New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-11-20

author, who is moderately monarChical and Hi,
likes Mime. Roland violently. tells us incidcntar,
how many French noblemen were enriched ~
the Revolution They paid their debts and Nor,
cages in assignats. which none dared to re,us,
at their face value. and fortune in which cofs
be purchased for a few gold pieces
The Duo de Luynes paid off by this means ~
his own and his fathers debts and bought no an an
the rights and duties with which they were o.
cuInibered Assignats were privately and at grea,
francs in assignats might II caution and secrecv
~oId d nan a cbateau hotel and a9 gancs in
part Of an estate. was thus bought by faithful
servants tenants. to be redeemed By the ogna,
when he returned from exile.
The chapters on Mime. de souza. who. By n,
way. wrote novels that had their day Of ponn-
Iarity, and on the Duchesse de Duras cover the
closing days of the old regime. the Revolrtjon
Directory, First Republic. and First Empire AMI
reach into the Restoration. the DuchessA IL
Berry. a cheerful soul in a dismal family. Him,
trating The last phase Of the Bourbons Tia
transition to the Third Empire is found in ,b
gossipy closing life of Princess Mathilde WI,
came so near to marrying Napoleon III in their
youth. and to sharing with him the irnperi,,
throne.
The intrigues for the crown Of Spain in ~.
DAVIS of Ferdinand VII are set forth succinc.Iv
r.
of Naples and the two SiciIies. the spanls5
monarch's third and last wife, and the notbs-
of the child who later became Queen Isabella
Maria Cristina was suggested to the King BY 70,
sister I.uisa Carlota, the wife Of his third ana
| Youngest brother for the purpose Of foiIing tia
| aspirations of the second one, the Infante Don
| Carlos the first of the line Of prctenders which
has cost Spain so much in blood and treasure
The characters Of the King and Carlos tbs
| author says, were not dissimilar.
| Both were essentially hard-hearted Gallon,
| men. utterly reckless Of human life. wholly il
different to human SuneTInsc ft %.iie Ferna-
| sense whatever. Carlos was redeemed from down
| iigion Ills faith-and that aIone-had rcade IN
| whole He was honest ana upright "A faitafl
| husband a stern but devoted father. a ioyal sub
/ ject He sCrupulOusIy performed the duties pa
| scribcd by his Church; where the catechsrn wa
silent his native feroCity, selfshness and ara
| gance asserted themselves. He would have bee1
! as great a SCOUndTel as his brother had ne beer
| less devOut a Catholic
Before the birth Of a daughter and heir "a
Ferdinand Spain faced the prospect Of seem,
his absoIutism without the Inquisition replaced
by the absoIutism of Don Carlos plus the rein
statement of that dreaded institution. Don Ca.
loss loyalty to his royal brother did not survive
| that brothers death. but the Queen Regea.
Maria Cristina faced him and preserved TIE
craft as her appreciative biographer points ogt
| but by dint of pluck and common s. use. She
| approached the affairs Of Spain in much the wa7
as she would have considered those Of her houss-
| hold. She proved equal to her Responsibilities i
| because she never adequately realized them I
Don Carlos did not know the meaning Of eithr
| compromise opportunity; she understood both
| This sensible. courageous italian princess dA
| not know the meaning Of seIf-deniaI where he
affections were involved. Forbidden TO rernarry
during her regency. she yet risked all for whici
| she was laboring so vaIantly by contracting
secret morganatic union. the result Of this being
| that scandal made free with her name
| The portrait OF this minor historical princess
| is attractively yet impaTtiaIly drawn The authG
does not blink Cristina's weaknesses and Emita- f
tions- AS a sketch Of political conditions an.
events in the Spain of the second quarter Of ne +
last century the book is informing and well keg.
| together.
| Dr. Rappoport ends this review. as he begz-
it. His life of Leopold II Of Belgium IS eminent
| ly fair, in that it lays proper stress upon IL
ability of this much abused royal parsonage as
try's industrial and commercial prosperity Leo .
pold was a hereditary king 70 whom the author
does not object. In fact he is inclined TO f.
sorry that so highly gifted q statesman VS.
| thrown away on so small country
The book begins with the establishment Of IL !