The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-10-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.


latons, Illustrative notes, maps and biographical
sketches. BY T.. G. Sqsier, M. A. F. S. A., 30,
&c. G. d. Norton, publisher, New York.
CoLLEccIoN DE DoCuMESros PARA LA HIsroRIA DE
FLORIDA TIERRAs ADYAcENrEs, por Bueking'
ham Smith. VOL l. Trubner Co., London;
G. b. Norton, New York.
The history of sp ainish discovery and conquest in
America has received more careful study and
more brilliant illustration from American writers
Man those OF any other country, Spain herself not
excluded The leading names in our literature
sre those of men who have gained their re-
rovn "a historians Of the brighter epochs of
Spanish greatness, or as biographers of
she soyereigns, warriors and discoveries
who distinguished them. The biographies
of? Columbus and his companions, by Irving, to
say nothing of the Conquest of Granada" by the
same author; the Lives of Ferdinand and Isabel
Ia and OF Philip the Second, also the " His
tories of the Conquest OF Mexico and Peru" by
Prescott; the " History Of the Literature of Spain"
by Ticknor; and later and by no means unworthy
of the association, the History of the Dutch Re-
public by Motley, are all and each of them wor.
thy to rank among the highest literary achieve
nents of this age. Their reputation is equally Euro
pean and American, and in Spain itself they are
accepted as classics.
We might account for the zeal and success with
which Spanish subjects have been prosecuted by
American writers as natural and nseparable from
the great facts Of the discovery OF this continent,
and the exploration and conquest of fvesixths OF
Its vast area BY Spanish Adventures. But such an
explanation would only be true in part. II
was rather the success Of the Life Of Columbus"
followed shortly by the Lives of his Companions"
and the cosmopolitan reputation which those
works conferred, that led others TO attempt to
gather laures in the same field with Irving-a field
wide and diversified, and still far from being
hausted.
Nor did Irving himself become historian of
Spain from any high original appreciation of her
greatness, or knowledge Of her historical wealth.
His attention and pen were directed to Spanish
subjects by circumstances purely accidental In 1925
he was in England, where he had obtained some
distinction popular writer, and had very natural
~ attracted strongly the notice of his countrymen
abroad, and amongst them particularly that OF Mr..
Everett the Minister of the United States at Ma
drid This gentleman wrote TO him, announcing
that, under the authority and patronage of
the crown Senior Navarrete had commenced the
publication, from the national archives, Of
series of inedted documents, of great in
terest, relating TO the discovery of America,
and advised him 10 repair Al once to
Madrid and translate them into English. The sug-
geston received fayorably, and acted on with
out delay. But on reaching Madrid, and after
carefully going over the documents Of Navarrete,
irving conceived that better service could be rem
dered TO the world by weaving them into conse
cuiiye narrative, and the result was the Life of
Columbus, !" which, in turn, we have said, in.
spired the pens Of Prescott, Ticknor and Motley.
II il therefore to Nayarretc's patient zeal in
collecting the original materials on which the fabric
Of history must rest that we are in great degree
indebted for the historical renown and literary emf
nence which so many Of our countrymen have
achieved aud OF which the nation Is SO justly
proud Navarrete's collection, however, did not
reach beyond six volumes, and left untouched a
vast amount Of literary treasures in the Spanish
archives. II was, indeed, almost exclusively con-
fned to the documents and papers connected with
the voyages Of Columbus, and LEFT entirely aside
those relating - the mon who followed the great
navigator and who explored the great interior en-
pires Of Mexico Guatemala and Peru. with all their
extraordinary natural features aud the barbaric
magnifcencc and power Of their people. Prescott
and bis compecrs were, therefore, obliged 10 go
behind the systematic but mcsgre relations Of the
ehronicers. and seek among the manuscripts Of
Seville ana simaucas for the details dates and in
ciden,s which give III and value 10 their histo.
ries task involving not ouly time and patience,
but the possession 81 wealth. 70 accomplish. The
papers thus laboriously collected, and at 50 large
cost, arc still shut up from the world IN the libra
ne az those Who gathered them aud are scarcely I
more available for the world AZ large than when 7
they rested under tie dusty NANTES Of the Spanish
repositories.
II / viii pleasure. therefore, that we find at
least two collectors Of these original historical
treasures. whose names stand At The head Of this
article. liberal enough and public spirited enough
TO put within tie reach e their counirymen, in a
form equally accessible and elegant, the materials
which they have carefully and critically gathered
together illustrating the discovery and con-
quest 81 America. The COLLECTION Of Mr.. Buck
ingham Smith was made under peculiarly iavora.
bic auspices. while Secretary Of the American lie.
cation in Madrid. II relates as its title indicates,
chiefly 70 Florida tof which State Mr.. smith j. a
CITIZEN and Tie regions adjacent including Cuba
and tho ancient Louisiana. Mr. squ.crs colcc-
ton Anus 81 greater generality, and L raniaed -
no rsrte1lar portion II thn continent although
evidcn'ly leaning q. might be Inferred from Mr.
souier'- staJics and previous writings % Central
America ana Mexico. d moreover has tais distin-
guishinr valuable and popular feature, namely
that the various documents are accompanied 10y
Enclish tranala'ions. They are thu. made agces-
sible and ussiu = the general reading public, a.
well = % s'4lonis.
Th1 plaa = publication adopted ~ Mr. sqaier
i such ! cpc 81 Is required under existing ciFcnm.
stances Hitherto il has been supposed thai only
royal munl6ceuee could undertake the TASK o.
printing and publishing those oil records
Of events which form Pie sob OF so vast
. portion q American history, and thus
render them available 70 thc general reader a.
well a. the student and historian. Ma, Squier dis.
cards an reliance upon royal h0un'ics. and al.
dresses bis plan to Tie universal republic of letters
coufdng iu tie support of The great reading public