New-York tribune., 1908-02-15

NATIONAL LIFE AND CHARACTER N THE
RE REEof Ry oE Edmuns Dale iSP STo pP. ST. Gam
bridge University Press. Imported by G. P.
Putnam's Sons.
Mr. Dale has written history of England
down to the Canterbury Tales Not history in
the conventional sense. but much truer. more
instructive one than the wearisome. meaning
less recounting of princes born, mobiles executed.
kings dethroned and queens banshed The
empty rigmarole Of political chronicle. which
almost never enlightens the reader and still
less frequently interests him. is here supplanted
by an Ineligible. truthful and hence absorbing
picture of the deeds and aspirations of common
folk landed gentry, poets Ministries. knights,
merchants. churchmen and all the other good
people who go to make up a nation. Mr.. Dale
lets the English speak for themselves far
nossible: his book consists of scraps of infor
nation picked up among pre-Chaucerian docu-
rnents literary and otherwise. This has not
roade his study mere scrapbook, however; the
author has woven about the incidents a fine web
of Interpretation which holds them all together
in pIeasing unity without squeezing the facts
too tightly.
He does not seek to see the entire career
of his fatherland in a new, strange light
or to produce a novel character sketch of old
time Englishmen. He has accomplished what
he evidently set out to do-namely, to clean off
ne Snaud2o
ties.apd mere poetizing from early English lit
ersture so as to let true portraits shine forth
on the ancient parchments Because he has
s;rnlv edited and arranged, Mr.. Dale's contrihu
tion to his subject is superfcially slight. He
seems to have done little more than to choose
excerpts from the range of writings between
Beowuif and the Canterbury Tales: this I'M
pression is much heightened by his habit OF
conscientiously recording every reference on the
margin of his text. The truth is, though, that
he has sifted and sorted SO nlinutely and scru-
pulousIy that he has transformed his literary
sources into a series of charming essays Eng
,;sbyoen of cid. Done with stern loyalty to the
facts this accomplishment IS original in the
hest sense of that abused adjective: it Is scien-
,;ecslIv accurate without being dull abored.
The historian in reading this book must bear
constantly in mind the authors point of view;
otherwise serious injustice might be done to MT
Dale The development of English character
and social customs here portrayed does not piir-
mort to be a subtle psychological dvnation; 1t is
si,nply the ordered testimony of English ntera-
,ure itself which the author accepts as his sole
.,,boritv and from whose declarations he no
where dissents. In trusting thus implicitly to
contemporary writings, he probably incurs a
certain risk OF error: but, even so. his trust Is
i,sti6ed by its positive results. He has fur
;rhed students of literature, history. sociology
"a anthropology with exhaustive classif1ca-
,,on of testimony about all topics Of interest %
such persons: the discounting of this testimony
he wisely leaves to the specialists In various
ee,ds Beginning with the Englishman OF the
Conquest, the compiler brings together all the
.cor6s about early migrations, oversee raids
and the final occupation Of England by the con-
..., Invaders The social order is then de-
scr,bed. occupations. sports. military methods,
etiquette. morals. superstitions and religious
,,,es are presented in order. In Beowuif. accord
ing 70 the writer. the old ideal OF manly charac-
ter is personifed: and as foil to an apprecia-
,,op of Beowulf we find sketched the cnaracter
=, Heremod, who is all that hero snouio not De-
and probably much like many reai heroes Oh 'hae
90 .ga-bloodthrsty. greedy boastfri ana merci-
,as. rife and manners after the advent OF
(-,,,stianity are rendered in greater DETAIL and
. most interesting series OF anecdotes is given
m show how old and new ideas fused. tans-