The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-23
SOME NEW pooKs.
The wars Of Religion.

THO WSSt u rsehBivn'
Tia latest contributions to "Tho Cam
tridce Modern History" which. In pur-
susnoe OF the program framed by the
late Lord Acton, is the outcome Oh .he
contributions OF large number OF speem
ists, Ia a volume OF some nine hunoI
nares. devoted to the portrayal OF tns
Wars OF Religion. The title ~ So'he"n"'
too broad for the contents OF the Noiu,he
Even II the term religious wars IL unuei
stood to exclude conflicts between .hh
tisns and Moslems, and to be restric'oo w
con tests between different Christian sects'
T. IA obvious that the appellaton is de-
carved by the crusade against the ADJ.
ysnses which occurred in the early part OF
the thirteenth century, and by the wars
AGAINST the Hussites, who played 30 memoir
aha q part in the history of the fifteenth
century. As tho phrase Ia here used.
refers only to the wars between Catholics
and Protestants, which took place IN the
.irtaenth and seventeenth centuries. IL
doea not even comprehend the whole Oh
these. for, while the period covered py
thia volume begins about 1928. 1t does nov
sYtend to the Peace OF Westphalia u6is)'
hut ends in the third decade OF the seven
t..rth century with the death OF James J.
n En- eland and Philip Ill. OF Spain some
tonion which are only indirectly related 70
tha title of the book but which neverthe-
less are properly discussed IN ~, VIII pe
found treated in an interesting way IN
the fourth chapter. on THE Height OF the
ottoman Power" by DR.. Moritz Brosch'
IN tho eleventh chapter, on inc EhLa-
nathan Age of English Literature by
sidney Lee; and in the fourteenth chapter.
IN .The End of the Italian Renaissance
nv A. ]. Butler. More Immediately related
to the Protestant movement, az TINS was
rlaveloped in France, is the second chapter.
Nm .French Humanism and Montaigne'
Nv A. A. Tilley, Fellow Of Kings College
The chapters on Mary Stuart, on ne
F1izabethan Naval War with SPAIN and
q IN aThe Last Years of Elizabeth, also de-
serye particular attention. we shouio
.dd that the result of researches later and
r;per than those embodied in Motleys
h,stories is set forth in three chapters on
eThe Revolt of the Netherlands, Will
Jam the Silent" and The Dutch Republic,
nv the Rev. George Edmundson.
Tho p,rpose OF the volume considered
ma = whole is, as the editors point out IN
a preface, to relate complicated series OF
conflicts, the origin or the pretext OF which
mas for the most part to be sought in the
GREAT. religious schism in which Luther
Zvinplius and Calvin were protagonists'
The restoration of Catholic unity in the
West, however, was an aim winch III the
minds OF both promoters and opponents
was inextricably interviewer with tne
schemes of dynastic ambitions. and the
cause, which the champions OF Catholicism
m the one side and Of Professionalism on
the other professed to have at heart, was
noverfully affected by influences traceaole
10 the rapid advance OF the monaN'n'cll
principle and to the gradual grown o.
the conception Of the modern national
State. A fact never to be lost sight OF
nv the student Of this period Is that'
although in graver peril than ever before
from the persistent advance OF the otto.
man power, Europe no longer found real
un;fyinr force in either Papacy or en-
pfre The spiritual ardor OF the Cathohc
Reaction, which might have served TO
strengthen the resistance to the genera,
eneny of Christendom, was expended
,,ro.jv on internecine conflicts. Especially
did That ardor ally itself with the settled
resolution of Philip II. Of Spain to contro
the dretinies Of Western Europe. strik-
ina example of the constant Interviewing o.
native and foreign influences is furnished
nv the religious wars Of France, with ar
account of which this volume opens. II
MANY sections Of the narrative seem t.
overlap, it ia because the story OF no Euro
pean country. or group OF countries, al
the epoch with which this volume deals
admits of being told as detached from thu
conte mporary history OF its neighbors
allies or adversaries. Necessarily, therefore
the Same events appear more than ono
IN these pages as forming organic part
If the history Of several countries, but II
each case they are treated from distinc
point Of view.
Was tho Massacre Of st. Bartholome,
s.msmeditated? Prof. A. j. Butler, tn
author Of the chapter on -The Wars o
RsNxion in France" seems disposed t
Z answer this much controverted question Il
IL th~ Affirmative. He does not fail, indeed
Ito recall some evidence on the other 81 d.
4 Y For example, the Spanish Ambassador
H Cuniga, wrote that, except as ooncerne
A e Admiral Coligny the wholesale killing c
Il kHus,,snots was done on a sudden impulse
II ia Mothe Fenelon was instructed to tell
4 sirnilar story in England, and to Walsine
ham, who represented Queen Elizabeth g
A Paris, Catherine insisted that the massacr
\ had been provoked by Huguenot plot'
4 The English Privy Council, to whom tn
iHS nxSlanation was communicated by Walsin(
81 ham. ri lied that 1t would have been cas-
\ y Tor theleng to seize. the Huguenots SUI
Hi pectsd Of conspiracy and have them reg,
iaYay tried. Apparently Walsingham hin
4 seN put little faith in the explanation, fc
he reported on his own account to tn
Il Inslish Privy Council that Montgomer.
a whom Catherine had indicated as chit
H object OF suspicion, had been with him G
II The night following the attack on the Az
~ niral, and had spoken gratefully Of tn
Kings expressed intention to inquire int
and punish the crime. Prof Butler, for
part, seems inclined to share the belt
entertained by Professionals at the tim
not only in France, but elsewhere. that Il
scheme had been forming in Catherine
mind since her conference with the Dull
Of Alva at Bayonne in 1895. 1t is he
pointed out that in the early part of Is
al mr.