New-York tribune., 1880-04-03
NEW PUBLICATIONS


ments ON the politca aud literary history OF England
during perlod oi hfteen years drom 1915 to 1s3O)
compose tho contents Of the present NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
tie first rart larger work from the same pen Inc
antlor appears person OF considerable shreWd-
nes observer Of character and events but of We
bcueEt prriudccs aud with little respect Tor popular
opinion traditional beliefs His style is crse, concise
pointed, and with keen edge but the soundness Of Ills
judgment open 10 question. The most Interesting anu
perhaps the csi important part of s book is his esti-
OF the characters OF the public mn Of tic PERIOD
which he often hits off with good deal Of effect ana
always bald and incsyc racness of exprcssiOn
His sematlrca tone will prove attractive to the popu
lar but 1t assurance OF line dscrmlnb'
ton Still many of his personal sketches are forcibc
and striking and will be widely read for their vehress
Of manuer II not for the justness of their conclusions
George H. is described OF such force OF char'
acter that, although afflicted with intermittent Madness
he continued for the first fifty years of his reign to be
sncerey respected by the British people, and Ivy the
holders Of political Offices His character was one cf
the forces that shaped the character OF MS
people. for part of his reign at least che was as nom
and plain dealing his politicians aud his tr derS
The herapparent, who signed State papers as Prince
Regent, not man o: sound character Tie nominal
rulers used him US laYhgure and when visited by the
of Europe in 1914, he might have been looked
upon representative OF the English nrist0c-
IL he bad not been driving III hot haste u lis
house 10 order to escape from the 1sses OF the LOhuon
popuace The Duke Of Wellington Sc: forth rs the
pbOhabIy the greatest that was sincerely con
tent To serve He accepted opportunity Of serving
the State naturally horse takes To his rOvender
lie never set up for q statesman, but lie knew hoW 10
give counsel things done better tEan the poll
teians make tie business OF State trial OF SKILL
Hsd he ethusiastIc lie could not have been more
daring; Lad he bcen trained in philosophy lie could
hardly have been more judcious. But he was neither
az enthusiast philosopher. hut in fact man OF
pleasure, and not without hardness OF heart. II cost
him effort tell the truth, but he could not always
30 iule his tongue not to scold or scIn
little more than he Intended. Tile causes
which led the abolition OF British slavery is tie SUD
Jet OF somewhat; curious discussion Neither WeinhG-
Casteie l.h explained b. the author was the
sort of 70 far out of the common track as to
plead for African Iu making so great an inno
walton. they Obeyed natural impulses but the de-
mands OF Parliament They were not prof. ssOrS OF
philanthropy, even of evangelical doctrine. But
they became the ultimate expOnents Of oley founded
manly on the principles of Christan'ty They followed
tic convictions of tine British PEOPLE. which had slowly
yielded assault its conscience MI WilherfoGee
regarded religion as the rule OF action for public men,
superior the obligations OF patriot or the cunscs OF
legislator tic sacred writings Of the Christans
there was fouud statement that all men were of one
LonG" encc twas inferred that KIND of could
jsIy be turned into chatieis. No outward sgrS Of in
fciority could authorize slavery. Hereditary bondage
WAS thing AGAINST nature. The new gospel, then. III
sirct losic should have demanded the liberation OF all
what WilbcIf0rcc insisted Tic found ii DeccsS'y
To be satisfi with mucG less for tie present
The Christians" says The author had not been 50
impractical try III that age to persuade men OF
business that they must give up slavery With GER
tain sblewd common sense. lie only called attention to
its more lcvc,tirg fes r0iuiig out Tie hcrors cf
the save-trc and It's lack Of utility for purposes of
cultivation The suppression of this traffic by the Eng
lsh Government, already carried into effect ~ e Con-
ercss Vienna. due 10 the Influence OF the Christian
religion. But it logical incOnseQuuce that the
principle was applied Ivy Mr WlbeifoIce and his fo
levers 10 the suppression OF slavery in the British
domn!ons No, thSt Mr. Cory agrees with WlbeTf, rec
in the appcai on of Christianity to the purposes Of
legislation On the contrary lac elsewhere a MS with
considerable JUNCTION, that lit WAS an intorrabc hypo-
cyisy which maintained Christianity part Of the Eng
1s law: nor has any maxim suhdolous Tsc] this
been devised to abrldsc the freedom Of BroDs. Inc
verdict pronounced the author on several OF the lit
crary characters OF the period often amusing always
original and decided. O COleridge, he remarks that
while lie figured tie latter years of his life sort
of prophet he failed TO teach anything that could AT the
time be translated into plain hfc If his iiacinentary
hooks had been read, his uncouth mcnolOgncs Is.
tened TO by men of his own age convcrSant with
afars, he would have been justly pronounced II
soemu ,noun;ehark, though he no doGld hcl;cd
10 save some OF tie nobcr SPIRITS from
q tro prosaic view OF humanity. and t. rescGe his adj
n,rcrs from insuar prejudice and naTrowness. Rphut
Hall and Edward Irving, the two most celcbratcd
they we're 10 doubt eloquent bur "eloquence." we
Informed by author, " is very Highly esteemed
lv men of strong head" The WaveTley novels
tocd as the remarkable literary productions of the
nrc No works Of fiction glowing ana pure, so ll
OF animal splits. were ever tnIown OF IN such rapid
eucc.sson 10 50 great multitude 0; readers. As
uODencss Cf The r-t Of UCderp English gentlemen
IS 10 be ascihcd 20 tie ma alton Of Shakespeare, TIC
Br.tons Of tS time made more sweet IN hear
fy the authoi OF wavercy. The poetry of Ker>,
f,stnttNu & nj
ropped seeds which twenty later hT such fruit
Us no other nation could match. Wordsworth had little
more than peasants knowledge OF modern life. but 10
writer with 50 slender outfit, with nuch toll ana
TO: a time little fruit, bas ultimately mucI
gratitude from tie hearts Of admirng aud delighted
readers Mr. COrys Judgments are evidently prompted
by decided personal tatcs rather an by any pm
e,ues OF artistic composition; their eai1estncss II
Yelled under the disguise Of hppancy: but the persal
ofhis volume will all doubt OF his sincerity as
well as OF his ability.
NEW .vAE1oRuM, EDIrIoM OF ssHAKY5PEARE.
u KING LEAW 5vO. pp sos J. Is. Lipmncot: Co.
The comprehensive breadth of treatment,
exhaustive tbOr0ugbncss Of ex cuton cOpiousess OF
epecial erudo, and chaste enthusiasm Of tone. which
mark the rcyOue Shakespearean iabors OF Mr. uies,
are no less conspicuous in the present volume. 1t cX
hibts on page With the text the various read
ings Of the different editions OF King Lcat from the
e.rast quarto 10 latest critical edition, together
with selection Of notes aud comments from the
most mDvr ant sources, which valuable not only for
the clue alton Of the text, but for the history 0 Shake
epearean criticism. The Appendix to the volume
fajus parate essays treating of the text OF the play,
the date composition. the OF the plot the drd
toa Of the insanity actors, costumes, aud TateS
version of the story Lar together with extracts from
English and German writer's on Shakespeare, ard the
autobiography Of lie play. Among Tie English
critics from whom selections gvca arc.
ID. Jolnsou Coleridgc. Charles Lamb. IIozlitt.
Ar Shelley.
uulsnn Of whOse aesthetic Criticisms the
edaCr expresses thorough admiration. The transla