The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1899-01-13

time, it was impossible for him to attempt
such task. But after he had surrender
ed the reins of government and had re-
tired to his peaceful retreat at Friedrich
sruh, the thought became more and more
pleasing to him. He was a man after
kipiing's own heart. He liked TO do
things, and with his life behind him ana
the monotony Of idleness before, it was
with relief that he turned to the doing of
his last great work, the fit telling of the
story Of his life. Like Napoleon on st
Helena wi b the memory Of his past great.
ness, living over again jena, Wagram,
Waterloo and Austerlitz, one may imagine
Bismarck watching from affair the poiisi.
cal arena and longing to be again at the
helm, setting his course for the nation.
And in telling this, his own story, Bis
marck is once again In the strife, he lives
again In the old-time fighting days, and
while in the old library at Friedrichsruh
he dictates this wonderful biography to
Lothian Bucher, the fire and vivid pictur,
sequences OF his words prove beyond q
doubt that the old statesman, in spirit at
least, was living again in the days when
he had at last realized his am bition, when
France was crushed and Germany united.
In short, we may say that it is the
most important contribution to autobioe-
raphical literature during the last GEN.
fury, and that Bismarck as biographer
will rank with Boswell. The preparation
of the book was the pleasure of Bis
/ marck's declining years, and he put ali
his immense energy into the task. The
result of his labors speaks for itself, and
the German people have shown already
that the book Ia a most notable one and
of immense value as true and complete
record Of the life and work OF their ma,
tional hero.
La all literature the work has not its
fellow unless one goes back to the Latin
classics and finds in Cesar's Gallo war
the same chance to be at the great lead
er's side and in his confidence while trac.
ing the course OF important events. The
massiyeness Of Bismarck's thought has
its full effect. The sentences march like
an army, coming to the point with GER
tainty, but from many sides at once.
The reader is conscious OF immediate
contact with an epoch making personal.
lily, and to know truly how the German
Empire was created, we must study our
Bismarck all over again. We muat know
lBismarck's life as he himself reveals it.
The book 10 an adequate expression of
great themes, deliberate, full, and judic-
3ial In style. It 10 book of confessions,
conscious and unconscious. There is
nothing like it in literature. we have
all, when bewildered In the state prob.
lens OF their times, wished for the priv
ate notebook Of Caesar or of Richelieu.
But the greatest men are usually too re-
served for the curious interest of poster
ity. Bismarck, however, gives us an un-
reserved insight both into his private
and political life, and his style and tone
reflect the greatness OF an imptrsonal
tribunal.
The London Times says: TIN his Re
Elections and "reminiscences Prince Bis
marck presents himself in the more IA
miliar garb OF polite society, with the
polished manner OF man OF the world,
keeping his tongue under control, ., great
and commanding figure, self-centered
and self-reatrained, courtier and q
statesman. filing not unworthiIy with
his gigantic personality the world stage
on which he moved
e