A ,630
A
1630
1.028.,028.
-.
.
..
.'
..
......
:
::....
:
.
.
.
.
.-
...:.
....
c
o
semi
n arski projelerdendiri members in het branding

OF MICA
1.1.
ARSITY OF
CRARIE
nimi
.
Dr
4.-
-
--.
.. -----
-
----
-
-
-
-
--
--
-
Zo nu dean
frucud & leslleague,
Professor keerge S. Marias, Rh.
from the Auction,
A MANUAL
OF
HISTORICAL LITERATURE
COMPRISING
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HISTORIES IN
ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND GERMAN
2
TOGETHER WITH
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS AS TO METHODS AND
COURSES OF HISTORICAL STUDY
FOR THE USE OF STUDENTS, GENERAL READERS, AND COLLECTORS OF BOOKS
BY
CHARLES KENDALL ADAMS, LL.D.
PROFESSOR OF HISTORY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
AUTHOR OR "DEMOCRACY AND MONARCHY IN FRANCE"
"Paucos enim, sunt eminentissimi, excerpere in animo est. Facile est autem
studiosis qui sint his simillimi judicare; ne quisquam queratur omissos forte
quos ipse valde probet. Fateor enim plures legendos esse quam qui a me nomi-
nabuntur."-QUINT. X. 1, 45
NEW YORK
HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE
1882
Z
6201
A357
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by
HARPER & BROTHERS,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
All rights reserved.
TO THE
MEMBERS OF THE HISTORICAL SEMINARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
C
I Dedicate this Volume
PREFACE.
What histories shall I read with most profit? What histori-
cal books shall I put into the hands of my son and my daughter?
What course and what methods will be most advantageous to our
historical club? What histories shall we buy for our town and
college libraries? What shall I buy for my own library?
These are questions that, in one form or another, I have often
heard asked; but I have sought in vain for a volume that would
answer them. Of books about books there is certainly no scarci-
ty; but in all the twenty thousand volumes which a distinguished
librarian recently declared to be necessary for the proper biblio-
graphical outfit for a great public library, I do not know of one
that can be put into the hands of a student of general history
with any justifiable confidence that it will guide him aright in
the prosecution of his researches. But for the want of such a
volume, I should not have ventured to undertake what may seem
to many like trying to add to the infinite.
The need which seemed to justify the undertaking has given
form to the work produced. It has been my constant desire and
aim to provide a book such as would have been of most service
to me when, as a university student, I was reaching out in various
directions for help in carrying on my historical studies. What
I then wanted was guidance in the selection of books; and such
guidance involved not simply critical reviews, but also careful de-
scriptions and characterizations; not only information whether
à given book approached an ideal standard of excellence, but
also whether it was the best authority accessible on the subject
PREFACE.
which I wished to know something about; not only, in fine,
to what additions and subtractions I ought to subject a certain
writer's works, in case I should read them, but also whether, in
the bewildering number of attractive volumes about me, it was
worth my while to read that particular writer's works at all. I
cannot doubt, that the lack of some such suitable guidance is
responsible for an enormous waste of good intentions.
The want to which I refer is not, in my opinion, to be supplied
by the issue of dogmatic rules and directions. I have not much
faith in so-called “courses of reading,” for the reason that the
very habit of independent inquiry and research necessary for suc-
cessful scholarship rebels against the oppression of any prescribed
order of study. The best, therefore, that can be done for the
reader is simply to give him such information as will be most
likely to lead him to the knowledge he is in search of.
Acting upon these beliefs, I have endeavored, in the prepara-
tion of this work, to accomplish two more or less distinct pur-
poses. In the first place, it has been my aim to furnish, as best I
could, such information about the most desirable books as the
historical reader and student is likely to profit by; and, in the
second, to suggest the proper methods and order of using the
materials so indicated. Accordingly, each of the chapters, except
the Introduction, consists of two parts; the first being devoted
to descriptions of books, and the second to suggestions to stu-
dents and readers as to the best order and method of using
them. These suggestions are to be regarded as hints rather than
as specific directions, and it is hoped that they will not be with-
out value to those for whom they are designed. To prevent the
necessity on the part of the student of frequently turning to
other portions of the volume, I have thought it wise, even at
the expense of some repetition, to bring together into brief and
convenient space in the “Suggestions”, expressions of opinion
sometimes more elaborately given in other portions of the work.
For reasons too obvious to need explanation, the portions de-
voted to the historical literature of England and of the United
PREFACE.
vii
States have been made more comprehensive in scope than any
others. In the thirteenth and fourteentla chapters, under the head
of “Suggestions to Students and Readers," I have given a much
more extended account of sources of information than was else-
where deemed desirable. I have also embodied in each of these
chapters a number of pages designed especially to assist such
students as are making a thorougb study of the constitutional
history of England and of the United States. It is hoped that
these suggestions and the numerous references they contain will
prove not the least helpful portion of the volume.
Perhaps it is hardly necessary to say that it has not been my
purpose to give an exhaustive bibliography of the historical litera-
ture of any of the nations concerning which I have written. To
accomplish such a task would have been impossible, even if it had
been desirable. The effort has been simply to select from the al-
most overwhelming abundance of materials a considerable number
of the most desirable books, and to describe them in such a way
as to enable the student and reader to judge of their peculiarities
and of their desirableness, as well as of their general merits.
In the process of selection, two considerations have been pre-
dominant. The first has been the question of merit, the other
the question of accessibility. In a few instances, books not easy
to be procured have been described solely on account of their
great importance. These form a small class, of which Arthur
Young's “Travels in France” may serve as a good example. Oc-
casionally, also, a work like Rollin's "Ancient History" has been
briefly described only to be condemned, for no other reason than
because it is to be found in every book-stall, and is likely to be
thrust before the buyer at every book sale. But these are to be
regarded as exceptional cases. In general, the most important
historical works are easily accessible; and, therefore, it has not
often been found necessary to select for description a work that
is difficult to procure, or one that is without some characteristics
of marked excellence.
· In dealing with books in French and German, I have sometimes
viii
PREFACE.
given the title in the original and sometimes in English. If I
had been writing exclusively, or even mainly, for those who know
French and German, I should, of course, in all cases have given
the titles in the original language. But it seemed to me that the
interests of good scholarship would be subserved by striving to
render assistance to the largest practicable number of persons,
rather than by limiting the usefulness of any considerable portion
of the work to those who are familiar with the languages of
France and Germany. In all cases, therefore, where a good trans-
lation has been made, the title has been given in English. Where
the translation is not conspicuous, either for its merits or its de-
fects, the question has been determined by the consideration of
accessibility. In such cases the language of the version most
easy to be procured has been adopted. In case a translation is
notably poor, the title has been given in the original language,
but the fact of the existence of a translation has been indicated.
In determining the order in which books on a given subject, or
in a given group, should be placed in the volume, I have also
thought it wise not to be governed by a strict uniformity of
method. Under the head of “General Histories ” the alphabeti-
cal order seemed the most natural and desirable. But in those
portions of the work which are devoted to “ Histories of Limited
Periods ? the chronological order appeared to be most conducive
to the convenience of the student. Some of the books described
it has been found impossible to subject to a strict classification;
and, therefore, in some instances a title may be found where in
advance it would not be looked for. With the help of the index,
however, the student will have no difficulty in finding whatever
the volume contains.
Many of the works described have been published in two or
more editions. The principle of selection has been precisely that
which would guide me in giving private advice to a student seek-
ing information. Even at the risk of giving offence, I have not
hesitated to condemn a reprint of an early edition when a revised
and improved edition is accessible. The aim, in all cases, has
PREFACE.
xx
been to indicate the best ; and, in general, where there are two or
more editions, each having peculiar characteristics of excellence,
the fact has been noted, and the peculiarities of each have been
pointed out.
It will be found that there is considerable variety in the length
and minuteness of the descriptions. If this variety should seem
to any one to be too marked, I have only to say, in explanation,
that while the question involved is one on which probably no
two persons would agree, it is certain that every one would deem
it very unwise to give to all the books worthy of mention the
same space that might properly be given to those of Gibbon and
Macaulay or to those of Buckle and Bancroft. In general, it has
seemed to me that the fulness of the descriptions should be deter-
mined by the twofold consideration of the inherent merits of the
work under review, and of the extent to which the historical stuz-
dent is likely to use it in the course of his investigations. Von
Hammer-Purgstall's great work on Turkey is even more impor-
tant, in its way, than Hildreth's “ History of the United States ;"
but there are obvious reasons why, in a work of this kind, it should
occupy less space.
I do not dare to hope that I have committed no errors in the
perplexing task of determining what authors and books to admit
to these pages and what to exclude from them. The difficulties
of decision have often been very great; and I am fully aware
that in a volume of this kind, not intended to be all-comprehen-
sive in its scope, I am providing certain disappointment for a very
considerable number of readers. For all such I have no better
word in the way of answer than that of Quintilian which I have
placed on the title-page. If I did not hope that the book would
be judged for what it contains rather than for what it omits, I
should have no courage to give it to the public.
It remains only to add a few words of grateful acknowledg-
ment.
This volume owes its origin to the suggestion of President
White, of Cornell University, who, some five years ago, did me
PREFACE.
the honor to propose to share with me the labors and the responsi-
bilities of preparing a work similar in character to the one now
laid before the public. I began my part of the preparatory study
in the hope and expectation that our names would appear to-
gether on the title-page; but we had not progressed very far
when he was called to the making of history at a foreign court,
while I was left to talk and write about it at home. The result
has been that, although I have had the advantage of his frequent
advice and his constant encouragement, I am not able to throw
upon his broad shoulders any of the responsibilities for the de-
fects of the work.
For access to many of the books described I am indebted to
the unstinted courtesy of the Superintendent and of the libra-
rians of the Astor Library in New York. I also owe a debt of
gratitude to the Librarian and to all of the assistants in the Li-
brary of the University of Michigan for the hearty generosity and
the imperturbable cheerfulness with which they have ministered
to my numerous and multiform necessities. It is likewise my
duty as well as my pleasure to acknowledge that I have received
valuable suggestions from Acting President Frieze of this univer-
sity, and from my colleagues Professors Isaac N. Demmon, Mar-
tin L. D’Ooge, Albert H. Pattengill, Elisha Jones, Richard Hud-
son, Herbert Tuttle, and Henry C. Adams. In the preparation of
the chapter on“ Histories of England” I received the more active
assistance of Mr. Charles Mills Gayley, whose scholarship both as
a pupil and as a colleague has been at once a source of satisfaction
and a source of advantage. For the verification of the numerous
references in the last two chapters of the volume I am indebted
to Mr. Carril M. Coe, one of the assistants in the University
Library. By means of the suggestions and the help for which
I am under great obligations, I have been able to make some
important additions to the volume, and to correct some errors that
otherwise might have escaped my attention.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR, December 15, 1881.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PAGE
bheed
CON
.................................
Jos et CT JA HA
..............,
O
co
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION.
ON THE STUDY OF HISTORY.
Increasing Prevalence of Historical Studies...........
The Rational Nature of this Tendency....................
Limitations of History as a Disciplinary Study..........
Why History cannot Become an Exact Science.........
The Impossibility of an Exact Knowledge of Causes..
The Element of Individuality...........
The Fundamental Error of Comte and his School.....
Some of the Inconsistencies of Buckle..
Difficulties in the Way of Exact Truth...........
Untrustworthiness of Government Documents........
Examples of Carelessness in the Writing of History......
Importance of some Accidental Discoveries......
The De Quadra Letter and the Dalrympie Memorials....
Inadequate Evidence even of Judicial Decisions..........
The Journal of Dr. Manasseh Cutler......
Iconoclastic Tendencies of Modern Criticism...
Conclusion to be Adopted and Conclusion to be Rejected.........
Similarity of Historical Evidence to Evidence in Common Life....
Why History is especially Improving to the Judgment....
Why History is the Best School for Statesmanship..........
Certain Special Advantages in Historical Study..............
Effect of an Understanding of the Unity of the Race.........
Necessity of Greater Historical Knowledge in America.
The Relations of States to the Problem of Education.
Problems of Economy and Finance..............
Growing Power of Corporations............
Condition of our Municipal Governments....
The Flexibility of our Institutions...............
How shall History be Studied ?....
The Place of the Study of General History.......
15
16
10
18
........
21
.
24
25
xii
CONTENTS.
PAGE
25
Methods of Instruction.........
Lesson from the Unity of History..........
Discrimination between the Important and the Unimportant.....
The Place of Artificial Helps.. ........
The Best Method of Studying General History....
The Study of a Single National Life........
The Last Step in the Student's Course......
Necessity of Exactness in All our Work..........
AT
31
32
32
34
CHAPTER II.
UNIVERSAL HISTORIE S.
I. NARRATIVE HISTORIES.
Assmann's Handbuch der allgemeinen Geschichte..
Becker's Weltgeschichte......
Bossuet's L'Histoire Universelle...........
Cantu's Histoire Universelle...........
Daunou's Cours d'Études Historiques........
Dew's Ancient and Modern Nations........
Freeman's General Sketch of History..
Oger's Cours d'Histoire Générale..........
Oncken's Allgemeine Geschichte......
Prevost-Paradol's Histoire Universelle. ...,
Rotteck's History of the World..........
Schlosser's Weltgeschichte...
Swinton's Outlines of the World's History.............
Thalheimer's Manual of Ancient and Modern History.
Tytler and Nares's Universal History.......
Weber's Allgemeine Geschichte..........
Weber's Lehrbuch der Weltgeschichte.....
Weber's Outlines of Universal History............
35
35
36
37
37
38
38
39
39
40
..
40
41
42
43
43
44
II. HISTORIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PROGRESS.
Blakey's History of Political Literature.....
Blanqui's History of Political Economy.....
Botta's Hand-book of Universal Literature.......
Carrière's Culturentwickelung...........
Draper's Intellectual Development of Europe...
Fergusson's History of Architecture..........
Freeman's Historical Geography of Europe.........
Gaume's Histoire de la Société Domestique..
Guizot's History of Civilization in Europe..
Henry's Histoire de l'Éloquence.................
Janet's Histoire de la Philosophie Morale et Politique........
Kugler's Hand-book of Painting ..........
44
ALA
48
CONTENTS.
xiii
PAGIC
49
49
.......
51
:
:
:
La Harpe's Cours de Littérature.......
Laurent's Histoire de l'Humanité.....
Lübke's History of Art.........
May's History of Democracy in Europe.........
Paroz's Histoire de la Pédagogie............
Schlegel's Dramatic Art and Literature.......
Schlegel's History of Literature..............
Schnaase's Geschichte der bildenden Künste.
Schmidt's Geschichte der Pädagogik..............
Ueberweg's History of Philosophy.....................
Whewell's History of the Inductive Sciences.......
Woltmann and Woermann's History of Painting...........
53
:
:
54
54
:
55
:
:
56
:
::
III. WORKS ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY.
Bisset's Essays on Historical Truth.............
Buckle's History of Civilization...
Comte's Positive Philosophy..........
Droysen's Grundriss der Historik........
Flint's Philosophy of History........
Hegel's Philosophy of History...........
Montesquieu's Spirit of Laws........
Schlegel's Philosophy of History..........
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A Short Course of Study..
2. A Longer Course of Study......
3. Illustrative Materials.....
I
U
CHAPTER III.
HISTORIES OF ANTIQUITY.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Duncker's History of Antiquity.........
Heeren's Historical Researches into Principal Nations of Antiquity.....
Lenormant and Chevalier's Ancient History........
Niebuhr's Ancient History......
Rawlinson's Manual..................
Rollin's Ancient History................
Smith's Ancient History of the East....
Smith's History of the World............
II. SPECIAL HISTORIES.
Birch's Records of the Past........
Brugsch Bey's History of Egypt.........
.......................................
xiv
CONTENTS.
PAGL
76
80
Ewald's History of Israel.................
Josephus, Works of...................
Milman's History of the Jews...........
Rawlinson's Five Great Monarchies.........
Rawlinson's Sixth Great Monarchy............
Rawlinson's Seventh Great Monarchy............
Stanley's Lectures on the Jewish Church...
Wilkinson's Ancient Egyptians............
III. HISTORIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PROGRESS.
Clarke's Ten Great Religions.......
........
Cox's Mythology of the Aryan Nations....
Döllinger's The Gentile and the Jew..
Lubbock's Prehistoric Times................
Lubbock's Origin of Civilization..........
McLennan's Studies in Ancient History...
Maine's Ancient Law........................
Maine's Early History of Institutions..
Maine's Village Communities..........
Morgan's Ancient Society.................
Tylor's Early History of Mankind.........
Tylor's Primitive Culture.......
Wallon's Histoire de l'Esclavage..........
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A Short Course of Reading.........
2. A Longer Course of Reading...........
3. Illustrative Materials....
...........................
.....
o
...............
CHAPTER IV.
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Cox's General History.........
Cox's History of Greece.....
Curtius's History of Greece.............
Felton's Greece, Ancient and Modern.
Grote's History of Greece........
Mitford's History of Greece.....
Smith's History of Greece......
Thirlwall's History of Greece....
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
Benjamin's Troy....
Müller's Dorians.....
CONTENTS.
хү
PAGE
94
94
97
98
Cox's Greeks and Persians.......
Cox's Athenian Empire.........
Herodotus's History..............
Xenophon's Works.........
Thucydides's Peloponnesian War....
Plutarch's Lives...............................
Lloyd's Age of Pericles............
Schäfer's Demosthenes und seine Zeit..
Curteis's Rise of the Macedonian Empire......
Droysen's Geschichte des Hellenismus..
Polybius's General History................
Freeman's History of Greek Confederacies....
Finlay's Greece in the Middle Ages.........
99
99
100
.. 100
101
102
........... 102
III. HISTORIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PROGRESS.
Blümner's Technologie und Terminologie.
Boeckh's Public Economy of the Athenians.....
Coulanges's The Ancient City.................
Geddes's Problem of the Homeric Poems......
Gladstone's Studies on Homer.................
Göll's Kulturbilder aus Hellas und Rom.......
Guhl and Koner's Life of Greeks and Romans...
Jannet's Les Institutions à Sparte............
Mahaffy's History of Greek Literature......
Mahaffy's Social Life in Greece................
Mabaffy's Rambles and Studies in Greece......
Müller and Donaldson's History of Greek Literature.
Mure's History of the Greek Language and Literature.....
Overbeck's Geschichte der griechischen Plastik.........
Schömann's Antiquities of Greece.........
Schömann's Athenian Constitutional History.....
Winckelmann's History of Ancient Art.......
103
103
104
104
105
105
106
106
106
107
107
108
...........
108
109
109
110
110
A
IV. SUGGESTIONS. TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A Short Course of Reading.........
2. A Longer Course of Reading......................
3. Illustrative Materials.................
111
111
112
.......................
.......
CHAPTER V.
HISTORIES OF ROME.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Ampère's Histoire Romaine à Rome...
Duruy's Histoire des Romains.................
.. 114
xvi
CONTENTS.
PAGIC
115
115
. 117
... 118
Dyer's History of the City of Rome.......
Ihne's History of Rome........
Leighton's History of Rome...
Liddell's History of Rome.............
... 117
Livy's History of Rome.............
Merivale's General History of Rome.
Micbelet's Roman Republic...........
.. 119
Mommsen's History of Rome....
... 120
Niebuhr's History of Rome.........
...... 121
Niebuhr's Lectures on the History of Rome......
.. 122
Peter's Römische Geschichte..
. 123
Schwegler's Römische Geschichte..........
Stoll's Geschichte der Römer..........
.. 124
Stoll's Die Helden Roms......
... 124
Taine's Tite Live................
......................
... 124-
Wägner's Rom.......
.... 125
0
128
131
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
Ihne's Early Rome.........
126
Lewis's Credibility of Early Roman History..
... 126
Arnold's History of Rome........
... 127
Beesly's Gracchi, Marius, and Sulla.............
127
Merivale's Fall of the Roman Republic.
128
Long's Decline of the Roman Republic......
Merivale's Roman Triumvirates.
.. 129
Trollope's Life of Cicero........
- 130
Forsyth’s Life of Cicero.............
130
Boissier's Cicero et ses Amis..
131
Beesly's Catiline, Clodius, and Tiberius...
Arnold's Later Roman Commonwealth....
..... 131
Froude's Cæsar.....
132
Napoleon's Cæsar. ........
132
Tacitus's Historical Works...........
133
Suetonius's Lives of the Twelve Cæsars..
134
Capes's Early Roman Empire...............
135
Capes's Age of the Antonines.............
....................................
... 135
105
Boissier's L'Opposition sous les Césars....
..... 136
Curteis's Roman Empire.............
Merivale's Romans under the Empire..........
Ammianus Marcellinus's Roman History.......
Gibbon's Decline and Fall...........
Gregorovius's Geschichte der Stadt Rom.......
... 139
:
:
:
III. HISTORIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PROGRESS.
Arnold's Roman Provincial Administration........
........... 140
Bähr's Geschichte der römischen Literatur............................ 140
CONTENTS.
xvii
141
143
:
:
...
144
:
PAGE
Becker's Handbuch der römischen Alterthümer.....
Boissier's La Religion Romaine................
142
Cruttwell's History of Roman Literature......
142
Hadley's Introduction to Roman Law.........
Kuhn's Verfassung der Städte.............
Lange's Römische Alterthümer.............
Mackenzie's Studies in Roman Law........
144
Marquardt's Römische Staatsverwaltung.....
............ 144
Mommsen's Römische Forschungen......
145
Mommsen's Römisches Staatsrecht.......
146
Pierron's Literature Romaine...............
... 146
Sellar's Roman Poets.................
................... 146
Teuffel's History of Roman Literature...........
............. 147
Thierry's Tableau de l'Empire Romain...
:
:
...
:
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A Short Course of Reading..........
2. A Longer Course of Reading...........
........ 148
3. Illustrative Materials............
............ 149
... 152
153
CHAPTER VI.
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Dunham's Europe during the Middle Ages.......
Duruy's Histoire du Moyen Age................
Hallam's Europe during the Middle Ages.......
Kingsley's Roman and Teuton......
Koch's Révolutions de l'Europe. .........
Kæppen's Historical Geography...............
Potthast's Bibliotheca Historica Medii Aevi.....
Robertson's Europe in the Middle Ages......
Savigny's Geschichte des römischen Rechts........
Sheppard's Fall of Rome...
Sullivan's Fall of the Roman Empire...
White's Eighteen Christian Centuries........
.... 154
..... 155
....... 157
... 108
...... 158
........ 158
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS AND OF INSTITUTIONS.
Alzog's Church History.......
Aubé's Persécutions de l'Église.......
160
Balmes's European Civilization.............
...... 160
Baring-Gould's Myths of the Middle Ages.......
S... 161
Bulfinch's Age of Chivalry...
.... 161
Church's Beginnings of the Middle Ages.........
..... 162
......
xvili
CONTENTS.
...................................
: :
163
:
164
Por..............
et ....................................................
168
160
169
169
PAGI
Cox's Elistory of the Crusades...
162
10%
Cox's Romances of the Middle Ages.........
162
Döllinger's First Age of Christianity......
Fisher's Beginnings of Christianity.........
Geffcken's Church and State..........
Gfrörer's Pabst Gregorius VII.....
... 164
Gieseler's Church History........
165
Gosselin's Pouvoir du Pape au Moyen Age..
... 165
Guizot's History of Representative Government..
Hardwick's History of the Christian Church......
....... 166
Hecker's Epidemics of the Middle Ages..
167
Irving's Mahomet .........
168
Johnson's Normans in Europe. ................
168
Kremer's Culturgeschichte............
Labarte's Histoire des Arts an Moyen Âge......
Lea's History of Sacerdotal Celibacy.........
169
Lea's Studies in Church History.... .......
. 170
Lea's Superstition and Force.............
170
Lecky's European Morals............
170
Lecroix's Arts of the Middle Ages....
171
Masou's Persecutions of Diocletian.......
172
Michaud's History of the Crusades........
172
Mills's History of the Crusades......
Mills's History of Chivalry...............
173
Milman's History of Christianity............
173
Milman's History of Latin Christianity..........
173
Montalembert's Monks of the West...........
. 174
Mullinger's Schools of Charles the Great.....
. 174
Nasse's Agricultural Communities.........
S....................................
175
Neander's Church History............
. 175
O'Brien's History of the Mass...............
175
Ockley's History of the Saracens ............
176
Ozanam's Civilization of the Fifth Century.....
176
Pressensé's Early Years of Christianity:......
177
Reuter's Geschichte der religiösen Aufklärung.....
Roth's Geschichte des Beneficialwesens..
. 178
Sartorius's Geschichte des hanseatischen Bundes.......
172
...................................
177
178
Secretan's Essai sur la Féodalité..........
178
Smith's English Gilds...................
179
Du Sommerard's Les Arts au Moyen Âge..........
179
Stanley's History of the Eastern Church..........
... 180
Sybel's History and Literature of the Crusades.
Theiner's Histoire des Institutious..............
Thompson's Papacy and Civil Power..........
Villemain's Life of Gregory the Seventh..........
182
Wilda's Das Gildenwesen im Mittelalter.......
lis.............................
CONTENTS.
xix
III. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
PAGE
1. A Short Course of Reading.....
183
2. A Longer Course of Reading.........
184
3. Illustrative Materials....
.........
184
.. 187
187
188
188
189
CHAPTER VII.
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Arnold's Introductory Lectures on Modern History.
Browning's Historical Hand-books........
Duruy's Histoire des Temps Modernes.....
Dyer's History of Modern Europe............
Heeren's Vermischte historische Schriften....
Heeren's Manual of Political Systems....
Heeren's Historical Treatises.
Heeren and Ukert's Series............
Lord's Modern History...............
Michelet's Modern History..........
Morris's Epochs of History............
Priestley's Lectures on History.......
Russell and Jones's Modern Europe..........
Smyth's Lectures on Modern History.......
Yonge's Three Centuries of Modern History...
....... 190
..... 190
..... 191
.
.
..
.
.
..
.
.
..
..
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1
3
1
191
192
192
......
193
. 193
............ 194
II
........
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
{ D'Aubigné's History of the Reformation.......
.......... 194
D'Aubigné's Reformation in Time of Calvin..........
195
Döllinger's Die Reformation....
195
Seebohm's Protestant Revolution...............................
196
Fisher's The Reformation.............
Fischer's Auswärtige Politik und Diplomatie der Reformation.
: Häusser's Period of the Reformation........
197
Hübner's Life and Times of Sixtus the Fifth.....
... 197
Praet's Essays on Political History.
198
Ranke's History of the Popes.....................
199
Spalding's History of the Protestant Reformation.....
199
Raumer's Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. .........
200
Gindely's Geschichte des dreissigjährigen Krieges.........
200
Gardiner's History of the Thirty Years' War.............
201
Schiller's History of the Thirty Years' War............
201
Noorden's Europäische Geschichte im achtzehnten Jahrhundert........... 202
Russell's Principal States since the Peace of Utrecht............... ... 202
XX
CONTENTS.
.............
....
........
PAGI
203
204
0
.. 204
Schlosser's History of the Eighteenth Century.....
Alison's Europe since the French Revolution.....
Beaumont-Vassy's Histoire des États Européens.......
Gabourd's Histoire Contemporaine........
Bulle's Geschichte der neuesten Zeit.........
Wernicke's Geschichte der neuesten Zeit...
Mackenzie's Nineteenth Century.......
Fyffe's History of Modern Europe..
Cayley's Revolutions of 1848..................
Cantu's Les Trentes Dernières Années......
Müller's Politische Geschichte der neuesten Zeit.
Müller's Politische Geschichte der Gegenwart..........
The Annual Register...
205
205
206
206
.. 206
207
211
................................
212
III. HISTORIES OF INSTITUTIONS AND CIVILIZATION.
Bonnemère's Histoire des Paysans........
209
Bossuet's Histoire des Variations..
210
Dorner's History of Protestant Theology.........
Hallam's History of Literature........
211
Honegger's Culturgeschichte......
212
Hurst's History of Rationalism...........
Lange's History of Materialism.......
213
Lecky's Rise and Influence of Rationalism.......
Llorente's History of the Inquisition.......
214
Rule's History of the Inquisition..........
214
Schaff's Creeds of Christendom..................
215
Shedd's History of Christian Doctrine....
215
Sugenheim's Aufhebung der Leibeigenschaft. ........
Tooke and Newmarch's History of Prices......
....... 216
.........................
213
216
My
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A Short Course of Reading...
2. A Longer Course of Reading......
3. Illustrative Materials..
216
216
.
CHAPTER VIII.
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Cantu's Histoire des Italiens......
Hunt's History of Italy............
Leo's Geschichte von Italien............
Mariotti's Italy, Past and Present.........
Sismondi's Histoire des Républiques Italiennes.......
Spalding's Italy and the Italian Islands. .......
220
220
221
221
222
222
CONTENTS.
xxi
227
#V2A SYDORA..
228
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
PAGE
Hodgkin's Italy and her Invaders..........
223
Testa's Frederick I. and the Communes of Lombardy..
224
Heyd's Levantshandel im Mittelalter.........
.. 224
Hegel's Geschichte der Städteverfassung von Italien.........
224
Guicciardini's Italy from 1490 to 1534...
225
Botta's Storia d'Italia....
226
Symonds's Renaissance in Italy..........
226
Voigt's Wiederbelebung des classischen Alterthums...
Burckhardt's Civilization of the Renaissance...
227
Cellini's Autobiography...............
Sarpi's Council of Trent.........
228
Villari's Machiavelli and his Times........... ........
229
Villari's Savonarola and his Times..........
230
Grimm's Life of Michael Angelo............
.............
230
Crowe and Cavalcaselle's New History of Painting in Italy.......... 230
Crowe and Cavalcaselle's History of Painting in Northern Italy.....
Reuchlin's Geschichte Italiens.....
231
Botta's Italy during the Consulate and Empire....
232
Butt's History of Italy..........
232
Wrightson's History of Modern Italy..........
233
Mazzini's Life and Writings...
233
D'Azeglio's Recollections..........
234
Mazade's Cavour.........
234
About's Roman Question.....................
234
Trollope's Life of Pius the Ninth.......
235
Arrivabene's Italy under Victor Emmanuel.........
Godkin's Life of Victor Emmanuel................... ................ 236
..............
231
235
III. HISTORIES OF INDIVIDUAL STATES.
Daru's République de Venise....................
Hazlitt's Venetian Republic....
Ranke's Zur Venetianer Geschichte......................
Machiavelli's History of Florence...............
Capponi's Geschichte der florentinischen Republik.........
Scheffer-Boichorst's Florentiner Studien.......
Napier's Florentine History....
Perrens's Histoire de Florence.......
Reumont's Geschichte Toscana's......,
Reumont's Lorenzo de' Medici..
Roscoe's Lorenzo de' Medici...............
Trollope's Commonwealth of Florence.......
Colletta's History of Naples.........
Dunnistown's Dukes of Urbino.............
236
237
237
237
238
239
239
.. 240
.. 240
241
241
241
242
242
xxii
CONTENTS.
1. A Short Course of Reading....
2. A Longer Course of Reading........
3. Illustrative Materials .......
PAGE
242
243
243
CHAPTER IX.
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Bryce's Holy Roman Empire...........
Dunham's History of the Germanic Empire........
Kohlrausch's History of Germany...............
Lewis's History of Germany......
Menzel's History of Germany..........
Pütter's Development of the German Empire.....
Sime's History of Germany...
Taylor's History of Germany..
246
246
247
247
248
248
249
249
.........
www
251
251
252
252
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
Giesebrecht's Geschichte der deutschen Kaiserzeit...
Raumer's Geschichte der Hohenstaufen.
Lindner's Geschichte des deutschen Reiches........
Robertson's Reign of Charles the Fifth.....
Ranke's History of the Reformation in Germany.....
Ranke's Deutsche Geschichte...........
Droysen's Gustav Adolph.......
Schäfer's Geschichte des siebenjährigen Kriegs....
Duncker's Aus der Zeit Friedrichs des Grossen...
Ranke's Die deutschen Mächte..
Ranke's Revolutionskriege..........
Häusser's Deutsche Geschichte........
Ségur's Frederick William II..............
Seeley's Life and Times of Stein..............
Ranke's Denkwürdigkeiten Hardenbergs.........
Droysen's Leben Yorks von Wartenburg.......
Metternich's Memoirs.........
252
253
... 253
254
254
254
255
255
256
257
258
259
259
260
260
Klüpfel's Geschichte der Einheitsbestrebungen......
Frank's Wiederherstellung Deutschlands.......
Van Deventer's Histoire Fédérale de l'Allemagne.......
Lecomte's Guerre contre l'Autriche..........
Hozier's Seven Weeks' War..........
Véron's L'Allemagne depuis Sadowa........
260
.. 261
CONTENTS.
XXIII
PAGI
261
262
Droysen's Abhandlungen zur neueren Geschichte.
Treitschke's Zehn Jahre deutscher Kämpfe.....,
Rüstow's War for the Rhine Frontier..
Junck's Der deutsch-französische Krieg...............
262
.........
263
263
264
264
265
265
.............................
207
266
266
267
267
267
268
III. HISTORIES OF INDIVIDUAL STATES.
Coxe's House of Austria..........
Krones's Geschichte Oesterreichs.....
Mailath's Geschichte Oesterreichs..........
Asseline's Histoire de l'Autriche..........
Springer's Geschichte Oesterreichs........
Vehse's Memoirs of Austria..............
Arneth's Geschichte Maria Theresia's..........
De Worms's Austro-Hungarian Empire..........
Hüffer's Oesterreich und Preussen gegenüber..
Beer's Zehn Jahre österreichischer Politik.......
Böttiger's Geschichte Sachsens...
Stenzel's Geschichte des preussischen Staates......
Eberty's Geschichte des preussischen Staates.....
Pierson's Preussische Geschichte......
Heinel's Geschichte Preussens.......
Droysen's Geschichte der preussischen Politik......
Cosel's Geschichte des preussischen Staates........
Ranke's House of Brandenburg.........
Carlyle's Frederick the Great.......
Preuss's Friedrich der Grosse...........
Thiébault's Frédéric-le-Grand......
Raumer's Frederick the Second........
Mirabeau's De la Monarchie Prussienne....
Véron's La Prusse depuis Frédéric II. .....
Hillebrand's La Prusse Contemporaine..........
Tuttle's German Political Leaders...............
269
270
270
271
271
272
273
274
275
275
276
.........
276
276
277
277
IV. HISTORIES OF INSTITUTIONS AND CIVILIZATION.
Arnold's Ansiedelungen und Wanderungen deutscher Stämme.........
Arnold's Deutsche Urzeit......
Ozanam's Les Germains avant le Christianisme....
Sohm's Altdeutsche Reichsverfassung..............
Maurer's Geschichte der Marken verfassung.........
Daurer's Geschichte der Dorfverfassung...
Maurer's Geschiclite der Stadteverfassung......
Waitz's Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte..
Kriegk's Deutsches Bürgerthun................
Schäfer's Die Hansestädte......................
Avé-Lallemant's Das deutsche Gaunerthum.....
Riehl's Deutsche Social-Politik..........
278
278
278
279
280
280
281
xxiv
CONTENTS.
282
282
.............
PAGE
Soldan's Geschichte der Hexenprocesse........
Wächter's Geschichte des deutschen Strafrechts......
... 282
Wirth's Geschichte der Deutschen.....
Sugenheim's Geschichte des deutschen Volkes...........
283
Janssen's Geschichte des deutschen Volkes..................... 283
Biedermann's Deutschland im achtzehnten Jahrhundert......... 284
Balcke's Bilder aus der Geschichte der deutschen Landwirthschaft.... 285
Staël's Germany....................
...........
. 286
Freytag's Bilder aus der deutschen Vergangenheit.....
286
Freytag's Neue Bilder aus dem Leben des deutschen Volkes....... ... 287
Hawkins's Germany..........
Baring-Gould's Germany, Past and Present.....
288
Lorenz's Drei Bücher Geschichte und Politik........
288
Stroeblin's L'Église catholique en Allemagne.....
289
Löw's Deutsche Reichs- und Territorial-Verfassung........
289
Martin's Verfassung des deutschen Reichs. .............
. 290
Isaacsohn's Geschichte des preussischen Beamtenthums..
Lancizolle's Bildung des preussischen Staats.....
Oesfeld's Preussen in staatsrechtlicher Beziehung..........
Gervinus's Geschichte der deutschen Dichtung....
291
Hettner's Geschichte der deutschen Literatur. ........
............................
287
1
.
.
· 290
.. 290
. 291
V. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A Short Course of Reading....
....w......... 293
2. A Longer Course of Reading.......
293
3. Illustrative Materials. ...........
........ 294
..........
CHAPTER X.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Crowe's History of France........
Dareste's Histoire de France............
Duruy's Histoire de France..................
Godwin's History of France..............
Guizot's Outlines of the History of France...
Guizot's Popular History of France...........
Jervis's Student's History of France..
Kitchen's History of France..........
Lacombe's Short History of the French People.
Martin's Histoire de France........
Michelet's History of France.......
Ranke's Französische Geschichte.................
Sismondi's Histoire des Français.....
White's History of France....................
297
297
298
298
299
299
300
...............
301
301
301
... 302
.. 303
304
304
CONTENTS.
XXV
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
PAGI
304
305
305
306
306
307
1 307
307
308
308
309
309
310
310
310
311
. 311
312
312
313
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
Franklin's Les Sources de l'Histoire de France........
Guizot's Collection des Mémoires...........
Buchon's Collection des Chroniques.....................
Petitot et Monmerqué's Collection des Mémoires.......
Michaud et Poujoulat's Nouvelle Collection des Mémoires...
Barrière et De Lescure's Bibliothèque des Mémoires....
Thierry's Histoire des Gaulois..
Fauriel's Histoire de la Gaule Méridionale.............
Wallon's St. Louis et son Temps.........
Froissart's Chronicles........
Monstrelet's Chronicles...............
Barante's Ducs de Bourgogne.........
Quicherat's Jeanne d'Arc....
Wallon's Jeanne d'Arc................
Tuckey's Joan of Arc...........
Jamison's Life of Bertrand du Guesclin...
Commines's Memoirs..................
Kirk's Life of Charles the Bold.................
Legeay's History of Louis XI................
Willert's Reign of Louis the Eleventh..
Mignet's Rivalité de François I. et de Charles
Baird's Rise of the Huguenots...........
Poole's Huguenots of the Dispersion............
White's Massacre of St. Bartholomew......
Freer's Henry the Third .........
Freer's Henry the Fourth.............
Sully's Memoirs..... ......
Segretain's Sixte V. et Henri IV.................
Poirson's Histoire du Règne de Henri IV........
Lacombe's Henri IV. et sa Politique. .........
Perrens's L’Église et l'État sous Henri IV.......
Capefigue's Histoire de la Réforme, etc.........
Bazin's Histoire de France sous Louis XIII....
Caillet's France sous le Ministère de Richelieu.......
Robson's Life of Richelieu.....
Chéruel's France sous Louis XIV...........
Martin's Age of Louis XIV,
Pardoe's Louis XIV.....
Grovestins's Guillaume III. et Louis XIV..
Saint-Simon's Memoirs........
Dangeau's Journal............
De Tocqueville's Histoire du Règne de Louis XV
Thiers's The Mississippi Bubble.
Broglie's The King's Secret..................
314
314
315
.. 315
316
316
1
317
.......
...................
17
318
318
318
.. 319
319
320
320
320
321
321
323
323
323
324
XXVI
CONTENTS.
France................................
........
................................
331
332
Co Co Co Coco
PAGTE
D'Aumale's Princes of Condé......
324
Yonge's France under the Bourbons.......
325
Colliers France, etc., a Century Ago.........
325
Foncin's Ministère de Turgot...........
325
Batbie's Turgot........................
326
Rocquain's L'Esprit Révolutionnaire....
326
Young's Travels in France.....
327
Doniol's La Révolution et la Féodalité.....
327
Taine's The Revolution.
328
Mignet's Révolution Française.........
328
Thiers's Révolution Française.........
329
Michelet's Révolution Française..............
329
Sybel's History of the French Revolution......
330
Alison's History of the French Revolution........
330
Carlyle's History of the French Revolution...
Blanc's Révolution Française.........
332
Häusser's Französische Revolution...........
Rabaut's Précis Historique.......
333
Buchez et Roux's Révolution Française........
333
Kerverseau et Clavelin's Révolution Française......
334
Barante's Convention Nationale........
334
Lamartine's Les Girondins............
334
Ternaux's Histoire de la Terreur.....
335
Montgaillard's Histoire Chronologique.......
335
Staël's Considérations sur la Révolution.....
336
Napoléon the First's Correspondence........
336
Lanfrey's Napoléon I.......................
336
Thiers's Consulate and Empire........
Barni's Napoléon et son Historien, Thiers.........
338
Jung's Bonaparte et son Temps...............
338
Rémusat's Memoirs.. ................
339
Hazlitt's Life of Napoleon Bonaparte........
340
Abbott's History of Napoleon Bonaparte.........
340
Lamartine's History of the Restoration...
341
Viel-Castel's Histoire de la Restauration............
341
Blanc's History of Ten Years.....
Hillebrand's Frankreich von Louis Philippe, etc........
:
337
:
......
342
Lamartine's Revolution of 1848.............
343
Pierre's Histoire de la République de 1848.....
344
Normanby's A Year of Revolution...........
344
Carné's Gouvernement Représentatif de 1789 à 1848.
344
Guizot's Mémoires.............
345
De Tocqueville's Memoirs and Remains......
345
Delord's Histoire du Second Empire.........
346
Jerrold's Life of Napoleon III............
346
Hugo's History of a Crime................................... ......... 347
...............................
342
CONTENTS.
xxvii
PAGI
Adams's Democracy and Monarchy in France...
Van Laun's French Revolutionary Epoch.......
Martin's France depuis 1789......
Le Goff's Life of Thiers.........
Simon's Government of Thiers......
347
348
348
348
349
: :
:
350
351
O
oococo
O OTOT
357
.."
358
III. HISTORIES OF INSTITUTIONS AND CIVILIZATION.
Coulanges's Institutions Politiques..
349
Ampère's Histoire Littéraire de la France avant Charlemagne.... .....
Ampère's Histoire Littéraire sous Charlemagne......
Guizot's History of Civilization in France....
Guizot's Essais sur l'Histoire de France....
352
Thierry's Lettres sur l'Histoire de France............
352
Thierry's Dix Ans d'Études Historiques..............
Thierry's Formation and Progress of the Third Estate
Bastard's Les Parlements de France. .........
Bavélier's Assemblées Représentatives de la France...
.. 354
Picot's Histoire des États-Généraux..........
354
Boullée's Histoire des États-Généraux............
355
Dareste's Histoire de l'Administration en France..
355
Pasquier's Histoire de l'Unité Politique............
Doniol's Histoire des Classes Rurales.....
356
Dareste's Histoire des Classes Agricoles.........
Perrens's La Démocratie en France au Moyen Age..
357
Stephen's Lectures on the History of France..
357
Vuitry's Régime Financier de la France..........
Rosières's Société Française au Moyen Âge ............
358
Elliot's Old Court Life in France......
Monteil's Histoire des divers États........
309
.........
Hettner's Geschichte der französischen Literatur im achtzehnten Jahr-
hundert............
360
Taine's Ancient Régime.............
360
De Tocqueville's Ancient Régime.......
361
Janet's Philosophie de la Révolution.....
362
Quinet's La Révolution. .........
362
Berriat's La Justice Révolutionnaire..........
363
Burke's Reflections on the Revolution.........
us on the Revolution...........................
363
Mackintosh's Vindiciæ Gallicæ.....
364
Croker's Essays on the French Revolution....... ............. 365
Schmidt's Geschichte der französischen Literatur seit der Revolution.... 365
Ferry's La Lutte Electorale en 1863................
366
Reeve's Royal and Republican France.....
366
366
Senior's Conversations with Thiers, Guizot, and others..........
367
Haas's Administration de la France..........
367
Kaiser's Französische Verfassungsgeschichte..........
368
359
..........
:
:
:
:
:
:
xxviii
CONTENTS.
PAGIC
368
Nisard's Histoire de la Littérature Française......
Villemain's Cours de Littérature Française....
Van Laun's History of French Literature....
369
370
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A Short Course of Reading..
2. A Longer Course of Reading..........
3. Illustrative Materials.........
................
............ 371
371
378
378
CHAPTER XI.
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
I. HISTORIES OF RUSSIA.
Bell's History of Russia..........
Bernhardi's Geschichte Russlands.....
Catherine the Second's Memoirs...............
.........................
Howorth's History of the Mongols............
Karamsin's Histoire de l'Empire de Russie.....
Kelly's History of Russia..........
Lamartine's Histoire de la Russie.........
Lévesque's Histoire de Russie.......
380
Rambaud's History of Russia..........
381
Schnitzler's Russia under Alexander and Nicholas..........
382
Ségur's History of Russia and of Peter the Great.........
Strahl und Hermann's Geschichte des russischen Staates....
383
Tissot's Russes et Allemands..
383
Tooke's History of Russia..........
... 384
3779
379
80
................
382
S........................
...............
II. HISTORIES OF POLAND.
Dunham's History of Poland.
Fletcher's History of Poland...........
Lelevel's Histoire de Pologne....
Röpell und Caro's Geschichte Polens..........
Röpell's Polen um die Mitte des 18. Jahrhunderts.....
Rulhière's Histoire de l'Anarchie de Pologne.......
Salvandi's Histoire de Pologne......
Ferrand's Trois Démembrements de la Pologne............
Beer's Erste Theilung Polens.......
Von der Brüggen's Polens Auflösung....
384
385
385
385
386
387
387
387
388
.....
389
III. HISTORIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PROGRESS.
Celestin's Russland seit Aufhebung der Leibeigenschaft................
Custine's La Russie en 1839...
Day's The Russian Government in Poland...........
389
390
390
CONTENTS.
xxix
PAGIC
390
391
392
392
3.93
393
Eckardt's Modern Russia.........
Russia Before and After the War.........................
Gurowski's Russia as it Is.....
Haxthausen's Études sur les Institutions de la Russie......
Maxwell's The Czar and his people..........
Ralston's Early Russian History.........
Schnitzler's Les Institutions de la Russie.......
Schnitzler's L'Empire des Tsars.......
Schuyler's Turkistan......
Tilley's Eastern Europe and Western Asia......
Tourgueneff's La Russie et les Russes.........
Wallace's Russia.....
394
394
395
396
396
397
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A Short Course of Reading......
397
2. A Longer Course of Reading.........
........ 398
3. Illustrative Materials.........
398
CHAPTER XII.
400
:
...........
:
403
4:03
:
.............................
403
HISTORIES OF THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
I. HISTORIES OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL.
Baumgarten's Geschichte Spaniens......
Bollaert's Wars of Succession in Portugal and Spain....
Condé's History of the Arabs in Spain....
Coppée's History of the Conquest of Spain by the Arabs.......
401
Coxe's Memoirs of the Kings of Spain of the House of Bourbon... 402
Crawfurd's Portugal, Old and New......
402
Dunham's History of Spain.............
Dunlap's Memoirs of Spain.................
Irving's Conquest of Granada............
Landmann's Portugal.................
... 404
Lembke und Schäfer's Geschichte von Spanien.
404
Mariana's History of Spain............
Marliani's Histoire Politique de l'Espagne...
............. 405
Mazade's L'Espagne Moderne.......
........ 406
Napier's War in the Peninsula............
406
Prescott's Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella ......
407
Prescott's Reign of Philip the Second.........
408
Romey's Histoire d'Espagne.......................
:::
408
Rosseeuw-Saint-Hilaire's Histoire d'Espagne.....
4:09
Ticknor's History of Spanish Literature..
Walton's Revolutions in Spain.................
Watson's Reigns of Philip II. and Philip III.......... ........... 410
409
410
XXX
CONTENTS.
PAGE
4.11
II. HISTORIES, OF SWITZERLAND.
Daguet's Histoire de la Confédération Suisse.........
Lardner's History of Switzerland.....
Morin's L'Histoire Politique de la Suisse..........
Müller, Monnard et Vuillemin's Histoire de Suisse.....
Rochholz's Tell und Gessler.......
Vieusseux's History of Switzerland......
Zschokke's History of Switzerland...
ܠܙ
:
412
: :
ܠܨ
ܠ
܂
...... 413
... 413
......................................................
414
+1
... 414
III. HISTORIES OF TURKEY AND MODERN EGYPT.
Argyll's The Eastern Question......
Baker's Turkey.............
Hammer-Purgstall's Geschichte des osmanischen Reiches.....
Creasy's History of the Ottoman Turks, etc......
... 415
Freeman's Ottoman Power in Europe......................
... 415
Lane's Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians...
McCoan's Egypt as it Is........
......... 416
Ranke's History of Servia and the Servian Revolution................
..... 416
Zinkeisen's Geschichte des osmanischen Reiches........... ........
... 415
.....
417
417
4.17
IV. HISTORIES OF HOLLAND AND BELGIUM.
De Amicis's Holland and its People.......
Davies's History of Holland and the Dutch....
Geddes's Administration of John De Witt....
Grattan's History of the Netherlands......
Juste's Histoire de Belgique..................
Juste's La Révolution Belge.................
Motley's Rise of the Dutch Republic...........
Motley's History of the United Netherlands........
Motley's John of Barneveld..
... 419
... 419
..........................
... 419
419
.............................
420
... 421
422
V. HISTORIES OF SCANDINAVIA.
Anderson's Norse Mythology...........
Baring-Gould's Iceland............
Carlyle's Early Kings of Norway......................
Dahlmann's Geschichte von Dänemark............
Dunham's History of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway..
Fryxell's History of Sweden..........
Geijger und Carlson's Geschichte Schwedens...
Gosch's Denmark and Germany since 1815..
Lang's Translation of the Heimskringla......
Mallet's Northern Antiquities...
Maurer's Island von seiner ersten Entdeckung.......
Maurer's Isländische Volkssagen.........
422
423
423
423
424
424
425
425
426
426
427
CONTENTS.
xxxi
PAGE
427
427
428
·
Rink's Danish Greenland..........
Sinding's History of Scandinavia..............
Thorpe's Northern Mythology...................
Wheaton's History of the Northmen.........
Worsaae's Danes and Northmen in England...........
4.2
428
4:29
.......................
429
.
VI. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A Short Course of Reading.........
429
2. A Longer Course of Reading.....
...... 430
3. Illustrative Materials.....
431
.........
.....................................
CHAPTER XIII.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Brewer's Student's Hume...............
433
Bright's English History......
433
Burton's History of Scotland. ..........
434
Campbell's Lives of the Lord Chancellors and Chief Justices..... 434
Green's Short History of the English People..
435
Green's History of the English People.....
436
Guizot's History of England........
436
Hume's History of England.............
437
Knight's Popular History of England......
438
The Pictorial History of England.....
439
Lingard's History of England, .....
439
MacMullen's History of Canada.......
.... 440
Mill's History of British India.........
... 441
Strickland's Lives of the Queens of England...,
...... 441
White's History of England...........
... 442
The Parliamentary History of England........
412
IS...............
........
443
10
00
*
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
Lappenberg's England under the Anglo-Saxons
Turner's History of the Anglo-Saxons..........
Palgrave's Rise of the English Commonwealth.........
Palgrave's History of Normandy and England.........
Freeman's History of the Norman Conquest..........
Pearson's England during the Early and Middle Ages....
Stubbs's Early Plantagenets..............
Longman's Life and Times of Edward the Third...
Gairdner's Life and Reigu of Richard III...
Gairdner's Houses of Lancaster and York.........
Fenu's Paston Letters....
444
447
.... 446
... 447
... 448
...... 448
... 448
xxxii
CONTENTS.
.... 451
457
457
:
:
:
:
460
..............
:
461
:
PAGD
Froude's History of England............
449
Burnet's History of the Reformation............
450
Geikie's English Reformation......
Cobbett's Protestant Reformation in England....
Labanoff's Marie Stuart......
452
Tytler's Mary Queen of Scots..........
452
Hosack's Mary Queen of Scots..........
452
Mignet's Histoire de Marie Stuart..........
... 453
Gardiner's England from the Accession of James I.........
453
Guizot's History of the English Revolution....
.......... 455
Disraeli's Commentaries on the Life of Charles I.....
... 455
Bisset's History of the Struggle for Parliamentary Government.
456
Bisset's History of the Commonwealth....
456
Carlyle's Oliver Cromwell.........
Forster's Sir John Eliot...............
Forster's Statesmen of the Commonwealth...
Forster's Arrest of the Five Members..........
4.58
Nugent's Memorials of Hampden.......
459
Ranke's History of England.........
Raumer's Political History of England...........
4601
Bayne's Chief Actors in the Puritan Revolution........
Smith's Three English Statesmen.....
Godwin's History of the Commonwealth.........
461
Vaughan's Stuart Dynasty....
... 461
Burnet's History of His Own Time.......
461
Pepys's Diary..........
462
Evelyn's Diary.........................
Macaulay's History of England...........
Froude's English in Ireland in the Eighteenth Century.........
Lecky's England in the Eighteenth Century.......
.. 465
Stanhope's Reign of Queen Anne..........................
Burton's History of the Reign of Queen Anne...
Wyon's History of Great Britain under Queen Anne...........
Mahon's History of England from the Peace of Utrecht.
.. 467
Trevelyan's Early History of Charles James Fox.........
Malcolm's Political History of India.......
Adolphus's England from Accession of George III.....
Massey's England during the Reign of George III.....
Wright's Caricature History of the Georges...............
469
Cory's Guide to Modern English History............
469
Martineau's England during the Nineteenth Century...
470
Walpole's History of England since 1815.............
Molesworth's History of England from 1830 to 1874....
McCarthy's History of Our Own Times........
Duffy's Young Ireland..............................
......
:
:
:
.......
4.63
:
:
:
:
:
465
:
:
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
5
7
.
4
.
.
:
:
:
:
:
.......... 469
:
:
:
470
:
:
472
Kinglake's History of the Crimean War...........
........ 473
:
CONTENTS.
xxxiii
Cox's History of the Reform Bills of 1866–67.......
Prentice's History of the Anti-Corn-Law League...
PAGE
.. 473
........... 474
474
ܠ
.478
ܠܕ
4 79
..............
............... 481.
.. 481
OS
ܠܙ
O
ܠܫܲܙ
O
III. POLITICAL, CONSTITUTIONAL, AND SOCIAL HISTORIES.
Thorpe's Ancient Laws and Institutions.......
.......... 474
Adams, Lodge, Young, and Laughlin's Anglo-Saxon Law.......
Kemble's Saxons in England...........
475
Wright's Biographia Britannica Literaria.....
475
Wright's Domestic Manners in the Middle Ages.......
476
Wright's Political. Poems and Songs.................
.. 476
Wright's Essays on England in the Middle Ages.......
... 476
Cox's Antient Parliamentary Elections.......
... 477
Stubbs's Constitutional History of England....
Stubbs's Select Charters................
Gueist's Geschichte der englischen Kommunalverfassung.....
Gneist's Das englische Verwaltungsrecht...........
Fischel's English Constitution....................
Creasy's Rise and Progress of the English Constitution....
480
Taswell-Langmead's English Constitutional History...
Brougham's British Constitution......................
Freeman's Growth of the English Constitution.....
Hallam's Constitutional History of England......
May's Constitutional History of England............
Brodie's Constitutional History of the British Empire.........
Russell's Essay on the English Government..........
484
De Lolme's Rise and Progress of the English Constitution...
484
Smith's History of English Institutions....
485
Hearn's Government of England...........
Cox's Institutions of the English Government....
485
Ewald's The Crown and its Advisers.
486
Fonblanque's How We are Governed.........
Todd's Parliamentary Government in England......
Palgrave's The House of Commons......
487
Jennings's Anecdotical History of the British Parliament..
487
Cooke's History of Party................
488
Disraeli's Vindication of the English Constitution........
488
Cox's Whig and Tory Administrations.........
489
Amos's Fifty Years of the English Constitution.
4.89
Bagehot’s English Constitution..........................
489
Merewether and Stephens's History of Borough and Municipal Corpora-
tions............
490
Argyll's The Eastern Question...............
........ 490
De Worms's English Policy in the East...............
. 491
Martin's Progress and Present State of British India.......
.. 4.91
Rogers's History of Agriculture and Prices................. .......... 492
Nicholls's History of the English Poor Law.....
485
486
ons..................................
:
:
:
.........
:
1-
.
.......
:
:
xxxiy
CONTENTS.
.............
.............
TIS
PAGL
Jardine's Criminal Trials................
493
Fuller's Church History of Great Britain.......
493
Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England.....
494
Forsyth's History of Trial by Jury....
494
Escott's England, Her People, Policy, and Pursuits.....
495
Creasy's Imperial and Colonial Constitutions..............
496
Todd's Parliamentary Government in the British Colonies............... 496
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A Short Course of Reading...
2. A Longer Course of Reading......
............. 497
3. Important Serial Publications. .....
· 498-502
4. A Course for the Thorough Study of the Constitutional and
Political History of England........
......... 502-529
I. The Anglo-Saxon Period........
562-504
II. The History and Influence of the Norman Conquest......... 504-506
III. The Great Charter and its Influence on the Growth of Liberty 506-508
IV. The Establishment of Representative Government.......... 508-510
V. The Development of Representative Institutions............ 510-512
VI. The Relations of Monarch and People during the Reign of
the Tudors................
512-514
VIJ. The Government from the Accession of James I. to the End
of the Civil War...........
