MCCARTHY, JUSTIN HUNTLY. Henry Elizabeth. *$2 (1½c) Lane
20–13543
Henry Elizabeth’s mother had wanted a girl and her name was to have been Elizabeth. When he was born a boy the Elizabeth stood with the addition of Henry, Young Braginton, for he was the master of the manor-house, grew up a country bumpkin much given to drinking, eating and women. He was a young giant. One day, after a drunken bout, he encounters a most beautiful woman, such as he had never seen. It changes his career. He resolves to give up his old life, go up to London, become one of Queen Elizabeth’s courtiers, and make himself worthy of his beauty. He falls in with a former court jester who takes his education in hand, and little by little makes himself master of all the gallant practices, including swordsmanship. He has many adventures, serves Elizabeth and is granted favors, and has the opportunity, most coveted, to champion the cause of his lady love and rid her of her enemies. Although he had not won her at the end of the story the reader hopes that he will yet succeed. The picture of London in Elizabeth’s time is one of the quaint features of the story.
+ Ath p307 S 8 ’20 160w
“It is characteristic of Mr McCarthy that it has all the excitement and rapidity of a good swashbuckling tale with a most polished workmanship and better style than is the case of most books of the kind.”
+ Boston Transcript p6 O 13 ’20 420w
“The story is written in that leisurely way that enables the author to reproduce in fine detail much of the social background of the time with which it deals and also to accentuate the feeling of its unhurrying pace. But this is all done without apparent effort and as an integral part of the story, which moves swiftly enough when the time for action comes.”
+ N Y Times p26 Ag 22 ’20 650w
“A capital tale of the days of Queen Bess. It is just historical enough and not too much so. A tale which has incident, action, humor, and character depiction.”