Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-21
RECENT LITERATURE.
MAGAZINES OF THE DAY-soME NEW
WORKS FROM EASTERN PUBLISHERS.
By the Tibsr-A Nameless Nobleman-
Short History Of the English Col
onies In America.

AMERICA. BY Henry Cabot Lodge. New York /:
Harper & Bros. San Francisco: A L. Bancroft &
Co. VOL, royal Svo
This is a work of much value. It is book
to possess for much reference, after having
been thoroughly and carefully read. The
volume, in fact, contains thirteen independ
ent histories (not commentaries nor theories),
az each one of the colonies is separately
sketched, and the accepted record of each
clearly given down to the year 1765. The
necessity for repeating himself by this
method was, of course, apparent to the COM
piler, but it was preferable to carrying on
the whole front of the history at once, as is
done in the usual historical work. In this
case Mr.. Lodge chose wisely when. he re-
solved on the plan adopted, for by it he gives
a much clearer and more satisfactory account
of the steps which preceded and led to the
struggle that resulted in the war for
American independence. He has done this
not bv a mere recital of events, but
in addition taken us into the inner
thoughts of the people of those days, has
analyzed their character and given us bet
ter insight into the motives, manners, habits
and influencing surroundings OF the colonists,
and what gave rise to and fostered the spirit
which led them, a mere handful, to set the
mistress of the world at defiance. No ade-
quate idea of the real character OF this book
can be given in mere notice. It is a work
OF profound historic interest, and possesses,
beside, all the charm of romantic narrative
without the glamor of the sensational. 1t
we were called to make comparison as to the
most interesting of these thirteen histories,
we should certainly decide that the sketch of
Virginia, from 1906 to 1765, is the best of the
efforts of Mr.. Lodge 1t was the oldest,
most thickly populated and most important
of the colonies, and the prominence 1T has IN
this work is simply what history demands for
it. Virginia was a leader, she represented
the most important of the three political
groups into which the thirteen colonies were
divided. Next in Importance of treatment
in this excellent work is the sketch of that
people whose settlement in New York was a
serious menace to the domination of the En-
ish-speaking people on this continent, and
the settlement of whom on Manhattan
Island was one of the most striking IL
Illustrations afforded by the history of the
world of the conquering spirit Of commerce.
OF course historical students understand that
the history of the American colonies is ex-
tremely fragmentary, that it can never be
claimed for it that it possesses the value OF
the history of nation, until that point is
gress met. Concerning, however, the deeply
interesting questions which involve the con.
sideration of the lives, habits, thoughts and
manners of the people who made up the COM
munisies that fought for liberty and founded
the United States of America, MIR. Lodge
says: "They were questions which APP
peared to me never to have been answered in
a compact and comprehensive form and this
volume is an attempt to supply the de-
ficency. The chapters, therefore, which
purport to describe the various colonies in and
about the year 1865 represent the purpose of
the book They have been worked out, in
the course of several years, from mass OF ma
terial which has been collected i'll all directions,
and which, although wholly in print, is in
many cases as generally unknown as if it still
slumbered in manuscript. To these chapters
/ have appended notes-mere references
partly to support conclusions which l thought
might be questioned, and partly to aid other
students in the same field. The notes repre-
sent, however, only portion of the books.
tracts and newspapers actually consulted.
There are many titles in my notebooks of
works which yielded nothing, and of Others
again which offered matter that had to be
laid aside from mere superabundance of ma
terial-only the most valuable and I'M
portant figure in the notes. When had 6n-
ished these chapters for which the work was
undertaken, l felt that it was essential to
my purpose to give an outline of the political
history of each colony, in order to present a
complete picture OF the various communities.
These sketches are as condensed as | could
make them, although they have run to far
greater length than l hoped would be neces-
sary. They make absolutely no pretense to
original research, but are merely my own
presentation of facts which ought to be fami-
liar to every one. For this reason l have
thought it entirely superfiuous to cucumber
them with notes."
By THE TIBER. novel by the author of "Signor
Monaldini's Niece" Boston Roberts Bros.
In this novel Miss Mary Agnes Thicker,
the author, is herself the heroine. The story
concerns the American colony in Rome. and
the author needed not tell US that the story
reveals a society very low-keyed without
being vulgar. 1t is book full of the bad.
That is plain but true. Jealousy, hatred,
meanness personihed, all visited upon an I'M
fortunate American girl in Rome, and she
the author. If she wrote this book, SO full
Of ignoble revelations and the depths of
meanness, as fiction, then she put her powers
to poor uses. II she gives it as fact, it ex-
cites commiseration for the weakness of her
Judgment. Miss Thicker is an admirable
writer and fac novelist, as she demonstrated
instance she has shown how weak is art often
when misanthropy whelms its devotee.
4 NAHELEss NoBLKxAs. Boston Jas R. osgood &
Co. l vol, l6mo.
This is the first of The Round Robin
Series" in the volumes of which the authors
are to be nameless. This, the first story, is a
cheerful one. The scenes are laid In Provence,
Paris and New England, and the time is the
,f I re in 81
trast some very well drawn characters, and
while the French hero sometimes descends
from the ideal Frenchman in his expressions,
the character is strong one, and what is also
good, is an original, but very natural one. The
novel, without-being brilliautone, is a good
one, and can be read with relish and genuine
satisfaction.
From the Frank Leslie Publishing House,
New York, we have the June number OF
" The Sunday Magazine, conducted by Rev.
Alfred Tsylsr. II is q very full number,
and even more profusely illustrated than
ever It is filed with choice matter for Sun
day reading none of the articles are
lengthy, and variety is the rule. 1t is, in
short, an admirably selected and arranged lot
OF good matter.
From the Leonard Scott Publishing Com
pany, New York, We have the Edinburgh
Review american reprint for April. 1t
has these prominent papers: THE Oxford
School, Egypt Bound and Unbound, !"
The Song of Roland" The Public Life OF
Mr. Herries," River Floods" THE Pei
lagra in Italy" "reminiscences of Thomas
Carlyle, Darwin on the Movements Of
Plants, " Schliemann's Ilios, Local Debts
and Loans.
From the Leonard Scott Publishing Com
pany, New York, we have the " London
Quarterly Review for April, American re-
print. The principal articles are q The
Revolutionary Party" /" Literary Life of
Lord Boliugbrole, 1.-The Speakers Com
mentary on the New Testament" Thomas
Carlyle and His "reminiscences, The Rus
sian Land Laws and Peasant Projectors, "
:. Sir Anthony Panizzi," Endorsements OF
the Church of England, 1880 and 1850, and
Ministerial endorsements"
From Houghton. Miffiin & Co., Boston, we
have the Atlantic Monthly for June. It's
chief papers, which, with the editorials and
regular departments, make the number a
very superior one, are "Over on the
T'other Mounting, by Charles Egbert Grad
doek stThe Indoor Pauper" by Octave