........ 514-517.
VIII. England under the Rule of Cromwell....................... 517-520
LX. The Revolution of 1688.................................... 520–523
X. The Struggles of Party Government in the Eighteenth Century 523-525
XI. The Establishment and Development of Cabinet Government 525–527
XII. Reforms in the English Government during the Present
Century.....
.......... 527-529
CHAPTER XIV.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES..
Bancroft's History of the United States......
Bryant and Gay's Popular History of the United States.......
Doyle's History of the United States..
Eliot's Manual of United States History.....
Hildreth's History of the United States............
Laboulaye's Histoire des Etats-Unis...........
Neumann's Geschichte der Vereinigten Staaten......
Patton's History of the United States...........
Ridpath's Popular History of the United States........
Tucker's History of the United States...
530
531
532
533
533
534
535
536
536
CONTENTS.
ХХХү
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
PAGE
Count of Paris's History of the Civil War...
538
Draper's History of the American Civil War. ...
538
Doyle's The American Colonies...
539
Greeley's The American Conflict.............................
539
Grahame's Rise and Progress of the United States...........
540
Greene's Historical View of the American Revolution........
540
Hamilton's History of the Republic...........
541
Holmes's Annals of America.......
......... 541
Ingersoll's Historical Sketch of the War of 1812......
541
Jay's Causes and Consequences of the Mexican War.....
542
Jones's History of New York. ....
Livermore's War with Mexico Reviewed...........
543
Neill's The English Colonization of America. ...
543
Parkman's French in America. .........
543
Ramsay's History of the American Revolution.........
544
Ripley's War with Mexico..
................
....
Winsor's Reader's Hạnd-book of the Revolution.........
545
542
CUITV
.........
.........
III. LOCAL HISTORIES, AND HISTORIES OF INDIVIDUAL STATES.
Bradford's History of Plymouth Plantation ......
545
Elliot's The New England History..........
...... 546
Oliver's The Puritan Commonwealth...........
546
Palfrey's History of New England........
547
Thornton's Peter Oliver's Puritan Commonwealth
547
Winthrop's History of New England......
547
Young's Chronicles of the First Planters...
548
Williamson's History of the State of Maine..........
548
Belknap's History of New Hampshire................
549
Williams's Natural and Civil History of Vermont....
549
Hutchinson's History of the Province of Massachusetts Bay..
549
Minot's Continuation of the History of Massachusetts Bay....
550
Barry's History of Massachusetts........
550
Bradford's History of Massachusetts..........
551
Dexter's As to Roger Williams....
551
Arnold's History of the State of Rhode Island....
552
Trumbull's Complete History of Connecticut..........
562
Trumbull's True Blue Laws of Connecticut...
553
Brodhead's History of the State of New York........,
553
Hammond's History of Political Parties in New York..
554
O’Callaghan's History of New Netherlands..
554
Mulford's History of New Jersey...
554
Proud's History of Pennsylvania...............
555
Bozman's History of Maryland................
55 5
Scharf's History of Maryland.........
រង
:
:
:
:
xxxvi
.CONTENTS.
...................................
57
558
la.................................
0
0
:
PAGR
Beverley's History of Virginia...........
556
Burk's History of Virginia........
556
Campbell's History of Virginia.......
557
Stith's History of Virginia.....................
Howison's History of Virginia ........
557
Hawks's History of North Carolina.............
558
Williamson's History of North Carolina.......
558
Wheeler's Historical Sketches of North Carolina..
Simms's History of South Carolina......
559
Ramsay's History of South Carolina......
559
Stevens's History of Georgia................
559
Picket's History of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi.....
560
French's Historical Collections of Louisiana......
560
Gavarré's Colonial History and Romance of Louisiana......
560
Gayarré's History of Louisiana..........
561
Yoakum's History of Texas...................
561
Ramsey's Annals of Tennessee............
561
Collins's Historical Sketches of Kentucky......
,562
Drake's Pioneer Life in Kentucky....
562
Marshall's History of Kentucky............
662
Hildreth's Pioneer History of Kentucky.........
Howe's Historical Collections of Ohio....
563
Taylor's History of the State of Ohio.....
563
Brown's History of Illinois...
563
Edwards's History of Illinois...........
564
Ford's History of Illinois..............
564
Monette's History of the Valley of the Mississippi.......
564
Campbell's Outlines of the Political History of Michigan......
565
Lanman's History of Michigan..........
566
Neill's History of Minnesota....
......................... 565
:
562
.....
665
..........................
566
567
IV. SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORIES.
Adams's Documents relating to New England Federalism..
566
Bancroft's Native Races of the Pacific States.......
Benton's Thirty Years' View........................
567
Brownson's The American Republic......
Carlier's Histoire du Peuple Américain............
568
Foster's Prehistoric Races of the United States.....
568
Frothingham's Rise of the Republic.
568
Goodell’s Slavery and Antislavery................
Gordon's Rise, Progress, and Establishment of Independence....... .... 569
Hennepin's Description of Louisiana....
... 570
Hock's Die Finanzen der Vereinigten Staaten.....
. 570
Holst's Constitutional History of the United States............. 571
Lamphere's United States Government...........
. 572
Lodge's Short History of the English Colonies in America.......... ... 573
.................
569
CONTENTS.
xxxvii
Mather's Magnalia Christi Americana.......
Pitkin's Political History of the United States..
Schoolcraft's History of the Indian Tribes.......
Seybert's Statistical Annals.....
Short's North Americans of Antiquity...........
Stedmau's History of the American War........
Stephens's War between the States..............
De Tocqueville's Democracy in America.........
Washington and Crawford's Correspondence. ......
Wilson's Rise and Fall of the Slave Power........
Young's American Statesman.....
PAGE
573
574
575
575
575
576
576
576
577
577
...............
578
581
583
:
:
V. IMPORTANT BIOGRAPHIES AND COLLECTED WRITINGS.
Adams's Life of Albert Gallatin..........
.......... 578
Austin's Life of Elbridge Gerry.....
579
Bigelow's Life of Benjamin Franklin..
579
Curtis's Life of Daniel Webster......
580
Garland's Life of Johu Randolph...........
580
Greene's Life of Nathaniel Greene............
580
Irving's Life of Washington........
581
Johnson's William Lloyd Garrison and his Times
Lodge's Life and Letters of George Cabot, ......
581
Marshall's Life of George Washington...........
582
Morse's Life of Alexander Hamilton...........
582
Parton's Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin....
582
Parton's Life of Thomas Jefferson.........
583
Parton's Life of Andrew Jackson......................
Pickering and Upham's Life of Timothy Pickering..
..584
Quincy's Life of Josiah Quincy............
584
Randall's Life of Thomas Jefferson.........
584
Reed's Life and Correspondence of Joseph Reed...
Rives's Life and Times of James Madison.......
585
Sabine's American Loyalists............
586
Sargent's Public Men and Events........
586
Shea's Life and Epoch of Alexander Hamilton.....
586
Sparks's Library of American Biography........
587
Tudor's Life of James Otis............
587
Tyler's Memoir of Roger Brook Taney.............
587
Wells's Life and Public Services of Samuel Adams.......
Wirt's Life and Character of Patrick Henry......
Adams, John, The Works of.........
588
Adams, John Quincy, Memoirs of....
589
Calhoun, John C., The Works of............
589
Clay, Henry, The Works of.............
590
Everett, Edward, Orations and Speeches.
590
Franklin, Benjamin, The Works of.....
590
........................
:
:
585
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
588
:
588
:
:
:
........
xxxviii
CONTENTS.
................................
..............................
Gallatin, Albert, The Writings of....
Jefferson, Thomas, The Writings of.........
Madison, James, Letters and other Writings of.....
Seward, William H., The Works of.
Sumner, Charles, The Works of.......
Washington, George, The Writings of........
Webster, Daniel, The Works of.....
PAGE
591
O YI
591
592
592
......
.........................
OY
592
593
593
994
.......................
............................
594.
VI. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A Short Course of Reading......
2. A Longer Course of Reading...........
3. Publications of the Learned Societies.......................... 594-602
4. A Systematic and Thorough Course of Study.
.. 602-630
I. The Political and Religious Characteristics of the Colonial
Governments............................................ 602-605
II. The Alienation of the Colonies from the Mother Country.... 606-607
III. The Union of the Colonies into one Government............ 607-608
IV. The Decline and Fall of the Confederation.................. 608-610
V. The Political Doctrines of Federalists and of Antifederalists
in the Early History of the Government.................... 610-612
VI. New England Federalism and its Attitude to the General
Government...........
... 612-615
VII. The Early Foreign Relations of the United States............ 615–617
VIII. The Acquisition of the Territories, and their Organization and
Significance.............................................. 617-619
IX. The Financial History of the Country from the Beginning of
. the Revolutionary War to the Close of the War of 1812.... 619-621
X. The Financial History of the Country since the Close of the
War of 1812............................. ............ 621-623
XI. History of the Doctrine of Nullification and Secession before
the Presidency of General Jackson....................... 623–625
XII. The Development of the Slave Power and of the Antislavery
Movement to the Adoption of the Missouri Compromise... 625-627
XIII. The Development of the Slave Power from the Adoption of
the Missouri Compromise to the Outbreak of the Civil War 627-629
XIV. Nullification and Secession from the Election of President
Jackson to the Outbreak of the Civil War................ 629-630
“Quamvis enim melius sit bene facere quam nosse, prius tamen est
nosse quam facere."--CHARLEMAGNE.
“At a time when all history is rapidly tending to become scien-
tific, and almost all science is adopting historical methods, it requires
but little perspicacity to foresee that thoughtful minds will soon be
far more generally and earnestly engaged in the philosophical study
of history than they have ever yet been.”-FLINT.
“The next removal must be to the study of politics: to know the
beginning, end, and reasons of political societies; that they may
not, in a dangerous fit of the commonwealth, be such poor, shaken,
uncertain reeds, of such a tottering conscience, as many of our great
counsellors have lately shown themselves, but steadfast pillars of the
State.”—MILTON.
" When the financial questions growing out of the debt and cur-
rency created during the war are disposed of, the people will turn
to questions concerning the structure, powers, and proper functions
of government, analogous to those which occupied the attention of
their ancestors during the two or three decades following the adop-
tion of the Constitution."--GARFIELD.
“Between history and politics I can draw no distinction. History
is the politics of the past; politics are the history of the present.
The same rules of criticism apply to judging alike of distant and of
recent facts.”—FREEMAN.
TTTO
Im
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
T
IL
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION.
ON THE STUDY OF HISTORY.
It is evident that, within the last few years, the study of history
has received a new and a vigorous impulse. There are unmistak-
able indications that popular opinion in various parts of the world
is drifting more and more to the belief that wisdom, for the guid-
ance of the present and the future, is in some way gained or aid-
ed by a careful study of the past. These indications show them-
selves in various ways. It is not many years since even the largest
and most honored of our universities began seriously to teach
history in a systematic manner. A knowledge of history, like a
knowledge of foreign countries, seems to have been regarded as a
gloss or lacquer to be put on after graduation, but not as in any
sense a necessary part of a good intellectual outfit. History,
therefore, was condemned to receive only such charitable atten-
tion as could be given it by some benevolent professor after his
energies had already been too much exhausted by the absolute
necessities of what was thought to be more important instruction.
But all that has now been changed. Where but a few years ago
a single tired instructor taught history only as a work of charity,
we now see a number of teachers zealously devoting their entire
energies to the study and the teaching of history alone. This
tendency, moreover, is as noteworthy in Europe as it is in Amers.
ica. It is obvious even to the most casual observer that in Eng-
land, in France, and, above all, in Germany, historical studies are
now carried on at the universities with a zeal and a thoroughness
1
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
which, until recently, were either quite unknown, or were confined
to a very limited number of the writers of books. Nor is this
new interest in the study of history confined to the universities.
Every state, almost every county, now thinks it must have its his-
torical society. The organizations thus scattered over the coun-
try are doing what they can to atone for the neglect of the past.
They are trying to rescue from oblivion what otherwise would be
in danger of perishing altogether. It is in this spirit that the
Chaucer societies, the Shakespeare societies, and the other organi-
zations of kindred purpose are doing their work. Perhaps some
of the effort expended in such societies is of little value. Possi-
bly the world would not be very greatly the loser if some portion
of that which is embodied in the permanent record of print were
to be allowed to pass quietly into permanent oblivion. But
whether all the work done is wise, or whether some of it is fool-
ish, the spirit that actuates it is identical with the spirit that calls
for additional instruction in history in the schools of learning.
So, too, it is obvious that the historical method is now carried
into the prosecution of other studies as it was never carried into
them before. The study of the new science of philology is but
one of the forms of the study of history. It is a striking fact
that in the natural sciences the most brilliant generalization of the
past half-century rests upon a basis of historical theory, and must
be justified, if justified at all, by investigations and proofs carried
on and established in strictly historical methods. Successful
studies in philosophy, and political economy also, are now very
largely conducted in the same historical spirit. Probably the
most fruitful philosophical and economical inquiries of the present
day consist of a study of what the great thinkers of the world
have thought, and a comparison of the results. Thus it appears
that, whichever way we turn, we see that the study of history and
the use of historical methods are to be noted among the striking
and growing characteristics of present intellectual activity.
This seems a rational tendency, and a wholesome one. It is
not necessary or reasonable to claim for the study of history a
superiority over all other studies. All branches of learning must
stand upon a footing of democratic equality. Each has its par-
ticular field of activity and usefulness, and must be looked upon
and respected as the peer of all the others. But while this is
INTRODUCTION.
3
true, it may be asserted and maintained that the study of history
is more distinctively the study of humanity than is any other
branch of learning. It has not, like philosophy, to do exclusively
with the inherent characteristics of mind. It does not, like phys-
iology, confine itself to physical activities and functions. It deals
not so much with man as with men. It has to do less with life
than with those relations of life which form so much the largest
part of the business of living. Its influence, therefore, is much
like the influence of travel. It is the study of mankind in other
times, as travel is the study of mankind in other places. Conse-
quently, the limitations of the man who knows nothing of the past
are similar to the limitations of him whose observations have been
confined to his own county or his own town. Such limitations
are not fatal to keepness of intelligence, to closeness of observa-
tion, to thoroughness and honesty of research. But they are fatal
to what may be called a comprehensive knowledge of mankind.
As a knowledge of humanity in all its multiform activities and
sympathies requires a familiarity with men beyond one's own
neighborhood, so the same knowledge requires also a familiarity
with men beyond one's own time and age.
Not only is the study of history the most human of all studies,
but it is also one of the most easily accessible to all men. In
these days of many and cheap books, there is scarcely a corner of
the world where historical studies may not be carried on with
fruitful results. Of course, I do not here mean history in a crea-
tive sense. I refer rather to that study which may everywhere be
carried on with the result of quickening the intelligence, improv-
ing the judgment, enlarging the sympathies, and broadening“ the
charities of life.
But let us look into the subject a little deeper, and inquire a lit-
tle more minutely what it is that the study of history really does
for us.
We may as well begin our answer by a process of elimination-
by declaring, in the first place, what history does not do. It may ?
be asserted with confidence that it does not develop the powers of
syllogistic reasoning as do studies in mathematics and formal
logic. There may be a question whether the rigid methods of
mathematical processes are adapted to the contingent affairs of
every-day life. But, whether they are so adapted or not, it is cer-
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
tain that, for the development of a power to carry on severe log-
ical processes, the mathematics are, of all studies, the most efficient.
Nor can it be maintained that for the development of habits of
minute discrimination the study of history is equal to the study
of language. That the habit of detecting small differences and of
weighing their importance is an essential element of success, no
thoughtful person will venture to deny. And for the establish-
ment and development of this particular habit it is probable that
no study has ever been found quite equal to the study of lan-
guage. While this is the case, it is doubtless also true that, when
the work of detecting small differences ceases to be a means and
becomes an end, it is in danger of degenerating into something
positively harmful. But whatever importance is to be attached
to a liability in this direction, it must be admitted that for the de-
velopment of certain necessary methods of intellectual activity, the
study of history is inferior to the study of language.
Another limitation of history is in the fact that it cannot have
the certainties of an exact science. There is no well-grounded
promise either of a science of history or of a science of govern-
ment. This assertion would seem to be too obvious for demon-
stration, but for the ingenious theories of writers like Comte,
Buckle, and Spencer. What formerly, however, had been received
as an axiom has now to be subjected to methods of proof. In view
of the learning that has been devoted to the work of placing his-
tory upon what has been called a scientific basis, it is not super-
fluous to inquire whether or not the obstacles in the way of such
a scientific basis are of a nature to be insuperable.
Historical facts are almost always, perhaps invariably, the result
of heterogeneous causes. Some of these causes are susceptible of
examination and analysis; others are not. One or two examples
will be enough to illustrate what is meant. The force of gravity
causes water to seek a lower level. Water, therefore, under or-
dinary circumstances, will take a course which it is possible to an-
ticipate with the utmost confidence. But the moment the stream
comes in contact with the will of man, an unknown quantity is
introduced into the problem. There is no possible system of
analysis or generalization that will enable us to determine what
the result will be. The water may be left to wind its own way
to the ocean, it may be turned to the purposes of industry, or it
INTRODUCTION.
may be induced to lift a part of itself over an adjacent mountain-
top. Or, take another illustration. An oarsman steps into a boat
to cross a river. Now, his arrival at his destination depends upon
a number of heterogeneous influences, the particular force of which
no amount of knowledge would suffice to determine. The perfec-
tion of the boat, the swiftness of the current, the nature of the
weather, the skill of the oarsman, are all doubtless susceptible of
approximate determination. But suppose that, in spite of all
probabilities, the boat is capsized. The element of uncertainty is
now considerably increased. Even if it be certain that the boat-
man has skill enough ordinarily to carry him ashore, there still re-
mains the ever-present possibility that he will not-choose to ex-
ert his skill.
The element of uncertainty in these examples is chiefly, though
not wholly, the element of individuality. Of course when we
abandon the simpler affairs of life for the more complicated ones,
the uncertainties of prediction are greatly increased. It would
seem to follow that at the very beginning of our inquiry for a
basis of scientific exactness, we come upon obstacles that are in-
surmountable.
But let us not rush to a conclusion in too great haste. The in-
genuity of those who have sought to bring history within the cir-
cle of the sciences has not shrunk from attempting to surmount
this apparently insurmountable obstacle. Comte, Buckle, and
Spencer rest their case upon the general assertion that, in the
great current of affairs, the efforts of individual wills counterbal-
ance one another so as to neutralize all disturbance of final results.
Buckle would probably have said that in spite of mill-dams and
water-wheels the water continues to seek a lower level, and in the
end reaches its destination. But the answer to this is the simple
assertion that in the meantime the mere fact of the water's being
turned out of its course has had an influence, more or less impor-
tant, on civilization. A part of the stream, perhaps, has been
turned into the Atlantic instead of the Pacific; the rest of it has
been devoted to the work of irrigation, and, after furnishing bread
for a people, has disappeared in the soil or in the air.
Buckle himself would seem to have been not altogether con-
fident in his own theory. For the purpose of proving his thesis,
he accumulated an astonishing number of interesting facts, and
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
he arranged them with an ingenuity in every way admirable. But
it is not saying too much to affirm that after he had done what he
could to fortify and render impregnable the position he had taken,
he found himself obliged to abandon it. Indeed, he went on with
his work as though he had established nothing whatever. Even
more than that, he advanced theories in the latter part of the
work utterly inconsistent with theories advanced in the first part.
He turned his own guns upon his own citadel. The first volume
is devoted chiefly to the work of establishing the position that in-
dividual men have very little to do in shaping the affairs of this
world, while the last is given up to showing that individual men
had very much to do with moulding the history of Spain and
Scotland. One of two inferences seems inevitable. Either Buckle
did not quite succeed in convincing himself that the position he
was trying to establish was tenable, or he was led out of his way
by the fact that his hatred of bigotry was more intense than his
love of consistency. But, whatever be the reason, the failure of
the argument must be patent to every one that is able to clear
his mind from the bewilderment caused by the author's multitu-
dinous citations.
Thus we are left substantially where we were before Comte and
Buckle began their work. And there, it is to be presumed, we shall
remain. It is, of course, not quite safe to assert, or even perhaps to
assume, that a theory held at any given moment will never be aban-
doned. But it is certain that nothing but the most positive proofs
will be sufficient to overthrow the beliefs generally held in the po-
tencies and far-reaching influence of individual efforts. Whatever
theories of free-will may prevail, the majority of mankind will con-
tinue to believe, and act upon the belief, that men like Julius Cæsar,
Frederick the Great, Washington, and Napoleon had considerable
influence not only on the age in which they lived, but also on
the shaping of subsequent events.. And so long as they hold
this belief they will also believe that it would have made con-
siderable difference with the world if Cæsar had not succeeded in
liis famous swimming exploit, if Frederick's snuffbox had not
arrested the bullet that was seeking his heart, if the sharp-shoot-
crs had been a little more skilful on Braddock's Field, or if Napo-
leon had fallen on the desperate bridge of Lodi. That either of
these contingencies might have happened-nay, that either of
INTRODUCTION.
them, on any scientific theory of probabilities, was far more likely
to happen than what actually did happen-no one can deny. It
is inconceivable that the result in either of these instances could
have been scientifically foretold. And until such results can be
foretold with scientific precision, men will not abandon their be-
liefs in the importance of individuality.
Besides the uncertain element of individuality, there is another
difficulty scarcely less serious. I refer to the difficulty, often the
impossibility, of securing trustworthy and conclusive evidence.
It is said that when Sir Walter Raleigh, as a prisoner in the
Tower of London, was relieving the tedium of his confinement by
writing his “History of the World,” he was one day attracted to
the window of his cell by the noise of a brawl in the court below.
He witnessed the quarrel from very near the beginning quite to the
end. He saw it from a favorable point of view, and he supposed
that he understood it. But a little later he had occasion to talk
the matter over with a friend, and he found, to his utter astonish-
ment, that he had misapprehended the nature of the whole affair.
When he was alone, the event threw him into a philosophical
mood. He reasoned in this way. If I could not understand what
passed under my own eyes, of what use is it to attempt to tell the
truth about what took place hundreds or thousands of years ago,
or, perhaps, never even took place at all ? And, in this fit of dis-
trust, Sir Walter threw the part of his history still in manuscript
into the fire.
The chivalric knight's misgivings were not without considerable
reason. The difficulties in the way of learning the exact truth in
regard to the simple affairs of every-day life are often quite in-
surmountable. Still more inaccessible is the truth in respect to
events remote in point of distance or in point of time. It is
therefore not very strange that history has often been thought to
be. entirely unworthy of any substantial credence. The despairing
hero of Santaine declared that all history is un grand mensonge.
The great Whig leader, when he had withdrawn himself from the
tortuous intricacies of his political life, called for a novel. “Bring
me something that is true,” he is reported to have said ; "don't
bring me history, for that I know is a lie.” Those who have had
much to do with the shaping of history, probably realize most
fully the uncertainties of historical evidence.
8
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
• Towards these uncertainties many circumstances have contrib-
uted. It has often happened that those who have had most to
do with the moulding of current events have had sole charge of
all evidence in regard to the real character of those events. The
most important affairs of government are usually carried on in
secret. Not only have the records been imperfectly made, but often
only such portions of them have been preserved as it has been for
the interest of the government to disclose. Mr. Jardine, in his in-
valuable little work on the “Criininal Trials of England," has re-
marked that it is the most important of the state-papers that are
most frequently missing from the archives. The reason is obvi-
ous. The government of England, like all the other governments
of Europe, was a government whose affairs for centuries were car-
ried on in secret. Before the Revolution of 1640 there was no
real responsibility on the part of governmental officials, and no
real scrutiny of the affairs of government by the representatives
of the people. But there was not an entire absence of popular
opinion. While the government, therefore, was not accountable,
it was often interested in concealing its movements and its mo-
tives. It destroyed such papers as would testify against it. Often,
doubtless, papers were framed, not for the purpose of disclosing,
but for the purpose of concealing, the truth. The conclusion is
inevitable, that what has passed for historical knowledge has often
been nothing but historical error.
The full force of these considerations becomes apparent when
we scrutinize any especial period in accordance with the rules of
evidence. Take, as an example, Bacon's "History of Henry VII.”
The government of the first Tudor, though by no means one of
the worst, was a government of usurpation. Its most efficient
means of accomplishing its ends was the secret court of Star
Chamber. This court kept no records, and was not responsible
for its acts. Whatever was necessary for the firmer establishment
of the new line was done probably without question and without
scruple. Very little documentary evidence was left. But even
what little existed in Bacon's time seems not to have been used
by the historian. From the beginning to the end of his work,
Bacon has given only one reference to an authority, and even that
reference is so indefinite as almost to justify the suspicion that it
was meant to mislead. The value of the history as a record
INTRODUCTION.
of truth, therefore, rests solely upon the nature of the habits then
prevailing in the investigation of knowledge, and on the character
of the historian for veracity. Unfortunately, neither of these
foundations is trustworthy. Bacon was not born till more than
fifty years after the death of the king whose history he under-
· took to write. Three important and turbulent reigns bad inter-
vened. Bacon had every interest in giving to the facts, as he nar-
rated them, a certain color. Unfortunately, we are debarred from
believing that he would be overscrupulous in his searches after
exact knowledge, even if exact knowledge were accessible. But
it was not. It is therefore but simple truth to say that no court
in any civilized community would accept of Bacon's testimony as
a basis on which to build up any judicial decision whatever. His-
torical evidence, in order to be conclusive, must be of the same
general nature as all other evidence. The conclusion to which we
are brought is obvious. The book teaches us something of Ba-
con; it teaches us possibly something of the way in which Bacon
regarded Henry VII.; it teaches us still more of the way in which
Bacon desired his readers to regard his opinions of Henry VII. ;
but of Henry VII. himself, or of his reign, it teaches us very little
indeed.
An illustration of another nature may be drawn from the reign
of Elizabeth. A mystery has always obscured the singular death
of poor Amy Robsart. If it could be conclusively shown that
Dudley's wife was killed and that Elizabeth connived at the
murder, the proof would of itself be nearly enough to reverse
the popular impressions of good Queen Bess. Positive proof
may never be secured. Obviously the government had a very
intense motive for destroying every item of proof that might be
known to exist. But it begins to look as if at one time positive
proof had been in existence, even if it is not in existence still.
The interesting discovery of the De Quadra letter by Mr. Froude
points directly to the guilt of the queen. It is by no means con-
clusive; but it is a bit of presumptive evidence of extreme impor-
tance. De Quadra writes to his government that in a familiar
conversation between Cecil and himself the English minister had
declared that the intimacy of the queen and Lord Dudley was
such that "they were thinking of destroying Lord Robert's wife.”
And it was only a few days after the Spanish ambassador had
10
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
listened to this important item of information that Lord Robert's
beautiful wife was lying at the bottom of the staircase a bruised
and mangled corpse. The De Quadra letter does not give us a
very distinct view, but it makes a rent in the curtain, and gives us
a glimpse behind the scenes. It shows us at least that there was
an entanglement of intrigues and motives in regard to thic exact
nature of which we know very little indeed.
It is only very recently, as Mr. Bisset has pointed out, that we
have come to the possibility of understanding some of the most
important and far-reaching events of the reign of James I. Be-
fore the publication of Dalrymple's “Memorials," a little more than
a century ago, not much more could be known about King James
I. than can be known about one of the early kings of Rome. The
important bundle of papers given to the searchers after truth by
*Dalrymple was evidently intended for oblivion. A letter of Buck-
ingham ends with the injunction: “I pray you burn this letter."
By what strange accident of good fortune this letter and those
published with it escaped the destruction intended for them may
never be known. Nor is such knowledge important. It is enough
to ascertain that somehow they found their way into a good hid-
ing-place among the manuscripts of the Advocates' Library at Ed-
inburgh, and there remained until the fury of the Revolution had
spent itself, and there was no further motive for destroying them.
As already intiinated, the view afforded by these letters of the
court of James I. was entirely new and revolutionary. But the
impression made by the Dalrymple papers, has since been con-
firmed and strengthened in various ways. Iinportant discoveries
have more recently been made. Many of these have been bronght
together by Mr. Amos in his masterly monograph on “The Great
Oyer of Poisoning.” But all these items of evidence, the reward
of great industry and ability, point in the same general direction.
In view of these revelations, we are brought to see that for the
purposes of strict historical information the account of Hume is
of little more value than the account of Sir Walter Scott in “The
Fortunes of Nigel.”
Nor is the evidence of the courts much more conclusive.
Until after the Revolution the processes of trial were merely in-
genious and convenient devices for the purpose of carrying out
the will of the government, and at the same time of ridding the
INTRODUCTION.
government of its most obnoxious responsibilities. The trial of
Sir Nicholas Throckmorton is an example in point. The jury, in
strict accordance with the evidence, brought in a verdict of not
guilty. But the verdict was in opposition to the will of the
court. The consequence was that the jurors were all thrown into
prison. Four of them very soon made their submission and were
discharged. Of the remaining eight five were held in close con-
finement from April to December, and, on being at length re-
leased, were condemned to pay a fine of £220 apiece. This was
not a mere spasm of severity. The words of the foreman of the
jury show that they anticipated punishment in case their verdict
should not be acceptable. Their pitiful prayer was: “I pray you,
my lords, be good unto us, and let us not be molested for the
faithful discharge of our consciences. We are poor merchant-
men, and have great charge on our hands, and our livelihood de-
pends on our travails.” No better proof than that given in these
words could be afforded of the abject condition of the people,
and of the worthlessness of the courts as a means of eliciting the
truth. This instance occurred less than a hundred years before
the outbreak of the Revolution. The pleadings of the jury for
immunity in their decision were not without reason, for the judges
had for centuries exercised the authority here displayed. It was
not until the Revolution had done its work that the punishment
of jurors for their verdict was pronounced illegal by statute. It
is unnecessary to say that so long as jurors knew that they were
liable to incur fine and imprisonment their judgments would be
swayed this way or that, not so much by the evidence presented,
as by the manifest will of the court and the government. There
can be no assurance whatever that before the middle of the sev-
enteenth century any given verdict, if in accordance with the will
of the government, was in accordance with the evidence and the
truth.
One more illustration of the inexactness of what is sometimes
called historical evidence must suffice. It is taken from our own
history. Until very recently a good deal of mystery has en-
shrouded the origin of the famous Ordinance of 1787. Daniel
Webster, in one of his most famous speeches, attributed it with
confidence to Nathan Dane. Benton made an elaborate effort to
show that Webster was in error, and that the real father of the
12
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
from the obscuritas able toan Thomas
ordinance was no other than Thomas Jefferson. But neither of
the statesmen was able to present conclusive proof. The real
point of obscurity was in the exceptional attitude of the members
from the South towards the anti-slavery clause of the ordinance.
In 1784, and again in May of 1787, an attempt had been made
to organize the newly acquired territories on the basis of a general
prohibition of slavery. But in both instances the opposition of
the South to the prohibitory clause had been sufficient to defeat
the proposed measure. When, however, two months after the
failure in May, the subject came once more before Congress, the
ordinance was passed, slavery prohibition and all, with the con-
current votes of the members from Virginia, the Carolinas, and
Georgia. No satisfactory explanation of this remarkable fact was
given until, in the year 1876, Mr. W. F. Poole published his mon-
ograph on the Ordinance of 1787. The long and interesting
story told by Mr. Poole, when compressed into a nutshell, was
simply this. The agent of the Ohio Land Company in Massa-
chusetts was employed to go to New York, where Congress was
then in session, for the purpose of securing the passage of an ordi-
nance that should contain substantially the provisions of the con
stitution of Massachusetts. This accomplished agent, Dr. Manas-
seh Cutler, was armed with authority to purchase five million acres
of land within the territory in case a satisfactory ordinance should
be passed. The persuasions of Dr. Cutler were entirely success-
ful. His diary, still unpublished, is said by Mr. Poole to reveal
the methods by which this important work was done. We may
not yet have reached the whole truth in regard to the history of
that important transaction, but we have at least discovered how
easily a very important part of the truth might have been irrecov-
erably lost. As in the case of the Dalrymple memorials, evidence
of the utmost importance was, for nearly a century, though in
existence, not known to be in existence by the public or by any
historical writer.
These illustrations are enough to show that our knowledge of
even some of the less obscure events of history is very far from
that accuracy necessary for the purposes of science. What has
passed for historical truth must often have been nothing but his-
torical falsehood.
In view of this conclusion, it is not strange that historical
INTRODUCTION.
13
judgments have often been reversed. This is sometimes called
an age of iconoclasm. But rather it is an age in which, for the
first time, there has been some general approach to an application
of the rules of evidence to the methods of historical research.
As never before, evidence is now subjected to something like a
cross-examination. Evidence at second-hand is not received, if
evidence at first-hand can be procured. If we are driven to the
necessity of accepting other than original witnesses, we demand
to know what claim the evidence at second-hand has to be heard
and believed. In short, we question its character, its motive, and
the basis on which it rests. It would be singular, indeed, if such
methods did not sometimes bring about a revolution in popu-
lar opinion. Stories like that of William Tell and that of Poca-
hontas gain momentum as they pass from one admiring genera-
tion to another. If they only have the advantage of a good
beginning, they accumulate wealth with rapidity as well as with
ease. In the course of five or six generations Pocahontas be-
comes a heroine, from whom the haughty statesman of Roanoke
is proud to trace his descent as well as his complexion; though
we now find the records of the London Company showing that
when she first became known to the English she was simply a
naked young savage, whose antics and summersaults were a wel-
come amusement to the homesick adventurers. John Rolfe was
long represented as a pious enthusiast, filled with the amiable
desire to convert so remarkable a creature to Christianity; but
we are now shocked to learn from the records that when this
worthy young missionary died, he left in sore need of assistance
not only the young child of Pocahontas, but also a wife of longer
standing, and a group of older white children. It is a pity to
have to say it, but it is nevertheless trne, that many a good
historical story, when subjected to the scrutiny of modern criti-
cism, turns out to be little else than a venerable and beloved
fiction.
But while we are forced to admit that what passes for history
gecessarily contains so much of error, or at least so much of un-
certainty, as to make it an impossible basis of exact science,
we must be careful to avoid supposing that it does not contain
enough of truth to give it a positive value. It does not by any
means follow that because it does not do everything for us, there-
14
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
fore it does nothing for us. The range of our mental activities
would be limited, indeed, if we were to take the ground that we
will never inquire except when we have conclusive reasons for
supposing that we shall reach the whole truth. It will not do to
say that because we have no hope of being able to learn every-
thing about London, therefore we will never go to London. Nor
can we take the ground that because we are not sure that our im-
pressions will be scientifically correct, therefore it is wise to avoid
having impressions. We may still be able to learn something,
and that something may be of the greatest value. We may never
know positively whether Dudley and Elizabeth were guilty of the
blood of Amy Robsart. But we may know in regard to the mat-
ter-indeed, we have already learned—what is of scarcely less im-
portance. We have received indisputable evidence that their con-
duct had long been such as to lead people to speculate freely about
the means by which the obstacle to the union would be put out
of the way. We have also been able to learn that the investiga-
tion was conducted in a manner to conceal the truth rather than
reveal it.
Now it requires but a moment's reflection to convince us that
these items of knowledge are about as near to the absolute
truth as we are often able to reach in the affairs of every-day life.
They are, indeed, precisely such items of knowledge as enable us
to form our judgment of men and things about us. We do not
put our neighbors under oath, and make them tell the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth. On the contrary, we are forced to
pick up bits of imperfect information here and there, as the sole
basis on which to form our opinions. The same method must be
used in forming our judgments of public men. We get little of
what may properly be called positive knowledge. We are obliged
to put interpretations upon acts, and draw inferences from them,
when, in the very nature of things, we can have only an imperfect
understanding of the acts themselves. And thus we find that in
spite of what we have to admit to be the inexactness of our
knowledge of historical events, that inexactness is not very differ-
ent from the inexactness of every-day life. In fact, the great
work of life is one long effort to draw conclusions from a series
of balf-truths, or, what is the same thing, from a series of mere
probabilities.
INTRODUCTION.
15
Another method of reasoning brings us to the same conclusion.
It is trite to say that the search after truth has a value quite inde-
pendent of the inherent nature of the truth sought. It is certain
that the search may sometimes be carried on with profit, even
where there is no probability that what is sought will be found.
In all ages, for example, the philosophers have been engaged in
what is admitted to be a praiseworthy search for truth; and yet,
who would not be puzzled for an answer if asked to declare what
they have found ? The chief value of the study is the value of
the search rather than the value of the discovery, wbatever the
discovery may be. It is in the very process of separating cer-
tainty from uncertainty. It is the work of estimating the value
of probabilities. In short, it is the business of performing, in a
speculative and disciplinary way, the same kind of labor as that
which is forced upon us by the affairs of life. He who demands
certainties alone as the sphere of his action must retire from the
activities of life, and confine, himself to the domain of mathemati-
cal computation. He who is unwilling to investigate and weigh
probabilities can bave no good reason to hope for any practical
success whatever. It is strictly accurate to say that the highest
successes in life, whether in statesmanship, in legislation, in war,
in the civic professions, or in the industrial pursuits, are attained
by those who possess the greatest skill in the weighing of prob-
abilities and the estimating of them at their true value.
This is the essential reason why the study of history is so im-
portant an element in the work of improving the judgment, and
in the work of fitting men to conduct properly the larger interests
of communities and states. It is a study of humanity, not in an
ideal condition, but as humanity exists. The student of history
surveys the relations of life in essentially the same manner as the
man of business surveys them. Perhaps it ought rather to be
said that the historical method is the method that must be used
in the common affairs of every-day life. The premises from
which the man of business has to draw his conclusions are always
more or less involved and uncertain. The gift which insures suc-
cess, therefore, is not so much the endowment of a powerful rea-
soning faculty as that other quality of intelligence, which we call
good judgment. It is the ability to grasp what may be called the
strategic points of a situation by instinctive or intuitive methods.
16 : HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
It reaches its conclusions not by any very clearly defined or de-
finable process, but rather by the method of conjecturing the value
and importance of contingent elements. It is the ability to reach
correct conclusions when the conditions of a strictly logical process
are wanting. To a man of affairs this is the most valuable of all
gifts; and it is acquired, so far as it comes by effort, not by study-
ing the rigid processes of necessary reasoning, but by a large ob-
servance and contemplation of human affairs. And it is precisely.
this method of studying men that the historical student has to use.
His premises are always more or less uncertain, and his conclu-
sions, therefore, like the conclusions of every-day life, are the prod-
uct of his judgment rather than the product of pure reason.
It is in the light of this fact that we are to explain the force
of Guizot's remark, that nothing tortures history more than logic.
Herein also is found the reason why the study of history is so
necessary a part of a good preparation for the affairs of politics
and statesmanship. Freeman has recently said that history is
simply past politics, and politics are simply present history. If
this be true--and who can deny it?--the study of history and
the study of politics are much the same. The kind of involved
and contingent reasoning necessary for the successful formation
of political judgments is unquestionably the kind of reasoning
which, of all studies, history is best adapted to give.
It may also be said that the most important elements of success
are the same in all practical vocations. The conditions, whether
those of statesmanship or those of industry and commerce, have.
been essentially the same in all ages. Society is, and has been, from
its first existence, a more or less complicated organism. It is a ma-
chine with a great number of wheels and springs. No part is in-
dependent. Hence it is that no man can be completely useful if
he is out of gear with his age, however perfect he may be in him-
self. Hence it is, as some one has recently remarked, that the
most useful kind of great man is he who is just so far, and only
so far, in advance of his age that his age can adopt him as its
teacher and leader. Such men, if engaged in the industrial or
commercial affairs of life, perceive and estimate at their true value
the forces and tendencies of society, and convert them into wealth.
Such men, if called to public life, guide their age; they make it go
faster or slower, they turn it to the right or left, they make use
INTRODUCTION.
of its forces, but they do not attempt to thwart it, or to lead it
after impracticable ideals.
· Thus from every point of view it appears that the study of
history is essentially the same in its essence and the nature of its
results as the study of the contemporaneous activities of society.
It is a constant exercise of the faculties in the calculating of
doubtful evidence, in the weighing of contingent probabilities.
In short, it is the very kind of work that the affairs of life are
constantly calling upon us to do. And this is not very different
from saying that the study of history is entitled to a high rank,
if not indeed to the highest rank, among the studies to be re-
garded as practical and useful.
Besides this general advantage, there are certain special advan-
tages in the study of history that are worthy of note. In the first
place, it cannot be otherwise than helpful to become thoroughly
aware of the simple but great truth that the history of civilization
is one continuous story of development. The relations of cause
and effect appear far more real when we understand fully that the
present, at any given time, has had its roots running far back
into the past. Before this fact all artificial distinctions between
different periods of history and different kinds of history fade
away. Thus what are commonly called ancient history and me-
diæval history are as much a part of modern history as childhood
and youth are a part of the maturity of manhood. It is only by
casting aside all artificial distinctions that we can come to a com-
plete understanding of our relations with our former selves. The
past is only the present in a less developed form. The contem-
plation of this fact cannot fail to lead us to judge man less harshly
and to have more of that charity which has received the supreme
sanction of so high an authority. We tbus come to rate at its
true value that shallowness of thought which sneers contemptu-
ously at other nations and other times. We see that the strong-
est and most lasting work is not that which is set up complete by
act of independent creation, but that which has been framed little
by little into the affairs of life as it has been needed. Perhaps,
most important of all, we in America come to see that we are not
under that exceptional protection which Von Holst has sneeringly
said was long supposed to be vouchsafed by the kindness of a
partial Providence to Americans as well as to women and chil-
18
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
dren. On the contrary, we find that we are under the same rigor-
ous laws that have shaped the destinies of nations on the other
side of the Atlantic. We are awakened to the fact that our ten-
dencies are essentially the same tbat have shown themselves in
other republics. The same causes do not everywhere produce the
same results; but if in any given instances they do not, it is be-
cause they are otherwise directed by wisdom or folly. The gov-
ernment of some of our cities has come to be much like the gov-
ernments of some of the larger cities in the Italian republics; and
the arts by which designing men now get the control of political
power are identical with the arts used for the same purpose in the
days of Aratos and Philopoimen. Thucydides delineates a Reign
of Terror much like that in France which we have been in the habit
of considering unique; Polybius gives us a description which, with
the mere substitution of a few names, would pass for a good ac-
count of an American caucus; and the letter of Quintus Cicero to
his brother Tully, “On Standing for the Consulship,” shows that
the not very fine art of political persuasion was as well understood
before the Christian era as it is at the present day. And so the
deeper one studies, the more one sees how much there is that is
old, and how little there is that is new.
Not only do we find that there is much to learn, but we also
realize that there is especial need that we learn all we can.
Within the last twenty-five years, Americans have come to be
confronted for the first time with some of the more difficult prob-
lems of government. The civil war gave rise to a multitude of
new and perplexing questions. The relations of the general gov-
ernment to the individual states, always a difficult problem, have
become infinitely more troublesome since several of the states
have been forced to remain in relations which, during four years
of bitter strife, they had attempted to dissolve. The history of
the Dutch Republic, as well as that of the Achaian League,
shows us that even under the most favorable circumstances these
relations are full of difficulty and danger.
The problem of education, too, is one that requires the best
thought of the wisest minds. Since the colonial period the
country has drifted by almost insensible degrees from a system
of limited suffrage to a system in which the elective franchise is
practically universal. None but dreamy sentimentalists have ever
INTRODUCTION.
19
thought of justifying universal suffrage except through universal
education. But the prevalence of universal education depends
upon two conditions not easily to be secured. In the first place,
there must be the enactment of stringent laws; and, secondly,
what under a popular government is not less important, there
must be such a public sentiment as will enforce stringent laws
when once they are enacted. It is one of the peculiarities of the
intellectual appetites that their cravings do not make themselves
keenly felt until they have begun to be gratified. Hence it is
that all educational systems labor under the embarrassment of
having, in great measure, to create the conditions on which they
themselves depend.
Then, too, there is reason to fear that the criticisms to which
our methods of instruction have recently been subjected are not
without considerable justification. Very large schools must be
divided into classes and grades; but it is not easy to reconcile
such a process of gradation, especially if carried very far, with a
proper adaptation of instruction to the needs of individual pupils.
Nothing but the most scrupulous care will prevent the degenera-
tion of practical instruction into the mere mechanical routine of
keeping intellectual accounts. Correct book-keeping is doubtless
one of the conditions of success, but it ought to be remembered
that no industry or profession can thrive in which the keeping
of accounts gains a monopoly of intellectual energy. To adjust
properly the dividing line between too much and too little is a
work of considerable difficulty. It requires at once a large amount
of practical wisdom and professional skill.
Are these high qualities to be found in our teachers ? Let us
not be in haste to answer. No person acquainted with the work
of our schools will hesitate to admit that in point of energy and
devotion our teachers, as a class, are all that could be desired. But
it cannot be denied that a vast majority of them have received no
special training whatever in the art of giving instruction. They
are like physicians who begin the practice of medicine when they
begin the study of it. The analogy is not so complete as it would
be if physicians were appointed over certain districts, and patients
within those districts were obliged either to take medicines from
them or to take none at all. In Germany, where systems and
methods of instruction have been most carefully studied, there is
20
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
no more thought of employing a public teacher who has given no
study to methods of instruction as an art than there is of employ-
ing a musician who has confined his musical education to the mere
hearing of music. Universal education, if required at all, is re-
quired for the sake of certain ends; and it is a question of some
importance whether for the sake of those ends a portion of the
public money might not very profitably be expended in giving
our teachers greater skill. We have doubtless some reason to be
proud of our system of common-schools. We have more reason
to be proud of our school-houses. But no person whose judg-
ment is unwarped by his patriotism can observe the interior work-
ings of the best schools of continental Europe without admitting
that we have still very much to learn. What we should adopt,
and what reject; how far we should imitate, and how far avoid,
are questions that future law-makers will have to answer.
The problems growing out of the control and development of
higher education, if less perplexing, are probably not less impor-
tant. In more than thirty of our States the colleges and univer-
sities are now chiefly or entirely dependent for endowment and
support upon the fees of students and the voluntary gifts of
benevolent patrons. This change from the custom of colonial
days may have been rendered necessary by the changed condition
of the country ; but, whether necessary or not, the change has
revealed necessities and imposed obligations of a very scrious im-
port.
It would probably be impossible to show that a system of higher
education has ever been successfully built up on a system of purely
voluntary support. In some instances exterior assistance has come
from the Church, in others from the State. But, whatever the
source, the necessity of such support has been universally felt.
It was this necessity which led the General Court of Massachusetts
to impose a tax equivalent to fifty cents upon every man, woman,
and child in the colony for the establishment of a college, two
years before Harvard gave to it his fortune and his name. It was
this necessity which led the legislature of Connecticut to become
what President Dwight, at the beginning of this century, called
it, the principal benefactor of Yale College. In fact, it was this
necessity which induced the fathers everywhere to support all
grades of schools by the same methods of general taxation. The
INTRODUCTION.
21
acknowledgment of this necessity found expression in the Consti-
tution of Massachusetts, and, through the efforts of Cutler, was
made a part of the ordinance for the government of the North-
west.
But, although this was the historic policy of the country, it
came after a time to be found that the older and richer colleges
might safely be left to the wealth and benevolence of their chil-
dren. And thus what might be called the historic policy of
modified or completely abandoned. The consequence is that
throughout very considerable portions of the country the higher
schools of learning are attempting to accomplish, without the aid
of the State, what the fathers were able to bring about only with
the help of public as well as private assistance. Whether the
attempt is to be very successful, time only can tell. But how far
the new system ought to be carried is too important a question
not to be very carefully considered in the light of all that the
world has to teach.
... Another subject requiring greatly increased thoughtfulness and
care is that of national economy and finance. For this there are
both general and special reasons. During the earlier years of our
Federal government we had some occasion for financial solicitude;
but the skill of Hamilton and the skill of Gallatin placed the
national resources upon a firm foundation. Then came a period
of abounding prosperity. The simplicity of our domestic and
foreign relations encouraged us in giving all our energies to the
development of the country. We accumulated riches at such a
rate that we could waste a few hundred millions without incon-
venience. We had no time to consider the more homely virtues
of economy. But at length our financial complacency received
a succession of violent shocks. The wear and the waste of the
Civil War were equivalent to the destruction of several thousands
of millions. The easy process of debt-contracting finally ceased,
and the hard process of debt-paying began. The old experience
of easy times while paying with paper instead of money, and
of hard times while attempting to reduce the debt, once more
oppressed the people. It is not strange that we were not prepared
for such an emergency. Since the days of Gallatin the people
had felt little need of studying the subtler intricacies of finance.
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
At the close of the war, therefore, the popular mind found itself
in no condition to cope with the intricate questions demanding
attention. In a popular government like our own, everybody
gives some thought to almost every question, and consequently
everybody is ready with an opinion or a measure. We therefore
experienced what France and England have so often experienced
before us. As in the days of Law and of Vansittart, propositions
of the grossest ignorance were often adopted as expressions of a
new inspiration; we were to have a new illustration of the power
of the press; in short, the days of miracles were to be revived in
our behalf.
But, with us, the days of economic simplicity are past. The
causes of financial solicitude have by no means been swept away
with the return of financial prosperity. The streams of wealth,
indeed, have once more begun to flow, but they bring with them
new occasions for anxiety. These spring not merely from the
simple fact that great wealth and great financial operations require
great economic skill and great administrative knowledge, but also
from the fact that our changed condition has given rise to new
and important complications.
Not the least important of these is in the increasing power and
influence of corporations. One of the peculiarities of the age is
doubtless a general tendency towards a union of efforts and a con- .
solidation of interests. The development of civilization encourages
combinations of capital and technical skill. These bring about
results that otherwise could not be obtained. Railroads are con-
structed, steamship lines are established, mining interests are de-
veloped. So much all are ready to admit. But at once we are
confronted with a new and a difficult question. How far are cor-
porations to be allowed to exercise corporate rights before they
are put under direct public control ? We know that in several of
the countries of the Old World this question, when it has been
asked, has been answered by transferring some of the most im-
portant of the corporations into the hands of the government.
Is this solution of the problem the proper one? How far has the
solution been justified by experience? The same question is now
coming to be often asked among ourselves. If the charges now
frequently made of a tendency towards corporate encroachments
upon private rights are unjust, they must be answered. If they
INTRODUCTION.
23
are just, the cause of them must be removed. In either case they
must be considered. For the purposes of our discussion, there-
fore, it is unnecessary to ask whether the complaints are made
with reason or without reason. It is only necessary to acknowl-
edge that complaints are made.
What are some of the most important sources of public dis-
content? In other words, what are some of the important prob-
lems to be grappled with ?
A charge of some gravity is made that under the competing
enforced victims of monopoly. The charge, put in its most
rational way, assumes this form : Monopoly, whether granted by
an absolute and tyrannical government or by an irresponsible cor- .
poration, is always oppressive. That such monopoly weighs upon
a large number of the people any one can see who bestows upon
the subject a little thought. On our great railway lines there are
points where conflicting interests make monopoly impossible, and
where, consequently, the people gain the benefits of competition.
At such points, often, the fierce strife for business is such as to
reduce the rates to a point below the possibility of profit. But in
that very fact a great wrong is done. Capital must be rewarded,
dividends must be declared, and, consequently, whatever favor is
contributed to the people at competing points has to be counter-
balanced by increased exactions from the helpless victims where
there is no competition whatever. Thus, exemptions that are
given to one class are counterbalanced by additional taxation upon
another class. And this is equivalent to saying that a commercial
corporation has succeeded in introducing into society a discrimi-
nation which, if introduced by a government, and persisted in,
would be likely to produce revolution. The remedy is difficult,
for several reasons, but especially because the classes interested in
maintaining the possibility of discrimination are so large and so
powerful.
the general condition of our municipal governments. There are
many who think that in no civilized nation are the cities worse gov-
erned than in our own. Whether such extreme views are just or
not, it is certain that the question is sufficiently important to justify
the most careful attention. It would not be difficult to point out
24
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
localities where the sanitary conditions are revolting ; where the
poor are so ill-housed that the death-rate is alarmingly high;
where crime abounds and the criminal is seldom punished; where
the municipal debt has grown to be large enough to embarrass a
kingdom; and where the wealth of the people is the prey and the
prize of unscrupulous demagogues and rings. Surely here is need
of all the wisdom of experience and all the ingenuity of an edu-
cated statesmanship.
The evils to which reference has been made are by no means
causes for discouragement. Notwithstanding all the efforts of
caucuses and caucus-manipulators, in spite of unscrupulous rings
and corrupt legislatures, it still remains true that there is no other
country in which a large majority of the people are so well-to-
do, and have so much reason for happiness, as in our own. What
of itself is far more than enough to outweigh the evils is the
simple fact that our institutions are not so rigid as to make it
impossible for us to adapt them to new exigencies as new exi-
gencies arise. We are thus able to counteract evils as they assume
a threatening aspect. If too great individual freedom leads to
monopoly, and if monopoly threatens oppression and tyranny, the
common-sense of society has but to assert its right and correct
the mischief.
But these facts, instead of making us indifferent to the evils
about us, should encourage us by showing us the possibility of
their removal. There is nothing in the way of a complete and sat-
isfactory solution of all our political and social problems, unless it
be a want of intelligent and enlightened guidance for the funda-
mental good-sense of the people. The experience of the past few
years has shown, if indeed it needed to be shown, that we are
in far greater need, I had almost said infinitely greater need, of
wise leaders than we are of wise followers. For this reason it is
that even more reliance must be placed upon the work and the
character of higher education than upon the elementary schools.
It is for this reason, also, that the future will depend very largely
for its success upon that breadth of information and that soundness
of judgment which the study of history is so well adapted to give.
But how shall history be studied ? By what process shall it be
made to yield its best fruits ? Shall it be by the reading of gen-
eral histories, or by the study of limited periods? Is it better to
INTRODUCTION.
25
devote one's self to a minute study of a short period or a more
general study of a long period ? These are questions that are
not susceptible of a categorical answer, but wbich a few consider-
ations perhaps will enable each student to answer for himself. .
In the first place, it may be said that the history of special pe-
riods cannot be carried on successfully unless such history rests
on the foundation of a broad general knowledge of history as a
whole. The acquirement of this general knowledge, it must be
confessed, is commonly a somewhat tedious process. Many a
pupil while exploring the dry pages of a General History acquires
an unconquerable repugnance to what ought to be one of the
most entertaining of all studies. The fault, however, it must be
confessed, is in our methods of teaching, rather than in the inhe-
rent difficulties of the subject. Until within a very few years the
text-books have been ill adapted to the work they were expected
to perform. In themselves they were simply a dreary collection
of dry bones. When, therefore, it happened, as too often it did
happen, that the teacher was unable to clothe these dry bones,
with flesh and blood, their mission seemed to be to repel and dis-
inspire. This result, in view of the methods of instruction that
prevail, is not to be thought strange.
But fortunately we know that such hard conditions are not
necessarily imposed on the study of history. The schools of Eu-
rope have abundantly shown that a lesson in history may be de-
lightful, even though the text-book be dry. If the teacher's busi-
ness is to teach, and not simply to "hear,” the text-book becomes
the substantial framework on which the teacher builds his struct-
ure. The teacher follows the text-book with more or less exact-
ness in his lectures, and examines the pupil at the next hour on
the whole of the work together. In this way it is possible to
teach the elements of historical knowledge profitably and delight-
study of such pupils is as unprofitable as it is cruel. But while they
will acquire nothing if left to themselves, their minds are in a pe-
culiarly receptive condition; and, consequently, if they are under
proper guidance they are capable of making rapid advances. Un-
der what may as well be called the police system, they will do
nothing; but under a system of good instruction they may do
26
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
much. Above all other intellectual wants, they are eager for a
story; and every one who has observed methods of historical in-
struction in Germany has seen that stories like those of Pyrrhus
and Hannibal, of Charlemagne and Luther, are as easily learned
by a child from a good teacher as are the stories of Joseph and
Samuel from a good mother. If the time ever comes, therefore,
when good elementary instruction in history takes the place of
that which now so generally prevails, such instruction will be nar-
rative in form, and will be chiefly biographical. The advantage
of the change would be twofold. In the first place, considerable
inforination would be acquired, and, in the second, a fondness for
history instead of a repugnance to it would be permanently estab-
lished. The severer work of a continuous narrative might then
be undertaken without especial danger of destroying the pupil's
interest.
But, however it is to be acquired, whether delightfully at the
hands of an accomplished teacher, or drearily at the hands of a
mere hearer of recitations, some accurate knowledge of what we
call general history is indispensable to the further prosecution of
successful studies. We cannot study Paris or London at good
advantage until we have some general knowledge of France and
England; and we cannot know France and England until we have
become somewhat conversant with the other countries of Europe.
An indispensable preliminary to the most fruitful study of a for-
eign city is a thorough acquaintance with its general history and
the history and geography of the surrounding country. No city
stands by itself, either in time or in space.
The same may be said of any designated period or event of
history. Take, as an illustration of what is meant, the Puritan
Revolution in England. That great upheaval was organically con-
nected not only with the previous history of Britain, but also with
the great general movement taking place on the Continent. An
effort was making to establish absolutism in all parts of Europe.
The effort was everywhere successful except in England, and perhaps
in Holland. In Prussia, under the Great Elector, and in France,
under Richelieu and Louis XIV., irresponsible government was
established, as it had already before been established by Philip
II. in Spain. The Stuarts in England now attempted to bring
about the same results by essentially the same process. The most
INTRODUCTION.
