New-York tribune., 1900-08-19

license which gave one favorite after another an
INFAMOUS ascendancy in the affairs OF her Court
but II must be added that at the worst her low
ers were powerless 70 do permanent harm 20
Russia. Some Of them indeed. were erfec+fge
aids IN her desultory but fruitful carnDaien for
reforms within the limits Of the empire and AZ
all times she exercised a supervision over tne
state which the fav0Tites themselves did not in
variably suspect
MI. Baln concerns himself however Iass NTH
the internal history Of EIizabetb's reiq, .bs,
win us relation to European diplomacy. Here
ne often exhibits the Empress az evae,ara+i-s.1-
$40" 20 action, as too indOIent 10 take s+ans
seemingly indispensable to the welfare NJ he
nation. But the author wisely looks a, E1,za
Deths reign as a whole and Thus corzi5e-.., =.
iei'es her with lasting laureIs Her DELAYS r-a-
4uehuy meant that she was not diIatorv t,4t
aU'ious' II sne hesitated it was not from tir,id
"S VI ignorance but from legitimate doubt as
10 the advisabiIity Of the course urgad ,,ro- -
t.-' -'iiiiS'ers- The European States were
Potuhg and contemplating from one End a,
'He year 20 the other. The Muscovite OF earlier
',''ies "''u Deen ignored by the p0tentates but
- N994dH oi refers revivifed nation was an
ehIlreIy dlHerent being. and had 20 be taken into
account St Petersburg became the focus OF an
those lntrigues which appaH the historian - ,ba
eighteenth century. We do not wonder thar
other writer's have paused where M Rain has
Courageously essayed to set forth the facts n
ndS taken him three hundred pages To sketch
theIn with tolerable Iucidity We viii NOT n-a-
teho 10 outline his story. It is ona OF Iar,r7-,
thlne Windings, through which the EraDr-=z E,lsz-
abeth moves in her breezy, nasterfuI v,av fanc-
ing win every Power in turn sometimes with
three or four of them at once and rs,,.- r-..-.,
her head. never allowing aDvrbfre, t,,. ~
"heirning circumstance to affect the plans she
entertained for Russia. She hated the King OF
Prussia with an implacabIe hatred and he found
her an heroic foe. She did not ruin him as sba
wished to do, but, as Mr. Rain observes e.,
rendered Prussia, the most dangerous n4frrbo-
OF her country, practically harmless 10 RUS
sia for the remainder Of the century This book
Is interesting not only because it discloses the
political ability Of Elizabeth but bacausa f+ r-a
sents the princes, warriors. favorites and dipIo-
matists Of the time as living beings u-5-5 al
their traits and passions. big and little. in fun
play. The backstairs methods OF the great can't
tails are painted in detail The reader fs taLa7
behind the scenes, and is shown how crises
which we associate chiefly with battIehelds and
the formal intercourse Of statesmen vvara he
gotten in dirty intrigue and built I'D BY the
self-interest OF corrupt rulers and officials II
Is not a savory recital The Russia OF the
eighteenth century was not a dainty corner OF
the earth, and Elizabeth. as has been indicated
was Russian Of the Russians But she ana
her people were marching with civiliza ton. ard
both remain Intensely interesting to the student
Mr.. Balm has done justice to his theme. and We
relinquish his book with a lively sense OF graft
tude