than every political historian must be. His book work is executed in true antiquarian style, and will contains a digest of Smith, and the Records of the remain an everlasting monument to the taste and London Company; and as he had access to the learning of the author, and to the liberality and papers and collections of Sir John Randolph, Wm. good sense of the Virginia Legislature. Byrd, and to many ancient records, destroyed in These are the principal original writers on the the Revolution, Stith is to be regarded as in a great history of Virginia; and if a man wishes to study measure an original authority. His style is unpol- it with interest and thoroughly, he must go to ished; but it is evident that he was a man acquaint-them-not to the compilers. It is a great mistake to ed with books and with the world. It is also evi- suppose that we can acquire a knowledge of history dent, that he was a man of strong, clear under- more easily and quickly from compilers than from standing, manly spirit, and of genuine love for ra- the original writers. It is inevitable, that he who tional liberty. He never finished the work. Dis-relates what he saw, and gathered from the mouths pirited and chagrined with the want of interest in of his cotemporaries, will narrate it with a larger the subject manifested in Virginia, he threw down his pen at the downfall of the London Company, died,

"And left the world no copy"

number of attendant circumstances, with greater specialty, and consequently, with greater vividness than he who has to tell it second-hand; for when a man has to relate events which he never saw, and a knowledge of which he has gathered from various second sources, he first revolves them in his own mind, strips them of that circumstantial minuteness, and gives a general, lengthy outline. He who comes after him, and compiles from compilers, of course has still less specialty of fact. Thus history resembles a piece of figured tapestry, and compilers the moths. One moth eats up half

for a second volume. It still remains the best written portion of the history of this State, and we greatly regret that it comes no farther than 1624. Besides these books, there are numerous minor works, some invaluable histories of particular events and periods, and others illustrative of the people, the country and early condition-which the limbs of a man-another goes to work on what have been lately republished by Mr. Force. There the first has left; and the next generation of moths is also Chalmers' Revolt of the American Colo- leaves nothing but a nose and a body. Froissart nies, who must in some respects be considered as tells the story of those times in a book which reads an original writer. The author was Chief Clerk like a romance, and leaves an indelible impression of the Committee of Privy Council and had ac- on the mind, because of the circumstantial manner cess to all the original papers and memorials rela- in which every thing is related. Hume delivers tive to the subject, and his lately published work after him the same events in an inimitable style, was compiled from these manuscripts. He is a but deprived of the individuality which renders the high tory; but seems to be also an accurate, truth-old chronicler's narrative so striking and so easily telling man, and his book is very useful. There remembered. And then Goldsmith abridges from are also Jefferson's notes, Howe's Historical Col- Hume. The one gets over all the space occupied lections, and the celebrated manuscript records of the London Company, which are now, we believe, in the possession of Mr. Conway Robinson.

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by Froissart in half a volume, and the other in a few pages. But he who reads them receives no distinct impression of the age, and forgets what he learns from them in a few months. More knowledge would have been derived from fifty pages of Froissart, because they would have been read with more interest, and recollected longer. As it is with these books, so it is with the historians of Virginia. He that would study the subject with pleasure, must use the compilers of it only as an index of the original writers. Indeed, this is their cheif use on all historical subjects-to fix in the mind an outline, to be filled up with cotemporary works. There are some authors, it is true, who have made compilations of historical facts, who are valuable because of the great insight they have thus been able to give into human character; and the greatest of these is Shakspeare.

But Hening's Statutes at Large is the master-key to Virginia history, the thread of its labyrinth, the open sesame" of its closed doors, the flying bridge of its impassable gaps. This work is a record of all the acts of the Colonial Assembly, so far as they can be collected, with explanatory notes and connecting remarks; and forms an inexhaustible mine, from which the reader may dig up the richest ore of instruction and entertainment. As this is a guide which can neither err nor deceive, it is invaluable to the historian. It furnishes a clue to the other materials. And it is only from the laws of a nation that we can have a right idea of their civil relations or state of society. For as "every new law," remarks Preistly, "is made to remove some inconvenience the state was subject to be- At the head of those who have compiled the hisfore the making of it, and for which no other mode tory of Virginia stands John Burk—a writer, who, of redress was effectual, the law itself is a stand- with all his imperfections, has displayed real geing, and the most authentic evidence we can re- nius on this subject. He was an Irishman, who quire of the state of things previous to it." The practised law in Petersburg, and wrote three vol

