require or endure a calm and unimpassioned narrative of these events. The time and the man have however both arrived; and Mr. Prescott, having prepared himself by years of labour and examination in the archives of Spain, has given to the world a trilogy of history which perhaps affords the best and clearest view that can be offered of this romantic era. His first series, "The History of Ferdinand and Isabella," is an indispensable prelude to the other two. "The History of the Conquest of Mexico" naturally followed in the order of chronology, and the present work completes the narrative of the fixing the Spanish domination in these wondrous regions.

The story of these conquests only awaits the pen of a true epic poet to make them the most interesting in the annals of the whole world,the intense charm of the novelty of the regions: the wonder appertaining to the discovery of a new hemisphere: or, as it was not hyperbolically termed, a new world,—its scenery, productions, and races of inhabitants, all totally different from the old and even at the present day, when description has been exhausted in endeavouring to pourtray it, striking the traveller with awe, and overpowering the imagination by the stupendous scale and prodigality of its wonders. The human interest attached to its discoverers and conquests, is as singular and as powerful. It would seem to be the expiring coruscation of chivalry: the restless and half savage spirit of enterprize that once carried the martial spirit eastward, suddenly found a new vent westward. The daring qualities of human nature never manifested themselves more singularly. The natural energies of all kinds of adventurers broke down the barriers even of the strong conventions of the age. That uneducated men should take the lead was not so surprising, for many men of rank were, according to our application of the word, uneducated, not being able perhaps to write, or scarcely read: but men of the lowest conventional condition mingled alike with the highest in their crusade to the new world. Spain thus sent out to secure this region a most heterogeneous band; amongst them remorseless ruffians, heartless zealots, with passions of the most vehement kind, stimulating, however, their intellects, and producing talent the most distinguished.

The history of our soldiers in India affords-coming as they did from a more cultivated class, and existing in a more scrupulous age-sufficient instances of atrocities; but, heated by a ferocious bigotry, the Spanish adventurers had, in their own estimation, an additional justification for their persecution of the mild and unresisting heathens. A few nobler spirits shed, however, a redeeming hue on the otherwise humiliating and revolting exposition of human nature.

The theme is altogether so exciting and so vast that the mind requires the utmost sobriety in its narration; and this Mr. Prescott has perceptibly felt. He seeks rather to dim than to heighten the glowing scenes he has to depict: regarding perhaps somewhat too much-the political results and the unadorned facts. He intimates, in his preface, that Barrante, the historian of the Flemish middle ages, has been a kind of

model to him; but it appears to us that our own historians of the last century-Hume and Robertson-have contributed more to the formation of his principles and the modulation of his style as an historian. The modern French writers, Michelet, Thierré, and even Barrante, have more in view the intention of reproducing the veritable existence of the era they recite; whilst what has been termed the philosophical, but should be termed the logical school, like Voltaire in France, and the writers who followed Bolingbroke's model in our own, seek more to abstract the facts, leaving the colouring of the age and circumstances quite out of view. We think, a little less of the logical, and a little more of the picturesque element, would, with subjects like those Mr. Prescott has treated of, have been more appropriate; and that Don Trueba was very right, when, excusing the lightness of his style, he said, "such romantic events could not be treated of in the common language of bulletins." Such as it is, it must, however, be acknowledged as a very valuable history, written with great sense and impartiality, and composed with unwearied labour and research.

The preliminary view of the civilisation of the Incas is very interesting; and though betraying no particular political sagacity, or ethnographic revealments, is well deserving the reader's closest attention. The narrative of the historic events is level and sober, and sometimes forcible-always sensible and never mean. The romance of the subject, as we have already intimated, is, however, someway or other, allowed to evaporate, and we are continually debating and deliberating with statesmen and warriors, but seldom revelling with adventurers and freebooters.

The following extracts will give some idea of the style :

PIZARRO AND HIS BAND.

"On the 24th of September, 1532, five months after landing at Tumbez, Pizarro marched out at the head of his little body of adventurers from the gates of San Miguel, having enjoined it on the colonists to treat their Indian vassals with humanity, and to conduct themselves in such a manner as would secure the good-will of the surrounding tribes. Their own existence, and with it the safety of the army and the success of the undertaking, depended on this course. In the place were to remain the royal treasurer, the veedor or inspector of metals, and other officers of the crown; and the command of the garrison was intrusted to the contador, Antonio Navarro. Then putting himself at the head of his troops, the chief struck boldly into the heart of the country, in the direction where, as he was informed, lay the camp of the Inca. It was a daring enterprise, thus to venture with a handful of followers into the heart of a powerful empire; to present himself, face to face, before the Indian monarch in his own camp, encompassed by the flower of his victorious army! Pizarro had already experienced more than once the difficulty of maintaining his ground against the rude tribes of the north, so much inferior in strength and numbers to the warlike legions of Peru. But the hazard of the game, as I have already more than once had occasion to remark, constituted its great charm with the Spaniard. The

brilliant achievements of his countrymen on the like occasions, with means so inadequate, inspired him with confidence in his own good star; and this confidence was one source of his success. Had he faltered for a moment, had he stopped to calculate chances, he must inevitably have failed; for the odds were too great to be combated by sober reason. They were only to be met triumphantly by the spirit of the knight-errant.”

The following is a beautiful and well-drawn picture :—

THE ENCAMPMENT OF ATAHUALLPA.

