New-York tribune., 1872-12-07


the greatest and best of men--Sir Thomas More
am under the impression that he will thank me for
not dwelling upon it. 1t may be found in the
number of that review for October 1855 The second
case is that of an unfinished controversy with Miss
Acnes Strickland, out of which Mr. Froude contrived
So-wiggle l sorry TO be obliged to use the
word but it is the only one which properly
describes his vancouver. In his history Mr,
ISroude suppresses al mention of the fact that
Darnleys mother, tbs Countess of Lennox, became
satisfied of the innocence of Mary Stuart and so
wrote her in letter which is entirely accessible in
the English Record Office, where Mr.. Froude is so
entirely at home. (See Mary Queen of Scots and
her latest English Historian PIP PSI, 2S2l A con-
tr0yersy upon this point was carried on in The
london Times which am fortunate enough to be
able to describe in Miss Stucklands own words.
From letter Of that lady to correspondent in the
United States dated March o. 1872, make the fol-
loving extract: "Of course you are aware that
was the first TO Introduce the letter of her Mary's)
mOthcr-in-law, to the word-a complete justification
oG the illuminated Queen. obt aimed Her Majesty's
Irave to have fac simiIe of the precious document
made by Netherclife and printed in my volumes as
80 act of justice to Mary's memory. then said
Now the controversy is at an end; for If the
mothcr Of Darnley could write in such loving and
neverental style to Mary, who shall dare to doubt
hcrr Judge thenmy strong surprise and indignation
~ Froudes disgraceful book. which appeared just
after mine was finished l wrote 10 the editor of
Tie T3prrs, exposing his false witness respecting
Dinley's murder and inquiring his authority for
the in Darnley's house at Kirk o Field, after
the Queen was gone and his singing the 55th Psalm
f. hig page, reminding him to whom l wrote that
DIrnley Was stanch Roman Catholic, and would
not have tolerated the English version Of the
Psllms: for when John Knox presented him with
copy of his version of the Psalms which he had dedi
Gated to Darnley, the petulant youth tossed the
book into the fire, instead of thanking Knox for his
compliment. Froude, after a few days, made
most Lame reply, to which / rejoined,
eld quoted Lady Lennox's letter. He an
swcred by quoting q letter written two years
previous. when Lady Lennox was under the impress
sion that Mary guilty of her husbands death.
OF course / wrote again, explaining the misconcep-
lion under which Lady Lennox at first labored and
quoted her own letter to Mary. in which she apollo
e-izes for her mistaken idea of her guilt but - of
TAs Times, who had written the laudatory review of
Froude being his brother-in-law Of course prevented
the insertion Of my letter. which must have hoored
khe false witness. So he went on In his career OF
audaoiOus falsehood unchecked"
l. | have cited these instances TO show that Mr..
Froudes refusal to answer my book is part of sys-
TEN long since settled upon by hun, and that it does
not arise from the fact that the Atlantic is between
him aud his books and papers. That my book merits
an answer, Or-more properly speaking-that Mr.
Froudes reputation stands sadly in need of a reply
70 it, is not my Judgment but that of persons far
moro competent than l am TO decide. GOldwin
smith. late Regius Professor in the University of
Oxford, says: Unless Mr.. Meline can be answered,
he has convicted Mr FrOude not only of inaccuracy,
ot only of carelessness not only of prejudice, but
n tampering with documents peTverting evidence,
practicing disingenuous articles, aud habtually
dsregarding truth
n A distinguished American author and critic ex-
presses himself to the effect that " if Mr. Mene is
sustained if there is no evidence to offset his show
ing, Froude is fraudulent writer of history and
The Nec- York Erenia0 Post which editorally, means
VIM c. Bryant and Parke Goodwin, is of the opinion
fhst the case made against him by Mr. Mene's
work should not be left to stand if Mr.. froude
places even moderate value upon his good name.'
But if Mr. Froude will not answer my whole book.
have right to exact that he shall, at least, COM
plete the answer already entered into by him against
one of its charges / have, so TO speak, lien
upon him and am justified in insisting that he shall
flush what he has undertaken. At page III. vol
ume viii. Mr.. Froude presents vivid picture OF
Mary Stuart full of passion and revenge and adds,
O. She said she would have no peace till she had
MuTay's or Chatelherauts head" supporting the
passage with this reference, Randolph to Cecil,
"a
told that there was no such letter in existence in
or out of the Rolls House, and, soon after.
a reply evidently inspired, if not fur
nished by Mr.. FrOude himself, appeared IN
Tgr NEw-YoRK TRIBUNE OF Oct. II, 1870.
II claimed that there had been, "either by himself or
a compostor. clerical error in giving the name OF
the writer of the letter" " 1t the Earl of Bed
ford instead of Randolph who wrote the letter.
though owing to the fact that Randolph was at that
fine about the Court and in connection with Bed
ford the latter could only have been written with
authority of Randolph" That in the letter l was
right. but in the spirit false &c, &c, and much
more 10 the same efect-all elaborately msrepre-
senting the nature and tenor of the Bedford
letter and totally failing to show where Mr. Froude
found the passage. She said she could have no
peace &c Iprocured front English Record Office
a certified copy of the Bedford letter. which, with
account of the controversy far as 1t was carried
NAV be seen in the sth chapter of Mary Queen
of scots and her latest English Historian" The pas
sage She said she could have peace till she had
Murravs or Chateheraults head" is not in the Ran
d,ph letter as cited by Mr. Froude, for that letter,
he admits has 10 existence 1t is not in the Bedford
letter Where did Nh FrOude obtain il 7 | pause
for reply.
Perl,aps il is this case which provokes Mr. Froudes
remark that he has found by experience that con-
,royersies between parties interested IN snch dis
npies Lead TO no conclusions" Certainly not IT, as
in this case as in that Of Miss Strickland, MI FToude
can avoid conclusion. The public, however, may
think otherwise and draw one for themselves
Weekly so called Uncivil Journal, or something
,dea sonons is enraptured with Mr.. Froudes Boston
proposition. direct and manly" reproduces it at
length but suppresses the reply TO it, misrepresents