The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-29

Tb;s notable work. by the well-known
English author, Justin Mccarthy, is COM
pleted by the issue of volumes III and w.
now at hand. The completed work is a
graphic history of the times OF the -FOUR
Georges of England, and of William the
Fourth. The period covered is from the be-
ginning of the reign of George /. In TIA, to
the accession of Queen Victoria in 1880. To
complete the history of movements begun
or foreshadowed during the reign of the
last of the Georges the author carries the
history on during the reign of William Nv.
The period covered was fruitful in great
events and marked progress. The author
brought to his task a trained mind and a
fine literary style, and the work shows
thorough mastery of the subject, every
phase of political and social progress be-
ing treated in an exhaustive and interesting
manner. The closing paragraph OF the his
tory of George w, who died In 1881, may
serve as a sample of the authors style:
THE four Georges had come and gone. A
famous epoch in English history had ended.
Four princes of the same race, of the same
name. had ruled in succession over the
English people. Practically, the reigns of
the four nameSakeS may be said to coin
eide with, to comprehend, and TO represent
the history of the eighteenth century In
England. The reign of George the Fourth
may be regarded as a survival from the
eighteenth into the nineteenth century, as
the reign of Anne was a survival from the
seventeenth into the eighteenth century.
In all the changes of that long and event
fal age one change Is very memorable and
Was very different when George the Fourth
died from what ii was when his great
great-grandfather came over unwillingly
from Germany to grasp the sceptre. When
the elector of Hanover became King of
England. the Stuart party was still a power
in political life and the Stuart cause the
- hnnn nf a 1nrOn number nf 1nunfnI
Englishmen. 1t might well be hard for men
to realize in the days of George the Fourth
that in the reign of the first George and in
the reign of the second George the throne
reeled beneath the blows which the armed
adherents of the exiled Stuart princes
struck at the supremacy or the sOvereigns
of the House of Brunswick. Even when
the third George came to the throne there
were still desperate dreamers, who hoped
against hope that something, anything,
might happen which would allow the king
again. When the last of the Georges passed
away. the Stuart cause had been buried for
nearly half a century in that grave in Rome
which incloses the remains of the last and
perhaps the most unhappy of the Stuart
princes.
the reign of William ~ is as follows: Per
haps there were few men In England. of
whatever class. high or low, who had less
Of the quality of personal greatness than
William the Fourth. He had greatness
thrust upon him by the mere fact that fate
would have him King. He contributed
nothing towards the accomplishment OF
the many important works which are the
best monuments of his reign, except by the
negative merit of having at least not done
anything TO prevent their being accom-
plished. Even this, however, is a claim "a
the respect of posterity which must be de-
MED TO some of his nearest predecessors
He ruled over a great country without ac-
quiring during his course any quality OF
greatness for himself. He was like the
glass of the window, which admits the light
| of the sun without any light-creating power
of it's own" This fluent and graphic style
pervades the entire work, the successive
volumes of which are historic, in their or.
DERBY arrangement of events. in their in
vestigatson of causes and relation of con.
sequences. picturesque in their visual real,
ization OF bygone manners and customs
the things which distinguish one generation
from another. and a gallery of faithful
lifelike portraits Of royal and courtly per.
sonages. statesmen. politicians. soldiers
civilians, poets, painters. orators. men OF
| letters. There Is a very complete alpha