New-York tribune., 1910-09-03
a Biased Picture of the Last
Flower of Chivairy.

shaw. With twelve iiiustI e'iSLI.. 80.
m xiii ?sI g. 2 Putnam 5 Soiis'
We have become accustoil'e" ~
deshronerncnt of historical loois ny '''u
scientific historical method. Napoieoh'
u.,.tx- psrisienne sums mp in one OF
anatoIs Frances novels, us FAMOUS ".
&c he stole his courtiers' golden snuff
,,oxee and kicked his Wallets de chamhre
And she ADDS. we are not even sure
about the kicks Side lay side with 'flis
documentary destruction o. great 'eP"-
tations goes q rehabilitation OF history ;
traditional monsters. Lucrezla BOT is'''
We now know. was a simple, nome
Lsaoi,,u soul and Nero has been soFelH
,,,.l;e,o5 in the mast. We accept the re-
adiustments hunbly when they are pre-
seuted to Va by an acknowledges iii4s'ei
az the science which the study OF his'oi$
has become. But we must be sure o' ii-o
authority.
Nj AddIeshaw employs the sclentihc
method in his Life of Sir Fhllp 4iu-
ne,-- both in lowering his reputation
and that Of most of his great conten-
roreries and in rehabilitating a Few
Others, their opponents, but we question
his right 10 speak with authority oe-
cause throughout he betrays the plas
which he so laboriously seeks TO moe
under an air of the strictest historically
scientific impartiality. OF his. sincerity
-nere can be 10 doubt whatever. He
,oere1v sees what he has the power TO
soc q power conditioned by curiously
q n
Huences. It is not merely Elizabeth, her
statesmen and her court, her bold sea
venturers and her soldiers that he re-
duces to much diminished proporuorS'
the leaders OF the Continent, too. come
in for wholesale condemnation, the only
exception being William the Silent. Him
he leaves 1ndisturbed in his niche.
The rrux of the matter is that Mr..
Ad6leshaw does not approve or the pc
riod of the Reformation II had its dark
side. no doubt. in England, in France, IN
the Low Countries. in Germany and
Geneva. and we Of the twentieth CEN
turv have been made sufficiently famll-
lar with it. But il had also its insplr-
ing side of sincerity OF purpose. of noble
aims and high hopes, and this side Mr..
Addlesha,e chooses 10 ignore. Elizabeth
was all he says of her, but he ignores the
great side OF her which. often by tortu-
ous. faithless ways. the ways OF the
politics of her day. made the England OF
her reign. and the Elizabeth Of history
Most irritating OF all in this biography
Is the constant disfguring sneer which
the author manages to slip into his en-
,-oTaiums Even Lansuet does not es-
cape. in his old age. Facts. eieNeriy
rnarshaned. MI Addleshaw presents. but
facts are only the raw material from
which truth is deduced. and his deduc-
tions distort it, owing TO that bias of his.
SO glaringly prominent and Yet so pat
entity unconscious.
Philip Sidney was not a statesman OF
greatest promise. he was not the last
flower Of medieval chivalry, and the first
blossom Of the chivalry of the modern
era he was not man OF wide views
and tolerant ideas. but bitter bigoti
n. was as eager for money as moderr
-rcnAied financier. he was a prig from
infancy. lacking d sense of humor; al
This and much more is the ultimate judg-
lnent of this book. hidden in many quail
flying clauses. involving many a fiat con
t1adiction. Apparently the evidence Is
weighed CA the most delicate of scales
bat before ,1le has read a hundred page.
one knows io which side the balance vii
Incline.
There is tie testimony t. tn" contrary
ol Sidncy-s contemporaries, but what @
thate J. not the scientific method a bet
r,r. a more reliable Judge. no matter Wh'
employs IL slo matter what his unmistak-
able bias Sidney was far greater thar
the work he could achieve ia his brie
span of life. he died at the beginning q
., career that all his world WAS watch
iug l. is his personality, the romano,
OF hiz charm reelected in the euiogies ot
hts contemporaries. that has made hin
rhe poetic cl1ivalric figure Of our tTsdi
tlcn Thc legendary portrait of him W
ll21c Is uc doubt oycrdraWn, bUt we ma,
veU rctus,. tu t.kc that substituted fo'
ii by Mr. Addlcshaw. II is simply ;
question II the power 10 see.
lNhat Can on" say ot q historian wh'
comments as follows upon the pageant
presented at Whitehall before the queer
ON the occasion Of thc Duke of Anjou's
visit TO London as a suitcr for her hand
and what opinion must one needs form
ui his understanding of the spirit of III;
Llizabcthan age?
: very fun account il eXtant cf 4 tour
namcut held AT " hItcuaH which Sidntl
iooh part one OF the -Four foStcl
hflIr.H ef Desire. TOOK II uippi
themselves 10 gam access to Unc rorusS
sl t-,lf,ct t;caury. lltc fortress Wa
erected III front OF the Queens window a
q, nifenau IniIip wore srmor OF D1uc am
Eolu. his lack Of humur prevented nj
iecling in the feast ridiculous. II canno
authority. that his antics ia this panto
mime Increased his dignity Nor could tn
furTy gentlemen ana yconcn. attended ID.
trlfrnpeteT-s ana gorgeous IN iacc ot SilN,
md Venetian hose have added on" VIII
s,F r,1olit TO hiS performance. II Is ratil'.
roehfo excuse TO make. Yet II Is made tlld
I,1;lip.s delight in fencing and such Liz
worthy Tom Fcol's play. Better Is il e
remember that hc Was \ Young man, ina
thc Fortress Of Perfect Rcaut. MAS al
s-,5rdediv pleased hN clumsy commitment
which lad little foundation In fact an
forget rs readily as we can the "h"i
foolish performance
ef Siduey's literary labors. Nr. Al
dleshsw approves the Defense u
PneSic-' and the sonnets, entering. @
course into a discussion of -the lad.
,.bo ,,-aS thair insniration but as 70