umes on the history of this State. He intended to have finished it in five volumes; but at this stage of proceedings he was shot in a duel by a Frenchman, and that put a stop to his work. He deserves great credit in some respects, and has not more errors than were inevitable in making a first at tempt to weave the facts into a general narrative. Although he had access to some ancient records, It brings no accession to the known facts of Virwhich are now destroyed or lost, he wanted some ginian History. We would not be understood as very important sources of information with regard objecting to Mr. Howison, that he tells the same to the settlement of Virginia. Not only does he story and adduces the same facts which his predeseem to have no knowledge of Hakluyt and Pur-cessors have done. Of course, if he treats of the chas, but he does not appear to have possessed same history, he must do this. But from the imSmith's books: however, he studied the materials which he had, with great ability. But although this writer has evidently considerable power, his narrative is not an interesting one, and portions of it are disfigured with the most monstrous fustian that an Irishman was ever guilty of. After writing some twenty pages in a very sensible manner, he astonishes the reader by suddenly turning into an absolate tom-fool. Without any notice he capers as high as the heavens-rises up like a sky-rocket. But this is a valuable book, and deserves the careful attention of every student of the subject.

that it will bring any lasting reputation to its author. It is, at present, by far the best narrative of the whole history which we possess, and it will, therefore, be read until a more perfect work is executed. Then it will sink into obscurity; for we can find nothing about it which is calculated to give it lasting popularity, or a long life.

mense mass of unworked materials, he has brought to view nothing save what we have seen before. And although this does not interfere with the pressent utility of his book, it deprives him of all claim to praise as one who has filled the gaps and chasms in the known chain of events, to the lasting reputation which belongs to Burk and Bancroft, of having thrown light on what was dark before. He is more accurate in the facts which he does detail than either of these authors. But he corrects Burk out of Bancroft, and Bancroft out of an able review of that writer in this periodical, and out of It would please us to notice the works of those Howe's Outline History. To these remarks it may compilers of American History who have treated be replied, that all important portions of the subject Virginian History in connection with that of the have been already explored by these writers, -all other Colonies, but must pass them by for the double the new lands discovered. If this be so, we do not reason of want of space, and because we are tired charge it as any defect of the book that it contains of the task. We would remark, however, that it nothing new; we merely assert that Mr. Howison seems to us Grahame's Colonies should hold a much can lay no claim to fame on this ground. But such higher place in public estimation than Mr. Ban- is by no means our opinion. We do not think the croft's learned, but crude work on the same sub- facts have been as thoroughly examined as they ject. The materials are better digested, and the might be. There is much about Virginian History style more perfectly wrought. To a large class of which we should like to know and which we could readers, however, they stand in the same relation know. And Mr. Howison shows sufficient ability to each other that the two actors did who played in this work to make us believe that if he had the King and Hamlet before Partridge in Tom Jones. studied the subject longer than he seems to have They will undervalue Grahame for something of done, he had ample opportunity to have given us a the same reason which caused Partridge to under-much more valuable book than the one before us. value Garrick-because he seems to tell the story No historian has yet attempted an account of the just as any other man would; and they will overrate domestic as well as the political progress of this Bancroft for the same reason which made him country. If Mr. Howison had brought forward a overrate the actor who played the King-"the History of the People as well as the Colony of VirKing for my money; he speaks all his words half ginia, we would have hailed him as the first of Viras loud again as the other. Any body may see ginia historians. This is the most important porhe is an actor."-Book XVI, ch. 5th. Mr. Ban- tion of history-the flesh, blood, and muscles of the croft is, however, a man of very great learning, political skeleton; and it is that portion of it which and his book is a great accession to our stock of every body is most interested in. Our author had historic lore. a fair field on which to distinguish himself; but he has done nothing in it. He is merely a lively, florid chronicler of events and dates, and his work is as innocent of any attempt to illustrate the lives and manners of our early forefathers as the palm of a man's hand is of hair. This fault he shares with the great majority of historians who have written previous to the present age. They seem to have thought that telling the story of the times consisted in relating the lives of a few individuals who lived

