The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-20
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Riehrllea.


The well known facts OF Richelieu' =
career are discussed by Mr. Ia 7EPH
McCAHE IN The IroE CGrdiAai. tAS Romance
Of RicAslisu Che John Mcbride CO.., from
a carefully restricted aud single point
oI view which gives the work a certain
rr~-hue-s. aud IL l. prolnahle that this
RESTRICTION may help the average reader
Ia q better understanding u the very
troblemAtic Bismarck oG the seventeenth
'ssJurv. The statesman In question owes
'-svo0d question good deal Of his
iresent celebrity a. such novelists a.
Dumas the cider with his Three Mus
ksteers,- and to James and Weyman
and other confessed fictiOnists, and in
directly Co thuse very seductive memoir
iss@ II an older day from whom the novel
issS 1--we borrowed much 90 their material
and Kho are scarcely less irresponsible
ED fanciful than they.
-la seemed profitable says Mr..
McCabe In his preface. TO inquire how
far the lavish and romantic details Of
the novelists were founded on fact. One
does not usually examine the work Of
the novelist in that respect, but a little
inquiry soon showed that such AN inquiry
would In the present instance prove most
fruitful and interesting. Credible writers
q the time were found 20 give episodes
that rivalled the most imaginative flights
of the writer Of fiction. and had indeed
0ftsn passed with little change into the
pages OF romance To describe Richelie'i
undar this aspect-the Richelieu 81 a
thousand spies. the Richelieu % romance
and intrigue-is the chief object q the
present work
Nevertheless the reader who looks 10
thsse pages for a warmly colored thrilling
story may be disappointed. Mr.. McCabe's
sempeEHment hardly accords with his
pEogramme. Ho writes with tho judicial
discrsticn and accuracy Of one attempting
20 reach the true facts OF the case. and
nothing hut the truth: and we cannot
gAinaay him when he asserts that every
sare has beeo taken to exclude anecdotes
and detAils. however picturesque. which
are NOT entitled 70 credence. In the rich
mythology of that are OF INSCRIPTIONS
writer's. when piquancy was often pre-
fegred 10 truth and passion had loose
rein. the conscientious writer must pick
his way carefully and resist many temp
tations. To this due attention has been
gwen so much attention. indeed. that
hia subtitle may seem 20 some a tribe
MISLEADING. even though q more useful
remalt than 10 there implied be attained
through these scruplss. The truth IL
Mr.. McCabe does concsntFate the interest
upon the domestic Riohslieu. who strug-
Gled with tho two Queens and with other
women and their lovers at the PArls court
for control Of the youthful Kings favor
instead OF concentrating it upon OompArs-
lively abstract questions OF statesman
ship. Of foreign policy and 90 on. Thereby
hs seems To us 20 put the horse before the
cart. Tor Richelieu's foreign policy. &c..
vas surely more determined by tbs re-
auirsmsnts Of this battle Of the seraglio.
90 70 apeAk than u generally admitted. or,
Cor that matter. than our author htmsslf
seems 70 perceive. He supplies material.
however. from which the discerning reader
may draw his own inferences. Apart
from that he does not really abound in
cafe and sword details or in instances OF
the manifold ESPIONAGE Of this prede-
ceseor Of the Duke OF OtrantO. though he
mentiOns some. OF course. In short. TO
speak with a compliment, Mr.. McCabes
work has. in fact. more OF historic
than % a romantic value.
Il IL q fallacy. often perhaps wilful.
~ historians that a mans life work must
have looked the same to him from be-
forehAnd a. IL appears 20 NJ in retrospect.
Mr.. McCAbe il not altogether free from
this fAllAcy. We now oversee the great
results 81 Richeiieu's premiership IN
giving France precedence over Spain.
IN making the royal power supreme 10
that the grand monarque- became pos
Eibls. and In crushing out the fetldAl priv
iIeRss Of the nobility. the Huguenot dis
affection and other elements OF internal
discord. And recognizing from hehAnd-
hand the subsequent importance Of these
achievements We are inclined TO po-tu-
late that their principal author must have
sOrsse~n and foreaimed az what ~ now
plainly visible 10 NJ a. a concrete whole
Inevitably this leads IA 20 a conception
20 RichelieiI a. "A superman and wizard
He n certainly a puzzle. hat not 80 much
of one A. all that. although Mr.. Mo- ais.
Soes not do - much 10 solve the problem
- the data which be furnishes might
naturally cause ths. reader 10 sKpar; Of
him.
When ve ~rr,ItinIzc the domestic detail Us
~ Richeleu'- personality AMI career
We shall probably 10 less tempted to
postulatc a ~uperInan m HIM than IN the
divinity that shapes mr. onis. rough
hsw thern how We will In other words
the Cardinals Vorldw de achievements
may upon examination se-n ~ H.. almost
accidental cnusoJ IeuCe- ~ hts cuntin-
uous conflict Nth handful - half
educated women for the control - AN
uneducated barhsrians good will and
countsnance for IN" tear leadership.
that IL, - dun. heavy. athletic Louis
XIII
Some thirty v"sT- ago q French student
was turning oy"- uaz- ~ oii manu-
srr;pts when he came across one that
arrested hi- attention u WIS entitled
-ins'rIc'ions and msNim- that have
given myself Ia Ruii" my conduct ~
court n Was written by Richelipu IN
his twenty 18th wear "" must. h. saws
there fni q residence az PARIS near 20
that - God and tIat - the King
His earliest hours -hOul 30 gwen 20 the
q 4. a