interfere with one another on account of religion. After having fomented troubles in various districts partly under the control of the Catholic cantons, Zurich at length openly invaded the territory of St. Gall, and issued a decree forbidding the five neighboring Catholic cantons to trade with her subjects in corn and salt. The object of this embargo was, to cut off from the Catholic mountaineers the supplies which they had been in the habit of deriving by commerce from those living in the plains, and thereby to starve them into acquiescence in the glorious work of the reformation! Zuingle and the preachers openly clamored for the blood of the Catholics, in their public harangues in Zurich. Here is an extract from one of the great Swiss reformer's sermons, delivered on the 21st September, 1531: "Rise up, attack; the five cantons are in your power. I will march at the head of your ranks, and the nearest to the enemy. Then you will feel the power of God, for when I shall harangue them with the truth of the word of God, and shall say: whom seek you, O ye impious! then, seized with terror and with panic, they will not be able to answer, but they will fall back, and will take to flight, like the Jews on the mountain of Ólives at the word of Christ. You will see that the artillery which they will direct against us, will turn against themselves, and will destroy them. Their pikes, their halberds, and their other arms, shall not hurt you, but will hurt them." This discourse was printed and circulated; but alas for the prophetic faculty of the reformer! The event falsified his prediction in every particular. And, as Zuingle himself marked the preparations the five cantons were making for the coming struggle, even his own heart failed him; and the lately inspired prophet of God dwindled down into a miserable poltroon, overcome by terror, and pretending to have had strange presentiments, and observed strange signs in the heavens ! Nevertheless, the Zurichers compelled him to march at their head to the village of Cappel, near the confines of the hostile cantons. Here the two armies encountered; but fiery and fanatical as were the Zuinglians, they could not withstand the impetuous charge of the brave Swiss mountaineers. These carried everything before them. The Zurichers took to flight in great disorder, with the loss of "nineteen cannon, four stands of colors, all their baggage, and of at least fifteen hundred men, among whom were twenty-seven magistrates, and FIFTEEN PREACHERS." Zuingle, the apostle of Switzerland, fell, sword in hand, fighting the battles of the Lord, as never apostle had fought them before! The Zurichers, however, recovered from their fright in a few days, and on the 21st of October,3 "having been reinforced by their allies of Saint Gall, of Toggenburg, of Thurgovia, and even of the Grisons, of Berne, of Bâle, and of Soleure, they again attacked the Catholics with very superior forces; but they were a second time defeated at the mountain of Zug, and took to flight in disorder, abandoning their artillery, their money, and their baggage.' 994 1 Quoted by de Haller, pp. 78, 79, note. 8 The battle of Cappell was fought on the 11th of October. 2 Ibid, pp. 79, 80. 4 P 81. The Catholic army now marched in triumph almost to the very walls of Zurich, after having a third time defeated the Zurichers, and driven them from their position.' The Zuinglians, thus humbled by defeat, were now disposed to accede to the terms of peace proposed by the Catholic cantons. The treaty bound the Zurichers "to leave the five cantons, with their allies and adherents, from the present to all future time, in peaceable possession of their ancient, true, and undoubted Christian faith, without molesting or importuning them with disputes or chicanery, and renouncing all evil intentions, stratagems, and finesse; and that, on their side, the five cantons would leave the Zurichers and their adherents free in their belief; that in the common districts, of which the cantons were co-sovereigns, the parishes which had embraced the new faith, might retain it if it suited them, that those which had not yet renounced the ancient faith would also be free to retain it, and that, in fine, those who should wish to return to the true and ancient Christian faith would have the right to do so."2 The Zurichers farther bound themselves to pay or rather to restore to the five cantons, the money which the latter had expended in the difficulties of 1529; and to replace, at their own expense, the ornaments destroyed or forcibly taken from the different churches during the preceding years. Thus terminated the war of Cappell. It left the Catholics in the ascendant, and contributed more than anything else to check the headlong progress of the Swiss reformation. 