27
important feature of the struggle, therefore, cannot be understood
without a knowledge of the struggles that were going on in other
parts of Europe.
Perhaps a still more striking illustration of the same necessity
may be seen in the establishment and growth of the House of
Commons. The Hundred Years' War is commonly supposed to
have been a great calamity to England. Perhaps it was so, but
at least it exerted one influence for good of inestimable impor-
tance. It made the English kings more directly dependent upon
the people, and thus enabled the people to exact privileges and
extensions of power from the monarchs which otherwise would
have been secured with difficulty, if, indeed, they could have been
secured at all. When the smoke of the long struggle cleared
away, the House of Commons came out into open view as the only
representative body in Europe. It is obvious that the full signif-
icance of such a fact can be understood only by one who is fa-
miliar with all the influences that were at work. The histories of
France and of England were closely interwoven. The House of
Commons was made possible by the traditional institutions of
England; it was brought into existence by the trying relations of
England with the government of France. A complete under-
standing of it, therefore, involves not only a knowledge of the gen-
eral history of England, but also a knowledge of a very consid-:
erable portion of the history of France.
And so it will be found in regard to all the important events
of history. No one fact stands out by itself so as to be inde-
pendent. Every period is interwoven and interlaced with ideas
and influences coming from afar. It may be stated as a general
truth that it is impossible to apprehend the nature and importance
of any special event without a large knowledge of the events that
have gone before. And this is equivalent to saying that it is im-
possible for any student to make special studies in history very
successful before he has acquired considerable general knowledge
of history as a whole. The more comprehensive the knowledge of
the general career of the race, the more easy will be the grasp of
the significance and importance of any special event. The study
of general history, therefore, should precede the minute study of
limited periods.
On the study of universal bistory two considerations are wor-
28
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
thy of note. The first is that great care should be taken to avoid
falling into either the one or the other of two extremes. History
is neither a mere mass of facts and dates, nor is it a mere mass of
generalizations. It is the life of humanity, and that which is life
is neither a skeleton nor a collection of boneless flesh. An array
of dates has the relation to history that the skeleton has to the
human body—that a catalogue of stars has to the science of as-
tronomy. It is impossible to build well without a substantial
framework; but a framework alone has very little intrinsic value.
The date of the battle of Marathon receives its entire significance
from the fact that on that memorable day the question was settled
whether the civilization of Greece was to be that of Europe or
that of Asia; whether it was to be merely an imitation of the past
or a guide for the future. When the real nature and importance
of the struggle are fully apprehended, a remembrance of the date
is a work of ease. But we must avoid extremes. It is not enough
to know the nature of the event without knowing when the event
. occurred. The real importance of an act often depends far more
on the particular juncture of affairs when it occurred than on the
nature of the act itself. But whichever of the two factors is the
more important, they are quite inseparable. It is not enough to
know that the edict of emancipation set free all slaves in the
United States. It is equally important to avoid the error of sup-
posing that the edict was issued by President Washington instead
of President Lincoln. Thus it appears that it is only by keeping
the two species of knowledge together that their full significance
can be understood. It is only in this way that we shall avoid, on
the one hand, a collection of meaningless details, and, on the other,
a series of loose generalizations.
This reasoning, moreover, affords us a key to the value of such
artificial helps as chronological tables and historical charts. In
the nature of the case, they cannot be a substitute for historical
knowledge. After a good general knowledge of history has been
acquired, they may, to certain types of mind, be of some assist-
ance. But they are not history, and the best of them are no more
a substitute for it than a good cane is a substitute for a good pair
of legs. In general, it may be said that it is of no importance to
know when an event occurred until after a knowledge of the nat-
ure of the event has been acquired.
INTRODUCTION.
29
• The other consideration to be noted is the fact that general
history is not always to be studied at best advantage in books that
are called universal histories. There is a noteworthy poverty of uni-
versal histories in the English language. In Italian, in French,
especially in German, the number of excellent works of a compre- .
hensive nature is very considerable. But in English no work on
universal history has made for its author a very great reputation.
If, therefore, the student is limited to the English language, his
best method is to use thoroughly one of the best short works on
the subject of universal history, and then to rely on the historics
of limited periods and of individual nations. One of the histo-
ries of Antiquity, a good work on the Middle Ages, and one of
the books on the period since the Revival of Learning will com-
plete an admirable outfit for such study of individual nationalities
student may afterwards choose to undertake.
A systematic study of some particular national life may now
be entered upon with profit. The taste of the student will gen-
erally be a sufficient guide in selecting a subject. It is by no
means essential that the choice should be a modern nationality.
On the contrary, the nations of antiquity offer the advantage of
having closed up their record, while modern nations are still in
process of growth or decay. While modern life offers the un-
questionable attraction of a certain freshness, the institutions and
civilization of Greece and Rome' are an unfailing source of in-
struction by reason of their variety, their ingenuity, and their com-
pleteness. When we remember that what is commonly called
ancient history is not separated by any sharp distinction from the
the advantages of the one very nearly counterbalance the advan-
tages of the other. In Greece and Rome, members of the same great
branch of the human family were striving to solve essentially the
same problems that are now in process of solution in France, in
Germany, in England, and in the United States. In the one case
we have the advantage of seeing the result; in the other, the ad-
vantage of seeing the process going on.
Finally, the last advance that the historical student can make is
in the direction of a special and minute examination of some par-
ticular period or epoch. In the choice of a subject for such ex-
30
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
amination the student may generally rely with safety upon his
own taste and judgment. It is indeed true that those subjects
which are commonly thought most fruitful have been most thor-
oughly explored. It is of course the best mines that are apt to
be first pre-empted and worked. But it is also true that a new
mine of value is occasionally discovered, and, what is far more im-
portant, it has often happened that the first workings of the old
mines were so hasty and imperfect as to leave large stores of wealth
behind. The refuse thrown out of the mines of Laurium more
than two thousand years ago are now yielding ample rewards to
the improved methods of modern industry. But it must not be
forgotten that the rewards depend upon the perfection of the
work.
Above all things, in our bistorical investigations let us be exact.
Here there is no justification of haste and lack of precision. So
far'as practicable, let us go to original sources of information. If
we are obliged to receive information at second-hand, let us insist
on knowing where our informant received his knowledge and his
impressions. This process involves, of course, the study or the
examination of many books, rather than the reading of a few.
But it is the application to systematic research of those methods
which alone are fruitful of success in the affairs of business as
well as in the affairs of study. For, however broad and however
comprehensive our general knowledge, it is, in the last analysis,
only the application of our knowledge to minute details that ac-
complishes results and brings rewards. Even in the practical
work of our daily life, the chief advantage, perhaps the only ad-
vantage, of large general knowledge is the ability it gives the bet-
ter to command and manage the details of special and minute
affairs. The history of war is of unquestionable utility to a gen-
eral, and even Napoleon did not despise it; but none knew better
than he that mere general knowledge never pointed out the way
of carrying a battery or winning an engagement. So it is in the
homely experiences of every-day life; so it is in the prosecution
of intellectual pursuits. There is no atonement for carelessness.
If the historical student is unwilling to seek for the truth, even in
the reinotest recesses of darkness, he will have to be content to
see his work lightly esteemed.
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
31
CHAPTER II.
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
I. NARRATIVE HISTORIES.
Assmann, Dr. W.-Handbuch der allgemeinen Geschichte, für
höhere Lehranstalten und zur Selbstbelehrung für Gebildete.
5 vols., 8vo, Braunschweig, 1853–62.
Though this work was written as a universal history, the por-
tions of it devoted to ancient and modern times are of compara-
tively insignificant value. Its peculiar merits are in the volumes
on the Middle Ages. The period extending from A.D. 375 to
1492 is treated with exceptional fulness and ability.
Of the three volumes on the Middle Ages, the first describes
the period of the Invasions, the second the period of the Cru-
sades, and the third the period of the Feudal System and the
Renaissance.
· The most conspicuous characteristic of the author's method is
the care with which he has studied the sources of information,
and the judicious manner in which he has presented these sources
to the reader. The subordinate title of the work is “Geschichte
des Mittelalters für Förderung des Quellenstudiums;" and the
author has kept the purpose announced steadily in view. As
a guide for the most thorough study of the Middle Ages, there-
fore, the book has qualities of great excellence. It is an in-
troduction to the sources of history, rather than an account of
historical events themselves. For the purposes of the general
reader this is, perhaps, a defect in the work; but for the special
student it is a characteristic of great advantage.
As the volumes were prepared for the use of German students,
it is not singular that the history of Germany is given an undue
amount of space.
32:
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Each of the volumes has a very full table of contents, but the
work closes without an index.
Becker, Karl Friedrich.-Weltgeschichte. Achte, neu bearbei-
tete, bis auf die Gegenwart fortgeführte Ausgabe. Heraus-
gegeben von Adolf Schmidt, mit der Fortsetzung von Eduard
Arndt. Dritte vermehrte Auflage. 26 vols., 8vo, Leipsic,
1860–75.
In point of literary style Becker's history enjoys a higher re-
pute than any of the other universal histories in German. It has
always been highly recommended for gymnasium scholars and for
such other readers as do not desire to go very deep into historical
studies. It should perhaps be said, however, that various persons
besides those above named have contributed to the several edi-
tions published since Becker finished his last revision. The effect
of these various revisions has been to modify somewhat the origi-
nal reputation of the work for beauty of style, without giving it
that character for depth of learning which it is desirable such a
work should have. While it still has value, its relative importance
has been greatly diminished by the superior publications of We-
ber, Schlosser, and especially Oncken.
Bossuet, Bishop J. B.-Discours sur l'Histoire Universelle. 12mo
and 8vo. Many .editions, one of the best of which is that of
Paris, 8vo, 1870.
The importance of this work is very largely in the fact that it
was written by the most eloquent representative of the Roman
Catholic Church in the seventeenth century. It is universal his-
tory seen from an ecclesiastical point of view; but it abounds in
passages of great eloquence, and it everywhere shows traces of the
author's genius. As the title indicates, it is a commentary on
the general course of events, rather than an account of events
themselves. It consists of three parts. The first is a representa-
tion of general history from the beginning of the world to the
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
33
reign of Charlemagne. This period the author divides into twelve
epochs or ages, of the first six of which we are dependent for our
knowledge exclusively on Old Testament history. The second
part of the work is a history of religion, the special object of
which is to prove that religion is, of all things, the oldest and the
least changeable, and that the Christian Church is the possessor
and guardian of all spiritual truth. The third part is devoted to
reflections on the rise and fall of empires, and to the indications
of the secondary causes, which, under Divine guidance, deter-
mined, in the opinion of the author, the revolutions in the various
nations of antiquity. The chapters on Rome are exceptionally
able and eloquent. Throughout the volume the central thought
is that a Divine hand trains and guides collective humanity for
the advancement of the religion of Christ; that this religion is
incorporate in the Church; that all historical changes, therefore,
are to be co-ordinated with reference to the good of the Church ;
in short, that the good of the Church is the final cause of all his-
torical progress. According to Bossuet, the sole aim of Provi-
dence in history is the establishment of the kingdom of Christ,
and the kingdom of Christ is identical with the Roman Catholic
Church.
Cantu, Cesare. — Histoire Universelle, 3e édition française, revue
et corrigée d'après la 8e édition italienne. 19 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1857-59.
This history, completed by a prominent Italian writer in 1837,
has for many years enjoyed considerable fame in Italy and in
France. In the course of thirty years from its publication, it
passed through ten editions in Italy, and was translated into Ger-
man and French.
It is written in vivacious style, and is accompanied with numer.
ous tables and appendices, as well as a résumé of the whole work.
The author is an ardent lover of liberty, and at one time suffered
imprisonment in its cause. While in religious faith he is a pro-
nounced Roman Catholic, his judgments on religious as well as on
literary and political characters are in the main just and indepen-
dent. The work, however, is not the result of that careful re-
34
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
search at present demanded in such a history. For the purposes
of the scholar, therefore, these interesting volumes are not of very
great value.
Daunou, P. C. F.-Cours d'Études Historiques.
Paris, 1842–49.
20 vols., 8vo,
The author led a public life of great activity, and for more
than forty years held positions of high honor and trust. He be-
gan his lectures at the Collége de France when he was nearly sixty
years of age, having already written and edited a large number of
works of some importance. On the tribune, in the professor's
chair, and as member of the Academy, he commanded the esteem
of all parties and factions.
The lectures which form these volumes were delivered in the
course of the eleven years extending from 1819 to 1830. They
have to do with historical methods, rather than with the facts of
history. Strictly speaking, they form three courses : one on the
examination and choice of facts, one on the classification of facts,
and one on the representation of facts. The work ends with an
examination of the various philosophical systems as applied to
history.
Though Daunou may still be read with some profit, it is proba-
ble that most readers will infer, not without justice, that the repu-
tation of the author somewhat exceeds the merit of his history.
S
Dew, Thomas.-A Digest of the Laws, Customs, Manners, and In-
stitutions of the Ancient and Modern Nations. 8vo, New
York, 1853.
So nearly what its title indicates that any considerable de-
scription is unnecessary. In method, however, it is somewhat
unusual. Each paragraph begins with a question which it is the
purpose of the paragraph to answer. This peculiarity of form
is doubtless owing to the fact that the book was prepared and
printed for students hearing the author's lectures while he was
:
35
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
president of William and Mary College. The volume contains a
great number of facts, but it will scarcely awaken an interest in
the general reader. Without the enlivenment of living instruc-
tion, it is too dry for ordinary use.
Freeman, Edward A.--General Sketch of History. 16mo, Lon-
don and New York, 1873.
This little book is one of great merits. Not only was it writ-
ten by a very eminent historian, but it is admirably adapted to the
purposes for which it was designed. Primarily it was meant for
schools; but it is also well calculated to be useful to a large class
of other readers. It may be said to have two prominent charac-
teristics. In the first place, it avoids being dry by omitting to
mention many of the unimportant facts with which the pages of
school histories are apt to be encumbered, and by substituting for
them much fuller accounts of those great events which have
moulded the course of history. The other characteristic of the
work is that it aims constantly to explain the real meaning in the
world's progress of the events it describes. The connection in
history of what has gone before with what follows is pointed out
in a plain and simple manner, but with great ability and discrimi-
nation. It is in this feature of the work that the ability of the
author is especially noteworthy. The book might be called the
physiology and hygiene of history instead of its mere anatomy.
The volume is not accompanied with any artificial helps in the
way of illustrations or maps, but recommends itself simply by the
great merits of its historical and literary workmanship.
Oger, Félix.—Cours d'Histoire Générale, à l'usage des lycées, des "
candidats aux écoles du gouvernement, et des aspirants aux
baccalauréats ès lettres et ès sciences. Nouvelle édition. 4
vols., 8vo, Paris, 1880.
Just what it professes to be, a book for the use of students.
36
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
It embodies the most important results of recent researches, and
is written in a somewhat attractive style. For the use of a
teacher of general history it has many merits, though it is soine-
what inferior for this purpose to the German “Lehrbuch" of
Weber. To one who reads French, however, and does not read
German, it may be very helpful.
Oncken, Wilhelm.-Allgemeine Geschichte in Einzeldarstellung-
en, unter Mitwirkung von Felix Bamberg, Alexander Brück-
ner, u, A. Begleitet von einer instruktiven, nach wissenschaft-
licben Prinzipien zusammengestellten kulturhistorischen Illu-
stration, Karten, Plänen, etc. In ungefähr 36 Bänden gr. Lex.
Oktav, Berlin, 1878.
The result of the first attempt in Germany to present the his-
tory of the world by means of a group of descriptions prepared
by different hands. For this purpose the editor, Professor Oncken,
of Giessen, has associated with himself some twenty authors, spe-
cially qualified for this task. Most of the writers are professors
of history, with a fame to make and an ability to make it.
The work is very comprehensive in design, and, when completed,
will cover the entire range of the world's history. The prospectus
announces that six volumes are to be devoted to the history of
antiquity; eight to the period from the establishment of the Ro-
man Empire to the “ Age of Discovery;" ten from the history of
the Reformation to the French Revolution; and eight from the
outbreak of the Revolution to the Berlin Congress.
Though founded upon the careful investigations of special stu-
dents, the volumes are written for popular use, in the best sense of
the word. They are the production of scholars whose opinions
are entitled to respect; but with many readers it will be a source
of annoyance that no references to authorities are given. The
illustrations are not numerous; but their great artistic merits, as
well as their historical significance, form one of the prominent
features of the work. They have been inserted evidently for the
purpose of giving instruction rather than mere entertainment.
The work is not without a certain unevenness of merit, but in
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
37
spite of this characteristic, it promises to be much the most
scholarly and useful history of the world yet written. An index
is promised as the last volume of the series.
Prevost-Paradol, L. A.- Essai sur l'Histoire Universelle. 2e édi-
tion, revue et corrigée. 2 vols., 12mo, Paris, 1875.
An exceedingly brilliant book, by one of the ablest of mod-
ern French writers. But it is an essay rather than a history in
the common sense of the word. It is not overloaded with facts;
but, on the contrary, it is a very successful attempt to show
the course and progress of historical development. The chief
characteristic of the work is that it attaches more importance to
the significance of facts than to the details of facts themselves.
It is therefore eminently readable; and it leaves a clearly defined
impression on the mind of the student. Of the small books on
universal history, it is one of the best..
Rotteck, Charles von.—History of the World from the Creation
to the Present Time; containing a General History of the Rise,
Progress, Revolutions, Wars, Events, etc., of all the Nations of
the Earth. Translated from the German, with many Illustra-
tions. 8 vols. in 2, 8vo, Philadelphia, 1858.
For a quarter of a century this was the most popular universal
history in Germany. The author was well known, not only as a
publicist and professor of history, but as a leader in the liberal
political upheaval of his time in Southern Germany. Copies of this
history were sold almost by the hundred thousand. The author's
sympathies with all free governments show themselves in every
part of the work. But this peculiarity is almost its only merit.
It shows only superficial research, is not careful in statement, and
has but little appreciation of the true methods of historical criti-
cism and judgment. The reputation of the work, therefore, has
entirely perished, though the volumes are to be found in one half
of the families in Germany.
38
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
.
schichte füreitet von Deditions, that
Schlosser, F. C.-Weltgeschichte für das deutsche Volk. Unter
Mitwirkung des Verfassers bearbeitet von Dr. G. L. Kriegk.
19 vols., 8vo, Frankfurt. Of the several editions, that of
1872–76 is much to be preferred, on account of important re-
visions, and a continuation down to 1871.
Ever since the appearance of this work in completed form in
1855, it has enjoyed the distinction in Germany of being the
most popular of the larger books on universal history. As its
title indicates, it is not intended so much for scholars as for pop-
ular reading. It is not only the fruit of large personal research
in original authorities; but is also the fruit of the researches of
others. The author was eminently successful in making a very
readable book, and at the same time in making one that presents
The text is elucidated by very few notes, the narrative is clear in
statement, simple in style, liberal in thought, earnest in conviction,
free from all pedantry, and founded on the ripe results of fifty
years of earnest labor as an historical scholar. It is quite as val-
uable for its bold and original views of certain historical periods
as for its thorough and complete presentation of history itself.
The volumes are especially adapted to the wants of those who
desire a good general history in easy German. . It has full tables
of contents and a good index.
Swinton, William.-Outlines of the World's History, Ancient,
Mediæval, and Modern, with Special Relation to the History of
Civilization and the Progress of Mankind. 16mo, New York
and Chicago, 1874.
Prepared specifically for the use of higher classes in public
schools, high-schools, and academies. The author made no orig-
inal investigation in the preparation of the book; on the con-
trary, be appropriated with great freedom from the works of
others whatever seemed best suited to his purpose. Mr. Swinton
is not, like Freeman, a great historian, but he has the knack, above
almost all other men of his time, of knowing what a young scholar
wants and needs." The result in the book before us is a work of
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
39
great and deserved popularity. It has the extraordinary merit
among school histories of being interesting. In the hands of a
really good teacher it might well be less interesting than it is;
but really good teachers of history are not so abundant as to
make this feature a serious fault. It is also admirably equipped
with tables, maps, and illustrations. If the student or general
reader desires a bird's-eye view of the world's progress, his choice
between books in English should lie between this and the little
volume of Freeman's.
Thalheimer, M. E.-A Manual of Ancient History; also, A Man-
ual of Mediæval and Modern History. 2 vols., 8vo, Cincin-
nati, 1874.
A book of substantial rather than of brilliant merits. It is
made up, after a careful study by the author, of recent authori-
ties; and it conscientiously aims to embody the conclusions
reached by modern scholarship. It is generally accurate, and
may be safely used as a work of reference. It is the production
of a teacher of experience; and, in the hands of one who is skilled
in using it properly, may be made a successful text-book. In the
hands of a class with an unsuccessful teacher, there is danger of
its being thought dry. It is a book of facts rather than of opin-
ions, and, therefore, to be useful, it should be enlivened by the
instruction of a living teacher. This characteristic is probably
the result of an effort on the part of the author to embody as
much as possible within the volumes. They would have been
more interesting to the reader, whether or not they would have
been more valuable, if the writer, instead of saying a little about
so many things, had been content to say a little more about a few
things. The weakness of the volumes is a want of perspective.
The work is accompanied with admirable maps and a few excel-
lent illustrations.
Tytler, Alexander Fraser, and Nares, Edward.—Universal His-
tory to 1820. 6 vols., 8vo, Edinburgh ; 12mo, New York,
1846.
40
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Largely made up of the courses of lectures delivered in the Uni-
versity of Edinburgh during nearly thirty successive years. The
work of Tytler ceases with the beginning of the eighteenth cen-
tury, where that of Nares begins. The book is old-fashioned in
method and in spirit. But for the fact that general histories in
English are few in number and often poor in quality, it would
hardly be worthy of present mention. Not many students at this
day will gain from it either interest or advantage. The portion
by Tytler was published early in the century in Edinburgh, and
republished in Boston in 2 vols., 8vo, 1840-41.
Weber, Dr. Georg-Allgemeine Geschichte für die gebildeten
Stände. 14 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1857–80.
The volumes already published bring the history down to 1830.
A promised continuation will probably extend it to the close of
the Franco-German war.
This is undoubtedly one of the best of the great German uni-
versal histories. The merit of its literary style is not equal to
that of Becker; but in other respects it is much superior. It is
full, giving not only the political history, but the history of art,
literature, industry, and the various systems of philosophy. The
work is made easy of use by marginal dates and references, as
well as by an excellent index for every four volumes. The style,
though not especially elegant, is generally far more clear and easy
than that of most German histories. In point of arrangement the
work is good. It aims to present, without any bias of sect or party,
the development of the historical life of the peoples, ancient and
modern, not only in their political, but also in their religious, in-
tellectual, and industrial growth.
While Schlosser wrote especially for popular use, the work be-
fore us was prepared, as its title indicates, for the educated class.
For the use of a scholar, it is certainly one of the best of the
universal histories.
Weber, Dr. Georg.-Lehrbuch der Weltgeschichte, mit Rücksicht
auf Cultur, Literatur, und Religionswesen und einem Abriss der
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
deutschen Literaturgeschichte als Anhang. 2 vols., large 8vo,
Leipsic. This work, first published in 1846, has passed through
many editions, and has been many times revised and improved.
The tenth edition (1863) and those published since the tenth
are much to be preferred.
Professor Weber has been for many years a teacher of his-
tory and a school-director in Heidelberg. His qualifications for
the work of preparing a book for teachers and students are
therefore admirable. For more than thirty years this work has
been one of the most popular of the many books of the kind in
Germany. The first volume deals with ancient and mediæval his-
tory; the second, with modern history from the Renaissance to
the present time. The especial value of the work is in the skill
with which the author has chosen his subjects for treatment, and
with which he has portrayed the general movement and the pecul-
iar significance of events. The History of German Literature, in-
troduced as an Appendix, occupies one hundred and fifty closely
printed octavo pages, and is not the least valuable part of the
work.
These volumes should not be confounded with the same au-
thor's smaller and inferior work that has been translated into
English.
Weber, Dr. George.- Outlines of Universal History from the Cre-
ation of the World to the Present Time. Translated from the
German by Dr. M. Behr. Revised and corrected, with the ad-
dition of a History of the United States of America, by Francis
Bowen. 8vo, Boston, 1859.
The original from which this translation was made has been
much used in Germany by students in the gymnasia and other
secondary schools. It was not designed for recitations, but for
a guide and help to the student in following the lectures of the
teacher. For this purpose it was doubtless very useful. But it
is not well adapted to the conditions of American schools, and is
too dry for the purposes of the general reader. Another serious
fault to be noted is the fact that the translation abounds in errors
of almost all kinds.
42
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
II. HISTORIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PROGRESS.
Blakey, Robert.-The History of Political Literature from the
Earliest Times. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1855.
This history does not show great ability, yet it is the product
of great industry, and, in spite of some serious defects, is one for
which every scholar should be thankful. The author's style is
neither elegant nor exact. The work also shows some lack of ap-
preciation of historical perspective. For example, the writings of
the Christian fathers and of the mediæval annalists occupy far
more space than all the productions of the Greeks and Romans
together. But while this is a somewhat serious defect, it is not
without its compensating advantage. It is easy to learn what is
to be known about the political writings of antiquity, but it is
difficult to find an account of what the fathers had to say on the
subject of political forms and methods.
The first volume brings the account to the time of the Revival
of Learning. The second treats of the political literature of Eng-
land, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and the Northern
kingdoms of Europe. The method of treatment is to describe
the works of the various political writers from the beginning of
the fifteenth century to the close of the seventeenth. The book
brings before the student a vast number of interesting facts; but
it fails to show the immediate connection of those facts with ex-
isting political forms and methods. It is encyclopædic rather
than philosophical. It is a serious fault of the work that it has
no index.
Blanqui, Adolphe. — History of Political Economy in Europe
from the Earliest Times to our Own Day. Accompanied with
a Bibliographical Account of the Principal Works on Political
Economy. Translated from the French. 8vo, New York,
1880.
For many years Blanqui had been one of the most prominent
teachers of political economy in France. The work before us is
the embodiment of many years of industrious and successful labor.
The author's purpose and method were to present and criticise the
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
43
various systems that from time to time have been adopted in the
different countries of Europe. The volume is not altogether sat-
isfying; but it is the only work of the kind we have.
k of the king is not altopted in the
Botta, Anne C. Lynch.-Hand-book of Universal Literature, from
the Best and Latest Authorities. Designed for Popular Reading
and as a Text-book for Schools and Colleges." 12mo, New
York, 1861.
A compendious book, designed to convey a knowledge of facts
rather than to convey opinions. It was conscientiously com-
piled from a vast number of bistories of literature. It is not
a book for popular reading, but rather a book for reference. As
such it is the best in our language. Its claims to respect rest
upon its comprehensiveness and its accuracy.
Carrière, Moriz.--Die Kunst im Zusammenhang der Čulturent-
wickelung und Ideale der Menschheit. 5 vols., 8vo, Leipsic,
2d ed., 1871-73.
Of the several histories of culture and civilization recently pub-
lished in Germany, that of Carrière is perhaps most conspicuous
for its general merits. The author is not more learned than sev-
eral of his fellow-laborers, and his descriptions are much less mi-
nute than are those of several writers on special subjects; but in
comprehensiveness of design and evenness of execution he proba-
bly has no equal. He shows a masterly grasp of the vast mate-
rial before him, and he writes not only with philosophic insight,
but also with poetic warmth.
The history of civilization, in the belief of the author, may
properly be divided into three periods—the period of Nature, the
period of Faith, and the period of Reason. The first of these was
the age of classical antiquity; the second embraced the Middle
Ages; and the third covers the periods of Modern History. The
period of Reason was ushered in by Spinoza and Leibnitz as nat-
uralists, and Newton as a mathematician. These laid the basis of
what may be called the Age of Science.
44
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
.
Draper, John William.-A History of the Intellectual Develop-
ment of Europe. 8vo, New York, 1863. Revised edition,
2 vols., 12mo, New York, 1876.
This is a work written with unquestionable ability. The most
striking feature of the book is its attitude towards Christianity.
It maintains that the rise of Christianity in Europe has been a
misfortune; that the age of faith was an age of barbarism; and
that civilization has advanced only as faith has declined. Though
the work presents only one side of a great question, that side
is presented with unusual skill. The author's philosophy of
history, if it may be called such, is essentially that of Buckle.
The book has been, and will continue to be, much admired and
very severely criticised.
Fergusson, James.—History of Architecture in All Countries,
from the Earliest Times to the Present Day. 2d ed., 4 vols.,
8vo, London, 1874.
For many years this author has had the reputation of being
one of the ablest and most accomplished of writers on the his-
tory of architecture. This work, in the form of a "Hand-book
of Architecture," made its appearance in 1855; but the com-
pendious method at first adopted was abandoned for the present
form in the edition of 1865, and the edition of 1865, in turn,
was much amplified and improved in the edition of 1874.
The method pursued by the author is a combination of what
may be called the national and the historical. Beginning with an
historical description of the architecture of Egypt and the nations
of the Orient, Mr. Fergusson proceeds to consider the architect-
ure of Greece, Rome, France, Belgium, and Holland. In the sec-
ond volume, Germany, Scandinavia, England, Spain, Portugal,
Italy, Byzantium, and Ancient America, each pass under examina-
tion and review. The third volume is devoted to the architecture
of India and China, while the fourth is a History of Modern
Styles. The work is embellished with more than two thousand
wood-cuts, engraved in the most perfect style of the art. To most
readers the portion on India will be most surprising, if not most
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
45
entertaining. Though it is not difficult to find more satisfactory
works on some periods of the history of architecture, yet for the
general student Fergusson is the best author.
Freeman, Edward A.-The Historical Geography of Europe. In
2 vols. Vol. i., Text; vol. ii., Maps, 8vo, London and New
York, 1881.
soothe scope
chapter to a disca
These volumes are marked with the well-known characteristics
of the author. They have been many years in process of prep-
aration, and reveal on every page the conscientious care with
which their details have been wrought out. The author explains
the purpose of the work by saying that it has to do “with geog-
raphy as influenced by history, and with history as influenced by
geography."
The scope of the author's purpose is indicated by the titles
of the thirteen chapters that make up the first volume. The
Introduction is devoted to a discussion of the “Geographical. As-
pect of Europe,” the “Effects of Geography on History,” and the
“Geographical Distribution of Races.” Then follow the chapters
of the body of the work on “Greece and the Greek Colonies,"
“Formation of the Roman Empire," "The Dismemberment of
the Empire," “ The Final Division of the Empire," " The Begin-
ning of the Modern European States," " The Ecclesiastical Geog-
raphy of Western Europe," "The Imperial Kingdoms,” “The
Kingdom of France,” “The Eastern Empire," "The Baltic
Lands," "The Spanish Peninsula and its Colonies,” and “The
British Islands and Colonies."
No one familiar with Freeman's methods will need to be told
that the descriptions and discussions are very able and very in-
teresting. They show at once minuteness of knowledge and
breadth of treatment. The great value of the work is not so
much in the number of interesting facts brought together-
though these are not without their importance—as in the great
skill with which the historical significance of these facts is made
to appear.
· The volume of Maps is not in any sense an historical atlas, but
46
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
is designed simply to show boundaries of states, and the changes
brought about by various causes.
The work, as a whole, cannot fail to be of great service to every
thoughtful student.
Gaume, L'Abbé J.-Histoire de la Société Domestique chez tous
les Peuples Anciens et Modernes, ou Influence du Christianisme
sur la Famille. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 2e éd., 1854.
This history of the family relation is written from a fervid re-
ligious point of view. Its object is to show what Christianity
has done for domestic society. Though the author's account of
the family in antiquity is in many respects much inferior to the
accounts by Coulanges and Morgan, it is still an interesting pres-
entation of certain phases of domestic life. The first volume is
confined to the period before the introduction of Christianity;
the second to an account of the family relation since that event.
Guizot, François.—Histoire de la Civilisation en Europe. 8vo
and 12mo, Paris, 1831. There have been many subsequent
editions, but the work has never undergone revision. There
have been two translations of the work into English, but both
of them abound in errors. London and New York.
This little volume is the most famous of Guizot's works. It is
not a description of events, but an embodiment of conclusions
and a presentation of the processes by which those conclusions
are reached. It gives us the broadest generalizations, and is,
therefore, somewhat open to the charge of vagueness. But in
spite of this fact, if the book is not merely read, but carefully
studied, it will be found to embody many wise conclusions that
rest on the solid basis of most thorough research. The lectures
made a profound impression at the time of their appearance-
indeed, formed an epoch in the history of education; and even
at the present day perhaps no other historical book is capable of
stirring more earnest and fruitful thought in a thoughtful student.
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
47
Henry, L'Abbe.--Histoire de l'Éloquence, avec des Jugements
Critiques sur les plus Célèbres Orateurs et des Extraits Nom-
breux et Étendus de leurs Chefs-d'æuvre. 6 vols., 8vo, Paris,
5e éd. 1875.
The first two volumes serve, in some sense, as an introduction
to the remaining four. The first is entirely devoted to a descrip-
tion and discussion of the eloquence of the Bible; the second to
the eloquence of the Greeks and Romans. In the third volume
the author enters upon a different and more elaborate classifica-
tion of his material. He discusses in their order the eloquence of
the pulpit, the eloquence of the bar, tlie eloquence of the academy,
military eloquence, political eloquence, descriptive eloquence, and,
finally, the eloquence of the French. Though the work is per-
haps more comprehensive than any other on the subject, it is
exceedingly uneven in point of merit. The author seems to have
labored under the impression that nearly all eloquent men have
been Frenchmen. This weakness deprives the work of a value
which otherwise might correctly be assigned to it. For the study
of French oratory it is very helpful, and, for the most part, is
discriminating and satisfactory; but on the oratory of other na-
tions it leaves very much to be desired. A still further weakness
of the work is the disproportionate importance attached to the
eloquence of the pulpit.
Janet, Paul.-Histoire de la Philosophie Morale et Politique,
dans l'Antiquité et les Temps Modernes. Ouvrage couronné
par l'Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques et par l'Aca-
démie Française. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1860.
These volumes were prepared in answer to a question pro-
pounded by the Academy calling for a comparison of the moral
and political philosophy of Plato and Aristotle with the doctrines
of the most celebrated philosophers of modern times on the same
subject. The author has not only fulfilled the requirements of
the subject propounded, but he has written a comprehensive his-
tory of moral and political ideas.
The descriptions and discussions show great critical ability.
48
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
They expound the doctrines on moral and political subjects that
have been held; they also analyze and compare them with inge-
nuity and judicial fairness. In point of style the work is at once
graceful and spirited.
Of the four books into which it is divided, the first is devoted
to the moral and political doctrines of antiquity, the second to
the Middle Ages, the third to the period of the Renaissance, and
the fourth to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
The work with which it is most naturally compared is Blakey's
“History of Political Literature." It is less encyclopædic than its
English counterpart, but it shows far more philosophical insight
and judicial discrimination. No part of the book is weak, but
probably most students will regard the portion relating to the pe-
riod since the Renaissance as of the greatest importance. Espe-
cially noteworthy are the chapters on Machiavelli and the Political
Philosophy of the Reformation.
Kugler, Franz Theodor.—Hand-book of Painting. The Italian
Schools. Revised and remodelled from the most recent re-
searches by Lady Eastlake, with 140 Illustrations. Also the
German, Flemish, and Dutch Schools. Revised and in part
rewritten by J. A. Crowe, with 60 Illustrations. 4 vols., crown
8vo, London, 1880.
The original of this work appeared in Germany as early as
1837, as a "Hand-book of the History of Painting, from Constan-
tine the Great to the Present Time.” It was at once recognized as
the most comprehensive treatise on the history of painting that
had appeared, and its merits were such that it was soon translated
into the most important languages of Europe. The verdict of
universal approbation with which it was at first received has not
been essentially modified by subsequent study and criticism. The
author shows the growth and development of each school of
painting in the form of a graceful and interesting narrative, while
at the same time he presents an array of facts that make it the
most valuable of all books of reference on the subject. The edi-
tion edited by Lady Eastlake and Mr. Crowe contains some addi-
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
49
.
tions and alterations that add very considerably to the value of
this excellent history.
La Harpe, J. F.-Lycée, ou Cours de Littérature Ancienne et Mo-
derne. 16 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1818. Of this work there are
several editions, but that of 1818 is the best.
DU.
The judgment of La Harpe would not now be received as final
authority on any literary subject. But his work has merits of a
certain kind that entitle it still to a place in universal history..
Its most striking characteristics are the eloquence with which it
is written, and the comprehensiveness of its plan. It consists of
several courses of lectures, delivered at about the time of the out-
break of the French Revolution. The author was an ardent revo-
lutionist, and entered into his literary as well as his political work
with a zeal that casts a glow of enthusiasm over all his pages.
He often gives the reader an opportunity to judge of the works
he criticises by extracts translated and introduced into his text.
With these merits there are two serious defects. In the first
place, the literature of France receives by far too large a portion
of the attention of the author; and, in the second place, that is
perhaps a less pardonable characteristic, the method of treatment
is unquestionably somewhat enthusiastic and superficial. From
the fifth volume to the fourteenth the work is devoted almost ex-
clusively to a description of French literature from the age of
Louis XIV. to the outbreak of the Revolution. While, therefore,
the literature of France is abundantly, if not critically, described,
that of other nations receives altogether inadequate treatment.
Laurent, F.-Études sur l'Histoire de l'Humanité.
corrigée. 18 vols., 8vo, Bruxelles, 1861–70.
2e édition,
This is not a continuous history so much as a series of mono-
graphs. The first two volumes are devoted to the Orient and
Greece; the third, to Rome; the fourth, to Christianity; the fifth,
to the Barbarians and Catholicism; the sixth, to the Papacy and
the Empire; the seventh, to Feudalism and the Church; the
50
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
eighth, to the Reformation ; the ninth, to the Religious Wars;
the tenth, to the Nationalities; the eleventh, to Royalty; the
twelfth, to the Philosophy of the Seventeenth Century and Chris-
tianity; the thirteenth and fourteenth, to the French Revolution ;
the fifteenth, to the Empire; the sixteenth, to the Religious Re-
action; the seventeenth, to the Religion of the Future; the eigh-
teenth, to the Philosophy of History.
The author has been a successful professor of history at the
'University of Ghent since 1835, and, as the fruit of his labors,
has brought to a close a work which few persons would have had
the courage to attempt. A glance at the table of contents is
enough to show that he has studied every stage of European his-
tory known to us through written documents. It is also but jus-
tice to say that he has studied with great care the contents of the
original sources of inforination, as well as the works of the most
eminent scholars of all times and countries. References to au-
thorities are very numerous throughout the work. For facts
merely in themselves the author cares very little, but in such facts
as seem to have influenced the destiny of man or society, in help-
ing or hindering the human race in its struggle for freedom and
justice, he takes a passionate interest.
The argument pervading the work, and summed up in the
last volume, is that there is a plan extending through and directing
human affairs, which has been realized through the operations of
physical and moral forces; that this plan did not originate with
man; that it did not originate with matter; that it was not the
work of chance, which is merely an effect without a cause, and
that it must, therefore, be the work of God. A hopeful spirit--a
spirit very different from that of Gibbon-pervades the work.
The author's conclusions are stated with a clearness and a fulness
worthy of all admiration. In the last volume he reviews at length
Bossuet's theory of the miraculous government of Providence;
the antique fatalism of Vico; the fatalism of chance in Voltaire
and Frederick II. ; the fatalism of climate in Montesquieu ; the
fatalism of nature in Herder, of race in Renan, of revolution in
Thiers, of pantheism in Hegel, and of positivism in Comte and
Buckle. The author's criticisms, though perhaps at times too
sharply and polemically expressed, are evidently the result of the
most careful thought of a man of unusual ability.
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
51
Lübke, William.-Outlines of the History of Art. A New Trans-
lation from the Seventh German Edition. Edited by Clarence
Cook. 2 vols., roy. 8vo, New York, 1878; also 2 vols., 12mo,
New York, 1881. The edition edited by Mr. Cook is much
superior to the translation previously published in England; and
the 8vo edition is much superior to the cheaper reprint.
This work, for some years, has had the reputation of being the
most popular of the several hand-books of the history of art.
It abounds in most carefully prepared illustrations, and is perhaps
equally adapted to interest and instruct. It is an excellent book
from which to obtain the fundamental knowledge necessary for a
good judgment concerning works of art.
May, Sir Thomas Erskine.--Democracy in Europe. A History.
2 vols., 8vo. New York, 1878.
A judicious and valuable, but somewhat disappointing, sketch
of the progress of democratic ideas and methods from the earliest
ages down to the present time.
After giving an account of the political constitutions of the
principal nations of antiquity, the author(passes rapidly over the
Middle Ages, and then portrays at greater length the introduction
of the populár element into modern governments. The progress
of democracy is traced in Switzerland, in the Netherlands, in
France, and in England, nearly a half of the whole work being
devoted to France and England.
The use of the book for reference is made easy by a very full
table of contents and an admirable index.
Paroz, Jules.—Histoire Universelle de la Pédagogie. Renfermant
les systèmes d'éducation et les méthodes d'enseignement des
temps anciens et modernes, les biographies de tous les péda-
gogues célèbres, le développement progressif de l'école depuis
le moyen âge jusqu'à nos jours, la comparaison et la caractér-
istique des pédagogies anglaise, allemande et française, etc., etc.
Troisième édition, corrigée et augmentée. 12mo, Paris, 1880.
52
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
The third edition is a very considerable enlargement and im-
provement of the first and second.
The author of this admirable history of education is a normal-
school director in Switzerland, and he has brought to his task the
results of a careful study of the subject. His theory is that, if
we would make wise and sure progress in the art of teaching, we
must“ take counsel of history,” in order that it may “instruct us
in the principles, the processes, the experiences, the successes, and
the deceptions of those who have preceded us” in the work. In
the spirit indicated by this sentence, he has passed in review the
methods of the principal systems of education, as well as the work
of the principal educationists, from the earliest times down to the
present day.
The first fifty-five pages are devoted to the history of educa-
tion before the advent of Christianity; and about the same num-
ber to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Nearly two hundred
pages follow on education during the time from Luther to Pesta-
lozzi. More than half of the volume, accordingly, is given up to
a description of the methods, theories, and improvements of the
present century.
The work is necessarily compendious in form, and the reader
may find himself inclined to complain that too little is said on
the individual topics brought under discussion. But the method
and the scope are admirable. The style is spirited, and the sub-
jects for treatment have been selected with judicious discrim-
ination. .
Schlegel, Augustus William.-A Course of Lectures on Dra-
matic Art and Literature. Translated by John Black, and Re-
vised, according to the last German edition, by A. J. W. Morri-
son. Crown 8vo, London, 1846.
The thirty lectures that go to make up this volume were de-
livered at Vienna in 1808, and were deemed so important as to be
regarded as one of the great events of that eventful year. They
were listened to by Madame de Staël with enthusiasm, and were
hailed throughout Europe with the most marked expressions of
· UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
53
1)
approbation. The scope of the author's purpose was no less
than a survey of everything remarkable that has been composed
for the theatre from the time of the Greeks down to the present
day. The extraordinary merit of the work consists of a remark-
able combination of exact critical discrimination with the elo-
quence of an orator and the imagination of a poet. The great
learning and the all-comprehending erudition of the author are
in no way displayed except by his perfect knowledge of the nu-
merous works he describes. He analyzes with great ability the
principles on which both tragedy and comedy rest, and gives us
in a few pages the results of the study of a lifetime. He shows
not only great depth of philosophy and great fertility of imag-
ination, but also great clearness of critical insight; and, there-
fore, while the book glows with warmth, it is quite free from
indefinite and unmeaning terms as well as from exaggerated ex-
pressions. As a work of literary art the volume probably has
no superior in the whole range of literary criticism.
Schlegel, Frederick.--Lectures on the History of Literature, An-
cient and Modern, now first completely translated. Crown 8vo,
London and New York, 1859.
By many critics this is regarded as the most masterly of Fred-
erick Schlegel's works. It is everywhere in Germany recognized
as a work of genius, and is looked upon with pride as a national
possession. The lectures were delivered at Vienna in the year
1812, while Austria was still engaged in the conflict with Napo-
leon. The work consists of a rich and eloquent survey of litera-
ture, as a whole, and, as a general view, is unquestionably the
ablest and most satisfactory that has ever been made.
The author begins his course with a discussion of the influence
of literature on the mode of life and on the moral dignity of na-
tions, and ends with a characterization of the literature of Ger-
many under the overpowering influence of Fichte and Goethe.
The book is calculated to make a profound impression on every
thoughtful student, and is almost worthy to rank with his broth-
er's work on the literature of the drama.
54
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Schnaase, Karl.-Geschichte der bildenden Künste. Verbesserte
und vermehrte Auflage. 8 vols., 8vo, Düsseldorf, 1866–76.
This is so far above all other histories of the arts of design
that it really holds a place in literature quite by itself. It is
a complete survey of art, written in the most philosophical
spirit, and in a style as charming as it is instructive. To the
preparation of the original work the author devoted some twenty-
five years, and he spent ten years on the work of revision for the
second edition. The volumes are justly regarded as a masterpiece
of German thoroughness and German spirit, and it may well be
held as one of the treasures of modern literature.
The first two volumes are devoted to a survey of ancient art;
the third, to what is called Early Christian, Mohammedan, and
Carlovingian art; the fourth, to the period of the Romanesque;
the fifth, to Gothic; the sixth, to art in the later Middle Ages
until the time of Van Eyck; the seventh, to early art in Italy;
the eighth, to the closing period at the end of the fifteenth century.
The author wrote with a warın conviction that art has a moral
and spiritual purpose, and that it lives its true life in the sphere
of faith and humanity.
Schmidt, Dr. Karl. - Geschichte der Pädagogik dargestellt in
weltgeschichtlicher Entwickelung und im organischen Zusam-
menhange mit dem Culturleben der Völker. Dritte vielfach
vermehrte und verbesserte Auflage, von Dr. Robert Lange. 4
vols., 8vo, Köthen, 1873–76.
Since the first edition of this work appeared in 1862, it has been
recognized as the most comprehensive and the most important
of the several general histories of education. It shows the char-
acteristics of the best type of German scholarship. The author
filled the office of school director for many years, and he brought
to the preparation of his history not only a ripe experience, but
a scholarly familiarity with educational methods and ideas in all
periods and countries.
The first volume is devoted to the history of education before
the time of Christ; the second, to the period between the Christian
era and the Reformation; the third, to the period between Luther
ULL
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
55
and Pestalozzi; and the fourth, from Pestalozzi to the present
time. The fourth volume contains more than a thousand pages,,
descriptive of educational methods and systems during the pres-
ent century.
The author's method of treatment is not simply descriptive,
but is eminently philosophical. The work is one which no stu-
dent of education can fail to profit by reading.
Ueberweg, Dr. Friedrich.—A History of Philosophy, from Thales
to the Present Time. Translated from the fourth German
edition, by George S. Morris, with Additions by Noah Porter.
2 vols., 8vo, New York, 1872.
events the ideas with tonelade for the oldes
Of the numerous histories of philosophy that have been pub-
lished, this is doubtless the one of greatest intrinsic value. It
covers the whole ground of the history of the development of
philosophic ideas, was written by one of the most eminent inter-
preters of philosophic thought, and has been translated with rare
fidelity and skill. As a guide for the use of a student of the his-
tory of philosophy it is invaluable and unequalled, not only for
its exposition of the ideas and methods of different philosophers,
but also for the rich stores of its bibliographical information.
Not the least part of the author's object was to indicate the best
that has been written on the various philosophical theories and
methods.
Whewell, William.-History of the Inductive Sciences, from the
Earliest to the Present Time. 3d ed., with Additions. 3 vols.,
8vo, London, 1857 ; 2 vols., 8vo, New York, 1858.
· This may properly be called one of the great books of the last
half-century. The author was a man whose prodigious learning
made him one of the intellectual wonders of the last generation;
but what was scarcely less remarkable than his learning was the
subordination in which his attainments were held by his good
sense and good judgment.
56
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
"The Relations of Greek Philosophy to the Physical Sciences;"
the “Physical Sciences in Antiquity;"' the “Physical Sciences in
the Middle Ages;" the “Mechanical Sciences;" the "Analytical
Sciences,” and the “Organical Sciences,” are the titles under which
the eighteen books of this remarkable work are grouped. To the
general student, the book on the scientific ideas prevailing in the
Middle Ages will probably be found of most especial interest and
value. The additions incorporated in the third edition are of
much importance.
Woltmann, Alfred, and Woermann, Karl.-History of Painting.
Translated from the German. Edited by Sydney Colvin. Vol.
I., Ancient, Early Christian, and Mediæval Painting. 8vo,
London and New York, 1880.
This work, only the first volume of which has yet appeared,
promises to be the most complete and trustworthy history of
painting yet written. The plan is more comprehensive than that
of Kugler, and the first volume gives unmistakable evidence of
comprehensive learning as well as of judicious discrimination.
The work is written with spirit-at times even with eloquence-
and therefore it is well adapted to entertain the general reader,
as well as to instruct the searcher after technical knowledge. The
type and illustrations are sumptuous. Every step in the work is
marked with ample learning, and the whole presents the most
attractive view of ancient painting yet produced.
The first volume is divided into two parts—part first being de-
voted to painting in Egypt, Greece, and Rome; part second to
mediæval art. The death of Professor Woltmann, having oc-
curred since the publication of the first volume, may prevent that
evenness of excellence in the completed work of which the por-
tion already published gave such ample promise.
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES,
57
III. WORKS ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY.
Bisset, Andrew.-Essays on Historical Truth. 8vo, London, 1871.
-
The papers brought together in this volume were written by
one of the most critical of modern English students and writers
of history. They are therefore of extreme importance to the
student. The first essay aims to establish a negative answer to
the question, “Is there a Science of Government?” Then follow
seven essays on “Hobbes," " James Mill,” “Hume,” “Sir Wal-
ter Scott," "The Government of the Commonwealth and the
Government of Cromwell,” “Prince Henry,” “Sir Thomas Over-
bury." Though these essays have to do very largely with indi-
vidual characters, they are pervaded with the ideas of the author
on the general subject of the volume. Mr. Bisset seems always
to be writing in general support of the thesis that historical truth
can be reached only with extreme difficulty, and that at least a
very considerable number of those who have professed to give
the truth have given nothing but error. Each of the writers
taken in hand is subjected to searching criticism, and the result
is generally quite damaging to the value of the works considered.
The examinations are made in the best spirit of modern English
criticism. The book, as a whole, is one of the best that a stu-
dent of modern history can read. Though it does not profess
to give a philosophy of history, it teaches with admirable spirit
and force the methods in which historical investigation should be
carried on.
Buckle, Henry Thomas.-History of Civilization in England. 2
vols., 8vo, London and New York, 1861; and 3 vols., 12mo,
London and New York, 1875.
The appearance of the first volume of this celebrated work in
1857 raised the author at once from obscurity to literary and ·
social renown. The book was everywhere talked of as a phenom-
enal work of a new genius. Nor was it until after the author's
death, in 1862, that the reading world recovered its equanimity
sufficiently to estimate the work at its real value.
58
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
from calicas taught be, it should
The author's preparation for his history was of a very unusual
kind. He was a self-made man; or, rather, it should be said that
he never attended school, but was taught exclusively by his mother.
Thus unaccustomed from earliest life to measure himself and his
attainments with those about binn, it is not strange that he was
dogmatic and unfamiliar with the limitations of his own knowl-
edge. He appears through life to have had those peculiarities of
uneven development so often observed in self-made men. These
peculiarities doubtless had much to do in shaping the nature of
his book. The general and technical learning of Buckle was pro-
digious. He was so complete a master of all the principal lan-
guages of Europe, both ancient and modern, that he read them
with ease and with such astonishing rapidity as to master several
volumes in a day. From these he always took more or less co-
pious notes. In the specific work of preparing for the writing
of bis history he habitually spent, we are told, not less than about
ten hours a day for seventeen years.
The portion of the work which Buckle lived to complete is
only a gigantic fragment of a general introduction. In this in-
troduction it was his purpose both to state the principles and
laws which govern human progress, and also to exemplify these
principles and laws through the histories of certain nations char-
acterized by peculiar features, especially though the histories of
Spain, Scotland, the United States, and Germany. The principles
and laws that he purposed to establish were stated with sufficient
clearness in the first volume. The most important of these may
be abbreviated into the following form. 1. The metaphysical
dogma of free-will rests on an erroneous belief in the infallibility
of consciousness. 2. It is proved by history, and especially by
statistics, that human actions are governed by laws as fixed and
regular as those which rule in the physical world. 3. Climate,
soil, food, and the aspects of nature are the principal causes of
intellectual progress. 4. The great distinction between European
and non-European history and civilization is in the fact that in
Europe man is stronger than nature, while elsewhere nature has
been stronger than man. 5. Human progress has been due not
to moral agencies, which are stationary, and which balance one an-
other in such a way that their influence is unfelt over any long
period, but to intellectual activity, which has been constantly vary-
59
ing and advancing; or, as the author puts it, " The actions of in-
dividuals are greatly affected by their moral feelings and passions;
but these, being antagonistic to the passions and feelings of other
individuals, are balanced by them, so that the effect is, in the great
average of human affairs, nowhere to be seen, and the total actions
of mankind, considered as a whole, are left to be regulated by the
total knowledge of which mankind is possessed.” 6. Religion, lit-
erature, and government are, at the best, but the products, and not
the cause, of civilization. 7. Civilization progresses with the ad-
vance of scepticismắthe disposition to doubt and investigate
and in opposition to credulity, or the protective spiritma dispo-
sition to maintain without examination established beliefs and
practices. The fragmentary nature of the work may be inferred
from the fact that the whole of the second volume and a large
part of the first are devoted to substantiating the last of the
above theses.
Though these volumes show great breadth and acuteness of
reasoning, as well as an almost unrivalled amount of learning, it
must be admitted that the more carefully they are read, the more
inadequate do the proofs appear. Not only that, but they are
not free from inconsistencies fatal to successful argumentation.
For example, although the author asserts that great men, govern-
ments, and religion have almost no influence on civilization, he
shows at great length the immense influence of Richelieu, Vol-
taire, Adam Smith, and others. And, again, though in one place
he asserts that “we have the testimony of all history to prove the
extreme fallibility of consciousness,” in another he builds up an
argument for immortality on “the yearnings of the affections to
regain communion with the beloved dead-on the impossibility
of standing up and living, if we believed the separation were
final.” As these characteristics of the work have come to be
more and more fully comprehended, its importance in the estima-
tion of scholars has more and more declined.
immensena, again, il history builds
great value. The chapters in the first volume on “France before
the Revolution" may be read with profit by every student of that
period. It should also be added that many students who even
reject the author's general conclusions have been filled by him
with a glowing enthusiasm for historical study.
60
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Comte, Auguste.—The Positive Philosophy. Freely translated
and condensed by Harriet Martineau. 2 vols., 8vo, London
and New York, 1854.
A condensation into more convenient form of the “Cours de
Philosophie Positive," delivered and published by Comte during
the years between 1830 and 1842. The lectures, spread over so
long a period, contained much of repetition, and therefore the
form of Miss Martineau's translation is an improvement on the
original for the purposes of the scholar.
The second volume alone has to do with history. It presents,
in elaborate form, what the author regarded as the fundamental
law of historical evolution, the so-called law of the three states.
These three states, according to Comte's philosophy, are the suc-
cessive stages through which the mind of man, in nations and in
individuals, is destined to pass in the course of its history. The
first stage is the theological. The lowest and earliest form of
this stage is fetichism; the next, polytheism; the next, monothe-
ism. The second is the metaphysical. In this stage theology
dies, and abstract forces take the place of supernatural agents.
Phenomena are now supposed to be due, not to supernatural
agency, but to inherent causes and forces. The search for these
in metaphysical speculation is in vain, and therefore, in its despair,
the mind reaches out into its third and last sphere or stage, that
of positive science. The mind now gives up the illusions of child-
hood and youth, ceases to fancy that it can reason out the secrets
of the universe, and confines itself to what it can know and learn
by actual experience of the properties and relations of existence
and succession.
This theory is the basis of the historical philosophy of Buckle,
Spencer, Mill, and many others, and, consequently, it is to be re-
garded as one of great importance. But while it is wrought out
with a fascinating clearness of expression and simplicity of style,
it is not free from very serious defects as an argument. The
most noteworthy of these defects is a constant tendency to the
assumption of facts that are inadmissible. For a single example,
the author takes the ground that individual man, in his primitive
state, is, first of all, religious; that, after being religious, he tends to
be metaphysical ; and that, finally, he tends to give himself up to
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
61
the scientific method, i.e. to the examination of the objects about
him. This appears to be the exact reverse of the fact. We may
safely presume that a man thinks about food and shelter before
he thinks of a fetich; and while he is thinking of food and shel-
ter, and providing for them, he is acting, however humbly, in strict
accordance with the spirit and methods of what Comte calls pos-
itive science. The author's historical knowledge also was exceed-
ingly defective, and consequently the book abounds in statements
and assumptions that are unwarranted by facts.
Droysen, Joh. Gust.-Grundriss der Historik. 8vo, Leipsic, 1868.
