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SPECIAL BOOKS. 



The period since the Congress of Vienna has "been immensely fruitful of 

 great and far-reaching events — of events that have essentially modified the 

 fortunes of the world, its theories of government, and the condition of its 

 peoples ; and of that period the nearly fifty years covered by the second 

 volume of Professor Andrews's history * have been most eventful and 

 marked by momentous changes. At the opening of this history the conti- 

 nental sovereigns had established despotism throughout their domains on 

 what they thought were firm foundations, and surrounded it with guards 

 which they considered unassailable. The close of it finds the conditions 

 reversed ; government in the interests of the people recognized, and yielded 

 to, even if grudgingly, by those backward monarchs who would prefer to 

 contend against it. The first volume of Professor Andrews's history brings 

 the story down to the close of the revolutionary movements of 1848, when 

 the princes, again set upon their thrones, were studying and plotting as to 

 how they might resume their old authority. In France, Louis Napoleon 

 had become a central figure, and the tendencies were taking shape under 

 which the republic was destroyed and imperialism established. Taking up 

 the record again at this point, Mr. Andrews tells us he has treated only those 

 phases of the history that concern the development of Europe in the larger 

 sense, rather than that of each particular state or country. On the ground 

 that no event can be understood in isolation, and that history is something 

 more than a series of events chronologically considered, he has endeavored 

 to give logical form to the treatment of the subject, to carry each movement 

 forward to its conclusion before turning to the others ; and has introduced 

 nothing that did not seem to him to be absolutely essential to an under- 

 standing of the subject. He has not deemed it necessary to describe battles 

 and military movements at length, and has omitted, with a few exceptions, 

 biographical discussions. He has been successful in adhering to his plan, 

 and, writing always dispassionately, yet without sacrificing interest, and with 

 his mind fixed on the main object, has given a clear and complete view of 

 what each event recorded signified and of what Europe has accomplished 

 in the past half century. The first chapter concerns France, the failure of 

 the second republic, and the rise of Napoleon III to imperial power. This 

 was extremely unwelcome to the other sovereigns, who were disposed to 

 resent the entrance of an intruder into their ranks, and led to diplomatic 

 skirmishing, ending in the Crimean War — a war that "did not create the 

 forces that led to the national unity of Italy and Germany, . . . but gave 

 to Cavour and Bismarck the opportunity that each was seeking." It re- 

 quires but a few uncolored words at the beginning of the story of the 

 achievement of the unity of Italy— the mightiest event of the whole series 

 —to picture Victor Emanuel the hero that he was. With similar success 

 are presented the masterly statesmanship of DAzeglio and Cavour and the 

 high-souled patriotism of the people of Italy. This achievement, a victory 



* The Historical Development of Modern Europe from the Congress of Vienna to the Present Time. 

 By Charles M. Andrews. Vol. II, 1850-189r. New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons. Pp. 407. Price, 

 $2.50. 



