The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-16
SOME NEW BOOKS.
McCarthy's Reign OF Queen Anne.


not alive TO Thackeray's disqualification for
historical composition. started the rumor
that Macaulay's narrative would be COM
pieted by the author Of Henry Esmond.
Neither Thackeray nor anybody else at
tempted to finish Macauay's History.
The reign Of Anne. however, has been COW
cred after a fashion bv Lord Mahon's- War
OF the Succession in Spain" and His
tory of England from the Peace Of Utrecht,
and by Lecky's History of England in the
Eighte, nth Century Under the circum-
stances, there was no pressing demand
for the two volumes collectively entitlr'
The Reign Of Queen Anae too, 10y JUSTIN
MCCARTHY. aw hor Il 4 History of Our Own
Times" and-A History Of the Four Georges
and william "" Yet there is no doubt
that Mr.. Mccarthy has produced an at
tractive. book or that the average render
will like it better than Lord Mahons dull.
though trustworthy, narratives, or even
than Mr. Iecky's pages " hich are freighted
with philosophical reflections. If Mr..
Mccarthy is philosophical, it il after the
manner Of Noltaire. and il is evident that
he aims to produce such a book M Thac-
keray might have written If Thackeray.
instead Of being an irnprcssionist had been
CdDdDlt VI IhflliNN'ANllH h''AI'' y" '"' ~
author Of The Reign Of Queen Anne"
Possesses the fundamental virtue OF an
historian will he evident IL We examine Lis
sketches of Addison, Steele and swift.
three of the writers depicted in Thackeray's
lectures on the English humorists. These
sketches may not be so witty or 80 capt.
waiting as were the lectures, but they are
certainly more veracious Well worth
IL. H. &c 1tvn
broke and Walpole, while the final chapter
headed Retrospect" deserves to be care
fully perused.
Many an allusion TO Addison will he noted
in Mr.. Mccarthy narrative, but the full
est account of him will be found in the
second volume, on pages l43-l64, and on
pages 23o-25o. All Of them put together
do not convey 30 vivid sn impression Of
the famous cssayist as Is made by four
lines in Bulwcr's st. stephens;
But see with step r,or solemn and more slow
Comes the supreme Spectator OF the show;
Exquisite geniuS. to whose chiSellci line
The iyorys polish lends the iyOryS shine.
Mr. Mccarthy begins his outline Of Ad-
dison's life by recording the facts that he
was born in 1872. the son Of a Wiltshire
rector, and was educated at various schools,
Charterhouse among them. and al Queens
College and Magdalen College, Oxford
He took to literature at an early age, and
was fortunate enough 20 obtain the power
full patronage which was then almost alb
solutely necessary to anything like a pros
porous career for a young beginner. He
was able TO spend four years in travel
through the Continent, chiefly In France,
Italy. the Netherlands and the German
speaking States. and thus Obtained an in
exhaust Bile store of observations to stiniu-
late and feed his brilliant and genial, albeit
sltirical humor. His natural tastes were
such as To lead him into "A variety Of Ids,
and he seemed for awhile Ia feel equal
delight ii them all. He cultivated the
muses.. a. the phrase went in his day; h.
i ved 10 write poems: he as fond Of music,
and actually produced an opera, IA at a
later period ne produced a comedy and a
Tragedy lie enjoyed d. Scribing his trav-
els H. Italy; he developed a taste for his
torical narrative; he revealed in essay writ
ing. and he was drawn into political and
Parliamentary life in which Afterwards he
came tn hold more than one high official
place. Mr.. Nc, arthy is alive To the fact
that a man who attempts success in 40
many fields is likely in most cases to prove
nOtnlIlI more tIdt tnd' ne mas tr,sn en-
dowed by maAgn destiny With the fatal
Gift of tin, amateur. He holds. however.
that Joseph Addison was saved from such
a fate bv the fact that he Possessed that
distinctly creative Kit which We call
genius. the gil, that always finds. sootcr
or later. it, own sp.c,al work 10 do Tho
world now regards. and We Venture -
think will ever r.zt-.I Js,ph Addison IA,
the chief writer m the Npcct;tor. and not as
the au nor of Tho Ca,nuaiuy,' o. of Cato.
not a., he member Of Parliament: ant not
as n s, crstary OF state"
Referring in another chauter 10 the ,yoll.
known pass1gn in p.n.'s -Euis,le w A.
buthro, - wherein Addison i desc-lh,d
under tho name Of Aticus. DIR author main.
tairs that therc L. no, the slirhtest rsa.,,
10 heli,y,. that tho disp,,r, ,i,,J uc,ur.. b,ra
anv rc,c-nl lance 10 hddi, IN. On the con-
,rarv f.,y eminent men bay. ,xor b..,,
mora Iovad than was Addison nv hi, con.
,,mnornrics III SONS 10 have vau
deserved tho affection y hich was giv.n In
him for IN, f,w faul,s which ba h.d vor,
no,birg wore than yy.asun.ses =, ..,r,.,r.
amen. and Ind No kinshin with tho ipnoh,e
ouo,i,is. yr,od una .nlf. r5.,.. - NJ.
Egnanov and onvv and svconh,ncv. ~ COR