New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-26

Lippncott Company.
The value Of Mr. Blair's book lies not in the
original study OF documents, but in the graphic
view 1t gives Of character unique in the MIS-
tory Of France. Henry " for freedom OF speech
and for the liveliness and eccentricty OF his
humor comes nearer to President Lincoln than TO
any European potentate. He was man OF
genius whose manners the polished world could
not change. A king who could write TO states
man that he was so busy he had not time to blow
his nose must have deserved the witty stroke OF
that Partisan lady who said that she had seen
the King of Navarro but not His Majesty. The
Implication was that he had no majesty. But
without it he was capable of arousing the most
extraordinary enthusiasm among his soldiers IN
time of war and among his subjects in time of
peace This enthusiasm had not single element
Of that superstitious regard with which people or
n later age looked up to Louis XIV. Few kings
were ever better known to their subjects than
Henry of Navarro. In fact. they knew him so
well and became so familiar with him that they
moderated his abilities and had TO correct their
estimate in the light of his achievements
great many things contributed to make or thls
king an exception in the line Of extremely pc
ished and artificial personages to whom II fell 20
rule and gradually to ruin France. In the hrst
place his grandfather was nossessed by the fear
that he could not outlivc his boyhood. He was
therefore sent to live in the open air. to mnge
with all classes Of people to hunt and become
familiar with the life of field and forest. He be-
came an adept in the rude and ready wit that
delighted the people His answers were always
quick and always to the purpose, but they were
not expressed with the euphuistic delicacy usual
at court. Long afterward his knowledge or the
forests enabled him to handle troops in way
that astonished his opponents.
As possible heir to the French throne, he fell
IN early youth into the care Of Catherine de
Medici While he imbibed some learning in Paris.
the most important Lesson taught him there
seems to have been the almost vupne skill with
which he foiled the plots Of a Court reckoned,
after the massacre of ST. Bartholomew. to be the
bloodiest and most unscrupulous In Europe. In
the midst Of environment so perious he seems
to have put on an antc disposition His real
powers were defty concealed under an air OF
folly and Indifference Here his unpublished man.
ners stood him In good stead and he was under
no temptation to become a courter Thus the
rudeness which had grown upon him owing 10
his active life in boyhOOd was confirmed by the
policy that was necessary to save his nfe Some
times his real nature flashed out for an instant.
for example when he chose Greek motto which
meant Conquer or die" but in general his reso-
ever, that necessity of concealment generated a
habit which was marked in mature life. habit
Of neglect!ng the fruits Of his victories In battle
his youthful determination asserted itself. but
when the fight was won his strange warrior for
got his ambitions, forgot that the enemy should
be pursued and rendered incapable Of further
mischief and began TO think only OF some mo-
rnentary pleasure There may also have been
behind all the energy of the man latent doubt
Of himself, which was only dispeed by final sue
cess
When he escaped from Paris and from the dan
gerous Vaccinations of Catherine II was only
10 become partisan leader in a series of wars
that were eHbttered by all the hatreds Of re-
ligion as we'll the entanglements OF politics
His reputation for folly had preceded him. and 1t
took more than victory to convince the men
OF Navarro and the Protestants of France that
they had one OF the most resourcefu leaders
known to the military annals of France or Of
Europe. They We're slow to put faith In him and
ne was slow TO take upon himself any e the dig
nifty of a king Thus the camp not II pla for
him 10 cramp the natural tendencies Of his in
d,viduality. 1t is true that later. when the
French throne became a practical certainty in
his future he assumed a reserve which sat rather
Ill upon him and offended those who had come.
through his own indulgence, 20 look upon them
selves as his companions in arms rather than as
his subjects But this air Of majesty was only
assumed. He dropped II whenever ne could, and
was to the end OF his life the royal jester. But
no man could have been more serious than he
under this veil Of careless gayety. The same in
ventiveness and organizing skill which made
him, with the single exception of the Duke Of
Parma. the first soldier Of his age, also led him
as King OF France to systematic the government
,ivh. oil
most be said to have originated the modern
plan OF bureaus and departments. Eat without
the patient Sully he never would have had
the persistence to carry out his designs. He
fought battles he did not carry on cam
paigns That was his defect az a soldier
and as a statesman. NJ man OF his time
handled troops we'll the field as he
but no man was less tolerant than he OF the
strategy which defeats an enemy without
fighting, and wears him out by disappointment
In comparing Henry and the Duke Of Parma
Mr. Blair cites the opinion Of the Duke Aumale
that Henry " was master Of the art of war
as practised in his time-a clever but somewhat
reckless general who frequently displayed the
genius Of a great commander. He was an able
and inventive tactician, and, although he was
outnanoeuvred by Parma he exceed the Span
fish commander in the disposition Of his troops
the choice Of ground. and the conduct OF an en-
gagement" He was the first general to handle
artillery on the field with anything like modern
effectiveness. The same impatience that marked
his career as a soldier shown In his policy
as king He meant to improve the finances OF
his kingdom, and the times could not have ar
forded a more feasible plan than he devised with
Sully's aid But he could not carry out his plan
consistently. He too free with money when
ne had It, The coin fe.l from his purse as easily
as the tears from his eyes. lie could weep with
out any provocation; and the only way to keep
him from impoverishing the finances ne really
meant to build up to keep him poor The
fearful monarch with the empty purse was nc