New-York tribune., 1899-07-12
THE ANGLO-SAXON.
LADY RANDOLPH cHURcHILL's NEW
QUARTERLY.


ized as ephemeral. This is because or the uh-
conscious tyranny of form. An essay by Mat
thew Arnold a poem by Lord Tennyson' mover
by Thomas Hardy have all been amiaoiy ciassi-
fed under the head of things "ephemeraT uhu'
they have emerged from the paper bouho paeeS
OF a magazine into the dignity and permanehce
of formal volume. The protest or diNers
editors against this conventional SITUATION mas
been the publication of their periodicals hl suo
stantial and artistic form. THE yellow BOON
was one illustration of this editorial pfo'es"
"Art and Letters" an admirable magazine pun
lished some years ago In French ana Ehshsn'
will be remembered as another. THE Anglo
Saxon Review is the latest OF them all, and, we
are bound TO say. the most distinguished
This sumptuous miscellany owes its pre-emi-
nence partly to its form. and Lady Randolph
Churchill is herself aware Of this. She points
out that the quarterly is published "at price
which will insure its respectful treatment al the
hands of those who buy it," AMI this is only an
other way OF saying that in paper print, Illus
tration and binding THE Ango-Saxon mas
been lifted high above the plane on which the
journals OF the day are obliged TO rest. she does
not hesitate either. TO indicate that she regards
the dress in which she has clothed her new vent
ure as one Of the things that should at once win
the practical support of the reader Citing Dr.
Johnson's declaration that mo one but block
head ever wrote except for money" she OBJ
serves that THE Anglo-Saxon' is not disposed
to think lightly of his wares. or set low value on
his errort-for otherwise his greenland gold bro
cade would soon be threadbare. In short. our
attention is forcbly drawn. by the editorial In
PRODUCTION 10 this volume, well as by Mr.. Cyril
Davenport's notes on the binding and Mr.. Gusts
descriptions OF the plates, 10 the care with which
the work has been carried through the press.
But unlike some of her predecessors IN the pro-
duction of luxurious periodicals. Lady Randolph
Churchill has not stopped at fine presswork
and binding In The Anglo-Saxon Review"
the text is after all. the thing. From first
TO last It appeals to cultivated people; that
10 It's only indication OF an innexbe policy. For
the rest. It is broad in scope and embraces
topics grave and gay. Fiction alternates with
history Mr. James and Miss Robins contribute
TO the first department, and in the second there
are several notable essays. Lord Rosebery, in
some luminous pages Of comment Mr.. Par
ker's monumental "sir Robert Peel deals with
theme that is peculiarly his own. and Mr.
Reid. in Some Consequences Of the Last
Treaty Of Paris" traverses some political ques-
tions Of the liveliest interest to Americans and
Englshmen alike at the present time. II will
be seen that the editor has demonstrated at the
outset her catholicity. Romance and politics
are balanced in her plan and 10 these she adds
poetry, science drama and biography. There
is even a fragment OF floral lore in the shape OF
Letters to Vervaine" an epistolary improvisa-
ton by the Hon. Mrs. Boyle In which that lady
shows at once her love Of nature and her deft-
ness in writing about IT, John Oliver Hobbies"
contributes a play. MI Swinburne poem-on
'"Tbe Centenary of the Battle Of the Nile'-and
Sir Frank Swettenham "A Mezzotint." in which
the complex simplicity OF the Malay nature is
clevery enalyzed. few other items might be
specified, but we prefer tersely TO describe the
table of contents as more varied and at the
same time more serious in character than any
which has been noted in previous periodicals
published on similarly lofty lines.
OF the beautiful binding 1t is to be said that
It announces we'll the contents Mr.. Davenport
informs us that 1t is borrowed from the binding
made by a Frenchman-whose name is now un-
known-for a copy of Les Vraies Pourtraits ct
Vies des Hommes Hlustres" in the library OF
James J. The tooling OF the old binder has
been reproduced by mechanical process, but
the effect is nevertheless rich and artistic,
Within, the soft. opaque paper and clear print
make the perusal of the various essays, poems
appreciate. He will turn first Of course. to Mr.
Davenport and Mr. Gust, wise commentators on
the sources from which this volume draws its
decorative ard pictorial features; but. with all
due respect TO the interesting tales OF Mr.
James Mss Robins and Mr. Gilbert Parker
we believe that their fiction will be temporarily
neglected for more serious themes Lord Rose
berry has written in his essay on Peel with I'm
pressive tact and humor What could be hap
pier than his light treatment of the episode be-
tween Peel and Beaconsfeld over which so
many passionate things have recently been
written? Most critics have deprecated the pub
lication OF these documents which have exhib-
1ted Beaconsneld as revenging himself in words
intensely bitter for the rejection Of his appica-
tion for Office but Lord Rosebery looks at the
matter with a wiser patience. LAS TO the phi
Iippics arising from Peels refusal" he says at
may perhaps be felt by politicians that II would
be chursh and mawkish morality which
would deny to bafied ambition the natural re-
lief OF invectve and lampoon" In fact. this
whole esasy is at a portrait OF Peel and
a survey of his contemporaries IN which all the
figures on the canvas are sketched with the
same skilful and revealing touches The tone
is plainly impartial. but II is not without an
element OF warm appreciation. may be seen
from this passage:
He was the model OF all Prime Ministers II
Is more than doubtful indeed II Il be possible
in this generation, when the burdens Of empire
and OF office have intellectually grown, for
any Prime Minister to discharge the duties OF
his high post with the same thoroughness or in
the same spirit as Peel. To do so would de-
mand more time and strength than any man has
at his command. For Peel kept strict super
vision over every department: he seems to have
been master OF the business OF each and all Of
them. He was conversant with all departmental
questions. and formed and enforced opinions
them.
OF almost more pressing interest is Lord Rose
bcry's subsequent remarks on the general ques-
hon which not unnaturally flows from his ex-
animation OF Peels labors in the Government.
II is not only profound student Of English
history, but one who has himself held high