for the book is made from the songs they sang and the stories they told. For undiluted, healthy pleasure, and for a vivid sketch of the times it portrays, few volumes can beat it. The pictures are also by Pyle, and are as good as the rest of the book.
If you want another book of about the same period, there is “Forest Outlaws,” by E. Gilliat (Dutton, 1887, $1.50), which tells the file of a boy and girl in Lincoln who were more or less under the protection of the good and great Bishop Hugh. King Henry is in it, long after his romance with Fair Rosamond, whom he still remembers, however, and the fierce Queen Eleanor, who came to him from Aquitaine, and of course his two sons. The king is rather big and unwieldy, and sometimes you rather laugh at him; but both the children know and love him. Robin and his merry men are there among the rest; there are splendid adventures in the forest; and, altogether, the story is good and interesting, and especially written for young people.
Richard the Lion-Hearted followed his father Henry upon the English throne, and I dare say all of you know him pretty well, for there must be very few who have n't read Scott’s wonderful romances “Ivanhoe” and “The Talisman.” If such there be, they will have a great treat before them; I ’m sure I wish I were going to read either for the first time!
“The Talisman” tells of Richard’s adventures in the Holy Land, and brings Saladin into the story. What a scene that is where Richard and Saladin try each othcr’s skill as swordsmen, Richard the mighty, Saladin the expert. The novel is a splendid description of the whole temper and marvel of that amazing spirit, the Crusading spirit, and you need to read it if you want to understand the men and the fortunes of those days.
“Ivanhoe” takes up Richard’s life when he comes home again, where the treacherous John is usurping the powers of stale. Robin Hood comes into the book, and in the character of Gurth the Swineherd you meet a true Saxon churl. Then there is the great Knight Templar Brian de Bois-Guilbert, and the fair Rowena, said to be a descendant of Edward the Confessor, whom you met in the book about William the Conqueror, “Harold.” There is a wonderful tournament and a terrible battle, The story is one of the finest ever told, changing and moving, full of color and life, amusing, tragic, exciting.
There is a very good story by Paul Creswick, who has also written a Robin Hood book, called “With Richard the Fearless" (Dutton, 1898, $1.50), which tells many adventurous doings, and draws a splendid picture of the times; but I have found it hard to come by. It can be got, however, and is worth the trouble.
These ought to do for Richard. John comes next. He was n’t much of a king, but important things happened during his seventeen years’ reign. He was called Lackland, after the fashion of that century and several following to give nicknames to their leaders, and he lacked much besides land, among the rest any very good stories concerning his life and England's life during his day. Gilliat has one, “Wolf's Head” (Dutton, 1899, $1.50), which begins in 1202, the year of his accession, and which uses him as one of its characters. It also has Robin in it, and makes him come back from being an outlaw, which is contrary to most of the chronicles; but that is the good of having a rather mythical person like the bold wearer of Lincoln green to deal with. The book is good in reproducing the times very clearly, with many details. Poor Prince Arthur appears, and there are scenes in Ronen.
Of course John comes into the other novels I have spoken about, but not as king, and it is a pity that there are not more stories of that part of his life. If you can get C. A. Bloss’s “Heroines of the Crusades,” you will learn more about him and his reign; and you will find the stories interesting, I ’m told, though I ‘ve not been able to get a copy of the book myself.
A story of Henry III and his times is a book, published in England in 1903, which you ought to be able to get through a bookseller. It is by Bryan W. Ward, and is called “The Forest Prince.” Its hero is Henry's son, Edward, but it has many other characters, among them the king, and is a most enjoyable and picturesque tale.
