Talk for a Quiet Hour.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 March 1911, Page 4

Talk for a Quiet Hour.

VILLAINS IN HISTORY. (Rv the Rev. W. J. Dawson.) .Most men arc usually more attracted by the speculations of -history than by ilie .sober truths. Carlyle may cry "Give me facts," but the bulk of men in neb prefer fictions. II wo turn to our great historical novels, we usually find that the plot is grouped ■around some obscure gossip of the court in preference to cold well-authenticated fact. }et it is curious to note how very litMt* really exact history exists. There _is hardly a character to be found which does not lend itself to variety ol constructions. In the bands of such a historian as Lord Maeaulay history did 'become more or less exact, br/ it was at the expense of 'Po satisfy him a man must be either black or white; lie knew of no gradations in colour. The latest modern tendency in historical research has been the re-examination of the characters of the villain of history, and the readjustment of the verdict, either for or against, when the case has been re-tried belore an unbiassed tribunal. The injustice with which mativ men have been treated in a v be illustrated bv quoting the case of Oliver Cromwell. Before Carlyle bad brought his genius to the task of vindicating Cromwell's memory. the great Puritan leader was spoken of by most men as a coldblooded schemer, wlio, by skiliully making use of liis religion, liad gradually fought bis way into the political arena, with the sole end in view of murdering the King and securing the crown for himself. 1 would have you compare this crafty assassin. with squinting eyes, heavy jawbones, and a face disfigured by warts, as depicted by C'avallie rhistorians, with tbe stern, honourable, patriotic soldier portrayed for us by C'arlvle. Vet both sets of historians have drawn their facts from the same source ol knowledge, but with what different results.

Three Wiv; oner a bishop who maintained that it was possible to prove or disprove anything that yon sod. Ho therefore Mt to work and wrote a book, in which lie conclusive. Iv proved tliai no such person as Napoleon Ruonaparte had ever exist-ed--that he was. in fact, a mere myth. The worthy Bishop's reasonin "I was so skilful that lie gained quite a large follow irji of disciples, all of whom were prepared to prove that Napoleon .Buonaparte was a mere historic ghost. Tt subsequently leaked out that in writing the hook the 1 reverend gentleman had lieen playing a pra.'ti-al joke on the public; yet despite this fart thru* still remained an obstinate few who were firmly convinced 1 that the groat French Emperor was altogether a mistake. Now if it lie possible to disprove the very existence of an historic personage so recent at Napoleon, it is fairly evident that it is equally possible to mistake the patriot for the traitor, and vice versa, when dealing with' personages of a more remote age.

f suppose there is no man who has not been carefully taught from his von til upwards to think of Kino: ■Richard TIT. as the most repulsive of English Kings. The legend of the wiekedi uncle has early taken hold upon the childish mind. The impressive scene of the dying father committing his two sons t'n the ohnrge of his beloved brother, the solemn promise made hv Richard to cherish them as though thev were his own children, and lastly the brutal murder in the Tower bv two .hired ruffia lis. have taken a firm hold on the childish imagination, and have led Englishmen to regard King Richard with a horror hardly equalled in the pages of history. Tt is. however, surprising to find that his contemporaries looked noon him in a far different light. No prince of the blood-royal was over more beloved than Richard- in fact so beloved was he by the populace that more than once lie incurred his King's jealousy. "WtTlind that he was really a man of simple and winning ways, who won everybody's affection wherever lie went. The story of the murder rests 011 the most flimsy of evidence, and is even to-day very uncertain. In later years a Pretender arose who claimed the throne, asserting that he was one of the princes who had been imprisoned in the Tower, but that lie had succoodc din escaping over-sea, and .lie now returned to claim his own. "Whether this story was true or not we cannot definitely say, 'but at all events it proves that contemporary Englishmen were by no means so certain of Richard's guilt as we of to-day, who live -(00 years after the event. It is a curious fact that history (having once selected its villain, is not content with merely besmndging bis character; he must be black all over. Hence we find it again and again asserted that Richard not only murdered bis nephews, but that he also did away with his wife, tried to marry his niece, and instigated the execution of his brother the Duke of Clarence. Before finally accepting the current opinion of Rkihard's character, it would be as well to contrast it with the contemporary portrait of the amiable pleasure-loving Prince, with the winning, pleasing manners.

It- has lately been pointed out bv an historical philosopher that almost every great .social and national disaster which has occurred in France has been attributed to a woman's intrigues. In the fifteenth century the great civil wars, which were waged between the no'hl chouses, are commonly said by French historians to have originated in the intrigues of Isabel of Bavaria ; and even so late as the French Revolution Marie Antoinette, the beautiful frivolous French Queen, was said to iliave been, one of the chief causes of offence. Now, when we find all through a nation's history that each and every social disaster is laid at the door of a woman, we cannot but doubt the accuracy of the historian. This freak of French history, is all the more surprising when we remember the national traditions <)f gallantry, and of chivalrous conduct towards women, which still colour the sentiments of tlw best type of Frenchman, and which are indeed 1 a marked French characteristic. History is never more cruel towards anyone than it is towards women. Tf once by some unfortunate chance a queen or noble dame should have given cause of offence, the wliole machinery of scandal and gossip is set to work to weave a burial robe for her character. Take, for example, the pathe tic figure of M.arv Queen of Scots. If we were to believe all the ill-words which -lire spoken of her, she would stand forth as#one of the most monstrous of criminals.