Last Tudor King

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28820, 14 February 1959, Page 3

Last Tudor King

The lasi Tudor King. By Hester W. Chapman. Cape. 896 pp. Index.

The fact that Miss Hester Chapman is a historical novelist of considerable power may have a certain, bearing upon her latest biographical study, "The Last Tudor King.” Readers of her recent novel, "The Stone Lily,” will not fail to remember how individual, how subjective are this writer’s abilities. What she gave was not so much an evocation of the past as an interpretation of it, a dark and moving vision of people and events in last-century Italy and Sicily. In all her work. Miss Chapman adopts a point of view which is not always so obvious, but which, nevertheless, controls the trend of her thoughts. This tendency may be noted in “The Last Tudor King,” a detailed study of a talented young prince typical of the times in which he lived. This is certainly an unusual approach. Not that this life of Edward VI is emotional in tone, or. put together with the extravagances that marked the historical writing of Rachel Annand Taylor, for instance. The narrative is controlled, and as far as can be seen it rests upon approved authority. The plan of the book is excellent; nothing has been scamped. It is just that the general characteristictics of the King, as he is depicted here, give rise to some misgiving. Not everyone will accept without question the brilliance, the eclat, which seem to

radiate from Edward’s personality. His precocity is admitted. He was intelligent; his learning was considerable, even allowing for his age and for the superiority of Renaissance princes to ordinary men in all things. But he was never robust, and during his short reign his health declined rapidly. With this in mind, it is something of a surprise to read on page 180: Dignity of demeanour. Intellectual grasp, a deeply serious attitude towards all religions and political questions alternated, as in the case of Henry VIII and Queen Elzabeth, with bursts of animal spirits, a passion for games and pleasure in very simple fun; the dual nature of the Tudors is here seen with one difference—that of immaturity, the hard, enclosed immaturity of a boy whose responsibilities have made -a wall between him and the rest of the world. The child would rush away from books and council meetings to wrestle, ride and shoot at rovers with the same absorption; -his "elegant" speaking and writing of Greek and Latin went hand in hand with a love of finery partly shown by the adherence to certain - colours and materials—crimson damask,

white velvet, and violet silk embroidered with gold, silver and pearls.

This is the boy whom Dr. G. M. Trevelyan described in his "History of England” as “an invalid child, intellectually precocious, earnest and severe, . with ' more conscience than his father but scarcely more softness of heart." If Miss Chapman is correct, the adjectives that usually serve to describe Edward will have to be revised. x But the fact of the matter is that Miss Chapman herself is something of a courtier. The flattery that was heard in the King’s immediate circle also passes current with her. She subscribes willingly to reports of Edward’s "gay and tactful tolerance of bad manners, his generosity, thoughtfulness and intellectual range.” At the time to which the remarks quoted specially apply, the King had just turned 14. Whether it is likely that he had developed to such an extent virtues usually associated with maturity is a ques-

tion for each reader to decide for himself. Whatever view is taken of Edward’s qualities, it cannot be denied that even in this book

the dominating figures of the reign, men like Soptetset and Northumberland, tend to oust the King from the centre of the stage. In spite of all Miss Chapman’s art, the years between 1547 and 1553 are melancholy ones. The results of a minority reign in those times are plain to be seen; there was contention in the Council of Regency; violence and distress were common throughout the country; and England counted less in the estimation of Europe than she had ever done in the reign of Henry VHL It should be mentioned that the publishers have taken great pains with “The Last Tudor King.” The book is beautifully printed and bound, and there are 10 full-page Illustrations.