Inthesecondplace，theenforcedlownessofpricespreventedanygeneralretrenchmentonthepartofthecitizens。Nobodyfeltitnecessarytoeconomize。Everyoneboughtasmuchbread，andateitasfreely，asifthegovernmentbyinsuringitscheapnesshadinsureditsabundance。Sothecitylivedinhighspiritsandingleefuldefianceofitsbesiegers，untilallatonceprovisionsgaveout，andthegovernmenthadtostepinagaintopalliatethedistresswhichithadwrought。Itconstituteditselfquartermaster-generaltothecommunity，anddoledoutstintedrationsaliketorichandpoor，withthatsterndemocraticimpartialitypeculiartotimesofmortalperil。Butthisservedonly，likemostartificialpalliatives，tolengthenoutthemisery。Atthetimeofthesurrender，notaloafofbreadcouldbeobtainedforloveormoney。
InthiswayabunglingactoflegislationhelpedtodecidefortheworseacampaignwhichinvolvedtheterritorialintegrityandfuturewelfareofwhatmighthavebecomeagreatnationperformingavaluablefunctioninthesystemofEuropeancommunities。
Thestrikingcharacterofthisinstructiveexamplemustbeourexcuseforpresentingitatsuchlength。AtthebeginningofthefamineinBengaltheauthoritieslegislatedinverymuchthesamespiritastheburgherswhohadtodefendAntwerpagainstParma。
“Byinterdictingwhatitwaspleasedtotermthemonopolyofgrain，itpreventedpricesfromrisingatoncetotheirnaturalrates。TheProvincehadacertainamountoffoodinit，andthisfoodhadtolastaboutninemonths。Privateenterpriseiflefttoitselfwouldhavestoredupthegeneralsupplyattheharvest，withaviewtorealizingalargerprofitatalaterperiodinthescarcity。Priceswouldinconsequencehaveimmediatelyrisen，compellingthepopulationtoreducetheirconsumptionfromtheverybeginningofthedearth。Thegeneralstockwouldthushavebeenhusbanded，andthepressureequallyspreadoverthewholeninemonths，insteadofbeingconcentrateduponthelastsix。Thepriceofgrain，inplaceofpromptlyrisingtothreehalf-penceapoundasin1865-66，continuedatthreefarthingsduringtheearliermonthsofthefamine。Duringthelatteronesitadvancedtotwopence，andincertainlocalitiesreachedfourpence。“
Thecoursetakenbythegreatfamineof1866wellillustratestheaboveviews。Thisfamine，also，wascausedbythetotalfailureoftheDecemberrice-crop，anditwasbroughttoaclosebyanabundantharvestinthesucceedingyear。
“Evenasregardsthemaximumpricereached，theanalogyholdsgood，ineachcasericehavingriseningeneraltonearlytwopence，andinparticularplacestofourpence，apound；andineachthequotedratesbeingforabriefperiodinseveralisolatedlocalitiesmerelynominal，nofoodexistinginthemarket，andmoneyaltogetherlosingitsinterchangeablevalue。Inboththepeopleenduredsilentlytotheend，withafortitudethatcasualobserversofadifferenttemperamentandwidelydissimilarracemayeasilymistakeforapathy，butwhichthosewholivedamongthesufferersareunabletodistinguishfromqualitiesthatgenerallypassunderamorehonourablename。
During1866，whenthefaminewasseverest，IsuperintendedpublicinstructionthroughoutthesouthwesterndivisionofLowerBengal，includingOrissa。Thesubordinatenativeofficers，abouteighthundredinnumber，behavedwithasteadiness，andwhencalledupon，withaself-abnegation，beyondpraise。Manyofthemruinedtheirhealth。Thetouchingscenesofself-sacrificeandhumbleheroismwhichIwitnessedamongthepoorvillagersonmytoursofinspectionwillremaininmymemorytillmylatestday。“
Buttomeetthefamineof1866Bengalwasequippedwithrailroadsandcanals，andbetterthanall，withanintelligentgovernment。
