Jewett, SophIE. God's Troubadour, The Story of Saint Francis of Assisi. New York, Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. Pp. 185. $1.25.

This is a charming account of the life and work of Saint Francis, which can hardly fail to inspire the reader and fill him with admiration for the wonderful beauty of character displayed by this most lovable of the medieval saints. The book is written in a simple, attractive style which will please young students as well as adults. Perhaps a super-critical reader might question the probability of one or two incidents, but most will not object to them. The illustrations are numerous and attractive, taken largely from photographs of Assisi and the vicinity and from paintings by early Italian artists. One cannot understand the tremendous influence of the mendicant orders in the later Middle Ages without knowing the life and character of Brother Francis," for what gave the Franciscans their "enduring hold on the affections of the world was the spirit the founder infused . . . in his brethren." As Lea says in his "History of the Inquisition" (1, 260), “no human creature since Christ has more fully incarnated the ideal of Christianity than Francis" by the "Christian love and humility with which he devoted himself to the wretched and neglected -the outcasts for whom, in that rude time, there were few indeed to care." This book will be very useful to students and teachers of European history. Clarence Perkins.

ELLIOTT, EDWARD G. The Biographical Story of the Constitution. New York. G. P. Putnam's Sons. Pp. xi, 400. $2.00. Professor Elliott, of Princeton University, here presents a study of the growth of the American Union through the processes of interpretation and adaptation of the constitution by those to whom official responsibility and political leadership committed this task. After an introductory chapter, entitled, "The Fathers': Inception through Compromise," there follow eleven chapters of from twenty to twenty-five pages each, styled after this fashion: “Alexander Hamilton: Growth through Administrative Organization." "James Wilson: Growth through Speculative Forecast." "Thomas Jefferson: Growth through Acquiescence." "James Madison: Growth through Formulation." John Marshall: Growth

66

through Legal Interpretation." "Andrew Jackson: Growth through Democratization." "Daniel Webster: Growth through Rising National Sentiment." 'John C. Calhoun: Retardation through Sectional Influence." "Abraham Lincoln: Growth through Civil War," "Thaqueus Stevens: Growth through Reconstruction." Theodore Roosevelt: Growth through Expansion." These titles give the impression of artificiality and an excess of emphasis on the categorical, but nowhere else in the book does this suggestion of undue formalism appear. Probably it is judged that this method makes for serviceableness among college students for whom as a text-book the volume seems primarily designed. Its usefulness in this direction is increased by its appendix of one hundred pages containing the "documents illustrative of the principal points around which the conflict of opinion has been hottest." Other aids are biographical outlines preceding each chapter and a brief bibliography for each. The author's estimates of men and measures are the accepted ones and his presentation is concise, clear and interesting.

Wayland J. Chase.

FORD, WORTHINGTON CHAUNCEY. George Washington. The Beacon Biographies. Boston, Small, Maynard & Co. Pp. xvii, 169.

50 cents. SWIFT, LINDSAY. Benjamin Franklin. The Beacon Biographies, Boston, Small, Maynard & Co. Pp. xxvii, 154. 50 cents. The excellent Bibliography of History by Andrews, Gambrill and Tall, noted in the December number of THE HISTORY TEACHER'S MAGAZINE, includes no mention of any biographies of the Beacon series. This must have been due to oversight rather than to intent, for some of these are widely recognized as of value for highschool pupils. Trent's Lee, Wister's Grant and Barnes' Farragut

are such. Of the two titles reported above, Ford's Washington is excellently adapted for supplementary reading in the high school. The narrative is accurate, easily understood and interesting, and, despite the brevity of treatment necessary to a 16 mo. volume, a clear impression of both the career and the man is given. Swift's Franklin is less of a biography than it is a critical and philosophical study, and, therefore, is not so useful for high-school pupils. In each volume the pages numbered with Roman numerals contain a considerably detailed chronological outline of the hero's career, and following the biography there are a few pages devoted to a bibliography of the subject. Wayland J. Chase.

DAVIS, W. S. The Influence of Wealth in Imperial Rome. New York, The Macmillan Co. Pp. xi, 340. $2.00.

In this book teachers of ancient history will find a great body of interesting information which is not readily accessible in any other work of popular character. The narrative portions of Mr. Davis' new volume, based upon a wide reading of the literary and inscriptional sources, are entertainingly written and trustworthy. From the pages of chapter three, especially, teachers may enrich their knowledge of the commercial life of the Roman Empire and find material well adapted for topical reports by their students. The subheadings of the chapter, such as Money and Banking," "Sea Traffic and Foreign Commerce," "Roman Roads and Land Travel," "Internal Commerce and Industry," indicate the nature of the subjects handled.

66

The impression which the entire work leaves is an unfortunate one, because the massing of a great amount of information upon the earning and spending of money in the Roman Empire necessarily emphasizes too much the materialistic side of the GrecoRoman world. The result is, therefore, a one-sided picture. The modern analogies made by the author are not always trustworthy. Although the book is decidedly stronger on the narrative than on the interpretative side, it will be found a useful addition to high school, college and university libraries. William L. Westermann.

