New-York tribune., 1901-11-03
BOOKS IN LONDON.
q QUARTERLY WITHOUT SENSATIONAL
JSN-MR. JOHNSTON'S STUDY OF
THE ROMAN REPUBLIC2A COS
TER SINGERS RECORD
VERSE.
London. October 10

he.
hooks of love letters and in his mysterious essd!
ON Ouann Victoria is severely academic ana
absolutely correct and conventional in the new
,un,bcr of The Quarterly Review Ihe1e IS
an article on the Empress Frederick, well VIII
ten in phrasing. and as sympathetic as d S'uu'
Of a noble character ought To be; pul theIt 10
no atmosphere of mystery enVeloplnS 'he "u
thorshp and no secrets are revealed not eve"
,5,ar the dangerous attempt is made to draw
aside the curtain OF privacy from her reislouS
life and to discriminate between the aShos'l-
cfsn which exaIts and the agnosticIsm WhicA
denies the Divine The Emrresss own words
ara in evidence respecting the final state OF hef
religious convictions. Intellectually courageous
and inGusitive. she went TO Germany Wheh lie
'Tijbincen school held the outpostS OF ScePtICal
thought and when Strauss was regarded as d
,rophet of unbelief and revolution: but instead
f taf,e, ernbittered and estranged from religion
h., the tragic incidents OF her career she elheiSeu
from, the thick darkness with stronger and suIer
convictions The Quarterly contains SLASH
ing attack upon orthodox economies OF the Hls-
1;sb school Of Adam Smith. Ricardo anu JoAh
Smart Mill which ought to make some sur
among the dry bones of the Golden CIub' ana .
the table of contents includes a clearly written
article. on the prospects of scientific discovery
in the antarctic belt.
A volume controversial in theme hut judioi'us
in treatment is The Roman Theocracy ana the
Republic" by Mr. r. NJ. Johnston. "A Camnfl"se
student and the son of an oldtme -i"ih
journalist. 1t bears the imprint OF the Machll'-
lans and contains evidence OF paInstaklhS III I
,estigation of one of the most obscure as we'll
as interesting chapters OF Roman history IL
opens with a comprehensive survey OF the con-
tinuitv Of traditions between the Papacy and
the Roman Empire. and Of the rise OF Italian
natfnnalism during the pontiticate OF Gregory !
VII 4 clear and incisive account OF the election
Of Plus IX and Of his proclamation granting
full amnesty to all offenders opens the way for
a we'll balanced study Of political, religious ana
military events in Italy from 1916 to the down
fall of the republic in 1919, The military cam
r:li.n in I-ombardy ending with the triumph oi
Radetzky's audaclous strategy in the capltuiA-
tion Of the Pontiljcal army and Of the defeat "f
Charles Albert at Custozza is narrated with ad-
1nirabIe lucfditv and this is followed by series
Of stirring chapters on the assassination Of R"ssi
the flight of Plus IN from the Quirinai to Gaeta
the proclamation Of the republic the ha'te OF
Novara th- mission OF De Lesscps ana the siege
and capture OF Rome by General oudlnot MI
Johnston is not partisan, and his estimates
of Plus IN Cardinal Antoncn Mazzni Carl }
haldi Charles Albert and the other figures in .
this great Roman drama are just and impartial.
The split infnitive IS his chief literary flaw.
lie has a sound historical method and a marked
talent for the orderly exposition Of a complex
subject 1t is not improbable that other studies
Of recent Italian history will come from the
same hand. for he is in Naples for pro-
tracted season of literary work.
one Of the most entertaining books in lighter
Vein is Before l Forget" autobiography of (
Albert Cheyalicr, published by T. Fisher Unwin.
1t opens with i comical account of his first
performance at the age Of six, with his father
smoking a pipe the bottom of u garden in ,
Noting Hill as his only auditor The recitation |
vas ''The September Gale by Oliver Wendell |
Holmes, and was accompanied by dramatic ac-
ton the supposed irreparable loss of the
Sunday breeches." His father shrieked with !
laughter ana the career of an entertainer whose
songs to be hummca all the world .
opened in a promising way. His first public ap-
peaIance was at penny reading when he was
nine, and Mark Antony's oration of |
his earliest triumrhS, delivered in black knick-
erbockeIs and white stockings, with hair curled
with view to becoming Father Chevaer but
he discouraged his spiritual directors when they
asked him how far he had advanced in pre-
pairing for pricstly life by replying, 'As far as
the q celibacy." He continued his penny
rectations, picked up irish brogue. joined
at fourteen amateur theatrical club, and was
cast for King Louis in 'Richaeu." AS he could
not shake off his newly acquired brogue and
began after this fashion: LORD Cardinal!