at the bedside of our dear child. And Mrs. E. . . . (this much slandered lady)" declining the invitations to dinner, has had poor Leonard in her arms day and night without sleeping, nursing him as tenderly as her own child. General Jackson is remarkably kind. He quit his company at an early hour after dinner, came to our lodgings, sat by our dear babe for two or three hours, encouraging us and animating the Doctors to persevere in their remedies. We have strong hopes, but are preparing for the worst. . .

My dear Daughter,

VII. BARRY TO MRS. TAYLOR.

WASHINGTON, 25th February, 1830.

I have received yours and the one enclosed to your dear Brother John, which is forwarded by today's mail.

We are all well at home, and dear Armistead is still improving, as I learn from a letter of the 22nd from a friend at Philadelphia, who called on him. You speak of rumours that a division exists in the Cabinet. I say to you, and Mr. Taylor and John, what I say to no others but my own family who are near me, politically speaking there is no division, but some unpleasant circumstances have occurred to affect the harmony of social intercourse between the females of some of the families, originating probably, and stimulated by ultimate political views of aspirants to office. Major Eaton is known to be the intimate friend of the President. The extreme jealousy of some of Mr. Calhoun's friends induces them to believe that Major Eaton is rather more friendly to Mr. Van Buren than to Mr. Calhoun.

They fear his influence will control the Executive patronage in favor of Mr. Van B. They want him to leave the Cabinet, and are willing to give him any other office whatever. The President brought Major Eaton in against his inclination, and will not part with him. To compel him to do so, is the cause of the attack on Mrs. E. Judge McLean, Mr. Berrien and others, who are now unwilling to exchange civilities with Mrs. Eaton, were present at her marriage to Major E., and it is believed if Major E. were not now in the Cabinet, that Mrs. Eaton would be unmolested. I am on good terms with all the members of the Cabinet, and so is Mrs. B. with the families of all, but we would not join in the prosecution of Major and Mrs. E. Mr. Van Buren and myself thought, and have acted, alike on this subject; so does the President. The females of the President's family until lately did not exchange civilities with Mrs. E.

The gentlemen, Mr. Ingham, Berrien and Calhoun are, and have been all along, personally friendly with and civil to Major E. (Mrs. Calhoun is not here). Mr. Branch and Major E. had a personal difference. Mr. Berrien and myself were present at an interview between them; they were reconciled and are now friends. Harmony prevails at present, personally as well as politically. On the 23rd Inst. we had a Cabinet dinner. All were present but Mr. Berrien, who was sick. Mr. [Mrs. ?] Eaton and Mrs. Donaldson and the other ladies were present and exchanged the usual civilities. A few impudent men and women of our own party, stimulated by the coalition, still are busy with Mrs. Eaton's character. She, however, is sustained by the Foreign Ministers; indeed, 14 Mrs. Eaton.

a favourite with some of them because of her prosecution, and by many members of Congress of both houses and their families. Society is unhappily divided about her, but her circle of acquaintance is large and respectable. My family visit all parties and will continue to do so. I will not join the band of calumniators and will stand by and sustain Major E. against such vile assaults; but his and Mrs. Eaton's difficulties are not mine, nor do they desire me to consider them so. I believe my course has endeared me to General Jackson; it has to Major E., and some of Mr. Calhoun's friends are jealous of me, but utterly without cause, for I like Mr. C. as I do Mr. Van B., but I like General Jackson better than either, and will allow myself to think of no other candidate for the next Presidential term but General Jackson, and this should be the language of all friends; it will prevent divisions in our own ranks. I have not time to add more, but may continue the subject hereafter when I have leisure. My love to all our friends, Mr. Taylor and your sweet babes.

I cannot say at this time when I shall visit Kentucky. The late changes in the Cabinet makes it necessary for me to remain near the President until the new Secretaries arrive. Judge White, on account of domestic affliction, having recently lost his wife, and one of his only two remaining children being now in the last stages of consumption, declines accepting the War Department. It is not yet determined whom it will be offered to next. P. P. Barbour of Va. and Col. Drayton of So. Carolina are talked of; it will most probably be the latter. You will see from the papers that Mr. Branch has gone off in a pet; however, since he arrived in No. Carolina he has regained his senses, and says, in accepting an invitation to become a candidate for Congress, that he will, if elected, support the measures of the present administration. Mr. Ingham, it is believed, will behave more prudently; he will probably remain in the Treasury Department until Mr. McLane returns from Europe, and then, if he desires it, go as Minister to Russia in place of Mr. Randolph, who is expected to return home this fall.

Mr. Van Buren will, if he desires, go to England. Major Eaton returns to Tennessee for a season, not decided on his future course. I shall remain, not for the reason assigned, that the President would not accept my resignation until I clear up the charges against me; this story got afloat in consequence of a remark of the President to Mr. Branch, who very indelicately asked the President when he was informed by the latter of the necessity of reorganizing his Cabinet and shown the resignation of Mr. Van Buren and Major Eaton, what I intended to do, the President replied that when appraised of the resignations of Mr. Van Buren and Major Eaton, that I had promptly tendered mine, which he declined accepting, at which Mr. Branch expressed some surprise at the discrimination in my favour. The President, to save his feelings. as much as possible, instead of stating the real cause, that I had done nothing to forfeit his confidence, remarked that I had been wantonly assailed, in a manner that no other member of the Cabinet had, and that

