New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-10
NOTES ON BOOKS.
lives OF GORDON-PETER THE GREAI-UIf-
FEN-MISCELLANEOUS.


edition of Mr. Egmont 1Iake's "Story Oh 'NN'u'90
cordo- Tho hook is not well done .but II Is
orl. oil ,vc have for some parts OF OordohS me-
d The ppblic reads it with an oagcTnesS ou' noUto
81 o,y,, merits but to the fascination the WoIu is
not 700 stronc) Of the subject Inc publishers
NIossrs Rem ington Il Co.. now advertise IL WIN
tI,s extract from Nh GladstOne's speech IN the
House last Tuesday;
WI i Concral Gordon He is no common man.
II 4 M cxagccratlon in speaking OF General Gordon
10 saw that he is hero; II IS no eN2egelatoh 10 S2
that he is Christian ana 1hS coni MS tbat he has
facnItv Of influence and command brought aoout ny
I"Ouli! 'oons He has that faculty which
n5ces elects among those wild Eastern races
almost uninteligible to us Westerns.
This is quoted, with the omission of sentence or
two from The Times The version OF The Standard Is
worth comparing:
What is General Gordoni lie is no common man.
n is no exaggeratiOn, in speaking OF General
Gordon 10 say that he is hero. 1t Is no eXaggera
tion 10 say that he is Christian. 1t IS no eXagger3
tion 10 say that i'm his dealings with Oriental people
he is also a genius, that he has faculty, an lnu
encc. a command, brought about by moral means
for no man in this House hates the unnecessary re-
sort 10 blood than General Gordon-he mas
that faculty which produces effects among tnoSe
wild Eastern races almost unlntelllgOe TO Us west
CTn people
This is not merely fuller report; it is obviously
more accurate, and is much more truthful and
characteristic reproduction of Mr.. Gladstones style
An earlier and more genuine book than Mr.. Eg-
mont Uake's Is Mr. George Birkbeck Hills Colonel
Gordon in Central Africa Tins, like Mr. lIakes' is
n volunteer performance. Mr.. Hake told us he had
ciyen Chinese GOrdon's life to the world not only
without his consent but even without his knoWl-
edge Dr. Hills materials were placed in his hands
bv permission of Colonel Gordon. They included
not only public documents relating - his admins
tration in Central Africa but also his letters home
Mr. Hake has since drawn on these bct tAey are far
n rl,f'S h.,.-e ~ Y hP-
cause there are more q then. Gordon letters nave
simplicity and ti-yc.rsss an v,l-ality which
are admirable. B15 = allowing these % be used.
Gordon's share n II. HIS book came 70 an end.
lie would neither So his bioSTapher nor correspond
with him till the book was finished. did be read
either manuscript proofs. The one thing Gordon
did, which again is characteristic OF him. was TO
clear up, through his brother, Sir Henry Gordon
any Difficulty Of fact which DR.. Hill encountered.
The letters thus collected form diary of Gordons
career and his editor has wisely limited his editing,
for the most part to selecting extracts and pecng
Them together. This volume was published in 1881
by Messrs. DE La Rue e Co.
For those who have not leisure to read volumes,
the best account know of Chinese Gordon in China
is Colonel Chesney's account Of him and OF the
TAPPING Rebellion. This appeared in book en-
titled, Essays in Modern Military Biography
published by Messrs. Longmans in 1874. Mr.. Z. ii.
written memoir of Gordon; not very good one,
nm afraid. if Mr. Aliens writing talent is to be
iudged by the letters he contributes from time to
time TO the London papers. This little pamphlet is
sold for penny, and yesterday was being hawked
brskly amid the hurryng thrOngs in the very heart
of the City, in front of the Mansion House and at
the gates of the Bank of England.
Mr.. Scbuyle1s Peter the Great" appears in New
York simultaneously with its publication in London
where Messrs. Sampson Low, MarstOn IL Co.'s
name is to he found on the title-page). ! need
hardly, therefore, do more than mention the SUI
periority of the American edition in the matter Of
Illustrations The English omts them all except a
portrait of Peter and a map OF Europe III Peters
time Possibly they were left out ill order not TO
increase the bulk of the volumes, which are hand
sonelv printed here on needlessly thick paper. If
they are printed from the American plates the long
list of errata must be put to the credit of the Amer
can publishers.
Mr.. Schuylcr's reputation is not to make in
london Here and elsewhere in Europe he is widely
known as a competent Russian scholar and an ac-
complished dipomatist; one of the few trained and
capable men whom our state Department contrlyeS
to attach to the public service. Mr.. Schuylers Pre-
face is dated from the Legation of the United
States, Athens. Thanksgiving Day, November %,
1883. The Thanksgiving Day" Will perhaps
puzzle his English readers. The 4thenGum in a
long review of the book, refers to Mr., Schuylers
personal acquaintance with Russia and the Russian
language appauds his use of the copous materials
thus at his command and says:
The result is that his Study Of Historical BiOga-
rlv i q work which reflects u2on him very great
credit as a panStakng and conscientious student
one who has tOlcd for the benefit of English readers
in dark places 10 them inaccessible, and mas sup
piled them with information which they may talry
consider trustworthy, even Ii they are to certain
extent preudlced against some OF the sources from
which II j. derived.
If the busy American thinks himself too busy to
90 through the whole of these two volumes, let me
recommend him to read, at any rate, the chapters
and passages dealing more particularly with Peters
personal history, and those describing his reforms.
and the making Of the new Russia out Of the old.
lie will find Mr.. Schuyler an agreeable and in
structiye companion, and the impression left on the
reader though his author makes little pTetence to
literary ornament, is clear and distinct
Mr. Citizens admirable paper on The Progress Of
The Working Glasses in the Last Half Century
originally read by him before the Statistical Society
Of which lie is president has now been published as
an octave pamphlet by Messrs. Bell IL Sons. As 1
said at the time, Mr.. Gilcn is the first authority in
England on his subject and no serious attempt has
been made to refute his views or his facts. The
paper has made it all but impossible for the most
reckless fanatic to contend that the condition of the
working classes has deteriorated. Mr. Gi1en proves
that il has grown better and not worse Nj. Glad
stone writes to him:
Il have read with great interest Your mastery
paper. 1t is probably inform and Substance the
best answer to George. and hope it may be practi-
cable to give it a wide circulation"
Acting on this hint, the Golden Club which is
capable of good work at times has resolved to dis
tribute $4,000 copies of Mr.. Citizens pamphlet. A
much larger number ought by some means TO be sent
broadcast over England The large circulation of
Mr. Henry Georges book, which we are always
hearing Of was great measure IA gratuitous cir
..l.tt.