New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-15
NEW INDICATIONS.
A MODEL GUIDE-BOOK.

a TRIP TO ENGLAND. BY Goodwin smith, D. C. L.
l6mo.. PIP. 14o Macmillan a Co.
The motive of this little book Is indicated IN the
opening sentence alt seems useful" says the author
ain visiting a country to have not only guide 10
places and routes. but framework for ooservat'ohs
md recollections. otherwise, the effect produced
on tho retna of the mind is apt TO be Ike 'n9' po
duced by whirl Of successive sights on the rcuha
of the eye. This is particularly the case when Do
objects of interest of many kinds as they arc
In England 1t is scarcely necessary to say uiaO
Dr. Goodwin Smith is in special ways htted 10 aus
charge the function he has here taken upon hmseH'
or that any subject treated by him Is sure 10 %
Interestingly treated. To wide knowledge Oh hhgHsn
history he adds q remarkably pleasing ana graceiW
STYLE Not only the scholar, but the poet Is repr"
scented In his periods, and he has the art vi s''i"s
10 his "reminiscences and illusions the charm OF PV'u
resoueness without which the most exact and schol-
arly history is dull In the course of TINS booklet no
contrives to touch lightly indeed and passhgy' upon
the various periods Of English history, ana IN uoiie
so he shows Just enough Of their Characteristics anu
monuments 10 awake the interest and attention OF
the reader and TO prepare him for an Intelligent eN
animation Of the latter As specimen on MS lhelou
one NAV take few paragraphs from his reference
IN the Roman remains in England. AT RichborOugh
fRutupioe) which the favorte lahohg-place'
the Roman remains very imposing but the Eng
fish Pempeii is slchester Calleva Abreoatnm three
miles from the Mortimer station OF the railway be-
city have defcd time and the destroyer tley s'inu
almost intact but the city having been probably
stormed and burned by the barbarlans' notnhs -
left of the houses but the Easements alone rem"n'
with the hypocausts or furnaces, WHICH Warileu t''
rooms and which must have been soreIy needed ny
the Italians under British skies. The lines OF INC
streets with the plan of the indgmentlnll (praeto-
rium) are plainly visible. Outside the walls IS INC
amphitheatre in which, no doubt, the gay hoiia"
officer condemned to these remote and unfestVo quar-
ters tried to indemnify himself for his loss OF t'e
Colosseum" :,
In these few words most suggestive skctch Is
given and in the manner the author selects anu
distinguishes the most memorable and attractive sites
and structures throughout the country. After Uho
Roman England the Saxon is exploited Many may
fail TO agree with Goodwin Smith in his view Oh One
consequences of the Norman Conquest. speaking Oh
the Battle of Hastings, he says ave are on INC
scene of one greatest catastrophes OF history
Had that arrow (Which killed Harold missed It's MARX
ApgloSaxon institutions would have developed 'eii-
selves In their integrity, the AnglcSaxon tongue "o
have perfected itself In Its purity, Ango-Norlhah
pristocracy would never have been or nave lett us
tv traces on society," the fatal connecuoh oi Esiand
Ind France and the numerous French wars Oh Vne
pantapenets would have bOtted ont OF the DOCK
II faten Surely this is rather wild ana whrlihg td'h'
AS matter of fact IL not the death OF HarOu tho
decided the Battle of Hastings Inc batte was losU
before he fell But even supposlng that his survival
fiat Anglo Saxon independence would bave resulted
from the defeat of the NOrmans upon That OCCASION
The death of William at Serlse might perhaps nave
nut an end to plans of conquest for the tme
but EpQland's weakness would have remained stand
INC termination 10 aggressive peoples. and is idle 70
conjecture what would have happened subsequently.
The Norman Conquest truly brought evils in its train
bnt IL also brought benefits The civilization OF Eng
land must have proceeded very much more slowly
but for that event, and hnglo-9aAon Independence
would almost certainly have dnvolved an eXaegerauoh
of insular narrOwness and general bachwardness
The authors remarks upon the cathedral building
Of the Middle Ages are much more sound Ihese ne
marks are brief but they to distinguish clearly
between the characteristics OF the four periods illus
traed in English ecclesiastical architecture, and they
direct the traveller 10 the best examples OF earn
period al the same time telling him what to look for
Mr. Smith pursues the same method with the feudal
castles the Elizabethan manor-hOuSes, the colleges,
etc and he illustrates the life Of the old squrcs, the
bygone coaching days. and various other phases OF
English life, with graphic touches and In
the most interesting manner. His sketch OF
the universities is particularly attractive, as
&c also that Of the great public schools,
Eton Harrow Rugby, winchester, and Cheltenham. SO
much has been written these institutions already
that everybody should know something about them but
few out of England. probably know much as to be
able to afford to pass over these few eloquent ana
striking pages. Mr. Smith holds somewhat gloomy
must be admitted that the last quarter Of century has
given grounds for pessmism on this question But 1t
must not be forgotten that the situation has often been
even backer in the past yet that the darkness has
passed away repeatedly. The really important change
apparently proceeding is the result OF the growth
of democracy and whether that has been for good or
evil it is s far too to determine. An ignorant
franchise always tends 10 the abuse Of and to the
extension of the most dangerous demagOgism. Per
haps ignorance will be conured away before it has
time TO do incurable mischief But this generation will
not see the ultimate outcome of the change.
Whether he is right or wrong, however, Goodwin
Smith is sure to be worth listening to, and his Obser
vatons upon the fam laborer, the artisan, the town
and country jewellers in their several orders and classes
are full Of suggestive and keen insight In remark
ably small compass he has written n novel kind Of
guide book which few travellers will find superfuous
and which, even fol the best-normed will open fresh
avenues of interest and indicate points of view
and new fields of inquiry