"The descent of the sierra, though the Andes are less precipitous on their eastern side than towards the west, was attended with difficulties almost equal to those of the upward march; and the Spaniards felt no little satisfaction when, on the seventh day, they arrived in view of the valley of Caxamalca, which, enamelled with all the beauties of cultivation, lay unrolled like a rich and variegated carpet of verdure in strong contrast with the dark form of the Andes that rose up everywhere around it. The valley is of an oval shape, extending about five leagues in length by three in breadth. It was inhabited by a population of a superior character to any which the Spaniards had met on the other side of the mountains, as was argued by the superior style of their attire and the greater cleanliness and comfort visible both in their persons and dwellings. As far as the eye could reach, the level tract exhibited the show of a diligent and thrifty husbandry. A broad river rolled through the meadows, supplying facilities for copious irrigation by means of the usual canals and subterraneous aqueducts. The land, intersected with verdant hedge-rows, was chequered with patches of various cultivation; for the soil was rich, and the climate, if less stimulating than that of the sultry regions of the coast, was more favourable to the hardy products of the temperate latitudes. Below the adventurers, with its white houses glittering in the sun, lay the little city of Caxamalca, like a sparkling gem on the dark skirts of the sierra. At the distance of about a league farther across the valley might be seen columns of vapour rising up towards the heavens, indicating the place of the famous hot baths, much frequented by the Peruvian princes. And here too was a spectacle less grateful to the eyes of the Spaniards, for along the slope of the hills a white cloud of pavilions was seen covering the ground as thick as snow-flakes, for the space apparently of several miles. 'It filled us all with amazement,' exclaims one of the Conquerors, 'to behold the Indians occupying so proud a position ! So many tents so well appointed as were never seen in the Indies till now. The spectacle caused something like confusion and even fear in the stoutest bosom. But it was too late to turn back or to betray the least sign of weakness, since the natives in our own company would in such case have been the first to rise upon us. So with as bold a countenance as we could, after coolly surveying the ground, we prepared for our entrance into Caxamalca.'

"What were the feelings of the Peruvian monarch we are not informed, when he gazed on the martial cavalcade of the Christians, as with banners streaming and bright panoplies glistening in the rays of the evening sun it emerged from the dark depths of the sierra, and advanced in hostile array over the fair domain which, to this period, had never been trodden by other foot than that of the red man. It might be, as several of the reports had

stated, that the Inca had purposely decoyed the adventurers into the heart of his populous empire that he might envelope them with his legions, and the more easily become master of their property and persons. Or was it from a natural feeling of curiosity, and relying on their professions of friendship, that he had thus allowed them without any attempt at resistance to come into his presence? At all events, he could hardly have felt such confidence in himself as not to look with apprehension mingled with awe on the mysterious strangers, who, coming from an unknown world and possessed of such wonderful gifts, had made their way across mountain and valley in spite of every obstacle which man and nature had opposed to them."

A PLEA TO POWER AND PARLIAMENT, FOR THE WORKING CLASSES. By R. A. SLANEY, Esq. London: Longman & Co.

THIS gentleman was formerly member for Shrewsbury, and has been, and still is, we believe, one of Her Majesty's Commissioners for the Health of Towns. He has a clear head and a sound heart, and, in reference to the working classes, thoroughly appreciates the true policy of justice and the wisdom of philanthropy. Knowing that the physical force resides in the masses, he is anxious to bring it under the control of moral power, and while he properly repudiates any destructive scheme of dragging down the rich to the wretched level of the poor, he avows himself eager to elevate the lower platform of society. He is far too modest when he says that he has sketched some remedial measures "with a faint outline and feeble pen; " he has really produced an excellent little work, full of stubborn facts fortified by irrefragable statistics, and prescribed a course of public amelioration eminently practicable, in the spirit of an elevated and elevating philosophy. They who have not leisure to read ponderous blue books and copious reports, will find a happy condensation of useful knowledge in this brochure, on poor laws, crime, gaols, intemperance, education, and the general habits and position of the working classes. We cordially recommend it to the public.

DOUGLAS JERROLD'S

SHILLING MAGAZINE.

THE DREAMER AND THE WORKER.*

BY THE AUTHOR OF "ORION."

CHAPTER XV.

MR. BAINTON'S VIEW OF A FIT EDUCATION FOR HARDING.-IRISH FISHING BOATS.-MARY AND MISS LLOYD VISIT HARDING.THEIR OPINIONS ON THE VARIOUS ADVICES HE HAD RECEIVED.-ARCHER, AND HIS BARGAIN IN BOOKS.-PRESENT OF A BUST OF SCHILLER.-NEW FIRM FOR IRISH SMACK-BUILDING.-MR. SHORT'S HEART.

"You know, Harding, that I have watched your course through life, with the eye of a father, as one may say; not in affection, I make no pretences of that kind; but with the interest which a master ship-builder might naturally be expected to have in a promising young man, whom he had known from his earliest years, before his apprenticeship as a ship-wright, and ever since. I could not bear to see you waste your time and strength, and those natural talents, as an artisan, which you undoubtedly possess. But what else but a waste must it be for a man like you to soften and mollify the good substantial heart-of-oak texture of your mind, in reading poetry, and other dissipating and adulterating works of fiction and romance, which relax the fibres and framework of a man, and sentimentalise his entire organisation? Nobody doubts the intellect, the noble principles, and the sincere intentions of Mr. Archer; but do not listen to his counsels, I beg of you, or it will be all over with you as a ship-wright. As for the advice which our good friend Walton has been giving you, it will do no harm, I dare say, and was probably all very good, as far as it went. But what does

* Continued from page 20, Vol. VI.

NO. XXXII.-VOL. VI.

H