The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-19
THE CRITICS CORNER.
WEEKLY CHAT REGARDING WRIT
KRS AND HOOKS.
The "virginia Medical Monthly" August
NumbeD-"Ihe Empire of the Tsars"-
"O.iver Cromwsii"-Literary Notes.
THE VIRGINIA MEDICAL MONTHLY


ston Il Co.
We note an addition TO the regular de-
partments Of the Medical Monthly in
this admirable August issue. 1t is one
devoted exclusively to discussion regard
ing eye, ear. throat and nasal diseases,
. and is conducted by DR.. John Dunn,
of this city. If the contents are al
ways UP to the standard of these mi
tial contributions, bpth Or. Edwards
and DR.. Dunn are to be congratulated.
The Original Communications are
seven in number. Their subjects are
various and those subjects are cleveriy
treated. The contributors are Doctors
George Bayles, OF Orange, y. D.; VIM.
T. Carr OF Washington, ID. c.; ". L.
Evans, Burlington, Iowa; Y. I. Chambel-
lin,, Washington, u. c.; j. T.. Chambers,
81 Louis, Mo-; and l.. L. Montgomery
Philadelphia, Pa.
Clinical reports are submitted by Drs.
George Tuiiy Vaughan, OF Washington,
ID. c.. and DR.. George Corne, of Bios
som Hill. Va.
Eight pages are devoted to a record
Of Society and Board Proceedings, ten
to summary twitn BRET commonly of
the American Regular Medical Colleges,
one to description of new ana useful
surgical instruments, eight to analyses,
selections, etc, six to book notices, seven
to editorials, and one to obituary record
(of Or. James l.. DreWry)
AS a whole this August issue Is one
of exceptional strength and interest.
THE EMPIRE or THE TSARS AND
THE RUSSIANS: Part III. Anatote
Leroy-Beaulien: Translated by Zen
aide A. Ragozm. q. T. Putnam
Sons. New York. London. For
sale by West, Johnston * Co.
Some months ago Part / OF this work
the public and the critics, and received,
as IT entirely deserved, praise Of no
equivocal or stinted kind. Part ii Is
fully up TO the standard of its prede-
cessor. and In six books. subdlvided
into twenty-nine chapters, informs
us regarding the institutions Of that vast
autocracy now in the Identical position,
politically, as France under the sixteenth
Louis, England under the Stuarts, and
Prussia under Frederick the Great.
We are continually directing towards
her the harshest criticism, and in the
majority of cases that criticism bases
itself on ignorance. PROFESSIONALLY
she deserves some criticism, but IL can
only be just in proportion as we pos
sess a knowledge Of the problems Win
which her government has to deal. We
must give her time TO evolve Wise
solution, just as all peoples have re-
quired IL, Russia says writer In the
Critic" has At present the government
best suited to the political consciousness
OF her people, just as France in the
SEVENTEEN century was fit only for the
autocracy OF Louis XIV a too
rapid realization OF democratic ideals
in Russia would probably lead TO anar-
chy and subsequent military despotsm,
such as obtained in France under the
Revolution and Napoleon, in England
under the Commonwealth and Crom-
we'll"
'"rhe Empire OF the Tsars" gives us,
in clear and simple literary style, and
with QVidpnt uiSb n mo nprfpctik
impartial, description OF Russia's
general and local administration, bureau
cracy, police system, provisional assem-
bies and municipal councils, the admin
istration of justice and the courts, the
press and its censorship, the revolu-
tionary party and political reforms.
The work of translation is so admir-
ably done mat we should not perceive
it to be a translation were that fact
not announced on the opening page,
the style is pleasing and the annota-
tons eXceedinly helpful.
The mechanical work-printing. bind
ing, etc, IS admirable and In thorough
harmony with it's contents 1t is val
liable addition 10 the books on Russia.
OLIVER CROWN ELL: \ history. BY
Samuel Harden Church. &. +. Put
$50. For sale by West, Johnston
d Co.
This attractive combination of bio
graphy and history is a really valuable
contribution to what may be called the
literature of the commonwealth.
1t Is the result OF six years careful
study on the part of the writer, after
having read both Hume and Carlyle
and concluded that neither was just.
Hume's treatment of the great com
moner in his History OF England he
regards as overdrawn, and turning
TO Thomas Carlyle for fairer view,
the supernal garb in which he dressed
the hero was found equally unsatisiac-
tory. One school of writers pre-
scented him as a perfect being endowed
with divine mission for liberty; the
other school loaded his memory with
oboquy and charged upon his private
ambition every unwholesOme act of MS
time"
The reading public is greatly the gamer
for Mr. CGurch's dissatisfaction and
subsequent research in the cause OF
fairness. for his book Is precisely what
we might anticipate; as nearly absolute
ly fair as il is possible for the biosrapher
or historian to be with his subject CEN
fnries behind him and dependent upor
records for his facts.
The personality OF the Lord Pro-
tector. with all its powerful and contra
dictory qualities is brought before us
with absolute impartiality; the story
of his life is told and faults and virtues
commented upon with dispassionate
frankness.
The author dwells especially upon