New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-10


TRANSLATED ron tho Fourth German Edition By
Annie HamiltoH. Vol |. Up. XVI V9o-Nol H.
PIP xiii. 5lS. Macmillan & Co
In The native language of Gibbon any history
OF Ro!ne's decline whether original or translated
II In part supernuous. This is the case with this
excellent version of Gregorovius. What relates
10 the Empire and to the various rulerships that
succeeded IL vas on the whole. better told by
t;ihbon than II can he by any one olsc. He
e,-1itinized his authorities with SO much care
thu, II is difficult 10 find any room FOR correctloh
and he wrote too we'll To be initiated. In a few
eases later authors. Gregorovius among the rest
have found errors which they fastened To spe-
city Ru: il is surprising how rarely TINS nap
pens Once In Il great while Gibbon misfeaa the
text before him; but even when AIN accident OF
this sor, occurred Il was usually at place where
,ba general truth OF history was not affected
The first example of serious criticism pF
c;reco-ov,us on the historian Of The Decline and
Fall relates to the fall Of Stilicho the military
rer, Of Claud!an's verse. the adversary OF
Alaric and the sole ornament. from states
MANS point OF view. Of the reign Of Honorius
C;ibnon SAWS Gregorovius described the clrcum-
stances % the fall Of Stilicho with the talent ~
O traeedian but his sympathy for the iaien
hero prevented MIN from taking wholly I'M
Martial view Gregorovus himself tells briefly
how Alaric was S. badly beaten by Sthcho IN
Arcadia than he had barely strength lcit 10
escape how defeated in war he was sun ao'e
TO control the corrupt politics OF Byzantlum ana
10 secure the title Of General or llIyria ana any
Of the Eastern Empire: how ne was Gelea'eu
again by Stilicho at P0llenua and Verona wheH
re yentured into Italy; and how tho Roman
commander seeing no prospect OF completely sup
messing a foe sustained by men who should nave
helped to destroy him. finally tried secret nego-
tiation This was dangerous business for him'
man Of Vandal origin. whom the Roman populaCe
hated as n foreigner In spite or his successful ei
forts In guarding the Western Empire. Alaric pre-
tended 10 accede to the plans of Stlcho He
agreed to break his alliance with the Eastern
Empire and even gave the hope that he would
transfer the province Of Illyria to the west.
But he was no sooner out Of the grasp OF MS
coroueror than he sent A demand 10 the En-
peror Honorius for subsidy. alleging the cost
NJ nnoving his army and Of living inactive IN
Enirus The Emperor and the Senate agreed 10
nav 900 pounds I'm gold But unfortunately one
Of the Senators Lampodius, with sudden ac-
cAssion of patriotism. declared that the money
the price not OF peace but OF slavery -
nbrase turned the feelings Of the Romans. Inc
enemies Of Stcho persuaded the Emperor 'ha'
the general had plotted with Alaric to secure
tho throne for himself or for his son. Sthcho
was enticed from a church IN when ne hau
taken refuge at Ravenna and was beheaded
IJnouestionably Gibbon partial to the mem
ory Of Stiicho The list Of great men with whom
he had to deal short that ne hau eoou
reason for making the most Of 1t. But his haotu-
al caution did not desert him. He TOOK the eulo-
gies Of Claudian and submitted them TO cri'lcls'"
7, tho hero had been well-born the fattering poet
would have dwelt upon his lineage mat ne III"
mo, d,,a,e upon the Generals stately presence,
exalting him above the demigods or antiquity
was nroof that he had good reason. Not even
noet in the face Of thousands OF eye-WltnesSes'
would have dared to make a demigod of one
mean in appearance Nor could the poet nave
praised the military genius of man who had
none. With the help of Claudian and the "un-
willing testimony Of Zosinlus a Greek MIS-
.orian with the prejudices of the East against
stilicho Gibbon constructed a biography OF the
Vandal hero which revealed his rise step by step
through all the grades Of military service. MS
confidential relations with Theodosius MS success
in dividing the Emperor between Honorlus ana
Arcadjus his absolute supremacy over the army
are all worked out with that wonderful mastery
Of detail which is Of the marvels or HISTORICAL
writing But Gbbon not insensible to the
shadows in the contemporary pictures OF sun
cho He showed that Stcho was capable or UNI
relenting cruelty toward his enemies, as in the
case O, Rufinus He dwelt upon the plots with
which the General mis- favor lesseneo, was
obliged TO meet the Vaccinations Of his enemies
showing how for example, he fomented and then
suppressed mutiny in order to frignten the EN-
peror; but he omitted nothing that Gregorovius
has given and he descended to a minute doscrip-
tim Of the slaughter Of Stitches partisans
10. rnF l.
cbos own death 1t was compassed by man
who owed something in the way OF gratitude 10
his victim. was a real. though not technical
violation Of the right Of asylum. St!hcho re-
ceIyed an oath-bound assurance that nothing was
intended beyond his arrest. But he was no soon
er outside Of the church than a warrant was pro
duced for his instant execution. His behavior a.
this moment justified Gibbon in the pages which
he has lavished on his career. He listened calm
ly TO the accusations, restrained the friends whC
smoke OF resistance and submitted 70 his fate viii
a frmness not unworthy Of the last Of the Roman
generals" On the face OF Il. the point of Gregoro
vius is not well taken He should demonstrate
that Gibbon made an unwarranted use of his au
thorities or drew upon his own imagination. il
this cannot be shown. then il is Gregorovus II
his note. rather than Gib5on in his voluminou'
narrative who takes partial view of the matter
Verbally Gregorovius has better case in the
little anmadversion which he makes on Glib
bo:'s account Of the life and death Of the Sen
ator and philosopher BoSthius. The author Of
the Consolation OF Philosophy" was one OF
these unfortunate men cast for a life Of reading
and contemplation. but doomed by social posi-
ton and the necessity of the times to take part
in the affairs oc State. 1t chafcd him as n r.
man and Senator to owe g, much as he and
his state and his class did t. a foreign king
Theodore: perhaps his irritation was the greatei
because Theodore though vindictive man. was
n wise and benefcent ruler. He earned the fate
which overlook him by joining conspiracy 10 cal
in the forces Of the Eastern Empire against the
Goths He was not at first implica ted in the