New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-06

Miscellany Edited by Lady Randolph Spencer
churehil Vol. III December. 1888. 0uarso'
PIP. 26. John Lane
A portrait of Napoleon serves fitting
frontisp;ece to this latest number Of Lady Kan
dolph Churchilrs luxurious quarterly 1t Is
appropriate for il suggests war, and there is
much that Is concerned with martial things III
this volume. Some Of the contributions are
historical and unimpassioned; for example MT
David Mannay's chapter on Our Sea rights
with the Dutch but even in this discourse on
''old, unhappy. far of things" the atmosphere
at present dominant IN England makes itself
felt Nj Mannay evidently had the Beers at
the back of his mind when he wrote. the
Englshman who looks back on our naval his
tory" he says, "gets a great respect for the
Dutch" Mr.. Stephen Wheeler. in "Sikhs and
Beers: A Parallel pursues in a suggestive and
piquart manner the points which in one way
or another cause 2 slight resemblance between
the first Sikh war, OF 1876. and the present
conflict in the Transvaal. The military expert,
Spenser Wilkinson, writes long article "on
the Art of Going TO War" The art as he eluci-
dates ii. is moi very complex affair. 1t means
concentration of purpose and reasonable care
But Mr.. Wilkinson soon glides from philosoph-
ioal consideration Of war in general to critical
examination e the Boer war in particular and
the relations Of tho Salisbury Ministry TO that
war There is some plain speaking in this
article The Transvaal comes to the front in
still another paper. that by Mr.. Lionel Philips
on Past and Future in South Africa, and
there are some amusing pages in which Mr..
Sidney Low plunges into the wars of the poets.
Some Battle Pieces" is the title OF this charm
ing essay which asks us TO for the mo-
nent from the accounts sent by the descriptive
writers in the field TO the great scenes OF Homer
and Milton. Virgil and Livy, Sir William Napier
and Ringlake The preoccupation Of so many
Of the writers with grave matters makes 1t the
mere agreeable TO find among Mr.. Lows quota
tions this f agment from one of Macaulay's
sbits, an imaginary epic with Wellington for
hero and Waterloo as its climax:
Napoleon kills Picton and Delaney. Ney en-
cages Ponsonby and kills him. The Prince or
Orange is wounded by Soult. Lord Uxbridge
flies to check the carnage. He is severely
wounded by Napoleon. and only saved by the as
sistance OF Lord Hill. In the mean time the
Duke makes tremendous slaughter among the
French. He encounters General Duhesme and
vanquishes him. but spares his life. He Kills
Toubert. who kept gaming house in the Palais
Royal, and Maronet. who loved to spend whole
rnshes TO encounter Wellington. Both armies
stand in mute amaze. The heroes hre their
pistols; that Of Napoleon misses. but that of
Wellington, formed by the hand OF Vulcan and
prinled by the Cyclops. wounds the Emperor
in the thigh. He flies and takes refuge among
his troops. Napoleon flies to London,
and. seating himself on the hearth of the Re-
gent, embraces the household gods, and con-
Jure5 him. by the venerable age OF George Ill
and by the Jpening projections OF the Princess
Charlotte. to spare him.
In his Notes on the Venezuelan Arbitration
Mr. G. r. Askwith traverses the famous con-
troversy in some of the earlier documents, and
aIludes also to the tribunal that met in Paris
last year. Much curious information is pleas
sntiy set forth by Mrs. Isabella L. Bishop in
her Chinese Doctors and Medical Treatment"
and in a brief examination OF existing conditions
in Spain, financial and political. Senior Moret
Prendergast indicates that while the country
faces huge financial burden she is neverthe-
less certain TO regain her prosperity before very
long. This writer IS Dflthe opinion that Spain
cannot afford to abstain from participation in
the general movement Of European politics.
Spain has been and still must be, he says with
conviction factor in Them. He believes that
for her to stand aloof in solitude would result
ultimately in national catastrophe. 1t will be
that the bulk Of the text in this number
Of THE Anglo-Saxon" is on the side Of the
serious discussion Of serious topics There Is
nevertheless. good material OF a lighter
character. Mr.. Stephen Cranes WAR Memo
ries' are more purely diverting than the title
would suggest, and there Is readable fiction by
Mr.. Trail. Mrs. Atherton and Mr.. Stacpoole.
The strictly literary article of the volume is a
review by DR.. Garnett Of "Paolo and Francesca $"
the new dramatic poem by Mr.. Stephen Phillips
The sheaf Of letters by George Canning, mostly
hitherto unpublished is disappointing in the
extreme II contains nothing of interest We
should not omit to mention the beautiful illus
trations. portraits OF Bonaparte, the shelleys,
Canning and Mary Of Lorraine, and the hand
some binding.