Page:Marie Corelli - the writer and the woman (IA mariecorelliwrit00coat).pdf/282

 *zling words which forever fascinate the Pope, and are the key-notes of every attempt at supremacy. 'Temporal Power' is the desire of kings, as of commoners. There is nothing really prosaic about such a title, unless the thing itself be deemed prosaic, which, if this were proved, would make out that all the work of the world was useless and that nothing whatever need be done except fold one's hands and sit down in unambitious contentment."

"Temporal Power" was not issued to the Press for review, but no less than three hundred and fifty journals—big and little—paid Miss Corelli the compliment of purchasing the book in order to comment on its plot and characteristics. Conning the mass of critical matter which is the outcome of this action on the part of the newspapers, it would seem that the attitude of the Press towards the authoress is growing less hostile than of yore, for quite a number of the reviews are couched in distinctly favorable language.

From Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, September 21st, 1902, we cull the following notice, which will serve as a brief resumé of the plot—no doubt already familiar to the majority of our readers—and at the same time as an example of how an entire stranger to the novelist—as the author of this article was—can disregard the prejudice which has arisen with