This little volume or pamphlet, of less than a hundred pages, is
an outline of the author's lectures on methods of historical study
and composition. The accompanying essays give a clear notion
of the author's philosophy of history. The first of these essays
was written on the appearance of Buckle's work, and is entitled
“ The Elevation of History to the Rank of a Science.” The most
important positions of Buckle are carefully examined, the author
holding them to be untenable. The other essays are on the sub-
jects“ Nature and History” and “ Art and Method,” and are writ-
ten, as the author declares, for the purpose of marking the proper
boundaries between dilettanteism, on the one hand, and the claims
of exact science, on the other. The body of the work is a sylla-
bus of lectures on the nature and purposes of history, the methods
of historical criticism, interpretation, and representation. The
book is of considerable value as an analytical presentation of the
methods recommended by one of the foremost and one of the
most active historical writers and teachers of Germany.
Flint, Robert.-The Philosophy of History in France and Ger-
many. 8vo, London, 1874.
A book of conspicuous ability. It is a very able and crit-
ical account of the principal efforts that have been made in
France and Germany to comprehend and explain the history of
62
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
mankind. It also attempts to give a philosophical estimate of
the success of these efforts. The volume is a valuable record of
what has been attempted in the philosophical study of history, of
what success has been achieved, and of the nature and causes of
the failures that have been experienced.
It is not a book with which students will at all points agree,
but it is one every page of which is entitled to the most respectful
consideration. It may be called a history of the philosophy of
history in France and Germany. After an introduction of some
sixty pages, the author enters at once upon the discussion of the
characteristics of those French and German writers whose works
he deems worthy of examination. In general, the author is very
critical, if not severe, in his judgments. It is only occasionally,
as, for example, when describing the works of Michelet and Qui-
net, that he approaches anything like enthusiasm. He seems,
indeed, to have found that very little success has been achieved.
The author, in his preface, indicates a purpose, at a future time,
to describe and criticise the general philosophies of history that
have appeared in England and Italy; to indicate what light has
been thrown on the course, laws, and significance of human devel-
opment by the progress of the sciences, and to notice the chief
contributions that have been made to the discussion of the special
problems of historical speculation.
Hegel, George William Frederick.—Lectures on the Philosophy
of History. Translated by J. Sibree. Crown 8vo, London,
1870. The best edition of the original work is that edited by
the philosopher's son, Charles Hegel, and published in 1840.
Of all systems of philosophy the Hegelian is probably the most
profoundly and essentially historical. Its fundamental idea is
that of one vast process or movement, of which what we call his-
tory is one of the stages. Hegel's Philosophy of History, there-
fore, was an essential part of his System of Philosophy.
The work begins by declaring that history is of three kinds
original, reflective, and philosophical: original, when the histo-
rian, without comment, narrates what he himself heard or saw;
reflective, when he transcends personal experience and exercises
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
his powers of reflection, criticism, and generalization in order to
convey a representation of some epoch or phase of human life;
and philosophical, when it unfolds and explains the development
of the universal spirit of society. He then proceeds to show the
province of this spirit of society. It avails itself of the appetites,
passions, private interests, and opinions of individuals in such a
way as to secure profit to itself out of their loss, evolving from
their excesses such principles of truth and justice as are calculated
and designed to regulate and restrain them. It often manifests it-
self in great men, whose private aims are its purposes. The hap-
piness or misèry of individuals, therefore, is no essential element in
the rational order of the universe. Such experiences are only the
development of spirit, and, therefore, “those persons who condemn
what is, as not what it ought to be, are superficial, fault-finding,
and envious.” “The real is rational, and the rational real.” The
basis of all social and rational life is the State, inasmuch as the
State insures the union of the individual will with the universal
will—a union under which alone there can be true and rational
freedom. Each nation and each epoch has its own characteristic
principle. The great epochs of history have been three in num-
ber-the Oriental, the Græco-Roman, and the Modern or Germanic.
In the first, the infinite and the substantial predominate; in the
second, the finite and the individual ; in the third, the infinite and
the finite. The particular phases of these characteristics the au-
thor proceeds to show by passing in review the nations of ancient,
medieval, and modern time.
Whatever may be our opinions of the soundness or unsound-
ness of Hegel's philosophy, it is impossible to deny that his work
abounds in wealth of thought, and in generalizations of the most
profound and interesting nature.
Montesquieu, Baron de. The Spirit of Laws. Translated from
the French by Thomas Nugent. A new edition, carefully re-
vised and compared with the best Paris edition, to which are
prefixed a Memoir of the Life and Writings of the Author, and
an Analysis of the work, by M. d'Alembert. 2 vols., 8vo, Cin-.
cinnati, 1873.
This celebrated work was first published in 1748. Though it
64
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
had been condemned by both of the literary friends to whom
Montesquieu had submitted the manuscript, as likely to destroy
the literary reputation of the author, he not only determined to
put it forth in defianoe of their advice, but in his preface he even
congratulated himself that he had been able to produce a work
not altogether destitute of genius. The reception of the volume
fully justified the author's confidence. So great and immediate
was its success that within little more than a year it went through
twenty-two editions, and was translated into nearly all the impor-
tant languages of Europe. The great object of the work was to
show, not what laws ought to be, but how the diversities in the
physical and moral circumstances of the human race bave contrib-
uted to produce variations in their political establishments and
municipal regulations. The plan of the work was quite new, and
perhaps justified the somewhat ostentatious motto prefixed to it
by its author, “ Prolem sine matre creatam.”
In the prosecution of his plan the author was carried into the
study of the various characteristics of the different nations of an-
cient and modern time. On the basis of these investigations into
the conditions of society it was his effort to explain and account
for the varying aims of the legislator, as well as the nature of the
government and the manners of the people. While he thus
opened inexhaustible and hitherto unknown resources to the stu-
dent of jurisprudence, he marked out to the legislator the extent
and limit of his power.
Though this view of political history has been followed out
with great success by various authors since the time of Montes-
quieu, the “Spirit of Laws" was the first ever to present it in any
complete form. It was this fact which gave point to the saying
of Voltaire, that “when the human race had lost their titles, Mon-
tesquieu found and restored them.” Throughout Europe Montes-
quieu was at once recognized as a kind of legislator of nations,
and the founder of the philosophy of jurisprudence and politics.
The chapters are short, and the book is written in a peculiarly
terse and epigrammatic style. Of the vastness of the author's
range of knowledge no adequate notion can be formed without
an examination of the work. This knowledge, however, was often
inexact, a fact which detracts greatly from what otherwise would
have been the value of the work,
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
65
Schlegel, Frederick.-The Philosophy of History, in a Course
of Lectures delivered at Vienna. Translated from the German
by James Burton Robertson. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1835;
and 1 vol., crown 8vo, London, 1869.
The author of this course of lectures had prepared himself for
the work by a long series of remarkable studies. In the early
years of his career, be liad carried on investigations in the history
and literature of the Greeks and Romans with such success as to
win hearty commendations from men like Heyne, Wolf, Humboldt,
and Boeckh. He had then turned bis attention to other branches
of knowledge with similar success. His lectures on the Philoso-
phy of History were the conclusion of a long literary career. He
therefore not only came to his work at a time of extraordinary
philosophical activity, but he also brought to it a mind stored
with the fruits of a rich and varied experience.
The lectures are characterized by an unquestionable amplitude
of knowledge, and by a certain skill and completeness of treat-
disappointing. His central idea is that the first problem of phi-
losophy is the restoration in man of the lost image of God. “To
point out bistorically in reference to the whole human race, and
in the outward conduct and experience of life, the progress of
this restoration in the various periods of the world constitutes
the object of the Philosophy of History." His effort is to show
that in the first age of the world the original word of Divine
Revelation formed the firm central point of faith for the future
reunion of the dispersed race of man; that in the second, or
middle age, it was alone the power of eternal love in the Christian
religion which truly emancipated mankind; that in the third, or
last period, the pure light of Divine truth, universally diffused, is
to crown the progress of this work of restoration. The progress
of this restoration, he holds, can only be indicated by a rapid
sketch of the different nations in various periods in the history
of the world. In the prosecution of his purpose he describes, at
very considerable length, the characteristics of the history of
China, as well as those of the history of India. He then pro-
ceeds to a discussion in a similar spirit of the institutions and
tendencies of Greece and Rome, and those of modern time.
66
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
The learning and the genius of the author are manifest through-
out. But while the book is sure to interest the reader, it is not
likely to convince him. The fundamental error of the book is
that its argument presupposes an admission in regard to the early
condition of the race which the beliefs of the world will by no
means justify. To the large class of persons who reject his first
assumption, therefore, the argument can have no possible signifi-
cance.
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. For a bird's-eye view of universal history, Freeman's little
book is preferable to all others. Swinton's is also a very useful
book for the same purpose. Tytler's “ Universal History” is
fuller, but is ill-adapted to general reading. As there are but few
good universal histories in English, the student must either resort
to French or German, or select in succession the best books on
the most important single periods. After a mastery of Freeman
or Swinton, the student will do well to pursue the latter course.
The larger works in English on universal history will be found
uninteresting and discouraging. Rotteck's book, at one time very
popular, is no longer to be regarded as a perfectly trustworthy.
authority, though it is perhaps more free from the fault of dul-
ness than any of the other books in our language. The volumes
in the series known as “ Epochs of History" are worthy of special
commendation in this connection. Each of the volumes is com-
plete in itself. The series, as a whole, does not give a connected
account of the world's progress; but the volumes are generally
interesting, instructive, and trustworthy. As they have been pre-
pared by different authors, they are of unequal value; but the se-
ries, read in proper order, will be found not a bad substitute for a
good universal history.
2. If the student has easy command of French and German,
his pathway is clear. Of works in French, those of Prevost-Para-
dol and Laurent are the ones most worthy of commendation. In
German, Weber's “Lehrbuch” is excellent, especially for the use of
teachers; but this must not be mistaken for Weber's “Outlines," a
bad translation of another and a poorer book. Weber's “ Allge-
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
67
meine Geschichte" is one of the best of the large general histories.
Schlosser is easier reading than Weber, and was designed for pop-
ular use, whereas Weber was written for the use of persons of ed-
ucation. Oncken's “Allgemeine Geschichte” promises to be the
best of all. The different periods are described by specialists;
and what is lost in point of uniformity is more than made up by
increase of accuracy.
3. Literature abounds in works on the nature, importance, and :
philosophy of history. Bolingbroke's" Letters on the Study and
Use of History" are famous and valuable. Voltaire's “Philoso-
phy of History” is brilliant, but somewhat vague, and therefore un-
satisfactory. Hegel's famous work on the same subject is an ef-
fort to show that every epoch in history is inspired and dominated
over by some specific idea. Montesquieu's “Spirit of Laws” lays
great stress on the influence of climate on civilization. Karl Rit-
ter has shown the relation of geographical to political peculiari-
ties. Buckle adopts a necessitarian theory; and Draper, espe-
cially in the first part of his “ Civil War in America," excludes the
action of all spiritual forces, and holds that all events are to be
accounted for by ethnical, natural, and geographical causes. These
theories are reviewed in the Atlantic Monthly for January, 1870.
Froude also, in vol i. of his “Short Studies," takes ground the very
opposite of Buckle's, and holds that the peculiarities of history are
chiefly due to the wayward forces of a diversified human nature.
Guizot's theories of progressive development are examined by
Mill in one of his Dissertations, by Alison in one of his Essays,
by Woolsey in the New-Englander, vol. xix., pp. 409, 871, and by
Professor Diman in the New-Englander, vol. xxxi., p. 1. In Free-
man's Essays is to be found a valuable paper on the “ Use of His-
torical Documents ;” and in Judge Woodbury's Works an essay
of some value on the “Uncertainties of History." Macaulay,
Emerson, and Carlyle have each very suggestive essays on the
general subject of History. In Kingsley's “Miscellanies” may be
found his inaugural lecture on the “Limits of Exact Science as
Applied to History." Guizot's inaugural lecture ("Mémoires,"
vol. i., p. 388) is devoted to a very judicions discussion of the un-
certainties of historical evidence. Droysen's “Historik” is per-
haps the most careful exposition of the principles that should
direct historical investigation and composition. Flint's “Philos-
68
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
story” (3 vols.no, New York, in the Philosophies in
ophy of History” is an able and subtle exposition of the philo-
sophical theories that have been held by historical writers in
France and Germany. Shedd's “ Lectures on the Philosophy of
History" (new edition, 12mo, New York, 1873) and Bunsen's
“God in History" (3 vols., 8vo, London and New York, 1870)
are works of unquestionable ability. But better than either of
them is Bisset's “Essays on Historical Truth.” .
The best of all historical atlases is the great German historical
atlas of Spruner. This, however, is large and expensive. For the
ordinary use of the general student the International Atlas, or the
Collegiate Atlas, will be found convenient and adequate. The In-
ternational contains a few more maps than the Collegiate, other-
wise they are identical. Each is divided into three parts, one be-
ing devoted to Historical Geography, one to Modern Geography,
one to Ancient Geography. To each of these parts there is a sep-
arate index. Smaller and still cheaper atlases, but excellent in
their way, are the Crown Atlases and the Half-crown Atlases by
Keith Johnston. For ancient geography, the largest and best
is Smith's; but that of Long is excellent and generally sufficient.
The maps accompanying Napoleon's Cæsar are unsurpassed. For
mediæval history the atlases of Labberton and Koeppen are the
most convenient, though for minute study of European geography
nothing will be a complete substitute for Spruner. Freeman's
“Historical Geography” is of the greatest importance. For the
study of Europe during the present century, the atlas that ac-
companies the large edition of Alison's history is superior. Of
modern atlases for the purpose of general consultation, that of
Stieler is by far the best, though the large atlases of Keith John-
ston and of Black are justly famous. Gray's large atlas contains
the most satisfactory maps of the United States for general refer-
ence, though the student of American history will be obliged to
have recourse to the special maps published in historical books.
Especially to be commended are Walker's “Statistical Atlas” and
the maps in Lodge's “Short History of the English Colonies."
Of wall maps, those of Kiepert are the best for ancient geogra-
phy, those of Bretschneider for mediæval geography, and those
of Collins and Johnston for modern geography.
Certain other works of reference are of great importance to the
student of history. Smith's “ Dictionary of Antiquities” is of un-
UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.
69
surpassed excellence, as is also the same author's “ Classical Dic-
tionary," both of which are published in voluminous form in
London, and in abridged form in London and New York. As a
work of reference on the subject of general biography, Thomas's
“Biographical Dictionary” is the best. Haydn's “ Dictionary of
Dates" is a work which the student will find of the greatest
convenience. The sixteenth edition was revised and greatly
enlarged by Benjamin Vincent, one of the Secretaries of the
Royal Institution of Great Britain, and brought down to 1878.
A work entitled “The World's Progress," made up, for the
most part, from Haydn, and adapted, by certain abridgments
and alterations, to the American market, is published in New
York. For the use of a student of general history, Haydn is
superior.
Students pursuing special lines of historical work will often re-
ceive great assistance from some of the best of the library cata-
logues. The most useful of these are Noyes's “ Catalogue of the
Brooklyn Mercantile Library," Dr. Cutter's “ Catalogue of the Li-
brary of the Boston Athenæum,” and the “Bulletins" of the “Bos-
ton Public Library” and of the “Library of Harvard University.”
The Catalogue of the Boston Atheneum is especially worthy of
note. It contains references not only to very many of the most
valuable books on the subjects named, but also to the most con-
spicuous articles in the journals and reviews. Another character-
istic that adds greatly to the usefulness of this catalogue is the
fact that it contains a list of all of the publications of the
principal learned societies in different parts of the world. Of
this most admirable bibliographical work, the fourth volume, that
including the letter S, appeared in 1881. The Brooklyn Cata-
logue is complete in one large volume, but, notwithstanding its
less voluminous form, it is a model of bibliographical thorough-
ness and excellence. The Bulletins above referred to contain
more specific information on limited periods and subjects. The
“ Catalogue of Books in the Classes of History, Biography, and
Travel” of the Boston Public Library, contains not only titles of
the most important books on the history of literature, art, politics,
geography, manners, and customs, etc., but also valuable sugges-
tions and notes for readers. A similar catalogue, entitled “ Class
List of English Prose Fiction,” gives the titles of the most im-
70
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
portant works of fiction in our language, and arranges them in
such a manner that the reader can readily ascertain wbat novels
have been written on any particular subject or period. The work
also contains notes for readers, intended to point out for parallel
reading the historical sources of works of fiction.
HISTORIES OF ANTIQUITY.
71
CHAPTER III.
HISTORIES OF ANTIQUITY.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Duncker, Max-Geschichte des Alterthums. Dritte, vermehrte
und verbesserte Auflage. 4 vols., 8vo, Berlin, 1863; also, in
English, 3 vols., 8vo, London and New York, 1878–79.
For many years the writings of Duncker have given him rank
in Germany as an authority of standard value. Since its first pub-
lication, in 1852, his work has frequently been revised to adapt it
to the requirements of advancing scholarship. Thus it has received
such new light as special explorers have thrown upon special sub-
jects. It is now the best general history of antiquity we have.
The first volume is devoted to the Egyptians and the great powers
that had their abode in the Valley of the Euphrates. The second
is descriptive of the Assyrian empire; the third contains a history
of Greece.
7
Heeren, A. H. L.-Historical Researches into the Politics, Inter-
course, and Trade of the Principal Nations of Antiquity.
Translated from the German, 6 vols., 8vo, Oxford, 1833.
These volumes, at the time of their appearance, were received
with great favor, not only in Germany, but also in France and in
England. The great ability of the author, his skill as a writer,
and his thorough researches into the manners and customs of an-
tiquity united with the importance of the subject in giving to the
history great value. The work might have been called a Political,
International, and Commercial History of the Nations on the Med-
iterranean. Though great advances in the study of antiquity
72
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
have been made since Heeren wrote, the importance of these vol-
umes is still very considerable.
The first three volumes are devoted to the Asiatic nations, the
fourth and fifth to the nations of Africa, and the sixth to Greece.
The portions relating to Asia and Africa are by far the most val-
uable, not only on account of their greater fulness, but also on
account of the paucity of information on the subject to be de-
rived from other authors.
Lenormant, François, et Chevalier, E. — A Manual of the An-
cient History of the East to the Commencement of the Median
Wars. 2 vols., 12mo, London and Philadelphia, 1871; 2 vols.
bound in one, 12mo, New York, 1875.
The authors rank among the first of living Orientalists. Though
the work, when first published, was criticised with some severity,
it was thoroughly revised for the English translation, so that the
English version is to be preferred to the early editions of the
original. As a hand-book for the use of teachers, advanced pu-
pils, and intelligent readers, it is probably superior to any other
on the subject. It confines its attention strictly to the Orient,
giving no account of Greece and Rome whatever..
Niebuhr, B. G.–Lectures on Ancient History, from the Earliest
Times to the Taking of Alexandria by Octavius; comprising
the History of Asiatic Nations, the Egyptians, Greeks, Mace-
donians, and Carthaginians. Translated from the German of
Dr. Marcus Niebuhr, by Dr. Leonhard Schmitz. 3 vols., 8vo,
London, 1852.
After the author's death these volumes were compiled by his
son Marcus from his posthumous notes and the notes of two or
three of his students. The work owes its importance not so
much to its intrinsic merits as to the author's great fame. It is
unquestionably the work of a genius, but not of a genius at his
best. His opinions are always entitled to a most respectful con-
HISTORIES OF ANTIQUITY.
sideration; but his name is no longer a guarantee for the correct-
ness of opinions advanced. The volumes cannot be said to be
without value, 'and yet they show no such thoroughness of re-
search as do the works of the same author on the history of
Rome. Duncker's work is of much greater importance.
Rawlinson, George. - A Manual of Ancient History, from the
Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. Comprising
the History of Chaldæa, Assyria, Media, Babylonia, Lydia, Phoe-
nicia, Syria, Judæa, Egypt, Carthage, Persia, Greece, Macedonia,
Parthia, and Rome. Svo, London; 12mo, New York, 1871.
A manual built up on the German type of excellence, and
adapted to the wants of a student rather than to those of a gen-
eral reader. Its peculiar excellence is in the full bibliographical
notes interspersed throughout the volume. The best authorities
con ancient history are named, and generally characterized. The
text is somewhat dry, but it was written with care, and is general-
ly founded on good authority. It has a good table of contents,
but no index.
In the hands of a successful teacher, the book may be very use-
ful; in the hands of an instructor who simply hears a recitation
from its pages, it is likely to give discouraging results. It is a
good guide, but no substitute for brains in a teacher. It is a
book of facts more than a book of ideas. Its general accuracy
makes it useful for the purposes of reference. As a.guide to a
student in the thorough study of ancient history, it has no equal
in our language. It differs from Lenormant in that it deals with
the history of Greece and of Rome as well as with that of the
Orient.
Rollin, M.-The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthagini-
ans, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Persians, Grecians, and Mac-
edonians. Translated from the French. Many editions.
A most extraordinary illustration of the vitality there is even in
a poor book when it is well written. It has had an enormous
74
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
sale, and it is still to be found on the shelves of nearly every
bookstore. But it has scarcely a single merit to recommend it.
The author was ignorant and careless; and he appears to have
adopted as the rule of his composition that a plausible fiction well
told is as good as the truth. No scholar will now mention the
book but to condemn it.
Smith, Philip. — The Ancient History of the East, from the
Earliest Times to the Conquest by Alexander the Great. In-
cluding Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Media, Persia, Asia Minor,
and Phænicia. 12mo, London and New York, 1871.
One of the best books for the use of a student of classical his-
tory and literature. The allusions throughout the classics to the
Eastern nations are so numerous that an outline, at least, of Ori-
ental history is indispensable to successful study. The necessary
information for such a background can well be gained from this
volume. Not dealing with Greece and Rome, it is fuller and
more readable than Rawlinson, and, for the purposes of the gen-
eral reader, superior to the work of Lenormant and Chevalier,
though as a guide for the most thorough study it is inferior.
Smith, Philip.-A History of the World, from the Earliest Rec-
ords to the Present Time. Illustrated by Maps, Plans, and En-
gravings. Ancient History, 3 vols., large 8vo, London and New
York, 1866.
Pornos. Ancient Histor, illustrated by Manthe Earliest Rec
These volumes embody the results of many years of arduous
and conscientious study. The work, in some respects, is inferior
to the great German history by Duncker; but it is fully entitled
to be called the ablest and most satisfactory book on the subject
written in our language. The author's methods are dignified and
judicious, and he has availed himself of all the recent light thrown
by philological research on the annals of the East. In political
sympathies Mr. Smith is always to be found on the side of human
liberty.
The first volume carries the history to the accession of Philip
HISTORIES OF ANTIQUITY.
of Macedon; the second, to the Roman conquest of Carthage; the
third, to the fall of the Roman Empire.
The volume is well supplied with maps, and is entitled to rank
as the production of a careful and judicious investigator.
II. SPECIAL HISTORIES.
Birch, S.-Records of the Past; being English Translations of
the Assyrian and Egyptian Monuments. Published under the
sanction of the Society of Biblical Archäology. 11 vols.,
16mo. 2d ed., London, 1875–78. The second edition con-
tains revisions of considerable importance.
This series of volumes, edited by an eminent Oriental scholar,
contains translations of the most important inscriptions found in
the valleys of the Euphrates and the Nile. The translations were
made by gentlemen selected on account of their especial qualifi-
cations for the work, and the renderings are accompanied with
such notes as are necessary to clear up any obscure allusions in
the text. For the study of early Oriental civilization they are of
great importance.
Brugsch Bey, Henry.- A History of Egypt under the Pharaohs.
Derived entirely from the Monuments. Translated from the
German by the late Henry Dabney Seymour. Completed and
edited by Philip Smith. To which is added a Memoir on the
Exodus of the Israelites and the Egyptian Monuments. 2 vols.,
8vo, London, 1879.
Since Young and Champollion discovered the key to the vast
treasures of contemporaneous records still extant in Egypt, those
records have been gradually giving up their secrets to the scholars
engaged in exploring them. One of the most able and successful
of these scholars is the author of the volumes before us. His
object in this work has been nothing less than to bring together.
the results of all modern researches of monumental remains. No
information at second-hand has been accepted, and hence the vol-
76
IIISTORICAL LITERATURE.
umes may be regarded as the ripest fruit and latest expression of
Egyptian exploration. The book is of surpassing interest and
importance from beginning to end.
In an appendix, the author bas published an address delivered
before the International Congress of Orientalists in 1874, on
“The Exodus and Egyptian Monuments,” in which he shows the
light brought to bear on the Scriptural account by monumental
inscriptions. The argument is founded, in the language of the au-
thor,“ on the one hand, upon the texts of Holy Scripture, in which
I have not to change a single iota ; on the other hand, upon the
Egyptian monumental inscriptions, explained according to the
laws of a sound criticism, free from all bias of a fanciful char-
acter.”
Ewald, Heinrich.- The History of Israel. Translated from the
German. Edited, with a Preface and Appendix, by Russell
Martineau. Third edition. Thoroughly revised and corrected.
. 5 vols., 8vo, London, 1876.
.
One of the great monuments of recent German ability and in-
dustry. The author was long known as a scholar of high rank
among the foremost Hebraists of his day. His intimate acquaint-
ance with every portion of the Scriptures, his familiarity with the
whole range of the secular as well as the sacred literature of the
Hebrews, and his loving and reverential studies of each individual
character have won universal respect, even from those who do not
assent to all of his conclusions. Renan and Stanley equally ac-
knowledge their indebtedness to him. The first volume the au-
thor calls “preliminary,” but it traces the history as far as to
the migration into Egypt; the second begins with "The Theoc-
racy;" and the fifth ends with the establishment of Roman su-
premacy.
Josephus, Flavius.-The Works of Flavius Josephus, containing
The Antiquities of the Jews, and The Jewish War. Translated
by William Whiston. The translation of Wbiston is the best;
and the edition in 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1825, is superior to the
others.
HISTORIES OF ANTIQUITY.
Josephus was a learned Jew who lived in the latter half of the
first century of our era. 'At Rome he early made a favorable im-
pression on the imperial government. Returning to Jerusalem,
he endeavored to dissuade his countrymen from their intended
revolt against Roman authority; but; failing in his efforts, he
joined the war party. He was made a general, and was intrusted
with the defence of Galilee; but, after a desperate resistance, was
betrayed to the Roman commander. Long held as a prisoner, he
was present at the siege of Jerusalem, where he was suspected of
being a traitor by both the Jews and the Romans. At the close
of the war he went to Rome, was presented with the freedom of
the city, an annual pension, and a house that had formerly been
the residence of an imperial family. The rernainder of his life
he gave up to literary pursuits.
His first work was his history of the “Jewish War," a struggle
that extended, with some interruptions, from B.C. 170 to A.D. 71.
The author shows a constant pride in the ancient glories of the
nation, a tendency to flattery of the Flavian dynasty, a large share
of personal vanity, and considerable power as a descriptive writer..
The history entitled “ Jewish Antiquities” was published some
eighteen years after the completion of the former work. It is
more voluminous, less interesting, but not less valuable than its
predecessor. Divided into nineteen books, it covers the whole
period from the Creation to the outbreak of the Roman wars.
The works of Josephus, as a whole, therefore, cover the entire
history of the nation to the fall of Jerusalem. As an authority,
they have undoubted value, though they are probably less accu-
rate than they would have been if the author, at the time of writ-
ing, could have had access to the Jewish records at Jerusalem.
Milman, Henry Hart.-The History of the Jews, from the Earli-
est Period down to Modern Times. Reprinted from the newly
revised and corrected London edition. 3 vols., 12mo, New
York, 1870. The first edition was published as early as 1829;
but the edition from which the American is a reprint contained
the author's careful revisions down to about 1859.
A popular presentation, making no pretence to equality with
78
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
the great work of Ewald, but striving to bring together into read-
able form the results reached by the best scholarship of the day.
It is written in the author's well-known style, which is remarkable
for the smooth-flowing stream of its continuous narrative.
The work is a civil and military, rather than a theological, his-
tory of the Jews. The author subjects Jewish bistory to the same
canons of criticism as those to which all other histories should
be subject. He plants himself on Paley's ground, and does not,
accept what is commonly known as plenary inspiration of the Old
Testament. Beyond “the things necessary to salvation,” he con-
ceives that “all, not only in science, but also in history, is an open
field.” This position awakened much opposition among Mil-
man's fellow-churchmen; but it was a position which, to the au-
thor's credit, he never abandoned.
Rawlinson, George.--The Five Great Monarchies of the Ancient
Eastern World ; or, The History, Geography, and Antiquities
of Chaldæa, Assyria, Babylon, Media, and Persia. Collected
and Illustrated from Ancient and Modern Sources. With Maps
and 650 Wood-cuts. 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1862-67. A new
and revised edition was published in 3 vols., 8vo, 1878.
A book of conspicuous merits and serious faults. The author
has unquestionably been a very industrious student, and has
availed himself of the most easily accessible materials. But he
has not much gift for the skilful grouping of details, and has very
little descriptive power. He attaches great importance to the
Scriptures as historical authority, but does not show that he is well
versed in the results of recent Biblical interpretation. In many
parts of the work be wearies the reader with needless details, and
the book is not without frequent and obvious mistakes. But in
spite of these faults, some, but not all, of which have been re-
moved by revision, the work has unmistakable merits. It is a
reservoir of an enormous number of facts, and it gives a picture,
doubtless generally correct, of the peculiar but wonderful civiliza-
tion that existed in the valley of the Euphrates. The illustrations
appear to be well chosen, and are admirably executed.
HISTORIES OF ANTIQUITY.
79
Rawlinson, George.--The Sixth Great Oriental Monarchy; or, The
Geography, History, and Antiquities of Parthia. Collected and
Illustrated from Ancient and Modern Sources. 8vo, London,
1873.
A continuation of the “ Five Great Monarchies," with the same
general characteristics. Its value is in its delineation of a country
that was brought into notice by its long-continued opposition to
Roman encroachments. The book, therefore, has to do, in great
part, with the establishment of Roman domination in the East.
Rawlinson, George.—The Seventh Great Oriental Monarchy; or,
The Geography, History, and Antiquity of the Sassanian or
New Persian Empire. 8vo, London, 1876.
A further product of the author's studies of Western Asia.
The work embraces the period from the third to the seventh
century. The author has succeeded in placing himself at an Ori-
ental point of view, has had access to numerous Arabian sources
of information, and has received the assistance of many Oriental
scholars. The book, however, has the same defects as Rawlin-
son's other works.
Stanley, Arthur Penrhyn.---Lectures on the History of the Jew-
ish Church. Part I. Abraham to Samuel. Part II. From Sam-
uel to the Captivity. Part III. From the Captivity to the Chris-
tian Era. 3 vols., large 8vo, London and New York, 1863–77.
These volumes embody the substance of lectures delivered in
the chair of ecclesiastical history at Oxford. The work is a pop-
ular presentation of the results reached by modern scholarship.
It makes no claim to the merits of original research. While the
author has used the results of labors like those of Ewald, be has
fully acknowledged his indebtedness. The peculiar merits of the
book, therefore, are not the merits of an original authority; but
rather those of an unusually attractive presentation. Clearness,
grace, and fluency of style are most noteworthy characteristics of
these admirable and unusually attractive volumes.
SO
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Wilkinson, Sir J. Gardner. The Manners and Customs of the
Ancient Egyptians, including their Private Life, Government,
Laws, Arts, Manufactures, Religion, and Early History, derived
from a Comparison of Monuments still existing, with an Account
of Ancient Authors. Illustrated by numerous engravings. A
new edition, revised and corrected by Samuel, Birch. 3. vols.,
8vo, London, 1878.
Ever since the first appearance of this work, in 1837, it has
been recognized as having a classical value. The author was
a patient and conscientious scholar and a good draughtsman; and
for these reasons, notwithstanding the great advances of Oriental
scholarship, the importance of his volume has not materially di-
minished. The modern editor, Dr. Birch, is a prominent Egyptolo-
gist, and he has greatly improved the work by correcting those
portions which recent scholarship has shown to be defective...
The author's chronology has generally been regarded as having
very little value; indeed, in the opinion of most scholars, it is
hopelessly wrong. But the work, in spite of some defects of this
nature, is of so much importance that no student of ancient Egypt
can afford to neglect it. As a representation of the manners and
customs of the Egyptians, it has po superior.
III. HISTORIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PROGRESS.
Clarke, James Freeman.- Ten Great Religions; an Essay in
Comparative Theology. 12mo, Boston, 1871.
An attractive and scholarly account of the most important re-
ligious systems that have appeared. The volume describes Con-
fucianism, Brahminism, Buddhism, the Religion of Zoroaster,
the Religious System of Greece, the Religious System of Rome,
the Teutonic and Scandinavian Religions, the Religion of the
Jews, and the Religion of Mohammed and Islam. The volume
closes with an Essay on the Relations of the Ten Reltgions to
Christianity.
Cox, George W.-The Mythology of the Aryan Nations. 2 vols.,
8vo, London, 1870.
HISTORIES OF ANTIQUITY.
81
A book that no one who pretends to speak with the slightest
authority on the subject of general mythology can afford to neg-
lect. The author adopts, in the main, the theories first promul-
gated by Professor Max Müller, and, by elaborating them, shows
that the epic poems of the Aryan nations are simply different ver-
sions of the same story, and that this story had its origin in the
phenomena of the natural world. He shows that the mythology
of the Vedic and of the Homeric poems contains the germs of
almost all the stories of the Scandinavian, Teutonic, and Celtic
folk-lore. This common stock of materials has been shaped into
an infinite variety of forms by the story-tellers of ancient and
modern times.
The first book is devoted to a consideration of the origin, de-
velopment, and diffusion of myths in general. The second aims
to show that the ethereal heavens, the light, the fire, the winds,
the waters, the clouds, the earth, the underworld, and the dark-
ness are the origin of those impersonations which first took shape
in Greece, and have since been disseminated in modified form in
all modern literature.
In a very rare degree the author unites learning and literary
capability. The style of the writer does very much to make the
work entertaining
Döllinger, J. J.-The Gentile and the Jew in the Courts of the
Temple of Christ. An Introduction to the History of Chris-
tianity. Translated from the German by A. Darnell. 2 vols.,
.8vo, London, 1862.
An authority entitled to very high consideration on the part of
the student. It is probably the ablest and most trustworthy sur-
vey of the religions of the ancients. The volumes are in every
way admirable and scholarly, and worthy of the author's great
reputation. The beliefs held by the ancient Oriental nations are
passed in review, and the decaying condition of all religious be-
liefs at the time of the advent of Christ is made very obvious.
vey of the vable and scho held by the a
Lubbock, Sir John.-Prehistoric Times, as Illustrated by Ancient
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Remains, and the Manners and Customs of Modern Savages.
8vo, London and New York, 1865.
This is, perhaps, the best summary of the evidence now in our
possession concerning the general character of Prehistoric Times.
“The Bronze Age,” “The Stone Age," "The Tumuli,” “The
Lake Inhabitants of Switzerland,” “The Shell Mounds," "The
Cave Men," and "The Antiquity of Man" are the titles of the
most important chapters. The work may be regarded as intro-
ductory to the same author's "Origin of Civilization.”
Lubbock, Sir John.—The Origin of Civilization, and the Primi-
tive Condition of Man. Mental and Social Condition of Sav-
ages. 8vo, London and New York, 1870.
The spirit and purpose of this work are not unlike those of
Tylor, as shown in that author's “ Early History of Mankind.” Of
especial interest is the portion relating to the state of existing
inferior races, and to the mental and social condition of savage
tribes. The most important part of the volume is grouped under
the heads “ Art and Ornaments,” “Marriage and Relationship,"
“Religious Character and Morals,” i Language and Laws.”
McLennan, John Ferguson.-Studies in Ancient History. Com-
prising a Reprint of Primitive Marriage; an Inquiry into the
Origin of the Form of Capture in Marriage Ceremonies. 12mo,
London, 1876.
A book of extensive and curious learning. It throws much
light on the habits of early society and the beginnings of civil-
ization. It has to deal with a limited subject; but a thorough
investigation of that subject has revealed many most interesting
characteristics of primitive life. It is not merely a collection of
facts, but it abounds in generalizations and opinions of the most
scholarly and interesting character.
HISTORIES OF ANTIQUITY.
Maine, Sir Henry Sumner.--Ancient Law. Its Connection with
the Early History of Society, and its Relation to Modern Ideas.
With an Introduction by Theodore W. Dwight. Third Amer-
ican, from Fifth London Edition. Svo, London and New
York, 1877.
Probably no more accurate and profound researches and gener-
alizations in the field of jurisprudence have ever been made than
those incorporated in this volume. The object of Sir Henry
Maine has been "to indicate some of the earliest ideas of man-
kind as they are reflected in Ancient Law, and to point out the re-
lation of those ideas to modern thought." The work consists of
ten chapters, the first four of which are devoted to the philosophy
of legal history; the remaining six to an account of the origin
and progress of the most important rules in legal science.
The most distinguishing merit of the work is in the great abil-
ity and learning of those generalizations by which the author
shows “the steady progress of mankind from an age of formali-
ties and ceremonies to an era of simplicity and symmetrical de-
velopment.” He demonstrates the continuity of the human race,
and, as Professor Dwight has happily remarked, permits us“ to
feel nearly every link of the chain which binds the men of our
day to the nations of the remotest antiquity.” It is a book not
for novices, but for the most scholarly and advanced students.
Maine, Sir Henry Sumner.—Lectures on the Early History of
Institutions. 8vo, London and New York, 1875.
A work properly to be regarded as supplementary to the same
author's volume on Ancient Law. The lectures are of especial
interest to the student of early legal forms and methods. The
subject which to most students will be newest, and perhaps most
interesting, is a description of the native institution of Ireland
known as the Brebon Law. At the close of Chapter III. is an in-
teresting account of the author's view of the early organization of
an Irish tribe.
Maine, Sir Henry Sumner.— Village Communities in the East
84
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
and West. Six Lectures delivered at Oxford. 8vo, London,
1871; New York, 1876.
For the general student this is one of the most valuable, and
quite the most interesting, of Sir Henry Maine's works. It is not
only written in the judicious spirit always characteristic of the
author, but it is also the fruit of special study and observation.
The author has availed himself of the profound and minute re-
searches of Von Maurer, and has turned to good account his own
extensive observations and studies in India.
Among the most interesting and valuable chapters are those on
“ The Process of Feudalism” and “The Early History of Price
and Rent.” That on Feudalism is especially to be commended.
Morgan, Lewis H.- Ancient Society; or, Researches into the
Lines of Human Progress from Savagery through Barbarism
to Civilization. 8vo, London and New York, 1877.
The most important work of one of the most distinguished
American ethnologists. The book is divided into four general
parts-“The Growth of Intelligence through Inventions and Dis-
coveries," "The Growth of the Idea of Government,” “The
Growth of the Idea of Family," and "The Growth of the Idea of
Property." The author is in hearty sympathy with the theory
that the human race has ascended from very, primitive beginnings,
rather than descended from a condition of superior morality and
intelligence.
Tylor, Edward B.—Researches into the Early History of Mankind
and the Development of Civilization. 8vo, London and New
York, 1865.
This was the first very important contribution of Mr. Tylor to
the literature of a subject which his subsequent writings have
done so much to enrich. It is an introductory, but a valuable,
survey of a field which is much more fully explored in the au-
thor's later work on “Primitive Culture.” All of his books are
of great importance, though this is somewhat less important than
the later work.
HISTORIES OF ANTIQUITY.
.
85
Tylor, Edward B.-Primitive Culture: Researches into the De-
velopment of Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Art, and Cus-
tom. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1871.
Of the numerous recent explorers in the earliest records and
history of the race, Tylor has unquestionably been one of the most
successful. His productions are clear in'style, rich in learning,
and methodical in arrangement. The doctrine of the survival of
culture, the bearing of the use of directly expressive language
and of the invention of numerals on the advancement of early
civilization, the place of myth in the early history of the human
mind, the development of the animistic philosophy of religion,
and the origin of rites and ceremonies are some of the subjects ·
that receive treatment at his hands.
It is not altogether fortunate that the least attractive part of
these volumes is the first. The most interesting, and probably
the most valuable, portion of the work is that on Animism, or the
doctrine of spiritual existence.
Wallon, Henri Alexandre.--Histoire de l'Esclavage dans l’Anti-
quité. 3 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1847-48; 2e éd. corrigée, 3 vols., 8vo,
Paris, 1879.
The author has for many years maintained a high and respon-
sible position among the literary men of France. As professor of
history in the Sorbonne, he was one of the colleagues of Guizot;
and more recently, as Minister of Public Instruction, he has had
direction of the reorganization of the French school system under
the republic.
The “ History of Slavery” was crowned by the Institute soon
after its publication; and not much later, it came everywhere to be
recognized as a work of much learning as well as of conspicuous
ability and good judgment. It is the object of the work to trace
the growth of slavery in the several nations of antiquity, to show
its characteristics and methods, and the causes of its decline. Its
abolition the author attributes chiefly to the influence of Chris-
tianity. On the subject of which it treats it has neither equal
nor rival.
86
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. A valuable brief survey of Oriental history may be made by
reading either Lenormant and Chevalier's or Smith's “History of
the East.” The former is founded on more thorough personal
knowledge; the latter is more skilfully written. By way of en-
livenment, Rawlinson's edition of Herodotus may be found valua-
ble, though it should always be read with the recollection that it
is partly history and partly fable. Wheeler's “Life and Travels
of Herodotus” is a good book, and, without being strictly histor-
ical, is designed to take the reader into the life and stir of the
countries visited by Herodotus. Brugsch Bey's “Egypt” will in-
terest and instruct.
2. For a longer course, either Duncker's “History of Antiquity"
or the three published volumes of Smith's “History of the World"
may be read. Heeren traces with freshness and spirit the politics,
intercourse, and trade of the ancient Asiatic nations. Rawlinson's
“Five Monarchies” may be consulted, and selected chapters read.
Valuable information may be gained on the same subject from
the North British Review for January, 1870, and from the Edin-
burgh Review for January, 1870. On the civilization of the na-
tions in the valley of the Euphrates, the works of George Smith
are of the first importance. Baldwin's “ Prehistoric Nations” was
written to prove that the Phænicians, Chaldæans, and Egyptians
were descended from the Cushites of Arabia. On the early civ-
ilization of Egypt, Wilkinson and Brugsch Bey are the best au-
thorities. Egyptian life and manners are portrayed in the novels
of George Ebers, an author who is not merely an entertaining
writer of fiction, but also an eminent Egyptologist.
3. Works on the early civilization of mankind have recently
become numerous and important. Evidence concerning prehis-
toric man has been summarized in Figuier's “Primitive Man” and
in Lyell's “Antiquity of Man.” Lubbock, in his “Prehistoric
Times” and in his “Origin of Civilization,” aims to show that
civilization has arisen from original barbarism, and that barbarism
is not the result of degeneration. This view is also taken by
Tylor in his “Primitive Culture” and in his "Early History of
Mankind.” Whately, in his “Origin of Civilization,” takes the
HISTORIES OF ANTIQUITY.
87
ier that was dividhe great in
opposite view, as does also Argyll in his “Primeval Man.” Win-
chell's “ Preadamites” aims to show not so much the great an-
tiquity of man as that the human family was divided into dis-
tinct races at a period much earlier than has usually been sup-
posed. Morgan's “ Ancient Society” is a very scholarly effort to
trace the lines of human progress from savage life through bar-
barism up to civilization. McLennan's “ Primitive Marriage"
treats, in an interesting manner, of early domestic ceremonies and
relations. Coulanges's “ Ancient City" throws a flood of light on
the organization of early society, but the work pertains chiefly to
the earliest history of Greece and Rome. Maine's “Ancient
Law,” and the same author's “ Early History of Institutions,” are
of the highest value in showing the origin of many modern cus-
toms. The series of volumes edited by Dr. Birch entitled “Rec-
ords of the Past" are worthy of examination in a study of early
Oriental history.
88
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
CHAPTER IV.
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
1. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Cox, George W.-A General History of Greece from the Earliest
Period to the Death of Alexander the Great. With a Sketch
of the Subsequent History to the Present Time. 12mo, Lon-
don and New York, 1876.
One of the best of the smaller histories of Greece. The style
is unusually attractive, and the book is well supplied with maps
and tables. The volume is somewhat better adapted to the wants
of a general reader than to those of a special student. Perhaps
the most striking peculiarity of the work is the importance the
author attaches to mythology as a key to the characteristics of
early civilization. With the mythology of the Greeks as a guide,
he is confident that he can trace the sources of Grecian culture
to the earliest Aryan civilization. He even goes so far as to be-
lieve he can detect the circumstances which led the Ionians to
soften the exclusiveness of ancient society, and the Dorians to
keep it alive. In these theories he follows Curtius and rejects
Grote.
Cox, George W.-A History of Greece. Vols. i. and ii., 8vo, Lon-
don, 1874; new edition, 1879.
These volumes treat of the history of Greece to the end of the
Peloponnesian war. The author announces his intention to carry
the narrative in the third and fourth volumes down to the revolu-
tion that ended in the reign of King Otho.
The work has the merit of being written with rare literary
· HISTORIES OF GREECE.
89
skill, but it can hardly claim to be founded on any such thorough
Greek scholarship as that which characterizes the histories of
Grote, Curtius, and Thirlwall. On the contrary, it follows, for
the most part, the investigations of previous laborers in the same
field. The author attaches little importance to traditions, regard-
ing them generally as solar myths or etymological legends. He
therefore indulges in no confident portrayal of early Greek life.
Of all the histories of Greece, it is perhaps the one best calcu-
lated to interest the general reader. It is Grecian history made
easy through the charm of a delightful style. Though it lacks
the qualities of originality that give to the works of Curtius and
Grote their importance, it has the advantage of a greatly superior
literary workmanship.
Curtius, Ernst.—The History of Greece. Translated by A. W.
Ward. 5 vols., 12no, London and New York, 1871-74.
The author is probably more familiar with the climate, re-
sources, and physical characteristics of Greece than is any other
writer on Grecian history. As an archæological and historical
investigator, he travelled over and examined all parts of the Greek
peninsula. With classical literature he is also very familiar; and
he seems to have a special gift for the work of interpreting it.
These qualifications doubtless go far towards justifying a manner
of treating the subject which in a scholar of less general and
special information would have been very unsatisfactory. With-
out taking the time and space to indicate his authorities, the
author contents himself with advancing bis theories and indicat-
ing his conclusions. As he differs on many points from the high
authority of Grote, it would afford great satisfaction to the care-
ful student of Greek history to see the reasons for the author's
views. This absence of all references to authorities is the most
unsatisfactory feature of the work, though the explanation is that
the volumes were not so much intended for the use of scholars as
for the use of general readers.
In his treatment of political questions the author resembles
Thirlwall and Mitford more nearly than he resembles Grote. His
sympathies are monarchical, and, therefore, he attaches far less
90
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
importance than does Grote to the characteristics of self-govern-
ment as an inspiring influence. He also differs from Grote in re-
gard to the origin and movements of the early Hellenic races.
Former historians have found no connecting thread till after the
Dorian migrations. But Curtius, taking the myths as the foun-
dation, and bringing to his assistance the results of modern philo-
logical research, has built up a theory which he puts forward with
considerable confidence. He even goes so far as to describe the
manner in which, as he believes, the ancestors of the Ionians sep-
arated from the ancestors of the Dorians. The book is in every
way scholarly, and is entitled to careful attention.
Felton, C. C.-Greece, Ancient and Modern. Lectures delivered
before the Lowell Institute. 2 vols., 8vo, Boston, 1867; also
in 1 vol., 8vo, Boston, 1880.
These entertaining volumes consist of four courses of lectures,
prepared for audiences of the cultivated people of Boston. The
first course was entitled "The Greek Language and Poetry;" the
second, “The Life of Greece;" the third, “The Constitutions and
Orators of Greece;" and the fourth,“ Modern Greece.”
For the purposes of a general student who would get an insight
into the activities of Greek life and culture, these volumes are of
the first importance. The lectures not only give the results of
an ardent enthusiasm and a thorough scholarship, but they also
present their results with rare literary art. On the whole, they
give to the general reader perhaps the most satisfactory picture
of Greece we yet have. The object of the author was not criti-
cal inquiry, but a popular presentation of the subject.
On some points modern scholarship has somewhat changed its
position since these lectures were prepared. For example, on the
subject of the unity of Homer the author did not hesitate to say,
“No person of common-sense would ever suspect while reading the
Iliad or Odyssey a want of unity, coherence, or completeness.”
But, in spite of an occasional extravagance of this sort, the au-
thor's judgments are generally trustworthy, and his opinions are
entitled to the bighest respect.
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
91
Grote, George.--History of Greece. 12 vols., 12mo, New York,
1851–56. The American reprint of this great work embodies
the important revisions prepared by the author for the second
London edition. The changes in the third and fourth editions
were of very slight importance, though the best London edition
is the fourth, that of 1872, in 10 vols., 8vo.
No one of the great historical works produced in the course of
this century has received more general or more hearty commen-
dation than has the work of Grote. It possesses nearly every
quality of an historical work of the very highest order of merit.
In extent of learning, in variety of research, in power of combina-
tion, in familiarity with the byways as well as the highways of
Grecian literature, it leaves nothing whatever to be desired. Al-
most the only regret one feels in making use of this noble work
is that the author never acquired a mastery of an easy, correct,
and graceful English style. His sentences are often involved and
awkward, and sometimes obscure and ungrammatical. This, to
be sure, is a small drawback, when placed in comparison with the
great merits of the work; but it is sufficient to drive many read-
ers from its pages.
The work may with some propriety be called a constitutional
history. The author was a decided Liberal in politics; and in his
work he exerts a manifest effort to counteract the influence of
such historians as Mitford. One of the obvious motives of Grote
was to display the inspiring influence of political freedom on the
actions of human intelligence. In dealing with Athenian politi-
cal affairs, as distinguished from the affairs of other Grecian states,
he had the amplest of opportunities.
Like the chapters of Gibbon, cach of this author's chapters is
in some sense a monograph complete in itself. And some of
these chapters are among the most admirable specimens of histor-
ical work ever produced. The last volume closes with the loss of
Athenian liberty under Macedonian rule, at the period when the
history of Greece became merged in the history of surrounding
nations. For accounts of the Achaian League, therefore, the stu-
dent must rely on other authorities.
1
f
Mitford, William.—The History of Greece, from the Earliest Ac-
92
ID
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
counts to the Death of Philip, King of Macedon. No edition
before the seventh is to be recommended; as for that edition-
8 vols., 8vo, London, 1838—the work was thoroughly revised
and greatly improved.
As Grote's is the great Liberal history of Greece, so this is the
great Tory history of the same country. Before the appearance
of Thirlwall, it was the history most often consulted. In the
use of terse and cogent English, Mitford was superior to his suc-
cessors. He could praise tyrants and abuse liberty in a manner
that was sure to interest his readers; and even his constant par-
tialities and frequent exhibitions of anger give flavor to his narra-
tion. He hated the popular party of Athens, as he hated the
Whigs of England. These characteristics give spirit to a book
which, with all its labor and learning, is merely a huge party
pamphlet. Though it has had much influence in England, it is
no longer of any considerable importance.
Smith, William.--A History of Greece, from the Earliest Times
to the Roman Conquest. With Supplementary Chapters on
the History of Literature and Art. 12mo, New York; 8vo,
Boston, 1865. The Boston edition contains a chapter on Mod-
ern Greece that adds somewhat to the value of the work. In
the carefulness of its editing and proof-reading it is also su-
perior.
First published in 1854, this is still one of the best summaries
in our language of the ancient history of Greece for the use of
schools and colleges. It follows Grote as an authority, many of
its parts being chiefly an abridgment of that distinguished histo-
rian. To the general reader it will, perhaps, be found less inter-
esting than the work of Cox; but its conclusions are probably
quite as trustworthy, and, on that account, its intrinsic merits
are somewhat greater. The maps and illustrations are good and ·
abundant.
Thirlwall, Bishop Connop.-The History of Greece. Several edi-
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
93
tions, of which the best are those of London, 1845–52, and
1855, 8 vols., 8vo. The American edition in 2 vols. is a re-
print of one of the earlier London editions.
A work which, as a whole, is not perhaps to be compared fa-
vorably with that of Grote, but which still has some points of
great advantage. It shows learning, sagacity, and candor; but it
falls far short of Grote in that power of combination and gener-
alization which has made the later work so justly famous. The
English of Thirlwall is superior to that of Grote, although the
style of neither of them is entitled to very high praise.
Thirlwall's sympathies are aristocratic rather than democratic-
the exact opposite of the sympathies of Grote. The books, there-
fore, may well be read at the same time, in order that conflicting
views may be compared and weigbed. Another difference be-
tween the two works is that while Grote is especially strong on
the earlier history of Greece, Thirlwall is strong on the later his-
tory. Perhaps the best portion of Thirlwall's book is that which
relates to the age beginning with the period at which Grote ends.
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
Benjamin, S. G. W.--Troy, its Legend, History, and Literature.
With a Sketch of the Topography of the Troad in the Light
of Recent Investigation. With Map. 16mo, London and New
York, 1880.
This little volume is an attempt to tell the Trojan story in the
light of recent discoveries and explorations. The story is pleas-
antly narrated, and is perhaps as near the truth as any other ac-
count in our possession. As a preliminary, or as an accompani-
ment to the reading of the works of Homer, or of Dr. Schlie-
mann, the volume may be of some value. It must be remembered,
however, that it rests upon no very firm historical basis.
Müller, C. 0.—The History and Antiquities of the Doric Race.
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Translated from the German by Henry Tupnell and Geo. Corn-
wall Lewis. 2 vols., 8vo, Oxford, 1830.
On the appearance of this work it was greeted as one of the
most scholarly of modern time. It is still entitled to high praise,
though the archæological studies of the past twenty-five years
have shown that some of the author's positions are untenable.
His theories concerning the carly life of the Dorians are essen-
tially the opposite of those held by Curtius and, probably, by a
majority of modern scholars. The second volume is devoted to
the political institutions of the Dorians, and still retains its great
importance. The characteristics of the Spartan government and
society have nowhere been more satisfactorily presented, unless
it be in the recent work of Jannet.
Cox, George W.—The Greeks and the Persians. With Five
Colored Maps. 16mo, New York, 1876.
The design of this little volume is to give a history of that
great struggle between the despotism of the East and the free-
dom of the West, which came to an end in the final overthrow
of the Persians at Plataia and Mykalê. The aim of the author is
to show how much of the history and traditions is trustworthy,
rather than how much is to be set aside as untrue. It is a narra-
tive rather than a critical account, and is a clear exposition, not only
of the great conflict which it is the more especial object of the
volume to describe, but also of the political and military institu-
tions of the Persians and of the several Grecian states. The au-
thor's studies preliminary to his larger work had admirably fitted
him for the preparation of this. The style is clear and interest-
ing. The maps are admirable.
Cox, George W.-The Athenian Empire. With Five Maps. 18mo,
New York, 1877.
An account of Greek history from the rebuilding of the walls
of Athens at the close of the Persian invasions to the surrender
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
95
of the city at the end of the Peloponnesian war. The author
shows this period to have been one of struggle not only between
two cities, but also between two contending elements of society.
Opinions favorable to the extension of popular liberty were ar-
r'ayed against those desiring to establish the narrow and exclu-
sive power of an oligarchy. The success of Sparta is attributed
in great part to the fact that the Peloponnesians were powerfully
aided by members of the haughty Eupatrids in Athens. The
work is a reproduction, in more popular form, of much of the
second volume of the author's larger history.
Po
no establi Popular
Herodotus.--A New English Version. Edited, with Notes and
Essays, Historical, Ethnographical, and Geographical, by Canon
Rawlinson, Sir H. Rawlinson, and Sir J. G. Wilkinson. With
Maps and Wood-cuts. 4 vols., 8vo, London and New York,
1859.
This must be considered as by far the most valuable version of
the works of “The Father of History." The writings of the
anthor are illustrated by the editors from all the most recent
sources of information. Copious historical and ethnographical
results are embodied in the illustrative notes. The superior schol-
arship in Eastern history of Sir Henry Rawlinson and Sir J. G.
Wilkinson gives great importance to the essays furnished by these
gentlemen and published as an appendix.
The history of Herodotus was probably not written until near
the end of his life---it is certain that he had been collecting ma-
terials for it during many years. . There was scarcely a city of
importance in Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Persia, Arabia, or
Egypt that he had not visited and studied; and almost every
page of his work contains results of his personal inquiries and
observations. He visited the sites of all the great battles between
the Greeks and Persians; followed the line of Xerxes's march;
went to nearly all of the Greek islands; visited the tribes on the
Black Sea; went to Babylon, Ecbatana, and Susa; made excur-
sions into Arabia ; saw with his own eyes the wonders of Egypt;
travelled as far south as Elephantine, and as far west as Cyrene.
96
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
ill, the epic, intos of Greciaalse of the
The object of these extensive journeyings was to procure infor-
mation for his account of the struggles between the Greeks and
the Persians. It will be seen that he brought to his work certain
remarkable qualifications. His purpose was to sketch, in a man-
ner that would interest as well as instruct, the long struggle which
extended from the time of the first dispute in Asia Minor between
the colonists to the final repulse of the Persians and the perma-
nent establishment of Grecian authority. The history is a kind
of prose epic, into which the author has wrought, with remarkable
skill, the varied and interesting results of his inquiries and obser-
vations. It abounds in episodes and digressions; but these are
given in organic connection with the other parts in such a way
as not seriously to impair the unity of the whole. The work is
woven together in a style so charming as to give at least plausi-
bility to the story of Lucian that when the author, in his old
age, recited his history at Olympia, the youthful Thucydides was
moved to tears, and the assembled Greeks, in their enthusiasm,
gave to the books of the history the names of the pine muses.
