From The Saturday Review. "FADING AWAY."

THE report of Captain Abney and Dr. Russell on the discoloration of pigments seems at first rather melancholy reading. It would tell us that all that is most charming in paint is evanescent, and that "our souls which flew in feathers" and rejoiced in the glorious hues of carmine and gamboge and Antwerp blue must, literally, be recalled to earth, for the colors least liable to change are all, with one exception, minerals. Among them we observe ultramarine, which gives us little comfort; for the price is exorbitant, and when you have got it you cannot make it lie fat. No scarlet is permanent, no orange brighter than burnt sienna, and no transparent yellow. Our water-color artists must hence forth restrict themselves to such sad tints as can be produced by ochres and chromes, varied by Prussian blue and Venetian red. We note especially that a mixture of Chinese white with rose madder and Indian yellow fades very rapidly. What is to become of our sunsets? It looks as if everything that Copley, Fielding, and Turner most relied on is evanescent; and it is not consoling to remember that at the Manchester Exhibition last summer, Turner's oil paintings were in a far more faded condition than his watercolors. But we need not be too much cast down. Before we accept the pessimist view there are several things to be remembered.

far as they go, seem to teach us chiefly that damp rather than light is an enemy of water-colors. In a close cupboard, lighted by gas, but absolutely dry, no change to speak of occurred in nearly two years. From this it would follow that, in the first place, all water-color pictures exhibited like those at South Kensington should be enclosed in air-tight frames or cases, like the burners of electric lamps, and that people who cannot obtain such protection for their collections should make sure that they are not hung upon damp walls, or even stored in portfolios where the air is moist. The fading from the effect of direct light appears, except in the case of certain pigments, to be a very slow process; so slow, in fact, as hardly to be worthy of consideration, except by the artist, who should, of course, while endeavoring to obtain his effect with safe colors when he can, by no means fear to use others not quite so permanent where it is necessary. But the picture-buyer may feel sure that what he sees on the walls of a public exhibition for two or three months of such a summer as that of last year will not, in his lifetime at least, fade further, except under conditions to which no humane man would subject a painting he cared for. Indigo is one of the most fleeting of all the list of "non-stayers; " but some of the indigo and sepia studies of Turner and his predecessors retain, well treated, a sufficient amount of brilliancy to charm us. Some colors, such as brown-pink, are practically useless, and are, in fact, very It is not clear that the report tells us little used except for sketching rapid anything very new, for example, except it effects, because they only retain their be that " every pigment is permanent brilliancy for a short time; but, even withwhen exposed to light in vacuo. Every out having to fall back on the " "good one who has dabbled in water-colors gamut" of which Captain Abney and Dr. knows how rapidly indigo changes in cer- Russell speak, an artist who paints with tain circumstances, and how soon gam-common caution need have no fear of bad boge fades utterly away. The report results. Samuel Prout used to wash a tallies almost exactly with the list of per- thin varnish of gambogea most fleeting manent colors in Mr. Tristram Ellis's color - over his pictures when he had book on "Sketching from Nature," pub- finished them, and it must be allowed that lished seven or eight years ago. That in a great proportion of the pictures bearthe fleeting colors change so rapidly as ing his name which come into the market they are made to do in the report, and that the sunny effect he strove to gain has the light in a well-lighted gallery varies disappeared; yet enough remain in perbetween one-fortieth and one-ninetieth of fect condition to prove that, given certain that of open sky, are two new facts, and precautions, such as dryness and secluminimize the terrors of the conclusions sion from the air, even gamboge is a perarrived at by the experimenters. We do manent color. Altogether, the report is not hang our pictures on the roof; and the more calculated to reassure than to deresults obtained by Captain Abney and press the water-color artist and the waterDr. Russell, although very convincing as color collector.

For EIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage.

Remittances should be made by bank draft or check, or by post-office money-order, if possible. If neither of these can be procured, the money should be sent in a registered letter. All postmasters are obliged to register letters when requested to do so. Drafts, checks, and money-orders should be made payable to the order of LITTELL & Co.

Single Numbers of THE LIVING AGE, 18 cents.

3

From The Quarterly Review.
ADMIRAL COLIGNY.*

is done with such unwearied diligence, and with so earnest an admiration for his IF the history of Europe during the hero, that it seems ungracious to add that sixteenth century is not adequately writ- M. Delaborde lacks the genius which is ten, it will not be for lack of the necessary requisite to breathe life into the statue he authorities; the materials are accessible has so laboriously quarried. The briefer in almost overwhelming profusion, and and brilliant study of M. Bersier glows every decade adds its quota to the exist with all the fire of the great Protestant ing stock. Private industry vies with the preacher. The principle upon which M. unwearied efforts of national societies and Aguesse's useful history is compiled, is successive governments in the reproduc- that of quoting in detail contemporary tion of rare pamphlets, diplomatic me- authorities, selected with much impartialmoirs, and State despatches. The arity, although the author's bias in favor of chives of every capital in Europe (with one the Reformers is not disguised. The exception) are already at the command of care, with which exact reference is given the student, and there is reason to hope to every extract in this modest work, is in that the secret treasures of the Vatican singular contrast to the indifference to will not be much longer withheld. Under plagiarism which led Beza to incorporate such conditions the interest in this most without acknowledgment whole pages fascinating period is not likely to decline, and the volumes named at the head of our article show how widely it is maintained. It would difficult to select five works deal ing with the same period which should display greater variety of treatment or more uniform evidence of unsparing research. Count Jules Delaborde's conscientious labor has amassed in three ponderous volumes an exhaustive assemblage of all that can cast light upon one of the grandest figures of French Protestantism. His work supplies the text of many official documents, and of much hitherto unpublished correspondence, discovered in the manuscript department of the National Library; it gives ample extracts from Coligny's own letters, and copious appendices, filled with original authorities, besides the author's consecutive and painstaking narrative. All this • 1. Gaspard de Coligny, Amiral de France. Par Le Comte Jules Delaborde. Three vols. Paris, 1879

1882.

