The New York herald., 1878-03-04

the txo Mr.. Lecky does not stop to chronicle the
details Of petty struggles In the Senate but uses the
space generally allotted TO such subjects TO his own
careiu reflections. The reader Is not wearied with
accounts OF intrgues that he has known from his
youth but is instead treated TO valuable summaries.
Mr. Lecky gives plenty OF space to such interesting
topics the advance OF medical science and OF the
arts OF music and painting. In chapter and last
OF the Hrst volume he gives brief sketch OF
the leading intellectual and social changes OF the
period which have not fallen within the scope OF the
preceding narrative He touches upon the growth OF
newspapers and magazines upon the vices OF society,
painting, music. the growth Of the opera and the
career OF Handel Aproros OF the latter he relates
an amusing anecdotc The King and Queen were
warm aamirors OF Handel; but the Prince of Wales
and the young boods preferred tho "Beggar's Opera
and carried fashionable London with them. Every
night. however, the King and Queen repaired In
solemn state 10 the oratorio where Handcl's music
was performed TO empty bencnes One night Ches-
ter6ed was seen leaving the theatre whom
an oratorIo being sung before their
majssties, giving as his reason that he did
not desire to intrude upon the privacy Of bis
sovereigns The drama Is then discussed with re-
marks upon Garrcks acting and character. and other
topics OF general interest taken up. Mr.. LecRy
devotes but two pages to the history OF the rebellion
OF 1745. The primary object of tho opening chapter IS
TO disprove tho theory stanhope that the two
great parties composing the political world
have changed abou. since tho reign OF Queen
Anne. and to show how tho whig party at
tained aud kept It's supremacy. Mr.. Lecky does
not devote as much space as should like to North
America, but the little he has TO sny is conspicuous
for It's fairness .'From tho time OF tho Pilgrim
Fathers" says this author, ''to the time when the
Salzburg Protestants 1ocked to the now colony OF
Georgia, IN 1882, America was pre-emnently the
home Of tho refugees; and this tact IL, perhaps, the
most important in It's history. Alter all that can DO
said Of material and intellectual advantages 1t re-
true that moral causes lie at the root OF the
greatness OF nations and It is probable that nation
ever started its with larger proportion of
strong characters higher level OF moral convic-
tion than the English coonists OF America.
There were, doubt, many shadows on the picture.
From ths nature OF tho population the American col
ones contained a very largo amount Of the aercest
religious fanaticsm; and although IN some provinces
noble efforts made TO establish freedom OF wor-
ship these efforts altogether exceptional. What
religious liberty existed was much more the conse
quehce of the extent OF territory and OF the mutip
cation OF provinces which enabled each sect TO find
n home, than Of the dispositions Of the people them
selves The history OF Salem witchcrait, Of tho per-
secution Of the Quakers In Massachusetts, and OF the
suppression Of religious liberty IN Maryland, as
we'll as crowd Of savage absurd laws regulating In
The interest OF religion, not only tho opinions but
also the minutest actions OF the people, remain to
show how far the coonists were from attaining any
high general standard OF religious freedom. Nor
their faults exclusively those OF saints Their
warfare ana intercourse with Indians were often
marked by gross cruelty injustice " There is great
deal to interest the general reader we'll the stu
dent In these two volumes in neither OF which have
we found duh page. Mr.. LecKy seized upon. take 1t
all in ALL the most interesting period Of English his
tory and he has done ull justice to his theme. Eng
land in the eighteenth century s destined to take
proud position among modern historica