As an authority, the work of Herodotus must be used with
discretion. Care must be taken to discriminate between what
came under the author's own observation and what he relates as
having been received from others. The stories related to him
by priests are to be received as of little or no historical value.
But recent researches in the East have tended to confirm the au-
thority of the author in all matters that came under his personal
observation. Many things laughed at for centuries as impossible
are now found to have been described in strict accordance with
truth. As a narrator of his own observations, he is now seen to
have been a model of truthfulness and accuracy.
Xenophon.—The Whole Works of. Translated by Ashley Coo-
per, Spelman, Smith, Fielding, and others. Large 8vo, New
York, 1861. Also translated by J. S. Watson and H. Dale. 2
vols., crown 8vo, London and New York, 1857. Of these trans-
lations, the former is more complete and elegant; the latter
more literal and scholarly.
. Xenophon is doubtless entitled to high praise as a writer of
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
97
simple, clear, and unaffected style. His numerous histories are
to be regarded as remarkable for their literary qualities, however,
rather than for their great historical merits. His mind was not
adapted to the deepest insight into political affairs, and therefore
his work is not for a moment to be compared with that of Thu-
cydides. The “Anabasis ” and the “ Hellenica ” are the works
of greatest importance from an historical and literary point of
view. The “Cyropædia” is a political romance, of no historical
value whatever. The author's purpose in this, as in several of his
other works, seems to have been to represent what a state might
be, and ought to be, in contrast with the actual turbulent condi-
tion of Athens. It is evident that he preferred the aristocratical
institutions of Sparta to the more democratic methods of Attica.
Even the “Cyropædia,” though of no historical consequence, is of
some importance as showing the political opinions of an intelli-
gent observer. Throughout his works Xenophon shows that he
had no faith whatever in the extreme tendencies to absolute de-
mocracy that prevailed at Athens.
Thucydides.—The History of the Peloponnesian War. A New
and Literal Version, from the Text of Arnold, collated with
Bekker, Göller, and Poppo, by the Rev. Henry Dale. Crown
8vo, London and New York, 1855. Also translated into Eng-
lish, with Introduction, Marginal Analysis, Notes, and Index, by
B. Jowett. 2 vols., 8vo, London and New York, 1881. Of
Jowett's work the first volume contains the translation; the
second, the Notes, Essays, and Dissertations.
By all critics in all ages this has been considered one of the
most remarkable pieces of historical composition ever produced.
It is no exaggeration to say that the author has given us a
more exact and a more complete history of a long and eventful
period than we have of any modern period of equal length and
importance. From beginning to end, the work shows the most
scrupulous care in the collection of facts, and the utmost exact-
ness in statements of chronology. Occasionally the author has a
chapter of political and moral observations, showing the keenest
perception and the deepest insight into human nature. He sel-
98
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
don pauses to make reflections in the course of his narrative. He
relates his facts in the fewest possible words, without parade of
ornament or of personal impression. Some of the events he de-
scribes he himself witnessed, others he became acquainted with
through the most painstaking, and often difficult, investigations.
But throughout the whole work there is the moderation and self-
restraint that evinces a great mind and a lofty purpose. It is
said that Macaulay read the work oftener than any other histori-
cal production, and was accustomed to say that though he might
sometimes hope to rival any other work with which he was ac-
quainted, he could never hope to rival the seventh book of Thu-
cydides.
Plutarch's Lives.---Translated from the Original Greek, with
Notes, Historical and Critical, and a Life of Plutarch, by John
Langhorne and William Langhorne. There are many editions,
one of the best being that of London, 6 vols., 8vo, 1819; re-
published in America in one large 8vo volume. The transla-
tion known as Dryden's, though really made by other persons,
was, not long since, carefully revised and edited by Arthur
Hugh Clough, and is, on the whole, preferable to Langhorne's
version. This edition is republished in Boston, 5 vols., 8vo,
1875; also in 1 vol., large 8vo.
This writer, one of the most celebrated of antiquity, lived in the
first century of our era. The work that has immortalized his
name, and made him a favorite with wise men and promising
youth, is the lives of forty-six Greeks and Romans. These lives
he wrote in pairs, portraying one Greek and one Roman, and then
drawing a comparison between them.
The author has often been criticised for his peculiarities of
style, for some mistakes in antiquities, and for an apparent par-
tiality for the Greeks. But whatever criticisms of a minor nature
may be made, it is still true that Plutarch's Lives are among the
most delightful sketches ever written. As an ultimate and con-
clusive authority they cannot be accepted. But they are able to
inspire, to charın, and to instruct. They take the reader into the
heroic stir of Roman and Grecian life. They do more than that;
they raise the Greek and Roman heroes from the dead, and clothe
them again with flesh and blood.
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
99
Lloyd, William Watkiss.—The Age of Pericles. A History of
the Politics and Arts of Greece, from the Persian to the Pelo-
ponnesian War. 2 vols., 8vo, London and New York, 1875.
A work that endeavors to give a broader view of Greek life and
culture than had before been given by any English author. It
aims to represent the Greek mind, not only in its political, but
also in its artistic activity. The nature of the book may be cor-
rectly inferred from the following titles of chapters: “Athenian
Democracy as Administered by Pericles;" “Poetry, Lyric and
Dramatic, in the Age of Themistocles ;" “Painting, Rudimentary
and Advanced ;” “Music in the Age of Pericles.” To this breadth
of method the author has brought thoughtful and scholarly re-
search, and a judgment usually sound. Unfortunately, the merits
of the book are in some measure counterbalanced by one serious
drawback. The author does not add to the abundance of his
good and strong qualities the graces of a literary artist. In his
preface be gives expression to his contempt for “writers only on
the lookout for opportunities to be smart, in the first place, and,
in the second, picturesque;" and this clause, both by its sentiment
and by its awkward method, conveys a correct intimation of the
author's entire lack of appreciation of a good English style. His
modes of expression are so awkward that the reader often finds
his attention put to a severe strain to understand his meaning.
Long sentences sometimes appear to have been transferred from
serious drawback must limit the use of what is, nevertheless, a
very useful and excellent book.
Schäfer, Arnold.-Demosthenes und seine Zeit. 2 vols., 8vo,
Leipzig, 1856.
A very scholarly work, that gives an admirable representation of
independence and the establishment of Macedonian ascendency.
The book, on its publication, immediately took rank among works
of the first importance on Grecian history, and time has not dimin-
ished its reputation. The great part played by the greatest of
100
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
orators has nowhere else been so well described. Another valua-
ble feature of the work is the representation it gives of the fatal
malady of the Greeks: namely, the jealousies of the several states,
and the impossibility of uniting them, even for the purposes of
defence.
TY
Curteis, Arthur M.-Rise of the Macedonian Empire. With
Eight Maps. 16mo, New York, 1878.
* A rapid but a clear and graphic picture of Macedonian power
from its earliest development to the death of Alexander the Great.
The special quality of the book is to be found in its judicious
omission of encumbering details and its agreeable admixture of
narrative and comment. While it is a book of facts, it is also a
book of ideas. The most important events are described in such
a way as to convey a clear impression of their peculiar signifi-
cance and importance. At the beginning is a short but sugges-
tive chapter on the influence of geographical peculiarities on
the character of Grecian history. It is by far the best short
history of Alexander we have.
Droysen, Joh. Gust.-Geschichte des Hellenismus. Erster Theil :
Geschichte Alexanders des Grossen. Zweiter Theil: Geschichte
der Diadochen. Dritter Theil : Geschichte der Epignoten.
Zweite Auflage. 6 vols., 8vo, Gotha, 1877–78. The second
edition contains corrections and additions of great importance.
The first edition of this work was published as early as 1836,
and did much to establish that reputation which the author has
now for many years enjoyed. Its importance was at once uni-
versally acknowledged. Though it was the production of a very
young scholar, it was seen to be the best history of the period of
Alexander the Great.
The first two volumes describe the growth of Macedonian pow-
er up to the time of the death of Alexander. This is perhaps
the most important portion of the work; but the remaining vol-
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
101
umes are not without value, as they describe a period which, at
the hands of most historians, has received very inadequate treat-
ment. The work, as a whole, may be regarded as the best history
we have of the century following the advent of Alexander.
Polybius—The General History of. Translated from the Greek
by Mr. Hampton. Fifth edition, 2 vols., 8vo, Oxford, 1823.
Beyond question, the writings of Polybius are among the most
important that have come down to us from antiquity. Not many
historical works, either ancient or modern, have more numerous
or more striking excellences. He not only records, with great
accuracy and precision, his impressions of what he describes, but
he shows that he had studied the social, constitutional, and politi-
cal institutions of the Greeks and Romans with great care. In
his methods there are some striking peculiarities. He wrote with
a manifest contempt for rhetorical graces, evidently striving to
impart instruction rather than entertainment. He shows also an
almost entire absence of imagination; and this peculiarity is the
most conspicuous weakness of his writings. Originally the his-
tory consisted of forty books, covering the whole of the period
from B.C. 220 to B.C. 146. It was divided into two parts, the
first having for its object the work of showing how it was that in
the short period of fifty-three years the Romans had succeeded in
conquering the greater part of the world; and the second, the
work of describing the important events between the conquest of
Perseus and the fall of Corinth. A considerable part, however,
has been lost, though the portions we still have throw invaluable
light on the second and third Punic wars and on the Achaian
League. Much of Livy's account of the wars with Carthage is
but a literal translation from the Greek. Polybius himself was
actively engaged in many of the scenes he describes. He was
seventeen years in Italy, and was with Scipio at the destruction
of Carthage. Though the work of Polybius is quite as impor-
tant an authority in Roman as in Grecian history, it is, neverthe-
less, of the greatest value in the study of Greek confederations,
from the Macedonian supremacy to the fall of Corinth.
102
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Freeman, Edward A.-History of Federal Government, from the
Foundation of the Achaian League to the Dissolution of the
United States. Vol. I. General Introduction, and History of
Greek Federations. 8vo, London, 1863.
Whether the learned author despairs of being able to complete
the formidable task announced in this title, we are left to conject-
ure. It is only certain that he has not yet published more than
the first volume of the series.
For this fragment, however, every student of Grecian history
and every student of political institutions should be grateful. It
is devoted to a period subsequent to those dealt with by Grote;
but the events it describes were among the most important in
Grecian history. The relations of the states to one another and
the forms and characteristics of the several confederated govern-
ments are expounded with the author's well-known powers of in-
sight and generalization. The American student of the work will
find it one of absorbing interest, and will often be surprised by the
striking similarities between certain features of federal government
in Greece and certain features of federal government in the United
States of America.
Finlay, George.—A History of Greece, from the Conquest by the
Romans to the Present Time. Edited by H. F. Tozer. Re-
vised edition, 7 vols., 8vo, Oxford, 1877.
This is a new and improved edition of a work on the Byzan-
tine Empire and Greece, the several volumes of which appeared
under separate titles as they were completed. The edition of
1877 received the careful revisions of the author, and has been
edited by a competent and judicious band.
It is no empty compliment to compare this work with that of the
historian of the “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." While
some of the qualifications of Gibbon are notably absent, others
that Gibbon did not possess are conspicuously present. The au-
thor carried on his investigations in the very heart of the country
whose turbulent vicissitudes he describes. Spending a large por-
tion of his life in his library, immediately beneath the Acropolis,
he had the good fortune not only to complete his great work, but
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
103
also to subject it to such careful revision as the criticism of recent
scholarship had made necessary.
The most prominent characteristics of the work are learning,
accuracy, and fidelity. In addition, it may be said that the au-
thor is severely critical. He is inclined to desponding views of
those about him. This shows itself not only in the severity of
his criticisms of Greek statesmen, but also in his judgments of
English ministers who have had to deal with Greek affairs. He
finds it not difficult to criticise the policy of Lord John Russell,
or even that of Mr. Gladstone. He says of his book that "it has
been its melancholy task to record the errors and the crimes of
those who governed Greece, much oftener than their merits or
virtues.”
The last two volumes are devoted to a history of the Greek
Revolution, and of Grecian affairs during the last twenty years.
As a help to those who would become acquainted with the history
of the East, these learned and eloquent volumes have no equals.
They are worthy to stand by the side of those of Grote.
III. HISTORIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PROGRESS.
Blümner, Hugo.— Technologie und Terminologie der Gewerbe
und Künste bei Griechen und Römern. 2 vols., 8vo, Leipzig,
1875–77.
The first effort that has been made to give a full and compre-
hensive account of what it is possible to know of the industries
of the Greeks and Romans. The volumes have about a hundred
and fifty illustrations. Each subject is treated both descriptively
and historically. The author has made constant use of original
authorities, and these appear to have been studied with conscien-
tious diligence and thoroughness. The book is by no means
equal to the work of Boeckh or to that of Guhl and Koner; but
it throws light on several subjects not elsewhere so well treated..
Boeckh, Augustus.— The Public Economy of the Athenians; with
104
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
.
Notes and a Copious Index. Translated from the second Ger-
man edition by Anthony Lamb. 8vo, Boston, 1857.
The author of this remarkable book was for many years recog-
nized throughout the world as the foremost living scholar in
Greek antiquities. He has here brought together the results of
all his investigations and thoughts; and though many books on
Grecian antiquities have since appeared, the importance of that of
Boeckh has not been diminished. It is essentially a financial his-
tory. “Interest,” “ Public and Private Revenues," “ Public Build-
ings," “ Fleets,” “Markets," " Mines,” “General Expenses, Public
and Private, in Peace and in War,” are some of the subjects
brought under treatment. Every nook and corner of Greek liter-
ature was ransacked for contributions to the work. The result is
a book which investigators find indispensable, and which every
student of Grecian affairs will find as interesting for its methods
as it is remarkable for its scholarship.
Coulanges, Fustel de.—The Ancient City. A Study on the Re-
ligion, Laws, and Institutions of Greece and Rome. Translated
from the latest French edition by Willard Small. 12mo, Bos-
ton, 1874.
Whatever is written by Coulanges is worthy of the student's
most thoughtful attention. He possesses the rare gift of uniting
a very profound and broad scholarship with a spirited and enter-
taining literary style. Any one at all interested in Greek and Ro-
man institutions will be enticed by a glance at the table of con-
tents, and will not be disappointed when he puts the body of the
work to the test of perusal. .
In no other book has the organization of the ancient family
been so briefly and clearly described ; and nowhere else have the
peculiarities of the Greek and Roman religious systems been so
well presented. It will be a favorite book with every scholar that
possesses it.
Geddes, William D.-The Problem of the Homeric Poems. 8vo,
London, 18.78.
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
105
A successful attempt to bring within reasonable compass the
arguments for and against the unity of the Homeric poems. The
volume is perhaps the most satisfactory discussion of the subject
accessible to the English reader. The author studied the question
from every point of view, and without any preconceived theory
arrived at substantially the same conclusion as that reached by
Grote-viz., that the composite structure of the Iliad is the only
theory that is tenable.
Gladstone, W.E. - Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age.
3 vols., 8vo, Oxford, 1858.
One would suppose, in looking over these volumes, that the dis-
tinguished premier had abandoned the arts of statesmanship for
the vocation of a professor of Greek. From the beginning to the
end of these three huge octavos, the author's familiarity with the
most minute details of Greek learning is curiously obvious. To
the historical student the third volume is the only one to be of
especial interest. Of this volume the first chapter, that on the
Politics of the Homeric Age, will amply reward the student's ex-
amination. In other respects the work is chiefly technical.
Göll, Hermann.—Kulturbilder aus Hellas und Rom. Zweite, be-
richtigte und vermehrte Auflage. 3 vols., 12mo, Leipzig,
1869–72.
These admirable little volumes were designed to take the reader
into the life and stir of the Greeks and Romans. They are es-
pecially adapted to the wants of college and university students.
The plan and scope of the work is well indicated by the titles of
a few of the chapters. “Popular Education;" "Professors and
Students under the Roman Empire ;" “Travelling in Antiquity;">
“Physicians;" "The Police;" “The Greek and Roman Dress ;"
“The Book Trade;" “The Social Position of Women ;” “ Wine
and Beer;" are the titles of some of the chapters. The pages
are not encuìbered with references to original authorities, al-
though they everywhere bear evidence of having been prepared
'with great care. The several chapters are to be regarded as de-
106
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
scriptive rather than critical, and therefore may be read with profit
as well as interest by every miaster of easy German.
Guhl, E., and Koner, W.- The Life of the Greeks and Romans,
described from Antique Monuments. Translated from the third
German edition by F. Hueffer. With five hundred and forty-
three Illustrations. 8vo, London and New York, 1877.
The result of careful and unwearied research in every nook and
cranny of ancient learning. Nowhere else can the student find
so many facts in illustration of Greek and Roman methods and
manners. Any one in the least desirous of becoming acquainted
with the ways of antique life will find that this work is as inter-
esting as it is informing. The illustrations are admirable, and
the book is made easy of use by a good index.
Jannet, Claudio.—Les Institutions Sociales et le Droit Civil à
Sparte. Deuxième édition. 8vo, Paris, 1880.
The first edition of this monograph was published in 1873, and
was received with general favor. In preparing the revised form
here published, the author took advantage not only of the reviews
and criticisms to which the work had been subjected, but also of
such other studies on the subject as had appeared in France and
Germany. It is now probably the best account we have of the
social institutions of Sparta. It deals, first, with the division into
classes, then with the distribution of lands, the peculiarities of the
constitution, the transformation of the constitution, and, finally,
with the struggle between the rich and the poor. The work
throughout rests on the basis of original authorities and of the
most advanced modern criticism.
Mahaffy, J. P.-A History of Greek Literature. 2 vols., 12mo,
London and New York, 1880.
We here find the same excellent characteristics as in the author's
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
107
other works. From beginning to end it has the flavor of the
open field and of fresh breezes. It is somewhat more descriptive
and less critical than the work of Müller and Donaldson, doubt-
less for the reason that it is designed for a less mature class of
scholars. But though the author has written for pupils in the
schools, he compliments the robust scholarship of young England
and Ireland by giving the illustrative quotations exclusively in the
original Greek. Mr. Mahaffy, in common with a large number
of modern German scholars, has abandoned the belief in the unity
of Homer. In support of his position on this point he has intro-
duced as an appendix to his first volume an essay by Professor
Sayce, who presents with great cogency the reasons that have led a
very large number of modern critics to give up the doctrine of
unity. The essayist says that “a close examination of Homer
shows that it is a mosaic," and that “in its present form it can-
not be earlier than the seventh century before the Christian
era.”
The first volume is devoted to the poets; the second, to the
writers of prose. It is furnished with a full index.
Mahaffy, J. P.-Social Life in Greece, from Homer to Menander.
12mo, London, 1874. Third edition, revised and enlarged, 8vo,
London, 1879.
A very interesting and successful attempt to portray the every-
day life of the Greeks. The author visits them in their homes,
in their temples, in their assemblies, and on their journeys. Every
person in the least interested in the characteristics of ancient life
and manners will read the book with profit and delight. It is as
interesting as it is scholarly.
Mahaffy, J.P.Rambles and Studies in Greece. Second edition,
revised and enlarged, 12mo, London, 1876.
A delightful little book by one who is no enthusiast about the
Greeks, ancient or: modern, but who thinks that while the whole
108
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
world is busying itself about the Slavs and Bulgars, the modern
Greeks have failed to receive their due share of attention. The
author is a Greek scholar, whose sympathies run to Greek litera-
ture and life rather than to Greek philology. He rambles into
different parts of Hellas, and records with rare literary art the
result of his observations and impressions. While the book has
largely to do with modern life, it never loses the delightful aroma
of an antique scholarship.
Müller, K. O., and Donaldson, J. W.-A History of the Litera-
ture of Ancient Greece. 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1858.
For most students this will be found to be one of the most com-
plete and satisfactory accounts of Greek literature. It is much less
exhaustive in its treatment of the earliest period than is the great
work of Colonel Mure; but it has the advantage of covering a
much longer period of time. In matters of literary judgment,
moreover, it is probably quite as trustworthy as the larger work.
The concluding chapters are devoted to. Greek literature during
the Middle Ages, and the work closes with the taking of Con-
stantinople by the Turks.
Mure, William.-A Critical History of the Language and Lit-
erature of Ancient Greece. 5 vols., 8vo, London, 2d ed.,
1854-57.
This great work of Colonel Mure was the result of a long, ear-
nest, and thorough study, as well as of a profound admiration of
the noble literature of which it treats. The volumes are addressed
principally to the classical scholar. They occupy ground which
had scarcely been trodden by any English predecessor, and there-
fore at once on their publication they were felt to supply a seri-
ous want. They are the scholar's history. To the general reader
they will probably be somewhat tiresome, on account of the ex-
ceeding fulness with which each author is treated. The five vol-
umes bring the history down only to the death of Xenophon.
On some points the author's judgments have not met with gen-
eral favor from scholars; but these are exceptional cases, and the
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
109
great value of the work, as a whole, has been everywhere ac-
knowledged.
Overbeck, J.-Geschichte der griechischen Plastik. Mit Illustra-
tionen. New edition. 4 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1880.
For more than twenty years this work has been the highest
authority on the plastic arts of Greece. It is the production of
a specialist, and is much more elaborate than the books of Lübke
and Winckelmann. In matters of Grecian sculpture, therefore,
it is to be regarded as of the greatest importance. The latest
edition is much to be preferred, as it is purged of previous er-
rors, and is fortified by references to the results of recent ex-
plorations and discoveries.
Schömann, G. F.-The Antiquities of Greece. Translated from
the German by E. G. Hardy and J. S. Mann. 8vo, London,
1880.
The work of Schömann, of which the first volume is now pub-
lished in translation, is in Germany one of a series of manuals de-
signed to spread among a wider circle a vivid knowledge of an-
tiquity. The book was designed for a class of educated readers
who have not made a special investigation into the characteristics
of the ancient world. The present volume, entitled “The State,"
is to be followed by a second on “The Greek States in their Re-
lations with one Another,” and “The Religious System of
Greece.” The work, it will be seen from the title, is chiefly po-
litical in its character; and, as such, it occupies a distinctive
place among books on Grecian antiquities. While Boeckh deals
chiefly with financial questions, and Guhl and Koner with social
ones, Schömann discusses with similar insight and thoroughness
the affairs of politics. Nowhere else is there to be found so good
an account of the political assemblies, and of their significance in
the life of the State. The work is written in a scholarly and at-
tractive style, and the translation is excellent.
110
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Schömann, G. F.-Athenian Constitutional History. Translated
by B. Bosanquet. 8vo, London, 1878.
Especially valuable as a critical examination of the various au-
thorities on the subject of which it treats. The most important
of these authorities is the great English history of Grote. With
occasionally appears to be successful in his attempts to overthrow
them.
By far the most interesting, and probably the most valuable,
part of the work is that in which he discusses the reforms of Solon,
Cleisthenes, and Pericles. On these reforms, like most of the Ger-
man authorities, he joins issue with Grote. Schömann argues his
cause with great force, and all who are familiar with the recent
researches into the characteristics of primitive society must admit
that, aside from positive evidence, his view seems the more prob-
able. The translation of the work is unusually good.
Winckelmann, John.--The History of Ancient Art. Translated
Boston, 1880.
Winckelmann was doubtless the most skilful and delightful
connoisseur of ancient art that has ever written. It is more than
three fourths of a century since the original of the work was pre-
pared; but these volumes are by no means yet superannuated.
The numerous illustrations are exquisite, and, what is remarkable,
are far better in the translation than in the original. The au-
thor's spirit may be gathered from his canon of criticism: “Seek
not to detect deficiencies and imperfections until you have learn-
ed to recognize and discover beauties.”
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
111
.
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. Perhaps the most interesting work in our language on Grecian
history is Felton's “ Ancient and Modern Greece.” Smith's “Stu-
dent's History” and Cox's “General History” are excellent books
for a summary of the growth of Greek civilization and power.
The political life of Greece is best described by Schömann; the
social life by Mahaffy; and the literary life either by Mahaffy
or by Müller and Donaldson. Chapters from Grote's “ History,"
selected according to need or taste, may be read with great
profit. The series of works under the title of "Epochs of An-
cient History” is worthy of high commendation, especially for
the general reader. The volumes, read in the order of the events
they respectively describe, would form one of the best short
courses.
2. Grote should be the basis of study for a longer course. On
the earlier periods the bold theories of Curtius and the profound
learning of Müller should not be neglected. The much disputed
Homeric Question is expounded in Geddes's “Homeric Question,"
where the subject, from opposite points of view, is fairly present-
ed. In Mabaffy's “Greek Literature” is also a valuable paper
on the same theme. Gladstone's “Homer" advocates the theory
of Homeric unity; and the same author's “Juventus Mundi” aims
to show the conditions of life in Homeric days. Lloyd's “ Age
of Pericles” is the best monograph on Greece at its most brilliant
period. Bulwer's “Rise and Fall of Athens" is a descriptive
work, showing many of the author's best characteristics. Holm's
“Geschichte Siciliens im Alterthum” is the most important au-
thority on the condition of Sicily under Greek rule and in-
fluence. Schäfer's “Demosthenes," for one who commands Ger-
man, is an invaluable portrayal of Grecian difficulties in the pe-
riod of decline. Droysen's “Hellenismus” is also of the first
importance. Freeman's “Greek Federations” is a very scholarly
and a very interesting portrayal of the efforts made to bind the
several states into a single nationality, and of the difficulties that
beset these efforts. For an American scholar it is one of the
best of books. For the subsequent history of Greece Finlay has
no equal, and, indeed, no rival. The last half of Duncker's
112
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
“History of Antiquity” is a History of Greece of acknowledged
excellence.
3. “Plutarch's Lives ” are a wonderful source of inspiration for
bright boys, though somewhat too heroic and exaggerated for
mature scholars. Landor's “Imaginary Conversations” have a
delightful flavor of antique and refined scholarship. Especially to
be commended is the volume on “Pericles and Aspasia.” As
works of reference, Smith's “Classical Dictionary," and the same
author's “Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities," either in
the larger or in the abridged form, are of supreme value. On
social life in Greece, Mahaffy is the most readable book; but
Guhl and Koner's is the great work of reference. The religion of
the Greeks is well treated in Clarke's “Ten Great Religions,” in
Max Müller's “Chips," and best of all in Coulanges's “ Ancient
City." Cox's "Mythology” is the latest and best English author-
ity, though Bulfinch's "Age of Fable” is designed for more pop-
ular use. In the North American Review for July, 1869, is a
valuable discussion of the relations of the religion of ancient
Greece to her mythology. On Grecian art, Winckelmann and
Overbeck are the great authorities; but Müller's " Ancient Art
and its Remains," and Taine's “Art in Greece," are better adapt-
ed to the wants of the general reader. In the Atlantic Monthly
for June and July, 1861, are two interesting and suggestive papers,
by Henry Van Brunt, on “Greek Lines." Grecian landscape has
been treated with characteristic force by Ruskin in vol. iii. of his
“Modern Painters.” Woltmann and Woermann's “History of
Painting" deals with Grecian painting in a most fresh and satis-
factory manner. Schlegel's “Dramatic Literature" presents an
admirable review of the Greek dramatists, and gives, especially in
its account of Aristophanes, some very striking comments on the
comic poets as sources of historic information. Jebb's “Attic
Orators” is a scholarly but somewhat technical work. Macaulay's
essay on the Athenian Orators is in the anthor's enthusiastic
vein. Brougham's paper on Demosthenes is plainly the work of
a genius; but it is exceedingly immature and uncritical, and is a
good illustration of Brougham’s habit of talking like an authority
on subjects of which he knew comparatively little. The essay on
Demosthenes in Legaré's collected writings is vastly better, and
is, perhaps, the most brilliant and scholarly summary in our lan-
HISTORIES OF GREECE.
113
guage of the great orator's work. In Mill's “Dissertations” is to
be found a suggestive review of Grote. The physical character-
istics of Greece are delightfully shown in Mabaffy's “Rambles”
and in Christopher Coleridge's finely illustrated work. Still more
minute information may be gained from Barthélemy's “Ana-
charsis," a book of imaginary travels in the ripest days of Greek
civilization. The great original authority on the subject is Pau-
sanias, whose travels and observations were translated into English,
and published in three volumes in London in 1824. Becker's
“Charicles” is a dull novel, designed to present the fruits of
Greek scholarship in a form that would least tax the powers of
the reader. On all financial matters Boeckh is not only the great
authority, but is a marvel of comprehensive scholarship.. Wachs-
muth's “Antiquities of Greece" and Hermann's “Political An-
tiquities” have each been translated into English, and were pub-
lished in Oxford in the early part of this century. When they
appeared, they were of the first importance; but at the present
time they are somewhat antiquated. Life among the Alexandrian
Greeks is portrayed in a very striking manner by Kingsley in his
norel of “Hypatia.” Blackie's “Horæ Hellenicæ," published in
1874; Abbott's “Hellenica," published in 1880; and Newton's
“Art and Archäology,” also published in 1880, are each volumes
of interesting and valuable discussions of subjects on Greek po-
etry, philosophy, history, archæology, art, and religion. Schlie-
mann's "Troy and its Remains," London and New York, 1875;
“Mycenæ,” London and New York, 1878; and “Ilios,” London
and New York, 1880, are illustrated octavo volumes, describing
the results of the recent discoveries by the author.
114
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
CHAPTER V.
HISTORIES OF ROME.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Ampère, J.J.--Histoire Romaine à Rome. 3 vols., 8vo, 4e éd.,
Paris, 1871.
An attempt to reconstruct Roman history from Roman monu-
ments. The result is therefore largely conjectural, and not by
any means conclusive. The main argument is fallacious. The
author appears to hold that Romulus and Remus and their succes-
sors, as far as to the younger Tarquin, were historical characters,
because the works which historical tradition attributes to them
were standing at the beginning of historical times. A fatal ob-
jection to this position, as an argument, is the simple fact that the
very existence of the monuments called for some explanation, and
that the necessity thus existing may have been the origin of the
traditions concerning the kings. To the period of the king's the
author has devoted the first balf of the whole work. It is chiefly
valuable as a somewhat interesting, but not very convincing, effort
of literary ingenuity.
Duruy, Victor.—Histoire des Romains depuis les temps les plus
reculés jusqu'à l'Invasion des Barbares. Nouvelle édition, re-
vue, augmentée et enrichée d'après 2500 gravures désignées
d'après l'antique et de 100 cartes ou plans. Vols. i. and ii.,
Thick 4to, Paris, 1879–80.
This sumptuous work, of which the first volume brings the his-
tory to the close of the Second Punic War, and the second to the
First Triumvirate, is designed to collect under one title and within
moderate space the established results of the most recent research.
HISTORIES OF ROME.
115
The first hundred and fifty pages are devoted to an attempt to
give a description of Italy before the establishment of Roman
power. Though this effort is largely speculative, the author has
obviously endeavored to keep within the spirit of legitimate his-
torical methods. The book is adorned with a vast array of well-
selected and well-executed illustrations.
Duruy, for many years the Minister of Instruction in France,
was a devoted historical scholar, and of his many books this one,
though not the most important, is the most elaborate and com-
plete. It is founded very largely on original research, or at least
on the immediate results of such research; but it is very attrac-
tive in form, and is well adapted to the wants of such general read-
ers as command French. As a popular history of Rome, the
work, in the present edition—a great improvement on the former
one-has no superior, and perhaps no equal.
Dyer, Thomas H.-A History of Rome, its Structures and its Mon-
uments, from the Foundation to the End of the Middle Ages.
8vo, London, 1865.
A history that is archæological rather than political. It is a
guide to the study of Roman antiquities rather than to the study
of Roman institutions. The author is exceedingly credulous in
regard to the definiteness of early Roman history, and accordingly
he criticises with considerable severity the scepticism of writers
like Niebuhr and Sir George C. Lewis. But as soon as his work
reaches what may be called historic times his methods become
judicious and trustworthy. He skilfully breaks up his material
into masses, and he carries the student over each of the periods
from the time of the development of the Republic to the final ex-
tinction of the Western Empire. Except in his treatment of the
earliest history, he shows sagacity, research, and good judgment.
English edition.
3
Ihne, William.—The History of Rome.
vols., 8vo, London, 1871-77.
This history differs in one important respect from all other
116
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
histories of Rome in our language. The writer, simply sitting in
the capacity of a judge, examines all the evidence and sifts it,
shows the reader what is fact and what is conjecture, and then
leaves him to form bis own judgment.
There is much to be said in favor of this method of studying
the early history of Rome. Before the time of Pyrrbus the facts
of Roman bistory are not attested by a single contemporary
writer. They had been shaped and reshaped in the interests of
various patrician families until they were an inextricable confu-
sion of inconsistencies and contradictions. Niebuhr, Arnold, and
Mommsen have each endeavored to construct a history out of
these materials, but at best the results of their labors stand upon
a foundation of nothing but ingenious inference and conjecture.
Ihne, on the contrary, has adopted the method of laying before
the reader simply the facts, bringing out with clearness those cir-
cumstances which have adequate proof, but refusing steadily to
build on mere hypothesis. He never indulges in special pleading.
The result is that on the early history of Rome no more satisfac-
tory study has ever been made. The great merits of the work
are also scarcely less apparent when the author comes to the con-
sideration of questions to be investigated in the light of what
may more strictly be called original evidence.
As the book maintains in all its parts a strictly judicial atti-
tude, it is far less entertaining than the brilliant advocacy of
Mommsen; but for this very reason it is to be held as a safer
authority, and it is far more likely to establish a firm and en-
lightened conviction in the mind of the reader. The followers of .
Ihne will not be swept along by any undue enthusiasm, but they
will at all times feel that they are in the hands of a safe guide.
The political morality of the author is also of a higher tone
than that of Mommsen. After picturing in a masterly way the
manner in which the Romans destroyed Carthage, Ihne character-
izes the course of the conquerors by saying that “it was the most
shameful and fiendish perfidy of which any nation was ever the
victim.” Mommsen, on the other hand, describes the destruction
of the city as a just punishment, because the Carthaginians had
“tried to deceive their enemies in true Phænician style."
One of the best portions of Ihne's work is that part of the
third volume in which he describes the various conflicts after the
HISTORIES OF ROME.
117
Punic wars by which the Romans gained control of the whole of
the Mediterranean. He presents in a powerful light also the be-
setting weakness of the Greeks—"an abuse of power, and a dis-
regard for the rights of others."
The general purpose of the author cannot but command the re-
spect of every scholar. Still, in its execution it is not quite satis-
factory. For the specialist the references are not sufficiently nu-
merous to allow of verification, and for the general reader the
discussions are sometimes, too abstruse to be of interest. The
consequence is that it does not quite supply the needs of either
the one class of readers or the other, since the specialist wants
to inspect every proof, and the general reader desires to be told
what he is to believe. For these reasons the book, with all its
great merits, probably never can be a very popular one. .
The English version, though prepared by the author himself,
would have done no discredit to an English scholar.
Leighton, R. F.—A History of Rome. Amply Illustrated with
Maps, Plans, and Engravings. 12mo, New York, 1879.
The most satisfactory of the numerous small histories of Rome.
It was prepared by a scholar who is familiar with the results of
recent German researches, and who has made judicious use of
these results in the preparation of his work. Though the volume
was intended primarily for the use of schools, it will be found
more interesting to the general reader than any of the other small
volumes on the subject. As a bird's-eye view of the growth and
development of Roman greatness, it has no superior. The maps
and illustrations are of unusual excellence. .
Liddell, Henry G.-A History of Rome, from the Earliest Times
to the Establishment of the Empire. With Chapters on the
History of Literature and Art. Illustrated with numerous
Maps and Wood-cuts. 12mo, London,1856; New York, 1857.
A book as full of facts as an egg is of meat.
It is liable, there-
118
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
fore, to be considered hard and dry. The author was a careful
scholar, to whom the exact nature of facts in themselves was a
matter of great importance. The relations of facts to one anoth-
er, and the exact connection of cause and effect, were not so high-
ly appreciated. These somewhat detracting characteristics are all
that can properly be said against the work. It is a storehouse of
accurate information; but its pages are so full and compact that,
except under the guidance of a most judicious instructor, they are
liable to discourage rather than inspire.
Livy, T.—The History of Rome. Translated from the Original,
with Notes and Illustrations, by George Baker. A new edition,
carefully revised and corrected. 2 vols., large 8vo, New York,
1861; also translated by D. Spillan, C. Edmonds, and W. A.
M'Devitte, in 4 vols., 12mo, London and New York, 1864.
Of the one hundred and forty-two books written by Livy on
the history of Rome, only thirty-five have come down to modern
times. The first ten books, embracing the history from the
foundation of Rome to the year B.C. 294, we have entire. The
third decade, comprehending the period of the Second Punic War,
from 219 to 201, is also preserved. The fourth decade and the
first half of the fifth, books thirty-one to forty-five, are entire. Of
the other books only summaries have been preserved.
The books that have come down to'us Livy did not write as a
contemporary, nor as an investigator. He seems to have been
content to make use of such evidence as came easily to his hand,
to have compared conflicting accounts, and to have adopted an
opinion in accordance with the weight of probabilities. His aim
was not to construct what we should call a critical history, but
simply to produce a pleasing and popular narrative. He seems
never to have attempted to test the accuracy of the authorities
that came before him. It is certain that he never read the “ Laws
of the Kings,” the " Commentaries of Servius Tullius," or even
the “Licinian Rogations." These important documents, as well
as the treaties, the decrees of the Senate, and the ordinances of
the assemblies, were all accessible at the time of his writing; but
he thought it not worth the trouble to examine them. As the
· HISTORIES OF ROME.
119
work was written piecemeal, it is not strange that it abounds in
inconsistencies and contradictions. Its great merits are not those
of an accurate historical authority, but are simply those of an
extraordinary historical narrative. As a master of style, Livy
has been thought by all lovers of pure Latinity, ancient and
modern, to be nearly faultless. The story flows on in a rich
and strong current that has been admired by critics of all ages.
In his effort to produce a narrative that should at once gratify
the taste and compliment the national vanity of the Romans,
he achieved an extraordinary success; but his work must be used
· with a constant remembrance of the methods and circumstances
under which it was written.
Merivale, Charles.--A General History of Rome, from the Foun-
dation of the City to the Fall of Augustulus, B.C. 753-A.D.
476. 12mo, London, 1875; New York, 1876.
The history of Rome presents so vast an amount of material
for the historian that the author who tries to represent it within
the limits of a single volume has a difficult task before him. He
must either omit mention of many subjects altogether, or he
must say so little on those subjects touched upon as to make his
production a mere bundle of dry bones. Merivale has been con-
tent to pursue the former course. The result is that he has made
an interesting volume. He shows a masterly grasp of materials,
and he has the rare gift of knowing what it is best to omit. The
book is one of conclusions rather than one of evidences; but the
conclusions are those of a scholar who, in his larger works, has
given abundant evidence for the positions which he holds. As
an authority intermediate between Leighton and Mommsen or
Ihne, Merivale is the most satisfactory we have.
Michelet, J.-History of the Roman Republic. Translated from
the French by William Hazlitt. 12mo, New York, 1847.
A little volume of conspicuous merits and of somewhat seri-
ous defects. On every page it shows the genius of the author
120
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
in the skill and acumen with which it interprets the events it de-
scribes. Its most striking characteristics are its brilliancy and
its ingenuity. The defects of the book are the obscurity of many
of the author's rhetorical figures, and a lack of thorough infor-
mation on some important points of Roman history. It is also
worthy of note that the translation is very inaccurate.
Mommsen, Theodor.—The History of Rome. Translated with
the author's sanction, and Additions by W. P. Dickson. New
edition. 4 vols., 12mo, London, 1868; New York, 1869.
It is worthy of note that this work, which has very generally
become the scholar's favorite history of Rome, was not prepared
especially for scholars, but for intelligent general readers. It is,
however, by no means an elementary book. Indeed, it is impos-
sible to derive full advantage from it, except after some previous
acquaintance with Roman history. It is a series of historical dis-
quisitions rather than a history according to the common accept-
ance of the term. The nature and the scope of the produc-
tion may be correctly inferred from the titles of the chapters
on “The Government and the Governed ;" “The Management of
Land and Capital ;" “ Faith and Manners;” and “Literature and
Art.” It is pre-eminently a constitutional history. It endeavors
to describe the growth of the State. It cares far less for remark-
able feats of valor than for the strategic and political movements
by which feats of valor are turned to account.
The author's greatest power is shown in his grouping and
generalizations. His chapter on “The Old Republic and the
New Monarchy” is perhaps the most striking illustration of the
manner in which he at once dazzles his readers by his brillian-
cy and overwhelms them by his impetuosity. He shows also a
masterly gift in the delineation of character, though his deline-
ations are entertaining rather than convincing. Cato he regards
as the model citizen. Cæsar was the one great man of a thou-
sand years—the one who perfectly understood the needs of the
State, and who, but for his death, would have rescued the coun-
try from all its threatening ills. For Cicero he has little but con-
tempt.
HISTORIES OF ROME.
121
thoth constructing his music
But this history, with all its brilliant qualities, rests on two
foundations, neither of which ought to be regarded as perfectly
secure. It relies, first, on the results of philological research,
and, secondly, on monumental inscriptions. The consequence is
that the final conclusions are at best only conjectural and prob-
able. Mommsen's method of constructing his history is essentially
the same as Niebuhr's; the chief difference being that he uses
a different class of materials, and, what is a notable defect of the
work, does not inform the reader whence his materials are derived.
While bis pages abound in most ingenious theories, and glow
with the fervor and brilliancy of a great advocate, his partisanship
is so obvious that his authority on any disputed point cannot be
regarded as conclusive.
Niebuhr, B. G.--History of Rome. Volumes i. and ii. Trans-
lated by J. C. Hare and C. Thirlwall; Volume iii. by W. Smith
and L. Schmitz. 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1859.
The first edition of the original of Niebuhr's great history was
published in 1812. A translation of it into English, by F. A.
Walter, appeared in 1827. The author subsequently not only re-
vised the volumes throughout, but adopted many changes of fun-
damental importance. The earlier German editions and Walter's
translation are therefore of very little value.
Of all modern historians, probably Niebuhr has had the greatest
influence. His methods are still followed, even by those who re-
ject his conclusions. By far the most important of his writings is
his "History of Rome.” Its publication was hailed as a literary
event in Germany; and in England more than seven thousand
copies were almost immediately sold. The work, for a time at
least, completely revolutionized the views of scholars on Roman
history. The author's great erudition, his extraordinary mem-
ory, his vivid imagination, and his tireless research, seemed to ren-
der him capable of restoring from oblivion even the minutest de-
tails of Roman affairs. Dr. Arnold immediately became his dis-
ciple in England, paid him unquestioning homage, and almost
without exception adopted his conclusions.
Before very long, however, Niebuhr's intuitions and combina-
122
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
tions began to be distrusted. In Germany Schwegler, and in Eng-
land Sir George Cornwall Lewis, subjected the work to an ex-
amination, before which several of the author's positions gave way.
He held, for example, that the early history of Rome could be
reconstructed out of the remains of the early Roman ballads.
Snatches of these songs he discovered here and there in Roman
literature and history, though none of them had been perfectly
preserved. From these stray materials he built up a structure,
and called it the early history of Rome. In the light of modern
criticism, the edifice, though unmistakably a work of genius,
has, in most of its parts, been condemned. Historians are more
and more inclined to take the ground that historical evidence is
like other kinds of evidence; and that intuitions and conjectures,
however ingenious, can establish nothing more than a probability.
Speculations may be interesting and valuable, but they are not
history. . Another theory of Niebuhr's, now generally rejected,
is that the Roman patricians were the descendants of a domi-
nant race, while the plebeians were the remains of a conquered
people. His theory in regard to the Pelasgi has also been com-
pletely demolished by the researches of Schwegler.
Niebuhr, B.G. - Lectures on the History of Rome, from the
Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. Edited by
Leonhard Schmitz. Third edition, greatly improved. 3 vols.,
8vo, London, 1852.
The great fame that Niebuhr's “ History of Rome” had ac-
quired in Germany, and perhaps even more especially in England,
made students of ancient history impatient for the publication of
every scrap of historical writing that could be accredited to him.
Accordingly, after the great historian's death, some copies of
students' notes of his lectures were procured, and from such ma-
terials these volumes were made up. As the present value of
Niebuhr is chiefly in his method, these volumes cannot be con-
sidered as having much importance.
HISTORIES OF ROME.
123
Peter, Carl.--Römische Geschichte in kürzerer Fassung. 8vo,
BP Halle, 1875.
A book prepared for advanced gymnasia students and general
readers. The author has long been recognized as an authority
in Roman chronology and history, and his work is probably the
best of the numerous short accounts of Rome in Germany. The
discussions of disputed points are brief, and aim to present the
nature of the questions at issue rather than to advocate either
side. Subjects on which historians are substantially agreed are
described with greater fulness.
Schwegler, Dr. A.-Römische Geschichte. 3 vols., 8vo, Tübin-
gen, 1853–58. Continued by Octavius Clason, 1873.
Since the death of Niebuhr, no student of Roman history in
Germany has acquired greater fame as a specialist than Professor
Albert Schwegler. Though he died at the early age of thirty-
eight, he had already acquired the great distinction of completely
overthrowing several of the most important conclusions adopted
by his great predecessor nearly half a century before.
Nothing could be more strictly scientific than Schwegler's
method. His effort was twofold. First, he subjected to exami-
nation all the historical material left by antiquity that would
throw any light on the history of Rome. In the second place, he
examined judicially, in the light of these authorities, the works of
all the more important investigators since the time of Niebuhr.
By no other writer has so comprehensive a study of the sources
of Roman history been attempted.
The first hundred and fifty pages are devoted to a critical ex-
amination of authorities. In the light of these the author then
proceeds to a systematic survey of the period extending to the Li-
cinian Rogations. In extent of knowledge, in calmness of judg-
ment, in grasp of details, and in comprehensiveness of view the
work leaves little to be desired. While it has very few of the
elements of a general popularity, it possesses those qualities wbich
will long make it a favorite history with historians. It is an au-
124
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
thority which the special investigator in Roman history will find
peculiarly advantageous.
In the light of Schwegler's examinations, many of Niebuhr's
theories, as already intimated, have to be rejected. The most im-
portant of these are the ballad theory, the theory of the Pelasgi,
and the theory of the early relations of the patricians and plebei-
ans.
The continuation by Clason promises to be not unworthy of
the companionship of the first three volumes. In imitation of
Schwegler, he begins by a critical examination of the works of
modern historians of Rome. This part of the work is done with
admirable method and spirit.
Stoll, H. W.-Geschichte der Römer bis zum Untergange der Re-
publik. 2 vols., 12mo, Hanover, 1871.
Two delightful little volumes for one who desires in easy Ger-
man a popular presentation of the growth of the Roman power.
The book makes no pretences to original research, but is merely
a portrayal of what recent investigations have revealed. It was.
designed for popular reading, and it has been deservedly success-
ful.
Stoll, H. W.- Die Helden Roms im Krieg und Frieden. Ge-
schichte der Römer in biographischer Form, für Schulen und
die reifere Jugend. 12mo, Leipsic, 1872.
An admirable book for boys and girls of sixteen that have the
ability to read rasy German, and the disposition to read some-
thing better than a novel. The author's method is modelled after
Plutarch. Thirty-eight representative Romans, noteworthy either
in peace or in war, form the subjects of the work.
Taine, H.-Essai sur Tite Live. Ouvrage couronné par l'Acadé-
mie Française. 12mo, Paris, 1856.
A critical study of Livy, undertaken for the purpose of ascer-
HISTORIES OF ROME.
125
taining “in what conditions of light and liberty” this historian
wrote. The design of the author involved not only an examina-
tion of the essential traits of Roman society in the age of Augus-
tus, but also an inspection of the sources of information, and a
study of the interpretations put upon these sources by the most
prominent of modern historians. He thus has occasion to ex-
amine not simply the work of Livy, but also the works of Machia-
velli, Montesquieu, Beaufort, and Niebuhr.
The essay consists of two parts: the first is devoted to “His-
tory Considered as a Science;' the second, to “History Consider-
ed as an Art.” Under each of these divisions of the subject the
author discusses the works of the writers named, and he treats
them with all that acuteness of insight and brilliancy of method
so characteristic of his later productions.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the work is the promi-
nence the author gives to the writings of Beaufort. In the opin-
ion of Taine, Beaufort's “Dissertation sur l’Incertitude des cinque
premiers Siècles de Rome" contained the most important of the
ideas and methods that have made Niebuhr's name so famous.
Wägner, Dr. Wilhelm.-Rom. Anfang, Ausbreitung, und Ver-
fall des Weltreichs der Römer. Für Freunde des klassischen
Alterthums, insbesondere für die deutsche Jugend. Dritte,
verbesserte Auflage. 3 vols., 12mo, Leipsic, 1876.
Of the numerous efforts to restore the Roman State to life, this
is one of the most successful. It is not designed for those who
are already scholars, but rather for those who desire to become
such. The illustrations are, for the most part, judiciously selected
from the works of those modern artists who have attempted to
reproduce ancient Roman life. If the work is not fully abreast
of modern scholarship, it is owing to the peculiarity that the
mythological period is described with the same confidence as the
historical. For strictly popular uses, it is doubtful whether any
modern work on any country excels it. Its great merit is in its
strong presentation of the picturesque side of Roman life in such
a manner as to awaken a lively interest in the subject.
126
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
Ihne, W.-Early Rome. From the Foundation of the City to its
Destruction by the Gauls. 16mo, New York, 1878.
This little volume, by one of the most eminent German histo-
rians of Rome, is the result of an attempt to embody in readable
form the fruits of modern criticism and research on the earliest
period of Roman history. Though the book is intended for pop-
ular use rather than for the use of specialists, it may yet be said
that the most thorough student will profit by reading what so
eminent an investigator of Roman history has to say upon a sub-
ject of which he has made an especial study. The volume con-
tains no references to sources, but we have the author's assurance
that no statement has been made that does not rest on the basis
of an original authority.
Lewis, Sir George Cornwall.--An Inquiry into the Credibility of
Early Roman History. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1855.
Though the author of these volumes was actively engaged in
political life, yet his recreations from the severe duties of his of-
fice were feats of scholarship of which any English writer might
not be ashamed. This work is a most scholarly attempt to sub-
mit early Roman history to the same tests of credibility as are
commonly employed in modern historical and judicial investiga-
tions. Applying these tests, the author objects to all efforts to
build up an historical theory founded on a narrative wholly, or
even in part, legendary. He holds that conjectural omissions, .
additions, alterations, and transpositions can lead at best to noth-
ing but a purely conjectural result. His fundamental maxim was,
“In order that the truth so perceived should recommend itself to
the convictions of others, it is a necessary condition that it should
admit of proof which they can understand." In the application
of this maxim to the examination of Niebuhr's positions, he finds
that several of them rest on no adequate foundation. Finally, he
concludes that, as there is no contemporaneous evidence what-
: HISTORIES OF ROME.
127
ever, all further efforts to elucidate early Roman history will be
time and energy thrown away.
Arnold, Thomas. - History of Rome. 3 vols., 8vo, London,
1843–44; 1 vol., roy. 8vo, New York, 1856.
e, breaks of manifest. The Roman
Dr. Arnold lived to complete his history only as far as to the
end of the Spanish Campaign in the Second Punic War. The
work, therefore, breaks off just after its distinguishing inerits
began to be conspicuously manifest. The portion of the work
that had to deal with the early periods of Roman history was
founded on the investigations of Niebuhr, in whose genius as a
guide Arnold placed implicit trust. The consequence inevitably
was that as Niebuhr's conclusions one after another came to be
rejected, those of Arnold fell with them. But from the time of
Pyrrhus the author emerges upon ground where independent re-
search becomes possible and fruitful. His account of the First
Punic War, and of the Second, as far as to the return of Scipio
from Spain, is the inost satisfactory yet written in English. It
has all the qualities of a great history. But the work is to be re-
garded only as a fragment, and one of which the last part only
is of great value.
Beesly, A. H. - The Gracchi, Marius, and Sulla. With Maps.
16mo, New York, 1878.
In the preparation of this work the author made constant use
of original authorities, though he relied for guidance chiefly on
Long's “History of the Decline of the Roman Republic," and on
Mommsen's “ History of Rome.” On some points he has not
hesitated to differ from these high authorities. The social diffi-
culties that led to the attempts of the Gracchi at reform are ad-
mirably described. The meaning of the civil wars, and the final
triumph of Sulla, are shown in strong light. The most striking
characteristic of the book is the spirited style in which it is
written.
128
HISTORICAL LITERATURE,
Merivale, Charles.-The Fall of the Roman Republic. A Short
History of the Last Century of the Commonwealth. Second
edition. 12mo, London, 1853.
Written before the same author's history of “The Romans un-
der the Empire,” this volume may be regarded as introductory to
the larger work. It gives a graphic account of the decline of
republican institutions and of the consequent preparation of the
way for Julius Cæsar. Though it covers nearly the same ground
as the history by Long, it is much briefer, and, through the greater
merits of its literary workmanship, is more interesting. The pict-
ure of the struggles of the Gracchi is especially worthy of note, as
it brings out into a very strong light one of the most fatal tenden-
cies of the time. In his estimate of Julius Cæsar, Merivale is not
essentially different from Mommsen, though he is more temperate
in his methods of expression.
Long, George.--The Decline of the Roman Republic. 5 vols.,
8vo, London, 1864–74.
As its title indicates, this is an account of only a limited por.
tion of Roman · bistory. The author begins his work with a de-
scription of the Republic, and of the several provinces at the end
of the Punic wars, and concludes it with the final establishment
of imperial power in the hands of Augustus Cæsar.
This is not a work of genius, but is the production of a very
industrious and painstaking scholar. It does not attempt to in-
struct by brilliant sketches, broad generalizations, or profound po-
litical aphorisms. The author obviously has no desire for dis-
play, and he shows no inclination to establish opinions on the
foundation of mere conjecture. He bas a distinct theory that to
study history with promise of good results is a work of labor,
and that no adequate knowledge of Roman history can be ac-
quired simply by reading fine dissertations and eloquent delinea-
tions of men and manners. He believes that the influence of
these is to deceive the reader into believing that he knows what
he does not.
A book constructed on the basis of such a theory cannot
HISTORIES OF ROME. -
129
receive any such popular favor as that given to Mommsen and
Niebuhr. But it may be a inuch safer guide, for the reason that
it is much less subjective. Though Long has made use of all
accessible material, he is often undecided in his conclusions when
Mommsen is positive. But the student may as well be told that
the author is true to his theory, and has made his book hard read-
ing. He uses the plainest and simplest words; indeed, his style
approaches absolute baldness. The facts authorized by the sources
are given, but not a sentence is added to impart vigor or color to
the story. The reader is often compelled to regret that the au-
thor does not give the opinions to which his studies have led him.
The best portion of the work is that devoted to the earliest pe-
riod. This has largely to do with Roman law, a subject in which
Mr. Long was especially at home. In treating of Julius Cæsar,
he shows nothing of the “blood and iron” so characteristic of
Mommsen. Though he commends Cæsar and points out the
weaknesses of Cicero, he does not, like the great German author,
deify the one and vilify the other.
Merivale, Charles. — The Roman Triumvirates. With a Map.
16mo, New York, 1878.
Though this is an independent production, it begins where that
of Professor Beesly ends. The author, by his long study of Roman
history in the preparation for bis other works, no less than by his
general accomplishments as a scholar and writer, was admirably
qualified for his task. He begins by showing the strong reaction
against Sulla, and the consequent risé of Pompey into power.
He then passes in review the consulship of Cicero; the trium-
virate of Cæsar, Pompey, and Crassus; the growth of Cæsar's
power ; the rupture between Cæsar and the Senate; the Civil
War; the death of Cæsar; the establishment of the second tri-
umvirate; and the advancement of Octavius to the mastery of the
State. The book is written in that graceful and lucid style always
characteristic of the author.
130
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
sen, Froude, My be called Ciceroy of the work i
Trollope, Anthony.—The Life of Cicero. 2 vols., 8vo, London,
1880; 2 vols., 12mo, New York, 1881.
An exceedingly vivid portrayal of the life of the great orator.
No one of the numerous biographers of Cicero has succeeded so
completely in transplanting him and his surroundings into our
own days. The reader is almost led to forget that the events of
which he is reading were history before the advent of Christian-
ity. They are made to seem like the events of to-day.
The most essential peculiarity of the work is that it is written
from what may be called Cicero's point of view. While Momm-
sen, Froude, Merivale, and others have looked at the condition
and the necessities of the State, and have censured Cicero for not
comprehending the nature of the situation, Trollope had studied
the problem with a view to ascertaining and showing how it must
have appeared to Cicero himself. Thus the volumes become very
largely a personal rather than a political life.
Whatever may be the reader's views of Cicero's political.course,
he cannot fail to be charmed by the picture here given of the
orator's personal characteristics. His exalted affection for son
and daughter, his unfailing geniality and wit, his boundless stores
of the most entertaining knowledge, the lavish generosity of his
heart and his purse, and, above all, the charming companionship
of his friendship, are presented in so skilful a manner that the
reader forgets that in these same qualities were to be found the
sources of both the strength and the weakness of the orator's
character. The work may well be read in connection with the
volumes by Froude and Beesly. Trollope will charm even those
whom he is unable to convince.
