The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-07
LITER A T u r E.
REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS.
HIsroRY OF JULIUs CRsAR Volume H. Har-
per d Bros. Philadelphia Agents: j.. B. Lip
nincott ~ IN


Commentaries" The second volume takes up
the thread of the narrative where it was dropped
and draws 1t slowly before us down to the con.
clusion OF the Gallo wars and the crossing of
the Rubicon by the troops of Caesar. The Har-
pers, in their excellent translation, bound in
great beauty and with unrivalled typographical
excellence, give us in preface the names Of the
various sovereigns who have written works on
the same subject as that selected by Napoleon.
Among the list we notice many not familiarly
known as authors to the general reader;-
The King of France, Charles VIII, showed an es
pecal admiration 1or the Commentaries OF Cesar"
and the celebrated monk RoOert Gaguln, pre-
sented to him, in 1490. the translation had made
in French of the eight books Of the War IN Gau
We are informed OF this IN the edition OF the trans
edition. in large do is from the press of Antoine
Vefar ard (Par j. Ch. Brunei, manuel du Llbraire
p. 51S, The Geographic Uniyersene," article
Charles VIII f.. e .....
Charles v, who profesSed great admiration for
Casar left copy of the "COmme ntaries" filed with
ma rgiDa notes written with his own hand It was
at his instgat on that the Vicefoy OF Sicily, Fer.
FCe to sSSy G@,sr ms'O ON the
locales. The forty plans winch were made by
the members Of this Commission, and among
1876 in the edition of James strada.
The sultan SOiman IL, contemporary OF Charles
V, whom he had taken tor his model, sent through
a / Europe to procure as many copies of "CGsar's
Commentaries" as could be found, which he ordered
TO be collated, and caused a translation to be
made into the Turkish language for his own daily
reading.
The King of France Henri w, translated the two
first DOCKS of "C@sar's Commentaries" The manu-
script of this translation was deposited In the Bib
HOtheque du RoI, and NJ. de Noyes took 1t thence
lated the two last books Of the Commentaries "
These two translator were Joined together, and
lated the first book of the "COmmentaries " This
translation was printed at Paris IN 1851, 10 toho,
is now very rare The reader NAV consult on this
subject the "Methode dEtud,e dlstoire," of the
ADoe L9Sg t1m S rpra Ii p a0l !; a6a Dc
PAmateur des Livres Fourth edition, tom /, p 5l9
The great Condo, who mad studied with care the
campaigns of Caesar, encouraged the translation of
the Commentaries" undertaken by Nicholas Perrold
Ablancourt. II was the translation most esteemed
and the most IN vogue during the last century.
Christina, Queen of Sweden, had composed IRE
Elections on the Life and Actions Of Caesar" as we
are Informed by j. Ackenhoz, in his work entitled
"Memoires concernant Christine, RENE de Suede"
Amsterdam 175l-1760, tom. iy, No 6, p. A.
Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orleans surnamed Ega-
lite, was great reader of the Commentaries" de
caused map of C@sar's campaigns IN Gaul to be
made.
Lastly, the Emperor Napoleon l, at st. Helena,
dictated "PreCis des Guerres de Caesar" to Come
MaIchand, who published it in Paris in 1885, in SVo.
From this list it will be seen that our modern
imperial author had long line of predecessors
from whose ideas to draw the best military com.
ments. With the best materials at his control,
we are surprised that the Emperor did not sue
Ceed in writing more interesting work. 1t is
full of dry details and barbarous German names.
Itabounds in descriptions ofmilitary movements,
which, although of undoubted value, do not
tend to make the work of absorbing interest OF
Its accuracy, and of the hours bestowed upon it,
we have no doubt but of its interest we cannot
but speak in terms of disparagement. 1t makes
no pretense to being pleasing work-all the
flowers of rhetoric are dispensed with; sterile
facts are the basis on which the tale is built;
and hence only dry and accurate production is
the result. We must grant it the credit of being
a success, so far the authors design was
fulfilled. We cannot but regret, however, that
some of the power of portrayal so bounteously
bestowed on the American Prescott, was not
granted to Napoleon. But certain 1t is, that the
Massachusetts, historian makes a far more pleas
ing work than the Emperor of France. The
power given to the republican Prescott was not
allotted to the author before us. For Providence
kind to genius, denied the pleasing power to
king. 1t Is impossible tor us in short space
to follow the cOnqueror through all the devious
wanderings of the Galhc campaign, but we will
seek to give as correct an idea of the volume as
the size of a daily journal will allow.
The ceaseless vigilance with which the polti-
clans of Europe have searched the pages of this
folio in order to discover the intentions OF the
writer, from his comments ON the proceedings
of his hero, finds no parallel since the days o
the Sybelline books. AS yet they have onll
deduced the dubious answer so popular witt
the seers of Rome. In the very outset of tht
Gallo campaign a theory is adopted whicl
shifts all but the glory OF the war off of Casa
and on to Pompey, upon whose shoulders h
lays the crime OF all the civil strife in the king
dom. 1t was not the usurpatlons of tn
military chieftan it was the jealousy of riva
which provoked the internal CONFUSION il
Rome.
The whole responsibility of the civil war sue
Ceeding these Gaulish victories lies with Pom
pey, says the imperial author; in no name
does it rest with Caesar. For though the latte
''had his eye necessarily fixed on his enemies a
Rome, he none the less pursued his conquest
without subordinating them to his persona
interests" And he adds: If Caesar ha
accepted the government of Gaul in the sol
thought OF creating for himself an army devote
to his designs, we must admit that a genera
so experienced would to inaugurate civil wal
have taken the most simple of measures sus
gested by prudence; instead of separating hin
self from his army, he would have kept it nea
him. or at least within reach OF Italy, an
spread out so that it could be reassembled imm
dately; OF the immense booty gathered froI
Gaul he would have preserved enough to defra
the cost OF the war. He did Just the reVers