The Portland daily press., 1884-08-16
New Publications.
TUBES IN HISTORY.

Mr. Henry Cabot Lodge gives us under the
foregoing title series of essay of a most tn
teresting character The first, entitled 1.-THE
Purltans and the Restoration" while it covers
but brief period of Puritan history, is valua-
BILE u presenting to the reader a sympathetic
view Of the great leaders and events of that
period. Ii is to be expected, however, that
the essay will meet with hostile criticism, TO
which it is open, from those net in sympathy
win the authors views of the subject, upon
which there is, aud has ever been such wide
difference of opinion. Under the title Of 50
Puritan Pepys," Mr.. Lodge presents to us
Samuel Sewall, whose diary forms three large
octzve-volnmas of the fifth series of tbs Collec-
lions Of the Massachusetts, Historical Society.
The essay is exceedingly we'll written, aud
should be read by historical stndsnts in con-
necton with the Diary, which, by the way, ia
one OF the most valuable contributions to his
tory yet made By he Mas achasetts Historical
Society, which has done so much for New Epg-
land history. The authors comparison OF the
grave Puritan Sewall and the gay politician of
thu Restoration strikes the reader as curious at
first thought; indeed, as somewhat lar fetched.
Yet no makes very good case ERE he finishes.
Perhaps the most valuable ESSAY in the book
is that aiititled "Colonialism in the United
States" The author begins by saying that
Nothing is more Interesting than to trace,
throngh many years, aud almost endless wan
deriugs and changes, tae fortunes of an idea or
thought. Long after the wcrld to
which it belonged has vanished, habit OF
thought will live on, indelibly imprinted upon
race or nation, like the footprint of some ex-
tinct beast or bird upon piece of stone.
The solemn bigotry of the Spaniard is the fos-
sill trace OF the fierce struggle of eight hundred
years with the Moors. The theory OF the
Lords day peculiar to the English race all
all over the world is the deeply branded sign
Of the brief reign OF Puritanism. A certain
fashion OF thought prevailed half century
ago; another is popular to-day. There is a re-
semblance between the two the existence of
both Is recognized, ami beth, without much
consideration, are set down as sporadic and in
dependent. The purpose of this essay is TO
discuss briefly certain opinions which belong to
the more enduring class" The author then
traces the decline Of colonialism in this coun-
try to the beginning of the Rebellion. The
following extract will perhaps best present his
views upon the present state of the subisct."
I'm the years which followed the close of the
war, it seemed as IL eolonialism had been Ut
terIy extinguished, but uniortun stely this was
not the case. The multiplication of great for
tunes, the growth of a class rich by inheritance,
and the improvement IN methods OF travel, all
tended TO carry large numbers of Americans to
Europe The luxurious fancies which were
born OF increased wealth, and the Intellectual
tastes which were developed by the advance
OF the higher education--combined to breed in
many persons love of foreign life and man
DeHs. These tendencies and opportunities
have revived the dying spirit of coloniaIism. We
see 1t most strongly 10 the leisure Glass; which
is gradually increasing in this country Dur
ing the miserable ascendancy of the Second
Empire band of these persons formed what
was known as the American Colony in Paris
where they were notorious. They presented
the melancholy spectacle OF Americans admir-
ing and aping the manners, habits and vices of
another nation, when that nation was beat and
corrupted by the cheap, meretricious aud
rotten system of the third Napoleon. They
furnished very offensive example of peculiar.
ly mean colonialism.'
This essay alone will well repay the cost of
the book, which is attractive in typographical
execution.