The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-08

sciousness that the ground was slipping from
under his feet. He no longer dwet on tho
dream OF n Puritan England. OF q nation rising
as whole into a people OF God He fell back
on the phrases OF his youth. and the saints be-
came again q peculiar people," a remnant, a
fragment among the nation tlarge.
In tho latter part Of the present volume Mr..
Green deals with the events preceding and de-
termning the revolution OF 1888. Here he be-
gins to enter within the limits OF province OF
which Macaulay's genius has been thought to
have secured tho fee. Yet the reader, fresh from
tho pages OF that brilliant rhetorician. will still
follow with pleasure the quiet. even flow Of this
unbiased. unpretentious narrative. Take. for
instance Mr.. Green's account OF the Earl OF
Shaftesbury Ms illustrating at once the discrim-
NATIVE and Just spirit OF the writer and the
vlvacty OF his style. In mere boyhood he re-
minds us. Ashley Cooper had saved his estate
from the greed OF his guardians by boldly APP
pealing in person TO Noy who was then Attor-
ney- General. As an UNDERGRADUATE at Oxford
he organized rebellion Of the freshmen against
the oppressive customs enforced by the senior
men OF his college. and succeeded in abolishing
them. At 18 no was member OF the Short Par
lament On tho the outbreak OF the civil war
he took part with tho King. but in the midst OF
the royal successes he foresaw the ruin OF the
attached himself to the fortunes OF Crom-
we'll and became member OF the Council OF
State. temporary disgrace. however. during
the last years OF the Protectorate quickened
him to restless hatred which did much to
bring about its fall. Under tho Commonwealth
he had been famous. in Dryden's phrase. rs
the loudcst bagpipe Of the squeakng train"
but he was no sooner n Minister OF Charles III.
than he flung himself into tho debauchery Of
the court with an ardor which surprised his
master. You are the wickedest dog in Eng
land" laughed tho King. at some INSCRIPTIONS
Jest" OF q subject. sir, believe l am" was the
unabashcd reply. But Ashley's debauchery
was a mere mask. He was. in fact, temperate
by nature and habit and his i'll health rendered
any great excess impossible. He ia a man."
says the puzzled Pepys. " Of great business and
yet Of pleasure and dissipation. too" SO. too
Dryden owned that. rs Chancellor. he was
swift TO despatch and easy OF access" and
wondered at tho fevered activity which " re-
| fused his age the needful hours OF rest" II
| was simple truth. that Shaftesburys pigmy
! body was fretted to decay by tho fiery soul
| within II. But pain and weakness brought with
! them no sourness OF spirit. He was the object
| Of incessant and INSCRIPTIONS attack. but
| Burnett who did not love him. owns that he
was never bitter or angry in speaking Of his MS
sailants. Even the wit with which he crushed
them was commonly good humored. when
will you have done preaching?" Bishop
murmured testify. as no was speaking in the
House of Peers. when / am a Bishop my
Lord" was tho laughing reply.
We must glance at one more OF the portraits
which the writer has found time. amid the
swift course Of his narrative. to sketch with
spirit and fidelity. The restoration. he tells us
| found Milton. OF all living men. the most hate
| full to the Royalsts for 1t was his " defence Of
the English people" which had justified
| throughout Europe the execution Of the King
To the ruin OF his cause were added persona
misfortunes and as age drew on. he found
himself reduced to poverty. and driven TO sci
his library for subsistence. Nor was mis- hom,
a happy one. 1t is painful to remember tina
his daughters. who were forced to read 10 thei
blind father. revolted against their bondage
But solitude and calamity only brought int
holder relief Milton's intrinsic greatness
There was a grand simplicity in the life OF hi
later years. He listened every mornin!
to chapter Of the Hebrew Bible
and after musing in silence a while pur
sued his studies till midday. Then he tool
exercise for an hour. played for another hou
on the organ or ylol. and renewed his studies
During fifteen years of active service in tn
Parliamentary cause. only few sonnets ha,
broken the singers silence. 1t was now. in hi
blindness and old age with the hopes Of yout
trodden under foot by men as vile as the rabbi
IN Comus that the genius Of Milton took refug
in the great poem on which. since his retur
from Italy in the blithe days of early manhood
his Imagination had been brooding. In Ties
years, too. OF persecution and loneliness. h
wrought the majestic outlines OF Samson
Agonistes" in the severe grandeur OF who's
a. l. F,IH.
son. on evil days and evil tongues. with dark
ness and with danger compassed round"
Mr.. Green's analysis Of the Paradise Lost" (
remarkable piece OF criticism. when we con
slider the amount OF thought which he has man
aged to compress into a couple Of pages. Equal
ly striking on the score OF succinctness and dis
elimination are the notices Of Bunyan and q
Dryden. That the author should execute thes
bits OF biography and criticism with far NOR
pains than he gives 10 battles and debates illus
trates his conception OF what properly belong
10 the history Of people. His work is full G
human Interest," of war and statecrait we hea
something. but only so much IA is needful I
interpret the politics OF other times and Of Ia
day. 1t is the supreme purpose and the capita
merit OF this work that It resurrects the domes
tic. social. and intellectual aspects OF the pas
In his pages our forefathers cease to be- at
/
blood. To degree not often compasscd b
writers Of history. Mr.. Green enables us
enter their homes to share their thoughts. an
to comprehend their lives. NJ. W. Ii.
OntrIbutIons TO the History OF our CiVtI Wa
A good deal Of private correspondent
, has recently come to light tending to show IN
precise attitude and temper Of leading men
> the South in the years just preceding the on
break Of tho war Of secession. Something Ia
been done too to define and discriminate III
l feeling with which prominent persons ut III
D North during the same period regarded the al
I proach Of an inevitable conflict One Of n
D most curious and interesting efforts In this d
l rcction has been made by Mr. JAMES S. PHI
5 in u volume entitled FIRST BiOirS Of the Cir
5 War American News Company This book doc
4 notassume to be coherent. philosophc. expos
a ton ofthe causes which determined the ultima
l. fusion of sentiment and interest in the Northcl
i States on behalf Of the old Union. Neither HI
y the private correspondence here collected be,
Il submitted TO Il rigorous process Of selectiC
d and excelsior with a view TO eliminate matte
= of fugitive import. and preserve only data
permanent and public significance. Certa
d letters. for instance bearing on the intern
?. economy OF the Tribune ofllce twenty years az