Isaac of York

The best characterization in the book is that of Isaac of York, and this is fine because it seems the author hasn't really decided what we should think of him. Should we join with many of the characters, including Scott's protagonist, in reviling Isaac as a usurer? We can't so quickly dismiss his daughter, of course, or the romantic triangle disappears. And we can't dismiss her love of her father. Even in Scott's own voice, though, admiration for Isaac's proud idiosyncrasy in a world foreign to him shows through. I imagine he would have been a zionist had he lived at the era of Dreyfus and Herzl. But Scott can go way over the top, and the better features of the book are marred by such melodramatic passages as this -- "Who laughed there?" exclaimed Front-de-Boeuf, in altered mood, for the noise of the conflict did not prevent the echoes of his own mad laughter from returning upon his ear ---"who laughed there?---Ulrica, was it thou?---Speak, witch, and I forgive thee---for, only thou or the fiend of hell himself could have laughed at such a moment. Avaunt---avaunt!------" Bah.