to contemporary writers. This resolution rendered his task more laborious; but it rendered it also more satisfactory. It preserved him from imbibing the prejudices or copying the mistakes of others; it left him to the unbiassed exercise of his own judgment; and it has enabled him to place in a new, and he trusts a more interesting light some of the most important occurrences in our history." hailed it as the greatest historical acquisition which had ever issued from the English press; and a second and third edition, both in octavo, were sold off within six years after the completion of the entire work. Two editions of a French translation of it have appeared in France; the first completed by the Baron de Roujoux, the second begun by him and continued by M. de Mailes. The fourth English edition appeared in thirteen octavo volumes, at different intervals, from 1837 to 1839, price £3 58. Hume's history is to be bought for 16s or 18s. These details prove conclusively how highly Dr. Lingard's work is practically appreciated by the reading public; two edi tions in French, and four English, having been published in less than twenty years, the latter at something more than three guineas The public had a guarantee in Dr. Lingard's previously established character, that the expectations thus created, would be fully realised. His history of the Anglo-Saxon Church had proved him to be a profound Anglo-Saxon scholar, a patient and judicious investigator of early events and records, and a truthful, accurate, and impartial historian; while his researches for the composition of that work had laid the foundation for the proper appre-a copy, while Hume is to be had for one-third hension and elucidation of the subsequent or one-fourth of the money, and is going seportion of the annals of his country. His cond-hand to the cheesemongers!!! reply to Dr. Marsh, and other religious tracts, had proved him to be an acute, learned and temperate theologian; and confirmed the pub-thought of writing a history of that portion of Until Dr. Lingard thus demonstrated the possibility of superseding Hume, no one had the annals of England treated of by him; but the extraordinary success which attended Dr. Lingard's efforts, induced others to follow in the same track. From 1823 to 1829, Mr. Sharon Turner published ten volumes, comprising the history of England from the earliest times to the close of Elizabeth's reign. In these vol umes Mr. Turner exhibited great research and erudition, but want of taste, skill, impartiality and judgment. A second edition has been called for of that part only which embraces the history of the middle ages. In 1830, Sir James Mackintosh commenced a history of England in Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia, but died before he completed the third volume. The work was continued to the ninth volume by Mr. Wallace, the writer of the excellent Life of George IV, in that Cyclopædia; the style of which has been much admired for its lic impression of his fairness, fidelity and accuracy in the statements of facts and doctrines. The favorable anticipations thus produced in regard to his forthcoming history, and the expectations created by the preface were more than realised by the execution of that work. The best proof of this fact is to be found in the successful reception which it met from the public. In 1819 the first three volumes appeared, bringing down the history to the close of the reign of Henry VII; in 1820 the fourth followed, bringing it to the accession of Mary; in 1823 the fifth appeared; in 1825 the sixth; in 1829 the seventh; and in 1830 the eighth and last, all in quarto. Though there was not at the time of its publication one Catholic ( periodical or newspaper in Great Britain; though all the press, even that portion which favored emancipation on political grounds, was hostile to Catholicism as a creed, and in-resemblance to that of Tacitus. Upon his clined to abuse every work that did not malign it; and the adherents of the Established Church spared no effort to decry "the Catholic priest's history;" yet so unbiassed and unanswerable were its statements, and such were in general its sterling merits, that every learned and impartial enquirer after truth, death, in 1840, it was taken up by Mr. Robert Bell, the elegant and accomplished writer of the Lives of the Poets, and the History of Russiu, in the same Cyclopædia, and completed in another volume, bringing the history down to the accession of George III. As no one thinks of instituting a comparison between this history and Dr. Lingard's, we should be acting a needlessly invidious part by dwelling on its defects, particularly as its tone is liberal and its spirit tolerably impartial. second-hand from other compilers; nor, like many of his brethren, retailed to us the vapid dregs of repeated transfusions from the primary sources of information. To borrow his It is unnecessary to state that the merits own metaphor, he has not drawn from the which have secured to Dr. Lingard his present troubled stream, but drank from the fountaingreat pre-eminence, in spite of all the preju- head. His narrative has, accordingly, a freshdices and opposition with which he had to ness of character, a stamp of originality not contend, must have been of the highest order. to be found in any general history of England As our testimony in his favor may be liable in common use. His diligent perusal and to the charge of partiality, we shall place study of our ancient historians, his critical before our readers a few extracts from periodi-examination of their works, his careful and cals which were determinedly hostile to him. judicious comparison of their statements, where The Edinburgh Review commenced an article- they differ, have enabled Dr. Lingard to exthe tenor of which went to show that “implicit { plain many transactions that were before obcredit" was not to be placed in Dr. Lingard's scure, to shew the connection between events narrative when religious partialities might in- that appeared before disjointed, and to make tervene with the following admission of his many