The title of this book comes from a poem:"Behold the child, by Nature's kindly law, Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw. . . . Scarfs, garters, gold, amuse his riper age, And beads and prayer-books are the toys of age."

Before reading this book, look up the definitions of "arietin," "epigoni," "horary" and "thrasonical."

JBC stated that he wrote the Biography for his personal diversion, and maintained that that was the rationale for any literary work. Within such diversion, the writer plays with reason, common sense and piety which is explored in Chapter 1 thru 3. Chapter 4 returned to Poictesme to relate the fate of Sir Anavalt of Fomor who quested for and found Maid Vae, the Thin Queen of Elfhame. Chapter 5 discussed the change of a writer's viewpoint with age and the negative and positive aspects of the Puritan world-view on 20th century behavior. His analysis of LA ROTISSERIE DE LA REINE PEDAUQUE by Anatole France deserves careful study and his remarks about "celestial architecture" are insightful. Chapter 6 looked at the goals and idiosyncracies of established literary artists. Chapter 7 entitled "Diversions of the Anchorite," focused on Joseph Hergesheimer (1880-1954) as a shining example of that concept. Chapter 8 went back to Poictesme and followed the career of Sir Holden of Nerac who had become enamored with the delta-framed picture of the pagan Queen Radegonde who had died 1300 years before him. Sir Guivric of Perdigon enabled Sir Holden to love and later marry the queen with decidely mixed results. The final chapters focus on the work of George Moore (1852-1933) and hint that "the pen is a remedy against oblivion." An addendum to the book entitled "The Author of the Eagle's Shadow," has the young JBC asking the elder one if he should become a writer. The elder one discussed the positive and negative sides to becoming a writer, but left the query unanswered.

Tales of the "spiritual" descendants of Dom Manuel the Reedemer, carefully annotated by expert commentary. Figures of earth have feet of clay.

. . . "They of Poictesme narrate that Queene Freydis thereafter did giue Lyfe to these muddie Ymages, eche at a certayne Houre, and that her sotyll scyaunce of Ergomancy sett these x to liue among Mans Kind," . . .

Poets and bottles come in different shapes and sizes, but both should be judged by their contents not their labels. The poets in these ten stories range in time from the early 13th century to that of the 20th.

In 1210, the chivalrous Raimbault de Vaquieras, a 30 year veteran of the Crusades, returned to France and made peace with a long time enemy. When he was told by Dona Biatritz, his long time friend and lover, that his enemy was planning his murder, Raimbault refused to negate his oath and take action. However, Dona B.was not restrained by any such an oath. In 1533, the beautiful Graciosa Balthazar not yet 16, attracted the attention of Duke Alessandro de Medici and Count Eglamore,the duke's hatchet man, and found herself forced to make a choice between two evils. In 1609, William Shakespeare found his talents waning, but found new inspiration in the creed of Judith, his unlettered daughter. In 1674, Robert Herrick, the eccentric clergyman and poet, disappeared. His friends Sir Thomas Browne and Philip Borsdale learned that RH had dabbled in magic with tragic consequences. In May of 1680, Robert Wycherley, poet, fop and social gadfly, failed to make a remunerative marriage and was saved from drowning by an unexpected turn of events. In 1718, Alexander Pope, the small, disfigured poet and satirist, tried to bestow a generous gift on a young couple, but failed to do so. In 1681, Robert Calverley resigned an important state position to save the life of his wife Honoria who he had literally stolen from the Marquis of Umfraville before their expected marriage. He returned to England despite warnings from friends that his actions had outraged many in high places and now,they wanted revenge. He was saved from ruin by an unselfish act of a scheming relative. In 1795, Richard Sheridan, poet-politician, married Miss Esther Jane Ogle known as "the irresistible Ogle," after being rebuffed by her many, many times. On Sheridan's turf, Miss Ogle proved to be no match for the wily politician. In 1803, Crown Prince Hilary of Saxe-Kesselberg, staged his funeral, changed his name to Paul Vanderhoffen and fled to England to become a poet and writer. After a series of events, one of which almost ended in his death, he married Mildred Claridge and became a writer on Grub Street. John Charteris, a distinguised writer and lecturer, gave a Commencement Speech at his alma mater and thought he had a chance to rekindle a relationship with Pauline Romeyne, a former lover, until his friend Rudolph Musgrave ruined his plan with a dose of reality.