Forsyth, William. - Life of Marcus Tullius Cicero. 2 vols.,
12mo, New York, 2d ed., 1865; 2 vols. in 1, New York, 1871.
A book that may well be examined by the general student of
this period. While the author has no such profound knowledge
of Roman affairs as Mommsen, Ihne, and some of the other Ger-
man scholars, he has, nevertheless, made of this period a special
study, and is therefore entitled to a considerate hearing. He may
HISTORIES OF ROME.
131
be regarded as the modern champion of Cicero; and the work,
therefore, is in strong contrast with the contemptuous treatment
bestowed upon the orator by Mommsen. Forsyth admires Cicero,
but his admiration is not blind. The book, in the way of con-
trast, may well be read in connection with Froude's Cæsar. It is
less interesting than the recent work of Trollope, but has the qual-
ities of solid merit.
Boissier, Gaston.— Cicéron et ses Amis.
1875.
12mo, 3e éd., Paris,
A delightful picture of the society by which Cicero was sur-
rounded. The book received the high favor in France of being
crowned by the French Academy. It may well be read by the
student in connection with Froude's “Sketch” of Cæsar, though
the author deals with the literary rather than with the political
side of Cicero's career. The view is calculated to raise the read-
er's esteem for the great orator.
1
Beesly, Edward Spencer.-Catiline, Clodius, and Tiberius. 12mo,
London, 1878.
A collection of essays published originally in the Fortnightly
Review. The importance of the work is in the picture it gives of
the common people of Rome during the revolutionary period.
Its argument is that the lower orders of Rome loved and trusted
Catiline, exhibited a constant and determined hostility to Cicero,
who had hunted their hero to death to please the oligarchy, and
consequently that they seized the first opportunity to visit the
orator with condign punishment. The arraignment of Cicero is
very severe, and it may well be read with Forsyth or Trollope.
TU
Arnold, Thomas.—History of the Later Roman Commonwealth
to the Time of Cæsar and the Reign of Augustus. · With a
Life of Trajan. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1849.
A collection of papers, made up some years after Dr. Arnold's
132
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
death, containing the articles contributed by him on Roman his-
tory to the “ Encyclopædia Metropolitana.” They derive their
importance chiefly from the interesting methods and the great
name of the author. Since the publication of Merivale's elabo-
rate history these essays seem somewhat vague and unsatisfactory.
The opinions of such a scholar and author as Thomas Arnold,
however, will never cease to be of interest.
Froude, James Anthony. - Cæsar. A Sketch. 8vo, London
and New York, 1879.
Though this volume bears a modest title, it is one of great
popular interest. Few persons at all interested in ancient history
will find themselves willing, after getting a taste of the book, to
put it down until they have completed it.
It would be easy for a severe critic to point out faults in the
work. But its faults are not those of a dangerous kind. It is
at least something to have written a book on a great subject
which many people will be interested in reading. The author's
point of view is essentially the same as Mommsen's. He believes
that the nation was in a hopeless state of demoralization, and
that, if recovery was possible, it was possible only through the
efforts of Julius Cæsar. He is more temperate in his condemna-
tion of Cicero, but the facts he presents are much more effective
than Mommsen's harsh words. In the opinion of Froude, “Nat-
ure half made a great man and left him incomplete." With
“magnificent talents, high aspirations, and a true desire to do
right,” Cicero united "an infirmity of will, a passion, a cunning,
a vanity, and an absence of manliness and veracity.” On the
whole, the picture of Cicero is probably one of the best ever
drawn in few words.
Napoleon III.--History of Julius Cæsar. 2 vols., 8vo, London
and New York, 1865. With very valuable Maps, on separate
sheets.
It cannot be denied that this is a history of some importance,
in spite of the questionable object for which it was written. The
HISTORIES OF ROME.
133
author himself declares that it was prepared "for the purpose of
proving that when Providence raises up such men as Cæsar, Char-
lemagne, and Napoleon, it is to trace out to peoples the path they
ought to follow; to stamp with the seal of their genius a new era ;
and to accomplish in a few years the work of many centuries."
The object of the author seemed to have been accomplished
when he had justified the course of Cæsar up to the beginning
of the Civil War. It is maintained that the condition of the
State and the action of his enemies made the war inevitable.
Cæsar was the only person who fully understood the needs of the
nation. The views held are not essentially different from those
presented by Mommsen and Froude, but the argument is much
more elaborate. As Book I. is introductory, and Book II. is de-
voted to the Gallic campaigns, Books III. and IV. contain the gist
of the author's purpose in explaining the political condition of
affairs. The work was prepared with the utmost care-a care
which extended in some instances to special surveys, to insure
perfect accuracy in the descriptions, as well as in the maps and
illustrations.
Tacitus, C. Cornelius—The Works of. The Oxford translation,
revised. 2 vols., crown 8vo, London and New York, 1854.
These works, in many respects the most important historical
productions of antiquity, consist of four parts. Arranged in the
order of their composition by the author, they were as follows:
“The Life of Agricola," “ The Histories," "The Annals," "The
Manners and Peoples of Germany." "The Life of Agricola”
has always been prized as a remarkable specimen of biographical
writing. It is of great value, for its masterly qualities not only as
a work of literary art, but also as a portrayal of the life and char-
acter of one of the most illustrious of Romans. In all litera-
ture there is no grander monument to the memory of an able
commander, a just administrator, and a good man. “The His-
tories" originally comprehended the period extending from the
accession of Galba, A.D. 68, to the death of Domitian, in 96. But
of this invaluable production nearly the whole is lost. We have no
portion complete excepting the first four books, which cover only
134
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
the period of one year. In this work Tacitus treated of events
that had transpired in his own time and largely under his own
observation. The “Annales” comprise a description of the pe-
riod extending from the death of Augustus, A.D. 14, to the death
of Nero, in 68. The portions describing the whole of Caligula’s
reign, the five years of the reign of Claudius, and the last two of
the reign of Nero are lost. The treatise upon the Germans has
been variously estimated, but its importance is unquestionable.
Though its geographical descriptions are of no value, all subse-
quent investigations have tended to confirm the author's accounts
of the political institutions, the religion, and the social habits of
the various German tribes.
The most obvious qualities of this historian are his moral dig-
nity, the evident integrity of his purpose, his inflexible love of
truth, his extraordinary insight into the motives of human con-
duct, and his power in the portrayal of dramatic scenes and start-
ling catastrophes. His style is elaborated with the greatest care,
and is stripped of every superfluity. Often a single word has the
effect not simply of a sentence, but of a picture.
The Oxford translation contains many notes of great value to
the reader, and is probably the best rendering of the Latin into
English. The translation of Murphy, also, is one that has long
enjoyed a high reputation for scholarship as well as for elegance
of style.
Suetonius, C. Tranquillus.—The Lives of the Twelve Cæsars,
to which are added the Lives of the Grammarians, Rhetoricians,
and Poets. The Translation of Alexander Thomson, revised
and corrected by T. Forester. Crown 8vo, London and New
York, 1876.
Suetonius was born about the year 75 A.D. ; was the intimate
friend of the younger Pliny, and held a high office under the Em-
peror Hadrian. The work he has left is a collection of memoirs,
rather than a history in the proper sense of the term. He does
not attempt to philosophize on the causes of political changes,
but rather relates the personal history of those of whom he writes.
The work is not a landscape, but a gallery of statues and pictures.
HISTORIES OF ROME.
135
It abounds in anecdotes. As a portrayal of character and as a
picture of manners and customs, it has been regarded by all his-
torians and critics as having great importance.
The translation by Thomson was made nearly a century ago,
and was very diffuse and inaccurate; but it has been carefully re-
vised and improved by Forester.
Capes, W. W.-The Early Empire. From the Assassination of
Julius Cæsar to that of Domitian. With two Maps. 16mo,
New York, 1877.
The first eleven chapters are devoted to the eleven emperors, .
from Augustus to Domitian. The scope of the remainder of the
work is indicated by the following titles: “The Position of the
Emperor," "The Rights of Roman Citizenship,” “Life in the
Provinces," " The State of Trade," "The Growing Population of
Italy and Greece," "The Frontiers and the Army,” “The Moral
Standard of the Age," "The Revival of Religious Sentiment."
The author's style is at once spirited and graceful. No one can
read the last two chapters of the volume without being impressed
with the acumen and the judicial impartiality of his methods
of treatment.
Capes, W. W.-The Roman Empire of the Second Century; or,.
The Age of the Antonines. 16mo, New York, 1877.
This volume has the same admirable characteristics as its pred-
ecessor. It is everywhere marked by that breadth of view which
a long and critical study of Roman history has given to the au-
thor's works. All of the chapters are excellent; but especially
worthy of note are those on the attitude of the empire towards ;
the early Christians, on the characteristics of the state of relig-
ion, and on the administrative forms of the imperial government.
The last chapter, read in connection with Arnold's “ Provincial
Administration,” will give an excellent view of the somewhat dif-
ficult subject of administrative methods.
136
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Boissier, Gaston. — L'Opposition sous les Césars. 8vo, Paris,
1875.
All the books of this author are worthy of the student's atten-
tion. This one is a picture of the various attempts that were
made to organize opposition to the newly established Roman em-
pire. It is a presentation from a neglected point of view, and
the volume will be found a fruitful source of valuable informa-
tion.
Curteis, A. M.--History of the Roman Empire from the Death
of Theodosius the Great to the Coronation of Charles the
Great, 395–800. 12mo, Philadelphia, 1875.
A good bridge over the dark gulf that separates the Roman
Empire from the new nationalities. The volume contains not
very much that is new, but it is an attractive presentation of con-
clusions judiciously drawn from a study of Gibbon, Milman, and
Thierry. It is probably the most readable account we have of
the darkest and most obscure portion of mediæval history. It
would form a valuable accompaniment to Lecky's larger work
on the same period.
Merivale, Charles.- A History of the Romans under the Empire.
7 vols., 8vo, London and New York, 1872.
A work that has justly taken high rank in the historical litera-
ture of modern England. The author is not a genius of the first
rank, but for the writing of such a history he has many splendid
qualities. He is endowed with a love of research, a fervid imagi-
nation, and descriptive powers of a high order. Some of his
chapters must long be regarded as admirable specimens of elegant
literary workmanship. The author's portrayal of character is also
generally excellent. Julius Cæsar he regards as the champion of
what was best in the State. He holds that Cæsar's opponents
were laboring in the interests of an aristocracy, the ascendency of
which would have been surely and rapidly fatal to the nation.
Corruption everywhere prevailed to such an extent that Cæsar had
never known an election held or a law enacted that had not been
HISTORIES OF ROME.
137
the result of fraud and bribery. The great triumvir had a distinct
object before him, and his first measures were prompt and deci-
sive. His action was prolific in wise, just, reformatory, and benef-
icent measures.
In one respect Merivale is slightly open to criticism. The con-
tinuity of his narrative is somewhat too frequently broken. In
describing provincial affairs, for example, he allows the links which
bind all to Rome to be lost sight of. He deals somewhat too
much in disquisitions and discussions, and thus fails to keep the
whole picture before the reader's eye. Though the individual
parts of the work are almost always admirable, what may perhaps
be called its architecture is not so worthy of commendation. It
is in this respect more especially than in any other that the work
of Merivale falls short of that of Gibbon.
The author begins his history with the gradual transfer of the
old Republic to the imperialism of the Cæsars, and ends it with
the age of the Antonines. It therefore exactly fills the gap be-
tween Mommsen and Gibbon.
Ammianus Marcellinus — The Roman History of, during the
Reigns of the Emperors Constantius, Julian, Jovianus, Valen-
tinian, and Valens. Translated by C. D. Yonge. Crown 8vo,
London and New York, 1862.
Of the historical writings of this author there were originally
thirty-one books, embracing the history from the accession of
Nerva, A.D. 96, to the death of Valens, in 378. As the narrative
began at the period when the works of Tacitus and Suetonius
ended, it was regarded as in some sense a continuation of the works
of those authors. But the first thirteen books are lost, and the
portions preserved embrace only the period between 353 and 378.
This, however, is the most important portion of the history, as it
is a record of events that occurred during the years of the author's
active life. All historians and critics agree as to the general accu-
racy, fidelity, and impartiality of the author's writings. They are
not only a valuable record of events, but they are an instructive
commentary on the institutions and manners of the time. The
138
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
nerit of the work owes nothing to the quality of the author's
style, which indeed is harsh and inflated. Gibbon attached great
importance to his authority, and parted with his guidance with an
earnest expression of regret.
Gibbon, Edward.—The History of the Decline and Fall of the
Roman Empire. Of the numerous editions, Milman's, 6 vols.,
12mo, is the most common. A much better edition is that
edited by Dr. Smith, published in London in 1854, and re-
printed in New York in 1880. The superiority of this edition
is very great, not simply in its material appearance, but also in
its more essential characteristics. It has excellent maps, and it
embodies the notes of Milman, Guizot, and Wenck, as well as
the results of later researches brought together by Dr. Smith.
The best London edition is in 8 vols., 8vo; the best New York
edition in 6 vols., 8vo.
Though Gibbon's history was completed nearly a century ago,
its great importance has not declined, and it is probably still en-
titled to be esteemed as the greatest historical work ever written.
The period embraced extends from the middle of the second cen-
tury of our era to the fall of Constantinople, in 1453. The author
did not pursue a strict chronological order, but massed his mate-
rials and arranged them in accordance with their moral and politi-
cal significance. The completed work, therefore, has somewhat
the appearance of a succession of monographs, each one of which
is perfect, or very nearly perfect, in itself. These individual parts,
each finished with extraordinary skill, are formed together in so
admirable a manner that the architecture of the work is one of its
most conspicuous merits.
The minuteness and comprehensiveness of Gibbon's historical
knowledge are somewhat appalling to the scholarship of the pres-
ent day. For twenty-two years before the appearance of his first
volume he was a prodigy of steady and arduous application. His
investigations extended over almost the whole range of intellectual
activity for nearly fifteen hundred years. And so thorough were
his methods that the laborious investigations of German scholar-
ship, the keen criticisms of theological zeal, and the steady re-
searches of a century have brought to light very few important
HISTORIES OF ROME.
139
errors in the results of his labors. But it is not merely the learn-
ing of the work, learned as it is, that gives it character as a his-
tory.. It is also that ingenious skill by which the vast erudition,
the boundless range, the infinite variety, and the gorgeous magnif-
icence of the details are all wrought together into a symmetrical
whole.
Two objections to Gibbon's history have often been urged.
The one is to the stately magnificence of his style, the other to
his strong bias against Christianity. In both of these objections
there is considerable reason. The majestic periods with which
the author describes even the least important events are a source
either of annoyance or of amusement to nearly every modern reader.
The other characteristic not only leads the author to describe the
origin and growth of Christianity without sympathy, but it throws
a gloomy hue over the whole, and gives to events as they pass be-
fore the reader something of the melancholy pomp of a funeral
procession. But whatever objections different minds may raise,
either to the unbending stateliness of his style or to the stinging
sarcasms of his spirit, these peculiarities will prevent no genuine
scholar from studying the work and profiting by it.
Gregorovius, Ferdinand.-Geschichte der Stadt Rom im Mittel-
alter, vom V. bis XVI. Jahrhundert. 8 vols., 8vo, Stuttgart,
2d ed., 1869–72.
Though Gon, yet he had a we. His design, in its rele
Though Gregorovius would seem to traverse the ground trod-
den by Gibbon, yet he had a very different object, and wrote from
a very different point of view. His design was to describe not
the imperial government so much as the city in its relations with
the empire, the papacy, and the exterior world. The author, in
early life, was professor of history at the University of Königs-
berg, but, with rare devotion to his subject, gave up his position
and went to Rome, where he carried on his researches for more
than twenty-five years. The result of his labors has been the
completion of a history that does honor to the author and to
German scholarship. The work is permeated with evidence of
deep philosophical insight and great critical ability. In addition
140
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
to its minute and varied learning, it has the rare merit among
German books of abounding in sharp and picturesque delinea-
tions of character and in graphic descriptions of events and places.
Though the author thinks like a German, he writes with some-
thing of the clearness and the spirit of a Frenchman.
The work has a copious index; and, therefore, for the pur-
poses of reference as well as for the general reader it is of the
highest value. The last volume ends with a description of the
fall of Rome in 1527, and with an eloquent passage, written in
1872, and inspired by the complete re-establishment of Italy under
Victor Emmanuel. Whether considered as an historical authority
or as a work of literary art, it is one of the most valuable produc-
tions of modern German scholarship.
III. HISTORIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PROGRESS.
Arnold, W.T.—The Roman System of Provincial Administration
to the Accession of Constantine the Great. Being the Arnold
Prize Essay for 1879. 12mo, London, 1879.
A very scholarly and admirable essay. The author had at his
command all the more important of those numerous recent works
in German and French which throw light on the subject of which
he treats. The greatness of the Romans in the administration of
provincial affairs is nowhere represented in so accessible and con-
venient a form. While it is a book that every student of history
may study with profit, it has altogether exceptional value for the
special student of political institutions.
Bähr, Johann Christian Felix.-Geschichte der römischen Lite-
ratur. Vierte, verbesserte und vermehrte Auflage. 3 vols.,
8vo, Carlsruhe, 1868–70.
A work of comprehensive design and of the most thorough
and conscientious execution. It is everywhere recognized as hav-
ing a standard value. The author begins with an Introduction of
HISTORIES OF ROME.
141
one hundred and forty-eight pages on the general characteristics
of Roman literature. The remainder of the first volume is de-
voted to the history of Roman poetry. The subjects are treated
in the order of “Tragedy," “ Comedy," "The Epos," "Narrative
Poetry,” “Didactic Poetry,” “Satire,” “Bucolics,” “Fables,"
“ Epigrams," " Lyrics and Elegiacs." Each of these varieties of
poetry is traced historically from the earliest to the latest his-
tory. Of the second volume, about three hundred pages are de-
voted to the subject of “History," and they include not only a
description and analysis of the more important historical works,
but also an account of such fragments and other original sources
of information as the writers of Roman history must rely upon.
Some two hundred and fifty pages are given to “Oratory.” The
remainder of the second volume and the whole of the third are
given to the various other branches of literature. The table of
contents is very full, and is so arranged as to make the work easy
of use. For a student who would make an exhaustive study, per-
haps the most helpful feature of the work is the fulness of the
references to modern literature. Not only at the end of each
chapter, but even at the end of each paragraph, is a very compre-
hensive account of what has been written on the subject by other
authors.
Becker, Wilhelm Adolph. - Handbuch der römischen Alterthü-
mer nach den Quellen bearbeitet. 2 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1843.
A monumental work, long considered indispensable to the spe-
cialist. The first volume is devoted exclusively to a discussion
of the sources of information and to the geography of the State.
The second is of more general interest, as it is taken up with the
.consideration of the Roman Constitution. It considers, with the
utmost care, all questions that can arise concerning the organiza-
tion and methods of the government. Within the past few years
its influence has declined before the success of the more volumi-
nous works of Marquardt and Mommsen. For bibliographical
purposes, however, it still continues to be consulted with great
profit.
142
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Boissier, Gaston.--La Religion Roinaine d'Auguste aux Antonins.
2e éd., 2 vols., 12mo, Paris, 1878.
The object of the author is to trace the causes and the char-
acter of that great religious revolution which took place at Rome
between the days of Cicero and the days of Marcus Aurelius.
That this was a real revolution Boissier abundantly shows. In
the time of Cicero religion was disbelieved, and was looked upon
as having been everywhere dethroned. Those who even occupied
themselves with religious things hardly believed in the existence
of the gods. But in the time of Marcus Aurelius a great change
had taken place. The philosophers were all religious, not to say
superstitious. They scarcely formed a project without adding
“if the gods will.” They gave thanks for returning health be-
fore all the altars and beneath all the sacred trees. The cause of
this change the author finds in the influence of the government
and of the national literature. Augustus was ambitious to build
on the ruins of the republic a durable political structure. In the
Roman religion he saw a conservative power of great force. He
determined to re-establish the religious faith, and consequently he
caused for that purpose temples to be reconstructed in all parts
of the empire. So, too, with the literature. Virgil had most
universal influence, and Virgil was essentially a religious poet.
Among the most interesting parts of this very interesting and
valuable book are those which treat of the condition of the infe-
rior classes and the organization of popular associations. The
chapter on slavery is one of the best brief descriptions of the
subject we have.
Cruttwell, Charles Thomas. — A History of Roman Literature
from the Earliest Period to the Death of Marcus Aurelius.
With Chronological Tables, etc., for the Use of Students. 8vo,
London and New York, 1878.
In form and spirit this work is the very opposite of Bähr's
and Teuffel's, though the author has laid his great German mas-
ters under constant contribution for his facts. The book before
us is one for general readers, and, though it has very little of that
picturesque freshness which is the characteristic of Mahaffy's
HISTORIES OF ROME.
143
“History of Greek Literature,” yet it is presented in a style that
a person of Roman tastes will have no difficulty in reading.
Hadley, James.-Introduction to Roman Law. In Twelve Aca-
demical Lectures. 12mo, New York and London, 1873.
This admirable course of lectures is the most valuable short ac-
count we have of the nature and importance of the body of Ro-
man law. As the lectures were prepared for undergraduate stu-
dents, they are free from embarrassing technical details, while at
the same time they are sufficiently elaborate to give a definite
idea of the nature and the greatness of the subject.
In the first chapter the author explains the composition and
character of the Corpus Juris Civilis, as well as the circumstances
under which it was prepared. In the second, he points out the
part played by the Roman law in the course of the Middle Ages
and in modern times. The third lecture is devoted to a general
account. of the Roman law before the time of Justinian, while
the fourth traces its progress during the Republican period. In
the fifth the author, having completed what may be called the
historical introduction, comes to a discussion of the various char-
acteristics of the Roman law itself. In the course of the lectures
that follow, the status of family and of family-relations, the law
of property, the law of obligations, and the law of inheritance
receive admirable treatment at the hands of this excellent teacher
and writer. The style is remarkable for its perspicuity and sim-
plicity.
Kuhn, Emil.—Verfassung der Städte des römischen Reichs. 8vo,
Leipsic, 1874.
The constitution and organization of the cities of the Roman
empire unquestionably had much to do with the readiness with
which the empire yielded to assaults from without. Since Gui-
zot's famous essay on the subject, scholars have been in the hab-
it of attributing the weakness of the empire to the comparative
144
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
independence of the cities. The subject, therefore, is of much
importance, and the book named is the most learned and exhaust-
ive treatment of it. It may well be studied in connection with
Arnold's briefer work on “Provincial Administration."
.
Lange, L.-Römische Alterthümer. 3 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1862–71.
A presentation of the interior development of the life of Rome
from its beginning to the establishment of the imperial mon-
archy. The most distinctive feature of the work is the great
stress the author lays on the family as the foundation of the State.
He holds that the early division of the State into communes was
but the natural result of the family system. The positions taken
are fortified with a vast number of authorities, by which an exam-
ination of the author's views is made possible, if not easy.
Mackenzie, Lord. - Studies in Roman Law, with Comparative
Views of the Laws of France, England, and Scotland. 8vo, 2d
ed., London, 1865.
To the non-professional student this is one of the most satisfac-
tory expositions of the spirit and significance of Roman law. It
may be found somewhat too technical for the general reader, but in
no other book are the essential characteristics of Roman jurispru-
dence traced with more spirit and clearness. The author was one
of the judges of the Court of Session in Scotland, and he availed
himself freely not only of the best English works on the subject,
but also of the more famous Continental authorities. It is less
elementary than Hadley's book, and for that reason is likely to be
less interesting to the general reader.
-
-
-
-
Marquardt, Joachim.-Römische Staatsverwaltung. 3 vols., 8vo,
Leipsic, 1873–80.
Marquardt first came into the conspicuous notice of scholars
HISTORIES OF ROME.
145
through his continuation of Becker's “ Handbook" in 1851. His
work was received with so much favor that he was encouraged to
go forward with his researches, and the volumes before us are the
result. The masterly manner of his treatment will best be appre-
ciated by those who have had occasion to know something of the
difficulties of the subject. While he shows great original talent,
he also brings together the fruits of all recent explorations in the
field of Roman antiquities. He chose the topical rather than the ,
chronological method. Although there are necessarily still many
obscurities, owing to the imperfections of the Roman records, yet
the student is likely to find a more satisfactory answer to his con-
stitutional queries in Marquardt than in any other author.
The first volume is devoted to an account of the organization
of the government in Rome and in the provinces; the second, to
the financial and military systems. Religious and social questions
remain to be treated in subsequent volumes. The account of the
political economy of the Romans is the most thorough and schol-
arly ever published. The sources of income, the systems of ex-
change, and especially the methods of taxation are treated with a
fulness and comprehensiveness that leave little to be desired. It
is the nearest approach we yet have to Boeckh's “Public Econ-
omy of the Athenians.”
Mommsen, Theodor.— Römische Forschungen. 2 vols., 8vo, Ber-
lin, 1864–78.
The great value of this series of papers is in the fact that the
author has here presented the grounds of many of the peculiar
positions taken in his history. Those who have regretted that
the text of Mommsen's famous work affords no clew to the rea-
sons for his differences from other writers will generally find in
these papers all needed explanation. The Roman patrician fami-
lies, the respective rights of patricians and plebeians, the various ·
assemblies, and the Roman clients are some of the subjects dis-
cussed, and will serve to indicate the scope of the work.
146
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Mommsen, Theodor.-Römisches Staatsrecht. 2 vols., 8vo, Leip-
sic, 2d ed., 1876.
Published with that of Marquardt, under the title of “ Hand-
buch der römischen Alterthümer," this treatise is especially de-
voted to Roman constitutional law. It is perhaps the most im-
portant of all works on the subject. It belongs, however, to the
province of the specialist, and is not likely to interest the general
student of Roman history.
Pierron, Alexis.—Histoire de la Littérature Romaine. 12mo, że
éd., Paris, 1857.
One of the excellent series of books published under the direc-
tion of M. Duruy. It is the work of a learned professor in one of
the French lycées, and is admirably adapted to the uses of a stu-
dent. While it is especially serviceable as a book of reference, it
is also eminently readable. It covers the whole ground of Roman
literature, but, as it was intended for pupils more than for teach-
ers, it is not to be compared for comprehensiveness and thorough-
ness with the works of Bähr and Teuffel.
Sellar, W.of the Augustol. I. Tev
Sellar, W.Y.-The Roman Poets of the Republic. The Roman
Poets of the Augustan Age. 2 vols., 8vo, London and Edin-
burgh, 1863–77. Vol. I. revised and enlarged, 1881.
Of the several books in our language on Roman literature this
is one of the most agreeable and scholarly. It aims at once to
describe the works of the most important of the poets, and to ex-
tract from them the peculiar flavor of their literary qualities.
The general method may be inferred from the titles of the four
chapters on Lucretius. These are, “Personal Characteristics,"
“The Philosophy," “ The Moral Teaching,” and “The Poetical
Style and Genius.”
The volume already published on the “Augustan Age” is de-
voted exclusively to Virgil. The “deep and tranquil charm” of
this poet has, perhaps, never been discussed with more judicious
discrimination.
HISTORIES OF ROME.
147
The author expresses the hope of treating of Horace and the
Elegiac Poets in the third and concluding volume.
Teuffel, W.S. -A History of Roman Literature. Translated, with
the author's sanction, by William Wagner. 2 vols., 8vo, Lon-
don, 1873.
A work of great erudition, but one not intended for the gen-
eral reader. The purpose of the author appears to have been to
supply the largest possible amount of information within the
briefest possible space. The result is a history that is invaluable
for the use of the special investigator, but one which, at the same
time, to the general reader will not fail to be dry, heavy, and un-
interesting. It is universally recognized in Germany as a text-
book of great accuracy and comprehensiveness. In point of style
it is exceedingly awkward, and the awkwardness of the original is
imitated with painful fidelity in the translation. But, notwith-
standing these characteristics of form, the volumes are a mine of
wealth from which every special student of Roman literature
will be glad to profit.
The first volume is devoted to the period of the Republic, the
second to the days of the Empire.
Thierry, Amédée.-Tableau de l'Empire Romain, depuis la Fon-
dation de Rome jusqu'à la Fin du Gouvernement Impérial en
Occident. 12mo, Paris, revised edition, 1862.
A small book of the greatest importance. The first edition of
it was published as early as 1840, and was introductory to the
author's “History of the Gauls." The design of the volume is a
portrayal of the influence of Rome as a civilizing power at the
head of universal society. It is its great merit that it gives a
more adequate idea than has ever been given elsewhere in brief
space of the consummate greatness of the Roman political organ-
ization. The author combines in the happiest manner powers of
148
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
vivid description and broad generalization. He shows not only
great learning, but also great ability, in grasping and using the
materials at hand. The work, on its first appearance, was hailed
as one of the highest merit, and in no subsequent book have the
mutual influences of civilization and barbarism on each other
been more successfully pointed out. It will probably long be a
favorite volume with every thoughtful student of Roman history.
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. Merivale's “General History," as far as to the times of the
Gracchi, is one of the best books for a short sketch. The same
work may be continued; but, from this period, events are so im-
portant that it is better to take up the same author's "Fall of the
Roman Republic.” This should be followed by the two small
volumes by Capes, and these, in turn, by Curteis. Froude's
“ Cæsar" and Trollope's “ Cicero" will be sure to interest the in-
telligent reader. In connection with these works, it would be
well to read selected chapters from Mommsen for a more com-
plete idea of the organization of the Roman government; and
selected chapters from the same author and from Merivale's
“Romans under the Empire” for admirable descriptions of Ro-
man life and manners, and Roman art. The best bird's-eye view
is that of Leighton. The “Epochs of History” series, beginning
with Ihne, will also afford a good short course.
2. Mommsen and Ihne may well be read together, the former
for his brilliant theories and striking conclusions, the latter for
the critical severity of his judgment. If the reader is master of
German, Schwegler and Clason should be read with care; if not,
Lewis's “. Credibility of Early Roman History” may be used with
good results. Arnold has given the most satisfactory account of
the earlier portion of the Second Punic War. Long's “Decline
of the Roman Republic” has much historical though but little
literary merit. Froude, in his “Sketch of Cæsar,” makes a strong
plea in favor of his bero, and, at the same time, succeeds in per-
suading the reader to despise the vacillating character of Cicero.
Before finally making up his mind, the reader should examine
HISTORIES OF ROME.
149
Trollope's or Forsyth's “Cicero." From this period the great
authorities are Merivale's “Romans under the Empire” and Gib-
bon’s “Decline and Fall.” Arnold's “Roman Provincial Admin-
istration” and Kuhn's “Verfassung der römischen Städte” throw
much light on certain elements which at once extended and hast-
ened the fall of the Roman power.
3. The works illustrative of Roman history are very numerous.
Dyer has a dissertation on the sources of early Roman history in
which he takes a view precisely the opposite of that of Sir George
Cornwall Lewis. Michelet, in an appendix to his “Roman Repub-
lic," discusses the same question. Schwegler, in his first volume,
enumerates the authorities for and against the theories of Niebuhr.
The so-called ballad theory is explained by Macaulay in his Intro-
duction to the “ Lays of Ancient Rome.” Essentially the same
position, but from another point of view, is taken by Dyer in his
“ History of the City of Rome," in which an effort is made to
show that authentic materials for history existed in the times of
the first annalists. The same ground is taken by Ampère, who
argues that the discoveries resulting from recent excavations con-
firm the traditional theory. Taine's “Tite Live" is one of the
most brilliant and one of the most suggestive books on Roman
history. George Dennis's “Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria,”.
published in London, 1878, are two volumes of valuable informa-
tion on Etruscan archæology. On the archaeology of Rome the
several volumes of monographs by J. H. Parker, with numerous
photographic illustrations, are the most important. Beesly's
“Gracchi" is a good monograph in English, though less carefully
wrought out than the German works of Lau and Nitzsch on the
same subject. In a study of the Carthaginian wars, Heeren's
“Politics, Intercourse, and Trade of the Carthaginians” and F.
W. Newman's " Defence of Carthago” may be read with profit.
Bancroft's essay on “The Decline of the Roman People,” pub-
lished in that author's “ Miscellanies,” gives a good picture of the
destructive tendencies of Roman slavery. The same subject may
be followed out in great detail in Wallon's “Esclavage.” Lau's
“ Cornelius Sulla” depicts the character and legislation of that
leader. The orations and letters of Cicero are, perhaps, the most
important contributions we have to a knowledge of the times be-
tween Sulla and Augustus. Middleton's “ Cicero" is an old but
150
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
a still valued authority. Forsyth's “ Cicero" is one of the most
successful attempts to defend the great orator against the tenden-
cies of modern writers to denounce him. Trollope's “ Cicero"
has a similar purpose and is more readable. Thierry's "Tableau
de l'Empire” is one of the most valuable and charming books
ever written on Roman affairs. Montesquieu's “Grandeur and De-
cay of the Romans" is written with the author's well - known
grasp and ability, but is somewhat loose in its statements of facts.
For the best picture of the city of Rome under the Empire,
chapters xxx.-xxxiv., xl., and xli. of Merivale's “Romans under
the Empire” are perhaps the best. Wey's “Rome” is a large
and sumptuous volume, with hundreds of cuts illustrative of the
city at different periods of its bistory. Burn's “Rome and the
Campagna” is designed especially to connect the early traditions
of Rome with individual localities. The most important author-
ity on Roman chronology is Peter's “ Zeittafeln der römischen
A work that has long had great reputation is Bergier's “Histoire
des Grands Chemins de l'Empire Romain,” published in two vol-
umes, 4to, at Brussels, in 1728.
For a description of Rome at a later period, selected chapters
from Gregorovius's “Geschichte der Stadt Rom" and Part VI.
of Hübner's “Life of Sixtus V.” will be found most useful. On
the religion of Rome, Boissier's “La Religion Romaine" and Cou-
langes's “Ancient. City” are the most comprehensive; though
Clarke, in his “Ten Great Religions," has treated the subject in a
manner for the most part satisfactory. Maurice, in his volume
“Learning and Working,” has given four lectures on "The Re-
ligion of Rome” that show the author's genius at its best. The
political institutions of Rome are most fully described by Mar-
quardt, though individual chapters in Mommsen, Ihne, Merivale,
and Gibbon will be found very useful. Gibbon's chapter xliv. is
a masterly though a brief account of the growth and character
of Roman law. Sellar and Cruttwell give, perhaps, the best brief
accounts of the growth and character of Roman literature. De
Quincey's essay on "The Barbarism of the Empire” and Seeleyłs
“Roman Imperialism" are worthy of careful study. Winckel-
mann and Müller are the best authorities on the technical details
of Roman art; but for scholarship and artistic enthusiasm com-
7
HISTORIES OF ROME.
151
bined consult Ampère's “ L'Histoire Romaine à Rome.” Wolt-
mann is now the great authority on painting. Domestic life is
portrayed in Becker's “Gallus,” in Gubl and Koner's “ Life of the
Greeks and Romans,” in Dezobry's “ Iinaginary Journey to Rome
in the Time of Augustus," and in Landor's “Imaginary Conver-
sations.” On the same subject, see also Harper's Monthly for
1872–3. Story's "Roba di Roma,” Hare's “Walks about Rome,"
and Valery's “ Historical, Artistic, and Literary Travels” are
chiefly descriptive of modern Italy; but they all endeavor, with
considerable success, to connect the present condition of Rome
with the past history of the city. Of works of fiction having his-
torical significance, Macaulay's “Lays of Ancient Rome,” Shake-
speare's “ Julius Cæsar” and “Antony and Cleopatra," Dryden's
“All for Love,” Ben Jonson's “Sejanus,” Bulwer's “Pompeii,"
Ware's “ Zenobia,” Ware's “ Aurelian,” Moore's "The Epicurean,"
Mrs. Charles's “Conquering and to Conquer," and Wiseman's
“Fabiola” are the most noteworthy.
152
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
CHAPTER VI.
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Dunham, S. Astley.-History of Europe during the Middle Ages.
4 vols., 12mo, London, 1833–36.
These volumes, though the production of a learned and judi-
cious writer, are no longer of very great importance. Dr. Dunham
wrote before the profound researches of the last twenty-five years
had been made, and, consequently, many of his inferences and
conclusions are now known to be erroneous. At the time the
work was written, however, it was one of the most satisfactory
accounts of mediæval events in our language. Perhaps it would
not be easy even now to name a book in English on the general
history of the Middle Ages containing a smaller number of serious
defects or blemishes. But in the light of modern investigations,
it leaves much to be desired, especially on the subject of the
growth and organizations of institutions.
Duruy, Victor.—Histoire du Moyen Âge, depuis la chute de l'Em-
pire d'Occident jusqu'au milieu du xve siècle. 12mo, Paris,
ge éd., 1875.
Probably the best work in a single volume on the general his-
tory and character of the Middle Ages. All the books of this
author are valuable; and this is one of the best of them. Duruy
was at one time Minister of Public Instruction in France, and not
the least of his service was the work of providing a rnost valuable
series of historical books for the use of schools of different grades.
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
153
These were all prepared under his superintendence, and several of
them were written by his own hand. They are presented in clear
and attractive style, are supplied with excellent maps and tables
and other means of illustration, are very accurate, and, as a whole,
probably form the most valuable series of historical text-books
ever published.
The work on the Middle Ages deals with causes and effects
rather than with details of events, and gives clear views of the
general movements of tendencies of society. The description
of the rise and essential character of feudalism is one of the best
brief accounts anywhere to be found. The growth of the papal
power, and the relations of the early Church with the temporal
authorities, are also admirably presented.
Hallam, Henry.- View of the State of Europe during the Middle
Ages. The first edition appeared as early as 1818, but the work
was subjected to thorough revision in 1848, when much new
and important matter was added. The issues in a single vol-
une both in England and America are generally reprints of one
of the first English editions, and are, therefore, of greatly in-
ferior value. The best editions are those in 3 vols., 8vo, Lon-
don, and 3 vols., 12mo, New York.
Hallam weighed all the materials that came into his hand with
the utmost care and impartiality. He also showed great industry
and patience in the prosecution of his researches. But at the
time he wrote, knowledge of the Middle Ages, even with the most
thorough students, was very imperfect compared with what it is
at the present day. Researches in France and Germany during
the past twenty-five years have added so much to the accessible
information concerning various phases of mediæval bistory that
very little of what was written more than thirty years ago can
now be safely regarded as conclusive authority. By those students,
therefore, who are able to make free use of French and German,
Hallam will be not very highly esteemed. Even the best of his
chapters, those on “The Constitutional History of England” and
“The State of Society in the Middle Ages," have been superseded
by the more successful investigations of Stubbs, Guizot, and others.
154
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
The literary qualities of the work are not such as to attract the
general reader, though the author's unfailing impartiality cannot
but secure the respect of every thoughtful student.
Kingsley, Charles.—The. Roman and the Teuton. A Series of
Lectures delivered before the University of Cambridge. 8vo,
London.
The characteristics of this entertaining volume are well indi-
cated by the subjects of the lectures. These are: “The Forest
Children;" "The Dying Empire ;" "The Human Deluge;" “The
Gothic Civilizer;" “Dietrich's End;" “The Nemesis of the
Goths;" “Paulus Diaconus ;" "The Clergy and the Heathen;"
“The Greek a Civilizer;"> “The Lombard Laws;"? " The Popes
and the Lombards ;” “The Strategy of Providence."
These lectures throw no light upon any of the difficult and dis-
puted points in the history of the Middle Ages. But this fact
does not detract from their value. They were intended not as a
history, but rather as a commentary on the significance and influ-
ence of historical events. They are to be judged, therefore, simply
as the speculations of a remarkably ingenious and interesting
mind; and, as such, they form, for the general reader, one of the
most stimulating volumes ever written on this somewhat dreary
period. Every lecture shows the fertility of imagination, the ex-
uberance of fancy, and the ingenuity of expression that have
made Kingsley's writings so delightful to a large number of read-
ers. Few persons will read the book without being aroused and
stimulated to new trains of thought.
Koch, M.--Tableau des Révolutions de l'Europe, depuis le Boule-
versement de l'Empire Romain en Occident jusqu'à nos Jours;
précédé d'une Introduction sur l'Histoire, et orné de Cartes
géographiques et Tables généalogiques et chronologiques.
Nouvelle édition, corrigée et augmentée. 4 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1814.
Though written in the early part of the century, these volumes
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
155
were the result of an unusual amount of special labor, and they
are still not without considerable value. We are assured that the
, author devoted thirty years to their preparation and completion.
In style the work is not elegant, but it is concise and clear; and
the descriptions and statements are generally accurate. On ac-
count of these qualities, it long stood unrivalled as a general sur-
vey of medieval and modern history. It was originally designed
for the use of young men preparing themselves especially for
political life. In 1828 an English version of the body of the
work appeared, but, as it lacked the maps and tables, it was of
much less value than the original. The third and fourth vol-
umes are devoted to maps, tables, and charts. The maps are
excellently engraved, and are so numerous as to throw light on
all the most important events described.
Kæppen, Adolphus Louis.—The World in the Middle Ages: an
Historical Geography, with accounts of the Origin and Develop-
ment, the Institutions and Literature, the Manners and Customs,
of the Nations of Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa,
from the Close of the Fourth to the Middle of the Fifteenth
Century. Accompanied by complete Historical and Geographi-
cal Indexes, and six colored Maps from the Historical Atlas of
Charles Spruner, LL.D., Captain of Engineers in the Kingdom
of Bavaria. Folio, New York and London, 1854.
The author's purpose was to present in this volume an accurate
geographical description of the world during the different periods
from the ultimate division of the Roman empire, at the death of
Theodosius the Great, down to the conquest of Constantinople in
the East, and the discovery of America in the West. He has
made ample use of the best geographical authorities, and has
brought together a vast amount of minute information on sub-
jects that are often very obscure. The way in which geographi-
cal changes were brought about is generally explained with suffi-
cient minuteness and accuracy. The historical portion of the
work is not very important, except in so far as it serves to account
for geographical changes. The maps are excellent, though they
are not so complete as those in the great historical atlas of Spruner-
156
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Mencke. The book will be found too dry for a general reader;
but for a student in want of geographical details it has great value.
By means of the indexes the geographical history of any country.
or province can generally be traced without difficulty. To the
recently published work of Freeman on “The Historical Geog-
raphy of Europe" it is generally inferior, though it often gives
minute and useful details where Freeman contents himself with
giving the reasons for such changes as were made, without indi-
cating very minutely what the changes were.
blished senerally be geographic
Potthast, August.-Bibliotheca Historica Medii Aevi. Wegwei-
ser durch die Geschichtswerke des europäischen Mittelalters,
von 375–1500. 8vo, Berlin, 1862.
A book of no interest to the general reader, but of great value
to the special student of the Middle Ages in general, and of the
German states in particular. It not only contains the titles and
brief descriptions of all the important authorities, but it also
gives the contents of the famous “Acta Sanctorum” of the Bol-
landists. In an appendix the author gives a brief title of the
important original authorities for the history of each of the
different Enropean nations. The book is most comprehensive
in plan, and most scholarly in execution.
7
Robertson, William.--A View of the Progress of Society in Eu-
rope, from the Subversion of the Roman Empire to the Begin-
ning of the Sixteenth Century. 8vo, Edinburgh, 1818. This
volume is properly an introduction to the author's "History of
the Reign of the Emperor Charles V.," and is usually to be
found in the various editions of that work.
This was perhaps the first really philosophical view of the
Middle Ages ever written. In calmness of judgment, in breadth
of scholarship, and in comprehensiveness of treatment it still has
no superior among the shorter treatises on the Middle Ages.
It is divided into three sections. The first is: a View of the
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
157
Progress of Society in Europe “with respect to Interior Govern-
ment, Laws, and Manners;" the second : “ with respect to the
Command of the National Force Requisite in Foreign Operations;"
and the third : “ with respect to the Political Constitution of the
Principal States in Europe at the Commencement of the Six-
teenth Century.”
The “proofs and illustrations” form nearly a half of the whole
volume, and are not the least important and interesting portion of
the work. They abound in facts of the utmost interest and im-
portance. It is difficult to discriminate against any portion of
this excellent piece of historical writing; but the first and the
third section will be found by most students more interesting, if
not more valuable, than the third.
Savigny, F. C.-Geschichte des römischen Rechts im Mittelalter.
7 vols., 8vo. Zweite Auflage, Heidelberg, 1850–51. A French
version was published in Paris in 1839, 5 vols. The first vol-
ume alone has been published in English.
The author was one of that remarkable galaxy of teachers and
writers brought together at the new University of Berlin in 1811.
After that date the successive volumes appeared from time to time,
until the last was published in 1831.
The author's purpose was the difficult task of showing the
influence of Roman law on the laws, customs, and institutions
of the Germanic nations and races during the Middle Ages. Be-
fore the appearance of this work, it had generally been supposed
that, until the discovery of tbe Pandects at Amalfi in the twelfth
century, the Roman law had exerted no influence in shaping in-
stitutions north of the Alps. But Savigny completely revolution-
ized public opinion on the subject. He proves that the Justinian
Code had been studied, and bad exerted its influence, from the
time of its first promulgation down through the Middle Ages.
The work has two very striking characteristics. It shows at
once an almost phenomenal affluence of learning, and a very un-
usual power of interpretation and generalization. In point of
style, it is unpicturesque and uninteresting. While, therefore, its
158
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
use will be confined to the few, it is a source from which even the
most learned scholar may derive large additions to his knowl-
- edge.
Sheppard, John G.–The Fall of Rome and the Rise of the New
Nationalities. A Series of Lectures on the Connection between
Ancient and Modern History. 8vo, London and New York,
1861.
One of the best manuals for the use of a student of the Middle
Ages. Perhaps its most striking characteristic is in its large de-
pendence on original authorities, and in the stress which it lays
on the use of such authorities in the study of the period under
examination. It also has the merit of bringing out with great
clearness the way in which the new nationalities were evolved out
of the confusion resulting from the invasions and the breaking-up
of the old empire. The author's religious point of view is the
opposite of Gibbon's, his pages revealing a constant desire to im-
press upon his readers the principle of the “fatherhood of God
and the brotherhood of man.”
Sullivan, William.-Historical Causes and Effects; from the Fall
of the Roman Empire, A.D. 476, to the Reformation, A.D. 1517.
12mo, Boston, 1838.
As a general introduction to the study of modern history, this
little book still remains one of the best. It was written by a
scholar, and its contents are well selected and arranged. In point
of style the volume is clear and interesting. The account of the
feudal age is the least satisfactory part of the work.
White, Rev. James. The Eighteen Christian Centuries. 12mo,
London and New York, 2d ed., 1862.
This book, at the time of its publication, was received with
much favor both in England and in America. It is an attempt
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
159
to picture the prevailing characteristics and tendencies of each of
the centuries. Its merit is in the fact that the spirit of each age
is generally well apprehended and correctly represented; while its
weakness shows itself in what must be considered an altogether
artificial division of history into exact periods of a hundred years
each. The author's style is at all times bright and vigorous,
though it has the fault of descending occasionally to the use of
jocose, if not even vulgar, expressions.
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS AND OF INSTITUTIONS.
Alzog, John.—Manual of Universal Church History. Translated,
with Additions from the ninth and last German edition, by F.
J. Pabisch and Thomas S. Byrne. 3 vols., roy. 8vo, Cincinnati,
1874–78.
The latest and by far the most important of Roman Catholic
authorities on the general history of the Church. It is put forth
as a book without a rival. The author was one of the most in-
fluential of German professors of ecclesiastical history, and his
standing in the Church is indicated by the fact that he was called
to Rome in 1869 to assist in the preparatory work of the Vati-
ican Council. In his labors of preparation Dr. Alzog made use
of Protestant and infidel, as well as of Roman Catholic, authori-
ties. The bibliographical notes at the beginning of each chapter
are of much value. The volumes may be consulted with profit,
especially on the period of the Reformation. The views of the
author in regard to Wycliffe, Huss, and Luther are put forth
with moderation, but with distinctness. In point of literary work-
manship the volumes leave little to be desired. The work is not
free from dogmatism, and it not unfrequently puts forth views
which will startle the Protestant reader. A good example is his
saying of Alexander VI., that he “never lost sight of the essential
duties of the head of the Church."
160
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Aubé, M.-Histoire des Persécutions de l'Église.
1875.
8vo, Paris,
One of the most scholarly as well as one of the latest produc-
tions on the persecutions of the early Christians. The most strik-
ing fact brought out by the book is the real attitude towards the
Christians of Marcus Aurelius. The author shows that this em-
peror was no more guilty than were Hadrian and Antoninus Pius.
The fact is demonstrated that neither of these emperors cared
enough for Christianity to reverse the decisions of his own offi-
cial subordinates. The author shows that the mob was always
ready to rise up against Christianity, but that the Christians en-
joyed the almost constant toleration of public law. The empe-
rors above named neither softened nor aggravated the rescript of
Trajan. The book is an interesting study of the early relations
of Christianity to the Empire.
Balmes, Rev. James.-European Civilization. Protestantism and
Catholicity Compared in their Effects on the Civilization of Eu-
rope. Svo, 16th ed., Baltimore, 1850.
This famous work, by a learned Spanish Catholic ecclesiastic,
was prepared for the purpose of counteracting the influence of
Guizot's lectures on European civilization, and “to neutralize the
facilities offered under the régime of Espartero for the success of
a Protestant propagandism in Spain.” The American editor, in
describing the work, says of the author: “He does not say that
nothing has been done for civilization by Protestantism; but he
asserts and proves that Protestantism has been greatly unfavorable
and even injurious to it.” This is a fair statement of the object
aimed at by the work. From beginning to end the book is con-
troversial; but it is very able, and is well worth looking into, as
the strongest presentation of what most Americans have reason
to consider as the other side. Chapters xxxiv. to xxxviii. treat of
“ Tolerance in Matters of Religion,” of “The Right of Coercion,"
and of “The Inquisition in Spain." These chapters contain the
gist of the whole argument, and, even if the book is not read as a
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
161
whole, may well be examined for the explanation they give of
the methods by which the Church defends the most questionable,
part of its policy.
Baring-Gould, S.—Curious Myths of the Middle Ages. 12mo,
London, 1866; New York, 1880.
An interesting volume, devoted to the work of describing and
demolishing some of the most important traditional stories rife in
the Middle Ages. The subjects brought before the reader are,
“The Wandering Jew;" “Prester John;" “The Divining-rod;"
“The Seven Sleepers ;" “William Tell;" "The Dog Gellert ;"
“Tailed Men;" “ Antichrist and Pope Joan;" “The Man in the
Moon;" “ The Mountain of Venus ;" “Fatality of Numbers ;"
and “The Terrestrial Paradise.” The stories of Tell and of Pope
Joan are of most interest and consequence to the historical stu-
dent. The author destroys the personality of the Swiss hero, and
does it without use of the ponderous and superfluous learning
brought to the same service by recent German critics. The faults
of the volume are an all-pervasive flippancy, and a tendency to
drift into occasional attempts, not altogether successful, at fine
writing. The book is instructive, but it entertains and amuses
even more than it instructs.
Bulfinch, Thomas.—Age of Chivalry, or Legends of King Arthur.
Legends of Charlemagne, or Romance of the Middle Ages. 2
vols., 12mo, Londonand New York, 1863.
A successful effort to present the most important legends of
the Middle Ages in a form adapted to modern taste. While they
throw considerable pleasant light on the life and manners of the
times, they guide the reader through that treasure-hotise of mod-
ern mythology from which modern poets of all countries have
drawn so much of their material. The work will be of more in-
terest and value to the student of romantic literature than to the
student of history.
162
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Church, R. W.- The Beginnings of the Middle Ages. With
three Maps. 16rno, London and New York, 1877.
A worthy introduction to the series of volumes known as
“ Epochis of Modern History.” Though a small book, it embod-
ies inany of the fruits of recent scholarship, and is one of the best
brief accounts of events from the fall of Rome to the breaking-up
of the Carlovingian empire. A rapid but graphic account is given
of the relations of the Franks to the Church ; of the peculiar civ-
ilization of the Lombards; of the work in religion and govern-
ment of Gregory the Great and of Charlemagne; and, best of all,
of the methods by which the way was prepared for the union of
the Church and the empire under Otto the Great.
Cox, George W.-The Crusades. With a Map. 16mo, London
and New York, 1878.
This little volume is written with the author's well-known
thoroughness of knowledge and brilliancy of style. It makes no
pretence to original research, but it embodies in admirable form
the results of the most recent investigations. The book begins
with an account of the causes of the general impulse towards the
East; continues with a description of the nine crusades; and ends
with what the author calls “The Sequel of the Religious Wars.”
Interspersed are chapters on "The Council of Clermont,” “The
Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem," "The Loss of Jerusalem,” and
“The Latin Empire of Constantinople."
For a student who would investigate the period thoroughly, the
book has very little value except by way of suggestion ; but for
the general reader it is probably the most interesting and satis-
factory brief account of the Crusades yet produced in English.
Cox, George W., and Jones, E. H.-Popular Romances of the Mid-
dle Ages. First American, from the second London, edition.
12mo, New York, 1880.
Probably the most valuable of the several manuals on the sub-
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
163
ject of the folk-lore of Europe. It contains all the more impor-
tant of the tales that enter so largely into the romantic literature
of modern times. The most prominent of the authors has de-
voted himself for many years, with great assiduity, to the system-
atic study of mythology, and the fruits of his learning are here
brought together. The book, therefore, is valuable alike to the
student of literature and the student of history.
Döllinger, Johann Joseph.—The First Age of Christianity. Trans-
lated by H. N. Oxenham. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1866.
Dr. Döllinger has long been held as one of the ablest historians
in the Roman Catholic Church; and this work may be regarded
as the most successful representation of the early history of the
Church from the Catholic point of view. The subject is one of
the most important in the whole range of ecclesiastical history, for
the reason that the authority claimed by the Church rests largely
upon the nature of its early organization. Döllinger should be
studied by every student interested in the Roman Catholic view
of the subject.
Fisher, George P.-The Beginnings of Christianity, with a View
of the State of the Roman World at the Birth of Christ. 8vo,
New York, 1877.
first serial cortile our
The chapters that go to make up this volume were first delivered
in a somewhat less amplified form as Lectures before the Lowell
Institute in Boston. The author had three purposes in view :
first, to give an account of the ancient world, including heathen
and Jewish society ; second, to examine the New-Testament doc-
trines from which our knowledge of the Christian religion must
be derived ; and, third, to discuss the most important topics con-
nected with the life of Christ and the apostolic age.
The most distinctive features of the work are its views of the
Jewish, Greek, and Roman religions, and its comparisons between
them. It represents extensive study of the best literature on the
164
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
subject, is without parade of learning, and is written in a style at
once clear and refreshing.
Geffcken, Heinrich.-Church and State; their Relations Histori-
cally Considered. Translated and edited, with the assistance of
the author, by Edward Fairfax Taylor. London, 2 vols., 8vo,
1877.
An excellent historical guide-book for the study of the relations
of Church and State from the earliest times down to the present
day. An introductory chapter is devoted to definitions and state-
ments of principles, after which the author gives an exposition of
the relations of Church and State during the long period under
review. The whole of the second volume is devoted to the period
since the French Revolution. The author is a professor of inter-
national law in the University of Strasburg, is a conservative
Protestant, and is opposed to the recent harsh policy of the Prus-
sian government in dealing with the Catholic question. For
knowledge, acumen, and fairness the work is worthy of high
praise. Opponents of State churches can find no better arsenal
from which to draw than the vast array of facts here presented.
Gfrörer, A. F.-Pabst Gregorius VII. und sein Zeitalter. 7 vols.,
8vo, Schaffhausen, 1859.
This ponderous work of some four thousand octavo pages is the
most elaborate portrayal of the great conflict between the popes
and the temporal powers in the Middle Ages. The author is a
Catholic historian of repute, is wedded to his work, and is master
of an attractive literary style. Were life not so short, the book
might be earnestly recommended. As if to make the use of the
work impossible, the author gave it to the world without an index.
But, notwithstanding this fact, if the student is willing to enter
earnestly upon the labor of exploring the vast mazes of these vol-
umes, he will find much to reward his search. The relations of
Pope Gregory to the subordinate clergy and to the civil powers in
all the different countries of Europe are presented with the utmost
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
165
fulness and minuteness. In spite of the want of an index, the
reader will generally be able to find in the table of contents a
clew to what he desires.
Gieseler, Dr. John C. L.-A Text - book of Church History.
Translated from the Fourth Revised German Edition, by Samuel
Davidson and the Rev. John W. Hull. A New American Edi-
tion, revised and edited by Henry B. Smith. 5 vols., 8vo, New
York, 1857–79.
As a text-book on the history of the Church, this is unquestion-
ably one of the best ever written. Its most striking peculiarity is
the admirable manner in which the author has classified and veri-
fied the sources of information. The text is admirable for the
ability and the judicious fairness with which it is written, but it
is perhaps in the notes that the extraordinary merits of the work
are most conspicuous. The fourth and fifth volumes are devoted
to the period since the beginning of the Reformation. This is
the strongest portion of the work, as it is the portion to which
the author devoted his best energies. As a description of the
religious features of the Reformation, it is infinitely superior, for
the purposes of a scholar, to the better-known work of D’Aubigné.
