New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-20


brought together in this volume convey SUI
fciently clear idea of the evolution of historical
writing in the United States. III the beginning
of American colonization the accounts which
were published and received historical were for
the most part quite as much fiction as fact, but
they were addressed to an uncritical generation,
and were representative of a looscness Of state
ment not by any means confined 1T that time TO
New England the Southern colonies oi
course Captain John Smith stands foremost
among the apocryphal authors of his period, ana
Professor Jameson signaliZes his account of the
gallant captain by an conoclaStic attack upon the
most interesting if not most trustworthy, episode
in his supposititious career. As the American
people will no doubt have 10 come TO this de-
thronement of a traditional idol, and as unnum-
bered school readers and histories will have TO ne
reconstructed in part because Of the destructive
criticism of modern historical science. IL is per-
haps, worth while to give the Professor Of Browns
account of the case without abridgment, and this
is the easier since he has made ii very succlnct
Nothing has been said thus far he observes,
of the story of thr saving of Smith by Pocahon-
tas The historical student who IS not entirely
stepped in naughty professionalism, who would
himself strictly mediate the thankless muse,
vet wishes TO temper that austere cult with re-
gard for the unscientifc preferences of AmaryL1s
and Neaera, will certainly hesitate long before as
sailing the most famous of the few romantic
legends of our earlier history. And yet it appears
that. in spite of dozen novels and perhaps
gross of poems that have gathered about it, the
legend must CO. whole chapter would hardly
be long enough for full discussion of the argu-
ments but in brief, the case is this Not only
is there no mention of such episode in the full
account of his ChickahOminy expedition which
Smith gave, few months after he went upon it,
in the True Relation but everything there indi-
Gates a most friendly reception b. Powhatan; nor
do any of his companions mention an adventure
so striking. 1t first appears in print in the
Generate Historic of 1924, interpolated as one
of those embellishments of his friends accounts, to
which alusion has been made. 1t appears that
Smith, in 1916, limited at such service per
formed by PocahOntas in letter TO the Queen,
written when PocahOntas England. In
short the probability is that he invented the cpl
sode in order to connect himself in picturesque
manner with who had lately been attracting
so much attention. One need not stop 70 defend
historical criticism for destroying so pretty le
gend, for historical criticism brings to light two
stories of heroism that are true where it removes
one that is false but, perhaps, we may easily
be reconciled to the loss of this particular TO-
nance if we remember that. pictures and poems
and storybools to the contrary notwithstanding,
the real Pocahontas only ten years old at
the time of the alleged rescue"
Turning from Captain John Smith to Governor
William Bradford is, as Professor Jameson happily
puts it, like turning from Amadis of Gaul" to the
"Pilgrim's Progress" But it is turning from
nance to history in a very real way, and if Brad
ford's pages are not lively reading, it must be re-
membered that the events that he had to narrate
had nothing picturesque or romantic about them.
Tba aarlx- Of lynn ut on
were of the soberest-one might almost say of the
grmmest--character. The whole period
Of severe struggle Professor Jameson is of opin-
ion that the Puritanism of the earlier days was
less stern, fanatical and than it afterward
became. 1t may be so, though the evidences of
any light mirthful tendency surely slight
in the annals Of that strenuous time None the
less are those chronicles deeply interesting, even
the narrowness and hardness of the prevailing
views Of life and religion having curious fascina-
ton for generation which has passed far beyond
the possibility of sympathetic appreciation of the
old hierarchcal rule and all its bigotries and intol
erances. If, moreover modern opinion clearly
perceives the deficiencies of Puritanism it is liberal
and candid enough to recognize its virtues, and
it does not overlook the predOminance of a virile
sense of duty the like of which may be sought
vainly in these advanced" times. If the theology
was hide-bound. the ethics were sound, and the
Bradfords and WinthropS and Johnsons show forth
the creative and evolutionary energies of these
homely old qualities a~d virtues.
The Pepys of New-England, Chief Justice Sewell,
belongs to the decline of Puritanism as a sustain
ing power, though for entertaining capacity his
diary far surpasses either of the socaled histories
In his day, Professor Jameson says, we see
"Purtansm gone to seed, grown narrow and
harsh and petty and rapidly becoming mundane
and Philstine" The full favor of the early
Puritan spirit appears in the books of Captain
Edward Johnson. whose work entitled The
Working Providence of Sions Saviour in
New-England." a prosaic London publisher put
forth under the fiat title The History of New
England" (which, by the way, it was not. Cap
tain johnson was in the habit of dropping into
poetry" and that of the most fearful description.
and his verses exceedingly bad as to be worth
preserving. The eighteenth century, according TO
Professor Jameson, and no doubt equally according
TO the facts was period of historical dcteriOra-
ton, though it produced so noble book Cotton
Mather's Magnalia." The brief analysis of that
redoubtabe book given in these pages sufficiently
indicates its scope and character. Cotton Nather
was undoubtedly man of considerable parts, I'M
mense industry but colossal conceit, and his liter
airy style was insufferably pedantic, stlted and
stiff. A more unnatural inartiStic or unreadable
style in fact. it would be difficult to cite and the
learned authors credulity and superstition were
extraordinary, witness his relation to the Salem
Kitchcraft.
We cannot follow Professor Jameson's comments
upon the eighteenth century historians and those
of the early nineteenth century, but must content
ourselves with the expression of opinion TO
the effect that in his desire to be quite impartial
he somewhat undertakes such writers as Pres
colt, Motley, Parkman and Adams. To say as
he does that the writings Of these men or of any
of them, are crude seems to us less than just.
In fact, he appears to hold Irving higher than
these his successors. and this, too, strikes as
an indefensible position Nineteenth century