New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MEDIAFyAL ENGLAND IN PICTURES
a SHORT HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH ISL, PE1 on.


Bv j. r. Green " A. Illustrated Edition Edited
by Mrs. J. r. Green and Miss Kate Nore"'e'
Vol ii. pp. nv. 462--93l. Harper d blotheH
The pictures In this volume themselves hstoi!
bf England from the times Of Richard ii to 'hc oea"
Of Elizabeth. Aside from the brilliant copies III
colors OF ancient paintings and LAMENTATIONS VIM"
show the artistic skill Of one age or announcer 'he'e
Is q succession OF cngNvings which inrhi'h ''Vo'u
by contemporaries Of the social life OF the Nngoom
From the very first Of these. copied from eou'"i'h
manuscript .he reader learns 10 his surprise 'ha'
lady of manor travelled about her lands IN Whso'
barrow and the weary look Of NE SERVANT WHO d"
pushing the awkward vehicle shows that Nor Journeys
were by means short. Another picture iro'n .''
same source shows tho manner Of horseback rdihg
practfsed by women before the invention OF me SIDE
saddle. that Is before the time Of Catherine de Meo''
in France and Elizabeth In England Then there Is
n series of pictures showing agricultural methode
about the middle of the fourteenth century. FROM
these II appears that stony ground was broHeh WIZ"
long handled mauls But most Of tho other operations
were not unlike those known even III TINS oo"'i'' ~
mon still living.
The wooden plough was almost contemporary with
the steam plough. In the example here taken from
the Loutrell Psaer. the row OF nall heads running
the whole length Of the mouldboard show mat IL -
OF wood. But the coulter and the share are much
in evidence and 1t is not quite sure that the plough
foot Of the old poets is unrepresented curious
detail is the clevis, which looks il 1t were maze
Of a ropes end instead of iron. The sower went
through the motions familiar 70 hand sowing GOWN
TO the advent OF the modern drill But instead OF
bag for grain swung around his neck the FARMER
carries a square basket on his arm supported a'so
bv band over his neck The square harrow wouid
NOT look AZ all ont OF place on a modern farm, and
the wheat or harley sheaves-hey look more Ike barley
than anything else-are apparently bound In me man
ner familiar every farmers boy who ever Followed
Q cradle reaplng machine In the daVs "nen
automatic string OF wire binders were unknown Ihe
farm cart with two wheels and Its three horses
htcbed tandem looks odd enough. but the me'hod oi
loading Il with sheaves would not seem particularly
strange AT the present day. Even the threshihe
with fail might still recall 10 some rustic veteran
the bumps he gave his own head when he was learn
Ing how swing that most elusive 1901 OF tho Darn
yard But It is be doubted since the fourteenth
century or even In the fourteenth century black
smith was able TO shoe a horse while racing
Oh. animal A curious detail OF this picture is that
the horse has been put into sort OF FRAMEWORK"
from which would be difficult for IT TO escape even
II Il happened to be FESTIVE. Things most oiHc"I'
10 the modern Imagination the ancient Querns or
hsndmills Bu the figures shown In this volume In
dicate how much nearer than We are the PeoPie
of those times were TO the picturesque scenes they
learned from the Bible and from books Of devotion
II sounded quite natural in their ears 10 hear OF TWO
women grinding at MILL
Cocx.fghting and bear batting were sports as we'll
fessional tunbers jugglers and dancers were appar
emily acquainted with various modern tricks. IL
would strange at the present day 10 zee any
baby except Indian pappocse bundled up ana
fastened upon its mothers back. On the same paec
with the pappooses there is another back'breaKihs
device the croSs-cut and except for those ex-
tremely recent Improvements in setting and fling
the tool resembles those sill in use. Another pie
ture represents spinning with con'rivanc,
not altogether unlike the big wheel Of our pioneer
grandmothes. The process of caring seems TO nav"
been almost exactly the that of rude times
IN this country. But the scythe Of the fourteenth
century farmer resembles nothing known at the pres
ent day. The only implement that approaches 1t In
shape is the scythe with short blade ana a long
straight snath, which was sometimes to be seen III
the bands Of German farmers of Pennsylvania ana
Ohio thirty years or more ago.
Historically OF the most Interesting engravines
in the book is copy of an ancient Illumination rep
resentng the Court OF the Kings Bench in the time
OF Henry VI. The i've judges are In robes OF reh
lined apparently with ernne Below them sit, as Is
stn the custom the Kings Coroner ard Attorney.
and the Masters Of the Court. all in party
robes The costumes are In general like nothing mod
ern but the grecn-covered table l. familiar sight
rs could wish. The figure cf III" tip>tah In
blue coat also reminds not little Of modern
policeman. picture Of the poet Lydgste In hi>
study represents an article CT furniture In the way
Of writing desk that would be well worthy OF ima-
ton at the present day variation from the forms
now In use.
In addition 10 the pictures which rcnew for IN"
reader the ordinary life Of old times the others arc
which depict from contemporary point
OF view great scenes in history But as Green's work
Is distinctvelv history of the people rather than
OF their rulers. the rude pictures such have been
mentioned seem TO harmonic most thoroughly with
the character OF the text How TIE medieval English
lived and worked the implements which they used,
these themes which, when carefully treated, restore
the vivid reality of age that has been often
merely travcstled instead OF being interpreted.
To those who have The first volume Of this
edition, il IS needless describe the typography of
its successor.