silent corrections in our history, which merits. After alluding to his former works, are not the less valuable because they are not and saying that this would not detract from ostentatiously obtruded on our notice, and may the reputation which they had acquired for therefore pass unobserved by the more carehim, that the success it had already obtained less of his readers. To one desirous of makwas a proof at once of its merits, and the good (ing a study, and not a mere amusement, of the taste and judgment of the public,-and that history of his country, we know no general it had "deservedly placed him among the history of England that we should sooner remost eminent of our English historians," commend than the work before us. In the the reviewer added: "Dr. Lingard's book is multitude of authorities to which it appeals, the fruit of great industry, learning, and acute-and in the exactness of its references, it will ness, directed by no ordinary talents. It is bear a comparison with the productions of written in a clear and agreeable manner. His Robertson and Gibbon. It is needless to reperiods are poised and musical in their ca- mark, that without these aids to the reader, dence, with a variety in their structure that without these salutary restraints on the author, pleases without palling on the ear. His style a work professing to be historical, though it is nervous and concise, and never enfeebled may divert the idle, and gratify the prejuby useless epithets, or encumbered with re-diced, is not more deserving of credit than dundant unmeaning phrases. If it be defi- the romance of Waverly or Ivanhoe. To the cient in that happy negligence and apparent › merits of diligence, learning, and critical ease of expression-if it want 'those careless inimitable beauties' which, in Hume, excited the despair and admiration of Gibbon-there is no other modern history with which it may not challenge a comparison. The narrative of Dr. Lingard has the perspicuity of Robertson with more freedom and fancy. His dic-is clear, full and unembarrassed. If there be tion has the ornament of Gibbon, without his any fault in the composition of the work, it is affectation and obscurity. It would be unjust, that the story flows in too equable a stream. however, to Dr. Lingard, to confine our praise There are no pauses to arrest the attention or of his work to its style and diction; he pos- to provoke the reflections of his readers. We sesses what he claims, the rare merit of hav- are carried on smoothly and insensibly, withing collected his materials from original his-out stopping to consider what is interesting torians and records. He has not copied at or curious on our way, and reach the end of VOL. 1.-No. 10. acuteness, Dr. Lingard adds a talent for narration which we rarely find in authors distinguished for antiquarian research. His selection of materials from the voluminous works he has consulted, has been made with judgment and arranged with skill. His narrative 3Q he pursued with regard to all other questionsstated the exact truth, without fear or favor; and as he consequently contradicted the notions that had been propagated for centuries by Protestant writers, he was denounced as prejudiced, bigoted, partial, and unworthy of credit, where the character or interests of the Church lay at stake. These charges are made almost exclusively with reference to that part of his work which comprises the history of the Reformation, from Henry VIII to Eliza beth. The other parts are universally admitted to be entitled to the praise of “rigor ous impartiality;" and we have no doubt that that part also is equally entitled to it. We have often heard Catholics, of whose good our journey with a faint and vague recollec- and the charge of partiality is raised on those tion of the objects we have passed. Revolu-questions only because Dr. Lingard pursued tions, the most important, glide before us, the same course with regard to them which without any anticipation of their approach, notice of their arrival, or retrospective view of their effect. But it must not be inferred from these remarks that Dr. Lingard has confined himself to a mere recital of events, without comment or observation, or that he is an indifferent spectator of the progress of society and manners. Availing himself of the information accumulated in the last two centuries, and profiting by the labors and researches of his predecessors, he has, on the contrary, interwoven in his narrative, many valuable episodes on the character, customs, and institutions of our forefathers; and on the important alterations successively effected in their laws and constitution, in their judicatories, ecclesiastical and civil, and in their ad-sense we had the highest opinion, say that ministration, military and financial. On all they considered Dr. Lingard too impartial; these subjects we find much minute and cu- that if they did not know beforehand that he rious information in his history."* The rewas a priest, they could not say from his book viewer then proceeds to comment on Dr. Lin- what were his opinions; that it was a pleasure gard for his contempt of "the philosophy of now and then to see the pretensions and abromance," to praise Hume, and to question surdities of Protestantism well exposed and Dr. Lingard's accuracy with regard to some castigated; but that he never indulged them occurrences in the Anglo-Saxon epoch. A in such a harmless propensity, but contented writer in another number of the same periodi-himself with a simple narrative of facts, withcal says, "The merits of Dr. Lingard are of out seeming to care much as to their results; a high class. He generally discusses contro- and that they could not understand how any verted facts with candor (except on one sub-one could charge him with being a partial or ject), acuteness, and perspicuity. He selects, in general, judiciously, arranges naturally, relates without prolixity or confusion." "We sincerely congratulate our author, as well as the public, on the manifest signs of increased candor and impartiality which distinguish his three quarto volumes