1 Page. 83. 2 Page. 85. XIII. PRESCOTT'S CONQUEST OF MEXICO.* ARTICLE I. CHARACTER OF THE CONQUERORS. Prescott as an historian-Compared with other American writers-His style and manner-Qualities essential to an historian-Prescott's research-His authorities-His accuracy-His impartiality— His religious prejudices-The ghost of the Inquisition haunts him-His gross charges against the Catholic Church-His enthusiasm awakened-Romantic character of the conquest-Rapid sketch of its history-Character of the conquerors-Hernando Cortes-Compared with ancient generals→ Was the conquest justifiable?-Principles and facts bearing on this question-Horrid human sacrifices among the Aztecs-The Spaniards and the Puritans compared-Were the conquerors wantonly cruel? Facts and specifications alleged and explained-Palliating circumstances-Seizure of Montezuma-And execution of Guatamozin-Prescott's testimony-Spanish conquest of Mexico and English conquest of India com pared-Cortes and Lord Clive-Macaulay. THE History of the Conquest of Mexico is truly a splendid work on a splendid subject. Much as we expected from the accomplished historian. of the magnificent reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, our expectations have not been disappointed in the present work. It not only fully sustains, but it even elevates the character of Mr. Prescott as an historian. We view his second as far superior to his first production, both in matter and manner; and we have not a doubt, that if he persevere in'the career upon which he has so happily entered, he will rank ere long among the very first, if not as the first, of our writers, and will stand very high even in proud and jealous England. The style of the present work is chaste, polished, dramatic; and it compares favorably with that of any American writer with whom we are acquainted, not excepting even the exquisite Washington Irving. It combines something of the chaste smoothness and delicate taste of Irving, with the liveliness of Paulding and Stephens; while it is, to a great extent, free from the carelessness and occasional bad taste of the two last, and of Cooper; and it is far superior, in every respect, to that of the inflated and transcendental Bancroft. The constant sweetness of Irving cloys. After perusing one of his works, you feel as if you had spent a day in a rich flower garden, laid off with exquisite taste, and filled with the choicest plants you are delighted with every thing; you behold nothing to find fault with, but, in the evening, your head is wearied, and it aches with the excessive fragrance. *History of the Conquest of Mexico, with a Preliminary View of the Ancient Mexican Civilization, and the Life of the Conqueror, Hernando Cortez. By William H. Prescott. Author of the History of Ferdinand and Isabella. In 3 vols. 8 vo. pp. 488, 480, 524 Harper & Brothers, New York, 1843. 250 The atmosphere in which Mr. Prescott moves is less aromatic, but is, perhaps for this, all the purer and more refreshing. His Conquest of Mexico loses little by comparison with the Life of Columbus and Astoria, perhaps the best historical works of Irving, productions which do not appear to come under the remark just made. In other respects, however, Prescott falls greatly below Irving,-in modesty, in good humor, in freedom from undue prejudice. Still it would be exaggerated eulogy to say that Mr. Prescott's style is wholly faultless. The severe critic will perhaps find it too stiff and labored in the introduction, and occasionally too tame or careless in the body of the work. The former evidently smells of the lamp; in it the writer appears ill at ease; he treads the stage clad in the buskin and uniform. In the latter he descends, puts on a graceful deshabille, and intermingles carelessly in the stirring scenes of life. And as far as style is concerned, we are free to acknowledge, that we greatly prefer too much carelessness to too great rigidity. The introduction, comprising two hundred pages on the Aztec civilization, is one of the most highly wrought and elaborate essays we have ever read. This, together with another essay in the appendix to the third volume, on the origin of the Aztec civilization, the author assures us, "cost him as much labor, and nearly as much time, as the remainder of the history." The inquiry into the origin of the Aztec civilization furnishes a very learned, though somewhat skeptical, view of the various theories of antiquaries, for explaining what Mr. Prescott calls, "the riddle of the Sphinx, which no Edipus has yet had the ingenuity to solve." And the result of his labors proves that he himself is no Edipus: he reaches a conclusion which strongly