New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-05
association than that of Rapp ID propo''on d. '"'!
are more foul and brutalizng.
Tile LEE OF COLUMBUS.

Company.
We find il difficult to describe this book almost as
difficult as il has been toread IT, In inc prelace' VIC
orc informed that il a kind Of compilation from the
larger work of NJ De Lorgues." In the text find
the French author here referred to.speakng through
ont in his own person. except where portions of his
narrative are suppressed abridged, which occa-
sions in place of the omitted matter, passages are
substituted in which DR.. Barry, speaking III bis
person. informs us that here NJ. De Lorgues enters
on n lengthy account of the debased condition OF
Spain. but the details, though highly interesting
in themselves are obliged TO pass over for want
of space y or, M. De LOrgues gives at length the
details of the preparatory measures for the voyage
=. . but the scope of this work will not permit theI
being mentioned here BY this very curious hinu
of compilation" we generally know wheh we arc
passing from NJ Roselly De Lorgucs to Dr' parry
Int we cannot be equally certain when we are handed
back to the original narrator. This uncertainty
is increased by the style in which the books written
| throughout Dr. Barry tells us that when he con-
sidered NJ. De Lorgues did not use the happest
terms TO EXPRESS certain IDEAS" he has resoed 10
ones that appeared to- him more appropriate lie
seems therefore, to suppose that IN translatns 'le
French work into T.. ssh If English be the language
into which he has intended to translate III he might
have employed, and iii general has employed, the
terms of the original How far the terms EN-
Moved BY the French author stood IN need OF I'M
movement we cannot undertake to say, but we must
admit that those adopted by Dr. Barry are sngularIy
HAPPY" in their way. The dOms he uses are some
times French oftener Irish. most often those OF some
tongue utterly unknown TO us. Among the Gallo
sms may he noticed such phrases rs his sole vsage
showed his nobleness of mind =" their sole boastng
BETRAYED the secret" "hs two sons who were making
their studies" attempts Of establishing colonies the
oTp,ol inn II,
France cane 10 take a,coy forever from Columbus the
honor of having his name bestowed on the New
World the use of reunion in the sense of meet
ing of recoetedness" in that of cOmpOsure, self
collectedncss (rocaeH,me0; the statements that IN
quiries were opened /" 10 which all the enemies OF
Columbus were invited TO depOse against his glory"
that Prince Henry of Portugal was apatrOn or in Dr.
BarIys language, "patrOnizer" of e the navigation
and that Irving is obliged TO confess that these
facts could not have been known by Columbus but
only after he had formed his opinion" In this last
instance as in others of like kind the language IS
cited rs being that of Irving himself.
We pass to the Hibeuanisms which have The ma
tional advantage over the other idioms employed of
being more amusing when less iltelliclbc. In
connection with the mention of an edition OF
Ptolemy We are told that "dwi'g his tine the Mar
ration of AmcIigO Vcspucci, already published at
Niceuza was, the preceding year. repubshed at Milan
! In another place we hear OF ian ascending series OF
publications from the 6rst days of the nineteenth cen
| Jury 10 more than is frsi hdl' Humboldt being en-
yous. it appears. of Columbus, sometimes appears
10 find IN him posfhRmoS rival who has p,ecedi him
| in the eaunoctial countries" We learn with sur
prise that the great navigator lived an almost
regeiqJlc regimen" aad with grief that he sought
by PRAYER and other TelgiGus exercises TO become
| less worthy OF being the instrument to accomplish
the immense work with which lie felt himself
| charged.
When it follows neither The Trench nor what we
suppose 10 he the EIse dom DR.. Bany's phraseology
is subject to no laws but its own. We read of men
who prided themselves ,rih accuracy in facts and
dates of q person whom isolation had sur
rounded of "A writer who oDbhi1cd against Fer
nando Columbus" of books not published "in
complete state of finish Sometimes the cart joys
gracefully before the horse, where il is said OF
Columbus that bis tall stature gave his robust con-
siitutioa a manly c,gancG' With somewhat less per
spcuity il mentioned that his ans III natural
relation with his gestures that his enemies have
presented HIM TO Us such as they have made him,
Tar iron, u.s. 'rifIoH restraint witLom cOniyOl" and
that. when one has uE0pprecatcd his great soul
despised his genius and illuminated the warnings
Of his heart we are left nothing 10 presume from
that his work has been Judged by linn with impair
TALLY statement which cannot undertake
either TO confirm on 10 contradict DR.. Barry informs
Us in note that he purposes, after getting through
with this work, preparing for publication, in En-
giSh o. the true life Of Pope Alexander VI, who
like Columbus his cotcmporary has been the victim
of the vilest caumnies from many Catholic rs well
as non Catholic writer's" For the task he has thus
chosen his style and kind OF compilation seem To
not i'll adapted
Turning from the method and dction of the book
before us TO the substance. find that NJ. ROsclly
De Lorguos was melted touudertako il principally by
the consideration that the history OF Columbus had
hitherto been written in cttpso only by PrOtestans
who could not judge soundly Of the spirit and the
acts Of the man in whom the most ardent CathOicity
| was personifed' Now, 50 far agree with hIa as
10 think that the religious element in the character
| OF Columbus has not been exhibited IN the proper
light. in its true connection with his enterprises
1t has been commonly regarded the visionary side
| of a character which was otherwise emnently prac-
| teal a. a hinderance rather than an aid to
! his projects Of discovery This seems to us
| a misconception and n miscOnccption OF the
same nature runs through most of the judgments
pronounced the great characters and great events
of the same era. We too apt TO look at the six
eenth century and the latter part Of the fifteenth
closely connected with the ages that have followed
but as separated by gulf from tho preceding ages
We look at that period rs the beginning of reign
Of light succeeding one Of general darkness. But
although in its discoveries and Inventions its relg
ious ard political revolutions, it belongs TO the
modern era yet its spirit its ideas. its sentiments
were essentially medieval. And this was in truth
the source of its highest achievements The most ac
tive faculty in all great discoveries, Sir David
Brewster has well observed, is the imagination; it
soaIs to the conclusion by sudden flight, leaving
the intermediate steps TO be afterward slowly traced