New-York tribune., 1877-05-31

gernon Sheridan.
| John Lothrop Motley was one Of our few literary
men who attained broader fame and more UNI
| yersal acceptance abroad than at home lie auuuu
to his success as a writer and scholar, social us
tinction which made him the most widely known
! American in Europe of our day Sir. Motley en-
oyed in England and on the Continent far greater
and more important range of personal relations thah
even Franklin aud Washington Irving. In the hlgh-
est social circles of Europe his death VIII be re-
garded as a personal grief by many who care niue
! for his histories; but to American literature INC
loss is nothing less than irreparable. lie mas laiei
| in the midst of the greatest work OF MS ille-hS
" History of the Thirty Years War" IL would be a
bold hand that should attempt to finish the mas
terly fragment which he has left.
Mr Motley was born in Dorchester Mass on the
| 18TH of ApriI. 1914 His family a wealthy ana
influential one. and he received careful educauo"'
graduating at Harvard College in 1881. lie went
abroad Immediately afterward TO pursue 'is studieS
in Germany, and entered the University OF Gotingen'
II was here he formed that intimate friendship with
young Otto Won Bismarck, who was just a forthisht
his senior which continued through life. Alter COM
pleting his studies at G0ttngen and Berlin ne speht
some time in travelling through the south OF Europe.
| Returning home he read law and was adilltteu
to the bar in 1896, but scarcely prae'i'eu
| at all, devoting himself to the more agree
| obje occuuations of literature. His first efforts,
though indicating the possession OF unHsu'h
power of composition were nor successful lie pun
Ished in S30 a novel called " M0rton's Hope OF,
| The Memoirs of Young Provincial" III "ceNou
| no welcome from the public. Mr.. Motley WAS HooH
ofterward app,inted Secretary of Legation at ST.
PETERSBURG but ne held the post for short time
only. ard then came back to this country. One re-
/ 4 ; D,- "A
Oh Peter the Great which appeared in The Norm
1t,cyicqu Ecricar He continued for several years
reading a great deal and writing a hltle-esSays'
| sketches. and revews-ntli, IN 1917, ne asHn
entered the field of historical fiction ana pnnllShed
another unsuccessful novel, called ." Merry Mount
Romance of the Massachusetts Colony IL was
| fortunate for the world that these Two ronances
failed If they had obtained even that reasonable
success which iheIr merits would have warranted
we might never have known the most PIE
turcsque historian of our time. About lo'o'
Mr. Motley became interested iii the MS
tory Of Holland. and conceived the idea
of writing a work that theme. The lale Hon.
Charles Ea,nes of Washington SAID 10 have first
suoo.sted this subiec; 10 HIM. He wrote a consider
able rortton of he Rise of the Dutch Republic lii
tins country hut becOninp AT last fat gued with the
ol,ia accS which everywhere stand IN The way OF any
scholarly work. he went 10 Europe with his family
and began q serious course of reading IN libraries
and public archives. As result of tins, he soon
found how inadequate had been his former sources
of information, and throwing aside all That he had
done he resoluteiy began anew, and after hve years
of uurcmitng labor produced III lo16 the tIllce
volumes of the now standard history. IL was puh-
Esbed first in London and Immediately afterward in
w-York. Ii was accepted everywhere aN 'he
mos; Tile anl valuable of all recent contributions to
fs1 i'm
pnbislrl at Amsterdam with an introduction by
Backhuyscn van den Brink. At Leipsic and at
Dresden, German TRANSACTIONS were printed. In
France the wors, appeared III French under the high
auspices of the venerable historian Guizot
The great success thus attained by his first his
toTicai venture was brilliantly sustained by every
succeeding volume. The " History Of tie United
Netherlands showed 10 falling Oh from the previous
work. but with an equal accuracy and learning, a
wider breadth of philosophy, and richer and easier
grace of style. No historical works Of tie time have
in such q degree combined the critical approval Of
scholars and the delighted applause of the realing
pnhlic. llunols rainod upon the historian from
every quarter. lie was elected member of innu-
morable learned societies. lie succeeded Mr.. Pres
cott in .Le French Iustitu5e: was made LIZ y. Icy
Harvard College and ID. G. l.. hy tho University of
Oxford. Nn,n hc advanced to receive this degree,
Oh Comrleiuoration day the traditional rough play
and shylaIking among the under graduates were
suspended for the moment, and not Gls'fN92citul
cry broke The unanIInity of the mp ausc with winch
the historian was greeted quite unusual tribute,
du, perhaps as much to Mr. Motieys handsome and
in2o,ng presence as to his learning and his famc.
Another noticeable incident the dedication to
him of VI. Viciorien Sardou's popular melodrama OF
"Patri"" in which the clever playwright declared
that his entire knowledge of the history OF the
period chosen was due 10 MIR. Motley.
When Mr. Lincoln was elected to the Presidency
Mir. Mo,iey was in England and with that ardor
and energy with which he always expressed his
yirtions, he made himself conspicuous in the arsto-
cratic salons and clubs which hc frcqucntcd by his
assertion Of the justice Of the national cause and his
deuunciatiOus of that phase of English opinion
which favored the rebellion. lie published in The
Ioa9oa Times and aftorwad reprinted III pamphlet
one of thc clcyerest and strongest statements of the
right OF the nation to defend ITS own life to which
the war gave rise. He came nome in the Spring of
1861 ana Il visit To Washin- -tOn. introduced
by Senator Sumner to Mr.. Lincoln which introduce
ton was the beginning OF a mutual friendship which
lasted until The death OF tie President. VI. Motley
was soon after appointed Minister to Austria The
nomination excited some comment, being outside of
the usual political circles and the third irst-class mis-
sion which had been given to Boston. But Mr. Adams
had been appointed by the Influence of Mr.. Seward,
Mr. Butlingame to satisfy the demand of the Repub-
| lean party of Massachusetts, and Mr.. Motley was
selected at the request of M. sumner, aud on ac-
count of the Presidents personal liking for him. lie
sailed at once for Vienna, and served there for six
years faithfully and acccp.aby. lie probably occu-
ped the best social position ever attained by an
American Minister IN Europe Ills reputation rs
man of letters was of very little use him in the
noble society of Vienna where no one reads and