Gosselin, L'Abbé Jean Edme Auguste.—Pouvoir du Pape au
Moyen Âge, ou Recherches Historiques sur l'Origine de la Sou-
veraineté Temporelle du Saint-Siége et sur le Droit Public au
Moyen Âge relativement à la Déposition des Souverains ; pré-
cédées d'une Introduction sur les Honneurs et Prérogatives Tem-
porelles, etc. Nouvelle édition, 8vo, Paris, 1845. An English
translation appeared in London in 1853.
The chief importance of this volume, the first edition of which
appeared in 1839, is in the fact that its writer was an ecclesiastic
of influence and learning, and in some sense represented the posi-
tion of the Roman Catholic Church on the important subject of
which he treats. It is not a book, however, to be regarded as a
final authority.
166
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Guizot, F.-History of the Origin of Representative Government
in Europe. Translated by Andrew R. Scroble. Crown 8vo,
London, 1860.
This attractive volume consists of fifty lectures delivered as
early as 1820, but carefully revised and published after the Revolu--
tion of 1848. They have deservedly obtained great popularity,
not only on account of the author's pleasing method, but also for
the clear insight they give into the comparative conditions of the
several governments of Europe during the Middle Ages.
The second part is devoted exclusively to a consideration of the
growth of representative government in England. It embraces
the period from the Norman Conquest to the reign of the Tudors.
Students of English history will find the observations of this au-
thor especially interesting, though some of his positions will not
endure the examination of such modern scholarship as that of
Stubbs and Freeman. His statements .of fact are occasionally,
though very seldom, inaccurate, but his generalizations are usually
founded on correct information, and they are always able and
suggestive. In Part i., Lectures vi.-xxvi. are devoted to an ex-
amination of the early legislative assemblies of continental Eu-
rope, and, for the purposes of the general student this will proba-
bly be found the most valuable portion of the book.
Hardwick, Charles.—A History of the Christian Church. 2 vols.
Vol. i. : Middle Ages, with Maps constructed for the work by
A. Keith Johnston. Vol. ii. : The Reformation. 12mo, Lon-
don, 1861.
A book designed especially for the use of students, and one
well adapted to its purpose. While the narrative portion is writ-
ten in a very spirited style, the notes are very full, and thus afford
abundant means of verification. The author is tolerant as well as
learned. He writes as a representative of the Church of England,
and he has, what is not too common with learned writers on eccle-
siastical history, the art of presenting what he has to say in a style
possessing real literary merits.
The most striking qualities of the work are shown in the second
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
167
volume. Chapter vi., on “The Counter-Reformation,” discusses
the subject under the heads “The Mediating Party,” “The
Council of Trent,” “ The Inquisition,” and “The Jesuits.”
Chapter viii., on “The Constitution of the Church and its Re-
lations to the Civil Powers," describes “ The Roman Commun-
ion,” “The English Communion," " The Saxon Communion,”
and “The Swiss Communion.” Chapter ix. is an admirable
presentation of “The State of Intelligence and Piety.” These
titles are enough to show that the purpose of the author was a
far higher one than to present merely an account of events as
they occurred.
Hecker, J. F. C.-Epidemics of the Middle Ages. Translated
from the German by B. C. Babington, M.D. 8vo, London,
1844.
The author first gives an account of the pestilence of the four-
teenth century called the “Black Death,” by which it is computed
that twenty-five millions of people, or one fourth of the population
of Europe, were destroyed ; that in a single cemetery alone, near
London, more than fifty thousand victims were buried; and that
in Venice the number of deaths probably reached a hundred thou-
sand. The consternation that seized the people of all parts of
Europe, he assures us, was such that many instances are recorded
of self-destruction. In some localities a feeling of torpor amount-
ing to despair became general, so that fear seems to have been
almost as fatal as the pestilence. The five visitations of the sweat-
ing sickness, the last occurring in 1551, are also described ; and
the author shows the similarity, though not the identity, of this
disease with the military fevers prevalent at a later day in Eu-
rope. The importance of the subject may be inferred from the .
testimony of Sir William Petty, who said, “A plague happeneth
in London every twenty years, or thereabout, and doth constantly
kill one fifth of the inhabitants.” The number who died of the
plague in London in 1665 is given at 68,596.
168
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Irving, Washington.—Mahomet and his Successors. 2 vols.,
8vo and 12mo, New York, 1850, and many subsequent editions.
One of the most attractive accounts of the rise of Mohammed-
anism, and of its development from 622 to 710. During this
short period the adherents of the new and strange faith planted
themselves firmly in Western Asia, and extended their empire
from east to west, a distance of nearly four thousand miles. This
course of conquest is what the work has admirably described. It
cannot be said to contain any very important additions to our
knowledge of Mohammedanism ; but, like all of Irving's histories,
it does much to compensate for any lack of profound research by
the charm of an unusually attractive style.
Johnson, A. H.—The Normans in Europe. With Maps. 16mo,
London and New York, 1877.
A good sketch of what the author happily calls the Scandina-
vian exodus--a movement which began about the year 800 and
culminated in the conquest of England more than two hundred
and fifty years later. During the first century of this period the
people of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway barassed Europe with
their petty incursions, and formed more or less definite settle-
ments in England, Russia, and France. About a century later
France became the starting-point from which incursions, on a
gigantic scale, were made into Spain, Italy, and the British Isles.
More than half of the volume is devoted to the conquest of Eng-
land and its influence on English institutions. This is the most
meritorious portion of the book, though the rapid sketch of the
Normans in other parts of Europe is not without its value. The
weakness of the volume is in the fact that the account of the
Norman settlements in Sicily and Italy is altogether inadequate
to the importance of the subject. The whole account of this very
important branch of Norman history occupies no more than about
fifteen pages.
Though this little book bas unquestionable historical merits, in
point of style it falls below the average quality of the “Epochs
of History Series," of which it forms a part.
.
HISTORIES LIN
169
OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
Kremer, Alfred.-Culturgeschichte des Orients unter den Chali-
fen. 2 vols., 8vo, Vienna, 1875.
The best picture of that wonderful civilization which had its
centre at Bagdad, and which taught and studied Aristotle and
Plato, Euclid and Ptolemy, while Europe was still in the darkness
of the early Middle Ages. : The author was long a resident of the
Levant, and it was during his residence there that he collected the
materials of which he has made so good use. The book will
prove a genuine revelation, even to those somewhat familiar with
the presentations of the same subject by Condé and Sismondi.
Labarte, Jules.--Histoire des Arts Industriels au Moyen Âge, et
à l'époque de la Renaissance. 4 vols. in-8, avec grav. sur bois,
et deux albums in-4to de 150 planches chromo lithographiques,
gravés sur métal. A second edition, with the text in three vols.,
was published in 1871; but as the plates of this edition are
slightly worn, it must be considered inferior to the first.
This is a work of great magnificence, and, accordingly, is one
not to be enjoyed by many private libraries; but it is of great in-
terest and importance to a student of the Middle Ages. Its mi-
nute descriptions, as well as its sumptuous plates, make it invalu-
able to a student of mediæval art.
Lea, Henry C.-An Historical Sketch of Sacerdotal Celibacy in the
Christian Church. 8vo, Philadelphia, 1867.
As a view of that great struggle which resulted in the universal
prevalence of celibacy among the clergy of the Latin Church, this
volume has no equal. The subject is traced in different countries
with extreme care, and the work is enriched with a great variety
of interesting and valuable notes. Though the book was written
from a Protestant point of view, it has no controversial character;
indeed, in spirit it is as admirable as it is in scholarship.
170
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Lea, Henry C.-Studies in Church History. The Rise of the
Temporal Power; Benefit of Clergy; Excommunication. 8vo,
Philadelphia and London, 1869.
These three essays, the first of which was published in a less
amplified form in the North American Review, are a presentation
of facts designed to show how the Church, in meeting the succes-
sive crises in its career, succeeded in establishing the absolute the-
ocratic despotism which diverted it so strangely from its spiritual
functions. To the general student probably the essay on excom-
munication will be of most interest and value. The practices and
penalties imposed by the Church in different times and countries
are clearly and fully presented. Reference to different topics is
made easy by an analytical table of contents and a very full index.
Lea, Henry C.-Superstition and Force. Essays on The Wager
of Battle, The Wager of Law, The Ordeal, Torture. 8vo, 3d
ed., Philadelphia, 1880.
In a less amplified forin these essays attracted great attention
in the pages of the North American Review. The volume is by
far the most complete and satisfactory account we have in Eng-
lish of what may be called the methods of administering injustice
in the Middle Ages. The ability and learning of the book would
be creditable to the historical literature of any language. No
more adequate view is anywhere given of the slowness and diffi-
culty with which modern institutions have been evolved out of
medieval confusion.
in the Middle A9 The historical literath of the slowness
Lecky, William E. H.-History of European Morals from Augus-
tus to Charlemagne. 2 vols., Svo, London and New York, 1875.
A work abounding in important facts and suggestive thoughts.
To all but students of philosophy the first chapter,“ The Natural
History of Morals," is likely to be found somewhat tedious,
though it has great intrinsic merits. One of the most valuable
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 171
chapters is the fourth—that on the period from Constantine to
Charlemagne-in which, however, the weaknesses of the various
monastic orders are probably given a somewhat undue promi-
nence. The second volume concludes with a valuable but rather
depressing chapter on the position of woman. The work is very
scholarly, and may be read with profit by every student. It is,
however, subject to one criticism. In dealing with the ecclesias-
tical phases of the period, the author cannot resist the temptation
to indulge in innuendoes and sarcasm. A little less contempt or
pity for the religious zeal of the early monks, and a somewhat
larger allowance for the turbulence of the times, would have im-
proved the work.
Lacroix, Paul.-Works on the Middle Ages, the Period of the
Renaissance, and the Eighteenth Century. 5 vols., imperial
8vo, London, 1880.
The work of which these five sumptuous volumes are a trans-
lation was published in a first edition at Paris some thirty years
ago; but the importance of the material brought together, the
skill of the descriptions, and the artistic execution of the illustra-
tions have given to it a recognized and a permanent value. The
volumes are each embellished with about twenty chromo-litho-
graphs and from three hundred to five hundred wood engravings,
all executed with great artistic skill. The first of the volumes
below mentioned has appeared in a new issue with an additional
chapter on music, which, for the accommodation of owners of the
first edition, has also been separately published.
The volumes are issued separately, and their titles respectively
are as follows: “The Arts in the Middle Ages and at the Period
of the Renaissance;" “ Manners, Customs, and Dress during the
Middle Ages;" “ Military and Religious Life in the Middle Ages
and at the Period of the Renaissance ;" “ The Eighteenth Cen-
tury — its Institutions, Customs, and Costumes ;” “Science and
Literature in the Middle Ages and at the Period of the Renais-
sance."
The author was for many years curator of the Imperial Library
at the Arsenal in Paris, and in the preparation of these volumes
172
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
he made good use of the vast storehouse of materials at his
hand.
Mason, Arthur James.-The Persecutions of Diocletian. An His-
torical Essay. Svo, Cambridge, 1876.
.
The first form of this essay received in 1874 the Hulsean Es-
say prize. It is founded largely upon original investigations, al-
though the author acknowledges his great indebtedness to Ger-
man and French writers, chief among whom are Hunziger and
De Broglie. The aim and effect of the book are to exculpate
Diocletian from the imputations under which he has so long rest-
ed. The author holds that Constantine's policy, in all essential
particulars, was a continuation of that of Diocletian, and that
Diocletian's persecution was modelled after that of Valerian.
Michaud, J. F.-History of the Crusades. Translated from the
French by W. Robson. 3 vols., London, 1852, and New York,
1881.
Though written half a century ago, this is the most important
history of the Crusades yet produced. Michaud's biographer tells
us that to the work he sacrificed “almost every moment of twen-
ty of the best years of his life.” Much of this time was spent in
visiting and examining places in the East. The author wrote in
delightful style, and for his work was rewarded with a seat in the
Academy. The translation, unfortunately, is not worthy of the
book. On this account readers of French will prefer the work in
the original tongue.
Mills, Charles.--A History of the Crusades, and the Recovery
and Possession of the Holy Land. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1822.
A work at one time higbly esteemed, but, in reality, one that
is, in almost every respect, inferior to those of Michaud, Sybel,
Cox, and Gibbon. The only quality of the book worthy of note
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
173
is the fact that the author dwells quite largely upon what may be
called the picturesque side of the Crusades. The spirit of the
movement is successfully caught, but it is questionable whether
the author has not magnified the sentimental side of the subject.
but it is The spirit may be
PO
Mills, Charles.—The History of Chivalry; or, Knighthood and its
Times. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1825. .
A work almost forgotten, but written with considerable fidel-
ity, learning, and elegance. It is the most useful of this author's
books, and it presents in readable form a history not elsewhere
more conveniently brought together. The plan of treating the
subject is to trace the origin, growth, and development of chiv-
alry in each of the European nations.
Milman, Henry Hart. — The History of Christianity from the
Birth of Christ to the Abolition of Paganism in the Roman
Empire. 3 vols., 8vo, London, and 12mo, New York; new
and revised edition, 1871.
One of the early works by which Dean Milman laid the founda-
tion for his literary fame. It now stands as a fitting introduction
to the more mature and more famous “ History of Latin Chris-
tianity."
In style it shows the author's well-known qualities, and it is
marked by his equally well-known freedom from bondage to the
traditions of the Church. It is liberal in spirit, graceful in meth-
od, and, if it has not the learning of Döllinger and Neander, it
still is entitled to a high rank among the most scholarly of Eng-
lish works.
Milman, Henry Hart.-History of Latin Christianity; including
that of the Popes to the Pontificate of Nicholas V. 8 vols.,
8vo, New York.
To the student of the Middle Ages this work is second in im-
174
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
portance only to that of Gibbon. It covers substantially the
same period, and, although its plan is much more limited, it is in
its way scarcely less satisfactory. Milman was a distinguished
divine of the Church of England, yet his treatment of the popes
and of their policy is so liberal that his work has received the heart-
iest commendation of so prominent a Catholic as Cardinal New-
man. Of especial excellence is the author's account of the estab-
lishment and growth of monastic institutions and monastic orders.
Worthy of note, also, is the struggle between the pope and the
emperor in the time of Gregory VII. In chap. viii, of vol. viii. is
a skilful account of Christian architecture. Of the numerous
works on the history of the Church in the Middle Ages this will
generally be found at once the most readable, the most impartial,
and the most satisfactory.
Montalembert, Count de.—The Monks of the West, from St.
Benedict to St. Bernard. Translated from the French. 7
vols., 8vo, Edinburgh and London, 1860–70.
A very eloquent history of monasticism, written from a very
friendly point of view. The author, at about the time of the
completion of his work, fell into disfavor with the Church in con-
sequence of his opposition to the dogma of papal infallibility.
But until the meeting of the Vatican Council his standing with
the officials at Rome was of the best. The book, therefore, may
be regarded as having the sanction of the highest Catholic au-
thority. It is the ablest plea that has ever been made for the
several orders of monks, being at once scholarly, sympathetic, and
conscientious.
Mullinger, J. Bass.-The Schools of Charles the Great, and the
Restoration of Education in the Ninth Century. 8vo, London,
1877.
A valuable study of a limited but an important field of inquiry.
It is the best account not only of the great attempt of Charle-
magne to revive something like an intellectual life, but also of the
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
175
real nature of education in the Middle Ages. As a picture of
that part of Charlemagne's work which probably exerted a more
enduring influence than his conquests, or perhaps even his laws,
the book has unique value. It may well be read in connection
with the lectures on Charlemagne in Guizot's “ History of Civili-
zation in France."
Nasse, E.-On the Agricultural Community of the Middle Ages ;
and Inclosures of the Sixteenth Century in England. 8vo, Lon-
don, 1871.
A book of much learning and value. The author has made a
special study of the subject for some years, and his conclusions
are entitled to great consideration. There can be no complete
understanding of the several systems of land-tenure in Continental
Europe without some knowledge of the system of communities in
the Middle Ages. It may well be read as a preliminary study to
the adınirable series of essays on the systems of local government
and land-tenure in modern Europe entitled “The Cobden Club
Essays for 1875."
Neander, Augustus.-General History of the Christian Religion
and Church. Translated from the 2d improved German edi-
tion by Joseph Torry. 5 vols., 8vo, Boston, 1854; also 8 vols.,
12mo, London and New York, 1861.
On many accounts this still remains the most remarkable history
of the Church ever written. No Church historian has ever shown
so extensive learning, and no one has ever used lis learning in a
more scholarly manner. But it is a work that very few people
can read. Its learning is so prodigious as to be oppressive; and,
for this reason, nearly all students except those who are makers
of books will turn to histories of a more readable kind.
O'Brien, John. A History of the Mass and its Ceremonies in the
Eastern and the Western Church. 12mo, New York, 4th edi-
176
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
This little book bears the imprimatur of ecclesiastical authority;
and, consequently, it may be accepted as having the sanction of
the Catholic Church. It is not simply what its title would imply,
but it has to do with all the ceremonies of worship in the Eastern
and Western churches. It treats historically of the various sub-
jects with which it has to deal, and its purpose is to show that
there is a deep significance and importance in all of the author-
ized ceremonies of worship.
Ockley, Simon.--The History of the Saracens; comprising the
Lives of Mohammed and his Successors to the Death of Abdal-
melik, the Eleventh Caliph. With an Account of their Remark-
able Battles, Sieges, Revolts, etc. Collected from the most au-
thentic sources, especially Arabic MSS.' Crown 8vo, London,
6th edition, 1857.
This work, by a learned and distinguished professor of Arabic
in the University of Cambridge, was published as early as 1718;
but it has been carefully revised and improved by adapting it to
the requirements of recent scholarship. Ever since its publication
the book has been regarded as remarkable for the amount of its
curious and instructive learning. Though written so long ago, it.
is still one of the most valuable histories of the eventful period it
describes. It is not only learned, but by many it will be found
interesting, and by all it will be regarded as a remarkable instance
of success in one of the most difficult fields of historical author-
ship. Ockley prosecuted his labors to the end with rare devotion
and perseverance. Though he was still a professor at Cambridge,
the last part of his history was written in prison, where he was
confined for debt. Gibbon made frequent use of the work, and
spoke of the author as “a learned and spirited interpreter of
Arabian authorities."
Ozanam, A. Frédéric. History of Civilization in the Fifth Cen-
tury. Translated from the French by Ashley C. Glyn. 2 vols.,
12mo, London and Philadelphia, 1867.
A work that for some years has enjoyed considerable favor in
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
: 177
France, and that possesses not a little real value. The author
was a Liberal in politics, a Catholic in religion. The book is
made up of what was originally a course of lectures. The most
important position of the author is that the Christian Church was
the only civilizing force that survived the Revolution and the inva-
sions. It is a strong and learned presentation.
Pressensé, E. de. — The Early Years of Christianity. 4 vols.,
12mo, London and New York, 1870.
These volumes, the production of a brilliant French Protestant
divine, are among the most eloquent writings on the early history
of the Church. The subjects treated are—“The Apostolic Era,"
"The Martyrs and Apologists,” “Doctrine and Heresies," and
“The Church Worship and Christian Life.” They are perhaps
the most eminently readable books we have on the first centuries
of ecclesiastical history. The author's style is peculiarly epigram-
matic and forcible, a fact which adapts the volumes admirably to
popular use.
Reuter, Hermann.-Geschichte der religiösen Aufklärung im Mit-
telalter. Vol. i., 8vo, Berlin, 1875.
The purpose of this well-known theologian is to present a view
of the various efforts made during the Middle Ages to throw
off the authority of dogma and establish the right of indepen-
dent reason. The first volume of the work is divided into four
books—the first being devoted to the age of Charlemagne, the
second to the tenth and eleventh centuries, the third to the
twelfth century, and the fourth to the age of Abelard. An ap-
pendix contains numerous proofs and illustrations. The style is:
not altogether attractive, but the author is very able, and, in spite
of some infelicities of form and arrangement, the work bas great
merits.
12
178
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Roth, Paul.-Geschichte des Beneficialwesens von den alten Zei-
ten bis in's zehnte Jahrhundert. 8vo, Erlangen, 1850.
The most notable value of this volume is in the great light it
throws on the origin of the feudal system. All modern writers
of authority agree that this system sprang out of the mutual obli-
gations imposed by the early tenure of benefices. What these
obligations were in different countries and periods it is the object
of Roth to explain. As an authority the work is entitled to great
weight. It may well be used on the study of the feudal system
with Waitz, Laurent, and Secretan.
Sartorius, Georg. - Geschichte des hanseatischen Bundes. 3
vols., 8vo, Göttingen, 1802–8.
t
As an authority on the subject of which it treats, this work is
one of recognized importance. Though it was written before the
publication of the works of the Historical Society of the Hanse-
atic Cities, it has not yet been superseded. As a representation of
Hanseatic activity it is inferior to the work of Schäfer, but as a
view of the development and decline of the League it still has a
value of its own. The first volume is devoted to the rise of the
League, the second to its prosperity, and the third to its decline
and fall. The Introduction is an interesting description of the
way in which the freedom of cities in general during the Middle
Ages was established.
Secretan, Édouard.- Essai sur la Féodalité : Introduction au
Droit Féodal du Pays de Vaud. 8vo, Lausanne, 1858.
One of the most critical and satisfactory examinations of feud-
alism. After devoting somewhat more than a hundred pages to
the origin and formation of the system, the author discusses “The
Feudal Hierarchy,” “The Feudal Contract,” and “Systems of
Feudal Justice." Each of these subjects is treated analytically
and comprehensively. By means of the very full table of con-
tents at the close of the volume, the student will be able to select
the particular topic he may wish to examine.
attarehensively. By means subjects is treated analytis of
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
179
The subject of the volume is one of many difficulties, but the
author has done much to deprive it of its obscurities.
Smith, Tomlin.-English Gilds. The Original Ordinances of
more than one hundred Early English Gilds. Edited with
Notes. With an Introduction and Glossary, etc., by his daugh-
ter, Lucy Tomlin Smith; and a Preliminary Essay, in five parts,
on the History and Development of Gilds, by Lujo Brentano.
8vo, London, 1870.
One of the most important of the many valuable publications
of the Early English Text Society. On the subject of which it
treats it is of far greater value than any other work in the Eng-
lish language. The “Ordinances” are edited with the utmost
care, and the archaic forms of the early English in the text are
made amply intelligible by the notes.
The historical essay by Dr. Brentano is at once scholarly and
readable. To students without an understanding of German it
will be in most respects an ample substitute for the more com-
prehensive work of Wilda. The author discusses “The Origin of
Gilds,” “Religious and Social Gilds," "Town Gilds or Merchant
Gilds," " Craft Gilds,” and “ Trades-unions.”
By the study of Brentano and the subsequent use of the “ Or-
dinances," the student will not fail to arrive at a generally correct
understanding of the subject.
Sommerard, Alexandre du.—Les Arts au Moyen Âge en ce qui
concerne principalement le Palais Romain de Paris, l'Hôtel de
Cluny, issu de ces ruines, et les objets d'art de la collection
classée dans cet hôtel. 5 vols., 8vo, avec un atlas in-fol., 510
planches. Paris, 1839–46.
A sumptuous work on the arts of the Middle Ages, though
somewhat less comprehensive in its scope than that of Labarte.
The plates are adinirable illustrations of much of the finest work
of the great masters of design.
180
.
זזה
HISTORICAL LITERATUREStanley, Arthur Penrhyn.--Lectures on the History of the East-
ern Church. With an Introduction on the Study of Ecclesias-
tical History. Second edition, revised, 8vo, London and New
York, 1862.
For the purposes of a student of general history this is the
most useful of Dean Stanley's works. It not only has to do with
a subject of very considerable importance, but it possesses the
rare charm of a graceful, scholarly, and eloquent method of treat-
ment. It is one of the few ecclesiastical histories that every genu-
ine student of the Middle Ages will find himself interested in
reading.
The work begins with three introductory lectures on the study
of ecclesiastical history, in which the author discusses the prov-
ince, the methods, and the advantages of the subject. Then fol-
low the twelve lectures that make up the body of the volume.
The subjects are—“The Eastern Church ;' “ The Council of Ni-
cæa ;" “The Emperor Constantine;" “Athanasius;" “ Mahomet-
anism in its Relations to the Eastern Church ;” “The Russian
Patriarch Nicon ;” and “Peter the Great and the Modern Church
of Russia.” On the Council of Nicæa four lectures are given, in
the course of which the author describes, with admirable skill and
spirit, the general condition of the Church in the early part of the
fourth century. The lectures on the Russian Church are also of
great importance and interest.
The volume has a very full analytical table of contents, and
closes with an index.
Sybel, Henry von.--The History and Literature of the Crusades.
From the German. Edited by Lady Duff Gordon. 12mo,
London, 1861.
Von Sybel's studies of the period of the Crusades, begun while
he was still a student at the university, were carried on until he
became the foremost living authority on the subject. His inves-
tigations were especially directed to a critical examination of the
several original writers on the period. The results of his re-
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
181
searches were embodied in a number of lectures and essays, from
which this volume has been compiled and translated.
The first part, consisting of a hundred and thirty pages, is en-
titled “ History of the Crusades," and is the substance of four
lectures delivered at Munich in 1855. It is incomparably the
ablest brief sketch we have. Part second is entirely devoted to
the “Literature on the Crusades;" a “Critical Account of the
Original Authorities and the Later Writers on the Crusades.”
For a careful examination of this period, this is, of course, by far
the most important part of the volume. The translation is well
done. The work is not only very valuable, but is also very at-
tractive.
Theiner, Augustin.-Histoire des Institutions d'Éducation Ec-
clésiastique, traduite de l'Allemand par Jean Cohen. 2 vols.,
8vo, Paris, 1841.
Of the numerous historical and theological writings of this au-
thor, this is likely to be of greatest value to the student of history.
It is an important authority on the history of educational institu-
tions connected with the Roman Catholic Church. The author
represented at different times in his life nearly every phase of ec-
clesiastical opinion, but his instability in no way affected the
character of his labors on this work. In an important sense it is
a history of all education in the Middle Ages, as well as of eccle-
siastical education in modern times.
Thompson, R. W.–The Papacy and the Civil Power. 8vo, New
York, 1876.
A carefully prepared account of the growth of the civil power.
of the Roman See. It is written from a Protestant point of
view; but the author has used a large number of Catholic authori-
ties, and has used them with considerable skill. The work is
hardly judicial in its character, but rather is a powerful indict-
ment of the temporal policy of the Catholic Church. It contains
182
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
several ecclesiastical documents that enhance its value. While it
is not of sufficient importance to be regarded as an ultimate au-
thority, it is the best easily accessible sketch of the subject of
which it treats.
Villemain, Abel Francois.—Life of Gregory the Seventh; pre-
ceded by a Sketch of the History of the Papacy to the Elev-
enth Century. Translated by J. B. Brockley. 2 vols., 8vo, Lon-
don, 1874. The original was published in 2 vols., Paris, 1873.
The author long enjoyed the reputation of being one of the
most accomplished of French scholars. To the preparation of the
“Life of Gregory" he gave the closing years of a long and brilliant
literary career. In the first two hundred and thirty pages of the
book the author surveys the men and measures of the first thou-
sand years of our era. He regards Constantine as a politician
who availed himself of the growing power of Christianity to aid
his own ambition, and who finally convinced himself that he was
an appointed agent for working out the Divine purpose. In the
second volume will be found a very clear exposition of the doc-
trine of papal supremacy over the temporal power. “Can there
be any doubt,” says the pope,“ that the priests of Jesus Christ
are the fathers and masters of kings and princes and of all the
faithful?” The long struggle that resulted from an attempt to
establish the principles here enunciated ended, the author thinks,
first, in a victory for the papacy at Worms, and, secondly, in the
still further pretensions of Innocent the Third.
The translation contains an occasional ambiguity; but, in the
main, it is faithful and correct.
Wilda, Wilhelm Eduard.—Das Gildenwesen im Mittelalter. Eine
von der königlich dänischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften
zu Kopenhagen gekrönte Preisschrift. 8vo, Halle, 1831.
Ever since its publication this volume has been a work of stand-
ard importance. It is founded upon thorough research, and has
the qualities of a genuine scholarship.
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
183
The plan of the author is fourfold. In the first place, he
treats of the origin, growth, and development of the guilds of the
Middle Ages; then of the different orders of guilds; thirdly, of
the peculiarities of the guilds in different countries; and, lastly,
of the spiritual orders and brotherhoods. These divisions are sub-
divided as the nature of the subject seemed to require. The
method of treatment is direct and well adapted to interest as well
as instruct. Though there have been important investigations
since Wilda wrote, yet the work has by no means become super-
annuated. It continues to be quoted as a high authority on the
general subject, though on the peculiarities of guilds in individual
localities much additional light has been thrown by subsequent
investigators. The account of guilds in England, for example,
is much inferior to that of Smith.
III. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. If the student hopes to find in a single book a satisfactory
account of the thousand years between the fifth century and the
fifteenth, he will be disappointed. The multitudinous events of
this millennium do not lend themselves to condensed description.
The reader, therefore, is forced to the necessity either of being
content with general views or of dealing with somewhat volumi-
nous works. The most successful general study of this period is
"Robertson's View of the State of Europe during the Middle
Ages," forming the Introduction to his “ History of Charles the
Fifth.” Both the text and the “Notes and Illustrations” should
be carefully studied by every student. Of the books that attempt
to narrate the events of this period, perhaps Dunham's “ Middle
Ages” is still the best in English. Duruy's “ Histoire du Moyen
Âge” is much better—indeed, is probably the most satisfactory
single volume on the Middle Ages yet published. Hallam's well-
known work on the same period has not been superseded, though
for the general reader it is dry, and for the scholar it is no longer
sufficiently accurate. A good beginning course would be the fol-
lowing works in the order named: Church's “Beginnings of the
Middle Ages,” Cox's" Crusades,” Johnson's “Norman Kings and
184
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
the Feudal System,” Stubbs's “Early Plantagenets," and Gaird-
ner's “Houses of Lancaster and York.” Sheppard's “Fall of
Rome and Rise of New Nationalities” would be of service in
binding all these together. Bryce's “Holy Roman Empire” is in-
valuable for clearing up the relations of Germany and Rome. The
“Students' Gibbon” is a successful condensation, though very
many readers will prefer to read selected chapters from the larger
work. Kingsley's “Roman and Teuton” will interest every reader.
2. For a fuller study of the period Gibbon's “Decline and
Fall” is still of unrivalled importance, though some of the chap-
ters may be omitted without serious loss. Coulanges's “Institu-
tions Politiques” is a work of genius; and though it relates chiefly
to the history of France, it is by far the most successful descrip-
tion of the relations of Romans and barbarians. Notice espe-
cially his account of the different ways in which the Germans
came to be gradually infused into the Empire. Lecky's “ History
of Morals," of which the first chapter may be omitted, is a schol-
arly and, with the limitations already noted, a helpful book.
Bryce may always be consulted with profit, as he throws light
on many subjects that the historians have generally failed to
make clear. Geffcken's “ Church and State" is the most satis-
factory book on the important subject of which it treats. Se-
lected chapters from Milman's “Latin Christianity” will be
found most valuable on ecclesiastical questions. The best view
of the feudal system we have in English is contained in the
translation of Guizot's “History of Civilization in France.” The
fifth chapter of Maine's “ Village Communities” is also of great
importance, In French, the seventh volume of Laurent, and the
“Essai" of Secretan are the best. Of the Crusades, if the ac-
counts by Gibbon and Cox are not deemed adequate, Michaud
and Sybel should be made the authority. For the period subse-
quent to the Crusades the works of Symonds and Burckhardt are
of the first importance. For a still more comprehensive view
Sismondi is the chief authority in French; Gregorovius and Leo
in German. Of course, anything like a profound study of the
Middle Ages requires a study of individual nationalities.
3. In Guizot's “Essais” are two very important papers--one
on the “Roman Municipal Organizations as Elements of Weak-
ness," and one on the “Social and Political Institutions of France
HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
185
from the Fifth Century to the Tenth.” The letters and essays of
Thierry are also of great importance, not only for the wise judg-
ments of the author on the political and social characteristics of
the Middle Ages, but also for the information they give on the
historians who have treated the same subject. Smyth's “Lectures
on Modern History" (lectures i. to ix.) give valuable comments
on authorities, though the book is now somewhat out of date.
Book iii. of Adam Smith's “Wealth of Nations” is worthy of
consultation. The religious condition of society may be studied
in Aubé's “Histoire des Persécutions,” Gosselin's “ Power of the
Popes,” Lea's “Studies in Church History," and Lea's "Sacerdotal
Celibacy.” Gieseler, Neander, Milman, Ranke, and Hardwick are
the most valuable authorities on the Protestant side; Döllinger,
Alzog, Montalembert, Spalding, Gfrörer, and Balmes on the Ro-
man Catholic. Balmes's “European Civilization” is a work of
the most radical Catholic type. Mrs. Oliphant's “Francis of
Assisi” is an interesting picture of religious life in the thirteenth
century. Sir James Stephen's “Ecclesiastical Essays” give an
excellent account of the founding of the chief religious orders.
The same subject is treated with enthusiastic and eloquent ful-
ness in Montalembert's “Monks of the West.” Professor Thomas
Smith's "History of Mediæval Missions, and the Rev. G. F.
Maclear's “ Apostles of Mediæval Europe," are standard modern
works, each in one 12mo volume, written from the Protestant
point of view. One of the chapters in Lecky's " Morals " gives a
striking description of early asceticism. Lea's “Superstition and
Force" is the best description in English of mediæval judicial
methods ; Wächter is a great authority on the same subject in
German. Spalding, in his “Miscellanea," takes a rose - colored .
view of the manners of the Middle Ages. The best pictures of
chivalry are found in Froissart's “ Chronicles,” Mills's “Chivalry,"
Bulfinch’s “ Age of Chivalry,” Scott's “Essay on Chivalry” and
"Ivanhoe," though this author's pictures are to be taken with
some allowances. Life in Italy in the fourteenth century is ad-
mirably depicted in Bulwer's “Rienzi.” The literature of the
Middle Ages is adequately described in Hallam's “Introduction
to the Study of Literature," and Sismondi's “ Literature of the
South of Europe.” The second chapter of Sismondi is a graphic
picture of the literature and civilization of the Arabs. Fauriel is
186.
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
one of the best authorities on the ballad literature of Provence.
Wright's “Essays on the Middle Ages ” throw much light on the
customs of the time, though they appertain exclusively to Eng-
land. The great authorities on the arts in the Middle Ages are
Labarte, Du Sommerard, and Lacroix. The condition of the
common people will be found described with graphic and painful
realism in Bonnemère's “ Histoire des Paysans,” Şugenheim's
“Aufhebung der Leibeigenschaft," and Monteil's “ Histoire des
divers États." Hecker's “ Epidemics in the Middle Ages” is a
book of great interest on a subject of no small importance.
For still further hints on the Middle Ages, see “Suggestions to
Students” in the chapters on Italy, Germany, France, and Eng-
land.
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
187
CHAPTER VII.
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Arnold, Thomas. — Introductory Lectures on Modern History.
With a Preface and Notes written by Professor Henry Reed.
12mo, New York, 1847.
These eight lectures, though forming Dr. Arnold's Inaugural
Course at the University of Oxford, were prepared and delivered
in the last year of the author's life, and, consequently, were the
ripe fruit of a profound scholarship. The author's object was
not to impart historical knowledge, but rather to awaken a great-
er interest in the study of history. The first lecture is devoted
to a definition of history in general, and of modern history in par-
ticular; while the body of the work is an expansion of these defi-
nitions, and a description of the proper manner of studying the
external and the internal life of nations.
The value of the book is considerably increased by the schol-
arly notes of Professor Reed.
Browning, Oscar. — Historical Hand - books. Edited by Oscar
Browning. Now in course of publication. Crown 8vo and
16mo, London and Philadelphia.
This series, in purpose, is not very unlike that edited by Mr.
Morris, and known as the “ Epochs of History."
Volumes on the following subjects, several of which have al-
ready appeared, while others are announced as either in press or
in a state of preparation, are to form the series :
188
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
“History of English Institutions,” by Philip V. Smith; "His-
tory of French Literature," by M. Demogeot; “The Roman Em-
pire,” by A. M. Curteis ; "History of Modern English Law," by
Sir R. K. Wilson ; "English History in the Fourteenth Century,"
by Charles H. Pearson; "The Great Rebellion,” by Oscar Brown-
ing; “History of the French Revolution,” by Rev. Frank Bright;
“ The Age of Chatham," by Sir W. R. Anson; “The Age of
Pitt,” by Sir W. R. Anson; “The Reign of Louis XI.,” by F.
Willert ; “The Supremacy of Athens,” by R. C. Jebb; “The Ro-
man Revolution," by H. F. Pelbam; "History of the United
States," by Sir George Young.
Of the volumes that have appeared, those of Smith and Curteis
are most noteworthy.
Duruy, Victor. --- Histoire des Temps Modernes, depuis 1453
jusqu'à 1789. 12mo, Paris, 7th ed., 1875.
This excellent book was prepared by one of the most eminent
and skilful of modern French historical writers. It shows the
same general characteristics as the author's “ Histoire du Moyen
Âge.” It is compact, accurate, and interesting. Its great popu-
larity in France is fully deserved; and it is doubtful whether any
other single volume on the period of which it treats can be of so
much value to the student.
Dyer, Thomas Henry.—The History of Modern Europe from the
Fall of Constantinople to the Close of the War in the Crimea.
4 vols., 8vo, London, revised edition, 1878.
The value of this work is in the fact that it is compactly writ-
ten and is made easy of consultation by full tables of contents
and an excellent index. . Its statements of fact are generally accu-
rate, but its style is heavy and unattractive. On account of the
author's lack of skill in narration, few readers will have the intel-
lectual energy to read the book from beginning to end. As a
work of reference, especially in libraries scantily provided with
books on special subjects, it is of great value.
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
189
Heeren, A. H. L.-Vermischte historische Schriften.
tingen, 1821–24.
3 vols., Göt-
The great ability of Heeren nowhere appeared to better advan-
tage than in the essays and dissertations which form the first
three volumes of his collected works. Several of them, on sub-
jects of great difficulty, had the honor of winning prizes offered
by various learned societies.
The following are the most important: “Entwickelung der
politischen Folgen der Reformation für Europa ;" “ Versuch einer
historischen Entwickelung der Entstehung und des Wachsthums
des britischen Continental-Interesses;" “Ueber die Entstehung,
die Ausbildung, und den practischen Einfluss der politischen
Theorien und die Erhaltung des monarchischen Princips in dem
neueren Europa ;"' “ Versuch einer Entwickelung der Kreuzzüge
für Europa ;" and " Ueber den Einfluss der Normannen auf fran-
zösische Sprache und Literatur.”
The essay on the Crusades, at the time of its appearance, was
greatly admired for its breadth of judgment and the comprehen-
siveness of its learning. A translation of it into French, by Ch.
Villers, was published at Paris as an octavo volume in 1808.
Heeren, A. H. L.-A Manual of the History of the Political Sys-
tem of Europe and of its Colonies, from its Formation at the
Close of the Fifteenth Century to its Re-establishment upon the
Fall of Napoleon. Translated from the fifth German edition.
2 vols., 8vo, Oxford, 1834.
A work written in the midst of the turbulence occasioned in
Westphalia by the Napoleonic wars. But on its first appearance
in 1809 its importance was at once recognized, and it was very
soon translated into all the more prominent languages of Europe.
It was several times revised, and the edition of 1830, the one from
which the Oxford translation was made, embodied such correc-
tions and improvements as had been suggested by critics and re-
viewers. Its great importance has not been essentially dimin-
ished by any subsequent publication. Of course its references to
190
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
authorities cannot include the important histories written within
the last fifty years. It also suffers the great disadvantage of hav-
ing been prepared before the international relations of Europe had
been subjected to the incomparable scrutiny of Ranke. But
though Ranke has treated the relations of individual countries
and governments with clearer insight, he has nowhere given so
general and systematic a view as that of Heeren. For the study
of Europe since the Reformation these volumes are still among
the most valuable in our language.
Heeren, A. H. L. - Historical Treatises : The Political Conse-
quences of the Reformation; The Rise, Progress, and Practical
Influence of Political Theories; The Rise and Growth of the
Continental Interests of Great Britain. 8vo, Oxford, 1836.
The titles of these essays and the great reputation of the au-
thor are enough to attract the attention of the scholar; nor will
the expectations raised be disappointed. The generalizations are
of the broadest, but they are founded on the basis of a very ex-
tensive knowledge. It was in discussions of this kind that Heeren
was at his best. These treatises were written in the early part of
the present century, but they are still entitled to the thoughtful
attention of the historical student.
Heeren, A. H. L., und Ukert, F.-Geschichte der europäischen
Staaten. 76 vols., 8vo, Hamburg, 1829-75.
One of the most valuable of the several collections of historical
works issued in Germany in the course of the present century.
The several productions forming the series are prepared by
writers judiciously selected by the editors, and, in several instances
at least, they are the most important histories yet published of
the countries of which they respectively treat.
The list of the works, of which brief descriptions will generally
be found under the appropriate heads, is as follows: Mailath's
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
191
“Geschichte der Magyaren,” 5 vols.; Böttiger's “Sachsen," 2
vols. ; Dahlmann's “Dänemark," 3 vols.; Geiger und Carlsson's
"Schweden,” 5 vols. ; Kampen's “ Niederlände,” 2 vols. ; Lappen-
berg und Pauli's “England,” 5 vols. ; Lembke und Schäfer's
“Spanien,” 3 vols.; Leo's “Italien,” 5 vols. ; Mailath's “ Oester-
reich," 5 vols. ; Pfister und Bülow's “Geschichte der Teutschen,"
6 vols.; Röpel und Caro's “Polen," 3 vols.; Schäfer's “Portu-
gal,” 5 vols.; Schmidt's “ Frankreich,” 4 vols.; Stenzel's "Preus-
sen,” 5 vols.; Strahl und Hermann's “Russland,” 6 vols. ; Wachs-
muth's “Revolutions - Geschichte Frankreichs,” 4 vols.; Zinkei-
sen’s “Geschichte des osmanischen Reichs in Europa," 7 vols.
Lord, John.- A Modern History from the Time of Luther to the
Fall of Napoleon. For the Use of Schools and Colleges. 8vo,
Philadelphia, 1860.
A book with a hundred faults and one merit. From beginning
to end it abounds in errors of the most elementary and unschol-
arly character. And yet in style it is attractive, and consequently
it is apt to inspire a student with considerable liking for history.
These characteristics continue to tempt many to use the book and
denounce the author.
Michelet, Jules.--Modern History. Translated and Continued to
the Present Time by M. C. M. Stimson. 12mo, London and
New York, 1875.
Michelet was a monarchist, a Roman Catholic, and one of the
most brilliant historical writers of his day. The work is gener-
ally accurate, and, on the whole, has many merits. Its fault is
that its author was a sentimentalist, and was so fond of soaring
that it was never quite easy for him to keep his feet on the solid
earth. The book has the further fault of abounding in allusions
too obscure for the intelligence of common readers. For any
person whose greatest dread is a dread of dulness, the work is the
best on the subject.
192
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Morris, Edward A.-Epochs of History. Edited by Edward A.
Morris. Many volumes, the number of which is still increas-
ing. 16mo, London and New York.
TT ni
A series of concise and carefully prepared volumes on special
eras of history. Each is devoted to a group of events of such
importance as to entitle it to be regarded as an epoch. Each is
also complete in itself, and has no especial connection with the
other members of the series. The works are all written by au-
thors selected by the editor on account of some especial qualifica-
tions for a portrayal of the period they respectively describe. The
volumes form an excellent collection, especially adapted to the
wants of a general reader.
The series at present consists of volumes on the following sub-
jects: “ The Era of the Protestant Revolution," by F. Seebohm ;
“The Crusades,” by Rev. G. W. Cox; “The Thirty Years' War,"
by S. R. Gardiner; “The Houses of Lancaster and York, with
the Conquest and Loss of France," by James Gairdner; “The Age
of Elizabeth,” by Rev. M. Creighton ; “The Fall of the Stuarts
and Western Europe,” by Rev. E. Hale; “The Puritan Revolu-
tion," by G. R. Gardiner; “The Early Plantagenets,” by Professor
W. Stubbs; “The Beginning of the Middle Ages,” by R. W.
Church; “The Normans and the Feudal System in Europe," by
A. H. Johnson; “Edward the Third,” by Rev. M. Creighton;
“The Age of Anne," by Edward A. Morris ; “ Frederick the
Great,” by F. M. Longman. The volume on "The French Revolu-
tion," by William O'Connor Morris, was not accepted by the Eng-
lish editor, but is published in New York as a part of the series in
this country. The work has a valuable appendix, prepared by
President A. D. White, entitled “An Abridged Bibliography of
the French Revolution.”
Priestley, Joseph.—Lectures on History and General Policy. 2
vols., 8vo, London, 1793.
These lectures were delivered to a class of lads, not so much for
the purpose of teaching them history as for the purpose of show-
ing them the value of it, and how to study it. The form of the
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
193
lectures is quaint, but their value is still very considerable. They
abound in interesting practical suggestions and in scraps of the
most curious information. Many of the books that the author
recommends are no longer of much value; but, with some abate-
ment of this kind, the lectures may still be read with real profit.
Russell, Dr. William.--The History of Modern Europe; with a
View of the Progress of Society from the Rise of the Modern
Kingdoms to the Peace of Paris in 1763, and a Continuation
of the History to the Present Time, by William Jones. With
Annotations by an American. 3 vols., 8vo, New York, 1857.
A reprint of an old book, and one of not very great intrinsic
value. It is in the form of letters written by a good grandfather
to a good grandson. It has a goodish flavor that interferes some-
what with the enjoyment, if not the profit, of the reader of robust
intelligence. But it is generally accurate, and judicious; indeed,
is considerably better than it seems. There are many better
books on the subject in French and German, but not many in
English; hence it is worthy of note.
Smyth, Dr. William.-Lectures on Modern History, from the Ir-
ruption of the Northern Nations to the Close of the American
Revolution. Third American edition, revised and corrected,
with Additions, including a List of Books on American History,
by Jared Sparks. 8vo, Boston, 1856.
The course of lectures embodied in this volume was delivered
early in the present century by the professor of history at the
University of Cambridge.
The purpose of the lectures was not so much to teach history
as to teach how and what to read in order to become successful
historical students. The lectures were well adapted to their pur-
pose. They may be described as comments on various authors,
rather than as descriptions of events. Though age has somewhat
diminished the usefulness of the book, yet the student will still
13
194
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
find in it much that is of permanent value. Especially worthy
of note are the commentaries of the author on the sources of bis-
tory, such as memoirs and original documents.
Yonge, Charles Duke. — Three Centuries of Modern History.
12ino, London and New York, 1878.
In this volume, Professor Yonge, of Queen's College, Belfast,
has produced a text-book of considerable merit and of serious
faults. The narrative is usually accurate, and the author has
made use of abundant and well-selected materials. But while the
book imparts to the student much information, it does not tend
to inspire him with any additional zeal for his work. The au-
thor's style is involved and awkward; the general arrangement of
the material is unskilful; the proof-reading was careless; and the
book gives too great prominence to many unimportant events.
But, in spite of these faults, it is perhaps one of the best single
volumes on the period we have in English.
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
D'Aubigné, J. H. Merle.--History of the Great Reformation of
the Sixteenth Century in Germany, Switzerland, etc. 5 vols.,
12mo, New York, 1846 ; and many subsequent editions.
This can hardly be called a standard history of the Reforma-
tion, and yet it is probably more used by Protestant readers than
all other histories of the Reformation combined. The causes of
the great popularity of the work are the grace and spirit of the au-
thor's style, the enthusiastic Protestantism of his belief, and the
great skill with which he has marshalled his evidence.
. D'Aubigné's dislike of the Catholic Church amounted to ha-
tred and abhorrence. Though he probably made an honest en-
deavor to be judicious in his treatinent of it, it was not in his nat-
ure to succeed. The work, therefore, can never be relied upon
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
195
by a student as ultimate authority, or even as a safe guide. It is
simply one side of a great question, presented with great power
by a skilful and brilliant advocate. As a specimen of historical
pleading it bas unsurpassed merits. But no judgment should be
rendered until the other side has been heard. Bishop Spalding's
work on the same period may well be examined in connection
with it.
D'Aubigné, J. H. Merle.--History of the Reformation in Europe
in the Time of Calvin. 7 vols., 12mo, New York; 8vo, Lon-
don, 1864–77.
This may be considered as a continuation of the author's“His-
tory of the Reformation in the Time of Luther.” It partakes of
the same general characteristics as its predecessor. In style it is
graphic and eloquent; in faith it is ardent and one-sided. Ear-
nest and devoted Protestants will find nothing in it to weaken
their faith, but probably much to strengthen it. The author
writes what a majority of his readers will be glad to read. These
characteristics make it certain that the popularity of the work
will always exceed its merits.
Döllinger, J.J.-Die Reformation, ihre innere Entwickelung und
ihre Wirkungen im Umfange des lutherischen Bekentnisses.
3 vols., 8vo, Regensburg, 1846–48.
This is probably the most able and most judicious of all works
on the Reformation, from a Roman Catholic point of view. While
the author is an energetic opponent of Protestantism, he does not
hesitate to assail vigorously the prevalent immoralities of the
Church.
The work was translated into French by Emile Perrot, and was
published in Paris, 3 vols., 1847–51. But no translation of the
work into English has been made.
196
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Seebohm, Frederic.—The Era of the Protestant Revolution. Sec-
ond edition, with Notes on Books in English relating to the
Reformation, by George P. Fisher. 16mo, New York, 1875.
This volume belongs to the series published under the general
title of “ Epochs of History." It is not one of the best of the
series, but it is a convenient and popular summary of events from
the beginning of the sixteenth century to near its close. While
the author holds that the Protestant Revolution was but the be-
ginning of the great wave which broke over Europe at the time
of the French Revolution, he limits his discussion to the influence
of the events of the sixteenth century. The book is less compre-
hensive in scope, and less able in manier of treatment, than the
work of Häusser.
Fisher, George P.-The Reformation. 8vo, New York, 1873.
A thorough piece of literary work, the result of many years of
study. The most distinct characteristic of the volume is the at-
tempt on the part of the author to interweave with the account
of religious and theological affairs such secular and political
events as had an important influence in shaping the great inove-
ment. The history of theological doctrine has received very ade-
quate treatment-perhaps somewhat fuller treatment than a lay-
man would have desired. If this history is not the best single
volume on the Reformation for the use of a student, its value is
exceeded only by that of Häusser.
Fischer, Karl.-Geschichte der auswärtigen Politik und Diplo-
matie im Reformationszeitalter, 1485–1556. 8vo, Gotha, 1874.
An interesting sketch, designed to present in strong light the
various external and political influences that tended to shape the
course of the Reformation.
The volume is divided into two very nearly equal parts.' The
first is devoted to describing external relations; the second, to
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
197
giving an account of the various efforts that were made to change
those relations by diplomatic means and methods.
The sources appear to have been industriously studied, thougla
very few references are given. The style is easy and agreeable.
Häusser, Ludwig.–The Period of the Reformation. 1517-1648.
12mo, London and New York, 1874..
A course of fifty lectures by one of the ablest and most popu-
lar German professors of history. For a thoughtful student the
work is, beyond all rivalry, the best we have on the period in a
single volume. The author has made full use of the researches of
Ranke and of other German scholars, and has embodied the re-
sults of these researches in very attractive form. Häusser was a
conservative Protestant, and his work is entirely free from every-
thing of a controversial nature. The most distinguishing merit
of the book is the great skill with which it shows the intimate
and often subtle relations of political with religious affairs. This
characteristic is notably conspicuous in the treatment of Philip
II. and the Netherlands, and also in the treatment of the Thirty
Years' War. To this latter subject, so difficult in itself, eleven
lectures are given, which for insight, clearness, and comprehensive-
ness leave little to be desired. The student will probably no-
where else find, within fifty pages, a better account of the Thirty
Years' War, and of the peace by which that great struggle was
concluded.
The work also gives a very satisfactory account of the efforts
at reform made in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Scandinavia, as
well as of the more powerful movement in England. The book
ends with an excellent index.
Hübner, Baron.-The Life and Times of Sixtus the Fifth. Trans-
lated from the original French by E. J. Jerningham. 2 vols.,
8vo, London, 1872.
When Ranke wrote his great “ History of the Popes,” the ar-
198
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
chives at Simancas had not yet been opened to the inspection of
scholars; but the vast treasures of that collection have been freely
- used in the preparation of this work by Baron Hübner. He has
also been able to find some new sources of information in Venice,
Paris, Vienna, Florence, and the Vatican. These have enabled
him to correct a few errors of detail into which Ranke had fallen.
The author is doubtless much more perfectly informed of the de-
tails of the life of Pope Sixtus than was his great German prede-
cessor; but it is noteworthy that the judgments of the two his-
torians concerning the pope are not essentially unlike. Hübner
writes as a Roman Catholic, but he has given us a statesmanlike
view of the plans and achievements of the great pontiff who di-
rected the affairs of the Church during much of the time of Philip
II. and Elizabeth. The efforts of the pope to direct the Spanish
king and to restore the Roman Catholic faith in England are
well described ; and the delineations of the pope's more prominent
contemporaries add much to the interest and value of the work.
The pope's struggle with the Jesuits is also clearly outlined. The
book contains admirable pictures of social life in the sixteenth
century.
Praet, J. van.-Essays on the Political History of the Fifteenth,
Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries. Edited by Sir E. Head.
8vo, London, 1868.
the thor has Charles,
The
Taken as a whole, these. essays form a very important comment
on the modern history of Europe. The subjects around which
the author has grouped his thoughts and comments are, " An In-
troduction;" “ Charles V. ;" “Philip II. ;" “ William the Silent;"
“Cardinal Richelieu ;" “The First English Revolution;" and
“William III.”
Van Praet was for thirty years member of the household to the
late King of the Belgians; and during that period he had ample
opportunities for observing the methods of monarchical govern-
ments. His essays, therefore, aim to present what might he called
an interior view of the men and the periods of which they treat.
The author has far less power in narration than has Macaulay
or even Motley; but while the more famous writers have suc-
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
199
ceeded in giving the reader more brilliant pictures of their heroes,
Van Praet has probably painted them more nearly as they really
were. His great effort is to trace the real springs that moved the
characters he deals with, and to find in them, if possible, some
explanation of the turn affairs have taken. It is in the work of
critical historical portraiture that these essays excel.
The work of translation is but indifferently done. There are
occasional grammatical errors, and the French idiom is but im-
perfectly concealed.
Ranke, Leopold yon.-The History of the Popes, their Church and
State, and especially of their Conflicts with Protestantism in
the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. Translated by E.
Foster. 3 vols., 12mo, London, 1840.
First published as early as 1837, this great work did more than
any other to raise its author to that supreme rank among histori-
ans which he has now long enjoyed. Professor Ranke is a Prot-
estant, but he carries forward all his work with such fairness and
impartiality as to command the general, if not even the entire,
respect of his religious opponents. The work is founded largely
on documents still in manuscript, and lying unedited in the libra-
ries of Venice and Rome. Selections from these make up the
whole of the third volume of the work.
As a portrayal of the interior policy of the Church, and of the
course that led to the reaction against the Reformation, these vol-
umes have no equal. The distinguishing characteristic of Ranke
is the deep insight with which he penetrates to the very bottom
of affairs, and brings the causes and springs of action into the
light. It is for this reason that he has long been the favorite his-
torian with historians.
Spalding, M. J.-History of the Protestant Reformation in Ger-
many and Switzerland; and in England, Ireland, Scotland, the
Netherlands, France, and Northern Europe. Various editions,
8vo, Baltimore and New York, 1860.
This work, by the eminent Catholic archbishop of Baltimore,
200
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
was first published as a review of the well-known history by D’Au-
bigné. It is consequently too controversial to be of the greatest
historical value, but it is scarcely more one-sided than the work of
D'Aubigné, and it is perhaps the strongest presentation we have
of the Catholic side of the Reformation. It is successful in re-
futing many of the positions taken by the Protestant historian.
Raumer, Frederick von.--History of the Sixteenth and Seven-
teeth Centuries, Illustrated by Original Documents. Translated
from the German. 2 vols., 12mo, London, 1835.
To those already somewhat familiar with the centuries of which
these volumes treat, the presentation of Von Raumer is of much
interest and value. The author, when engaged in exploring the
archives of Paris for his famous “ History of the Hohenstaufen,"
found an abundance of material illustrating the events of the cen-
turies of the Reformation. From these materials he has made up
the useful volumes before us. They consist in part of extracts,
and in part of abbreviated accounts of important state-papers.
The papers examined are original documents written by envoys
and others, and they abound in curious comments on the events
that happened under the writers' observation.
In vol. ii., letter li., is a very interesting account of the manners,
customs, and characteristics of the English in the time of Edward
VI., by the Florentine Petruccio Ubaldini. In the same volume
letter lxi. gives also a good account, from original observers, of
the manner of James I., and of the causes of the rapid decline
of that monarch's popularity.
Gindely, Anton. — Geschichte des dreissigjährigen Krieges. 3
vols., 8vo, Prague, 1869–80.
As yet no very satisfactory history of the Thirty Years' War
has been completed. The mass of materials is so enormous, and
the struggle was so protracted and so far-reaching in its interests,
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
201
that no historian has been able to give an account of the war that
has been accepted as at once comprehensive and correct.
