Journeys through Bookland : a new and original plan for reading applied to the world's best literature for children . great movements known as the Crusades, while theyare frequently mentioned and give a sort of an atmosphereto the book, do not influence the plot directly. Ivanhoe does much more, however, than introduce uscasually to Richard and John; it gives us a striking pictureof customs and manners in the twelfth century. The storyis not made to halt for long descriptions, but the eventsthemselves and their settings are so brought before usthat we have much clearer pictures o
Journeys through Bookland : a new and original plan for reading applied to the world's best literature for children . great movements known as the Crusades, while theyare frequently mentioned and give a sort of an atmosphereto the book, do not influence the plot directly. Ivanhoe does much more, however, than introduce uscasually to Richard and John; it gives us a striking pictureof customs and manners in the twelfth century. The storyis not made to halt for long descriptions, but the eventsthemselves and their settings are so brought before usthat we have much clearer pictures of them than hours ofreading in histories and encyclopedias could give us. Thisaccount of a tournament, for instance, while it lets us seeall the gorgeousness that was a part of such pageants,does not fail to give us also the cruel, brutal side. ^HE poor as well as the rich, the vulgar as well as the noble, in the event of atournament, which Avas the grand spec-tacle of that age, felt as much inter-ested as the half-starved citizen ofMadrid, Mho has not a real left to buyprovisions for his family, feels in the 38. The Tournament 39 issue of a bull-fight. Neither duty nor infirmitycould keep youth or age from such exhibitions. Thepassage of arms, as it was called, which was to takeplace at Ashby, in the county of I^eicester, as cham-pions of the first renown were to take the field inthe 2^1esence of Prince John himself, who wasexpected to grace the lists, had attracted universalattention, and an immense confluence of persons ofall ranks hastened upon the appointed morning tothe place of combat. The scene was singularly romantic. On the vergeof a wood near Ashby, was an extensive meadow ofthe finest and most beautiful green turf, surroundedon one side by the forest, and fringed on the otherby straggling oak trees, some of which had grownto an immense size. The ground, as if fashionedon purpose for the martial display which wasintended, sloped gradually down on all sides to alevel
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookidjourneysthro, bookyear1922
