The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-27
THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE.

hook will receive a kindIier welcome than
Justin McCarthy's 1.-The Reign OF Queen
Anne just published by the Harpers. Mr..
has always found a host OF read
ers in this country. but he has
never done anything which shows
that he has his American readers in mind
more than his last work. He constantly
refers to something in American history
and American life which shows his close
watch on American affairs.
The readers first thought on taking up
the new history is one OF surprise that two
volumes, each Of almost 100 pages, should
find a sale in this busy time. especially
since the work deals with the reign CT an
English Queen covering only twelve years
Q702-1u4) After the retrospect has been
finished the reader cannot but admire the
manner in which the author has made to
pass before him all the illustrious figures
"of one of the great historical eras form
ing the OF England's progress In
civilization"
1t is always interesting TO look back over
the centuries and to trace the different
conceptions of history from the earliest en-
tries in the Anglo-Saxon chronicle IN AL
fred's reign, then in the Latin annals OF
II LHclLIn luItcclll
in the tangle of fiction. romance and tact
of the chronicles of Holinshed and others
who gave so much Shakespeare. Not until
after the middle Of the eighteenth century
did changes come over the writing of his
tory in the work of the two Scottish scholars,
Hume and Robertson. Then came the he
roic Gibbon, the direct Macaulay, the rhe-
torical Carlyle. The feeling for the human
element In history existed before the time
of Carlyle, but never found such emphasis
until he made man the vital power or all
historical writing. Mr.. Mccarthy has fol-
lowed in the steps Of Carlyle In making
the story of a past time interesting because
1t deals with people.
In 1.-The Reign Of Queen Anne" one first
notes the titles OF the different chapters.
They might serve as so many subjects for
short stories or essays by Lamb or Steven
SOMEONE to Swear a Peace" II Fall Un-
der This Plot" shadows Cast Before"
"Ol Lamps and New" The Game Lost"
1.-THE Woman Born to Be Queen" ION the
Rough Edge of Battle THE Trivial
Round-The Common Look" 1t is needless
to say that the reader who is attracted by
any of the subjects is far from disappointed
by what they introduce.
The most impressive characteristic of the
author is his history of the elements that
constitute history-the changes in public
opinion so elusive and deceptive, the strik-
ing inconsistencies Of great men, the move
ments Of armies abroad and parties at
home. In this confusion it is difficult to
take a position above the actors in the
world drama and get near enough to hear
all that rs going on. One paragraph near
the beginning of the book Will show how
by a happy Illustration the author relates
the heroine of his story by the incidents
and characters of his work:
The writer has thought it not amiss to
begin his survey of Queen Anne's life and
reign by observation which might naturally
have seemed TO belong rather to a closing
review of the whole, because he is anxious
TO direct the readers attention from the
very outset to the curious contrast which
the history ot the reign presents between
the extraordinary character OF the age and
the utterly commonplace character of the
woman whose name ii bears. In more than
one fairy legend one reads of princess over
whom a magical spell has beer cast and
who sleeps all her life away IN an aerial
tower while wars are carried IN In her
name and conquests are added to her do
main. and wonders OF art and letters are
accomplished in her capital. and all the
world knows OF these thrilling and mar
velous dOings except the poor princess her
HCiIs VIII CiShS DuL uOto ~ hDOW I. ZIG
story of Queen Anne might, in a certain
sense, seem 10 belong almost as completely
TO the world of enchantment. The sleep
ing princess in the magical tower had
about as much TO do with the great tri-
umphs which were accomplished in every
field during her reign and in her name as
Queen Anne in the whole course of her
mature life had to do directly and person.
ally with the achievements of England
abroad and at home"
This paragraph shows a fair sample Of
the lucid style, the clever illusions and re-
gard for the reader that makes the work in
tensely interesting from beginning to end.
The subsequent pages may be likened to
a portrait gallery, where one may see the
great men and women of a great era, now
from this side, now from that, now In re-
pose, now in action. Queen Anne, Louis
the Fourteenth, of France; Peter the Great.
of Russia; Charles, of Sweden; Marlbor-
ough, OF whom Mr.. Mccarthy says mo
coming period of English history is likely
to bring forth a greater commander" Go
dolphin, Harley, Bolingbroke, Defoe, VIII
liam Penn, Addison, Prince Eugene, Earl
OF Peterborough, Paterson of Panama
fame. Swift, Southampton. Sarah Jennings,
Duchess OF Marlborough, Walpole, Pope,
Atterbury, Shrewsbury-these are the people
whom we see so distinctly with their ignoble
as we'll as great qualities. Altogether we
have a group Of men as distinguished as can
be found at any single period in English his
tory.
To the historical student most interest
will be attached to the chapters tracing the
various stages OF the war Of Spanish sue
cession. Mr.. Mccarthy has sifted the ma
terial which has always proved confusing
and has presented to US in a vivid and even
brilliant manner the movements of the
campaign in France. Germany, Spain and
Italy. And while giving US an account of
this struggle, he keeps before us the
events at home in the petty jealousies at
court, the trickery OF the ministers of
state. the shifting of political parties and
the rise and fall of the different ministers.
In reading the history Of the war. one is
more than ever impressed with the useless
ness of that conflict which hung like a
cloud over Queen Anne's reign. Probably
nothing of that time shows more clearly
the changes that have taken place in the
relation of nation to nation than the &C.
count OF this war. began to check the ad-
vance of Louis XIV and finished by the
Peace of Utrecht in liz.
The chapters dealing with the problem
before the English government at that
time are especially worthy to be noticed.
.sDfoSapf and Dafoe'f considers the vao.-