Readings from the Waverley novels Author:Walter Scott Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE TALISMAN " The ' Talisman' is one of the most dazzling and attractive of the productions of Scott's pen. The heroic splendor of the scenery, personages, a... more »nd adventures ; the admirable contrast between Coeur de Lion and Saladin ; and the magnificent contrast of the chivalry of Europe, with the heroism and civilization of the East, — all this makes the 'Talisman' about equally delightful to the young and to the old. The introduction of familiar and even of comic details, with which Scott, like Shakspeare, knew how to relieve and set off his heroic pictures, renders this story peculiarly delightful. We seem to be brought near to the great and historic characters, and admitted, as it were, into their private life : we see that they are men like ourselves." PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS Sir Kenneth Of The Couchant Leopard, Prince Royal of Scotland. Strauchan, his squire. A Saracen Emir. Theodoric, a Christian hermit. King Richard 1., one of the council of the Third Crusade. Queen Berengaria, his wife. Lady Calista, her attendant. Lady Edith Plantagenet, Richard's kinswoman. Necbatanus, the queen's dwarf. Guenevra, his lady-love. Sir Thomas De Multon, Sir Thomas De Vaux Of Gii.sland, Period, 1191. Locality: Syria. in attendance on the king. El Hakim, a physician; afterwards Sul- Tan Saladin. The Archbishop Of Tyre, The Grand-master Of The Templars, The Marquis Conrade Of other mem- Montserrat, bers of the The Archduke Leopold Of council. Austria, King Philip Augustus c France, J Earl Wallenrode, an Hungarian warrior. A Marabout, or Turkish fanatic. Blondel, King RicharcTs minstrel. THE STORY BRIEFLY TOLD During a truce between the Christian armies taking part in the third crusade, and the infidel forc...« less