New-York tribune., 1911-01-01

for instance, Of a Catherine of Russia
As often their subject itself-or' rather
herself. less often himself-is of no great
historical Importance, but its perlou
and contemporaries are, wherefore these
works are almost invariably most read
able and informing in a general way, for
their authors, industriously working at
their chosen profession, appear gener-
ally to become deeply interested them
selves in the small change of history
that comes into their hands in the course
of their investigations.
This author, who has already given
us several studies of this kind, informs
his readers that, in search of subject
for a new book. he settled upon Cagllos-
tro as the most promising available sub
iect. the more so as he found that no
set biography existed in English Of this
puzzling parsonage. At the very begin
ming of his preliminary study of the
existent documents in the case, he found,
so he further tells us, that their un-
fairness, their pdrti priS, compelled
him, in all honesty, to expose their un-
reliability, due partly to inaccuracy, but
more largely 20 malice, the result being
that he has produced a book which,
though it does not solve the enigma
Cagliostro was, at least places him In
a far more favorable light. His conclu-
sion is that the count" was not the I'M
postor pure and simple and indefensible
Of the documents and of Carlyle, but
an eighteenth century occultist, clair
voyant and psychic" a man with high
ideals and aims, who like his twentieth
century successors, did not scruple to
practise fraud when it served his pur-
pose. He was, according to this view of
him. not a swindler, so far as money was
concerned-rather the reverse. His mys-
terious wealth came in reality, so Mr..
Trowbridge AYERS, from the secret So
cieties that honeycombed Europe in his
day. endeavoring to graft themselves
upon the stock Of the Masonic order.
Inordinately vain, Cagliostro added to
the atmosphere Of mystery he main
tanned around himself the charlatanism
of eccentricity in dress and speech, but
much Of the legend that grew up around
him was not of his own making, but Of
that Of an inconceivably credulous
world.
Mr.. Trowbridge is particularly felici-
tous in demonstrating that Cagliostro
was not the exceptional figure In his
time which tradition has made him out
10 be: that, on the contrary, he fitted TO
perfection in its spirit, in its amazing
mixture of philosophic doubt and mystic
superstition, that he was but one OF many
such personages-Mr. Trowbridge points
to Mesmer. the Rosicrucians, the self
STYLED Count de st. Germain and to Swe-
denborg-and that he might have passed
out Of sight as one of its minor phe
nomena but for the affair Of the neck
lace, in which he had no part, but which
drew down upon him the vengeance Of
the House Of Bourbon and ended In his
ruin. This atmosphere Of religious
doubt. philosophic curiosity and mystic
gullibility, not unlike that OF our own
day. by the way. is reflected In count
less works Of history and historical fic-
ton, in Anatole Frances lively "Rotis-
serie de la Refine Pedauque." for in
stance, and in Mrs. Wharton's Stem
dhalesque valley OF Decision
The book does not solve the mystery
OF Cagliostro. The author cannot tell
us who and what he really was. but ne
makes out a good case at least against
his Identification. generally accepted as
proved, with the common swindler.
blackmailer and blackguard Balsamo. He
robs the Cagliostro legend Of much Of Its
picturesque fable. TO which, indeed. he