know of the man to credit Sully's assertion that some such plan was often the topic of their conversation. The importance of the "Christian Commonwealth" is due not to its details as presented by the unimaginative Sully but to the main principles involved. To destroy the Hapsburg preponderance and establish a European equilibrium were the clearly defined aims of Henry's foreign policy, and became his legacy to his dynasty. Too practical himself to dream of rendering war infeasible by any political arrangement, he could, nevertheless, fight to the end of rendering further fighting more difficult and unprofitable. This at least was the ruling motive which guided his preparations for the campaign against Juliers-a statesman-like design which Henry's undignified passion for Charlotte de Montmorency may very likely have precipitated, but which it grossly belies the King to ascribe to a "senile and adulterous passion." On the whole Mr. Willert's volume may be commended as singularly fair and accurate. There is the least trace of prejudice against the Guises in his version of the massacre of Vassy, a failure in setting forth satisfactorily the real point of weakness in the edict of Nantes, some indications of haste, perhaps, in the two concluding chapters where the narrative reads less smoothly than in the others; but these are blemishes hardly serious enough to mention. He prefers to write Aubigné, instead of D'Aubigné, which is correct, though rather against common English usage; but to be consistent he should not have written D'Amours, DeThou, D'O, D'Ossat, and the rest, in all of which, as in D'Aubigné, the preposition has practically become a part of the FREDERICK WELLS WILLIAMS. name. Europe, 476-918. By Charles Oman, M.A. New York, Macmillan & Co., 1893-12mo, viii, 532 pp. This volume is the first in order of a series which is to cover the whole of European history in eight volumes, of which the seventh, by H. Moore Stephens, on the period from 1789 to 1815, has already appeared. The especial merit of this book is that it represents, in the main faithfully, the most approved opinion and the results reached by the best investigators. The old fables, so long repeated in books of this sort on many points, have disappeared, and their place is taken by a statement of the real facts as they probably occurred. It is easy to see, although no references are given, that the author is usually thoroughly familiar with the sources and that, where he follows others, he has selected the best guides. Occasionally something of this sort has been overlooked-for example, he evidently is not familiar with Brunner's brilliant study of the introduction of service on horseback into the Frankish army. The book is mainly concerned with the facts of general political history. Almost no attention is given to the history of civilization, or even to the relation of the facts to one another. By far the weakest part of the book is that which relates to institutional history. Perhaps the criticism is uncalled for, as the subject may have fallen without the author's plan, but where anything is attempted, as on Carolingian institutions, and on the forming ecclesiastical organization, the account is wholly inadequate, and surely so important a matter as the formation of the feudal system, which falls within this this period and not within the next one, should not have been passed over in entire silence. But in its especial field, as a reference book concerning the facts of political history, the volume will be found very useful. G. B. A. Civilization during the Middle Ages, especially in relation to Modern Civilization. By George Burton Adams, Professor of History in Yale University. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1894 -8vo, 863 pp. The design of this work is not to relate the facts of medieval history. A knowledge of the most important facts is presupposed. The design of the author is to describe the chief historic elements which enter into our civilization, in their inception, their mutual relations and their orderly development. Beginning with a concise survey of "What the Middle Ages started with," the contribution made by Christianity, and the fall of the Roman Empire, he proceeds to depict, in their proper succession, the essential changes and the characteristic features of the Medieval Era down to the Protestant Reformation. Unnecessary reference to authors is avoided, unessential details are excluded, and the effort is made to present a lucid and readable, as well as thorough and scholarly, retrospect of the period which was the seed-plot of our modern life. The relation of the author to the YALE REVIEW is a reason for leaving the critical judgment of this work to other journals, but I may go so far as to express the opinion that the aim which the author set before him has been fully attained. G. P. F. BOOKS RECEIVED. ADAMS, CHARLES FRANCIS. Massachusetts, Its Historians and Its History. An Object Lesson. Boston and N. Y., Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1893. ADAMS, GEORGE B. Civilization during the Middle Ages, especially in relation to Modern Civilization. N. Y., Charles Scribner's Sons, 1894. ADAMS, HERBERT B. The Life and Works of Jared Sparks. Boston and N. Y., Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1893, 2 volumes. ANDREWS, NEIL. The Development of the Nominating Convention in Rhode Island. Papers from the Historical Seminary of Brown University, Providence, R. I., 1894. BAKER, FLORENCE E. A Brief History of the Elective Franchise in Wisconsin. Madison, Wisc. Hist. Soc., 1894. BEMIS, E. W. and others. Local Government in the South and Southwest. Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science, XI Series, number XI. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press, 1893. BOSANQUET, Bernard. The Civilization of Christendom and Other Studies. N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. BRADFORD, AMORY H. The Pilgrim in Old England. A Review of the History etc. of the Independent (Congregational) Church in England. N. Y., Ford, Howard & Hulbert, 1893. BROWN, JAMES BALDWIN. Stoics and Saints. Lectures on the Later Heathen Moralists, and on some aspects of the Life of the Medieval Church. N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. CARUS, PAUL. Primer of Philosophy. Chicago, Open Court Pub. Co., 1893. Clement, The Homilies of. Index to the Publications by the Trustees of the Lightfoot Fund. London and N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. Sophocles, The Tragedies of, Translated into English by Edward P. Coleridge. London and N. Y., George Bell & Sons, 1893. COMMANS, JOHN R. The Distribution of Wealth. N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. COXE, BRINTON. An Essay on Judicial Power and Unconstitutional Legislation. Being a Commentary on Parts of the Constitution of the United States. Philadelphia, Kay & Bro., 1893. DAVIS, JOHN P. The Union Pacific Railway. A Study in Railway Politics, History, and Economics. Chicago, S. C. Griggs & Co., 1894. DE BUSTAMANTE Y SIRVEN, DR. D. ANTONIO S. El Orden Público, Estudio de Derecho Internacional Privado Leido en la Apertura del 8o curso de la academia de Derecho de la Universida de le Habana el Domingo 5 de Nov. de 1893. Habana "La Universal," 1893. Downing's United States Customs Tariff, 1890. N. Y., R. Downing & Co. Flint, Robert. History of the Philosophy of History. N. Y., Charles Scribner's Sons, 1894. GOODHART, H. C. & Co., 1893. The Eighth Book of Thucydides' History. N. Y., Macmillan GUERBER, H. A. The Myths of Greece and Rome. N. Y., American Book Co., 1893. GWATKIN, HENRY M. Selections from Early Writers Illustrative of Church History to the Time of Constantine. N. Y., and London, Macmillan & Co., 1893. HAMMOND, MATTHEW B. The Financial History of Wisconsin Territory. Madison, Wisc., Wisc. Hist. Soc., 1894. HAYNES, JOHN. Popular Election of United States Senators. Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science, Series XI, number XII. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press, 1893. Italian Lyrists of To-day. Translated by G. A. Greene. London, E. Mathews and J. Law. N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. HYATT, CHARLES H. The English Citizen. His Life and Duties. N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. Ladd, George T. Psychology, Descriptive and Explanatory. N. Y., Charles Scribner's Sons, 1894. LIGHTFOOT, J. B. Biblical Essays. London and N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. MALLOCK, W. H. Labour and Public Welfare. London, A. & C. Black. N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. MOELLER, W. History of the Christian Church in the Middle Ages. London, Swan Sonnenschein, N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. MURRAY, DAVID. The Story of Japan. (The Story of the Nations Series.) N. Y., G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1894. NICHOLSON, J. SHIELD. A Treatise on Money, and Essays on Monetary Problems. N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. Oman, Charles. Europe, 476-918. N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. ORR, HENRY B. A Theory of Development and Heredity. N. Y., and London, Macmillan & Co., 1893. Paine, Thomas, The Writings of, Collected and Edited by M. D. Conway. N. Y., G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1894. POWELL, J. W. Ninth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, 1887-8. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1892. Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Lake Mohonk Conference of Friends of the Indian. Edited by J. C. Barrows. Lake Mohonk Conference, 1893. Putnam, GeorGE HAVEN. Authors and Their Public in Ancient Times. N. Y., G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1893. ROUSSEAU, J. J. The Social Contract. Translated by E. L. Walter. N. Y., G. P Putnam's Sons, 1893. SADLER, M. E. The Revelation of John the Divine. London and N. Y., George SMITH, GOLDWIN. Specimens of Greek Tragedy. N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. SMITH, GOLDWIN. Essays on Questions of the Day, Political and Social. N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. STRADA, J. La Loi de L'Histoire. Paris, F. Alcan, 1894. Terence, The Adelphoi of. Edited by S. G. Ashmore. N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. THAYER, JAMES B. The Origin and Scope of the American Doctrine of Constitu tional Law. Boston, Little, Brown & Co., 1893. TURNER, FRED. J. The Significance of the Frontier in American History. Madison, Wisc., Wisc. Hist. Soc., 1894. WHITE, EMERSON E. School Management. N. Y., American Book Co., 1894. WHITTUK, CHARLES A. The Church of England and Recent Religious Thought. London and N. Y., Macmillan & Co., 1893. WILLERT, P. F. Henry of Navarre and the Huguenots in France. N. Y., G. P. Putnam's Sons. |