The 21 page "Auctorial Induction" should be read both before and after reading the ten tales. In it, JBC makes a number of penetrating observations about the 1916 literary scene in the USA. The ballad at the beginning of the book and the one at its end, both bear rereading.

A young Cabell weaves tales (annotated by authorities (?) of the era) spinning tales of some of the descendants (lineal and "spiritual")(and their consequences)that enrich the History of Dom Manuel of Poictesme. And outlines one of the characteristic approaches taken by the male in his inevitable pursuit of "Domnei".

These ten stories are attributed to Nicolas de Caen who wrote them in 1470 while serving as the priest and secretary to Philippe, Duke of Burgundy. The stories begin in the 13th century and end in the early years of the 15th. During this time the English Kings are struggling to retain their French possessions. In the "Sestina" chapter, Alianora of Provence, the wife of King Henry III, enlists the aid of Osmund Heleigh to help her secure the escape of her son Prince Edward whom the barons have imprisoned. The bookish Osmund helps her with disasterous consequences to himself. In the "Tenson" chapter, Prince Edward defeats the barons at the Battle of Evesham, after which he goes to Spain to get his wife Ellinor who he married ten years earlier. Several try to get him to set aside his claim to her with dire consequences for his opponents. In the "Rat-Trap" chapter, Prince Edward, now Edward I, arranged to marry Blanch, daughter of King Philippe of France. When he goes to France, King Philippe has second thoughts about the marriage and arranges to have Edward assassinated. Edward discovers the plot and humiliates the French king then departs France with a wife but her name is not Blanch. In "Choices," Queen Ysabeau spends a holiday toying with Sir Gregory Darrell and Rosamund Eastney. In "Housewife," Queen Phillipa, wife of Edward III thwarts a conspiracy against him and inspires the English army to defeat the Scottish forces invading England. In "Satraps," Dame Anne of Bohemia, wife to Richard II, prevents Richard's uncles from placing his brother Edward Maudlain on the throne by having Edward M. leave the court and go into hiding. In "Heritage," Edward Maudlain with the help of Richard II's 11 year old wife, Isobel Valois, takes his brother's place in prison and is slain, after which Henry of Derby becomes King Henry IV. In "Scabbard," the deposed Richard II changes his surname to Holland and makes a long tour of the continent. On his return to England, he has a chance to recover his usurped throne but opts to settle in Wales at Caer Idion, marry a peasant girl named Branwen and become a shepherd. In the "Navarrese," Antoine Riczi remains loyal to Princess Jehane de Navarre. In the "Fox-Brush," King Henry V traveling incognito in France as Alain Maquedonnieux the Irish harpist, kills a fox near the Convent of Chartres and has a chance meeting with Lady Katherine the Fair. He falls in love with her, and after an angst-filled courtship they become betrothed in the Cathedral of Troyes. In his "Epilogue," Nicolas de Caen gives the authorities for his tales and apologizes for being unable to confirm solidly the facts of the first three tales. As the events in the tales take place, the Hundred Years War blossoms and the seeds for the War of the Roses are sown.

Cabell's mythology encompasses fantastic levels in language elegant and cunning. The History of Dom Manuel continues through his descendant who finds peculiar solutions to difficult situations.

One afternoon in 1698, Florian, the 10 year old son of the Duke de Puysange, decided to explore the Forest of Acaire which he had been emphatically forbidden to do. He entered the forest and was greeted by Melusine, the sorceress who took him to the enchanted Castle of Brunbelois and showed him Melior, her sister, who had been asleep for over 500 years. Upon seeing the sleeping beauty, Florian fell deeply in love with her. Next, he was aware of being in his bedroom and wondering if he had dreamed his adventure. His father assured him that he had.

