The New York herald., 1878-11-04
LITERATURE.
THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY EPOCH.

Laun. the able translator of Tane. Mr.. Van Laun's
work is history of France from the begir ming Of
the first French Revolution to the end of the
second Empire. 1t is chiefly based upon the
fourth fifth and sixth volumes of the "Hstoire des
Francais. by NM. Lavallec and Lock. though the in
troductory chapter and the second part Of the first
chapter are mainly summarized from NJ Taine's
"Ancien Regime" To Carlyle. de Goncourt Michelet
Quinet and other authors who have treated Of this
period MIR. Van Laun acknowledges his indebt-
edness The Introductory chapter glances at
the condition of France just before the Revo-
luton Of 1889 and summarizes the causes
which led to that outbreak the burdens Of taxation
and the cxactions Of the nobility being the chief
sons assigned In 1883. says Van Laun. all authority
wealth and privileges in France in the hands Of
three classes Of personsthe clergy the mobiles and
the King-to the utter spoliation Of twenty
fve millions of men who tamely submitted
and had done SO for more than hundred and fifty
years. because the ancestors Of the three classes had
earned these distinctions o reward for services
formerly rendered to the people He gives the priests
the name of being true rulers, who, by patience
and persuasion. provided the sole check to the
sword and battle axe In that portion of this chapter
dealing with the decadence of the nobility the writer
asserts fact that the exactons which the rural lord
demanded were the consequence OF his own unfortu-
nate circumstances rather than the outgrowth Of
untary oppression He was often as poor as the
peasant, without the peasants privilege Of working
for his living. He isolated himself in his ruined
castle and gave way to drink and tho lowest forms Of
dissipation. The only thing for him to do
was to go to court and try to obtain an
appointment. To do this he must have money,
and the only way 10 raise money was by taxing his
peasants The hatred bred by this state Of affairs may
1xa
was still where the lord was an absentee The
fashionable world Of the eighteenth century did not
love the country. AL these things were pro-
vocatfve Of i'll feeling the part Of tho
peasantry. and that revolution was the result
is not to be wondered at. The literary
powers did great work during this century They
all contributed to the doctrine Of humanity, to the
casting of the trammels of artice and to the estab-
fishing Of moral principles Of equality in And
who are the leading minds Of those times !?
All descended from the middle classes. Vol
taire. the son Of notary; Diderot. Of cut
ler; Rousseau. Of q matchmaker; d'Alembert.
founding; Chamfort did not know his father Beau
marchais. also the son Of matchmaker, and 80 on
all plebeians. Book the second deals with the Re
public, the Convention. the Victory Of the Mountain
the reaction. all concisely and graphically described
In book three to the Directory
and the government Of Napoleon. The coming
man is not hard to discover. We find
him in book four military dictator and future en-
peror. ''Bonaparte. says this writer. ''was the mill
tary incarnation Of tie Revolution and Of Jacobinism
though the cloak Of Charlemagne his pebeian
shoulders, and he wore q crown placed upon his head
by the idolatry Of great nation.
The second volume Of this very excellent history
treats OF the Empire. the Restoration the reign Of
To,,iu tha md <ho
Empire. Mr.. Van Laun writes dispassionately as
possible, and gives us on excellent history Of the
period his book His pages briste with facts
and he avoids all superfuites, that the reader in
search Of history pure and simple will find it here.
THROUGH BIBLE LANDS.
There are few men better fitted to write Of jour
ney through Bible lands than the Rev. DR.. Philip
Scha DIR. Scha is professor of Biblical learning In
the Union Theological Seminary OF New York
and writer Of no little power and cru
diton. as was proved by his work on
the "Creeds of Christendonl." Tho present
volume grew out OF series Of familiar
letters which Dr. Schaf wrote from the banks Of the
Nile and from the hut in the Wilderness and in Paes-
tine. What the letters may have lost in freshness
during the process of reconstruction they have gained
in solidity and instructiveness. Without entering
into learned discussions the writer has given the
results of the latest Investigations far possible
to verify them by personal observation. The mission
schools and churches also in for q share Of his
attention. His style is remarkably light and easy for
theologian. It is inestimable advantage he says
to see with ones own eyes the birthplaces Of the
authors Of the sacred writings and their sur
roundings and to be able to speak from personal OBJ
servaion and experience Manners and customs are so
stationary in the East that you transferred by
magic to the age Of the apostles the prophets and the
patriarchs. food Of light is thrown upon the
ing Of nnumerabe passages which appear strange
distance but quite natural the spot. Palestine"
says Dr. Scha "is tho framework which the canon
ical gospels set and he advises every theological
student who can afford it to complete his Biblical cdu-
cation by visit to the Holy Lend. II will be Of
more practical use to him in his pulpit labors
than the lectures Of the professors in Oxford or
Cambridge. in Berlin or Leipsig, valuable these
may be-" This volume Of travels is written in the
somewhat condensed manner Of . diary There is
very little OF the guide book about it. personal
periences forming its main features. Notwthstand-
ing the large number Of travels through Palestine
already published DR.. Schaf-s work cannot fail to
command largo audience Of interested readers.
OUR ENGLISH BIBLE.
The Rev. DR.. Stoughtons Our English Bible, Its
Translations and Transators' (cribner welford is
book to command the attention Of all students of
theological subjects. It is the result of nearly
forty years study. Weeks have been spent by
the author In the British Museum, and at
Oxford Cambridge and Lambeth in the inspection
of their manuscript treasures. He begins with the
earliest version down to tho abors Of the English and
American biblical revision companies. The English
Bible he says is the most widely circulated Of any in
the world The author quotes among other things
specimen Of the famous "Salus Animi" "soule-
bcle' in tho Vernon manuscript of the Bodlcian.
which, according to the best critics. belongs to the
Thirteenth century The following lines relate to the
Crucifxion:-
Our ladi and hire sustur stolen under the roode.
And SENT John. and Marie Magdalcyn with wei sori
moode
Ur lad bheod hire sweete ibrouht in grct pyne,
For gultcs nouthcn her and nothing for myne.
Marie weep wei sore and bitter teres lect,
The teres fullen uppon the ston doun ut hire feet