if it were proper for me to retire he would not consent to it, as it might be cause of triumph to my unprincipled persecutors. I was advised of Major Eaton's and Mr. Van Buren's intentions long before they were sent in, and was advised with' as to the propriety of their course. It was not known whether the other members of the Cabinet would resign or whether General Jackson would be compelled to remove them. Το cut off all excuse and open the way for freedom of action on the part of the President, I offered my resignation. When I did so he instantly. said "No, there is no cause for your retiring; I have reluctantly parted with my confidential friend, Major Eaton, and I want you to remain with me whilst I am in office." Mr. Berrien is yet absent; it is not known whether he will resign or not; if he should, as is probable, in the event of Col. Drayton's appointment to the War Department, the Honorable Mr. Bell of Tennessee will be Attorney General. If P. P. Barbour of Va. should be made Secretary of War, the Honorable J. Buchanan of Penn. will be Attorney General. The President enjoys good health. Mr. Livingston and Mr. Woodbury are here. In future we hope for harmony and united action. A great Jackson meeting was held in this City last evening. They adopted resolutions approving of General Jackson's administration and recommending his reelection for another term. General Duffe Green attended, affected to be friendly, but advocated resolutions that he procured to be offered, expressing confidence in J. C. Calhoun and recommending him again as a candidate for the Vice Presidency. His resolutions were rejected by an overwhelming majority. . . .

REVIEWS OF BOOKS

BOOKS OF ANCIENT HISTORY

Roman History and Mythology. Edited by HENRY A. SANDERS. (New York: The Macmillan Company. 1910. Pp. iii, 427.) THIS collection of scientific papers by former pupils of Professor Sanders, and presumably written at his suggestion and under his supervision, makes contributions of value in the solution of several important and perplexing historical problems.

The first article in it (pp. 1-159), by Orma Fitch Butler, which bears the title Studies in the Life of Heliogabalus, contains in its three main chapters an analysis of the critical literature bearing on the Scriptores Historiae Augustae", a history of the years 218-222 A. D., and a critical examination of the Vita Heliogabali. Perhaps there is no more complex series of questions in higher criticism than is presented by the Historia Augusta, and it would be hard to find a more interesting episode in historical study than is furnished by the attempts which scholars have made to solve the problems involved. The questions which this piece of literature raises concern the date of composition of the several Lives, their sources, authenticity, and historical value. The way in which each of these has in turn been made the central point of attack since 1838, and the methods which have been used in investigating them, by studying the historical references, the dedications in the manuscripts, the language, and even the rhythmical structure, have been analyzed and set forth with admirable skill in the preliminary chapter. The most important original contribution which the paper makes consists in a critical examination (pp. 109-157) of that portion of the Vita (chs. 1, 4—2, 3; 3, 1—18, 3) which deals with the history of the reign of Heliogabalus. The historical accuracy of these chapters is tested by comparing them with a history of the period which the writer reconstructs from other sources. Both these parts of the monograph show learning, critical acumen, and good judgment, and the author's method of attacking the question is sound.

Similarly, John Garrett Winter's treatment of the Myth of Hercules at Rome (pp. 171-274) resolves itself into two main parts—a preliminary study of the modern literature dealing with the Hercules story, and an attempt to resolve the myth into its elements and to determine the earliest form which it took at Rome. The writer concludes that "Hercules was not a home-spun Italic deity", that the Cacus element was not a part of the original story, that the Greek Herakles myth and

worship were introduced into Rome from both southern Italy and Etruria, and that the tithe was probably of Phoenician origin.

Roman Law Studies in Livy (pp. 275–354), by Alvin E. Evans, furnishes an interesting body of material, which to be complete must be supplemented from other sources, and so far as the questions are concerned with which it deals constitutes a useful contribution to our knowledge. We could have wished, however, that in addition to the points for discussion mentioned on page 325, and later, the author's plan had included a consideration of the development of tribunician jurisdiction, the responsibility to the popular assembly of different classes of magistrates for their political action, and certain other related. matters. The last paper by Laura Bayne Woodruff on Reminiscences of Ennius in Silius Italicus (pp. 355-424) falls outside the field of this journal.

FRANK FROST ABBOTт.

The Monuments of Christian Rome from Constantine to the Renaissance. By ARTHUR L. FROTHINGHAM, Ph.D., Professor of Archaeology and Ancient History at Princeton University. [Handbooks of Archaeology and Antiquities.] (New York: The Macmillan Company. 1908. Pp. vii, 412.)

In this work the author does not exceed the limits expressed by the title. He has not attempted to write a history of Christian art in Rome, but has confined himself to an account of the monuments of architecture, painting, and sculpture between the era of the persecutions and the Renaissance. The subject is dealt with in two sections. In the first there is a chronological account of the principal monuments and in the second these are systematically classified as Basilicas, Campanili, Cloisters, Civil Architecture, Military Architecture, Sculpture and Painting. The work is not at all technical and makes no elaborate pretense at describing details of style or construction. Though he frequently touches on the subject, the summary character of the historical survey may be the author's excuse for not having discussed expressly the origins of Christian art. This is all the more to be regretted because the various influences which were at work within Christianity itself, and which were being gradually moulded to its new concept of life and society, would seem to form the necessary background for a detailed exposition of any phase of art, which the author himself considers to have been "as integral a part of civilization as politics, religion, sociology or literature". Some of the historical statements, closely interwoven with the central theme, may be open to serious exception. Thus (p. 38) the author says: "The origin of monasticism was due to the bitterness of the delusion of the really religious, who saw that, since fashion and authority had stamped Christianity with their approval, the Church as a unit had become infected with most of the soft vices of paganism." Such an assertion is hardly in keeping with the facts in the history of