At age 35, Florian exiled his mistress, poisoned his favorite male companion and set out on horseback on a four day journey to the home of Mlle. Louise de Nerac, his affianced and soon to be 5th wife. As he was passing the Forest of Acaire, Marie-Claire, his half sister, emerged from it and greeted him. He chided her for her lack of interest in following logic and precedent and her casual life-style, and she, in turn, sowed seeds of doubt concerning his upcoming 5th marriage. She mentioned the name of "Janicot" to him and made some cryptic references to him. Florian decided to amuse himself by finding Janicot in the forest and watch him work. After entering the forest, he soon came upon Janicot. He began talking with him and quickly realized that with Janicot's help he could have Melior for his bride instead of Louise. He made a Rumpelstiltskin-like deal with Janicot, and learned how to disenchant the Castle of Brunbelois, after which he married Melior. From that point on, Florian lost control of events, found his belief system under siege and saw his fantasies and crimes come to life and mock him. However, thanks to a deal between Janicot and the Archangel Michael, Florian was able to return to the path of logic and precedent and act upon his father's mandate: "Thou shalt not offend against thy neighbors notions."

In this work, satire, fantasy and social criticism run amuck in a uniquely fluent literary style. If the tale has a moral, it's: "You can't go home again!"

Before "The Fellowship of the Ring" there was "The Fellowship of the Silver Stallion"; the consequences for those who allied themselves in arms with Dom Manuel (The Reedemer), progenitor of generations (mortal and otherwise) and founder of myth.

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) wrote "All social realities--values and processes--are created by humans. The social and ideational world represents no entity without humans. Such a world is the reflection of the socialization experienced by each individual in his/her cognitive development. This novel is an inadvertent fictional demonstration of the validity of Durkheim's statement.

This book provides a major key for getting perspective on Poictesme and its varied inhabitants. In 1239, Dom Manuel, Count of Poictesme disappeared. At Storisende, his young daughter Melicent said that she had seen her father on a black horse riding to the west in company with Grandfather Death on a white one. Young Jurgen, another child who was the son of Coth, reported that at dusk,in Upper Morven, he had seen Dom Manuel partake of a fearful eucharist, who was then transfigured into the glowing clouds of the sunset. Dom Manuel had founded the Fellowship of the Silver Stallion, and since it had lost its leader, Niafer, his wife, summoned the nine remaining members of the group to come to Storisende for its final meeting. After they all had arrived, Horvendile addressed them as follows, "The master who held Poictesme, under my whims, has passed. A woman sits in his place, his little son inherits after him. So begins a new romance; and a new order is afoot." Next, he assigned each of the nine a fate and ordered that a fire be kindled. The banner of the fellowship was burned and each lord of the Black Stallion broke his sword into fragments and threw them into the flames, so that their swords could never defend any other standard. The nine, Gonfal of Naimes, Donander of Evre, Kerin of Nointel, Ninzian of Yair, Holden of Nerac, Anavalt of Fomor, Coth of the Rocks, Guivric of Perdigon and Miramon of Ranec, returned home and made ready for the new order. In this book, the fates of Gonfal, Miramon, Coth, Guivric, Kerin, Ninzian and Donander are told. Alongside their stories, a parallel history is given of the birth and triumph of the great legend about Manuel the Redeemer as it developed in Poictesme.

This is odd Quest Fantasy stuff, with something to say about...well...the questionable role of women in the life of a man who wants to walk a meaningful path. I mean, is there any other way to put it, even though I'm quickly alienating potential women readers? How else could I describe a book where one man sets off on an epic trek to discover a Third (and apparently most important) Truth, and to rule a supposed underworld paradise, only to be repeatedly yanked out of his stride by several women who want to domesticate him, tame him, eternally distract him, you name it.

Some of the women are part-beast (Fox-Woman; woman with the feathery legs), at least one woman is a witch, and the one that our hero Gerald can't resist at all is a terrible nag. What does this say, as Gerald slowly seems to abandon his higher aspirations (at one point, his entire mission grinds to a halt, as he acquires, rather instantly, a seven or eight-year-old son, whom, it should be noted, Gerald only sees when he wears his new rose-coloured glasses)?