on the reigns of the four Stuarts in England, especially the two latter;" and closes with a compliment for the "rigor-the merits of Scotchmen and Welshmen; but ous impartiality which he uniformly displays its futility was soon exposed, and it is now on political questions, and which stand in a never mentioned except when pressed inte singular contrast with the bias he at one time, service by some zealous antiquarian, to aid at least, used to manifest for the interests of his views of some remote transaction, for the his Church." This "rigorous impartiality" determination of which he considers an ap on every question in which religious feelingspeal to the national feelings of his readers do not interpose, is admitted on all sides; more important than an appeal to evidence and authority. With these two exceptions 15. prejudiced historian. The same impression is generally produced upon the minds of all unbiassed readers, and no one complains who has not reason to lament the refutation of some long cherished prejudices. When his history first appeared, another charge was trumped up against him-that he had strong prejudices as an Englishman, and did not do justice to *Vol. xlii, pp. 1, 2, 3, &c. † Vol. liii, p. See North American Review, vol. xxxvii, the claim of rigorous impartiality is universally admitted; and that these two exceptions pp. 179-80, &c. are totally unfounded, we shall prove from the answers supplied by Dr. Lingard in the present edition. defend the original position. We know not a single point of importance on which the assailants succeeded; while those on which they It is impossible to convey an idea of the were triumphantly discomfited are almost inlabor bestowed on the revisal of this edition.*numerable. In each successive edition the From the appearance of the first volume of result of these attacks, examinations and dethe first edition, in 1819, the author had been fences, appeared in the form of notes, or as assailed in every imaginable form on every new matter in the body of the text. Three point on which it was thought that he had at- times had the work passed through this emendtempted to mislead, or had fallen into error.ing and defensive process before the present Hence it was necessary to go carefully through every charge, to examine the authorities on which it was founded; where an error had been committed, to admit it; where not, to * Thirteen volumes, 8vo. London, 1837, '39. edition was commenced; which we may with safety say, considering the critical ordeals through which its predecessors had thus gone, is the best, most accurate, impartial, and unassailable history of any country that the world has yet seen. The magic wand of friendship too, Farewell, St. Joseph's lovely vale! Ah! sad we leave this home of bliss, Though other scenes and friends we hail, Ne'er shall we meet a spot like this. Farewell! farewell, our cherish'd home! We'll love thee still, where'er we roam. Translated from the French. THE LILY OF THE VALLEY. CHAPTER I. The Foundling. At the foot of this mountain was built in the course of time the beautiful city of Ribeauvillé, so celebrated at the present day for its URING the crusades or holy wars, the exquisite wines and excellent manufactures. D'Chit the thus west hastened in dense Like all the cities of the middle ages, its streets are narrow, and its dwellings unpre tending, but the agreeable character of the inhabitants, their habits of industry and respect for religion, render it a pleasant residence and recommend it especially to the notice of strangers. On going out of the principal gate of the city, the traveller looks with enraptured eye upon a charming valley, through which winds the road leading to St. Marie aux Mines, and thence through Lorraine to Nancy and Paris. An avenue of poplar and horse-chesnut trees phalanxes to rescue the tomb of the Saviour, and deliver Palestine from the followers of Mahomet. Already had thousands of brave knights enlisted under the banner of Jesus Christ, and burning with the noble desire of wresting from the yoke of infidels a country that had been hallowed by the presence of our Divine Redeemer, settled their temporal affairs, forgot their private quarrels, and declared themselves the avengers of their oppressed and suffering brethren. Those wars although they did not answer the expectations which had been formed of them, were, how-leads to the ruins of an ancient pilgrimage, ever, productive of good effect which history has attested. Each province participated in the general movement produced by the voice of a simple hermit, who knew how to enkindle a holy zeal in those intrepid warriors, whose swords, but lately stained with the blood of their rivals, were now to be raised only against the blasphemers of Christianity. Among the noble families of Alsace whose illustrious sons took up arms at that period, history dwells more particularly on that of the valiant and powerful counts of Ribeaupierre. The manor of these brave knights still remains, upon the summit of a mountain; its majestic ruins cover a soil once celebrated for glorious feats of arms, and the neighboring echo seems still to repeat the names of those intrepid men, at one time objects of terror, at another angels of peace for the country round. formerly much frequented and known under the name of Our Lady of Dusenbach. An Alsacian nobleman who had committed a heinous crime, stung by remorse, erected in that solitude a calvary whither he often repaired to meditate on the fleeting joys of this life, and seek in those pious entertainments with God a remedy for the anguish of his soul. The fitness of this place to serious reflections on eternity, suggested to a virtuous anchorite the thought of building there a cell; and it was in this spot that the holy man, absorbed in the contemplation of the great truths of religion, attained a high degree of perfection. He became the oracle of the country, the friend of the poor, with whom he was ever ready to divide his frugal repast, the comforter of the afflicted, the protector of the widow and the orphan. He was another Elias, the |