The Portland daily press., 1888-04-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS

DuiSVJHCs ,lOul Odududs llfO7lttis "Ash WY
Journal of Lieut.. William Digby of the 53rd,
or Shropshire Regiment of Foot. BY James
PhInney Baxter, A. NJ. Forming No. 16 oI
Munselps Historical Series, with rare por-
traits and plates. This is the most notable
of the historical works of the year without
doubt, and presents in a most original man
ner the stirring story of the British invasion
from Canada, which was the prelude to the
prolonged struggle of the colonies for inde-
peudence. Mr.. Baxters residence abroad ;
he having access to the public archives Of
the Revolutionary period in the British
Rolls office, privilege. which has, thus
far, been granted to but few, and which is
obtained only by special request of the
American Minister, made to the Colonial
Secretary, Lord Granville; enabled him to
gather many items of peculiar interest
which he has woven into a narrative which
fascinates while it instructs.
So full is the narrative of altogether new
and original matter, and so well is the entire
subject presented, that the reader when he
lays down the book will bs impressed with
the feeling that this portion of Revolution
airy history has never before been written.
Nub UtllJ DlSLuIiCdi cluuCltSt Dbb llit Sth-
eral reader will be surprised to read in his
graphic recital, the reason of Burgoyne's
failure, which was caused by a mistake OF
Lord George Germaine, who detained the
orders which were to have been sent to Gen
eral Howe, who was to cooperate with Bur
goyne. This is disclosed in the Journal OF
Lord Shelbou.ne, and is found in one of Mr..
Baxter's notes. as follows:
"The inconsistent orders given TO Gener-
ais Howe and Burgoyne by Germaine, could
not be accounted for except in way which
it must be difficult for any person who is not
c0nyersant with the negligence Of office to
comprehend. Among many singnlarities, he
had particular aversion to being put out of
his way on any occasion. He had fixed to
go into Kent or Northanptonshire at par
ticular hour, and to call on his way to his
Office to sign the dispatches, all OF which
had been settled, to both these generals. By
some mistake, those to General Howe were
not fair copied, and upon his growing impa-
tient at it, the Office, which was very idle
one, promised to send it to the country after
him, while they dispatched the others to
General Burgoyne, expecting that the
others could be expedited before the packet
sailed with the first, which, however, sailed
by some mistake without them, and the
wind detained the vessel which was ordered
to carry the rest. Hence came General Bur
goyne's defeat; the French declaration and
the loss of thirteen colonies 1t might ap-
pear incredible if our own secretary and the
most respectable persons in Office had not
assured me of the fact; what corroboraues it
is that it could be accounted for in no other
way. 1t requires as much experience in
business to comprehend the very trifling
causes which have produced the greatest
events, ps it does strength of reason to de-
velope the design"
One should not fail to read the notes,
which Mr.. Baxter has appended to his mar
rative. as well as to the Journal of Digby
which the volume contains; as they present
in brief form mass of matter most curious
and entertaining. These notes are made up
from journals and manuscripts of the time
not accessible to the general reader and
many of them not to be found in American
| libraries.
To read these notes alone, one can obtain
knowledge of the Revolutionary period
which could not be acquired in any other
manner The labor in compiling them, must
have been enormous and they may well
serve as model to future historians. being
written in Mr. Baxter's peculiarly nervous
and graphic style. Many of them contain
bits of philosopbic reflection and clear delin-
cations of character rarely met with in mod
ern books.
H1n In, Ifaf nhxf xxrnf fat fnll Mr.
Baxter's Narrative, was discovered by him
in the British Museum, and was copied by
permission of the Museum authorities at his
request.
| OF the literary character of Mr. Baxter s
| work, too much cannot be said. 1t is terse,
lucid and vigorous, and at once places the
writer in the front rank Of the literary men
of this country. while the historical erudi-
| tion displayed in the work, confirms and
strengthens the reputation which has hereto
fore been conceded him.
AS the book is published by the Munsells
of Albany, no praise concerning its mechani-
cal execution is needed.
The rare Illustrations and typographical
execution of the work make it treat to
simply handle.
BOSTON, March 2s. A.
The work may be obtained of Mr.. Hub
bard w. Bryant.
Prophecy and Prophets; or the Laws of
Inspiration and their Phenomena. By Ja-
cob Straub, A. NJ. This exceedingly inter-
esting and suggestive little volume has been
strangely Inexperienced by some of its
l. hov
cuse in the fact that the style Of its pages Is
not perfectly clear. But certainly Up. LAG,
when the author says that mo distinction Il
seen in the nature Of" the phenomena OF
prophesy which appear recorded in the
Bible, and those in profane history; and III
is not apparent, moreover, that in the one
| place they are better attested than in the
other" he shows Enthusiastically that he is
not mere repeater of traditional ortho
doAy. On the next page he says distinctly
that the foretelling of future events is the
least important part of prophecy; yet he has
been criticized as though he considered it
the most Important part.
| The sentence on page 146 gives, to our
mind, the main and most suggestive thought
in the book. 1t places the author among the
ratonalists, by putting Hebrew Ind other
history under the same canons of criticism
But he stands widely separated from the
rationalists in the results to which this
method leads him. Instead of saying "All
marvels in profane history are summarily re.
| jected, therefore we reject those of the Bi.
ble," he says, in effect There are many
mental wonders recorded in profane history
| and too well attested to be rejected; why
then insist on rejecting all those recorded in
the sacred records? He proceeds to show
| that there are cases, too well attested to ad'
NIT of doubt, in which persons exhibited
knowledge, sometimes of future events
which could not be accounted for by any
known. psychological laws; and were
suggestive of inspiration from sonic
| spiritual being. Hence he infers that
inspiration from God would be perfectly con-
sistent with the natural laws by which these
marvellous phenomena are governed. One
Of the most striking examples is that of pre-
cocious genius. To come to details, there
will be found one child in millions who
shows preternatural skill in handling num-