FOREIGN BOOKS. * A SPECULATIVE reconstruction of the Tomb of Childeric,
the con- queror of Odoacer and 2Egidius, has been undertaken by the Abbe Coehet, an author whose previous antiquarian researches specially qualify him for the task. The sepulchre of the son of Merovens he pronounces to be the most ancient monument-of the French monarchy, and the starting-point of Frank archteology. Disinterred in the seventeenth century, this deposit of twelve hundred years did not receive its true interpretation until the lapse of two hundred more. This interpretation the ribbe him- self claims to have furnished. By a simple and successive extt. mination of the ornaments, the arms, and equipment of the dead hero, he has aspired to resuscitate Childeric, to clothe and arm him cap-a-pie, to replace on his shield the long-haired King of Tournai, and to surround him with the sons of those Salii and Sicambri who once hailed him with loud acclaim in the forests of Gaul. The work consists of an introduction, a notice of the prin- cipal authors who have already handled the subject, a historical sketch of Childeric, and an account of the discovery and con- servation of the objects taken from the tomb, till their final trans- fer to the Louvre in 1852, followed by a minute description of the armour, costume, personal ornaments, coins, and accompanying relics. The book, which is enriched with a variety of illustrative wood-cuts, will interest the archteologist and the historical inquirer who seeks to reproduce the picturesque circumstance of a bygone age.
To this resuscitation of a remote French Past succeeds the his- tory of the political assemblies of the religious reformers in France
• Le Tomb eau de Childeric. ler llei de Francs, 4-e. Par M. PAbb4 Cachet, specteur des Monuments Historiques de is Seine-lufdrienre. Published by Wil.. hams and Norgate. Histoire des Assemblies Falitigues des Eiformis de Prance (1573-1622). Ps; Ikonce Anquez, Professeur d'Histoire an Lye* Saint Louis. Published by Fowler, Paris.
Franzisische reir4dseligkeiten gegen doe Haua Oesterreich zur Zeit Kaiser Ferdi- nand des Zweiten. Von Friedrich von Hurter. Published by Williams and Nor.
gate.
Le Mal at le Remade. Aphoritenes &deux. Profession de foi de Ramon de Is Sagra, Correspondant de l'Institut de France. during the half century which ended 1622. M. Anquez con- siders that the French monarchy, in assuming the championship of the Catholic Faith, was perfectly sincere. Though it had reason to dread the introduction into the state of those ideas of indepen- dence which were calculated to assist the nobility in a reconstitu- tion of the feudal system, the clergy in a recognition of the Roman supremacy, the towns in the reestablishment of a municipal de- mocracy, he nevertheless maintains the purity of its religious in- spiration. Once entered on the path of persecution, the French kings hesitated not to advance with a horrible intrepidity. At Pans, at Meaux, at Metz, at Toulouse, Orleans, and Bourses, nu- merous punishments were awarded or permitted by Francis I. and Henry II. The massacre of the Vaudois dates from the reign of the former ; the absolution of its principal perpetrators from that of the latter. For thirty years all the resources of royalty and the ancient institutions of the country were employed to arrest the progress of the Reformation. As the monarchical power became enfeebled in passing from the hands of Henry into those of Francis II., and afterwards of Charles IX., the doctrines of Luther and Zwingle made proselytes among all classes of the nation. Between the massacre of Vassy-, 1562, which first brought Catholics and Protestants into collision, and the edict of Nantes, 1598, which re- established an equitable peace, eight different religious wars are ordinarily enumerated ; four began and terminated, and a fifth commenced, under Charles IL; the fifth was finished, and the three remaining wars broke out and were conducted to a conclu- sion, during the reign of Henry III. In the following century the struggle was renewed at first during the ministry of Albert de Luynes, and later during that of Cardinal de Richelieu. At these different epochs the French Reformed held assemblies quite dis- tinct from their ecclesiastical synods, and, known by the name of political assemblies. These conventions served to organize the Protestant religionists, and to promote negotiations which had for their object the establishment of their civil and religions freedom. They also regulated military recruiting, and the administration of finance and justice. The period over which their jurisdiction extends, 1573-1622, is divided by our author into three epochs— from the conclusion of the' peace of Roehelle, 1573, to the promul- gation of the edict of Nantes, 1598, comprising sixteen congresses ; from the promulgation of that edict to the establishment of the general deputation, 1601, comprising two congresses; • and from that establishment to the suppression, by the treaty of Monpellier, of the Dolitical assemblies, 1622, comprising fourteen congresses. When the first of these epochs began, three religious wars had already wasted France. On the termination of the last, 1570, the Protestants, though defeated at Jarnao and. Moncontour, and de- prived of the services of one of their bravest and most skilful generals, the Prince of Conde, had obtained by the peace of St. ftermain conditions equal and even superior to those accorded at Amboise in 1563 and Lonjumeau in 1568,—conditions which they continued to enjoy till the massacre of St. Bartholomew con- strained them to recur once more to physical force. To the histo- rical rebord of the proceedings of the Assemblies during each of these epochs M. L. Anquez has subjoined an analysis of royal edicts and treaties relating to the condition of the Reformed in France ; while a copious appendix furnishes numerous elueidatory documents.
