New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE FIGHTING vERES.

THE FIGHTING Lives Oh OF rrdhOS Neie,
General Of the Queens Forces In the Low
Countries, and OF SIR Horace We're, General OF the
English Forces In the Low countries, 0oVurn ,n
Of the Brill, etc. BY CLEMENTS x; MA, IN
svo., PIP. X, sos. Houghton, Mifhin 20.
Mr.. Markham has written spirited and Interesting
account Of two notable representatives of those gal
liant and adventurous Engilshmen who In the time d
Elizabeth seeking hard knocks, preferment ana
material gain by sea and shore In all parts Oh INC
world Tho veres made the Low Countries tho neid
Of their prowess the historian points OUT they
were the pioneers of that movement which cuimna'ed
In the colonization Of North America ~ was
grave crisis in the worlds history The batue OF Tree
thought was fought in Holland and Flanders. euoeh
Elizabeth and her counsellors realized fully the Cd
LEGATION that lay on them to Withstand the aggressons
of Spain In the Low Countries. They stroVe lor
yoars to help the Dutch without formally quarrellng
with Philip the Second, for at that time Spain was
the strongest of the Powers and her soldiers were To
eariod as well nigh nvincibe SO English adventuro's
were permitted to assist the Hollanders' VINO Wet"
struggling so subbornly for the Protestant faith'
.nd the english Government even subsidized her allies
ana rave them such direct and material aid as amouhco
m war against Spain, and presently drove Php into
open breach and the planning OF the Armaoa Oh
Francis We're came Of family long Famous ior h'
martial ardor. War seemed their natural eomen''
and he turned to it, when old enough, as his iegi'mae
calling Going to Holland mere boy, with other erooh
English recruits he learned, first TO run from inc
Standards second to faco them, and finally 10 beat
them. 10000.
The narrative of those old fashioned wars becomes
moro curious as modern invention continually increases
the deadliness and the rapidly Of campaigns "hen
WAS the practice conduct campaigns In STRICT aoco
ttb the seasons: when the contendng forces reureo
regularly into winter quarters and ceased all hosHio
action until the ensuing spring; wheh strons Paoo
were almost bound to capitulae, given certain coh'e
tonal circumstances when prisoners were eAchaheeo
much after the fashion Of the Italian military CODE
in those days were comparatively feeble performances
Artillery was weak Reconnaissance could sun DC
made under cover Of largo shields The musHeroi the
pcrlod WAS q cumbrous affair, which had to be sup
ported by q rest whenever II was nred- Inc
nike was vet thought by many commanders TO be
the prince OF weapons. Heavy armor was still often
worn When were taken after long sieges there
was sometimes dreadful cruelty practised For this
however, the Duke Of Alva was mainly responslpie'
There was great deal of bloodshcd In the feld not
wthstanding the crudeness of the appliances ana the
presumption is that the chances of tho wounded for
recovery were not better than In later times surgical
science being in backward condition ana sanitary
science being as yet unknown
Sir Francis We're, and after him his brother Horace
fyho was created Baron by James, made their way 10
the front by their merit Sir Francis was ndeod
Ercat general, and while he held the command OF the
English forces In the Low Countries tho spahiaus
made little or progress though many OF their best
cantaIns were pitted against him. One part of the
task undertaken by Mr. Markham is the vindication OF
Sir Francis We're from the charges brought against
him By Mr.. Motley in his History Of the Neither
lands.n These charges have reference mainly 10 inc
battle of Newport and tho siege Of ostend The de-
fence introduced by Mr.. Markham is so strongly sup
po1ed by the contemporary documents which he cites
that IL is difficult doubt some Misrepresentation on
the part of Mr. Motley. In regard to some OF the
POINTS, indeed, there Is room for no
doubt at all 1t is clear that he could not
have had all or even the most important
Of the evidence before him. and that MS imperfect
view of the situation led him into injustice For
instance he accuses Sir Francis We're Of having pub
lisbed In pamphlet form. account OF the Battle
of Newport, written openly 10 influence puohc
opinion; whereas. as Mr.. Markham conclusveiy
proves Sir Francis really only wrote the account iof
the use of his own family. did not publish 1t him
SELF nor was it printed until fifty years aiter MS
death And some other points are not less clear
than this
Mr. Markham, az We have said. has written an
interesting book but perhaps he was hardly justified
in saying that he had concerned himself mainly win
the doings Of the Veres In truth 1t Is snco OUT oi
the history of the Netherlands which he has given u.s.
and II any complaint be made of it. 1t Is that the
p.rsonalitv Of Sir Francis and Sir Horace is not
sufficiently put In relief Want Of information may
no doubt explains this vagueDess but II is there all
tho same We seldom seem to get at all cioSo U
the old captains Hardly anything is told us OF their
Municipalities. There are very few OF those httle
snecdotal touches which illuminate Character 50
brightly We SEQ the great fighters planning ana
executing battles, siegcs forays. We realize tho.r
sagacity and force. But are not really maze
acquainted with them. Nevertheless there 10 plenty
Of picturesque incidents. Essex and Raleigh appear
upon the scene, and now and then the stouFheai'eu
old Queen person. She believed in Sir FRANCIS Nerc
and generally supported him. though at times has'S
and unjust. The account Of the famous Cadlz expe-
diton. whom the plan OF the Armada was applied 70
the inventor of it, very much to his disgust ana huh
alton, is told with much graphic power
Tho connection between the Fighting Veres ana the
Purtans is not of the most direct but 1t is roal enough
to give American readers special interest In THIS
work, as belonging in some sort to the movements
which led up the founding of the United states inc
yeres were strongly typical OF the best clements ii
the emigration which TO succeed them, ana they
spent their lives in defence Of those principles adher
once to which entaled the persecution flight from
which led the Mayfower to Plymouth Rock