New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-16
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

The fourth volume OF Henry d. "He""'! 80
ton of Pepys's DIARY" Macmillan & Coz oe'rays
few omissions in comparison with the carrier mum"
bers of the series Possibly some cases escdPeu
observation but those noted amounted only 10 hi"e
in number One reason for TINS is that repSs W
gan 10 nut certain Objectionable passages OIL HIS
journal into French. The editor mas diso '
lose soueamsh about small things. IT IS worth oo'
.,,., thu. an equivalent for the superstition
co,nmon IN the Southern States about the rappt
foot was familiar to the England oil fepSS ua'
He tells of a hare's foot which ne carrieu "s pi
lection against certain ailments 10 winch "e was
subject.
"Studies in the Evolution Of English CriuciSh
(Ginn e. Coz is the title Of small Voiune contain,
inc "a thesis presented to the Philosophical facui'y
of Vale University in candidacy for the uesIee VI
Doctor of Philosophy" by Laura Johnson "E"e.
The author has written not merely the convenience
dissertation but excellent piece OF h'ei"'u'e
proper tribute to the great names OF "hlc" 'o
treats While many writer's are mentioned 'he '"o
around whom the book revolves are DrEuen anu
CoIerdge The definite but narrow ideas OF Dry
den and those who followed in his ioo's'epS as "
critic are wildly conrasted with the vague anu !e.
comprehensive scheme Of thought characteTl"lc Vi
colerdrc II cannot be said that Co!erdge always
knew his own mind defect that would nav nee"
fatal to Dryden But the practical ana iii''eu ann
Of the latter is not adequate TO n literature whch
has outgrown its old forms. on the other manu. II
is probable that the purpose OF Colerldses uh'h-
ished and fragmentary work VIII peOOlic "OiN
clear as the world advances. The author OF TINS
book travels outside of English literature In com
Melting her task She points to the influence OF
Cornellle and of St Evremond and Of French liter
ature In general upon England In Drydens ume'
and TO the German impulses that affected CoeTlu6e'
Yale University has done well to publish the ESSAYS
ne model of good work. The only defect In the
hook is an occasional of phrases for sound
rather than sense "Spnozism' is. for example an
adequate name for Spnoza's Philosophy "i'"ou'
saving "Spinoza's SpnoZism.
A book which will facilitate study OF English con-
stutional history is G.. w. Protheros Select stat
utes and Other Constitutional Documents Ilustra-
tive of the Reigns of Elizabeth and James /
macmillan & Coz 1t Is intended as the author
says to fill at least partly the interval between
the Select Charters" edited by the Bishop OF ON-
ford and the constitutional Documents OF the
Puritan Revolution" edited by S. r. Gardner by
rigid but apparently wise methods in the omission
of matter not pertinent TO the theme or OF pas
sages superrous by repetition. the author mas com
pressed the important legislation Of the period re-
specting the army and navy. the judiciary. the
Council Parliament. and Church and state into
n small volume The material comprises not only
the enactments OF Parliament but also petitions
fragments Of debate records OF trials as IN the case
of Mary of Scotland ordinances Of the Star cham
Der ecclesiastical documents extracts from pohu-
cal and church writer's. and on. These seiec-
tons are introduced by elaborate essay In when
the quotations are summarized and interpreted with
a clearness and comprehensveness worthy OF Bish-
Cd Stubs himself II is there shown how Parlia-
ment steadily advanced in power under TUDOR
absolutism and how the royal power was willingly
strengthened by the nation as long as 1t was IN
the hands of sovereigns who understood the Eng
fish people and capable OF devising means
10 advance England's prosperity; but was grudg-
ingly allowed. and finally Withdrawn by force from
the Stuarts whose notion of politics was that ma
f,l.T hat fHUc T1iu "
cuse for reignng James /. inculcated ideas Of the
roval prerogative which could hardly be travcstied
so gro,esque were they as he published them.
Charles never corrected his errors. and Charles
II only learned retcence. not prudence. on this
point by reason OF his threadbare life as travel
ling prince. Mr. prothero also outlines the proc
esaes Of the evolution OF taxation the growth or
parliamentary privilege and the changes In the
judicial system. That he Is something OF an opt-
mist in history seems TO be shown by the fact that
while he acknowledges the complex and incon-
gruous judcature Of the Tudors, he still asserts
that II great Improvement on what mad eX-
listed in any previous age.
The second volume OF English Prose Odacmil-
Ian G. Coz. edited by Henry Craik. comprises au-
thors OF the sixteenth century down TO the time
Of the Restoration. 1t has less an air Of cons;raint
than ts predecessor. Besides Introduction the
editor Henry Craik. contributes articles on Hay
ward. Bishop Hall. Heyyn. Sir Kenelm Digby.
bury writes on John Dome, Robert Burton Thomas
Hobbies James Howell, Sir Thomas Urquhart. Sir
Thomas Browne Thomas Fuller. James Harring-
ton w. S. Mccormick James !. Sir Thomas
Overbury, John Seden William Drummond James
Miller Dodds on John Spottiswoode. Samuel Ruth
erford, William Mimic Francis Bacon, A. w.
Ward on Sir Henry Wotton where he makes the
mistake OF speaking OF Father Paul OF Venice In
stead Of Friar Brother Paul; Ben Jonson. John
Earle. John Milton. Abraham Cowley. W. T. Ker
on Samuel Purchas Lord Herbert OF Cherburg.
| Samuel Butler. Edmund X. Chambers James
Usher, Thomas May. Robert Leighton. Henry
More the Platonist. w. Wallace on John Hales.
| William Chillingworth Bustrode. Whiteiocke.
Canon Anger on George Herbert. a. ]. Fltzroy on
owen Feltham, and Ralph Cudworth and Edmund
! Gosse Izaak Walton. Those familiar with the
English literature OF the times covered by the book
Will need TO be told that the tasks OF the
| tributors not ll-assorted they look. The
plan of the book comprises first biographical
notice, then a critical estimate. and finally more
/ less numerous specimen paragraphs of each au-
thor Those who Ike their literature in fragments
will have reason to complain Of this prose
! thology.
The seventeenth volume Of the Dictionary Of
National Biography" macmillan x Coz. runs
! from Masquerier to Miyng inclusive The list n
cludes the life OF Andrew Meikle. inventor Of the
drum thrashng machine. the first competitor OF
the fail. An article OF unusual length IS devoted
| TO Frederick Denison Maurice Many names occur
OF men who, though not born In England. gained
distinction there. These indicate the broad fed
covered by this vast and growing collection. An
example that illustrates this breadth from another
point of view Is the space devoted. for example,
10 Thomas Francis Meagher. The eighteenth vo.-
ume begins with Sir Francis Miman the father Of
the famous Dean of ST. PauI's. includes neces-
sary elaborate study Milton. and what was
less to be expected. articles OF length Mil
| toms father and on his brother. Sir Christopher,
who now hardly remembered except for the
name they bear But It Is worth remembering
that the well-known hymn tune york
composed by Millions father. Another figure OF