reminds us of that of Johnson's Rasselas, "in which nothing is concluded." The introduction embodies, in a highly condensed form, whatever Clavigero, Sahagun, Torquemada, Boturini, Veytia, Camargo, Ixtlilxochitl,^ Baron Humboldt, Lord Kingsborough, and other learned antiquaries had written on the interesting subject of the Aztec civilization. From it we gather, that however advanced the nations of Anahuac might have been in civilization, they were still in a very rude and and savage condition. Their ignorance of the metals, and of the use of domestic beasts of burden; their imperfect and cumbrous picture-writing; their mean and crouching subserviency to the will of a despot; and above all, their brutish cannibalism, and their loathsome human sacrifices, all contributed to sink them very low in the scale of civilization. From their semi-civilized, or rather wholly barbaric condition, even Voltaire could not contrive to make out a plausible argument, or even a sneer, against Christianity. It appears to us that Mr. Prescott's forte lies in description. Many of 1 Pref. p. x. 2 Prescott iii, 376. 3 Cf. Ibid. iii, 418. 4 The Mexican name of a distinguished Indian writer-the lord of Tezcuco. Those who are startled at this euphonious name, may try whether they can pronounce, at a breath, the following specimens of Mexican diction: Nottazomahuizteopixcatatzin, the name of a priest; or this name of a messenger, Amatlacuilolitquitcatlaxtlahuitli!! See Prescott, iii, 395 note. his descriptions, whether of scenery, of battles, or of natural phenomena, are peculiarly dramatic: some of them have the vividness of pictures. We might furnish many examples of this from the History of the Conquest. But we have much to say on a theme so ample and inviting, and our limits are very contracted. Hence we must reluctantly confine ourselves to those passages which will naturally come up in the train of our remarks; and we can barely allude to the following additional ones which struck us forcibly, viz: the graphic description of a storm which broke over Mexico on the night of the Conquest; the vivid account of the storming of the great temple by Cortez and his veterans; and the lively manner in which are painted the dreadful horrors of the Noche Triste.3 But style, however important, is not every thing in an historian. It is to him what drapery is to a statue. To ascertain the real merit of the work, we should examine the proportions and symmetry of the figure itself, its fidelity as a representation of the original, and the amount of artistic skill displayed in its formation. Research, accuracy, and impartiality, are three essential qualities of a good historian. Without the first, he were wholly unqualified for the task; he would be like an artist without suitable materials and tools. Without the second, all research, however laborious, would be thrown away; and the historian would resemble the statuary, who, with polished instruments and beautiful marble, should still, through carelessness or want of genius, execute but a wretched piece. Finally, without the third, all previous research, as well as the sincere wish to be accurate, would generally prove unavailing: the historian would perhaps unconsciously miscolor or misstate facts. His work would resemble that of a painter who, though not deficient in labor, mechanical skill, and exactness, should yet spoil his piece with misplaced or excessive coloring. Does Mr. Prescott possess these three qualities essential to an historian ? We would be much pleased to be able to answer, without exception or reservation, in the affirmative: we are really partial to the man, who, besides being a fellow-countryman, exhibits himself in his writings the easy and polished gentleman. We feel no disposition to do him the least injustice; and deeply do we regret that a love of truth compels us to give different answers in regard to these different characteristics of the historian. His laborious research is unquestionable. He has thoroughly examined, and seems to have carefully sifted all the original authorities in relation to the Conquest. To obtain the necessary documents, many of which were in manuscript, he spared no labor nor expense. The great facilities which his previous researches had already afforded him, while he was preparing the History of Ferdinand and Isabella, were still farther increased by the kindness and liberality of many of the leading Spanish literati of the day. He was allowed free access to the valuable papers collected with great labor and care by Don Juan Baptista Muñoz, the indefatigable royal historiographer of the Indies; as well as to those of 1 Prescott, iii, 208, et seq.. 2 Ibid, ii, 334, et seq. 3 Ibid. ii, 861, et. seq |