New-York tribune., 1909-01-30

| ural resources available 1t IS pitltui 10 redu
Of the obstacles which were placed IN the way
OF the development of that genius Agrlcuitui ai
reforms were started long before the HSeFolutioi
but with the best will in the world TO h1lproN c
the common lot. the government could not
trf,lYrsoh over IAN empty treasury, an eXhausteu
credit a corrupt currency" Indeed, Mr. FRO
thsro observes that the beated campaign OF
! the reformers only hastened the Revolutionary
movement THE peasantry was sun eNposeu
to cruel Injustice" he says. inequalities VI
taxation local and personal, urban ana rui Oh
/ exemptions bestowed upon the rlch, olIerehI
laws customs and usages, created d cheoS VI
inextrica BILE confusion which readily lent tseiI
| to endless waste, corruption and wrong IursoI
! and Necker failed to break up the corn rings;
! societies of iobbers still raised and lowered
nrices and II was the royal speculauons III lhese
! operations which gave rise to the legehd oI tlo
| Pacte de Famine and sent tha Paris mop 10
seek the b0uIGnger at Versailles" The very aei-
tation for new methods awoke the peasant NM
self, and, since things could not be 1mmedlateiy
made over. and he was made more wildly aware
of the class responsibility for his condition, he
moved the more swiftly toward the tragic ex-
pIosion which was TO renovate the land. The
change he needed came in q storm of blood ana
tears. but at least the work was done; ana
while Mr. Prothero has to note divers dlsad-
yantages that go with peasant proprletorshp, ne
gives on tho whole, favorable report OF what
this has done for France. Equally interesting
reading-though it is not anything like so pleas
antilles in his chapter on tenant right ana
asrarian outrage in France chapter showing
that Irish soil has not been the only breeding
source Of trouble in modern times.
The fragments of folklore garnered in this
volume very amusing, and the author
handles them with particularly sensitive touch
His book would be worth reading If only for his
stories of Abbot Martin of Angles and the sa-
tanic beast he turned into stone on the gable OF
the church of that town, of the Dropping stone
which is superstitiousIy worshipped. because,
when the liquid drops cease to flow, then the
Day of Judgment is at hand" and of score of
other singular and sometimes poetic episodes in
the experience Of the French imagination. ObVl-
ously this author has himself plenty Of imagl-
nation the qualities of the traveller who knows
how to look beneath the surface. He is, to be
sure a man of temperament a true man of let
ters This fact comes out in beguiling fashon
In his essay on Murger, BanviIe Sully-Prud-
homme and Coppse. In taking leave OF MS
charming book must quote his version OF
that poem of Banville's. the refrain Of which, ne
reminds u.s. haunted Murger and fascinated
George Sand: Nous nirOns pias att bots, les
Tauriers SOnt coupfe.
To the woods well 60 no longer; the laureis are
laid low. ~ -, ,-., l.,
The Cupids by their founts OF stone, the Naiads IN
watch the waters in the sunshine, each wave
with diamonds hemmed
which once in silent streamlets from their urns
were wont flow.
The laurels cut down. at bay the stag in covert
low
Hears the hunters horn and trembles; to the
woods may not go,
Where of old the merry children went running TO
and fro,
None watching save the lilies. each with heavens
begemmed:
They left the laurels iying,-the waving grass
they NOW;
To the woods we'n go no longer; the laurels are
laid low.