New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-26
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
lord PETERBOROUGH.

story of Lord PcterbOroughS lie MINUS i''0''
almost Immediately plunged III dlrI'"l'ic' u
pecnliar kind. There are lew II any p'Iso"S
of historical importance &c 1ccrnlh@ Sohe p"' VI
whose careers contradictions disputes ana uouo'S
do NO, evist but in this case the materials upon
which alone il is possible to form an lh'eul%ipe
estimate of character and deserts are so strongly
ca,led in oncstion that the Affirmative ana mega
tive nostions are hopclcssly iricconcilable Inc
Historian finds himself confronted by such Devil
derinr problems as tic following: Was Peter
borough really the foresy Of the Courenay letters
Was hc the hero of the Nalcncian CAMPAIGN or
was he merely an official 1gurchead? Was he
brave. or was he n poltroon' Was he an honest
man. or an embczzler of public moneys? was
he possessed Of fine capacities or was ne mere
frivolous and Eighty person, IN whom MS ""N-
eminent could never trust. II Will he seen 'ha'
the man concerning whom such questions can DC
mt seriously is one OF the dcSpaIiS OF historical
research: in fact. a sort Of " Iron Mask, 10 "o
specuatcd about pcrpctually, and 10 RENAL"
UNEXPLAINED after all is said. Mr. Schbing. in
preparing the monograph for the " English Men
Of Action series has faced the pcrpeVities OF the
case with courage, and has done his best 10 '''o"
III. responsibility of decision upon the reader 10y
stating the whole of the allegations on both SIDES
and leaving everybody 10 take their choice.
He does in the end however, manifest n blaS'
and as might be expected il is toward the
tradition which represents Peterborough as
general of marked military genius, dpioh'''s'
of decided astutcness, ana statesman oil more
than common prcscicncc and capacity H"''"'
had Mr. Stebbing leaned in the other nlre''o.-
that. namely, taken by Colonel farnehS LIZ
10y po.arharnncl~ tberc would have renamed to
S;r, 40 excrsc for writing this volume, for in that
case he must have held Peterborough not 10 De
sottled 70 rank as a man of action in any
e s.; eonso As if j., he has given Us a
s;rhti,. ond interesting. though. in tie nature of
.piisn"S ,.or,. lucid account of as singular
en'nss, career as history can furnish Lord
- - a,o Of ~, ancient family and one
10, o,bihitod rs Mr. Stcbhins puts il,
a. N,,.;uuors determination not 20 be obscure, a
u. oa,,,.iotior flat the Mordaunts had inherited
- ., ..,.l,c, affairs of state. not SCI
it ,ha ottondart ,.. ,lu,rcn.s" or tic '.rnool
90 Cr.or,os Nfordaur1 no record ha, been preserved
H. g.. o,.noars as a volunteer in naval cape
dition oro,nst the Harbary corsairs in 1914 In
his twentieth year the dcath Of his 1a'hef h''"'
him viscount Mordaunt At twenty-five ne Yves
n husband. a father and peer of the realm o"'
tho least domestic OF men, tie most
restless traveller and advcr .rer, th'
most intractable Of politicians, ANA. generally
srookirg one Of the most independent Of mch
Tho CHARGE of ccccntricity preferred by many oil
h;s cortennoraries NAV or may not be warranted
II the Good stories told about him could be scrl-
ouslv accented there would be ground lor 'he
susnicion that he was little mad. For eNampl''
:, vas cid that one day while driving ont in his
oarriaoc he cspied dancing master, daintily ar
1901 for marty. with white SILK
hoso and brilliantly polished shoes, care
Ell, uotino his way through The
-, 80. 90 bis coach drew his sword. charged
S:.,,. ,,ro, 4bc noor doncing-master, dr. ye him
-, o. II .bo dconest DuddlcS ard, hay
~ r..1,,. hos,ottercd him. quietly rc-entcrcd
~. oo,;ooo and drove on Indifferent. This, too,
-. - INA snocirep of the pTankS attributed
croot Earl Of Peterborough' In his later
- /, ,oondoli1ed Ratb bv visiting the Pump
-, - bis boots and bv attending to his own
- II. ord carr,inc home his own dinner
h..ol,or,e or tbe poultcrers Pecul-
a.. iii bo,vever amount t. nothing,
"ii.i'' " ,on,,t far the opiuion Of Mis-.
Oh" o,''S P-
"iu""' :. por,io,oo,t was ALWAYS a stril-
Petefporoush III "'''''"' 49, ,a,.o o,,ocbcd him
Ing nE"'' %"' ~. -, ,,,o couse Of freedom. lie
sell irou 'i'' ',',y hoortv and bold oppo-
We" 49, lo+ico1l ,. inclined bicot James. and
W 81 o,d od.iear of the Prince of
an intimate ITiehu an" ""' It., o,,t
orange WIEN '"' 80, - ,.,llisLod an
OF the hihs"o"i Oh" ,rod o,,d re-
the throne OIL Ehsi"no' "' '''i' ...,.o - ,,ao
warded Mordann'' me "'"I' ~ ,s ,arr,s
lance. found IL lmposSi'" 70 Nc'p 'oaI
with the Court. lie .nous"O Wv ''i'0'' ,7,io
was shown the Jacooi'es' ''e was 'V' r
of Thorough Win mos p"oP''' "''1 e.r..;,'o
accused OF having 1orgeu VI PiO0"'' D.
of certain letters, ostehslpiN auuI'99'" !" -"
tender, but obviously INTENDED 10 w N'l"'u '.'
read by the Government IN "Iic" "''''' '''''
mcnts appeared calculated 10 conlp:om,he N'''''i
high officers OF the Government "-.''''. 49,
inquest was held Pe'erpWough was SUI ~ ~,
Tower, and in effect he was cohvic,eu Vi pio,''"S
to secure the bowman o' uouoiP"i, ""I i;
Rut he had too mucn JlSIlHcallOn l"I H'o S"'P'