the Prince's character is not insoluble. Henry of
Monmouth is no instance of prematurely forced
genius. He was precocious only in so far that, like
Alexander of Macedon, he possessed naturally the
power to rise at once to the level of the responsibilities
which circumstances forced upon him. He was reared
in no hotbed of artificiality, but in the storm and
stress of actual life received a training which en-
sured the natural though early development of un-
usual gifts. High-spirited and full of vigour, his
enjoyment of life was complete. So in his youth
there was no sobriety beyond his years; and when
the affairs of state lay heaviest upon him he never
lost that common feeling of humanity, which gives
to the most heroic characters their greatest power
and charm.

Henry's personal appearance has been minutely
described by his biographer. He had an oval, hand-
some face with a broad, open forehead and straight
nose, ruddy cheeks and lips, a deeply indented chin,
and small well-formed ears; his hair was brown and
thick; and his bright hazel eyes, gentle as a dove's
when at rest, could gleam like a lion's when roused
to wrath. In stature he was above the average, and
his frame, with its comely, well-knit limbs, was that
of a man accustomed to active pursuits. He re-
joiced in all kinds of sports and exercise, had no
equal in jumping, and was so swift of foot that with
one or two chosen companions he would start the
quickest buck from the woodland and run it down
in the open. ^*

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