New-York tribune., 1901-11-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
BIRRELLISG-REBELL MONMOUTH
Mr.. HERFORD'S PERFECT NON
SENSE-CHATTERTON.


that usually attributed TO essayists he
does not discourse; he does not trifie; he does
not explain: he does not argue. He blrfeHS
In other words, he has a little way Oh hS
own and when a volume of his appears
know that if not to be overwhelmeo
with great thoughts. at all events to De
entertained with amusing form of literary
exercise with the unconventional play OF a
clever mind around interesting themes Ten
chapters go form his book, Essays ana
Addresses (Charles Scribners Sons)- The nrst
is devoted to John Wesley, and there are TWO
others theological in substance. There is paper
on The Ideal University; there is one on Wal
ter Bagehot''; this is followed by two devoted
respectively to Froude and Browning. and the
remaining subjects discussed The house
Of Commons" Sir Robert Peel" and the sug-
gestive question lis 1t Possible to Tell Good
Book from Bad One2" The art of 'Birrell-
ing" should observe, includes the art OF De-
ing spontaneously humorous The author OF
this book INDUCES occasionally in gravity OF
thought. but he does not like to take anything
too seriously His experience a member OF
Parlia has not curbed his disposition to re-
gard life with a twinkle in his eye Indeed, he
can sneak lightly of the House itself beginning
his talk about il with irreverent anecoote.
the one which tells of ancient dandy stroilins
down Bond Street and meeting an acquaintance
hurrying in the direction of Westminster.
Whittier away so fast this hot day.? muir
INJURED the dandy ITO the House of Commons,
cried mis- strenuous friend, brushing past him.
What" said the dandy. with a yawn. does
that 90 on stfl?" Mr. BirreH considers that
there is nothing noble or exaltins in the history
Of the House of Commons, and confesses that he
cannot call mind single occasion In Its long
and remarkable history when il has, as a "hoie'
played a part either obviously heroic or con-
spicuously wise. On the other hand, he says:
The charm-the undeniabie charm; the
strength-the unquestioned strength: the utlIty
of the House of Commons do not depend upon
the nobility of the characters of either Its leau-
ers or its rank and file; nor on its insight INTO
aTairs-its capacity to read the signs OF Ihe
times its moral force still less its spiritual
derth- but because it has always somehow or
other. both before Reform blIs ana eoe aroel
Reform bills, represented truthfully ano loIGe
fully not the best sense of the wlsest peopie'
not the loftiest aspirations of the nooiest people
but the primary instincts, the rooted haplis oL
,79ixe6 race of men and women destined in the
strange providence of God to play great part
in history of the world
Mr. Birreil is enthusiastic over John Wesley
~If Won want to get into the last century" he
saws ito feel its pulses throb beneath your mn
ger, be content sometimes to leave the letters OF
Horace Waipole unturned, resist the droWsy
termination to waste your time over the learned
tr:Hers who sleep in the seventeen volumes OF
Nichols-nay, even deny yourself your ahiluai
reading of Boswell your biennial retreat with
Sterne and ride up and down the country with
the greatest force of the eighteenth century III
England. No man lived nearer the centre than
John Wesley neither Give nor Pitt neither
Mansfield nor Johnson You cannot cut MIN
out Of our national life No single figure IN
auenced so many minds no single voice touched
SO many hearts No other man did such a ne 3
work for England" 1t will be seen that II BIZ
relling' can be vivacious ii can also be Serious
and even strenuous. In fact, the charm OF the
art as MI Birrell practises il resides chiefly IN
its exhibiting subject in many aspects, IN It's
communicating to the page q various ana vital
ized quality This book is lille one so little
that it would go readily into corner OF a traV-
Cling beg or even into coat pocket. 1t is Tor
such an easily accessible receptacle that it is in
every way intended. book to be carried ABOUT
OF Journeys and dipped into for brief spaces OF
time.
The I'LL starred son of Charles II and Lucy
Walter that browne, beautiful, bold, but
insipid creature Evelyn called her, hurt
himself not only with his contemporaries
but with posterity, when In the critical
hour of Sedgemoor, he left his followers
TO their fate Nevertheless, James Scott.
.rrba Protestant Duke" retains his hold upon
the imagination of men, and Mr. Allen fea' the
author of king Monmouth" John Lane Is
sure Of an appr4ciative public. His hero was
ccmmenorated in a valuable biography by
George Roberts half a century ago, and Mr- Fea
not only pays generous tribute to that work,
but refers his reader to Macaulay as we'll he
has accumulated however, a certain amount of
new matter some OF 1t important and he has
given to his material fresh and old such be-
quilting form that nothing accomplished by his
pr, decessors can inyalijate his work. He writes
as a dispassionata student OF the diverse events
with which he deals. He does not blink the in
discretion and weakness say the least, of
Monmouth's flight from Sedgemoor; and if he
does not give the full weight that less SYM
pathetic writer might have given to the pusilla-
nirnitv of the duke when he praying for his
life he conveys on the whole, just impression
of the unhappy mans character. The truth is
that Monmouth passes across the stage of Eng
lish history with a personal grace which it is
difficult TO resist: the charm of the man-recall-
ing in a measure the charm of his sire-ard the
glamour which always attaches to the central
figure in a great but unsuccessful enterprise in
spire conlpassionate interest; ne is tagically
romantic in spite of all his shortcomings. Per
haps the best illustration of the modern attitude
toward him. friendly. but not enthusiastic, is
found in the fortunes of the tree under which
he was found by his captors. This tree, known
as the Monmouth ash" is still alive, and Mr.
Fea says Of it:
Upon its trunk may family be traced initials
that carved upon il by the curious who
visited the spot long after the fugitive's
capture. II is strange to note that, notwith-
standing that there is no palinE to protect this
historic relic from the hands of vandals, there
modern signs of the pocketknife Of the
picnicSers Of to-day Had the Duke of Mon
mouth been a great horo the odds that the
old would long since have succumbed to the
n 10 n