New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-06-09

The plan Of this ambitious work, oil which TWO
n the three volumes of which it is to consist are
now completed, approaches the extreme borders OF
legitimate historical composition. 1t occupies a
middle ground between the proiessed romance of
history, in which accredited facts are made to
rerve as the basis for fictitious representation, and
The richly embelisbed narratives of such writers as
Carlyle and Macaulay. The author has evidently
made profound study of the period which he de-
scrbes; be has caught the spirit Of the remarkable
age which witnessed the birth of Purtanism in the
English Church; he uses his authorities with crit
cal sagacity; but not content with dsposng OF his
facts in simple narrative, he aims at perpetual
dramatic effect by series of artificial groupings
which preserve the vividness and intensity oil
the stage, without its illusions. In spite OF the
intrinsic yic;ousness of the plan, we are bound to
say that Mr. Hopkins has managed it with no little
ability, and that his work thus far is marked by
qualities which give constant interest to its Pc
russ if they do not place il in the highest rank OF
historical authorities.
Asa specimen of his skill in delineatiOn, we may
present tie following
PORTRAIT OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Elizabeth was now in the FIRST blush of womanhood-
iust entered upon her twenty sixth year. Her CON-
Dexion and hair were light; her forehead large and
far; her ewes lively and of pleasing expression,
though short-sghted; her nose, somewhat aquilne;
her face, wanting in the Irregularities OF complete
beauty, yet oval and perfectly iair and her counIe-
nance so bright as covered smaller defects her stat
ure tall; her figure, slender, erect and symmetrical.
TO these favors, nature-or rather her own princey
sprit-had snpersdded the browning charm OF serene,
rnaiestc grace in all her movements In everything
abe said or did, this majestic air inspired awe rather
than love: vet she could assume fascinating manner
which few could resist and her greatness ana sweet
nese were 20 blended, that all admired her.
Hero is an effective description OF celebrated
scene at
BARTHOLOMEw's PAIR.
Clerkenwen Green was a famous place for merry do
ibcs That old church and those old elms had wit
messed and rosering pases years ana years BE-
fore Queen Elizabeth was born or bluff Harry, her
eire Many gallant and many merry maid, now
ehurcl-yard dust, had exchanged looks aud whispers,
and true-Ove tokens at the fairs OF Cerkenwell and
so had lords and ladies' princes and prncesses-dust
now, as well "a humber lovers. Many parish clerk
of London in bygone years had pious'y turned stage
player there twelyeInonth; playing whole his
tories out of the Bible with divers artistic emendations
and the devil for merry andrew; reyiyifying Samson
and Delah David and Goliah, Solomon and the
Queen Of Sheba. Compared with the actors of the
nineteenth century they of the fourteenth An
akin. At their entertainments the reign of single
king was but ttbl' and the playing of single day
but the Whether of the appetite. They used TO play
out generations after generations for play OF two or
three days long; and with kings aud queens TO hear
them, too and to hear them through. Witness the
record of their dongs in July, 1890. That small
play, though; for nineteen years afier at SINNERS
We'll hard by they played play eight days long, to
rapt hearers noble and ignoble in which they drama
tzed the whole history OF the world from the creation
10 the year of grace l409. Players players in
thoee days Many Popish priest, too-untl forbid
den by royal proclamation in f549-had turned PLAYER
to cariCaure the Reformation aud bring il into con-
tempt with the people.
Clerkenwel Green was still the place of places for
shows and fun for lovemaking and money making, in
Queen Elizabeths day. No one could remember when
Bartholomew fair did not begin there 1t. Barth0-
lomew's day; and no one could remember when the
dongs on the fairs first day-archery vaulting wrest
ling Notwithstanding, and bear-baiting- not wit
nessed 10y the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London
by lords and by ladies, and by the ambassadors from
foreign courts.
II was therefore, but matter Of course, that thes
dignitarics there when the fair opened tn
24th of August, 1859. Handsome galleries, whenc
they could lave full of ali that passed. and which
were hung with wreaths and festoons OF flowers min
gled with evergeens, had been erected for them
against the church wall; while the respectable com
moDers were provided with rude forms conveniently
arrar ged Just beneath the galleries Merry-andrews
and mercers, jugglen, Jews, and jockeys lackeys,
Eglt-o' hearts, and ea lovers bulldogs BEARS and
bTswny yeOmen, had been busy bees three hours
more when Just as a MANNED wrestler was borne
bleeding from the ground, trade and merriment were
arrested by the long blast of buge, and all eyes
turned toward the center Of the green.
One stood there alone, plainly dressed in smock
and hose dagger in his girdo, sprg of holly in his
cap q burning torch in bis hand and pile of Bullets
and furZe fsggots by his side. As the bugler wound
his last note the great door Of the church. before which
had just gathered party of horsomen, was thrown
open, and gave passage TO some forty or fifty we'll
dressed burghers each laden with the spois of Popery
striped from the church and from neghborng capels
shrines aud converts AS they made their appearance
and moved under escort Of the cavaliers-al wearing
badges of living gTeeu--the whole multitude gave a
pealing shout Of welcome. The torchbearer lighted
the pile; and while the Queens commissioners aud
they who bore the trophies passing the short in
tervening space, 1t had come 10 blaze and crackle
merriy As each burgher reached the fire, be east his
burden beside it, the people looking on with great
wopder and glee. The executoner, If we may so
call bloc, during this performance went through va
rety q antomme expressive Of disgust, horror, con-
tempt and hate, for the objects thrown at his feet 1t
aotley pile, and, for burntotfering strange
ore; tables. shrine-coverings, trindas, rolls Of
sairs big and little, fragments of altar, Popish books
surpces, and copes, banners atareoths, roodcloths
and cJucifXes. The solitary official now commenced
bis task taking the several objects from the pile and
throwing them one by one upon the flames, with the
same variety of grimaces and eoniOrtons with which
he had received them. AT each imnoation the people
shouted; bat they seemed TO have special antpathy
to the Roodsmages of Christ Oh the with Mary
and John standing by-for whenever one of these
thrown upon the fire their shouts redoabled and
prolonged. Such was the first burning of Popish
lies by the Queens commissioners in obedience to the
twentythrd article Of her njunctions making atone
ment, as it were for the many holy men and holy wo-
men that Were long before roasted 10 death there
During the whole "such the shoutings and ap
pause Of the vulgar sort, as If 1t had been the sackg
of some hostile city,
The following passage illustrates the tendency
OF the author to combine high wrought represents
f;on with n vein of moral reflection