New-York tribune., 1907-11-19
Heroes of the Field and Heroines
of the Salon.

soLnIERs OF FORTUNE IN CAMP AND
To5 u. sos T D' D9tton CO. 5neS shand' SVo' PIP
THE SALON. A study of French Society and
Helen CIergue. Illustrated Svo pp Vi "a 95
G. 2. Putnam's Sons. wv
The late Alexander Innes Shand was 2 man n.
letters and a man Of the world, interested in
many things, and wont to write about them with
the special touch that hetokens the good talker
At the time Of his death. which occurred only
& short time ago. he had been occupying him
self in paths Of "reminiscences discoursing in The
saturday Review about the old editors he had
known old cooks. old gardens and divers other
Incidents in the long life Of lover Of his kind
n those fugitive papers he was genial and wise
One got the impression OF a shrewd old man
who had seen much and whom experience had
inellowed so that he could not but take a
tolerant and even humorous view of the world
Yet Mr.. ShanG was never the mere diIettante
II he was a devoted sportsman he was also as
keeniy concerned with military matters. He
wrote the biography OF General Hanley, he pro-
6uced volume on the Peninsular War. and he
made capital series of chapters on the officers
who shared in Wellington's campaigns The
last souvenir Of his activity as an author is
Etudy Of military types Soldiers Of Fortune in
Camp and Court" a book which is not ex-
clusvely either history or biography but
mixture Of both.
The light discursive method which made Mr
Stands Days Of the Past" so charming is put
under discipline in the present volume but is
not altogether abandoned. Anecdote is used
when it IS 10 the point. to heighten the play Of
light and shade in portrait Thus in the open
ing chapter on the Condottieri who swarmed
UP and down Europe in the Middle Ages. and
especially across Italy the sketch of Sir John
Eawkwood is filed out with more than one
piquant episode. An Italianized Englishman
was, IN aid Aschanl's phrase a devil incarnate
Such a being Hardwood capable of al
most any atrocity He and his White Company
are said TO have drawn the line at cold blooded
rutilation." but there was little else in the way
Of evil Of which they were not capable. Mr.
shand repeats the old story of Hawkwood's $
visit at q convent. The monks received him
with the salutation of Peace but he roughly
replied, Il live by war, and peace would be my
ruin" It IS one Of the notable illustrations of
the topsy-turvydom Of that Iurid old Italy that
this hard-bitten. clever ruffian. for all his
crimes, made himself so useful to his employers
that when his health was failing the F1oren-
tines voted him magnificent tomb in the
Duomo, Though, in the long run his bones
were carried TO England. at the request of King
Richard II, you may see TO this day in the great
italian cathedral a faded fresco Of Sir John on
horseback.
Mr.. Shand covers a fairly wide range in his
book. From the Condottieri he turns to Sir
James Turner. Sir John Hepburn and Colonel
Robert Munro. valiant Scotch adventures who
carried their swords TO court after court and
then he treats of Prince Eugene, Marshal SAKE
and number Of other famous leaders. There is
a delightful note the temperament Of the
early soldiers Of fortune in the chapter on
Prince Eugene He was at the stornaing of Bel
grade with Max Emmanuel of Bavaria, and he
tells Of his experience in this fashion:
All the assailants were repulsed. Sword in hand
them mognted the breae6 Fl JaRssarT n cf SafeTeg g
helmet with stroke Of his sabre: I passed my
arrow IN his Cheek Nothing could be roore Brilliant
or more sangllinsrv How strangely one NAV find
amusement amid scenes of the greatest horror. I
shall never forget the grimaces of the Jews. who
had 10 throw into the Danube the bodies OF r. Oo0
men, 10 save the trouble and expense OF burying
them.
They were all tremendous fighters. these
heroes Of Mr.. Shand's. Some Of them had brains
as well as courage. The author has appreciative
illusions to the sagacity underlying the heroism
Of Marshal SAKE. But the general tone of the
book is one Of sympathy with the strength and
Eplendor Of martial achievements 1t is an en-
Pertaining book on a picturesque theme.
Miss Clergue's book on the "Salon" is an ad-
Inirable popular study from which the reader
may derive clear idea OF the manner in which
clever women have made themselves objects of
admiration and respect among the brightest
minds Of France. An Introductory chapter
traces the evolution Of one Of the most charming
social institutions in history. The Salon Of the
Marquise de Rambouillet had an influence which
IS sometimes forgotten through exaggeration of
the Importance of that preciosity made imraor-
tai by the satire Of MoIiere. It had. Of course
much to do with the finer development Of French
manners. The four types chosen by Miss Clergue
10 exhibit further phases of that develop
nent are Madame du Deffand, Madame dEpi-
nay, Julie de Lespinasse and Madame Geoffrin
but many other personalities are introduced into
the brief biographies of these ladies. Indeed the
whole social drift Of the eighteenth century is
surveyed in these pages. which are filed with
facts and at the same time very gracefully writ
ten. A useful feature is the chronological sum-
mary prefxed to each chapter. There are many
portraits, some Of which in photogravure
Miss Ciergue's subject has in one way or an
other been made familiar TO American readers
In the last few years. but a concise study
gathering the salient points within the covers
Of single volume, the work has value Of its
own
Some years ago there was cordially reviewed
IN this place q novel called "The King with Two
Faces" II was by Miss Mary Elizabeth Cole
ridge, q writer TO whom we thenceforth looked
Tor interesting things. but whose work never
again fell into our hands She died leaving COM
paratively little prose verse. Mr. Robert
bridges, the English poet, has contributed IN
interesting paper about her to the "CornhiIl
Magazine" writing more particularly about her
poems, which a few friends welcomed when