New-York tribune., 1908-03-21

I'd Xii. se2. G. P Putnam's Sons.
The attraction of George villiers first Duke OF
-,,,ckfusflarn. for the modern reader. is almost
,-+5-elv that Of romantic personality. He
=. great man. He had scarce any faculty for
s-stec-aft. But he brilliant human Great
re who not only long kept himself in the good
r-sces Of one king but equally successful
= rb- court Of that kings successor and his
Greer has the glamour which belongs to that Of
hero of fiction. Mr.. Gibbs relates it very well
= +re rresent volume. a worknanlike addition
- the series OF historical memoirs which the
Purnar0s began 10 publish some time ago The
-o-frsir of Buckingham is sympathetically
5-u7 and rather more attention than usual in
vor3z Of the sort is paid TO the background.
% that Ne get ar animated sense both of the
man and Of his times. Il is important that the
1a--c- should be kent constantly in mind by the
e-rde7t- for Il Buckingham is important, after
r5s fashion. IN himself, he is even more signif
cant as The product Of certain conditions in the
rorrt life Of the seventeenth century. Such
triumph as his could only have been possible
undc- stuart rule
James and Charles I had the vice OF favor
its-r il their blood. II was. Of course, not
new vice al the English court. but they were
r9- qualified, a some Of their predecessors had
beeu 70 temper with wisdom, least with
some discretion, their reliance upon the
chosen for their closest intimacy. They leaned
upon him with a self-indulgence paralyzing 10
ne 7lu and fraugflt with certain disaster When
voUng George TIIiers came up to London in his
ear-v tr-enttez the whole temper Of the royal
circle vas calculated TO give him his chance as
8 gentleman adventur-r The great days Of
ria beth had rassed. and. though there were
s5H giants in the land. public affairs were no
1crgr- being administered along heroic lines.
The government was very largely in the hands
n Tsres-s fav0rite. the Earl OF Somerset. and
rre tore Of the age is sharaefuIly disclosed by
r. campaign which undertaken 10 put
writer's in his place Every one knows how
handsome the young fellow was; the legend of
r-s beauty Is. indeed. inseparable from his
zane The King took q fancy 10 him. and so
--- as Il became evident that this fancy was
s--s-v 10 -ipen into { kind Of infaJCation. the
e-e--ies Of Somerset proceeded TO back the
-s--cr---- Is q horse IS backed for race 1t is
sad that some OF them kept him il funds. so
--s- he could carry himself in manner beft-
-=-r IRE DIPLOMATIC PAGES through which they
--7-ee5a5 u put him II all a matter OF
r--+-eSs That : what makes the whole epi-
s7zs 50 sinister ana even tragic. Somerset no
f5ub- deserved 10 fall and il is impossible 10
<-4r am compassion for him or for his wife
!, the sitter situation n which they found
.5A--seT--ee wien the Overbury scandal blazed |
II But neither : II possible 10 blink the fact |
--s- TIE disappearance Of one favorite and the |
--se NJ another chiefly implied the general rot
t5-aess of the court.
orc nan took i phIIosophicaIly enough. He |
zss Francis Bacon. prosperous as Attorney |
General buc keen on gaining the appointment |
of Lord Keeper OF the Great Seal He addressed |
himself 70 EIlIiers with his usual shrewdness. |
N nan knew better than he knew on what |
sandy <un5ztiors the self-seeking courtier |
br--f f-7 Left
- 10 1Ea young man now placed at James's |
-.-hr hand he proifered counsel the highest |
grounds saying:
Tou gre now the Kings favOrite. so noted, and /
3 es-eeIs6 2E a. I'm H,;,e. 1;ef[ = asnTe
m reach OF h-s people but cannot be above their
t--s-l-s- ---1 eo1 - s i-t "a 3T-,-- - f,,+ ex
commit - error ana IS toalh lc ave" II. pul =
c-ses r --cr MS Ministers. Of which you are the |
z1f-rlr -e-r-.rres II and must suffer il; 50 /
re-1aTs r5u may De offered sacrifice TO please
-r--5e- But admit you were IN no such /
s-gTa-7FIa 5rlIv 70 cod and the King for your /
actions yet -euenlber well the great trust you /
Rave --6=--aleT- NoI are as a communal senIl-
r. always 70 stand upon your watch. and 70 give
It re --e -2rel-igeace- Il you 1.atter hin; YOU you
--2T I'm Il you conceal me LLLa -i - - .!'35e 80
honor ~ through not tha safety OF his person., You
rss-l iE arms agains- him 4 false friend is more
c2-se---s Kan II open enemy
WIN me 7Isest man il the kingdom thus
tsc1v admitting the validity Of his claim to
bear a hand IL The administration Of the state,
il ls after all not surprising that George VII
Ae-s. nov Ear C Buckingham. looked about him
VIII grand ar. and proceeded 10 enjoy every
luxury t1ar goes with the exercise Of high
power II L acknowledged even by his enc
MES says III Gibbs. that he used his pat
-U1ace win clean hands" Though, time 4
Ee1t or ne did some dubious things. the state
nen-. C- the whole, may stand lie was not, IN
essence. a. ararfcious or unscrupulous man
Fa1i-E- EIs b-og-apher repeatedly observes.
Eas his aese--5-E sin and this is -unquestionably
failing compatible with many generous traits
81ek--g1a1 was q de5onair soul, gay. impui-
z7e courageous and not without affection. If
AE morals were NOT above reproach il IS TO be
Is1e-loe-eC -Izr prOprleJy was not exactly the
-l1e 1- bis ccu-eEn 3Ora-les. Was there any
-. de-ta 70 his natu-e2 Il Is q delicate ques-
Ton There were fires Of passion in him, and
8 F-- always he tempting 70 suppose that his
eE--aur6.1ary addresses 10 Anne Of Austria
Fae Prompted by genuine feeling IN spite OF
i1s- incident, TOO. We must believe that he was,
according II The mode Of his day. tender hus-
lela HIS faithful Kate certainly believed that
Sc had hls love YET when all is said, one
Spec--z-es little sFzepticaly 10 the strength
e b1cE-nchar-'s heart There is. for example,
re case II his Indifference 10 Raleigh. If tenn
l@rs1.ent means anything, Buckingham should
-s'e been quick 70 meet halfway any appeal
-sae n lie interest Of that gallant Ellzabethan
-le2 II his old age, he lay helpless in the
-'"e1 But - was in vain that the Queen wrote
NY kind dog pleading thus for the broken
Sc lesder.
NJ a-a MAN or n fTea' i a. tEs F time, Teu in deal
Efer ard -slrnestly with the King, that Sir
7 g 1~S1 -te nay not De @ cal1ed IN qu-esIlon- -
or assure voI-eeie -t7s- viii take IN extraor-
rearsE nd TeEr