The hostility of the reignin,g house of France to that of Haps- burg, is referred by Herr Von Hurter Co a still remoter period. It originated, he thinks, in the matrimonial triumph of the Arch- duke Maximilian of Austria, who subsequently attained imperial power, and "graciously begot " the father of Charles V. By this marriage, Louis XI., who had intended to secure the entire ter- ritory of Charles the Bold, by the union of the Dauphin with his daughter, Mary of Burgundy, found his ambitious project frus- trated. The first Imperial war against France was the conse- quence of this rivalry. Maximilian lay siege to Gninegate ; the French were defeated, but Louis still remained master of Artois and Franche Comte. These provinces, by the treaty of Arras, were to constitute the dowry of Marguerite, the infant daughter of the Archduke, whose betrothment to the Dauphin was in- tended to repair the loss sustained by the failure of the scheme of alliance with her mother. Eight years after, this failure was avenged by a double insult. Charles VIII. sent back his in- tended bride to her father, and married Ann, heiress of the Duchy of Brittany. Brittany thus became united. to the crown of France ; but Charles impatient, says a French historian, to re- flect importance on his claims to the kingdom of Naples, besides giving money to the King of England; and Roussillon to Ferdi- nand the Catholic, surrendered Artois and Franehe Comte to Maximilian. To these transactions—the disappointment of French ambition and the insult offered Austria in the person of Maxi- milian by the rejection of his daughter—Von Hurter attributes the bitter hatred of the two houses. He tracks its development from this period to the reign of Ferdinand Second; when, however, France refused to cooperate with the Swedes in the overthrow of the house of Austria, though possibly only because his conquests of Lorraine and Alsace required unremitting protection. Under the impression that an able continuation of the projects of a great man who asserted the omnipotence of destiny menaces Europe, which seems only too ready to accept the fatalistic proverb, Lea destine a'ackomplissent—Herr Von Hurter has given to the world this record of French animosities, trusting that it may prove ser- viceable in refreshing the memory of an oblivious age. A more ambitious publication than any of the preceding works discusses the question of social evils from the sublimest point of
view, and indicates the remedy. The Social Aphorisms of Ramon de la Sagra, though written in French or translated into that lan- guage, yet serve to illustrate the occasional preoccupation of
rimih thought, and may therefore have a significance which our author's theosophio philosophy would scarcely possess in itself. Ramon de la Basra, having passed through the stages of mate- rialism and unbelief, found himself unable to discover in the scientific, political, and social doctrines of the age that absolute truth which his nature demanded. In his despair he had recourse to the sole expedient in his power. He prayed. A period of ex- treme dejection and heavy trial followed., but finally his sorrows were terminated by a complete restoration of religious faith. He is now a Christian ; we do not understand that he is a Catholic. His aphorisms, originally published. in Spain in 1844, were, he tells us, vitiated by the materialistic oast of thought superinduoed by the works with which he was then conversant; in particular those of his venerable and learned friend, M. Colin; whom we identify with the French Socialist writer lately dead. They now appear, conformably with his regenerated ideas, in their purified and spiritualist form. Believing in the indefinite progress and amelioration of mankind, Signor de la Sagra yet regards all re- forming efforts as equally anarchical, because they all neglect the moral element. It is only by the recognition of the religious principle that the redemption of humanity can be effected. The recantation of his materialistic errors has exposed him to obloquy, bereft him of friends, and even involved him in persecution. His faith in the New Religion has been tried, and remains unabated. His views may be thus briefly represented. Social disorganization is the result of the long-prevailing freedom of opinion. In the-se- paration of religion from reason originated political Protestantism, scientific Protestantism, and social Protestantism, which, having no moral or religious bases, are necessarily precarious and tem- porary stages ef development. Disunion, anarchy, and rebellion, are their inevitable consequences. Such is the evil. The remedy consists in the adoption of the moral principle based on the re- ligious idea of eternal life. The application of the remedy is pro- vided in the philosophical construction of the "History of Thought." According to this construction, Humanity has three periods of evolution. 1. That in which Human Thought was guided by Divine Wisdom, when ideas were intuitive or inspired by God, and reason was subordinated to revelation. 2. That in which Thought began to emancipate itself from the rule of the Divine inspiration, and, proceeding through vanity and doubt, arrived at negation, formally protesting against all ideas not ac- quired by observation or experience. Hence Protestantism in science or materialism Protestantism in politics or liberalism,
i Protestantm in social life or socialism. Hence, too, the sepa- ration of the temporal power from the spiritual ; of the principle of progress from that of order • and the substitution of liberty for authority, the only true liberty being that established by re- ligious Truth. In its third period Humanity will revert to the original regime. The Thought of man, enlightened by a divine illumination, will discern truths which reason alone can never discern. The religious mission of man will be accepted, the moral law enthroned, the conquests of science allowed, but subordinated to the demands of that law, and the intuition of Life Eternal finally attained. The religious reaction, concludes our philosopher, has already commenced ; it shows itself on the re- ligious aspiration of our time ; but, before the complete reconsti- tution of the moral sentiment, society must first pass through the two periods of expiation and repentance. That of expiation has begun ; and if we presage the coming tempest we also behold the sheltering haven. The truth that underlies most of these specu- lations is sufficiently evident. We suppose that the Intuition 'principle of Signor de la Sagra, in its dogmatic if not its historical form, would be allowed by Mr. Maurice, and discountenanced by Mr. Hansel.
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