New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-07
MR.. LANG'S NEW BOOK.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ST. ANDREWS.

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GREEN 5iGes q Co. Co ''0oSe' ''' N''' ''''
The University Of st. Andrews has recently
won renown by admitting women; but that Incl
dent does not figure in Mr.. Langs HISTORICAL
sketch. which is confessedy perfunctory piece
of writing intended to accompany Mr.. Hodges
mixtures Whether the book will prepare the
way for the more elaborate and learned Work
which Mr.. Lang says is being written by some
body else or prove an obstacle to It's success IL
is not easy TO say. But the world could certainly
have waited for the better book. Mr.. Lang has
left the study Of manuscripts concerning MS
theme wholly to the coming author lie mas
depended upon we-known books or upon more
exclusive society publications. III there DE hia-
terial never yet printed which is OF vaiue' no"
can Mr. Lang assert broadly that the history
NJ st Andrews for more than half its period is
destitute Of color and personal fact? Ihat Is
not, reassuring statement in behalf OF a MS
tory which Is now being written. If Mr. Lang
meant deliberately to cheaper a coming book ne
could hardly have done it more efectualy.
Possibly a more patient study of the history OF 81
Andrews Will reveal much that has escaped his
fac,le mem The outlines which he has presented
are more interesting than he claims. Even be-
fore Il received it's name the place figured IN the
history and tradition of Celtic Christianity. Re-
Numbering that Constantine was declared EN-
peror of Rome in Britain, it seems easy to anuci-
pate some Of the steps in legend which tells
how Pictish chieftan was made aware OF the
efficacy of an apostles bones This eighth CEN
fury warrior had vision not unlike that related
of Constantine himself In which shining cross
figured with the semblance of man VINO ne
learned was ST. Andrew. At the same time
monk in Constantinope was told by voice from
heaven TO gather up what left Of st. Andrew
fO a II
would know when he reached It, the chiel'a'h
and the monk met on the spot which has ever
,,nce heen called ST. Andrews. and there the
xyearv homes of the Apostle were laid to rest at
last The monks name was Regulus' ana TINS
leads Mr. Lang to identify him-dropplhg the
visions as needless-with a person VINO ma!
have been real, a companion or ST Columpa III
the business of founding monasteries. First
hermit. then a banu Of monks then many her-
rits and many monks, long contests over 'he
observance Of Easter. over the tonsure perhaps
over monastic rues-these men and thlhss
marked the reformation by which places like
tho site of ST Andrews were converted from the
Celtic form of Christianity to that Of Rome. Inc
coming of a bishop with the consent ana pro-
lection of the secular power meant the complete
1dctorv Of Rome Just as the destruction or the
en;scopate was the elimination Of the Calvinist
reform in the sixteenth century. Under the RUE
of bishops ST. Andrews gathered wealth. ana
raised many religious buildings. The priory OF
the regular canons there was the richest III "cot-
land by the middle of the twelfth century. II
was mitred abbey. with all the privileges Oh
such a foundation. and around this wealthy re-
ligious body gradually grew up town with con-
siderable commerce.
Then came the era Of universities in Europe
At first 1t was supposed that they would be
avowed purpose Of preventing heresy that the
h,shop of St Andrews in 1411 provided for
uchool Of higher learning than had been
known before The Pope formally established
the university by a bull. But 1t turned out at
st. Andrews. as at many other places mat
broadening scholarship awakened doubts whlch
the old Church could not allay ana PROVOKED
questions which could not be answered MT.
Lang is friendly to the Church. not on religious
grounds but because the buildings when IL
.had raised and the system which 1t had per-
fected could easily have been turned 10 the
permanent uses Of learning He is ill-tempered
and satirical toward the Kirk, because II de-
.stroyed or scattered all the garnered wealth OF
the mast and left Scotland to cultivate the
Muses. on a diet that was little better than
starvation But even had the Reformers cher
Ashed a better mind toward the harmless struct-
ures of the old Church, the bitter struggle or
two generations would have destroyed them
Mr.. Lang remarks that throughout its history
st Andrews has never been without ruins
Naturally the processes Of destruction were
'hastened during the two or three generations
when the place was the centre Of religious con-
6icts for the whole nation. st. Andrews VIII
messed much cruel torture in the name OF re-
iigion. In the fifteenth century Paul Craw. ap-
parently a HUSTLE, was burned punish
rnent for advocating doctrines that were like
modern communism. The hasty way In which
Mr. Larg has thrown his book together Is shown
by the fact that he dates Craw's martyrdom IN
1892 on one page and in 1471 on another. Then
at the very outset Of the Reformation, Patrick
Hamilton, a man Of gentle birth and Of wealth.
an abbot at the tender age Of fourteen, and a
vort Of knight-errant in the cause of learning
and Of justification by faith, was roasted 10
death in a fire Of green wood. which protracted
his torments for six hours. The Reformers had
the credit Of not burning anybody on point OF
religious belief but they burned many so-called
witches they hanged persons opposed to the
Kirk and they assassinated Cardinal Beaton
and sailed his corpse. This incident Is a favor
ite one with Mr.. Lang He alludes TO II also
In his missive to John Knox among the Letters
TO Dead Authors" 1t drew the attention or all
England and Scotland to st. Andrews; and
the murderers when Joined by others who had
plotted or at least wished the CardlnaIs death
were strong enough to defy all authority until
they were dislodged from the castle in which
they had taken refuge by force OF French
men, Knox himself was one Of the prisoners
on that occasion. He so thoroughly identi-
fed with St Andrews that Mr.. Lang devotes to
him much Of this book. With additional de-
tails the picture of the Reformer thus pre-
scented is a copy Of that drawn In the letter
alluded to. Personally the author evidently dis
likes Knox, and yet he cannot withhold tribute
of admiration to his determination and success;
nor does he ever cease to wonder at the con-
fradictions in Knox's character
An important chapter in the life OF Mary
Queen of Scots belonged to ST. Andrews. 1t