New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-01

ROMANTIC TRIALS OF THREE CEN
TURIES BY Hugh Chlders. Win
illustrations. svo. PIP, XVII. @3. The
John Lane Company
While OF special interest 10 the jurist
OF to-day on account of the light
throws on the crudities and laxities OF
English legal procedure in the past
this book IL fascinating review or
certain phases OF the social history or
England from the Restoration 10 the
fourth decade of the nineteenth CEN
fury. Only once does the author, who
died shortly after the completion OF
these studies, cross the Channel 10 con-
tinental Europe, but it is 10 good pur-
pose that he makes the excursion. for
he tells the story on which is based
that once popular melodrama, Ihe
Lyons Mail" The celebrated Gohier
presided at the trial of Lesurgues: no
less a parsonage than Brillat-Savarin
was the public prosecutor: Josephine
Bonaparte WAS a spectator, and so was
Nine. Tallien, whose attire. or, rather
suspend the session for several hours.
The lady was dressed "A Ia Phryne,
and might have quoted classical prece-
dent for thus appearing in court OF
law.
II is this connection Of historic per
sonages with the trials here reviewed
that gives the book no small part Of It's
wider interest We find Henry Field
ing figuring both as magistrate and as
counsel to the chief witness for the
prosecution in a pretended kidnapping
case that set all England by the ears,
and received caustic comment from
Voltaire. Earlier still-the arrangement
Of the book IL not chronological by the
wayne encounter the learned author
OF "Religio Medici' as an expert for the
prosecution in the trial Of the Lowestoft
witches.
lie said that ne clearly thought that the
children had been bcwitchcd, that the
swooning fits were natural. heightened
70 great excess by the subtletN of the
devil" and he added that In Denmark in
stances OF witchcraft had been recently
brought to light Of persons being az
ficted by pins. needles and nails.
Brownies great learning had not protect
cd him from the prevailing crcdulity OF
the time, and his evidence was ono Of the
strongest points Of the prosecution,
though there were not wanting people o'
sounder sense In court To say WORD III
favor Of the two women.
Lord Chesterfield appears here in an
unfavorable light He might have
saved the life OF his old tutor, WIN
cumsily forged his name in an effort
TO tide over a financial difficulty, hut
callously allowed Justice 10 take its
callous course. The ex-tutor. the Rev.
Or. William DOdd, the "Macaroni Par
SON" was a sort Of eighteenth century
Rev. Charles Honeyman. "A fashionable
preacher. but the founder also Of sew
eral worthy charitable institutions.
Walpole mentions him. and Flo tie
caricatured him in his play The
Co2oncrs" The bigamous marriage Of
the elderly Beau Fielding and the de-
cidedly mature Barbara Villiers,
Duchess OF Cleveland. sheds a Vivid
light on the loose marriage customs OF
England at the end OF the Restorat Ii IN
period. lie was i'm dire financial
straits. sought TO recoup himself by
rich marriage. was deceived by hair
dresser. who acted as go-between. and
married a poor woman in lieu II the
rich widow ne believed himself To be
counting. The chaplain of one Of the
legations in London performed the
ceremony, using the words this wom-
an" and this gentleman" without
mentioning their names. Thus Il was
not till afterward that Fielding discov-