Farfromtryingtocheckspeculation，asin1770，thegovernmentdidallinitspowertostimulateit。Intheearlierfamineonecouldhardlyengageinthegraintradewithoutbecomingamenabletothelaw。“In1866respectablemeninvastnumberswentintothetrade；forgovernment，bypublishingweeklyreturnsoftheratesineverydistrict，renderedthetrafficbotheasyandsafe。
Everyoneknewwheretobuygraincheapest，andwheretosellitdearest，andfoodwasaccordinglybroughtfromthedistrictsthatcouldbestspareit，andcarriedtothosewhichmosturgentlyneededit。Notonlywerepricesequalizedsofaraspossiblethroughoutthestrickenparts，butthepublicitygiventothehighratesinLowerBengalinducedlargeshipmentsfromtheupperprovinces，andthechiefseatofthetradebecameunabletoaffordaccommodationforlandingthevaststoresofgrainbroughtdowntheriver。Ricepouredintotheaffecteddistrictsfromallparts，——railways，canals，androadsvigorouslydoingtheirduty。“
TheresultofthiswisepolicywasthatscarcitywasheightenedintofamineonlyinoneremotecornerofBengal。Orissawascommerciallyisolatedin1866，asthewholecountryhadbeenin1770。“Asfarbackastherecordsextend，Orissahasproducedmoregrainthanitcanuse。Itisanexporting，notanimportingprovince，sendingawayitssurplusgrainbysea，andneitherrequiringnorseekinganycommunicationwithLowerBengalbyland。“Longaftertherestoftheprovincehadbeguntoprepareforayearoffamine，Orissakeptonexporting。InMarch，whenthealarmwasfirstraised，thesouthwestmonsoonhadsetin，renderingtheharboursinaccessible。Thusthedistrictwasisolated。Itwasnolongerpossibletoapplythewholesomepolicywhichwasoperatingthroughouttherestofthecountry。ThedoomedpopulationofOrissa，likepassengersinashipwithoutprovisions，werecalledupontosuffertheextremitiesoffamine；
andinthecourseofthespringandsummerof1866，somesevenhundredthousandpeopleperished。
HistoryoftheUnitedNetherlands:fromtheDeathofWilliamtheSilenttotheTwelveYears’Truce，1609。ByJohnLothropMotley，D。C。L。Infourvolumes。Vols。III。andIV。NewYork。
Tandemfitsurculusarbor:thetwigwhichMr。Motleyinhisearliervolumeshasdescribedasslowlyputtingforthitsleavesandrootless，whilepainfullystrugglingforexistenceinahostilesoil，hasatlastgrownintoamightytreeofliberty，drawingsustenancefromalllands，andprotectingallcivilizedpeopleswithitspleasantshade。WecongratulateMr。Motleyuponthesuccessfulcompletionofthesecondportionofhisgreatwork；andwethinkthattheNetherlandersofourtimehavereasontobegratefultothewriterwhohassofaithfullyandeloquentlytoldthestoryoftheircountry’sfearfulstruggleagainstcivilandecclesiasticaltyranny，anditsmanifoldcontributionstotheadvancementofEuropeancivilization。
Mr。Motleyhasbeenfortunateinhisselectionofasubjectuponwhichtowrite。Probablynocenturyofmoderntimeslendsitselftothepurposesofthedescriptivehistoriansowellasthesixteenth。Whileontheonehandtheproblemswhichitpresentsaresufficientlynearforustounderstandthemwithouttoogreataneffortoftheimagination，ontheotherhandtheyaresufficientlyremoteforustostudythemwithoutpassionateandwarpingprejudice。ThecontestbetweenCatholicismandthereformedreligion——betweenecclesiasticalautocracyandtherightofprivateinvestigation——hasbecomeathingofthepast，andconstitutesaclosedchapterinhumanhistory。TheepochwhichbeginswhereMr。Motley’shistoryisdesignedtoclose——atthepeaceofWestphalia——isfarmorecomplicated。Sincethemiddleoftheseventeenthcenturyadoublemovementhasbeengoingoninreligionandphilosophy，societyandpolitics，——amovementofdestructiontypifiedbyVoltaireandRousseau，andaconstructivemovementrepresentedbyDiderotandLessing。Wearestilllivinginthemidstofthisgreatepoch:thequestionswhichitpresentsareliabletodisturbourprejudicesaswellastostimulateourreason；theresultstowhichitmustsoonerorlaterattaincannowbeonlypartiallyforeseen；andevenitspresenttendenciesaregenerallymisunderstood，andinmanyquarterswhollyignored。
