Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-03

Co. contains the letters from NJ to P. The
Century Dictionary is by all odds the best
looking of all the dictionaries. Its clear
type. its wonderfully good illustrations, Its
convenient shape and its wide pages, COM
mend it at the first glance. This volume is
rich in scientific and technical words. Any
dictionary, which is five years old, is away
behind the times in this department.
The Century is the only dictionary which is
up to date. Anybody who thinks that one
dictionary is about as good as another, is
commended to the word put" This word
takes seven long columns, is defined in more
than a score Of various meanings, and is
illustrated with nearly two hundred quota
tions. ranging from Merlin and Milton to
the New York Tribune of last Nav. This is
an example of the care which is used with
even the commonest words. Two more
volumes, being eight issues of the monthly
parts, will complete this great work.
Lecky's England in the Eighteenth
Century," Cd. Appleton & Co.; j. r.
Weldin & Co., 50 25 volume) comes to
the last year OF its time limit with the
seventh and eighth volumes. In these eight
big books the events Of English history from
the reign of William and Mary to the last
years of George Ill are set down infinitely
as in daily newspaper, fully, fairly and ac-
". u
Torbay in 1888, modern English history be-
gan. 1t is remarkable in looking over these
pages to see how much of importance lay
between the battle of the Boyne and the bat
tie of the Nile. The two great revolutions, in
France and in America, the administration
of Pitt and Fox, the orations Of Burke, the
trial of Warren Hastings, the rise and
spread of Methodism, the difficulties OF
Ireland, the invention of the spinning
machine by Arkwright, ard of the steam
engine by Watt-these two latter happenings
alone, what industrial and commercial
overturnings of things they have accom-
plished And this was but hundred years
ago!
These two last volumes are of the nature
of a supplement dealing with the conditions
of things in ireland during the last eight
years of the century. Mr.. Lecky has
studied these years particularly and
thoroughly, reading everything that is read
able, much of it in manuscript; the letters
of statesmen, the communications OF inform
ers, the journals of interested people. This
is a period whose history "has been very
imperfectly written, and usually under the
influence of the most furious partisanship.
There is hardly a page of it which is not
darkened by the most violently contradictory
statements" Out of this chaos, order; out Of
these contradictions, truth-that is the
problem. Mr.. Lecky has probably ap-
preached nearer to a solution than any other
writer. This, at least, can be said for him,
that be has spared no pains to learn the ac
curate facts, and has in no instance twisted
the facts to fit the crowded places Of any
partisan theory.
"There is a method" saws Mr.. Lecky in
his preface, "a method of dealing with his
torical facts which has been happily COM
pared to that of a child with his box of let
tiers, who picks out and arranges those let
tiers, and those only, which will spell the
words on which he has prev ously deter
mined, leaving all others untouched. In
Irish history this method has been abund-
antly practiced, and among the many crimes
and errors that have been committed by all
parties, it is not difficult to select on either
side the materials of very effective party
narrative. I have endeavored to write this
history in different spirit"
1t is interesting and instructive to COM
pare England's success in India with her fail
ure in ireland. There are 200, ,O0O, 900 OF peo-
pie beside the Indian Ocean, and only about
5000, 900 across the irish Sea; but the affairs
of India 60 on comfortably, while ireland,
as at present, is name to start fight with.
Too much political meddling, Mr.. Lecky
tnlnks. lrelano is TOO close az nand, ana
too much involved in the interests of En-
glish partisanship. The Irish are ex-
plotted for political advantage, like the
negroes OF the South. The Irish question,
like the negro question, will never get satis-
factory settlement till it gets out of the
hands of party politicians. Indeed, what
serious question can ever come to fair judg-
ment in that court? Mr.. Lecky's history,
in its impartial presentation of both sides,
represents the temper which alone can s(lve
important problems. The more of it the bet
ter, says THE CRITIC.