From the time of Burk's mishap, no citizen of Virginia attempted a History of the State, except Mr. Campbell's little work, till, in this blessed year of our Lord, 1846, Mr. R. R. Howison did publish the volume now before us. This is, as we have already said, a very pleasing and interesting book, and we believe a singularly accurate one. It is therefore likely to be much read for a short time; but we cannot believe that its days will be many, or

out altogether. Dr. Hawks has written a volume on this subject, which is executed in a manner which causes us to regret that the author did not write a complete History of Virginia instead of her religious sects alone.

in them. The people who compose the nation are our gratitude and esteem, and would have laid the kept entirely out of view, although they are pro- ground work on which future men might erect a fessedly the subject matter of history. We neither complete edifice. But he has not only omitted this, know how they lived, what they did, nor what but he has as yet given scarcely any account of manner of people they were. But it is this his- the ecclesiastical History of Virginia. We suptory of social life in which every man feels most pose he will give a separate chapter in the next interested, for it is this part of history which most volume, and bring it down to the Act of Religious comes home to "our business and our bosoms." Freedom; for he surely cannot intend to leave it This defect in nearly all compilers has been clearly and ably pointed out by many writers of the present day; and several attempts have been made to supply it. The History of England, now in course of publication, by the Harpers, is an essay of this sort; and a very valuable one it is. But Mr. Howison This is not the only thing in which Mr. Howiis behind the age. He is a chronicler. He tells son is behind the age. He seems to have no acus who the new governor is, what he said to the quaintance with English history, save from the Assembly, and what the Assembly said to him, and pages of David Hume. We say this, because he what was done in consequence; and that is all that quotes no other authority on this subject-except either he or Burk tells us. They write of the Co- Miss Aiken-and because of the very peculiar and Jonial Government, not of Virginia. Incidentally we original views, for an educated man of the 19th hear of Accomac county, Northumberland county, century, which he holds forth now and then. After of a town here, and another there, of twenty thou- the discussion, which has been going on for the sand, thirty thousand, sixty thousand people in the last thirty years about the affairs of the English Colony, without knowing who they were, or what Commonwealth, and the present state of opinion they were, their way of life, the arts among them, with regard to them, it is certainly surprising to hear their character, their state of civilization, or any- a man calling the resistance of the English people thing else about them. It cannot be said that the to the lawless tyranny of Charles I. a "rash use of materials for any such account of Virginian popu- the sacred right of revolution," in a tone which lation are wanting; for, in truth, they are very would lead us to believe that he expects the public abundant. Beverly has left us a volume of them; to agree with him. He says of this deceitful, bad besides which, there are the New Life in Vir- man, who perpetrated tyranny and perfidy in every ginia," Clayton's "Virginia," "Noua Brittania," form, that he "fell a victim to the expansive power the "Perfect Description of Virginea," R. G.'s in the minds of the people, rather than to tyran"Virginea's Cure," Leah and Rachael, or the two nous dispositions in his own heart. He fell, not fruitfull sisters," &c., by John Hammond, Nathan- because he wished to oppress, but because he knew iel Shrigley's "Trve Relation," and the Trve not how to yield." This of a monarch, who, after Declaration of the estate of the Colonie," &c., swearing to support the Constitution of England, together with the Bland Papers and various other treatises, besides scattered mentionings and anecdotes in all the original writers, furnish very ample sources of information on this subject. The of Right, turned around and broke every principle "Lawes Diuine Morall and Martiall," and Hening's laid down in it. If Mr. Howison had left us Statutes at Large furnish the clue to the whole. room to suppose that he held these views on any We sincerely wish Mr. Howison had made an ad- argument which had not been answered, any facts dition of sixty or seventy pages to his volume of which had not been examined, we certainly should It is true, those sixty pages would not treat his opinion with contempt. But he goes on have cost him more labor and time than all the rest to state his reasons, and they show his opinion to of the book; for at present it is nothing more be derived from nothing but sheer ignorance of than what any educated man might have done in what are now the established facts of history. He his leisure hours. He has merely followed a beaten brings up the old story, that Charles claimed rights road,-let Burk show him the way, and Mr. Ban- not more tyrannical than those of his predecessors; croft refer him to authorities, and then written as if he did not, by passing the Petition of Rights, down the chief events in pretty words. If he had surrender up and renounce all those claimed rights, attempted a continuous view of the state of society (if they ever belonged to him,) and then, breaking in Virginia, he would have engaged in a much more his engagement, continue his course of despotism. difficult undertaking. It would have required a He brings forward the old tale of his commongreat deal of research, trouble, and ingenuity to place virtues and private decencies to justify a life of collect the disjecta membra, and to weave the scat-fraud, oppression and perjury; that he was kind to tered facts into a clear and pleasing whole. But his wife and children, and neither drank nor whored if he had done so, he would have gained a title to like his son! He talks of this royal martyr in a

such matter.

