This book is incomparable in the magic power of evoking startlingly vivid pictures of the Middle Ages. It is a gorgeous pageant, full of pomp and magnificence. Here and there the reader is given a glimpse into the mortal and humble frailties and exigencies behind the grandeur. This work is a fabulous historical novel that is full of a sly, crisp humor and contains some portions which are veritable poems in prose.