Our Lady of Light. Berthas and Da Fonseca. (Clonmore and Reynolds, 10s. (id.).
Reviewed by IVOR HAEL
yET another big book about Fatima an English e'± or, rather, an American " rendition " of the Portuguese original by "Pere "-why not Padre "1-Da Fonseca. fief., as previously rendered into Frenth by • "Chanourie " Barthas. Traces of the first " rendition" may be found on page 28, where " the whole world " is elucidated by " tout le monde," on page 38, where Our Lady's promise becomes " l'on aura tel paix," and on page 189. where Lucy says " No. Monsieur" to a Portuguese Viscount I We are therefore at two moves from the "authoritative" original. The accounts are less lyrical than in "Light over Fatima "-e.g., there is no description of the Angel--but the conversations, twice translated. are stiff and stilted. This is especially noticeable in the " cross-questionings," which might, we think. have been left in the original for the guidance of those entrusted vt ith " the documents in the case." The essential points of the Messages. as approved by, and guaranteed by. competent authority, could be given in a much smaller book than this.
We regret to notice that the suggestions given by Lucy as to the depicting of Our Lady without other indication of "light and beauty than " a fine gold fillet . . like a ray of the sun," have not been respected in the frontispiece, which shows an embroidery as conven
tional as much of the text. The other " illustrations " arc simply smudgy and ineffective.