National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

SI20.
A book which combines vivacity Of style,
with the livolinoss of personal gossip and
philosophical reflection, and whose subject is
one of the probematical characters of Eng
lish history, is necessarily entertaining and
suggestive reading. Such is the volume be-
fore us. 1t commends itself by both ex-
trinsic and intrinsic evidences of merit. The
house of Estes & Lauriat is Jealous about
stamping its inprimatar on any work but
those of a scholarly character, and every page
of Mr.. Lovejoy's work indicates that he ap.
preciates all authors obligation to the public,
and that no had fully prepared himself for
his undertaking before entering upon its
execution. Hence he has written life of
"the brightest, wisest, meanest of mankind"
Of an exceptionally satisfactory character,
brief but full emitting nothing but dry de-
tails, and giving to biographical sketch tho
rapid movement and livelinoss of romance.
The style is graceful and classical, often
times witty and antithetical and occasionally
rising to the level of eloquenco.
The inspiration and design Of the work are
expressed in the authors preface I'm
pressed with the idea that there is room for
sketch of this great type of official bribe-
takers, the writer has exhibited this extra
ordinary man climbing to the wool sack and
descendingsto tho prison cell through the
channels of unsatisfied ambition and greed for
wealth, while giving to tho world princi-
pies of philosophy and morality which con-
ferred immortality alike upon his fame and
his infamy. His actions are tested by his
own rules of right, and his conduct is sub
jectel to his own code of morality"
The volume opens with a tribute to the
philanthropst whose bonefactions reach to
remote posterity, and refers generally to the in
debtedness Of men to Bacon. A lively picture of
the social, religious, and political conditions
of the English people is followed by sketches
of tho leading spirits of the period. Henry
VIII is represented as creating very good
new church, which he supplied with very
indifferent head; as occupied in efforts to
completely disestablish one hierarchy and
firmly establish another; to silence one class
of consciences by tests that were martyrdoms,
and reconcile another by brides that were
bishoprics." His successor as substituting
sectarian fanaticism for the fathers state
craft" Queen Mary is pictured as vigorously
and viciously attempting to force on the body
of the people one faith, ono baptism, one
sacrament" and Elizabeth as restoring her
fathers policy with the courage of Boa
dicea and the cunning of Macchiavelli;" as
Matchmaking every warning sect, so that
they who under Edward and Mary were
ready to burn each other at the stake stood
shoulder to shoulder on the deck of brakes
fleet or the plain of Tilbury, to defend
Elizabeth and England from foreign foes"
While giving due prominence to the lead
ing character of his engaging narrative, Mr..
Lovejoy introduces brief sketches of contem-
poraneous actors and their relations to one
another. Those existing between Essex and
the Queen are thus referred to: Elizabeth
applied the principle of eminent domain to
the marital relation, and regarded every wife
as the mere subtenant of her husbands affec-
tions The relations Of Essex to the Queen
were a compound of comedy and tragedy,
now fondling an old woman's bony hand,
next rebelling against an old woman's bad
temper" OF Sir Edward Coke we have the
following character: "Contentment with
Coke meant o situation when he could sue
cessfully propose something disagreeable to
somebody; or in lieu of this, oppose any
| tuiuB abiCSdDiO W pouy .Vho hbu BiNCh
| him offense."
The career of Bacon is clearly outlined in
all his relations friendships, enmities, love
affairs, disappointments and successes, Office
seekings, and philosophizings. Praise and
censure are judiciously and justly distrih-
uted. He is not recognized as the inventor
of the inductive system, but as its " mission
ary." The frailty of the times is not burdened
with his failings, but he is brought to the
test of his own moral maxims and teachings
He is credited with greatness of intellect and
smallness of moral character. To the life il
appended selections from Bacon's essays and
other writings, with explanatory notes and
parallelisms of thought or opposing view
gathered from ancient and modern philoso
pliers, poets, and playwrights.
Good Literature" ends recent review
of this valuable contribution to contemporary
literature, in tho following complimentary
and appropriate language: "a word should
be added as to the style and diction Of Mr.
Lovejoy's sketch. 1t is distinctly superior
in point of concseness and energy to that Of
the great majority Of recent books that have
passed under our notice. A ready wit, al
occasional use Of antithesis, a neat and ligh
irony and happy gift of illustration, make
the little book anything but dry narration
of facts, and chain the attention of the reader
throughout To the critical review ar
appended seventy pages of selections iron
Bacon's writings, mostly, Of course, from tn
essays and it is special evidence of the car
bestowed by the author on his work that thu
notes to the selections are often as readabl
as the body of the book. Comment ant
comparison, as we'll as explanation, abound
We have read the entire book with NOR
than ordinary interest and can cordial.
commend it as accurate in facts, thoughtful
and fair in its estimate of character, an(
brilliantly written"
| LITERARY NOTES.
| The North American RsUieiV for March present
the following attractive table of contents: as on
Civilization PerlshableP by Judge J. A. Jameson
agricultural Politics in England" by William !
Bear; "a Defenseless Seaboard," by II, A. smalley
brevet brigadier general, U. S. A.; 'Neithe
Genius nor Martyr" by Alice Hyneman Rhine
"The Story of a Nomination." by w. o. StoddarC
Literary Resurrectonists," by Charles T. Condor
, Glow to Improve the Mississippi" by Robert
Taylor" and "The Constitutionality Of Repudia
} tion" by D. II, Chamberlain, John s. Wise, NJ. @,
"The Florida Manual" edited. by c. X. Nun
roe, and published at No. 40 Nassau street, Ne,
York, is a compendium Of extremely valuable In
formation in regard to the orange state tslgrowtl
its exhaustive resources, and its advantages fc
the investment of capital. A large new sectiona
map accompanies the book.
The Coinage.