The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-04-28
Econnmtc hsissofy OF virginia.
(Richmond Timpq) e

Prof. James A, Doyle, one OF the most
distinguished Of modern English hlstori-
cal scholars and incumbent Of the chair
OF history in one Of the great English
I Economic History OF Virginia in the
seventeenth Century," by Mr.. Philit A.
Bruce, OF this city. for the English
Historical Review. the leading organ Of
historical work III England, thus writes
In part Of Mr.. Bruce's recently publish
ell work:
american historical literature has or
late years been fertile in sound, careful,
unpretendins monographs, and OF such
Il would be difficult to find a better
specimen than the present work. Moth
ing can be more business-like than the
manner In which MIR. Bruce deals with
the authorities whom he has ransacked
Ihere is no pnrudinE Of learning, but
every book. pamphlet. State paper. or
collection Of letters bearing on the ques-
ion IN hand has been studied, and the
references are SO given that the reader
can see at glance the character and
amount OF the evidence wherein each
statement rests. Moreover. despite q
certain dryness necessarily attaching to
ms subject. Mr.. Bruce has made his
oook thoroughly interesting, and that by
the most legitimate means. In that re-
Spect he compares favorable with n book
closely similar in subject and method
which noticed not very long ago, Mr..
Weeden's Economic History Of New
England Mr.. Weeden was not content
to trust to the real merits which his
! book possessed In It's laborious and ac-
curate characters, but must need enliven
his pages now and again with little bits
OF smart writing, sounding as if they
had wandered by some strange chance,
out OF the pages OF society news
paper MIR. Bruce sticks almost austere-
~ to the business like side Of his sub
?ect; yet he wholly saves himself from
dullness by the directness and force or
his style. the remarkable skill with
which he has arranged his heterogene-
| Gus material. and above all the clearness
with which he sees and brings out the
relations between the early economical
condition OF Virginia and wider hstori-
cal issues connected Herewith. Thus
Mr.. Bruce shows how the whole life Of
Virginia. social and economical, was de-
termined by the fitness Of the soil for
producing tobacco and by the geo
| graphical popularity Of the country,
which gave every planter a wharf with
| IN easy reach Of his own door, and rem
dered the establishment Of towns super
flous and even inconvient. The attempts
Of the Legislature to check these ten
denotes by so-called coha bitation acts,
and by encouraging varied forms of
productive industry, and the total fail
ure which attended all such efforts, are
among the most Interesting and instruc-
| tive portions of Mr.. Bruce's book.
NH. Bruce. too. is strong where a
specialist is often weak. Without ever
wandering beyond his subject he never
| loses sight OF Its bearer on the wider
| issues Of history. And wherever any de-
| mand is made on the judicial faculties
| OF the historian he clearly shows that
i he Is capable Of something higher than
mere specialsm. No Englishnan need
ask for a fairer and more temperate
statement of the attitude which the
| homo ms ,It ~, or1-
| NAL trade than is given by Mr. Bruce
! (vol. l. p. SAG, etc)"