The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-10 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

. Henry IV. and Marie de Medici. Part 2 of the
History of the reign of Henry IV, by Martha
Walker Freer, author:of "The Life of Margue-
rite d'Augouleme," &c., &c. 2 vols. Hurst &
Blackett.
Miss Freer's ability and patient research have
raised her to a conspicuous position among our
historical writers. Without being gifted with
those brilliant powers of description which bring
the scenes and actions of a distant epoch as vividly
before us as the celebrities of our own day ; without
bringing to her task that grasp of mind and know-
ledge of statecraft which assists the ex-minister or
politician in a similar undertaking, she possesses
some qualities perhaps even more rare. The most
prominent of these is a spirit of moderation and
impartiality, the recognition of the good and evil
that is so strangely mingled in most of us. We
escape the extremes so common in all histories, the
undue elevation of one or two characters and con-
sequent depreciation of others. Miss Freer is more
just in her views. Because a man is heroic in the
field she recognises the fact that he need not
necessarily be wise in the council chamber, or if
both of these, that it does not follow that he
should be disinterested ' in seeking favours.
Another quality indispensable to the historian is
industry. Miss Freer's ample supplementary in-
formation concerning all the persons mentioned
prove her to be thoroughly familiar with the epoch
she is describing. Her histories are compiled from
M.S. documents in the Bibliotheque Imperiale, the
Archives du Royaume de France, and other nn-
published sources; and the fulness and authenticity
of her information will certainly render hor work
indispensable to all future writers on one of the
most important reigns in French history. The
earlier portion of this work, it will be remembered,
left the great Henry firmly seated on his throne,
after his triumphant entry into his subjugated
capital. The volumes before us show us the con-
queror of Ivry as legislator and ruler, in which
more difficult position he appears to equal advan-
tange, notwithstanding the moral weakness that
marred the greatness of his character, and was too
often the cause of perplexity and suffering to others.
The generosity and magnanimous forbearance of the
were among his most admirable qualities, and
are not always the attributes of those who have
had to struggle for their rights. Voltaire speaks
of him as one

" Qui par de longs malheurs apprit a gouverner,
Calms les factions, sut vaincre et pardoner."
The latter lesson some hinted he had learned too
well, for in his ready gifts to his reconciled ene-
mies his old adherents considered he was unduly
liberal, and some of them remarked that to obtain
King Henry's favour it was necessary to conspire
against him. Mayenne, Epernon, , and Mercoeur
were in turn pardoned and receivedinto favour,
though, in the latter instance, that secret influence
was exerted which too often interfered to the detri-
ment of state interests. The melancholy fate of
the Duke de Biron, the King's old companion in
arms, who was executed in 1602, is scarcely to be
cited as an exception to the royal clemency, since
the open opposition of rebel subjects ;is not to
be viewed in the same light as the secret treachery
of a trusted adherent. T o increase Biron's guilt
he made a partial confession to the King, who for-
gave him and continued his confidence ; but on some
imagined affront to his susceptible vanity or irritable
temper he lent a willing ear to the suggestions of
his perfidious agent Lafin. That one enjoying the
eminent d'gnities of Marshal Biron should enter
into a traitorous league with his country's enemies,
was certainly a crime of the greatest magnitude,
and the repeated endeavours made by Henry to in-
duce his treacherous and ungrateful servant to con-
fess his faults, and throw himself on his clemency,
were met by obstinate denials of his guilt. Biron
relied on the fidelity of Lafin, who had already be-
trayed everything to the King, and placed in his
hands the fatal sheets of instructions given to him
by the MarShal for transmission to the Duke
of Savoy. In these documents Biron counsels
the Duke as to the best means of embarrassing the.
arms of France, and of protecting his own fortresses;
he he tells him the disposition of the best regiments
the royal services; he proves from the condition
of war
of the King's finances that a lengthened
would be difficult, and advises a
Cemnact with
Spain, and the proclamation of such an
the alliance.
Many other proofs of the treason o
Mar-
shal existed, and Rosnv was not without practical
evidence. At the siege of the Fort. St. Catherine,.
in the duke's domains, he was riding with the
Marshal one day, when the later, who despised
him as a civilian and parvenu, proposed a close ilt-