The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-07-09
volume has an introduction by George Will
liam Curtis

HAM CuTJlS.
Quick Cooking. A Book of Culinary
Heresies For the Busy Wives and Mothers
OF the Land. BY One of the Heretics. New
York and London: G. p. Putnam's Sons;
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmon) If
there were as many things to eat as there are
cook-books. then no one need 60 hungry.
The ambitious housewife is not content with
one guide to good cookery, but she wants
every new book upon the subject that is
published. Ergo-the demand probably
equals the supply. The handy volume
which lies before us is apparently compiled
ION principle" But if "haste makes waste
and 'wilful waste makes woeful want"
where are we in following the author sadvice9
Nevertheless Mrs. LongheaIs dainty vol
ume is as serviceable as it is pretty and if a
woman wishes to waste time concoctng
elaborate dishes there are plenty of other
authorities who will show her how to do it.
The Beginning of New England, or The
Puritan Tbeocracy in Its Relations to Civil
and Religious Liberty. By John Fiske.
30 ston: (Houghton, Miffln & Co.. For sale
in Portland by Loring, Short & Harmon)
Price $780, In this volume we have the sub
stance of course of lectures delivered by
the author at the Washington University,
st. Louis. in May, 1887, and since repeated
In many of the principal cities of the United
States from Boston to San Francisco.
Doubtless there have Abeen some modifca-
tions of style in the Encouragement which
the materials Of these lectures have under
gone. The lecture form at least has disap-
peared and we have in six chapters, a vigor-
GUS treatise on theme of very great interest
to historical students and especially to stu
dents of modern political history. In the
opening chapter Mr.. Fiske contrasts the
Oriental, Roman and English methods of
matchmaking. The first, he says, was
characterized by conquest without incorpor-
alton; the second by conquest with incorpor-
alton, but without representation; the last
by incorporation with representation. In
securing such representation the Puritans
had prominent part. Had it not been for
the Puritans, Mr.. Fiske believes, political
liberty would probably have disappeared
from the world; and with his sketch of the
rise of the Puritans in England the first
chapter closes. In the second chapter we
have the story Of the puritan Exodus"
First there was the flight to Holland. AL
though liberal in his theological views Mr..
Fiske pays the following fine tribute to John
Calvin: ut is not easy to speak of Calvin
with enthusiasm, as it comes natural to
speak OF the genial. whole-souled, merry
sided mirtll-and-song- loving Luther. Never
theless 1t would be hard to overrate the debt
which mankind owe to Calvin. The spirit
ual father of Coligny, of William the Silent,
and of Cromwell must occupy foremost
rank among the champions of modern de-
mocracy. Perhaps not one of the medieval
popes was more despotic in temper than
Calvin but it Is not the less true that the
PRONUNCIATION of his theology was one of the
longest steps that mankind have taken
toward personal freedom" 1t was the
political aspirations of James l. toward
absolute sovereignty that resulted in the be-
ginning of the Puritan Exodus. Not salts
fed with their situation in Holland the Pill
grims made their way to New England. In
the twenty years following the landing of
the Pilgrims the population by emigration
from England grew to 10000, of whom
scarcely 500 had arrived before 1929 And
now the making Of the new nation went
rapidly forward. The principles that were
at work in this movement are closely traced
The fault of the Puritan theocracy the
author sees and states. but as he says, eff
we would really understand what was going
on in the Puritan world of the seventeenth
century, and how better state of things
has grown out of it, we must endeavor to
distinguish and define the elements of whole
come strength in that theocracy no less than
its elements of crudity and weakness" The
working Of these elements of strength is
clearly presented and no one can follow the
author on to the close of the theme and not
have more exalted opinion of our New
England fathers.
Mr.. Fiske is not an original investigator
He takes his facts from other hands, and
sometimes it would seem, without question
ing. We have discovered statements that
surprise us in work from such source
But they are of minor Importance. The
horlis.dealinglwith broad CONGRATULATIONS,
and he has given US the freshest and in every
way the best discussion of the beginnings of
New England we have ever read. We COM
mend his work to the attention of all thought.
full readers.