New-York tribune., 1902-08-31

a
thankful task; other American writer Ia.
ever undertaken It, and he has fulfilled Il with
a success that Is clearly based on this low.
for it.
He begins his discussion with account q,
the early Germans as Tacitus has described
them. and of their relations with the Roman
Empire; of that curious influence they had that
made it the fashion in Rome to initiate them
to wear blond wigs and to smear the hair
with the reddish oil which the German war
riors used when they decked themselves for
battle We are taken rapidly through the period
of the Carolingians and OF the influence Of
Charles the Great, to which Professor Hender-
son contrives to give impression Of reality:
the contest between the Saxon and Franconian
emperors and the Papacy- Coming to the aga
of chivalry and OF the crusades. We are given
an interesting picture Of the time:
In law and medicine there was general
awakening and also In learning and art Castles
and churches were built that have lasted to this
day while the literature furnished two unGying
epics; lyric poets sang as they were not TO
sing again until the days Of Goethe Material
prosperity kept pace with the intellectual
growth; the rich began TO clOthe themselves in
velvets, silks and satins. to sit on dlvans. TO
sleep on mattresses, pour their wines from
carafes and flourish coats OF arms with he.ds OK
azure eules and rampant beasts The poor, too,
found the ordinary articles OF diet cheaper and
far more varied Rice and Indian meal
Introduced If we seek for the cause Of all this
movement and activity We shall find that the
chief impulse was given by the crusades. a
term which is used here to Cenote hoL merely ne
eight well known invasions Of the Holy Land.
bnt also the countless minor expeditions that
filled two whole centuries
Professor Henderson's narrative Of the his
torical events is clear and well ordered. and
his treatment of the many interesting episodes
and of the social and Industrial side Of medieval
history is Illuminating. Such are his accounts OF
in, IL
than tradition and romance have made that
secret brotherhood and its court to appear OF
the Teutonic Order. it's marvellous triumphant
nrogress in subjugating and converting the Wild
Tautonfc tribes and it's final fall; OF the Hanse-
attic League and it's commercial supremacy. Inc
discussion of the Reformation is admirably cIear
and compact and the causes that led 10 II ar
shown 10 be not wholly the state OF Things re-
1ioious Erasmus. in his Praise Of Folly
Rrapt in his ship of Fools" and Hutten' IN
his Letters Of Obscure Men. mad SHOWN Ine
corr1ntion of the Church and its minister's OuI
- ,ffa,tad the Germans more than the per-
eon,1 character of the Popes or even OF their
o1,,n Clergy was the fact that much OF ther
money found its way to Rome. which had De-
.oo,oa the sreat central trading house OF Europe.
and the taxes and payments required were
enormous 4 deep hatred Of the prleslhOoo anu
,obi1itI was rooted among the peasants 1ilIO
the religious and social agitation that "dS
nrava1ant the outbreak of Luther came ike
shark fgniting gunpowder- Its ultimate Succ7SS
was due to the fact that he was no ponOic1'
agitatOr:
Had he seized the proffered leadership OF ln-
,aaeants he would have estranSed the uFt
Classes. had his teachings tnre1ttlleu -
ttoyeg instead of the puIpits of the princes, nc
14t- ,,-orId not have been willing TO REMAIN =
blind TO his whereabouts as aIteF IA9 -
Worms.
corra of the incidents of the Reformation IN
which its leaders were concerned read sIi0"7--|
in these days-as. for instance the coliS7--
oi,,ar bv Luther and MeIanchthon to the D-sa-
nous marriage Of Philip of Hesse. and Lu'Iei
counsel of a downright denial of it all MS open
question what is the harm of good plump he
for tho sake of the Christian Church, and MS
urging that "a private yes remains PuO-iS
no" The Catholic reaction, helped by the us
eansions between the Protestants and the sch-sih
with the CaIvinists, was most vitalIy tor-
vvarded by the counter reform DEGREES OF the
Council of Trent, and the activity of the Com
panv of Jesus in carrying them OUT While
more and more rapidly the nation hurrled
toward the relentless conflict OF the Thirty
Years War.
The rise of the House of Hohenzol!ern occu-
pes a good half Of Professor Henderson's sec
ond volume. and it is a subject on which he
writes with evident predilection- Concerning
Frederick William. the Great Elector. he jUstI-
III n