Gerald himself is an amusing character. He begins his adventure by wafting out of his original body and allowing a demon to inabit it, giving up his aspirations as a poet and a romantic, and setting out on his strange metaphysical journey towards a place where he will officially get designated as a god (he's quite uppity and pompous about being treated as a deity, even before he has fulfilled said destiny). For someone determined to be a god, he has a hard time forgetting his old flame, Evelyn (she's a married woman, and not to Gerald) from his previous life, and no matter what weird land Gerald gets held up in, he's most unhappy ...It's all very [odd], and relentlessly episodic, with famous personages streaming in and out of the narrative, giving Gerald their whiney autobiographies, before they head toward that harmonious underworld Gerald is supposed to be trekking towards, and then ruling, himself. It looks less and less likely that Gerald is going to fulfill his destiny, and discover the secrets of the universe in the Third Truth or anything like that, unless he can swear off domesticity. In fact, yes, as the end approaches, it looks like the story is going to loop back on itself in an Ouroborus-Worm way. Or maybe Gerald really is destined for greatness, despite occurences like Evelyn's father suddenly manifesting before him and asking him to please return to his body, so that Evelyn is not consorting with a demon ...

Despite the wonderful fantasy content, the odd humour (blunt or sly at intervals), and the thoughtful themes underneath the obvious one concerning "women as obstacle to a man's higher purpose", this book won't appeal to everyone. ...

The story began on the evening of April 30, 1805 in Lichfield. Gerald Musgrave was in his study working on a manuscript about his ancestors Dom Manuel and Madame Niafer. However, he couldn't concentrate on his work because he wanted out of his illicit love-affair with Evelyn Townsend, his second cousin. He wanted to become a major author and an accomplished magician but his time spent with Evelyn was taking too much of his time. However, she did not want to end the affair, and the conventions of that time placed the choice for ending it upon the female. A Sylan materialized in Gerald's study and offered to take his place in Lichfield and Gerald could take his in the spiritual world. Gerald agreed and found himself on the road of greater myths to Antan where he was to become its ruler. Horvendile, Lord of the Marches of Antan provided him with a silver stallion named Kalki for him to ride. On his way to Antan, he met Eradne who invited him join her in the rites of pleasure. He declined. In Doonham, he met Princess Evershah from whom he secured a vial of six drops of water from the Churning of the Ocean, but was forced to destroy her. In the land of Dersam, he met Evarvan of the mirror, but managed to escape from her after a series of adventures. In Lytreia, he saved the holy relic of the Temple of the Holy Nose, but outraged its devotees by pointing out that it was really a tongue; however, before he left Lytreia, he destoyed Evaine, a sorceress who held the Veiled Mirror which he found to be a painting. In the country of Tourine everyone was so concerned with learning to become a better sorcerer that no one would talk to him. Next, he encountered the Sphinx with whom he had an unsatisfying conversation. On Mispec Moor, he met Maya of the Fair Breasts and settled down with her for 30 years. When he wasn't engaged in domestic activities, he amused himself by talking to poets, gods and the eminent on the way to Antan. He especially enjoyed his talk with the Emperor Nero, Francois Villon and Merlin. Gerald never arrived in Antan and became responsible for its destruction. After Maya disappeared, Horvendile gave Gerald a word of power that enabled him to return to Lichfield. Back in Lichfield, Gerald learned that his body had become an ethnographer of great reputation and had a son by Evelyn. Gerald returned to his body and sent the Sylan on his way, and took up where his body had left off.

Cabell in a younger day presents the American manifestation of the geneology of Dom Manuel of Poicteme. A light, "quaint" period piece with only the slyest hint (or foreshadowing (?)) of the "supernatural" and characters that will become the creators of the legend.

