The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-25

ION "atSOnb ft1StOTICbI btyAO. Il
The Hon. Tom WATSON Of Georgia, lately
for Vice-President Of the United
on the Populist ticket along with
Mr.. BRYAN of Nebraska, is at present en-
gagged in writing a new history Of France,
to be completed in three volumes. This in
teresting enterprise, undertaken, we be-
lieve, since the election Of last November,
has already advanced 80 far that the first
volume is now accessible to students. Mr..
WATSON is apparently his own publisher;
and for the copy Of the book which Ia now
before us, we suppose that THE Sun Is in
debted to the historians personal thought
fulness and kind consideration.
This volume brings the history of Franco
from the earliest times dow to the death
of Louis XI. What we note especially is
the blithe spirit in which the Hon. TON
enters upon an unaccustomed task Of al
most appalling magnitude. Other men
of genius have turned from the dis
appointments of statecraft to the con-
s~olatory occupation of historical inves-
tigation and exposition, but few with
such zest and ardor. Undismayed by the
experience of last year, undisturbed by
recollections of the Hon. WILLIAM j. R
ANS ingratitude and the Hon. MARION
Buffers turpitude, the Hon. Ton WATSON
turns his back upon BRYAN and BUTLER to
make acquaintance with CHILPERIc and
DAGoBERT and PIPPIN. and with o hop,
skip, and jump, starts out afresh to trav.
erse the wide and difficult field Of research
and constructive philosophy in which men
like GUIZoT and MIcHELET and CLEoPHAs
BAREsTE and HENRI MARTIN, besides many
others, have preceded him.
The history of France from the earliest
times has been written before by historians
of varied accomplishments, but never be-
fore by the Hon. Tom WATSON Of Georgia.
He brings new intelligence and a new
Lam nor FREEMAN, nor again GUIzor, was
capable of presenting this picture Of civili.
zation at the time Of CLOVIS:
Murder was considered q trivial offence. A scale
OF prices Fixed the amount which the offender should
pay for killing his foes. The hno varied with the dig.
nifty or Importance OF tho deceased. To kill one OF
the nobility cost S2. 100; to kill a priest or Judge cost
the murderer 81 $50, to smash In the skull OF q dea-
con only cost s720; to slay q common free man cost
$500; and you could XIII as many slaves as you
pleased at the moderate price OF about 500 each.
at was certainly a very free and easy state of
society when an angry Frank, suffering. perhaps.
from a At OF indigestion brought on by eating too
much raw COW or sour acornS. could march out into
the neiShborhood. split the skulls OF all his enemies,
I'LL a respectable graveyard before dinner. and then
go free by paying a smaller sum OF money than our
taxpayers have to pay for the burial OF one very
common Congressman"
HALLAM, WI say, lacked the imagina-
ton, FREEMAN lacked the vocabulary, and
GUIzoT lacked the personal cheerfulness
which, all three combined, enable the Hon.
Tom WATSON to depict medieval conditions
as they awe never been depicted by any Of
the other historians of France from the
earliest times.
The Hon. Tom WATSON does not hesitate
to speak boldly when he thinks he discerns
evidence of corrupt personal interest:
"CRsAR himself was one OF the boldest money
hunters that ever plundered a temple. or connscated
an estate. or sold n nation under the hammer OF the
aucttoneer. 1t Is very probable that he invaded
Gaul, partly at the instance OF the Roman spectators
and partly at tho suggestion Of his own financial ne,
cessities and hopes"
Nor does he lack frmness and impair
tlality even when confronted with the deli
cate question of NERo's personal character
NERO was the last OF tho twelve Roman Emperors
who were called the Cesars.' He was n terrible
monster OF cruelty and lust, but, strange to say, had
some accomplishment in tho nne arts. Among other
things no was a musician"
Hear him once more express himself con.
corning that Merovingian monarch who
figures in history either AZ KHLoTHER OF
CLoTAIRE, according to the race and philo,
logical preferences of the historian writing
about him, but whom the Hon. Tom WAT,
SON, by an ingenious, If arbitrary, compro.
mise, Insists on styling ~"CHLoTHAIR":
"cHLorHAm died in full possession of the Kingdom
Of France. victorious over allhis enemies, feared by the
grandees and courted by tho pishops. Yet no had
no special talents. and won his way mainly by
brutal crimes and p~erndious treacheriss. He was
striking example Of the strange good luck which some
times attends an unmitigated rascal. have read tn,
story OF many kings. have wondered at the way the
world submits to DO ruled by thieves and ~libortinel
and cutthrosts. and have found in the highest oIrcI.
OF blue FLOODED monarchs some OF the blacklist VII
lains that ever lived. but II appears to me that CHIC
THAR, In brutal lust. in coarse sayagsry. in robust
and variesated depravlty, 10 one OF tho TOUCHES
sooundrels who ever ~disgraced tho purple"
Occasionally. In the Characterization OF
this or that medieval parsonage, W. get ar
incidental revelation of the Hon. ToN
WATsoN's opinions In matters of ethics anC
of literary art. For example, when he Is
speaking of the wicked FREDEGUNDA:
"Her reign continued for thirty years. In spite OF
all her crimes. in spite OF all her inimoraiities, she dice
peacefully In her bed in Paris. powerful and dreade,
to the last. Such = life, crowned with such success
and ending in such . quiet and natural death, Is yer!
demoraiixins to novel writers OF the soft type Of
CHARLES DICKKSs."
We have space now but for a single ex
tract more. 1t gives a good idea of tn,
unconventional style OF the latest historian
OF France from the earliest times. and a
the same time illustrates his personal con
tempt for royal dignities, unsupported b!
moral and intellectual worth. 1t is a pic
ture OF a Merovingian king on exhibition:
"The people rarely saw the sovereign. Hs ive'
slothiuiy In his rude palace. among his wives AM
s0EsabtnaL ISslng ~ stTenEth and Ell InnasnGs