New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-30
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
PETER THE GREAT.

,,inous biography of Peter the Great WIN sui'P. ~,
,,s clca,nce. in two large octave Voiu"e'' Wv"
,st g., NOT all of the fine illustrations wn'cn
MED The original publication in their magazine
P''. ';.h n handsome map. They state that " IN
.noaor;ng this great work for publication III doom
- Mr. SCHUYLER has largely rewritten anu IT,
avr,nood his narrative" comparison OF the TWO
oai,,ons shows that the most considerable cha"So'
and additions have been made in that por' m Vi '
work which forms the second Voluhe' iho h.oe
xoIume is Int little altered. The seVehlh 0n"p'oi
of the first edition has been converted lhVo III
dnction. Several chapters have been ainaiS'""'0U
~ roorropced and slight additions have been
made In the second volume large part ., '''0
meter is new and much has been srewritteh' FROM
49, eft fourtb chaptcr onward the changes are so
,,root nc n constitute practically new WORK. anu
sooral entirely new chapters have been introduced
IT, tbe original editon.the concluding chapters were
Greatly condensed the fact beng then stated. III
fact the condensation was so sweeping as W III .
g. sorjousIv with the effect of the work ana IL
orld be unfair to the author to form an opinion VI
the book from that imperfect edition fro'' on"p
ter sixty-six in the present edition every 'nns
+onded and enlarged and given that bread'h al"
fitness which were lacking before IL Is tneioioio
from the present edition tliaI MI "'""'
must be judged ,...,. os
peter the Great is ruler about whom so niue was
known during his reign by the European historians
of his period that many myths have gatneIeu "oOu'
-, and he has been alternately exalted and de-
nreciated unduly To clear away these iaoleS anu
IN fix the real character of the man, ana eeuhe CUT
rectlv the nature and extent OF his influence upon
his people and age, was an undertaking "n'0n
might well tempt the earnest student Oh hS'oiS "i,,
for which if thoroughly performed, the woIiu
I'D ha grateful Mr.. Schuyler has gone about
This task with courage zeal and perseverance lie
,ossessed some specia recommendations LOT H. Ile
was familiar with the SlayOnic and 1eutohlc
Iann,aoes and with the countries and peoples con-
cerned He has diligently sought Orlghai uoo"-
mepts wherever attainable. and has DronghC 10
o.hor oroat mass of facts many of which are new,
at least TO Engsh-speaking readers. lie mas 'n'
faculty of graceful and picturesque Inscription
His STYLE is smooth and easy, ms tone moderate an"
iudicous And yet we are unable 10 say til'' nO i'
Succeeded in painting hfe-like portrait OF Peter
the Great. or that we have reached clear idea u
that rulers character when we close these volumes
In foot Mr. Scbnvler seems to have Tefraned pur-
noselv from anv analysis of Peters character. lie
rives the facts. with occasional suggestive ahec-
dotes and he leaves the reader to form his own con-
elusions as TO the kind of man they refer TO-
No donbt the ANALYSIS of Peters character Is dlil-
ult If he was not really 50 great lu'th "S i0 nae
been represented, he was certainly very reih"lA-
able man. and much in advance of hls couhtrymen,
That his energetic attempts at reform SO laI Iai'u
rnust be ascribed to this fact. lie was ane'u VI NE
time. and it could not fulfil his requirements Ho
,ros however. not the far-seeing astute statesman
modern Russia is pleased to represent. lie mao no
sucb ambitious and comprehensive views as are at
trihnted 10 him in the forged testament" when
has heen so often quoted of late years. HIS orghal
hont vvos mechanical. He would have made gOod
master shipwrght He went to war to ger access 10
the Black Sea- and he kept on lighting because H'
would not give up his early conquests' Genius III
war he does not appear to have possessed lie n"'
however great perseverance, and thus he mace tne
defeat of Narva the prelude TO the Victory Vi lol
lava. Between Peter and Charles the lWeh'n VI
Sv.dcn there was an immense difference, however.
Peter was by far the greater ruler CharIe9 c"lou
notbinp for Sweden and everything for military
glory Peter only regarded war as a means the end
being the better civilization of Russia. IL was
natural that he should believe his sweeping reforms
20 he practicable, for fiat" government was then
eourisbinc all over the world. His excesses his
drunkenness, his outbursts of brutality were quite
in accord with his age and country
Mr.. Schuyler would have done well to deal more
carefully with the view of Peter given in Carlylcs
" Frederick the Great" He gives a general denlal
10 Carlyle's stories but he should have supported
his own view more strongly, and have cited from
his authorities For be himself elsewhere mentions
os facts several things which seem to show that
Carlves account Is at least not altogether caTlca-
tnre even if il be incorrect. But Peter was II
strange mixture Of good and bad qualities. lie
wanted to make Russia prosperous, to purify the
administration to introduce the cultivation OF Lu
rome TO augment the revenues TO secure commercial
outlets. At the same time he had niue OF no luea
of what is now understood by civilization, and per
sonally he d6spised everything in the way OF cul-
tnre and delicacv, living by preference with the
Il Qlnp1 "A
showing his inclination for the peasants amuSe-
,nents also Getting drunk and making all his court
drink. indulgipg in boOrish hOTse-play making
stupid burlesque of religious ceremonials; seem 70
have constituted his entire programme Oh relaxation
and recreation. He does not appear to nave been
mueh omen TO feminine influences despite the fables
of his amours These latter were for the most part
vulgar in the extreme. Catherine was the only
woman whom he found thoroughly congenlal 10
him. and she a person of very narrow mlhd ana
no education That, however, was nothing at the
time for education III Russia was the exception even
among the nobility. Peters strange infdtuation for
St. Petersburg. with its damp, )lesOme in
convenient site gave his mobiles great deal of
tronble but he chung TO his idea until he had estab
lished il firmly. lie was not humane prince, but
humanity was virtually unknown in his age. HUI
man life had very little value, and the Imperial
anger had respect of persons, the knout beng de-
creed for the prince as readily for the peasant
His treatment OF the Tsarevitch Alexis perhaps the
worst deed of his reign yet 1t may be conceded that
Alexis must, with his weakness and inirmty of
purpose aud incapacity for action have been very
exasperating TO the old Emperor, who was energy
and activity personifed and who was always ready
TO put his own hand TO whatever work was in
progress Such a man could not comprehend
Alexis. and must have viewed with horror the idea
of being succeeded by so incapable son. Mr.
Schuyler leaves the question of the death of Alexis
in the old state of doubt. Perhaps this is unavod
able, the contemporary reports being hopelessly