New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-20


nasterly historical work was placed before the
nuhlic unstinted praise bestowed upon 1t in
The Tribune and the successive books have been
discussed with similar cordially as they nave APP
reared This concluding volume confirms all the
judgments that have heretofore been expressed ana
leaves the edition object of unGualiied adnira-
ton Mrs Green and her accomplished colleague
have worked without ceasing, and they have gwen
us in their edition of the History really viVld
and adequate pictorial review OF the development
OF England down to so late date as ls'5 Inc last
cuts in the book before are from portraits OF
Dsrae and Gladstone and from the British nag
1t Is a great task well performed
II should be remembered that much more mas oeeh
a,,empted in this edition OF Green's work than an
entertaining establishment of his pages The Illus
trations form something more substantial IMAM
gallery of portraits, fine though such gallery alone
might be The aim In this case was minute ana
everything was done assemble from every pos
sble source the slightest relic that might throw
light on the drift Of things in earlier times For
the present volume The editors had plenty or ma
terlal to fall back upon 1t opens at 1919 from
which comparatively modern date 10 the present
time there have been innumerabe pictures broad
sides and so on produced for the delight OF the
editors and readers Of a work Ike this Ihere Is
a strikngly grim and eloquent fragment Reproduced
on one of the first pages OF the BOOK IL Is Pdr'
Of a banner used by the Covenanters AT Druhcios
and Boutwell, Brig IN 1919 and it bears these egehos
Active Enemies Of We Covenant" That Is con-
,emporaneous reminder more concise and impress
sve than ANYTHING Green himself ever wrote. Yet
* is an extremely pleasant thing to turn his pages
once more. He falls below the great historical
masters of style. Beside Gibbon or Froude you
find Green a commonplace writer. But the plan OF
his history far from commonplace-indeed' IL
was something like an inspiration to follow the prog
ress Of the English people with such patent ana
sympathetic for details that more brilliant
authors are rarely disposed to touch Green brings
the reader in close contact with the nation of whom
ne wrote: he puts you on intimate terms with MS
long procession Of leaders and scapegoats. yet ne
does this with refreshing absence of really trivial
details He could be attentive to small matters
without ever taking small views, or elevating I'M
important affairs persons 10 an unreasonable
altitude And Mrs Green and Miss Norgate have
hit with precision the happy mean OF his style
Their humblest designs are often among the most
interesting Take, for example. any one OF those
seven eight figures given from Tempests 'Cres
as typical Of the first decades Of the last century
The ole clo' appears in this series the pedier
of Goals. the news vender and the kettle mender.
with a realism that is almost startling All through
the revolutionary period the text Is reinforced by
illustrations opposite these and the succeeding
era, inaugurated by Pitt and Identified as Mod
ern England by our author is no less richIy
figured. The portraits in this last division are es-
pecially interesting though we would be sorry TO
accept the full length Of Johnson. taken from an
engraving by Finden, the best available Amer'-
can readers will be attracted by those pictures
which appear In the pages dealing with the period
of our War Of Independence. Stuart's Washington.
the one owned by Lord Rosebery, is given full
page and there fascinating little chart Of Boston
IIarbor as il was in 1888, taken from drawing
In the British Museum. But all this mass OF
illustrative data is fine and instructive, and there
have been few additions TO the students library
for which have been able to bespeak of late. so
u.aloo he cd
serves Mechanically II has been excellenly put
together. The presswork is good and the paper.
binding and details of reproduction have all been
attended to in the right spirit 1t is valusbl his
tory, and it has been worthiy edited.
HERAIDRY IN AMERICA BY Eugene Zeber
Alto. PIP. AT. Philadelphia The Bailey Banks q
Biddle Company.
Heraldry is a living science in the Old World.
The Garter King of Arms and his coadjutors are
not mere antquarians. They perform definite
functions and grant family devices to persons en-
titled 10 receive them by the laws of the social
system under which they live. We may look upon
it vanity. but so is patent of nobility, or
companionshp in order. In America he Ques-
tion OF is entirely different. There be
for newly granted, even if there
existed any power to grant Them much less for
arms arbitrarily assumed. Aside from the use OF
the science of heraldry to prepare public seals and
devices which shall not through ignorance Of the
laws OF composition offend good taste and confuse
the student OF arms bearing, the function OF
heraldry in this country is properly historical.
large proportion OF the American colonists. from
New-England to Georgia. belonged to families OF
position In England, and they kept their old-world
traditions on this side of the water. Tomtstones,
silverwsre and bookplates to be found in large
numbers bearing the arms Of their owners. whose
descendants with perfect proprety and with no dis
loyalty to the Republic them to this day. Those
arms are often the means of tracing family con-
aoA hic ha .hO ali
without right not only sins against good taste but
helps to the confusion of records. In architecture
heraldry plays important part even In this
country. Family and society arms are fitting decora
tons for buildings of various kinds. and when
properly applied add to their beauty and their
historic interest. well as giving outward symbolic
expression character of the structures which
they adorn. Unfortunately. a lack OF technical
knowledge the part Of architects has led IRE
quently to the carving Of meaningless or untruth-
full shields. 1t is not uncommon TO find the Ma
tona arms engraved in way not only out OF con-
formity to the laws of the land by which they are
prescribed, but after a fashion utterly regardless
OF the herads laws of charges and tinctures, which
give the devices meaning and dignity.
Some Of the State arms are in excellent taste and
correctly composed, while others either pictorial
beyond the bounds of heraldry or ridiculous in their
ARRANGEMENT. IL the custom Of using symbolic
seals be followed in this country as 1t Is else
where in the civilized world, 1t Is well TO use them
correctly. If the architect is to put arms over his
doorways let him study the science which the her.
aids developed and apply their rules with ntelli-
gence. Mr.. Ziebers work gives a clear statement
of those rules adapted for use in this country. At
the same time he makes clear what the practice Is
abroad where many customs are observed in diff
ferencing and cadency for which there Is no need In
this country. That he will be obeyed is perhaps too
much to hope. There is no law to prevent any per-
son using any device he sees fit for his personal or
family emblem, any more than there was when the
first knights adopted symbols to identify them
selves In battle. But from the knights deeds has
come a system recognized the world over Those
who will not obey its rules. its charges as they
should and when they should. ought to let them
alone.