, 1894-12-22

writer, and tlp West Indies a oharmingly
picturesque delineator Of tlp}r past. 1t may
be. aa some critics aver, th#T as an historian
he was not always exact in his details, but,
there can be ne Question that as RECORDS the
subjects with which Ii" dealt, he invariably
invested them with a cham and fascination
such as iut few writer's posse ,oa. Ills
many gifts. his t~tsJcs, his stu 4 not ess
than his pelsont. association combined to
mp rt to hin a distinction 81 h az below 90
to none but the finest an, loftIest spirits Of
an age. A candle critic, in noticing his
dcui~e. says.-"Sharpty contrasted With
CARLYLE ia ali the external cifcu1E stances OF
birth. education. and culture, he becaI4 by
native affinity Of temper the willing prose te
Of the rugged peasant philosopher, his
tachcd and most trusted friend, and ultImaf
" his almost too candid ~hiographer. As u
historian lis star rose as hat Of Macaulol
p2lei. Eqrol in effulgence, the new lumi-
mary differed widely in quality from its
predecessors but Froudo, like Macaulay, had
to pay lie inoxorable penalty Of brillianoy
which dazzled and delighted the unlealnra
whllo il provoked the wrath OF Dryasdust.
As an historian, especially when dealing
with Wcst Indian matters, Froude belonged
to a school which has fallen into dndeserved
d%isrrputc. In point Of etyle, whether for
felicity Of diction or for yivilress Of
portraitute, he belongs ~indisputably to the
company Of the "Imm0rtals." In his own
peculiar field he has undoubtedly left no rival
behind him. AS for the matter with which
he dealt, it may .be admitted that Ae was less
concerned with accuracy Of deti il on with
completeness of research than with dramatic
force inI unity Of conceptions
M. f.Il,&ptp,r v.Y,,-l.g" D.r tbo uhoqo,foYie
1ics of SIe late Professor may be accepted
absolutcly: 'Frouds Is dramatic theory Of
history, combined with his constitutional
inaccuracy and his hahjf"ol inattot5i ION 10
details led tim NIT ms aYh 'orary
scI MT ' bodied an il nth
neyertI elcsB- the truth, namely, a.
is really an 'magIrativA reconstruction,
~rticu,ate. coF~,e' . q nv eauicp'ly com
paced ,ogo,ner. opd not a .lcro~ jvy-as~dus
collection Of heHero2eneous and inorganic
materials. 'The ideal historian is one who
not only knows all tbe facts. but sees them
and rreSent3 them in all thcir organic .rela-
tons. The actual historian rarely combines
bot ties in equal or So ficient proportion,
Froudt~was certainly deficient IN the
patient drudSery off, Dryasdnst, Ban, when
~ 70 said on this topic tfat charity persists
ana justice requires, Tho feet remains that be
ha> us IN perfect English, chnptols Of
our n fond story which display i'm 6very
page a rht oultd patriotism, "a raro gift Of
historic iAagi.ation, a robust, Sturdy. and
stimulating faith in tho moral government
of The world
Reviewing the Professors labours ons West
indian hlstory,i il is impossible to deny thai
despite certain hlcmishcs in the matter ST
p%eseimisni, his pictures Of the past and his
deIineati0n Of the present have drawu much
public attention to our possessions III Carib-
bean waters. 1t is undeuiable that lis
English in the West Indies .,ontQiucd'
matters So graphically related, 80 full #
charming lfe-like touches, as 10 90 far 10 oxi
plain much Of the public interest which has
undoubtedly grown mp in recent years about
the life and doings Of our colonies in the
Western hemisphere. What the picturesque.
pen Of Sir James Emerson Tenuon't accom-
pllsh6d for Ceylon, and what Sir ,Stamfofd +,
Rafles did foc Java, Professor FroudC has
achieved for the West Indies; let tins Not
be forgotten, ~ lie once >el,-te. "~kuowlcdee
is power, and woal / INV md liar
messed, as in PlaIo's "a 'ot Of
the soul, and pu:7 = SSs'1 "thcN
bear it t. agn the cs civ,.o. a, stars }
left + ,irir own guiIaQce, CT leined by a
,ool 5 hand the wild horses may J 8
poor fool to Phaeton's end, and s. a world
on fire"