New-York tribune., 1896-10-24

AN EXAMPLE OF BOOKS THAT GROW.

iatod hy linda Villarl. With Portraits and II
Illustrations. Popular Edition. PIP. XVII. az
Imported 10y Charles Scribners Sons.
Unless somebody should attempt English
version Of the numerous documents added by
Professor Villari 10 his famous work. this
translation may be looked on as final. 1t Is oil
interest aside from the perennial charm or It's
theme George Eliot proved once for all to
readers Of English the profound meaning of
SavonaroIa's character 10 the psychological
artist. But after oil. che dll not enter very
deeply into its mysteries. Professor Niliaris
purpose though less romantic. Vas far more
complete He aimed. as far as possible 10
leave nothing unstudicd or unsaid that per
taincd 10 trc lifc and character OF Savonarola
or to the merits Of the documents in which
that life and th-t character are reflected. This
history OF the biography which he wrote and
rewrote with changes and additions. keeping
at his task for many years. AZ successive edi-
tions vcrc demanded, is a history Of literary
evolution TO which really many hands con
tributed each something OF more less i'm
portancc.
Probably Professor Nillaris work in it's earli-
est form did more than anything else 10 direct
the curiosity Of other writers to the subject.
But even he at the outset, had only measre
conception OF the problems that confronted him
Savonaroa seems very distinct figure on the
border Of a period which Is clearly de-
limited as any historical time. But this dis
tinciness is only result OF atmospheric CON
dtions. In fact Savonarola's life was legend
airy before ii was completed. Neither friends
nor enemies were able to see him as he was
This defect In them Is reflected In all the rec
ords which they left concerning him. Generally
speaking. an official minute respecting a mans
own d eds or what was doe for him or against
him 10y others can be trusted. II tells almost
nothing, n bare fact Of some kind other. and
there is no need to make It tell anything else
But even the official records are snare in
Savonaroas case. Then. 1t might be supposed
that n critical age like the Renaissance would
have shown its acumen and its impartiality in
biography. But IT did not. II was too much
enerosscd in correcting and interpreting old
manuscripts and in quarrels the virulence of
which is still one Of .he wonders OF history.
A little reading between the lines and a little
comparison Of editors with due consideration
Of Professor Villari's own comments on his
work will show the influence that other critics
AID historians had upon him. From the very
first he had the material for a splendid nara
tive To which II easy even then to impart
not merely literary finish hut tho air of keen
investigation. one painstating German had al
ready been the field and had gathered n
vast mass Of documents. The very multiplicity
Of this mans discoveries overwhelmed him
Those Who have read him say that he could not
bring his facts into proper relation WITH each
other. lie dug for the ore like genuine miner
but left the extraction and assay OF the precious
metal 10 those who were TO follow him. Pro-
fcssor Villar attcsts the value of this particular
writer TO his own abOrs. and he shows how
others dsmayed by the heap Of ill-arrangcd ma
terial raised by the German investigator, un-
fortunately ignored It, In short. the evolution of
his book covers almost the whole period OF mod
ern historical criticism and the rise Of that sys-
TEN OF minute study which is the crownng
glory of the nineteenth century. When he be-
gan writer's had hardly any excmplar OF the
right way to do historical work except Gibbon
and one or two volumnous French writer's, who
were more praised than read. The Italians were
least of all amenable to the new ways Of study
that were coming into fashion. But the Ger
mans were getting over their clumsy method OF
editing commonplace books instead OF working
at their material until it had form and unity.
They were creating anew science OF history.
Men like Ranke and Gregorovus getting as
near the bottom Of things as was possible and
Ranke I'm particular had his attention called to
Sayonarola. Ranke was not in a position nor
had he the WISH to explore the case OF the Flor
entine monk, statesman and martyr What he
did was TO examine the books and other data
accessible 10 him and to pass such Judgment
upon the trustworthness OF these as his acute
intellect suggested. The result Of his compare
lively brief essay on Savonarola was to give
every stu lert of the man and his times clear
insight as to the main difficulties that were to
be met in composing trustworthy biography.
Professor Villari proited by the hint at once.
He saw that the work Of the men who wrote as
If they knew Savonaroa personally must be ex-
amined anew with view TO testing Its genu-
ineness His new inquiry did not change the
facts so much might be feared. But II put
him In a different attitude toward the facts. II
he WAS apparently judicial In the first edition Of