Page:Reviews of Bancroft's History of the Pacific States from British Quarterly Review and London Times.pdf/7

 These two volumes more and more attest Mr Hubert Bancroft's power as. master in narrative. The salient incidents seem to repeat themselves with something like fatalistic iteration. The passion for gold grew with what it fed on; and the same expedients, with but slight variations of accessories, constantly suggested themselves. But Mr Bancroft, by dint of his gift for seizing individual traits, manages to infuse freshness and some measure of dramatic interest into each of his grand pictures; it is only the scenes and the stage furniture which remain the same—the characters change. Hernando Pizarro repeated exactly the earlier experiences in his contact with Atahualpa in Peru, and the animal passions mixed themselves up with the love of lucre as aforetime. We read, for example, "The people were now hiding the gold; the Spaniards desired the death of Atahualpa, with the liberty to devastate and pillage after the old manner. They determined that the Inca should die; but first they would melt down and divide the gold; they determined to kill the Inca, but first he should have a fair trial. It was no difficult matter to frame an indictment. Huascar's death, pretended insurrections, delay in the ransom, refusal to accept baptism—these charges, or any of them, were amply sufficient. Then Felipillo desired one of Atahualpa's wives, and did what he could to hasten his death." What a commentary on Mr Carlyle's doctrine of "Might is Right" does the whole history afford-a kind of grim panorama in which the fable of the wolf and the lamb, with men for characters, is successively illustrated. We really do not know whether a certain sense of relief is not felt by way of a vindication of a broad moral over in the universe when we read, "After this in the history of Peru comes the feud between the associate conquerors; for here, as elsewhere, no sooner are the savages slain than their destroyers fall to fighting among themselves. Almagro and Pizarro are old men, old friends, co-partners; yet instead of dividing their immense acquisition and devoting the brief remainder of their days to peaceful pursuits, so deadly become their hatred that each seemed unable to rest while the other lived." The empire of the Incas fell to pieces; and the Spaniards seized the opportunity, which they failed to turn to full account though they enriched themselves. It is because of the clearness with which these unexpected and dramatic turnings of Time's wheel, which so decisively brings its own revenge, are held in view and presented, together with an elevated moral tone and de termination to exaggerate nothing, that we can say of Mr Bancroft's volumes that they are touched with dramatic penetration and genius. The portrait which we have here of Las Casas is in every respect faithful and incisive; it a portrait which ought to endure; and as a contrast to it might be cited the section in the next chapter which recounts the rise and the death-doom of Dona Beatriz in Guatemala. The style in which Mr Bancroft treats the outrages which the buccaneers and Scotch settlers in their turn inflicted on the Spaniards as times went on, might be advanced as proof of his impartiality and judicial tone. The chapter, of the present volume on Mexico, detailing the events that led to the overthrow of Gelves, and the peculiar compressed energy of the chapter headed "Flood, Famine, and Eclipse," we regard as striking examples of lofty and animated eloquence. We have been compelled to confine ourselves to merely general characterization, because points for remarks or for description present themselves in every chapter, and an article, or articles, would be wanted for their full treatment.