Beltane the Smith

by Jeffery Farnol

A mighty man was Beltane the Smith, despite his youth already great of stature and comely of feature. Much knew he of woodcraft, of the growth of herb and tree and flower, of beast and bird, and how to tell each by its cry or song or flight; he knew the ways of fish in the streams, and could tell the course of the stars in the heavens; versed was he likewise in the ancient wisdoms and philosophies, both Latin and Greek, having learned all these things from him whom men called Ambrose the Hermit. But of men and cities he knew little, and of women and the ways of women, less than nothing, for of these matters Ambrose spake not....

"Messire, I--have hanged many men and--there were women also! I have cut me a tally here on my belt, see--there be many notches--and every notch a life. So now for every life these hands have taken do I vow to save a life an it may be so, and for every life saved would I cut away a notch until my belt be smooth again and my soul the lighter.Messire, I--have hanged many men and--there were women also! I have cut me a tally here on my belt, see--there be many notches--and every notch a life. So now for every life these hands have taken do I vow to save a life an it may be so, and for every life saved would I cut away a notch until my belt be smooth again and my soul the lighter."

Genres: Historical, Fiction

536 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1915

About the author

John Jeffery Farnol was born in Aston, Birmingham, England, UK, son of Kate Jeffery and Henry John Farnol, a factory-employed brass-founder. The marriage had three more children, two boys and a girl.] He was brought up in London and Kent. He attended the Westminster School of Art, after he had lost his job in a Birmingham metal-working firm.

In 1900 he married Blanche Wilhelmina Victoria Hawley (1883–1955), the 16 years old daughter of the noted New York scenic artist H. Hughson Hawley; they moved to the United States, where he found work as a scene painter. The marriage had a daughter, Gillian Hawley. He returned to England around 1910, and settled in Eastbourne, Sussex. In 1938, he divorced and remarried with Phyllis Mary Clarke on 20 May, and adopted her daughter, Charmian Jane.

On 9 August 1952, he died aged 73 in Eastbourne, after a long battle with cancer.

Farnol published his first romance novel My Lady Caprice in 1907. The success of his early novels led Farnol toeventually become a professional writer. He produced around 40 novels and volumes of stories, and some non-fiction and children's books. His last book was completed by his second wife Phyllis.

From Wikipedia

Reviews

[Heather Oakman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It is a long read, but worth it. I enjoy Farnol's style of prose, which I find somewhat lyrical and fun to read. The descriptions of torture, and death were a bit tedius, after a while. I expected it to be a classic "knight in shining armor saves the maiden" storyline, and found it to have deeper themes and a richer storyline.

[Nigel Hillen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but it was a bit of a mixed experience. The story itself is a solid medieval romance, with knights, castles, battles, and a central hero who’s trying to find his place between humble birth and noble destiny. There’s plenty of action and a sincere love story running through it.

That said, the language is definitely a hurdle. Farnol writes in an intentionally archaic style, full of old-fashioned phrasing and obscure words. At times it adds a nice atmosphere, but often it just slows things down and makes the reading harder than it needs to be.

If you like old-style romances and don’t mind wrestling with the language, this could be a rewarding read. Personally, I found it interesting but also a bit too weighed down by the writing style.

[Patrick Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelously enchanting story!

This ius such a cute little take. Full of highs and lows and wonderful characters. I really enjoyed reading this story and have a read it multiple times. Another fantastic Jeffery Farnol story!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked up this 1915 copy at an antique bookstore.