The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-20

announced. 1t appears now that the
last six months have seen a dozen
new histories advertised and discussed.
that Hon. Justin Mccarthy, distin-
guished and able Irish member OF the
British Parliament, whose delightful
four volumes of the History OF our
own Times, published perhaps ftteen
or twenty years ago, and Whlch nave
read with exceeding pleasure twice,
has completed fifth volume, and is
advanced on a sixth 1t is really
Fascinating and able history, and /
shall regard those who are permitted
TO read the two new volumes as decid-
eddy favored. While NJ. Mccarthy
may not be of the high rank of Stubs
and Freeman, he is very entertain
ing writer and | think the four vol
umeS are certainly among the most
charming historical productions since
Lord Macaulay published his unfinish-
ed History of England" in four vol
umes, before his much lamented death
in 1859 when but fifty-nine years of
age.
That work is most unique and al
most unriValIed in it's entertaining
qualities. 1t is as full of interest as
one of Walter SCOTS greatest novels.
and that is saying about everything
possible. Macaulay did not belong to
the Dryasdust school of historians that
has so fiourished in the last thirty five
or forty years. He was graphic, pic
torial, dramatic, lucid and virile, keen
ly alive to facts and incidents, and
portrayed character with such mast
erly skill as few pens have ever been
able to do. Mr.. Mccarthy is not
another Macaulay, but like those adj
mirable writer's Green and Froude, he
learned the modern historic art from
the great Macaulay, who in turn had
learned something from the most illus
trious critic and historian of France,
Sainte Beauve, but mainly from his
historical writings. who was the first
to abandon the old formal, cold way
of recording all that potentates and
nobility and politicians and soldiers
might Slo in the years, but forgot the
people, how they suffered, how they
lived, how they bore 1.-THE white man S
burden" how they were sorely op-
pressed, prosecuted, taxed to death, as
in the reigns of Louis XIV and XIV,
made to offer themselves like obedient
slaves to the will of emperors and
kings, to be butchered or killed in
battle to add power and splendor to
some Roman or French Kings holt
day The manners and customs, the
habits and thoughts, the trials and
strlVingS, the heart-acheS and greViouS
disappointments, the aspirations and
desires of the people were passed over
as of no moment to the world, as
dull chapter not worthy to be written.
Mr. McCarthy's work referred to is
animated, descriptive, Geographic, full
of healthful Vigor, and is faithful to
the later historic world. So at least
mas 1t appeared to me. He published
some few years ago another work of
which | know nothing. and have never
so much as seen. 1t is called "The
Story of the People of England in the
so designate it l am not informed, as
his first completed history Will no
doubt contain the full account UP to
the death of Queen Victoria. Part l.
the first issued of the new work con-
ta1nS ESQ pages, and covers the time
between 1900 and 1885. 1t was an
nounced in magazine when this part
appeared, that one more similar issue
would complete the historic scenery CT
an hundred years. l think there is
some mistake, or else the new work
would be too scrappy, too hurried, too
brief to be satisfying. | suppose really
that the ESQ pages are intended to
bring the history of the century UP to
his four volume work, "The History
of Our Own Times" and then extend
ing this excellent work to the second
volume mentioned at the beginning of
this article, there would be a COM
pleted work in six volumes covering
the entire Nineteenth Century.
The History of England in the Eigh-
teenth Century" in right octavos, by
w. H. Peck, is presented with much
distinguished ability, fairness, care
and elaboration of detail, and work
to be read and re-read to be treasur-
ed in the memory, for it covers much
that is of the highest historic import
ance and deals with much effective
ness, and even newness of treatment to
certain degree, with the long war
between the thirteen colonies and Great
Britain for independence. The nine
teenth century is as interesting. var
led and important certainly as the
preceding century. Great events, great
discoveries, great wars, great pro-
gress, great men have flourished since
1901, when the century began. 1t is
indeed a deservedly very celebrated
century, and invites the pen of a
Macaulay or a Froude, a Green or a
Freeman, to present it. If the gifted
Irish writer will produce a work of sui
ficient fullnesS and carefulneSS ana
Will give to this and other genera lions
in fine style the chief events, the i'm
vances in civic affairs and the rights
of her people, with all that concerns
the grandeur and glory of Great Brit
ain and ireland during the century,
(Which limit his plan). it Will prove
Il boon TO the lovers of entertaining
and graphic history. Macaulay show
ed that history, wisely, properly, dis
cerningly written, was something very
different from the old histories that
told of the battles to uphold kingly
power of despotism and killed and
wounded, of priestcraft and a debased
nobility, but that its highest mission
was TO record the history of the
great reforms in society; the mighty
upheavals against tyranny and OPP
pressions; the advance in laws ana
politics and social reforms, and to por-
tray in elaboration the eminent states
men, philosophers, philanthroplsts
and men of genius who created great
literature. and who stand so much in
the real advance and growth of their
country, thus bringing glory to 1t
While so aiding the people, and amel-
iorating their struggles. and making
their lives more useful. more happy,
more heaIthful more moral. more ele-
waited.
Above / have referred to the rapid
multiplying of histories. Within
three or four years three or four very
v,n+ioaa hJa works have been written