HALE, E. E., JR. William H. Seward. Philadelphia, George W. Jacobs & Co. Pp. 388. $1.25.

This latest of the American Crisis Biographies is, by the author's declaration, a political biography. In consequence of this strong emphasis on Seward's public life, the reader is not made well acquainted with the man, though he sees the statesman. Yet the statesman does not stand forth fully revealed, as there is not room in a single volume for a large statement of his national career, since about one half of the book is devoted to his part in state politics. Nevertheless, in thus sketching with some detail the political history of New York state in the days of the "Albany Regency," and Seward's part in the overthrow of this combination, a service has been performed for the general student. Here, between 1825 and 1850, the Anti-Masonic Party, the Whigs, the American Party, the Barn-Burners" and the Free Soil Party either had their origin or first assumed special significance. Consequently, it is a fruitful field of study for those who would know well the forces at work in the national politics of the period. Professor Hale has drawn his material for this portion of his book largely from original sources, both manuscript and official records and newspapers, the narrative is clear, the author's position is unpartisan, and the volume a valuable contribution to this series of biographies. For the average high-school student a large part of the book is somewhat too special, but teachers will find here an illumination of an important period of our history.

Wayland J. Chase.

WARWICK, CHARLES F. Napoleon and the End of the French Revolution. Philadelphia, George W. Jacobs & Co. Pp. 481. $2.50, net.

This book is a sequel to the previous works of the same author on Mirabeau, Danton and Robespierre, and has many of the faults of its predecessors. It is printed on very good paper, and contains many excellent illustrations from contemporary etchings and

engravings. The narrative is enlivened with numerous interesting anecdotes drawn from the memoirs of the period, but contains a number of inaccurate statements of fact. Military history is rather over-emphasized, and very often essentials are subordinated to non-essentials, thus adding interest at the expense of more solid qualities. Parts of the book may be used for high-school reference reading, but the book is not so well suited for this purpose as others, and the teacher will find more satisfactory help in other biographies of Napoleon, such as that of Rose.

Clarence Perkins.

JANE, L. CECIL. From Metternich to Bismarck. A Text-Book of European History. 1815-1878. Oxford, at the Clarendon Press. Pp. 288. $1.10.

This book is a very successful attempt to present in brief space the essential facts of the history of the chief Continental European states, from the Congress of Vienna through that of Berlin. The author has adopted the plan of treating the history of the West and the center of the Continent as a unit, not attempting wholly separate and special treatment for the great states throughout the period, and neglecting the internal history of the lesser states, and even Russia, except in so far as they led to events of international importance. The period from 1815 to 1848 he unifies under the Metternich System, the infractions of it, and its fall in the Revolutions of 1848. Next, these revolutions and their effects are de scribed with brevity and clearness, and Napoleon III's policies at home and abroad become the unifying force. From 1860 to 1878 the narrative centers about the work of Bismarck, with a few necessary digressions. This method of organization is a decided success. The essential narrative facts are stated with marked clearness, and abundant interpretation is provided. The causes of great international events are very well brought out.

For secondary school teachers it will be very valuable, and several chapters, especially in the latter half, will be useful for students' reference reading. Clarence Perkins.

BANGS, MARY ROGERS. Jeanne D'Arc, the Maid of France. Boston and New York, Houghton-Mifflin Company. Pp. 351. $1.25, net. This book is a clear and interesting narrative of the life of Jeanne d'Arc, quite free from the rather partisan, argumentative tone and the psychological subtleties which have characterized some recent works on the same subject. The interest in Jeanne d'Arc's personality and career seems perennial, and, though this work does not seem to present any important facts not brought out in the several good biographies of the maid already available in English, it will doubtless find a place on many bookshelves. In secondary school work the book may be useful for special reports, but is too detailed, and deals with too restricted a field for effective use as assigned reference reading. Clarence Perkins.

GHEUSI, P. B. Gambetta, Life and Letters. Authorized translation by Violette M. Montagu. New York, D. Appleton & Co. Pp. 365. $3.50, special, net.

This is a translation of the work published in 1909 under the title "Gambetta par Gambetta," and tells the interesting story of Gambetta's life largely from his letters to his parents, with the addition of a few written to his friends, and brief bits of narrative to fill out some few gaps caused by the absence of letters. The book seems to be well edited, and the letters are certainly interesting and well worth reading. Unfortunately, while the letters of Gambetta's student days and the nine years (1860-1869), during which the young advocate rose to prominence at Paris, are quite full; those from 1869 to 1882, when he was in the forefront of political life, are very scanty, covering only eighty-three pages. Thus the book is more valuable as illustrative of the career and personality of Gambetta than as a detailed account of the history of France during those critical years.

The sympathetic reader can hardly help admiring the young republican and feeling a touch of sadness after perusing the letters. "Gambetta's life was one long struggle; in his youth it was the struggle against poverty-almost starvation-. . . then, as he grew older, it was the struggle against increasing ill-health much aggravated by overwork and worry. If ever any man gave his all without counting the loss and without stint, that man was Gambetta," to whom the Third French Republic owes its very existence.

The book is of too special a character to be useful for secondary students' reference reading, except possibly for a special report. Clarence Perkins.