Morning journal and courier., 1880-02-02
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

The ssMemoirs of Prince MetterDich," the \ great Austrian statesman, edited by Prince Richard Metternich and published by Charles Scribners Sons in two volumes, are of sur passing interest, both in their revelations oi the inner life and character of the statesman himself and in the other historical and bio graphical material they contain. These Me moirs appear twenty years after the death oi the Chancellor. They are compiled from three sources: the archives of the department over which the Chancellor presided from the battle of Wagram in 1909 till March 13, 1849 from a collection of documents which he Jeff behind him under the title of Materials for the History of my Time; j" and from the let ters and papers which he wrote after his re- tirement into private life. In paper en- titled ssMy Political Testament" the Chancel- Tor declared stNeither sefl love nor prone ness to dogmatism have urged me to make known the views and sentiments by which the whole course of my life was governed"
 In what he says of himself in these Me moirs Metternich makes plain the insight, cooIness and confidence with which he acted. As an accomplished critic says: "He alone of all men-if we except Taileyrand-was actively concerned in the Titanic statecraft of those days without losing his head he alone was neither attracted nor repelled by the men and events with whom and with which he had to do. He alone was able to see that which was around him somewhat as the his- torian will see it, without prejudice and with out enthusiasm. He was leading player in the great game of empire, and closely studied it in all it's shifting aspects; but his calmness while playing it was far greater than that even of the merest spectator. To his opportuni- ties for knowing what was done and what the motive for the doing was in every case he joined measure of calm sef-possession and cool judgment which saved him from the errors upon either hand into which most of his contemporaries fell"
 Perhaps the most interesting parts of the Memoirs are those which relate to Napoleon and to Metternichs dealings with him. To the calm Austrian statesman Napoleon did not seem so great man as he did to some. At least he was never overawed by him. Thus he describes his first meeting with the Elm peror:
 sI found him standing in the middle of one of the rooms with the Minister for Foreign Af- fairs and six other members of the court. He wore the Guards uniform and had his hat on his head. This latter circumstance, improper in any case, for the audience was not public one, struck me as misplaced pretension, show ing the paryenu I even hesitated for a mo msnt whether too should not cover. x His attitude seemed to me to show constraint and even embarrassment. His short broad figure, negligent dress, and marked endeavor to make an imposing effect, combined to weaken in me the feeling of grandeur natural ly attached to the idea of man before whom the world trembled."
 After this meeting Metternich had abun- dant opportunity to become thoroughly ac quainted with Napoleon and was capable of judging him accurately. His estimate of his character and genius is given in the following passage:
 'sThs opinion of the world is still divided,