2. Coligny avant les Guerres de Religion. Par

Eugène Bersier. Paris, 1884.

3. Histoire de l'Etablissement du Protestantisme en France. Contenant l'Histoire Politique et Religieuse de la Nation depuis François Premier jusqu'à l'édit de Nantes. Par L'Aguesse. Vols. 1 and 2. Paris, 1886.

4. Histoire Ecclésiastique des Eglises Réformées au Royaume de France. Edition Nouvelle avec commentaire, notice bibliographique et table des faits et des noms propres. Par feu G. Baum et Ed. Cunitz. Vols 1 and 2. Paris, 1883, 1884.

5. History of the Rise of the Huguenots. By Henry M. Baird, Professor in the University of the City of

New York. 2 vols. London, 1880.

from Crespin, Laplace, and other contemporaries in his "Histoire Ecclésiastique," to whom, however, their due honor is restored in this magnificent edition of Messrs. Baum and Cunitz. Nor must we pass without a word of hearty appreciation Professor Baird's scholarly and interesting contribution to the American literature of an epoch which has scarcely received from English writers the attention it deserves.

It is the distinctive quality and characteristic of great men that they embody and express the highest attainment of which their age is capable. No man can be independent of the influence exerted by the times in which his life is cast. In the moral, as in the physical sphere, the organism is necessarily and largely affected by its environment; but it is exactly at this point that the force and value of character are felt; and it is in proportion to the degree in which noble principles raise a man above the moral standard of his age, that he is really great. Elementary as this truth may seem, it is essential to bear it in mind, if we would arrive at a just estimate of individual character. All true judgment takes into consideration the conditions of the age in which a man has lived; not that these can modify eternal rules of right and wrong, but that they may exercise their legiti mate weight in deciding each man's rank in the scale of honor. To assert that

every man should be judged according to | lation of the prevailing court fashions) she

nourished at her own breasts. After a few years of home education under Nicolas Bérauld, a ripe scholar and friend of Erasmus and De Berquin, the boys were sent to Paris to share the lessons and ex

ing letter written at this period, when Gaspar was fifteen years old, is too characteristic of the time to be omitted:

that he hath, and not according to that he hath not, might be deemed superfluous, were it not that grave historians have not seldom measured men of past ages by the standard of their own, and have expected them to be guided by maxims which, al-ercises of the royal children. The followthough now universally acknowledged, were in their day as unknown as the application of electricity or of steam. These thoughts present themselves as we attempt to treat of Coligny's life. His manhood embraces so large a share in the history of France, that we cannot satisfactorily condense it within the space at our command. We propose therefore to take the salient points of his career in the light of its surrounding conditions. So viewed, his moral stature is truly heroic, we had almost said sublime.

The modern theory of heredity could hardly allege a more striking illustration in its favor than that afforded by the Châtillons. They sprang from a race of warriors who had fought in the Crusades, and had exercised sovereign rights in the Middle Ages over their estates. Dignified independence, military genius, scrupulous care for their subjects, reverence for women, and signal obedience to their mothers -no mean ingredients of true nobility were hereditary in the family. The admiral's father a man "with a good head and a strong arm ". was only known as a brave officer who had risen by favor of Francis I. to be a marshal of France, when he left to his widow the care of four sons, of whom Dandelot, the youngest, was but five months old, in addition to her three children by a former marriage. But Louise de Montmorenci was not unworthy of the age in which women exercised unparalleled influence over the destiny of nations. Herself the niece of the famous constable of France, the dame d'honneur to Queen Eleanor of Austria, "the good cousin and perfect friend" of Marguerite of Valois, mistress of a château where royalty was no infrequent guest, she was no less remarkable for the simplicity and unsullied purity of her life, for her sound judgment and genuine piety, than for the beauty which she transmitted to her children, whom (in vio

I

Gaspar de Coligny to Nicolas Bérauldgreeting. You desire me to give you some news of the Court, although, as a rule, you evince a dislike to be informed of it; and I am not accustomed to occupy my mind with will only consider the affection which binds such great and important matters. However, us to each other and your legitimate wishes. I will then constrain myself to trace out to you, with all the fidelity I can, what I have been able to ascertain. And, first of all, no one as yet asserts that the Sovereign Pontiff is dead. All that can be said positively is, that he is so ill that from day to day we expect rather to hear of his death than of the prolongation of his existence. At Rome there appear here and there men in arms, some prepared for pillage, others resolved to defend their homes against criminal attacks. On September 8th our cardinals quitted the port of Marseilles. It is generally believed that they have arrived at Rome, and even are already sitting in conclave. Very serious complications are arising: the common enemies of mankind and the adversaries of the French name command the sea; the Roman Campagna is a prey to hostilities; in short, no access on any side remains open. Nevertheless, amidst the doubt and anxiety which hang over everything, the King does not allow his courage to be depressed; far from it; as though well-founded hopes animated him, he devotes himself daily to the chase and rides down stags out hunting, or despatches wild boars entangled in the nets. Occasionally I indulge in the same exercise; but the greater part of my time is consecrated to the reading of Cicerò and to study of the Tables of Ptolemy under Du Main. There, now you are abreast of the Court business as I have been able to make it out! On your side now, if you will, inform me of what is passing both in

the town and at home. Since the above was

written the King has received definite news of the Pope's death, just as every one thought he was in a fair way of recovery. (Delaborde, i., pp. 33, 34.)