The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-03
LITERATURE.

"THE RISE OF THE HUGUENoTs OF FRANCE. -
In the two handsome volumes of Professor Henry
M. Baird the University of the City of New YORK.
entitled "History of the Rise of the Huguenots Of
France" (Scribners Sons). welcome work Of
scholarly research subject of great interest 1t
has been, we believe, labor Of years as well
as of love with MIR. Baird to do for
the Professionals Of France what our country
man. Motley. had done for the Protes-
tants and people of the Netherlands.
Indications are not wanting that Motley was Mr..
Bard's model in the treatment of his subject. The
patient inquiry ard sitting of authorities the
lucidiy of statement and grasp OF his subject
the same balance of style and an almost identical
cadence of his sentences proclaim the wholly hon
orable likeness. which is i'll still greater degree
inforced by the similarity Of mental stand
point toward the subject. There are. of
course. notifications to be rccog-
nizcd. Dealing with the birth of people
to the world of freedom in institutions well in
conscience, the historian OF the Dutch Republic had
o doubly elevated theme, and his style answers to
the impulse. Mr.. Baird's style is tuned in some
what lower key. We would also observe more
philosophic moderation in Mr.. Baird in judging the
events and the actors therein which he chronicles
1t is difficult to imagine how long time must elapse
before the struggles of the Huguenots be viewed
with the utter impartiality as. for
instance. the Persian wars Of Alexander
or even the prosecutions of the early
Christians by the Romans For centuries to come
the most explorers Of the various of
the Reformation must be impeled by religious ardor
side or the other. Motley wrote as Prot
estant and republican; Mr.. Baird writes a Prot
estant-we would say. further. as a Caivinist. This
much being fairly stated. his work cannot be too
warmly praised for its studied mpartiality. We say
studied because feel at times that his indg
nation is greater than his words and others that
it goes hard with him to speak with severity These
struggles are only known to the just.
Mr.. Baird's history deals with the Husuenots from
their origin down the end of tho reign of Charles
TX. period Of more than half century-1512 to
l574-leaving the exciting quarter Of century
under Henry III. and Henry w.. when the religious
took its greatest proportions. down to the bat
tie Of Tvry and the Edict OF Nantes to be written
yet-a task which Mr.. Baird holds out tho hope he
will hereafter undertake. The eliminating point Of
the present history is the Of st. Bartholo-
mew-a truly terrible landmark in the Huguenot
story. France has been the land Of ''Terrors"
There innate ferocity in the French character
which at times makes murder pastime and shocks
the world. st. Bartholomew in the sixteenth Gen.
fury, the Dragonadcs in the seventeenth, the Red
Terror in the eighteenth. the White Terror and CON-
mune in the nineteenth, all show whittier in high
wrought times the passions OF the French find vent.
votare III the preface the "Henriade speaking of
the Bartholomew. wrote This same nation which
cannot think Of that crime without o shiver COM
mtted it with transports and ZEAL" Had LIE lived
little longer he would have and perhaps felt how
faithfully France preserved her bloody traditions
Regarding the massacre of st. Bartholomew-of
which is given a detailed descripton-tho motives
Of its projectors and the length of time it
cocted before it occurred Mr. Baird agrees with the
view taken by the Papsl Nuncio Salviah. This was
that plot to murder Colgny. to which Catharins
had melted the Duke Of Guise, the first inten-
ton; that the escape Of the Admiral with o slight
wound and the sympathy shown him by the King
resolved the Queen mother and the Guise to the
plan of wider slaughter. which grew
vastly in few days, and which in its actual
execution surpassed the bloodiest designs Of it's
originators. the king being drawn into the plot.
luctantly at first, though he showed himself apt in
it afterward. The question of the actual completely
Rome in the slaughter. he. therefore. dismisses
but he lays it heavy burden of guilt for making
it possible in the urgings often before sent out
from the Vatican. that determination the way to
deal with heresy. Ending with the reign Of Charles
TX. the historian pronounces persecution fail
ure"
Mr.. Baird has added materially to tho historic
graphic wealth Of our time