The title of the book is derived from a fairy tale in which the carved
figure of an unusual looking man on a cupboard door fell in love with
a pretty little china shepherdess who loved a little chimney-sweep
china figure that stood beside her. The carved figure asked the
figure of a Chinaman who could nod his head and claimed to be the
grandfather of the shepherdess if he could marry her. When the
"grandfather" nodded his head in consent, the couple tried
to flee the area by going through the stove and up the chimney to get
into the outside world. But once outside, the shepherdess found the
outside world "too much," so the lovers returned to their
places. When they returned, they found that the Chinaman had fallen
to the floor and had broken into three pieces. The owners of the
Chinaman had him repaired with rivets. However, the rivet in his neck
kept him from nodding. The next time the carved man made his request
to the Chinaman to marry the shepherdess, he no longer could give his
consent, so the lovers remained together until they were broken into
piece.

The story was set in early 1900 Lichfield. Col. Rudolph
Vartrey Musgrave b. 1856, was the unmarried scion of a family that had
settled in the area in the early 17th century. Like all the
inhabitants of Lichfield, Col. Musgrave's public life was governed by
the rules of chivalry while that of his private one was governed by
the rules of gallantry. He spent his time in honorific activities and
doing genealogical research. His life changed drastically when
Patricia Stapylton, his wealthy second cousin, came to visit him and
his sister Agatha before she married an English Earl. After a series
of fortuitous events, the Col. and Patricia were married and had a son
they named Roger. The story is woven around the Musgraves and various
inhabitants of Lichfield and their relationships. Three enduring
themes in these stories are: frustrated youthful love, personal
stagnation, and the hiding or denying of unpleasant social realities.

The last (?) descendant of Dom Manuel confronts the past to discover reality. Cabell's "average" (i.e. classical) exercise in urban wit, devious language and human puzzlement. This is a doorway to the past and all the other books of the History.

This book could have been titled, "The Last Troubadour." In this collection of poems, the poet turns his back on his own time and draws upon themes of the medieval and renaissance eras: the certainty of death, the pain of unrequited love, the retelling of ancient history and legends, commentaries upon abstractions, nostalgia for departed youth and fairer seasons, and faith tempered with a sense of defeat. These quotations from the collection provide a sense of the whole: "My master, how wide is the gulf between, That which we are and what might have been." "But Yesterday! for Yesterday! I cry a reward for a Yesterday, Now lost or stolen or gone astray, With all the laughter of Yesterday!" "I am contented by remembrances,-- Dreams of dead passions, wraiths of vanished times, Fragments of vows, and by-ends of old rhymes,--Flotsam and jetsam tumbling in the seas Whereon, long since, put forth our argosies Which, launched for traffic in the Isles of Love, Lie foundered somewhere in some firth thereof, Encradled by eternal silence." In a subtle personal note, JBC evaluated his choice of work as a writer in the poem titled, "The Toy-Maker." It ends: "WHO, you ask, IS THIS FELLOW?--What matter names? He is only a scribbler who is content." Sometime between 1920 and 1922, in the "Yale Literary Review," J. A. Thomas categorized Cabell as "a writer for the elect--but for the elect of all time." For those, who want to get perspective on James Branch Cabell and his work, and evaluate the generalization of J. A. Thomas, the following books would be helpful. It is suggested that the books be read in the order listed: 1 Cabell, James Branch, AS I REMEMBER IT. 1955: NYC: Robert M. McBride & Co.; 2 Wagenknecht, Edward (Editor), THE LETTERS OF JAMES BRANCH CABELL. 1975, Norman, OK: U. of Oklahoma Press; 3 Van Doren, Carl, JAMES BRANCH CABELL. 1932, NYC: The Literary Guild; 4 MacDonald, Edgar, JAMES BRANCH CABELL and Richmond-in-Virginia. 1993, Jackson, MS, U. Press of Mississippi; 5 Rascoe, Burton, BEFORE I FORGET. 1937, Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., Inc.; 6 Rascoe, Burton, WE WERE INTERRUPTED. 1947, Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., Inc.; 7 Starett, Vincent, BORN IN A BOOKSHOP. 1965, Norman, OK: U. of Oklahoma Press.