Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-01-31
NArIorAL INTELLIGENCER.
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.


Modern History in the University Of Cambridge New
York: Harper Brothers 1852.
Sir JAMES STEPHEN is already known to the lite
rary public as the author of many brilliant articles
communicated to the periodical literature of Eng
land A little less than three years ago he receiy-
ed from Queen Victoria the appointment of Pro-
lessor Of Modern History at Cambridge, and the
present volume is the product of those historical
labors which he undertook in order to qualify HIM
self for the adequate discharge of his functions
To those familiar with his antecedent productions
we need not say a word in commentator of the
elaborate and philosophical work before us Com
bining at once grace of style, fuency of diction,
and solidity of subjectmatter these lectures seem
to lack but few of those essential qualities which
compose our idea of consummate excellence in the
department to which they relate; while his general
sentiments and historical deductions, in so far
feel competent to sit in judgment on them, seem to
be emnently just, and are characterized by sound
philosophy and chastened earnestness that relieve
Him from the imputation of ever designedly sacri-
fcing historic truth to dramatic effect. There is
melodramatic style Of historical composition which
a living writer of our own country has made vastly
popular among certain class Of readers, but which
we are glad to observe has found no imitator of
greater note than "pretty Mr. Lippard" The
light which such representations shed on the hisn-
rio page resembles that transmitted through paint
ed medium, gorgeous and variegated to the sense,
but revealing to the spectator mimic scene about
as true to nature the phantasmagoria exhibit
ed to wondering urchins in the rareebox of some
strolling Snowman at one cent sight "Dry light"
said Bacon, quoting from Hrachtus, /" is best !"
that is light which neither dstorts nor colors the
objects which it reveals Sir James has apparently
endeavored to keep his eye undimmed alike by the
glare Of fancy the miss of prejudice, and wears
the livery Of an earnest votary at the shrine Of
truth on whose altar he prefers to lay the tribute
of his historic lore instead of offering it as incense
to those "idols of the cavern" which have been
enshrined in the minds of SO many writer's Of kin
dred genius Nor is history, in his estimate, mere
ly drama to be gazed at it is tribunal, in which
men and their actions are to be tried by the grand
jury OF the entire race-an august court, in which
the truthful and impartial historian sits as judge to
administer the great common law of justice and
truth, melting out to individuals and to nations ac
cording to their deeds.
The present production of Sir James may be re-
garded as the third in series of cognate works that
have been issued from the English press the two
earlier publications being Lectures on Modern His
tory delivered by DR.. Thos. Arnold, in the Uni
versity Of Oxford and copious volume, bearing
the same title, from the pen of William Smyth, the
predecessor Of Sir James Stephen at Cambridge 1t
would be interesting to compare and contrast these
authors among themselves in their several STYLES Of
composition and peculiar modes of thought the
simple grandeur of Arnold, the careful circumspec-
ton of Smyth, and the lactea ubeytas of Stephen
but the discussion would lead us into excursions be-
yond the tether of our columns. We SHALL there
fore, avail ourselves of the present opportunity to
offer few observations on history directing espe-
ciay our attention to the aspect it presents in mo-
No hat a. IL
for consideration is of course, where is the dividing
line that separates modern history from ancient,
and what the distinguishing elements which en-
able us to determine such line of demarcaton be-
tween the historically modern and the past for it is
selfeydent that purely chronological division must
be purely arbitrary, in which case we might fix the
limit Of ancient history at the deluge and arrange
all subsequent events under the chapter of modern
history. The true criterion by which we discrimi-
nate between these two historic periods is undoubt-
eddy to be found in the fact that modern history re-
lates to those distinctive principles of national law
and social life which still active and extant and
the point of time to which the best authorities have
agreed to refer the origin of these elements is the
fall Of the Western Empire of the Romans. Be-
yond that period history takes cognizance of an ex
ploded mythology, of customs fallen into desuetude,
of political institutions overthrow by barbarism
From that date EDWARDS she records the nascent
growth of civil politics still subssting in full
vigor; the development Of new sciences and arts
that are daily adding to their domain richer and
fresher trophies the wider prevalence and power of
christian civilization, evincing from age to age, by
Its perpetuity, the divinity of its origin The his
tory of the earlier epoch is as Arnold says, " the
biography of the dead" of the later, the bogra-
ply of the living" In the former the chief actors
were Roman or Grecian, or Hebrew or Egyptian, in
race, language institutions, and religion in the lat
ter the chief actors Teutonic in these prime ele
ments of nationality. There is, it is true, another
division of history, pronounced by Dr. Arnold to be
more sensible and philosophical than that to which
we have alluded which, after ALL is rather chronicle
gical than elemental. We find, he says, that there
is an ancient and modern period in the history Of
every people
Those of our readers who are so fortunate as to
be familiar with DR.. Arnods scholarly edition of
Thucydides will remember the prominence given to
this view of history, in his most instructive COM
mentares and annotations on the "prince Of histo-
rians" Thucydides and Xenophon, the orators,
dramatsts and philosophers Of Athens, he argues,
all "speak wisdom more applicable to us politi-
caIy than the wisdom of even our own countrymen
who lived in the middle ages; and their position,
both intellectual and POLITICAL more nearly resem-
bled our own" The period of Roman history,
reaching from the times of the Gracch to those Of
the Antonines is pronounced TO have been also es-
sentially modern. 1t cannot be denied, we think,
that there is great force in these observations and
Il