New-York tribune., 1893-11-23
NEW Observation-Disclosures

achievement by a nation which has in the last ages
almost fallen out of the general movement of hui
manity. Mr. Salisbury points out that he Is not
dealing with unmixed race Even at the De-
ginning of history the term "Cetiberians' indicates
mixture OF Then came the Carthage
mans, themselves already a perfect miscellany OF
races the Romans in whom the mysterious
Etruscan had considerable share the Gothic
tribes the Jews and the Arabs. Throughout the
Iberan Peninsula, upon the population and the
country is be seen the influence OF all these
people The Portuguese boast that their language
Is nearest Of all to the ancient Latin. few place
names unquestionably date back to Phoencian
times which, so far as Portugal Is concerned. are
prehistoric The influence of the Visigoths was such
as to deepen the impression made by Rome in favor
of orderly government. for they improved upon
Roman notions by acknowledging certain rights as
popular and general. which the Romans granted
only to favored muncipae and colonies. The reason
IS obvious-the Visigoths and the natives OF the
Peninsula looked at these Roman privileges from
the ground of those whom they had been con-
ferred and not from that of the Roman granto's'
Besides these Teutonc invaders cherished fond-
ness for farming and 1t was in their day also 'hat
the movement of the Jews westward ana their III
fuence in trade became appreciable the ARABS
came in upon the decay of the Teutonc Kingdom
and under them the Jews still continued to increase
Abiding to this series of race movements Mr. sans
bury remarks: Most modern peoples are ny
brid the Portuguese not less than their neighbors
But there Is no to doubt that after all the
Infusion of Roman, Gothic, even Saracen ana
Jewish blood. the original Celtiberian element mas
remained the largest If in speaking Oh tne
Arabian invasion of the Peninsula one shoud pre-
fer to say Moorish. then Mr. Salisbury points CUT
the race question becomes still more complicated
since the "Moors were a heterogeneous folk, COM
posed of Libyan. Phoenician. Roman and other ele-
ments. with a strain of heather Arap pioou "a''ns
from a long past immigration" He insists that 'he
African invasion which destroyed Rodrigo, the last
o1,,
Arabs who had first conquered the Moors vi .ne
true Moorish invasion three centuries later Portu-
gal, by that time separate kinguohl' prac'''a"'
knew nothing The Arabs left brood marx upon
the whole Peninsula. The Portuguese language coi-
tains about 200 Arabic words 1t was in the eleventh
century that the beginnings Of Portugal as
separate nation began be observed, and by lV9
Count Henry of Besanzon. at first mere Vassal
holding the Porto Gale region as gift from Cas,le.
proclaimed his practical independence. AFTER 'ha'
time Portugal grew apace from 'he H'Nei Do
to the ocean on the south
Mr. Salisbury recounts the subsequent achieve
ments of the little nation-what it did in Asia IN
Africa in South America and in the South Sea- |
That was the epic period in Portugal's history as
we'll as in that of Spain. But the wealth. wmch
both these nations gathered slipped insenspy from
their grasp since they had absolutely no use ioT |
It, except to buy what other nations made Neither |
then nor since has either Spain or Portugal peen |
a creator of wealth. At present Portugal has good |
mining regions and good agricultural regions which |
are practically untouched. The people are indiner-
ent to the question of roads, they care little Tor |
manufactures their national debt is steadily grow
Ing their colonies expensive and unprohtapie'
and worst of ALL they care little for education
Only in shipping Is there encouraging outlook
One would think that what Mr.. Salisbury calls "A |
very tough Conservative party needed 10 De shaheh |
out Of its fcudal traditions. Recent incidents seem
to show that it will sooner or later be shaken out
hax-o
says Mr.. Salisbury when the Radical fever is IN
the air to keep the peace particularly as the Con-
servative for unrest is the antquated coup
d'etat. the very mention of which is sufficient to
goad advanced politicians to fury.
The picturesqueness of incident and originality |
Of plot which always characteristics OF Alfred
de Musset in his prose tales make lie FlIs du |
Titen' (Amblard & Meyer Freres) one OF the most |
acceptable Of reprints Of French fiction But
a still greater charm in the exqusitely printed lit
tie book is the color of old Venice with which It's
pages are aglow. The very first scene in the mar
ratve is a picture worthy Of the romantic school, !
and In every detail the vivid life Of the sixteenth
century in Italy is painted with the brush of an |
artist. De Musset's imagination was rich. and his
dramatic instinct was richer. The resources OF MS
pictorial faculty the richest of ALL and they
are illustrated finely in this story of scapegrace.
The publishers OF "Bohns Classical Library" |
have replaced the older volume containing prose |
translation Of Sophocles's tragedies with new |
work by Edward p Coleridge. Tine translation |
Is based the text as revised by Professor Jebo, |
and the editor disarms criticism by frankly ac-
knowledgng that in places his version may give |
q faint echo Of Professor Jebb's translation. How
ever he disc,ams anything like wfu plagiarism,
and he points out that certain turns in trans
lating become almost stereotyped in classical cir
cles and in all versions that aim at literal ac-
curacy there must, in the nature of things. be
al
has mainly used Jebbs text. which represents
Cambridge Greek learning. he has also Kept MS
eye upon Professor Campbells edition. issued by
the University of oxford He gives list OF famous
editions and manuscripts. The introduction Is fol-
lowed by a memoir of Sophocles. who. in spite OF
enormous labor at highly emotional tasks, reached
the age of ninety years. Each of the seven plays
which remain of the l3) which he Is said TO have
written is accompanied by an Introduction COM
bining analysis with critical suggestion, and by
footnotes indicating variations Of text. This last
contrivance will enable the reauer TO note nearly all
the changes accepted by Mr.. Coleridge upon the
margin of easily accessible texts like that OF Teub-
ner or the volume in Harpers Greek and Latin
series
IL is difficult to overcome a feeling of
vulsion at NJ. de Saint-Amand's volume on The
Court of Louis XV'' Charles Scribner's Sons.
though so beautifully written originally. and well
translated by Elizabeth Gilbert Martin. There Is
but one character in the book to admire, the
Queen. Marie Leczinska dutiful wife and a
watchful mother. But surely, even In her case.
piety has taken somewhat morbid turn and ii Is
possible that her unlovable ways drove the King !
TO the society of women who disgraced his reign |
II she herself conscious Of any such defect =
In her wifely courtesy then she must have felt
that she deserved blame for some of the mshaps
OF a reign which, in spite of the victory Of Fontcnoy
and other successes. fatal to Royal France.
When Canada was ceded England the English
King. with clear eye to the future. remarked
that no such advantage had ever been gained by
England or any other nation: to the Frenchman It
seemed that only few square miles Of snow
had been given up. 1t the dry in the
Court of France that made diplomatic blunder-
ing possible. The real problem for the historian
would seem to be whether not the Queen could
have exerted a more potent influence than she