New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-10

n
f6n n and what Of ours to him who more
Made heirs
VI truth and pure delight by heavenly lays?
In Mr.. Herbert Pauls just published life of
James Anthony Froude there are many interest
ing details of the historians persistent and un-
sparing research among state papers and other
documents. No historian. the biographer de-
clares. has ever been more diligent than Froude
was in reading and collating manuscripts For
Henry's reign alone he read and Transcribed 6S7
pages in his small. close handwriting" He made
no less exacting search of the Spanish archives in
the ancient moated castle at Simancas for the
material he used In dealing with Elizabeths
reign. In forty-six rooms of the castle there are
100000 bundles of papers-there are 100000
documents 1t is said They were guarded with
the greatest care-until 1S41 outsider was al
lowed to inspect them. In Froude's day the
town itself primitive and uncomfortable
that he stayed at Valladolid and drove out TO
Simancas to work every day. The very stones
of the castle speak of far off tragedies. On its
battlements IN the first quarter of the sixteenth
century was hung up the Bishop of zamora'
who had Joined the comuneros; and from those
walls is visible the plain wherein in the tenth
century, King Ramiro defeated the Moors For
searching the priceless archives Frouue oO
tanned special privileges:
been before HIM but also in Paris in Brussels AND
6z eeGaa Re Sometimes in the viest
Long aferward he described his own epd OF
page. he said II have felt after descending o
precipice and have wondered now so for no one
had opened the road for me have 6fGn bndes
of dust-covered dispatches, and told to make tne
best of It Often have found the sapd sben
page was turned There the letter had lain. never
And the hand that sanded the wet ink-per-
haps the jeweIIed hand Of Cardinal Xlmenes
himself-had been dust for centuries. Some
idea of the enormous labor undergone by Frouoe
at Simancas can be gained, Mr.. Paul reminds
us. bv examination of the now available trans
Iations by Martin Hume OF the Calendar of
Letters and State Papers" relative to English
affairs in the old castle Major Hume has
publicly testified to his indebtedness to Froude
when the translation was difficult and doubtful
All Froude's transcripts, prodigious mass, are
now in the British Museum. It is amusing to
recall the facts that Freeman. who attacked
Froude for incorrectly transcribing or abstract
ing manuscripts knew not one word of Spanish
and had never seen Simancas. Whatever may
be the modern opinion Of Froude's historical
views. it is certain that few serious students
have anything but contempt for Freemans ex-
hiD1tlon or the temper ana language OF d III
erary Hooligan, the sneaking inuendo of vii
lage gossip.
The result of Froude's Investigations in SPAIN
when woven into his own fascinating volumes
stirred many an enthusiastic lover OF the ro-
nance of history. It was assuredIy worth
while for Mr.. Paul to reproduce the letter in
which Bret Harte told Froude of his delight
in reading in "Longman's" the account OF the
Spanish Armada:
Ny knowledge of that historic event, ought to
thing about Drake playing bowls while the Spanish
feet was of the coast, and OF Elizabeth going to
good deal Of ''jingo" shouting and Crystal Palace
fireworks about 1t, and 1t never seemed real In
became tremendously interested; it was a
phase of the old story, and yet there was some
thing pleasantly familiar. turned to the last
heard nothing about it before. Then went through
TOO - soon. And now am as eager for the next
instalment was when boy for the next CHAP
ter of my Dickens or Thackeray Don't laugh
tration but remember that l represent consld-
cradle amount Of average human nature and that's
be dashed to the critics who say to the contrary!
l thought your parallel OF Philip and Don Quixote
delightful but the simtude of Medina Sidonia and
Sancho Panza is Irresistible That letter TO Philip
is Sancho's own hand! Where did you get It? How
got any more such cards to play? Can you not
give us picture Of those gentlemen adventures
their little jealousies and the lovelcrn Lope de
Vega in their midst? What mankind you nave
Won nothing to spare for a poor literary man like
InyseIf who has made all he could out of the hulk
Couldn't you lend me Don or gaiiey Save ouI
of that delightful crew of solemn lunaucs! And
with what a swanlike song they sailed away!