Withthesixteenthcentury，aswehavesaid，thecaseisfardifferent。Thehistoricalproblemisfarlesscomplex。Theissuesatstakearecomparativelysimple，andthehistorianhasbeforehimastraightforwardstory。
Fromthedramatic，orratherfromtheepic，pointofview，thesixteenthcenturyispre-eminent。Theessentiallytransitionalcharacterofmodernhistorysincethebreakingupofthepapalandfeudalsystemsisatnoperiodmoredistinctlymarked。Intraversingthesixteenthcenturywerealizethatwehavefairlygotoutofonestateofthingsandintoanother。Attheoutset，eventslikethechallengeofBarlettamaymakeusdoubtwhetherwehaveyetquiteleftbehindtheMiddleAges。Thebeliefinthecentralpositionoftheearthisstilluniversal，andthebeliefinitsrotunditynotyet，untilthevoyageofMagellan，generallyaccepted。WefindEngland——owingpartlytotheintroductionofgunpowderandtheconsequentdisuseofarchery，partlytotheresultsoftherecentintegrationofFranceunderLouisXI——fallenbackfromthehighrelativepositionwhichithadoccupiedundertheruleofthePlantagenets；anditspolicystilldirectedinaccordancewithreminiscencesofAgincourt，andgarnet，andBurgundianalliances。WefindFrancejustbeginningherill-fatedcareerofinterventionintheaffairsofItaly；andSpain，withherMoorsfinallyvanquishedandanewworldbeyondtheoceanjustaddedtoherdomain，rapidlydevelopingintothegreatestempirewhichhadbeenseensincethedaysofthefirstCaesars。Butatthecloseofthecenturywefindfeudallifeincastleschangedintomodernlifeintowns；chivalricdefiancesexchangedforover-subtlediplomacy；MauricesinsteadofBayards；
aHenryIV。insteadofaGastondeFoix。Wefindtheoldtheoryofman’scentralpositionintheuniverse——thefoundationofthedoctrineoffinalcausesandofthewholetheologicalmethodofinterpretingnature——finallyoverthrownbyCopernicus。Insteadofthecircumnavigabilityoftheearth，thediscoveryofaNorthwestpassage——asinstancedbytheheroicvoyageofBarendz，sonoblydescribedbyMr。Motley——isnowthechiefgeographicalproblem。
EastIndiaCompanies，inplaceofpettyguildsofweaversandbakers，bearwitnesstothevastcommercialprogress。WefindEngland，freshfromherstupendousvictoryoverthewholepowerofSpain，againinthefrontrankofnations；France，underthemostastuteofmodernsovereigns，takingherplaceforatimeasthepoliticalleaderofthecivilizedworld；Spain，withherevilschemesbaffledineveryquarter，sinkingintothatterribledeath-likelethargy，fromwhichshehashardlyyetawakened，andwhichmustneedscallforthourpity，thoughitisbutthedeservedretributionforherpastbehaviour。WhilethelittlerealmoftheNetherlands，filchedandcozenedfromtheunfortunateJacquelinebythe“good“DukeofBurgundy，carriedovertoAustriaasthemarriage-portionofLadyMary，sentdowntoSpainasthepersonalinheritanceofthe“prudent“Philip，andbyhimintolerablytormentedwithanInquisition，aBlood-Council，andaDukeofAlva，hasafterafortyyears’warofindependencetakenitspositionforatimeasthegreatestofcommercialnations，withthemostformidablenavyandoneofthebestdisciplinedarmiesyetseenupontheearth。
ButthecentralphenomenonofthesixteenthcenturyistheculminationoftheProtestantmovementinitsdecisiveproclamationbyLuther。FornearlythreehundredyearsalreadythepoweroftheChurchhadbeendeclining，anditsfunctionasacivilizingagencyhadbeengrowingmoreandmoreobsolete。ThefirstgreatblowatitssupremacyhadbeendirectedwithpartialsuccessinthethirteenthcenturybytheEmperorFrederickII。