New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
TIE HISTORY OF A GREAT TREATY.


THE PEACE OF UTRECHT: A Historical Review Of
tbe Great Treaty OF 1713l4, and OF the frlhtpai
vents OF the War OF the Spanish Succession ~
JAMES W. GERARD. $40. Up. 40. o. T. ru'l''N
49,.
The Peace of Utrecht IS certainly fit SUBJECT
for a special historical study. The wal oil ,he
SPANISH Succession, aud the events which oreceueu
and followed II, displayed all the dramatic move
mepts, conflicting passions. subtle uipiou'.S
widespread caainities, savage lnhumah't'eS' 'n
TREND offences to be observed IN TINS most
mo Deriod. The actors were equal to their parts
Ions the Fourteenth was supported III ms az
gressons by an executive staff of splendid Abilities
rd his oppopents ranged under the not less re-
Downed banners of Marlborough, Eugene, ana
william, of Orange The Cabinets Of Europe were
engaged In a tangle of negotiations sirlkngV
illustrative of the unScrupulousness when pre-
vailed at every court Holland alone appears 10
any advantage IN the diplomacy OF the t'uo'
France and England and the German Conieuei"
tion continued to play fast and loose win re"t'9
and enga gements with such shamcieSsheSs '"''
the arbitralnent of the sword was the only con-
elusive one. H.
Bnt the history of the times Oh LOUIS INC
Iorrteantb has been written SO often, so 1ully'
ord so ablv that whoever desires to supplement-
the work must bring to the task speclal at
ouirements Fresh information on the perlod can
hardly be looked for but there is room for the
more careful painting of details, for the elaoora-
ton of portraits for the formation OF clearer udg
nents The attempt to crowd the events Oh 50
,napv wears. and years so full OF important
events into a single volume, was mistake ~
beoin with. Such work is not worth dong at
q all nnIess it. is done we'll Mr.. Gerard has been
driven by his space limitations TO compile what
IN effect is a hurried summary n summary so
hurried. sketchy and incomplete that the student
who desires to gather a clear view oil the peto"
from this volume will inevitably be disappointed
and find it necessary to supplement- Its meagre
information 10y referring TO the larger general
histories
The author has given much honest labor TO ms
work and As a sketch it has merit. But 1t is put
forward as a special study. as intended to oil
want not supplied by the histories eXtant; ana
viewed in this light it is not satisfactory. The
dearth of portraits is remarkable. Though the
time was crowded with people of distinction, MI
Gerard has drawn scarcely any of them IheIe
isnoportraitof Louis. of Marlborough OF Eugene OF
Boutllers of Philip of Vendome, of Niars, Oh Anne
of James of Madame de MaintenOn, of Mrs. Machan.
There is scarcely graphic scene. Inc narrative
flows on with all the haste of special correspond
ent's letters: the campaigns OF year are as
matched in two or three pages the great battles
of Families and DenRin are dismissed IN
paragraph and with curious Inconsistency the
author finds room for whole chapters on such sub
iects as " the doctrine of the flag" which, however
important in itself, certainly has but the remoteSt
connection with the Peace of Utrecht.
There is however, less reason TO regret the want
of proportion Observed and the needless condens'-
ton of the work, when we come TO examine the
STYLE in which it is written. This stS IS an uniort
innate one and seems to indicate the undtne'S Oi
the author for historical composition. 1t IS both
turgid and tawdry; slOvenly and IN Owed :;
clumsy in construction and marked by ditiuse and
vapid rhetoric 1t would be impossible even for
much worse writer than Mr. Gerard to make snch
summary of such period Misunderstanding The breiest
recital of the stirring events which succeeded each
other so rapidly would suffice to keep the attention
OF the dulest reader. But whatever bad style can
do 10 weaken the interest of a book has been done
in this volume The best things in it are citations,
and it is only fair to say that many OF these are
iudic 'ousy extracted. Indeed, If the author had
trusted more to his authorities and less to bis own
powers of description. he would have produced
better if not original a book. III Is true tha'
when he comes to consider the character OF LOUIS
bo ia so dinident of his own judgment that he
conten+s himself with presenting the conclusions OF
half n dozen historians and leaves the reader 10
take his choice Perhaps under the circumstances
this was the best thing to be done, but theh "hdt
becomes of the special study theory If the only
result of it IS to be the collation. OF half dozen
existing authorities, the work appears snperelo-
gatory The best that can be hoped for Mr. Gerard
book indeed is that its compactness will be apt to
attract tine young student, who may thus be
induced to carry his historical researches further.
We are sorry to be unable to give praise to work
which has doubtless involved much labor and
tronble We recognize fully the integrity of the
authors purpose aud the felicity of his choice OF a
subject In better prepared hands an admirable ana
invaluable work might have been produced. lie
has done his best and many as the defects OF his
undertaking are it at least does not deserve to be
called dull or uninterestng. One really serious
fanlt. however consists in the absence of an index
There is no possible excuse for such an omission in
nm historical work, and il renders it Worthless fol
purposes OF reference.