99.66

trampled on almost every fundamental law of the country! This of a monarch, who, after assenting to and promising his people to uphold the Petition

style of puling sentimentality which is sickening. [child, it is because man is neither perfect in judgHe admits that he was "injudicious;" but adds-ment, nor untainted in virtue. "the blood which flowed beneath the axe of his It may be possible to attach too much imporexecutioner has atoned for many faults; the pre-science, or of an exhaustless source of physical tance to the discovery either of a great truth in mature grave to which he was consigned has entombed many of his most flagrant errors: and in fatuated as was his conduct, we cannot look upon his fate without deep commiseration. The art of his apologist was not required to cause tears to fall upon the tomb of a husband so exemplary, a He must live at the point at which we have father so tender and devoted, and a friend so wil-reason to believe that this world will close its final ling to serve and reluctant to betray." This of the man who swore to protect Strafford, used him for all his purposes, and then betrayed and sent

wealth upon our earth, but it would be difficult to express a measure of merit greater than that which is due to the navigator of Genoa. He who would compute his worth, must not belong to any age which has succeeded him, nor to the age in which we live, nor to any era that may soon appear.

him to die on the scaffold!

scene; and as he looks back to the beginning of the sixteenth century, and sees what America has done in affecting the destinies of man, in developing the human mind, in pointing out the road to national happiness, and in leading the host which are at last to be united under one Divine Director, he may catch some faint view of the glories which should encircle the name of Columbus."

Very little mental power is displayed in this book. There are some histories which will live even if their facts were exploded, or lost their interest, on account of the insight into the connection of events and knowledge of human character Though not very logical, this is a handsome and which they display. The Annals of Tacitus are well written passage, and as the opening reflecsuch. Mr. Howison's present work has as few tions of a work on American History, it is very pretensions of this sort, as any other history with becoming. But the fault of Mr. Howison is, that which we are acquainted. He has none whatever he never comes down. He seems to think it his of what is generally known as the philosophy of duty to be forever history. He seldom reasons, and generally attempts nothing more than a narrative of facts.

And we must protest against the style in which Mr. Howison has thought proper to clothe this narrative. From end to end his book is a perpetual effort at fine writing. On some occasions and subjects, it is quite allowable for a historian to assume an elevated and rhetorical manner; but Mr. Howison never leaves it. He tries to throw a veil of fine words over his whole discourse, and the consequence is, that he is generally both weak and florid. We will give a specimen of his style, which is a favorable one, because sustained by the subject:

"in the cedar's top,

To dally with the wind," &c.

"The deed of perfidy was soon complete. A by Indians, was the price paid for the betrayal of copper kettle, given by Englishmen and received one of the noblest of human beings-of her who had offered her own life to save a stranger-who had encountered the anger of her father to shield "If, in the present age, a child of science could his enemies, and who had finally fled from his sight discover and unfold to our view a world connected to avoid the sight of butchered colonists. By with that in which we live, yet heretofore invisi- false pretences she was enticed into the gun-room ble, teeming with the treasures of nature, unim- of Argal's ship, and then immediately weighing paired in original freshness and beauty, and peopled anchor, he carried the innocent and helpless girl by beings to whom all art seemed unknown, we a prisoner to Jamestown." p. 189. would hail this discovery as approaching the miraculous, and its author as destined to immortality on earth.

Again:

"One noble woodman, of Shenandoah, has gained a right to immortality, by slaying five armed savages with the clubbed barrel of his rifle after

the stock had been shivered on the head of the sixth. The Indians fled with horror from his house, believing him to be the Great Author of Death, and warning all their compeers to avoid him." p. 478.

