Tea at Trianon: Robert the Bruce

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Robert the Bruce

The youth of Robert I, King of Scots is described in this second of the Guardians series by Jack Whyte. As the heir to a great name and vast lands in both Scotland and England, the boy Robert Bruce is taught by his father and grandfather how to lead others in times of peace and war, and especially how to govern justly. Robert also learns from his mentor and hero, King Edward I of England, at whose court the young knight is trained in the art of chivalry.

As Robert inherits an earldom, he appears to be no more than a dandy and playboy, dallying with the ladies. Then one special young lady enters his life and a dramatic transformation begins to occur. In the meantime, the relations between Scotland and England begin to deteriorate and Edward I invades Robert’s homeland. Robert is forced to choose between a monarch he has admired and his own Scottish people, bereft of leadership and liberty.

As the English tyranny grows, the choice becomes clear; the novel ends with Robert’s encounter with the hero William Wallace. The story is told mostly through long conversations, which some might find tedious, although a great deal of historical background is explained for those who are interested in the Scottish Wars of Independence. The various characters of the Bruce family and household add a great deal of color and humor to the narrative. As scene builds upon scene, the mercurial personality of the indefatigable Robert Bruce comes into focus, making the reader eager for the next installment.

This review originally appeared in the August 2013 edition of the Historical Novels Review.

(*NOTE: This book was sent to me by the Historical Novel Society in exchange for my honest opinion.)