New-York tribune., 1893-12-24
UENRIETT1 OF ENGLAND.
THE SISTER OF CHARLES II AS \ DI-
pLOMATIST.
MADAME: a Life of Henrietta. Daughter Of
Charles and Duchess Of Orleans BY Julia
Cartwright (Mrs Henry AdyJ. Up. XIV. iO6.
imported by ChaTles Scribner.s Sons.

MADAME: a Life OF Henrletta. Daughter Of
Charles ! and DuGhess Of Orleans. BY JalIa
Imported by Charles Scribners Sons.
The perusal of this book IS likely TO create
a favorable opinion Of two royal personagcs.
Charles ii and his sister whose career Is its
theme. Much of the obloquy which has been cast
upon the Stuart family is doubtless deserved.
but the accusations have been so heavy that IT Is
pleasant TO see the load somewhat lightened. As
the stands in the accepted historical ira
dition Charles II was merely the tool Of the
French King in England His policy was dictated
by the convenience Of Louis XIV In war he be-
gan and ended in accordance with the wishes Of
France. II he had cared for the interests OF his
own realm why should he sell Dunkirk? II he
really in sympathy with his subjects, why
should not his friendships be the same as theirs? :?
But when all London was delighted because the
Spanish Embassy beat the French in a murder
Gus street quarrel. Charles and his Court mani
Tested their feeling in favor OF those who were
defeated. II required scvcral generation for the
popular party in England to get the loss Of
Dunkrk. and yet the cession of that stronghold
to France does not seem to have affected the
course Of later events either one way or the
other. AS TO Henrietta, the mere fact that she
Stuart to have led to an adverse
judgment whenever some scandal Of the French
Court involved her name. Most Of her short life
was spent in living down the calumnies which
were directed against her
There is some material in this volume which,
If not wholly new to print. has never before seen
the light In its original form; and the new testi-
mony Is of a sort TO awaken klndlier feeling to-
ward both Charles and Henrietta one begins to
think Of Charles not merely as n king but az a
with such limitations as his training and
surroundings and lifelong friendships were likely
to put upon hir. A young manhood Of forced
inactivity only relieved by excesses when there
happened to be money TO spend exile not merely
from London but from Paris and from every
capital where he would have met acquaintances
worthy of him--these things made the coming
king cynical, though nothing could damp his
gayety. lie learned 10 look on himself as well az
on the rest OF mankind with a humorous con-
tempt Beneath the rich robes Of a king he was
conscious always Of the beggarly prince who had
known what II was to go hungry In a threadbare
coat. AS ruler his ambition was hampcred by
the dread Of being sent on his travels again"
he expressed 1t with vividness which mod
ern tramp might envy. He certainly had not the
same conception OF the glory Of England which
some contemporary Englishman had But on the
other hand he had no such notions Of the divinity
Louis XIV lie awaited the popular Will TO an
extent which led French diplomatist to say that
In France the king ruled the people while in
England he was ruled by the people my fleet
has already set sail. my people are I'm a rage.
what more Is 10 be said?" was the substance of
Charles's reply to the French emissary who tried
TO NEEDLE in the anticipated war with Holland
That was a novel view TO take Of the relations
between king and people; 1t was shocking to the
traditions OF a diplomacy which had descended
from earlier time But IT showed clearly that
Charles things as they were and was dis
posed to make his words III the truth. He was
probably the first king In modern Europe TO CON-
prehend the people. Whenever he uses the lam
guage which royalty had appropriated as tts
own, there seems to be a tinge OF irony In his
phrases
In politics Henre;tas chief distinction ia that
she was practically the ambassador Of Charles at
the French Court Her life from the first had
been such to stimulate and train all her facuI
ties to the utmost. She was born in the midst of