The greater portion of the book is written in this style. Mr. Howison seems afraid that it would be thought vulgar to tell a story as one common man would relate it to another. He is perpetually endeavoring to be fine; and is, consequent

ly, sometimes very tawdry. He never misses an this connexion we were glad to find that the ridicopportunity of throwing in an epithet; and he uses ulous story about the origin of the name "Old so many that they destroy the strength of his sen- Dominion," to which Howe's book has lately given tences, and give them a tinselled glitter, most un-new currency, is here finally dismissed to the suitable to his subject; for no style could be more "tomb of the Capulets." Besides this excellent unfortunate for a narrative than this. A relation quality-of general accuracy as to fact-Mr. Howof events should always be clothed in the most ison has, as we have already said, a considerable simple, clear words which could be picked out. power of narrative, which his verbose propensity The interest, and the current of connected ideas does not entirely destroy. He relates well, fluentare lost among a profusion of adjectives and ex-ly and clearly; and the portions of his story are in pletives not immediately suggested by them.

good perspective, in good keeping with each other. Mr. Howison has evidently a considerable nat- Characters and events are not detailed with either ural power of narration, but it is in a great meas- the brevity or minuteness which renders them out ure destroyed by the inflated language in which he of proportion with the rest of the book. His expresses himself. Whenever possible, he states style, although generally weak and florid, is never a fact by way of circumlocution; and almost always stupid; and in spite of his perpetual buskin, Mr. clothes it in some metaphorical finery. A boat's Howison is sometimes very amusing. Whatever crew gets drunk, and he says, " Bland and Carver may be the faults of his book, it most certainly is were incautious, and both themselves and their not dull; and few who begin it will be apt to leave crews surrendered themselves to the seductions of it until they get to the end. No one who has dethe wine cup." James II. was unworthy to be termined to read it need fear that he is undertaking the King of a noble nation, and he abdicated her a heavy task; for whatever the author may have throne only to escape being hurled from it by her indignant arm.” On the monarchical propensities

of our forefathers:

"In reflecting on their folly, we are forcibly reminded of the fable of antiquity; and it will not he a violation of the laws of good taste, to compare the Virginians to the unhappy denizens of the marsh, who despised the passive log which Jove first gave them as a King, only to be devoured at last by the monster that succeeded."

On page 150:

intended to produce, his book is emphatically “light reading." In short, there is no work now in existence to which for an introduction to our older historians we would sooner direct a man who is unacquainted with the subject than this; and surely no one can desire a more polite and agreeable usher to the school of Stith, &c., than Mr. Howison.

Thus have we endeavored to give an impartial estimate of this volume. It is not a work of large calibre, but of much interest. The mental qualities which the author exhibits in it are rather elegance and excitability than strength. How he will succeed in his second volume, is yet to be seen. The task which lies before him, is more "The night approached-a storm of wind and difficult than that which he has executed. Greater rain arose and raged without intermission. A dark men come on the stage; events more complicated plot of death was arranged by the Indians, and in are to be treated of than those of the history he the relaxed vigilance of the hour the English has written. To describe the scenes on which he might have all fallen. But a guardian spirit was now enters as clearly as he has done those through near. Through the gloom of the forest and a which he has led us, requires greater reasoning heavy rain of the rigorous season, Pocahontas hastened to the cottage where the president was power and more research, than has yet been dereposing. Her feelings long restrained found remanded of him. Besides which, he will have to lief in tears, and with all the sensibility of a wo- travel with a smaller company. she revealed to him the intended plot," &c.

man,

Although we are very far from regarding this as a perfect history of Virginia, we are glad that These are sentences not selected for their pe- it has been published. It will give popularity to culiarity, but because they are really samples of the whole work. Surely this is not the style for a historical narrative.

the study, and create interest in the subject. And when public interest is aroused, and when literature has become a more distinct profession among It now remains to state the good qualities of Mr. us than it is now, the hour and the man will come Howison. Although he has brought nothing new which will embalm the deeds of our forefathers in to Virginian History, by clubbing together the la- a narrative which will live for ever-a narrative bors of his predecessors, he has produced a far which will "preserve from oblivion the great and more accurate work than any of them. He fol- wonderful deeds both of" English and Indians, as lows Mr. Bancroft generally; but not into his long as that of Herodotus has done those of Greeks memorable errors with regard to the State of Vir- and Barbarians.

ginia in the times of the Commonwealth. And in