The Press.
London, England, 1858-02-27 00:00:00

;J:ittratiat.

History of Europe from the Fall of Napoleon
in 1815 to the Accession of Louis Napoleon in
1852. By Sir Archibald Alison, Bart., D.C.L.
In Eight Vols. Vol. VII. London :
Blackwoods.
PREFIXED to this volume is an affiche from the
eminent publishers :
Messrs. Blackwood beg to intimate that the eighth
♦olume, completing the work, and containing a carefully-
compiled index, will be published in the course of this year.
February, 1858.
We were certainly under the impression that
the continuation of the history of the French
Revolution was to be finished in five and not
" eight" volumes. We allow, however, for the
growing demands of authorship as it proceeds ;
but in proportion as extent of space is claimed,
in the same degree do we expect that there
shall be condensed fulness of matter and
exact correctness of statement.
We fear that Sir Archibald Alison has ne-
glected to seek for special knowledge as he has
advanced in his important undertaking
" Eight" volumes on a contemporary history
ought to contain much curious and rare know-
ledge If an historian in such a case cannot
make any original revelations, at least he may
generalise and induct from an immense variety
of authentic particulars before the world. The
present volume by Sir Archibald Alison ex-
hibits the characteristic candour of his mind,
which has no sinister warp or bias ; but on
a great number of interesting passages in our
recent history no light is thrown in its pages.
We recollect that the late professor Smyth of
Cambridge was folid of enunciating the cri-
tical canon to his u.stss, " When you want
"to weigh the merits of a new volume of his-
" tory, look to the notes." Tried by this test
the volume before us is rather deficient, and
it falls below the standard setup by the former
works of the able and learned author, whose
past successes are beyond all dispute. We
shall exemplify this opinion presently, but we
may make some preliminary remarks on his-
torical sequels in general.
Sir Archibald Alison in his historical effects
seems to be an exception to the general rule
as applied by critics to historians. In nearly
all cases the advanced portions of an historian's
works are his best; and several instances,
both ancient and modern, could be cited in

proof of this position. The earliest portions
of Livy's immortal history are not the finest
specimens of his masterly power of narrative.
As Clarendon advanced in his work, his pen
acquired more pliancy in dealing with variety
of incident, and even in those " characters
which made him a literary Vandyke, the more
practice he had the better were his portraits
in pen and ink. David Hume wrote his his-
tory backwards, and the obvious vices of his
style are most discernible in the portions
first commenced ; while, on the other
hand, in Robertson's " History of America"
there is a literary force and skill in statement
not discernible in the " History of Scotland."
In our own time, also, and almost under our
own eyes, Guizot, Thiers, and Lamartine in
France, and Prescott and Bancroft in America,
have improved as they toiled farther in his-
tory. But Sir Archibald Alison is rather an
exceptional case. There was more vivid de-
scription, and more circumspective care of
statement, in his eirrlier than in his later vo-
lumes. It is possible that the abundance of
printed matter for his early portions of his
work may have served him, but we fear that
he has not taken pains enough to look for
knowledge in these latter parts of his pro-
longed performance.
For example, when relating the changes in
Sir Robert Peel's policy in 1845-6, Sir Archi-
bald Alison thus writes :
While these Ministerial difficulties and arrangements,
big with the future fate of the British empire and of com-
merce throughout the world, were in progrest in tilt ele-
vated political regions, the public mind was violently
shaken by an announcement, which suddenly appeared in
the Times of December 4, to the effect that the repeal of
the Corn Laws WWI resolved on in the Cabinet, and that
Parliament would be called toc..ther in January to carry
the resolution into effect. This statement was imme-
diately contradicted, iu the moat unqualified manner, by
the Mdwiard, and otter Tory aewsyspersi but the Times