Some Historic Women. By W. H. Davenport Adams. (J. Hogg.)
—Mr. Adams tells again various stories which will be more or less familiar to readers of history. He classes bis heroines in groups,—" Woman as Patriot," " Woman as the Religious Enthusiast," " Woman as an Example of Fidelity," and " Woman as Sovereign." We have no objection to his selection of illus- trative examples, except, perhaps, by suggesting that he might have found a better " example of fidelity " than Arabella Stuart. Our impression of this lady, as left by a recent reading of Mr. Inderwick's " Side-Lights on the Stuarts " (a book which Mr. Adams mentions among his authorities), is of a weak woman who was most unfortunately placed in dangerous proximity to the Throne. With the condemnation of King James's behaviour to her we heartily agree. In the last class, "Woman as Sovereign," we should have excluded Christina of Sweden, an eccentric person of violent temper and without principle, who can hardly lay claim to the honour of having been one of the "women who have made history." We can scarcely blame our author for having accepted the traditional view of Elizabeth ; but when we are told of her "fortitude, prudence, tact, self-sacrifice, and sagacity," and read that her "courage and devotion saved England," we are inclined to rebel. " Self-sacrifice " was hardly one of her virtues, and at the crisis of the Armada the penurious economy which had starved the Navy nearly brought the country to ruin. How far she may claim a merit from the fact that so many wise and brave men were content to serve her, it is difficult to say.
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