Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/700

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690 Reviews of Books ful authorship — the editor is convinced that they were not written by WilHam Hervey, but came into his possession in 1757 during the first year of his campaigning in the French War in America. The other fifty-six diaries are undoubtedly the work of WilHam Hervey, and the editor has culled from them the long series of extracts which fill almost 500 pages of his book. The value of the American diaries and order-books — from 1760 to 1763 order-books take the place of diaries — lies in the evidently truthful and sincere account of an officer who took part in the campaigns of the Seven Years' War, and who sets down impartially particulars as to regiments participating in the campaigns, the character of the country traversed, the conduct of French and Indians during the fighting, and the discipline meted out to deserters and disobedient soldiers. No new light is thrown on the general conduct of the campaigns against the French, either in the United States or in Canada; but the historian can learn from the diaries much of the daily difficulties of the marches ; of the methods adopted to guard against surprises, and to convey ammunition and stores. After 1766, the diaries cover only peaceful journeyings on the continent of Europe and in the British Isles. William Hervey's observations throw some light on social and industrial conditions from 1766 to 18 14, but it will take much winnowing to find the grain among the chatT. The editor has supplied an excellent subject-index — an index that is a model of its kind; and the portraits, illustrations, and maps add con- siderably to the value of the work. A. G. P. Gouvcrneur Morris. Un Tcnioin Aincricain dc la Revolution Fran- gaise. Par A. Esmein, Membre de ITnstitut. (Paris, Hachette et Cie., 1906, pp. 386.) The point de depart of this book was evidently a remark of Taine to the effect that four contemporary observers comprehended from the beginning the character and significance of the French Revo- lution, Rivarol, Malouet, Gouverneur Morris, and Mallet du Pan, and that the greatest of these was Mallet. To Mr. Esmein, on the other hand, it seems that most of the merits ascribed by Taine to Mallet may be claimed for Morris : long residence in France, important connections, abundant information, good judgment, and thorough familiarity with the game of politics. Therefore he has undertaken to compose a his- tory of the French Revolution largely from the writings of this vivid American. He had pieced together the most important descriptions, characterizations, and judgments of Morris into a continuous narra- tive. His chief source has been the Diary and Letters edited by Anne Gary Morris. Some slight use is made of a few other memoirs, such as those of the remaining three of the Taine tetrad. Mallet, Malouet, and Rivarol. But in the main he rarely strays from the two thick vol- umes of Morris's emphatic impressions. It may be said at once that Mr. Esmein has put his material together with skill, that its mosaic quality is excellent. But naturally a narrative