His presentations of character and motives, whether truthful or not, are undeniably fine; but his doctrine that there should be "no theorizing" about history tended to narrow his survey, and consequently he sometimes, as in his remarks on the foreign policy of Elizabeth, seems to misapprehend the tendencies of a period on which he is writing.

The respectable mediocrity of Chapelain might misapprehend him; the lesser geniuses of Scudery and Mairet might feel alarm at his advent; the envious Claverets and D'Aubignacs might snarl and scribble.

His presentations of character and motives, whether truthful or not, are undeniably fine; but his doctrine that there should be "no theorizing" about history tended to narrow his survey, and consequently he sometimes, as in his remarks on the foreign policy of Elizabeth, seems to misapprehend the tendencies of a period on which he is writing.

The respectable mediocrity of Chapelain might misapprehend him; the lesser geniuses of Scudery and Mairet might feel alarm at his advent; the envious Claverets and D'Aubignacs might snarl and scribble.