The work of Gindely, though as yet only begun, is by far the
ablest and most judicious we have. The first two volumes, how-
ever, are confined to the first year of the war, and it is to be feared
that at this rate the author will find it impossible to complete the
work. So far as he has gone, he leaves little to be desired. He
informs us that the second volume rests upon the substantial basis
of between five thousand and six thousand original documents.
Although the work will doubtless go forward with less delay, now
that the author has actually got into the stir of arms, yet the va-
rious diplomatic interests were so complicated, even while the war
was progressing, that a lifetime will be scarcely enough to encom-
pass the whole subject.
Gardiner, Samuel Rawson.-The Thirty Years' War, 1618-48.
16mo, London and New York, 1874.
The history of the Thirty Years' War is practically yet to be
written; but as a brief sketch of the changing events of that stu-
pendous conflict this account is unequalled. The chief merit of
the book is in the prominence it gives to the great turning-points
of the war. The struggle is thus invested with an interest that
would have been utterly wanting in the production of a less ac-
complished literary master. Especially noteworthy is the account
of the effects and results of the war.
Schiller, Friedrich.-History of the Thirty Years' War. Trans-
lated by A. J. W. Morrison. Crown 8vo, London, 1841; 12mo,
New York, 1846.
For nearly a century this history has enjoyed the reputation
reflected upon it by the name of the author. But it deserves
to have a place in the history of literature rather than in the lit-
erature of history. Schiller was a great writer, but he was not a
great historian. The work may still be read in the original as an
admirable specimen of German prose, but it is no longer of any
considerable value as a history. The little book of Gardiner,
202
· HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
or the few lectures on the war in Häusser's “Period of the
Reformation,” will give a far more adequate idea of the moment-
ous conflicti
Noorden, Carl von. — Europäische Geschichte im achtzehnten
Jahrhundert. Erste Abtheilung: Der spanische Erbfolgekrieg.
2 vols., 8vo, Düsseldorf, 1874.
This must be regarded as by far the most important contribu-
tion ever made to our knowledge of the war of the Spanish Suc-
cession. It rests upon a very thorough study of the original
sources, not only in London and the Hague, but also in Berlin
and Vienna. Free use has been made of the correspondence of
all the more prominent actors in the events under consideration.
Unfortunately, the author did not gain access to the military ar-
chives of France.
Each of the volumes is divided into five books, the first group
tracing the origin of the war, and its progress to 1704; the second
having to do with the great events between that year and the
close of the campaigns of 1706.
The author by no means limits himself strictly to a history of
the war. For example, in the beginning of the second volume he
gives a general survey of the governments of Denmark, Poland,
Sweden, and Russia; and portrays with great skill the danger
wbich threatened the coalition through the Godolphin-Marlbor-
ough ministry in England.
In point of style the work is clear and spirited. .
Russell, Lord John.--History of the Principal States of Europe
from the Peace of Utrecht. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1826.
Though published anonymously, this work was soon traced to
the hand of Lord John Russell. Strictly speaking, it is a sketch
of only about ten year's-1713–1723. It discusses at considera-
ble length the treaty by which the great war of the Spanish Suc-
cession was brought to a close, and portrays in an easy way the
manners prevailing during the last days of Louis XIV.
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
203
The second volume gives a graphic picture of the internal gov-
ernment of France during the Regency, and also presents a num--
ber of very curious anecdotes illustrative of society while the
scheme of John. Law was monopolizing attention.
The third and fourth volumes, with which the author intended
to bring the history down to the close of the American war, never
appeared.
Schlosser, F. C.-History of the Eighteenth Century, and of the
Nineteenth till the Overthrow of the French Empire, with Par-
ticular Reference to Mental Cultivation and Progress. Trans-
lated, with a Preface and Notes, by D. Davison, M.A. 8 vols., .
8vo, London, 1843-52.
At the time of their first publication in Germany these volumes
met with a success that has seldom been surpassed by any histor-
ical production of similar magnitude. The author's “Universal
History," in nineteen volumes, had already been so well received
that as many as eighteen thousand copies of the complete work
had been sold. The popularity of the “History of the Eighteenth
Century," however, even surpassed that of the earlier work.
In some respects the book is quite worthy of its fame. From
beginning to end, the author endeavors to excite a spirit of na-
tional independence in his countrymen, to wean them from their
unreasoning imitation of other nations, to arouse them from
crouching servility to their own miscalled constitutional rulers,
and to give them the bearing of men acquainted with the full
power of reason and argument.
A work written for such a purpose could not fail to lose a por-
tion of its importance with the passage of years. But, in spite of
this fact, whoever makes use of the book at the present time will
be struck with the originality of the thought, the extent of the
research, and the suggestiveness of the mode of expression. For
twelve years Schlosser lectured on the present century at the Uni-
versity of Heidelberg, and during the whole of that time he la-
bored and spoke with an earnestness and devotion that made him
no inconsiderable power in the modern transformation of Ger-
many. The study of those years was incorporated into the last
volume of this series.
204
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Alison, Sir Archibald.--History of Europe, from the Fall of Na-
poleon, in 1815, to the Accession of Louis Napoleon, in 1852.
Numerous editions.
The English edition, in eight vols., 8vo, will be found by stu-
dents to be the most satisfactory, though it contains some serious
errors on American affairs-errors, too, that have been corrected
only in the American edition. The index published in England
forms a separate volume; and, in order that it may be readily
used with either edition, its references are made, not to pages,
but to chapters and paragraphs. There is also to be obtained a
very valuable atlas, containing 109 maps, plans of sieges, etc., illus-
trative of the work.
This history is not only the most valuable in our language on
the period described, but, although it is not without faults, it is a
production of many good qualities. It was prepared with the
utmost care, and its descriptions have the merits of minuteness
and honesty. It would not be easy to show that any fact is sup-
pressed or given less than its true force in order to strengthen the
author's position. But while the author obviously endeavors to
be entirely fair in his statements of facts, he allows his political
sympathies, those of a high Tory, to pervade every part of the
production and give color to his interpretations. His strong
prejudices draw him often into ardent political discussions, and
the work is written in a style that shows a constant tendency
to run into exaggerated and frothy declamation. But the thought-
ful student has only to keep these characteristics in mind, in or-
der to profit greatly by the work. As a description of the great
events that intervened between the two Napoleons there is no
other book in our language comparable with it. It is admirably
supplied with an analytical table of contents and very full mar-
ginal references.
Beaumont-Vassy, E. F. Vicomte de. - Histoire des États Eu-
ropéens depuis le Congrès de Vienne. 6 vols., 8vo, 1843–
53.
Not a work of genius, but a useful book for the study of the
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
205
first half of the present century. The various European nations
are taken up in order. The narrative begins with a description
of political affairs at the close of the Napoleonic wars. This is
followed by a somewhat rapid, but sufficiently comprehensive,
account of subsequent events down to the date of publication.
Gabourd, Amédée. - Histoire Contemporaine. Comprenant les
principaux événements qui se sont accomplis depuis la Révo-
lution de 1830 jusqu'à nos jours, et résumant, durant la même
période, le mouvement social, artistique et littéraire. 12 vols.,
8vo, Paris, 1863–74.
The great prominence of France in international affairs during
the period treated is not quite sufficient reason for giving to that
nation so largo a proportion of the space of what purports to be
a general history. The affairs of other nations are not very satis-
factorily described. The author does not limit himself to politi-
cal facts or to the struggles of arms and diplomacy, but deals
with social events and the history of ideas. Industrial develop-
ment, the progress of science, and the manifestations of literature
and art receive a considerable share of attention.
The volumes are written in pleasing style, and are pervaded
with independence of spirit, and impartiality and calmness of
judgment.
Bulle, Dr. Constantin.-Geschichte der neuesten Zeit, 1815–71.
2 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1876.
No other history conveys in moderate space so good an idea of
the progress of events in Europe down to the close of the Franco-
German war. The work is the result of careful and thorough
study, and is presented in attractive form. The author has shown
an aptness for clear and suggestive modes of expression, an earn-
estness of moral and patriotic conviction, and an ability to group
his materials in the most effective manner. The book, there-
fore, has merits of a kind not often found among German works.
It is made useful for reference by a good index.
206
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Wernicke, C.-Die Geschichte der neuesten Zeit. 2 vols., 8vo, 4th
ed., Berlin, 1872.
LL
The first volume embraces the period between the years 1789
and 1848; the second, that from 1848 to the time of publication.
The material for the work was evidently collected with industry,
and was put together with painstaking care. The portions de-
voted to literature and art seem to be most skilfully prepared.
It is a book of facts rather than of opinions. The narrative
flows on in a tranquil stream that conveys much information, but
never arouses any very great interest. The author's absolute im-
partiality seems often to reach the point of indifference.
Mackenzie, Robert. — The Nineteenth century. A History.
12mo, London and New York, 1880.
This volume might very properly have been called a sketch, or
a series of sketches, rather than a history. If it is not very sat-
isfying, it still enjoys almost a monopoly of the subject among
books written in English. The arrangement is good, and the
style is spirited, though often inelegant. The most serious fault
of the work is a certain nonchalant and irresponsible manner of
the writer, somewhat tending to shake the confidence of the
reader. The book is much inferior to Müller's.
Vol. i. (1792–1814).
Fyffe, A. C.-History of Modern Europe.
8vo, London and New York, 1880.
The most brilliant picture we have in English of the age of
revolution. It is a remarkably successful attempt to show the
fundamental characteristics of the revolutionary period, and the
connection of Napoleon with them. The author holds that the
emperor cared little for anything but the establishment and in-
crease of his own power; that he felt a contempt for republican
dreams and aspirations; but that at the same time he was at
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
207
heart a Jacobin, though a Jacobin of genius. Thus he makes it
appear that although Napoleon broke down the Revolutionary
government and established imperialism in its place, he was in
reality the leader and representative of the Revolution itself.
The other important idea of the volume is that although Napo-
leon embodied in himself almost everything that was bad, yet the
government he established was better in almost all essential char-
acteristics than the governments by which he was surrounded
and which he supplanted. In Italy, in Switzerland, and along the
Rhine he established far better methods of administration than
those which he displaced.
The volume is both brilliant and suggestive. No one will read
it without clearer ideas of the true nature of that great struggle
which for years drew all interests into its vortex.
Cayley, Edward Stillingfleet.-- The European Revolutions of
1848. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1856.
A somewhat entertaining book ; but it is inaccurate, and really
possesses very little bistorical value. It gives an account of the
revolutionary movements in France, Italy, Germany, and Austria,
and closes with a sketch of what the author seems to regard a
revolution in England. It is of the lurid kind, and its conclu-
sions are quite worthless. The author evidently had no adequate
conception whatever of the causes of the movements he describes.
His pages abound in irrelevant facts and foolish reflections.
Cantu, Cesare.--Les Trente Dernières Années (1848–78). Édi-
tion française, revue par l'Auteur, précédée d'un Essai Biogra-
phique et Littéraire sur César Cantu, et suivie de la Vie de
l'Archiduc Maximilien d'Autriche, Empereur du Mexique. 8vo,
Paris, 1880.
The latest words of an eminent scholar and writer of history can
hardly fail to be of interest. But there are special reasons why
the observations of the venerable historian of Italy on recent
208
· HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
affairs should be of value. He is at once an ardent republican in
sympathy and a close observer of the republican movements that
have taken place during the last half-century. We have had so
much from the Germans and the French that it is interesting to
hear the story from the Italian point of view. And herein, per-
haps, is the chief value of the book.
The author is patriotic, ardent, positive, almost unquestioning
in his opinions. He never doubts in his history any more than
in his Catholic faith. This peculiarity gives to all his writings
the interest of an ardent fervor; but, at the same time, it takes
away from them that judicious quality which is the only sure
guarantee of permanent interest and value. But, in spite of this
characteristic, the volume is not without considerable importance,
especially to a student of recent Italian affairs.
Müller, Wilhelm. - Politische Geschichte der neuesten Zeit,
1816—75, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung Deutschlands. 8vo,
dritte Auflage, Stuttgart, 1875.
Professor Müller, though a German, writes with the vivacity of
a Frenchman. It is almost needless to say, therefore, that be pro-
duces a very readable book; but his book is not only readable, it
is valuable. It is founded on a good knowledge of events, and is
the product of a judicious as well as a vivacious mind. The work
does not profess to throw new light on political affairs, nor, in-
deed, to give to them, in all cases, the exact amount of attention
strictly their due. It is rather the purpose of the author to pre-
sent an account of such events as have exerted an exceptional
influence in shaping modern political affairs. It is, perhaps, a
slight weakness in the book that it tends to convey the impression
that political affairs have an existence independent of material
affairs. As the author, however, chose to limit his subject, per-
haps this trifling drawback is inherent in his method. With this
slight qualification, the work may be heartily recommended. Es-
pecially noteworthy is the author's wholesome hatred of Metter-
nich and his policy.
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
209
Müller, Wilhelm. — Politische Geschichte der Gegenwart. 12
vols., 8vo, Berlin, 1867–79.
The successive volumes of this annual, as they have appeared
from year to year, have done much to keep readers of the Ger-
man language informed on the current political affairs of the
world. They are written with the skill and spirit characteristic
of the author. The discussions and descriptions are confined
chiefly to political affairs, but they are presented with so much
force that the work has justly attained great popularity. The
political movements of the last twelve years are nowhere else so
well described.
The Annual Register.—Comprising a Record of Public Events
at Home and Abroad; a Retrospect of Literature, Art, and
Science; a Chronicle of Remarkable Occurrences; an Obituary
of Eminent Persons; Remarkable Trials, Public Documents,
and State-papers. 8vo, London. A volume has been pub-
lished annually since 1758.
The most famous, and one of the most useful, of the annual
publications on the events of current history. It was given charac-
ter in the last century by the editing of Burke; and its reputation
has been well sustained down to the present day. It is much less
strictly political than is the German work of Müller, but it is far
more comprehensive in its scope, and therefore, to the general
student, is even more useful.
III. HISTORIES OT INSTITUTIONS AND CIVILIZATION.
Bonnemère, Eugène.--Histoire des Paysans depuis la fin du Moyen
Âge jusqu'à nos jours. 1200-1850. Précédée d'une Introduc-
tion, B.C. 50-A.D. 1200. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1856.
The purpose of the writer of these important volumes is not
only to describe the condition of the peasantry of France during
the modern history of the nation, but also to show the relations
of the peasantry to the nobles and the king.
14
210
HISTORICAL TY TO
UVU
LITERATURE.
The author begins his work with a graphic account of the rela-
tions of kings and nobles during the Middle Ages, and then pro-
ceeds to describe the circumstances which enabled the nobles to
reduce the people into serfs.
The first chapters of that portion of the first volume which fol-
low the Introduction are among the most important. They de-
scribe in strong light the fatal infinence of the power given to the
mobility. While in England, in order to secure the support of
the masses, the nobles were obliged to confer upon the people a
share of those rights which they had received from the king, in
France the nobles were strong enough to fight their battles with-
out the necessity of conferring political privileges on their follow-
ers. While, therefore, in England the rights of the people were
constantly increasing, in France they were constantly diminishing.
The French nobles not only became practically absolute in their
own districts, but they became hereditary rulers. It was thus
that popular freedom in France practically disappeared.
In the early chapters of the second volume is described the ter-
rible condition of the peasantry in the seventeenth century. The
fifth chapter of this volume is especially noteworthy. The book
as a whole is entitled to the thoughtful attention of the student.
Few modern works will be found of greater interest or greater
value.
Bossuet, Bishop J. B.-Histoire des Variations des Églises Pro-
testantes. Suivie de la Défense de cette Histoire et de la Cor-
respondance entre Bossuet et Leibnitz sur un Projet de Réunion
entre les Catholiques et les Protestantes. 2 vols., 12mo, Paris,
1844. Numerous subsequent editions.
The great Bishop of Meaux spent much of his energies and
eloquence in controversy. His endeavors to break the force of
the Reformation, and to call back to his own Church all those who
bad gone astray, constituted no inconsiderable part of his work.
His attacks on the Protestants were sometimes harsh and unjust,
but they were always able and eloquent.
The correspondence with. Leibnitz is of interest, as it shows the
spirit with which a genuine effort to bring the churches together
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
211
was carried on. These two volumes probably constitute the most
important of the numerous works left by Bossuet.
Dorner, J. A.-History of Protestant Theology, particularly in
Germany. Translated from the German. 2 vols., 8vo, Edin-..
burgh, 1871.
A book of great ability as well as of great learning. It not
only describes the theological differences of the various Protestant
sects, but it also points out the causes of those differences. The
theological movements during the present century are traced with
remarkable learning and acumen. It is not a book calculated to
interest the general reader, but for those desiring an acquaintance
with the subtler workings of theological thought it is of great im-
portance.
Hallam, Henry.-Introduction to the Literature of Europe in the
Fifteenth, Sixteentb, and Seventeenth Centuries. 4 vols., 8vo
and 12mo, London; 4 vols., 12mo, New York, 1870. Origi-
nally published in 1837–39, the work was revised for the edi-
tions of 1842, 1847, and 1853. The American issue in four
volumes embodies all the corrections and additions.
This was the latest of the great works on which the literary
fame of Hallam rests; and it shows the ability and the accom-
plishments of the author to better advantage than either of his
other productions. Its great qualities have been universally ac-
knowledged. It displays conscientiousness, accuracy, good judg-
ment, and great familiarity with the vast subject of which it
treats. It comprehends within its scope the literature of poetry,
history, romance, natural science, mathematics, physics, medicine,
law, and theology; and at all points the author shows himself,
not merely a good descriptive writer, but also a fair and compe-
tent critic. The style is less faulty than that of Hallam's earlier
works, as it is less involved and more uniform and straightforward.
The chapters are grouped into four parts. The first is “On the
Literature of the Fifteenth and the first half of the Sixteenth Cen-
212
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
tury;" the second, third, and fourth are each devoted to one of
the half-centuries between 1550 and 1700. Each part is subdi-
vided into chapters, each chapter being devoted to some one of
the numerous branches of literary activity. Thus, all the chap-
ters after those of the first part are in some sense monographs,
each being complete and independent.
The arrangement is slightly artificial, and may afford the reader
some inconvenience, inasmuch as the different writings of the same
author are sometimes treated in different chapters. But, on the
whole, the advantages of the topical method far more than coun-
terbalance the slight annoyance of occasionally having to turn to
other parts of a volume. In spite of this small drawback, the ad-
mirable qualities of the work are so marked and so numerous
that the lover of good historical description and criticism will
scarcely deem any praise of it extravagant.
The table of contents and index are so full as to make the vol-
umes very easy of use.
Honegger, J. J.-Grundsteine einer allgemeinen Culturgeschichte
der neuesten Zeit. 5 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1868–74.
This work, the result of many years of devoted labor, is a pict-
ure of the advancement made in the several branches of culture
in the course of the nineteenth century. The various subjects
treated are taken up topically, and are described with admirable
thoroughness and freshness. Each topic is traced in its course
through different countries in such a manner as to give a very
satisfactory view of the progress of literature and the arts in all
their manifestations.
The fifth volume is devoted to a comprehensive survey of the
whole field, including politics and government. The work ends
with a very full index.
Hurst, John F.-History of Rationalism ; embracing a Survey of
the Present State of Protestant Theology. With Appendix of
Literature. 8vo, New York, 1865.
A very different book from that of Lecky, both in spirit and in
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
213
method. It is not so much a history of the spirit of rationalism
as a history of the spirit of rationalists. A vast number of phi-
losophers are passed in review for the purpose of exposing their
doctrines. The work shows unmistakable learning, though it is
wanting in the care and exactness of a finished scholarship. Dr.
Hurst shows considerable familiarity with the literature of the
subject; but, unfortunately, his work contains so few references
to authorities that it is often impossible, or at least very difficult,
to verify his conclusions.
The most obvious weakness of the work is the extreme polemi-
cal spirit in which it is written. The very first words of the book
are an accusing sentence from Bacon quoted with approbation.
The result of this method has been to produce a work that is
likely at once to give great satisfaction to intense and unthink-
ing religionists, and to disgust and repel those who are in doubt,
but are seeking the truth. It may fortify those who are already
strong, but it is not likely to change any man's opinion.
Lange, Fred. Albert.—History of Materialism, and Criticism of
its Present Importance. Authorized translation by E. C.
Thomas. 3 vols., 8vo, Boston, 1880.
The author of this book is a scholar of unquestionable ability;
and the work itself is valuable both as history and as criticism.
It shows that with some minor differences the positions of mod-
ern materialists are not essentially unlike those of Democritus
and Lucretius. As a portrayal of an important phase of modern
thought the book is worthy of the highest recognition.
Lecky, W. E. H.-History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit
of Rationalisin in Europe. 2 vols., 8vo, London and New
York, 1865.
A very able and interesting historical study. It is an effort
to trace the historical development of that method of reasoning
which, since the Reformation, has been steadily gaining an as-
214
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
cendency in Europe. The author defines his purpose as an at-
tempt to trace that spirit which “leads men on all occasions to
subordinate dogmatic theology to the dictates of reason and of
conscience, and, as a necessary consequence, greatly to restrict its
influence upon life”—which "predisposes men, in history, to at-
tribute all kinds of phenomena to natural rather than miraculous
causes; in theology, to esteem succeeding systems the expres-
sions of the wants and aspirations of that religious sentiment
which is planted in all men; and, in ethics, to regard as duties
only those which conscience reveals to be such.”
The author traces the declining sense of the miraculous; the
æsthetic, scientific, and moral developments of rationalism; the
spirit of persecution; the secularization of politics; and the in-
dustrial history of rationalism.
The work abounds in facts and discussions of extreme interest.
The author's style is always attractive. His learning is extensive,
though he seems not to have made much use of the numerous
German authorities on the subject. His sympathies are obviously
rationalistic, though he usually succeeds in maintaining a moder-
ate and judicicus spirit.
Llorente, D. Jean Antoine.—The History of the Inquisition of
Spain, from the Time of its Establishment to the Reign of Ferdi-
nand VII. Composed from the Original Documents in the Ar-
chives of the Supreine Council, and from those of Subordinate
Tribunals of the Holy Office. 8vo, London, 1826.
This is at once a free translation and an abridgment of the au-
thor's voluminous work in Spanish. Llorente was at one time
secretary of the Inquisition and chancellor of the University of
Toledo. Some knowledge of the Inquisition is necessary to an
understanding of Spanish history; and of the various works on
the subject, that of Llorente is probably the most authentic and
valuable. The recent work of Dr. Rule may well be examined in
connection with it.
Rule, William H.-History of the Inquisition, from its Establish-
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
215
ment in the Twelfth Century to its Extinction in the Nine-
teenth. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1874.
Dr. Rule is a Wesleyan divine, and consequently writes from a
Protestant point of view. His work is somewhat controversial in
character, but it is written with general fairness and considerable
ability. It has also the advantage of being the only comprehen-
sive history of an important subject in our language. It may
well be consulted in connection with a reading of Balmes and
Llorente; though the points of view of the three authors åre so
different that the one hardly even tends to refute or neutralize the
other. If coercion is once established as a right and a duty, of
course all questions as to the manner of coercion are simply ques-
tions of policy.
Schaff, Philip.—The Creeds of Christendom, with a History and
Critical Notes, 3 vols., large Svo, New York, 1877.
Of these volumes, the first contains the historical narrative,
while the second and third contain the text of the creeds, both in
the original language and in translation. The first, therefore, is
to be regarded as a history of Christian doctrine, while the others
are an embodiment of the doctrines themselves. In the second
volume are to be found the Greek and Latin creeds, with trans-
lations; in the third, the Evangelical Protestant creeds.
Shedd, William G. T.-A History of Christian Doctrine. 2 vols.,
8vo, 3d ed., New York, 1872.
Though designed especially for theologians and theological
students, these volumes are not without some interest to the
student of general history. The doctrines of the Church at dif-
ferent periods are nowhere more clearly or accurately presented.
As a work of reference, therefore, the volumes may be heartily
recommended. With the help of a good table of contents and
an excellent index, the student will have no difficulty in ascertain-
ing what the Church, or almost any part of it, believed at any
given time.
216
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Sugenheim, S.--Geschichte der Aufhebung der Leibeigenschaft
und Hörigkeit in Europa bis um die Mitte des neunzehnten
Jahrhunderts. 8vo, St. Petersburg, 1861.
The best presentation of the nature of serfdom and slavery in
the different countries of Europe during the Middle Ages and
modern times. The volume also conveys a striking impression of
the constant obstacles to the advancement of liberty imposed by
the ininor barons. It was crowned by the Imperial Academy of
Sciences at St. Petersburg, in recognition of its great and numer-
ous merits.
Tooke, Thomas, and Newmarch, William.—A History of Prices
and of Paper Currency from 1798 to 1837 et seq. 7 vols.,
London, 1833–1857.
A standard work of very great value to one who would go to
the bottom of modern political economy. It is a conscientious
effort to trace carefully all the causes that have in any way af-
fected the subject under examination.
The value of the book has been greatly enhanced by the index,
which is so full as to form the whole of the seventh volume.
odern histor Mignet's Of Macke
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. Arnold's “Lectures” are the best discussion of the impor-
tance and nature of modern history. Yonge's "Three Centuries
of Modern History,” followed by Mignet's or Morris's “French
Revolution," and these by either Müller's or Mackenzie's “His-
tory of the Nineteenth Century," would be a good short course
of study. The political and religious phases of the great period
extending from 151.5 to 1648 are presented with great ability
and acute discrimination by Häusser in his “Period of the Refor-
mation.” The same age is also well described, though with less
conspicuous ability, by Seebohm, in his "Age of the Protestant
Revolution,” and by Gardiner, in his “Thirty Years' War."
2. Dyer's “Modern Europe" covers the whole ground of this
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
217
period; and the book is the best we have on the subject, though
the author's style is somewhat dry and unattractive. The best
books on the Renaissance are those of Symonds and Burckhardt.
The religious condition of Italy just before the Reformation is
best portrayed in Villari's “Savonarola.” In the same connection
George Eliot's “Romola” may be read with advantage. Taine's
“Art in Italy ” aims to show that the excellence of Italian art
sprang from the social and religious character of the times. On
the Reformation, D’Aubigné is the representative of ardent Prot-
estantism, Spalding and Balmes of ardent Catholicism. Ranke,
though a Protestant, is at once moderate and judicial in his views.
The work of Fisher on the Reformation has a valuable list of au-
thorities in an appendix. Gieseler's “ Church History” presents
what is probably, on the whole, the most satisfactory view of the
Reformation. Ranke's “ History of the Popes” may still be re-
garded as this author's greatest work. Hübner's “Life of Sixtus
the Fifth " is also of great importance. Of the seventeenth cen-
tury after the Treaty of Westphalia no good, comprehensive view
has been published, though Von Raimer's is perhaps the least de-
fective. The student, therefore, will be obliged to resort to the
histories of individual nationalities for the best results. Yan
Praet's Essays are valuable. Schlosser's “Eighteenth Century”
is a work, for the most part, deserving of its great reputation.
The strong and ever-present Toryism of Alison makes his work
offensive to many readers; but it is entitled to great praise for its
candor, its fulness, and the general attractiveness of its style. In
spite of some faults, it has not been equalled by any other work.
Bulle's "Neueste Zeit" and Müller's “ Politische Geschichte der
neuesten Zeit" are briefer works, of admirable spirit and ability.
Mackenzie's “ History of the Nineteenth Century" has very little
value; Fyffe, on the other hand, is able and excellent. Müller's
“Politische Geschichte der Gegenwart,” Martin's “Statesman's
Manual,” “The Annual Register," " Appletons Annual Cyclopa-
dia,” “ The British Almanac and Companion,” and Spofford's
"American Almanac” are the best annuals on current events.
3. A curious paper on the first sources of modern history is
given in the first volume of Disraeli's “Amenities of Literature.”
The “ Annual Register,” published from 1758 down to the pres-
ent time, is a very valuable contemporaneous chronicle, the his-
218
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
torical portions of the earlier volumes having been written by
Burke. Cellini's “ Autobiography” is one of the most graphic
pictures of life at the beginning of the sixteenth century. For
accounts of the revival of art, Grimm's “Michael Angelo” and
the works of Crowe and Cavalcaselle are recent and standard au-
thorities. Erasmus's “ Colloquies” and Luther's “ Table - talk"
give important views of the times of the Reformation. Father
Paul Sarpi's “ Council of Trent” is a work of genius, concerning.
which see Dr. Johnson's account in his “Lives of Eminent Per-
sons," also a charming account in Howell's “Venetian Life.”
Audin's “Life of Luther" and Cobbett's “Reformation in Eng-
land and Ireland” present the extreme Roman Catholic view.
Döllinger's "Reunion of the Churches" and Spalding's “ Miscel-
lanea” represent the more moderate views of the same Church.
Macaulay's essays on Ranke, Hallam, and Burleigh present very
striking views. Froude, in his “Short Studies," has very inter-
esting essays on “Erasmus and Luther," on the “Influence of the
Reformation on the Scottish Character," on the “ Philosophy of
Catholicism," and on “ Calvinism." Sir James Stephen's essay
on Loyola, published in his “Ecclesiastical Essays," is the best
brief account of the rise of the Jesuits. Carlyle, in his “Hero-
worship," has treated Luther and Knox as heroes in the priest-
hood. Macaulay's essay on Ranke takes the ground that the
bistory of the Jesuits is the history of Catholic reaction; and
Carlyle's essay on Jesuitism, in his “Latter-day. Pamphlets,” goes
so far as to say that the present age should be called the Age of
Jesuitism. The Catholic Inquisition is best described by Llorente,
is most heartily justified by Balmes, and most vigorously de-
nounced by Buckle. The recent histories by Stanhope, Burton,
and Wyon throw light especially on the part of Marlborough in
the war of the Spanish Succession, though for a full history of
that great contest the reader should consult Mahon's “ War of
the Succession” and Macaulay's review of it. The baleful influ-
ence of Louis XIV. is nowhere so powerfully shown as in the
first volume of Buckle. The same subject is indirectly but ad-
mirably shown in Taine's "Ancient Régime.” On the general
character of society in the eighteenth century Biedermann's
“Germany" and Lecky's “England” are the most valuable au-
thorities. Since the outbreak of the French Revolution general
HISTORIES OF MODERN TIMES.
219
European politics must be studied in the light of the history of
individual nations. The great events of the last twenty years are
generally well described in the yearly volumes of the “ Annual
Register" and in Müller's “Politische Geschichte der Gegenwart;"
though, if the student desires very full information, he will be
obliged to resort to the works on individual nationalities. On
the history of Literature, Hallam is the most important of all au-
thorities.
The fiction of most value bearing on the period are Reade's
“The Cloister and the Hearth," George Eliot's “Romola," and
Mrs. Charles's “Schönberg - Cotta Family." If the student de-
sires that his history should be still further diluted, he will find
satisfaction in James's "Henry of Guise” for the French religious
wars, " Heidelberg” for the beginning of the Thirty Years' War,
“Richelieu" for the intrigues of the French nobles, and “The
Huguenots” for the persecution of Protestants under Louis XIV.
Dumas'" Forty-five Guardsmen” is a graphic picture of the tur-
bulence under Henry III. ; and De Vigny's “Cinq-Mars” is an
admirable portrayal of the contest between Richelieu and the
French nobles.
the beginninise” for the Fed, he will find
220
.
TT
HISTORICAL LITERATURECHAPTER VIII.
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
FIS
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Cantu, César.--Histoire des Italiens. Traduite sous les yeux de
l'auteur, par M. Armand Lacombe, sur la deuxième édition
italienne. 12 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1859.
A history of Italy, or rather of the Italian people, from the
earliest times down to the present day. The anthor dwells much
more fully upon the habits and institutions of the Italians than
upon their military struggles; and hence the work is in some
sense a history of civilization in Italy. Cantu's writings have
gained for bim considerable distinction in his own country; and,
as this work covers the whole field of Italian history down to
quite recent times, it is worthy of attention. The student, how-
ever, will generally be better served by the histories of special
periods.
The author is an ardent republican in politics, and a Roman
Catholic in religion. His sympathies are with the Church, on the
one hand, and with free institutions on the other.
Hunt, William.--History of Italy.
York, 1874.
16mo, London and New
..
One of the excellent series prepared by selected authors and
edited by Dr. Freeman, for the use of schools. As a bird's-eye
view of the continuous history of Italy from the fall of the
Western Empire to the establishment of the united kingdom
under Victor Emmanuel, it has no superior.
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
221
The second half of the volume, beginning with chapter vii.,
will probably be found most interesting, as it gives in brief space
a clear presentation of the obstacles to Italian unity. The man-
ner in which these obstacles were finally overcome is well de-
scribed in chapter xi.
Leo, Heinrich.-Geschichte von Italien. 5 vols., 8vo, Hamburg,
1829–32.
S
Though it is now nearly half a century since Leo's "History of
Italy” was completed, it still remains the most satisfactory com-
prehensive work on the subject we have. Several periods of the
national life have been more successfully treated by other au-
thors, but no other general work can boast of so many and so
striking excellences. Its style is clear, its grouping of subjects
is skilful, its learning is abundant, and its positions are, for the
most part, such as subsequent investigations have tended to con-
firm. It is entitled to a high rank among the series edited by
Heeren and Ukert.
The work begins with an introductory account of the country
and of the condition of the people under the Romans. The sec-
ond and third books describe Italy under the Lombards and
Franks, while a fourth gives a view of the country under the
monarchs of the Saxon and Hohenstaufen lines. With the fifth
book begins an account of the growth of the cities, and of the
struggle which resulted in the general establishment of indepen-
dent republics. The eleventh describes the manner in which, be-
tween 1492 and 1559, the several individual republics lost the
peculiarities of their government, and finally their independence.
The twelfth book closes the work with an account of the period
between 1559 and 1830. There is a full table of contents, but
no index.
Mariotti, L.-Italy, Past and Present. 2 vols., 12mo, London,
1846.
A cry raised by the author to create an interest in behalf of
something like the union which has since been achieved.
222
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
.
The first volume is a summary of Italian history before the
sixteenth century; the second a continuation to the period of the
principalities. The last three chapters are of the most value as
giving a picture of Italy since Napoleon I., and as showing the
difficulties in the way of a united nationality. The book has had
no little influence, and is still of considerable value.
Sismondi, J. C. L. Simonde de.--Histoire des Républiques Itali-
ennes du Moyen Âge. Nouvelle édition, revue et corrigée. 16
vols., 8vo, Paris, 1826. Two volumes on the Renaissance were
added in 1841, and the whole was published in 10 vols., 8vo.
Sismondi has been regarded as a standard authority ever since
his great work was published. To the collection and preparation
of the material he devoted bis gifted powers from 1796 to 1818,
in which latter year the last volume of the first edition was is-
sued.
The author's style is generally clear and sometimes eloquent,
though it is not quite of the highest quality. His judgment is
discriminating and impartial; his investigations are thorough and
conscientious.
The period covered embraces the centuries intervening between
the fall of the Western Empire and the establishment of com-
parative peace in the sixteenth century. A few concluding chap-
ters explain the general course of events to the outbreak of the
French Revolution.
More recent investigations have thrown new light on Italian
affairs of the Middle Ages, and consequently Sismondi's work
cannot now be regarded as possessing all its former value. But
though the author's conclusions in regard to individual events
can no longer be accepted as final, his work continues to enjoy
the distinction of being the best comprehensive history of the
Italian republics as a whole. For the best history of the indi-
vidual states the student must now go to other works.
Spalding, William.-Italy and the Italian Islands.
From the
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
223
Earliest Ages to the Present Times. 3 vols., 12mo, New York,
1842.
A work which has the rare merits of general accuracy, of liter-
ary finish, and of judicial impartiality. It is still a good authority
for one who desires a somewhat fuller view of Italian history than
that given by Hunt, and has not time for the great works of
Cantu and Sismondi. It was intended for the general reader
rather than for the special student, and it lays no claim to such
merits of original research as those which characterize the pages
of Leo.
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
Hodgkin, Thomas.—Italy and her Invaders. 2 vols., 8vo, Ox-
ford, 1880. .
The first attempt to sum up for English readers the results of
modern research into the civil, social, and political characteristics
of the early German and Asiatic invaders. It is a field in which
much has been done by the modern scholars of Germany and
France. The subject is one which, in Gibbon's great work, is
treated in a less satisfactory manner than perhaps any other; and
the fruits of recent explorations amply justify Mr. Hodgkin's en-
deavor.
The first volume is devoted to the Visigothic irruption; the
second to the invasion of the Huns and Vandals. In later vol-
umes the author hopes to trace in similar manner the movements
of the Franks, Burgundians, Lombards, and Ostrogoths, bringing
the history down to the accession of the Carlovingian dynasty.
The work is not the result of independent research, but is
rather the accumulation for English readers of the results reached
by Thierry, Sismondi, Guizot, and Martin, as well as by the best
German authorities.
The author agrees with Gibbon in thinking that Christianity
was one of the most powerful solvents of the Roman Empire;
also with the best modern authorities in identifying the Huns
with the inhabitants of Mongolia. In his opinion, they were the
same great race that gave the Chinese so much trouble and that
224
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
forced their southern neighbors to erect the Great Wall in self-
defence.
The most obvious objection to the work is its great length. It
is also but fair to say that the presentation by Coulanges is more
satisfactory, because, while it is sufficiently brief for perusal, it
contains or indicates the principal evidence on which modern
opinions are founded.
Testa, Giovanni Battista.--History of the War of Frederick I.
against the Communes of Lombardy. Translated from the
Italian and revised by the author. 8vo, London, 1877.
A picture of the manner in which Italy was broken up into
the petty states of the twelfth century. The work includes in its
scope the thirty years extending from 1152 to 1183; but the
history of this period is preceded by a preliminary discourse of
about one hundred pages, designed to portray the tendency of
affairs during the whole of the Middle Ages. The work is unique
in its design, and, as a picture of an important struggle, is of
much value; indeed, to the special student of Italian history it is
indispensable.
The translation, though generally true to the original, abounds
in faulty English.
Heyd, Wilhelm von.-Gescbichte des Levantshandels im Mittel-
alter. 2 vols., 8vo, Stuttgart, 1879.
One of the most important of recent works on the Middle
Ages. It is the fruit of some twenty years of industrious and
skilful research in this special field. While the narrative is co-
herent, the notes present an imposing mass of details for the
benefit of all those who would follow the subject to its limits.
It describes the commercial relations of the Levant with all the
nations of Europe.
Hegel, Dr. Carl.-Geschichte der Städteverfassung von Italien
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
225
seit der Zeit der römischen Herrschaft bis zum Ausgang des
zwölften Jahrhunderts. 2 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1847.
The author is of the opinion that the extraordinary intellectual
activity which displayed itself in Italy from the twelfth to the
fifteenth century is to be adequately accounted for only by the
peculiar nature of the early municipal organizations. To show
the peculiarities of the city governments from the time of the
Empire to the general establishment of the republics in the thir-
teenth century is therefore the purpose of this work. It begins
with a description of the development of municipal law in Rome;
describes the various changes to which that law was subjected dur-
ing the Empire; points out the peculiarities of the changes that re-
sulted from the invasions as well as from the institutions of the
Franks, Goths, and especially the Lombards; shows the influence
of the Church on the nature of the municipalities; and, finally,
describes the insurrection of the communes and the establishment
of the free cities.
The author's method at once secures the admiration of the stu-
dent. Every page of the work gives evidence of the most pains-
taking and the most comprehensive study of all the materials at
hand. He has explored the archives of the Italian cities with
rich results, and he has thus been able to controvert some of the
positions taken by Savigny and generally accepted on his au-
thority. In point of style the volumes are unusually attractive.
Guicciardini, Francesco.-—The History of Italy from the year
1490 to 1532. Translated into English by Austin Parke God-
dard. 10 vols., 8vo, London, 1753.
A classical work, giving an account of one of the most turbu-
lent periods in Italian history. It is a great storehouse of infor-
mation, chiefly useless except as a picture of the “unutterable
chaos” of the time. It is filled with the minutest details of
events important and unimportant, and is of little use save for
purposes of research and verification.
It was concerning this book that the story was originally told
of a man who was condemned either to read it through or go to
15
226
.
NYT
HISTORICAL LITERATUREthe galleys for life. Not familiar with its character, he chose the
book. But when he had got into the wars of the Pisans he
could go no further, and accordingly reappeared before the judge,
got his sentence changed, and joyfully accepted the commutation
of going to the galleys.
Botta, Carlo Giuseppe Guglielmo.–Storia d' Italia.
8vo, Paris, 1837.
14 vols.,
The most comprehensive history of modern Italy. It takes up
the narrative at the point where Guicciardini drops it (1532), and
brings it down to 1837.
The author's knowledge and application, however, were not
quite adequate to so great a task. The narrative is easy and
spirited; but the work as a whole lacks the erudition necessary
to give it a prominent place among literary works of a high rank.
It is not founded on the extent of research that has given to the
works of Leo, Hegel, and Reuchlin their great merits.
Symonds, John Addington.-Renaissance in Italy. The Age of
Despots. The Fine Arts. The Revival of Learning. Italian
Literature. 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1875.
The student of the transitional period, extending from the
thirteenth to the end of the sixteenth century, should apply him-
self to these portly volumes with diligence. Though the author's
method is dignified and even severe, his style is graceful and at
times brilliant. The student of political history will find the
volume on "The Age of Despots” of especial service. In chap-
ter iii. of this volume is an interesting description of the “Six
Sorts of Italian Despots;" in chapter v. a good account of Machia-
velli and his writings; and in chapter viii. a similar and even a
better description of that great prophet of the reformation, Savo-
narola, and of his attitude towards the Renaissance.
The character of the other volumes is fully indicated by their
titles. It may be said, however, that the author has pursued
HISTORIES 227
I
OF ITALY.
Gibbon's method of making each chapter a monograph but little
dependent for its interest on what precedes or follows.
As a whole, these works are among the most valuable of the
many recent contributions to our knowledge of Italy.
Voigt, Dr. Georg.—Die Wiederbelebung des classischen Alter-
thums, oder das erste Jahrhundert des Humanismus. 8vo,
Berlin, 1859.
The object of the author is to portray that revival of classical
learning which was the first harbinger of the Renaissance. He
discusses the condition of Italy at the time of Petrarch, the influ-
ence of the poet in calling attention to Greek and Latin letters,
the discovery of the works of classical authors, the influence of
the family of Medici, and of the papal government, and, finally,
the propagation of the humanistic spirit north of the Alps.
The work shows unquestionable learning and ability. At the
time of its publication it was received with great favor throughout
Germany.
Burckhardt, Jacob.-The Civilization of the Period of the Renais-
sance in Italy Authorized translation by S. G. C. Middlemore.
2 vols., 8vo, London, 1878.
For some years the work from which this translation was made
has been acknowledged in Gerinany as one of the most prominent
among several books of great merit on the subject of the Renais-
sance. It is founded on real erudition, and is written with great
literary skill as well as sobriety of judgment. The author is es-
pecially successful in his account of the political preparation for
the Renaissance; and he treats the whole subject with a judicious
moderation that constantly increases the reader's respect for bis
knowledge and impartiality. With many readers the book will
probably be found less entertaining than the works of Symonds
and Villari; but, if so, it is because of a certain want of enthu-
siasm that comes from the extreme impartiality with which the
author holds the balance of probabilities.
228
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Cellini, Benvenuto—Memoirs of. Written by Himself. Con-
taining a variety of Information respecting the Arts, and the
History of the Sixteenth Century. With notes and observa-
tions by G. P. Carpani. Translated by Thomas Roscoe. Crown
8vo, London, 1850.
On many accounts one of the most interesting and valuable
autobiographies ever written. The author was contemporaneous
with Raphael and Michael Angelo, and was the most skilful
worker in metals in that age of artists. It was while he was en-
gaged in the varied labors of his craft that he dictated this fas-
cinating work. The variety of its incidents, the minuteness of its
descriptions, the pictures of the people, and of the manners of
the time, and, above all, the view it affords of the life of one of
the most powerful characters of the age, give it at once the charm
of romance and the value of a record of contemporaneous events.
Sarpi, Father Paul (Pietro Soave Polano).—The History of the
Council of Trent. Containing eight books, in which, besides
the ordinary Acts of the Council, are deduced many notable
occurrences which happened in Christendom during the space
of forty years and more, and particularly the Practices of the
Court of Rome, to hinder the Reformation of their Errors and
to maintain their Greatness. Translated into English by
Nathaniel Brent, Knight; whereunto is added the Life of the
Learned Author and the History of the Inquisition. English
translation, folio, London, 1676.
A very remarkable book by a very remarkable man. Its ap-
pearance, about the middle of the seventeenth century, was a
literary and religious event. The author was a political envoy of
Rome at the moment when the papacy was making its most
strenuous endeavor to plant itself above the Temporal Power.
He would not adopt the views and methods of the Church, and
consequently the harmony between him and the papal authority
came to an end. He was placed under the interdict; and from
an assassin he received wounds from which for months it seemed
likely that he would not recover. It was after this event that his
great work was written.
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
229
of proaches like ging ever pain aul gives of +
The picture which Father Paul gives of the Church is perhaps
the most damaging ever painted. He does not break out into
reproaches like Luther, but adopts the far more effective method
of rending the veil and simply allowing the public to judge for
itself. His representations evince remarkable dramatic power.
In a few words he is able to concentrate the meaning of an event
on a trait of character in a manner probably never excelled since
the time of Tacitus. His portraits of the popes are entitled to
rank among the best specimens of clear, concise, nervous, and
comprehensive description to be found in modern literature.
Trans-
Villari, Pasquale.--Niccolò Machiavelli and his Times.
lated by Linda Villari. 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1878–81.
The latest and most satisfactory work on the life and public
services of this great political philosopher and writer. For cen-
turies Machiavelli has been regarded as a species of sphinx of whom
no one could solve the riddle. While some have maintained that
the most famous of his works was a collection of iniquitous pre-
cepts for the support of tyranny, others have held with equal
confidence that this same work was a sharp satire on despots, was
calculated to turn daggers against them and to arouse people to
rebellion. The work of Professor Villari is an effort to solve the
enigma. The theory of the author is that an adequate explana-
tion can only be found in a study of the man and of his times,
as revealed especially in his unpublished writings. To this task
Villari has applied himself with unusual assiduity and success.
He has made use of several thousands of Machiavelli's official
letters still unedited, and never before examined by any biog-
rapher.
The first volume is taken up with an excellent introductory
account of the political condition of Italy; the second with the
life of Machiavelli to the time of his retirement from office, in
1512. The third and fourth volumes complete the book. The
literary workmanship of the volumes is admirable, and the trans-
lation, for the most part, is excellent.
230
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Villari, Pasquale.-The History of Girolamo Savonarola and of
his Times. Translated from the Italian by Leonard Horner,
with the co-operation of the author. 2 vols., 12mo, London,
1863.
The work of an eminent scholar, who has made a special study
of the period of the Renaissance. It is founded on the results of
much original research, not only in the archives of the govern-
ment, but also among papers preserved by the families of the old
Italian nobility. The search has brought to light many new docu-
inents of great importance; and in the light of them the author
has considered Savonarola, both as a philosopher and as a states-
man. The work may be considered the only one that does full
justice to the life and public services of one of the most remark-
able men of bis time.
Grimm, Herman.-Life of Michael Angelo. Translated, with the
author's sanction, by Fanny Elizabeth Burnett. 2 vols., 12mo,
Boston, ninth edition, 1877.
One of the most valuable contributions ever made to our knowl-
edge of the greatest age of Italian art. It is not simply a life of
a very extraordinary man, but is also a description by an able
writer and critic of the most remarkable period in the history of
art. The book contains much information that bad never before
appeared, many letters of a private and domestic nature, and much
new light on the relations of Michael Angelo to the other great
artists of the day. The translation is inferior. .
Crowe, J. A., and Cavalcaselle, G. B.-A New History of Paint-
ing in Italy, from the Second to the Sixteenth Century. Drawn
up from Fresh Materials and Recent Researches in the Archives
of Italy, as well as from Personal Inspection of the Works
of Art scattered throughout Europe. 3 vols., 8vo, London,
1864-66.
The recent labors of these authors in the various fields of art
have given them great prominence, and, indeed, great fame. The
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
long and slow development of painting during the obscurities of
the Middle Ages has never before been so fully described. By
the title of the work it will be observed that it deals with the
history of painting before the time when the art had arrived at
the condition of its greatest excellence. The author gives a suffi-
ciently full account of Perugino, and of the less distinguished of
his pupils; but of Raphael and his works the description is very
meagre, and is perhaps reserved for future consideration.
The descriptions are too elaborate to maintain the continuous
interest of a general student. While the style is by no means
unattractive, the accounts are often so minute, and the analysis
so subtle, that they can be of general interest only to artists or
art critics. The greatest value of the work for general purposes
is in the fact that it affords easy means of getting the most com-
plete information attainable of any of the mediaval painters. Its
pages are enriched with very full illustrative notes, the engravings
are numerous and excellent, and the index is unusually complete.
Crowe, J. A., and Cavalcaselle, G. B.--A History of Painting in
North Italy, Venice, Padua, Vicenza, Verona, Ferrara, Milan,
Friuli, Brescia, from the Fourteenth to the Sixteenth Century.
Drawn up from Fresh Materials after Recent Researches in the
Archives of Italy, and from Personal Inspection of the Works of
Art scattered throughout Europe. With illustrations. 2 vols.,
8vo, London, 1871.
Characterized by the same minute and exhaustive scholarship
as that manifested in the same author's earlier work. Its thor-
oughness and its critical acumen must long make it a final author-
ity on the subject. Its very full index enables it to be of use to
the general student of Italian history.
Reuchlin, Hermann.-Geschichte Italiens, von der Gründung der
regierenden Dynastien bis zur Gegenwart. 4 vols., 8vo, Leipsic,
1859–73.
The first two hundred pages are devoted to an introduction,
232
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
which brings the history down to the French Revolution. The
remainder of vols. i. and ii. complete the history to 1848, while
vols. iii. and iv. are devoted to the subsequent period, and the im-
mediate events that resulted in the completion of Italian unity in
1871.
Of the histories of Italy during the present century this is
incomparably the best. It is not only the result of twenty years
of laborious and successful study, but it is written in fluent and
graceful German. Unfortunately, the work has no index, and has
only a very meagre table of contents. Otherwise, the book, from
almost every point of view, is all that could be desired. The con-
flicting interests that long prevented Italian unity, and the vari-
ous means by which these interests were made to yield to the
statesmanship of Cavour and Victor Emmanuel, are analyzed with
a master's hand.
Botta, C. G. G.--History of Italy during the Consulate and Em-
pire of Napoleon Bonaparte. Translated from the Italian. 2
vols., 8vo, London, 1828.
This was one of the earliest of Botta's works, but it shows the
characteristics which, a little later, made his writings so well
known. It is not a history of the highest type, but is the au-
thor's best work, and it is an agreeable portrayal of the con-
dition of Italy during the stormy period of Napoleon's domi-
nance.
The most noteworthy characteristic of the book is the fact that
the writer was the most ardent exponent of the reaction against
France. In point of style it is often impassioned and eloquent,
but it is also somewhat stilted, and is written in imitation of
models now quite antiquated.
Butt, Isaac.-The History of Italy from the Abdication of Na-
poleon I., with Introductory References to that of Earlier
Times. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1860.
The title of this history is delusive, as the author appears to
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
233
have abandoned his task soon after it was begun. The fragment
embodied in the first two volumes carries the history no further
than to the Treaty of Vienna.
The author's purpose evidently was elaborate. He begins with
an account of the Treaty of Paris, and of the changes introduced
into Italy by the Restoration of the Bourbons. He then builds
up a number of historical books on separate foundations, going
back into the heart of the Middle Ages for the early history of
the different Italian states. This method gives the work an un-
symmetrical form, and detracts somewhat from the interest of
the reader, if not from the real value of the production.
The researches seem to have been carried on with integrity;
the spirit is liberal and the style ornate. The book, therefore, is
not without value, though its title is misleading and disappointing.
Wrightson, Richard Heber.—A History of Modern Italy, from
the First French Revolution to the year 1850. 8vo, London,
1855.
The most satisfactory brief account in English of the course of
political events in Italy during the present century. With a firm
and discriminating hand the author describes the various events
that led to the part played by Italy in the Napoleonic days, and
to the final establishment of the dynasties of Tuscany, Lombardy,
and the Two Sicilies.
Not the least valuable portion is the account of political com-
plications during the early years of the reign of Pope Pius IX.
Unfortunately, the book ends before the drama was completed.
Mazzini, Joseph.- Life and Writings of. 6 vols., 8vo, London,
1869.
The best description of the man who for many years was the
great moving force among the revolutionists of Italy. The pres-
ent unity of the Italian State is in no small measure due to his
writings and his influence.
234
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Of his collected works the first and fifth volumes are the
most important. These are largely autobiographical, and contain
the most valuable part of his political writings. Mazzini was not
a statesman like Cavour, but he furnished many of the ideas with
which Cavour and his followers were inspired. For a student of
recent Italian history, therefore, they are invaluable.
D'Azeglio, Massimo-Recollections of. Translated, with Notes
and an Introduction, by Count Maffei. 2 vols., 12mo, London,
1868.
The memoirs of one who did a considerable part of the work
of preparing Italy for the great general movement which finally
placed Victor Emmanuel on the throne. Though D'Azeglio was
killed in battle in 1848, yet his influence continued to be a great
power. His recollections are written with the utmost simplicity,
and are valuable not only for the political information they con-
vey, but also for their portrayal of modern Italian life.
Mazade, Charles de.—Le Comte de Cavour. 8vo, Paris, 1877.
A criticism by a very acute and discriminating French writer of
the life and work of the father of modern Italian unity. To no
other one in this century does Italy owe so much as to Cavour,
and no one has given a better view of Cavour's life and work than
Mazade. As a brief representation of the struggle for unity, and
also of the various international questions involved, the book is
the best accessible. It deals with forces quite as much as with
facts, and, therefore, will be used with most profit by those who
already have some familiarity with recent Italian affairs.
About, Edmond.—The Roman Question. Translated by H. C.
Coape. 12mo, New York, 1859.
An exceedingly brisk assault on the temporal power of the
TI
235
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
pope. Its spirit may be inferred from these words of the pref-
ace: “I travelled over every part of the country; I conversed
with men of all opinions, examined things very closely, and col-
lected my information on the spot. My first impressions, noted
down from day to day without any especial object, appeared in the
Moniteur Universel. I was obliged to discontinue in consequence
· of the violent outcry of the Pontifical government. I threw my
notes into the fire, and wrote a book instead. Pardon me certain
vivacities of style, which I have not time to correct, and plunge
boldly into the heart of the book. You will find something there.
I fight fairly, and in good faith. I do not pretend to have judged
the foes of Italy without passion, but I have calumniated none of
them."
The caustic wit of the book may be conjectured from its first
sentence: “The Roman Catholic Church, which I sincerely re-
spect, consists of one hundred and thirty-nine millions of individ-
uals, without counting little Mortara.”
Trollope, Adolphus.- The Story of the Life of Pius the Ninth.
2 vols., 8vo, London, 1877.
An attempt to portray simply the outer life of Pope Pius IX.
The book is a spirited piece of writing; but it is scarcely entitled
to very high rank either as history or as biography. The con-
spicuous fault of the volumes is the author's habit of seizing
upon some one picturesque fact, and putting it forward as the
cause of all that follows.
The work will receive no permanent place in historical litera-
ture; but it is interesting, and, until something better appears, is
not to be despised.
Arrivabene, Count C.-Italy under Victor Emmanuel. A Per-
sonal Narrative. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1862.
A very bright description of the stirring events in Italy from
1859 to 1862. Count Arrivabene was with the Italian and
236
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
French armies as the correspondent of the London Daily News.
The author was warmly attached to Garibaldi, and admired the
Emperor of the French, but he endeavored to be just to all
parties.
The book is one of striking and brilliant pictures. That of
the conduct of Cavour, and of his meeting with the king after
the announcement of the truce of Villafranca, is remarkable for
its vividness and graphic power. The work does not complete
the important story; but, so far as it goes, it is one of the best
accounts of a struggle that did more, perhaps, than any other to
establish Italian unity.
Godkin, G. S.-Life of Victor Emmanuel II., First King of Italy.
2 vols., 12mo, London, 1879.
Not a profound, but an interesting, work. It is devoted pri-
marily to the personal life and character of the king; but in-
cidentally it shows the course and significance of those events
which placed the king on the Italian throne. Many anecdotes
are related which give charming glimpses of the king's char-
acter.
The book is defective in arrangement, and bears frequent marks
of too great baste in preparation. It also contains some inaccu-
edied.
III. HISTORIES OF INDIVIDUAL STATES.
Daru, Pierre Antoine.- Histoire de la République de Venise. 9
vols., 8vo, Paris, 1853.
This work, the first edition of which appeared in 1819, has long
been the standard history of Venice in the French language,
though its faults are numerous and conspicuous. It owes its
popularity to the vigor and perspicuity of its style. It is found-
ed, however, on a very shallow investigation of facts, and for any
other purpose than that of entertainment is quite untrustworthy.
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
237
The author's fame as a diplomatist gave to the work a popularity
which its merits as a history never deserved.
Hazlitt, W. C.-History of the Venetian Republic. Her Rise,
her Greatness, and her Civilization. 4 vols., 8vo, London,
1860.
A full, and in the main a satisfactory, history of Venice from
the origin of the city to the middle of the fifteenth century. It
is founded on a careful study of authorities, and consequently it
shows that many of the popular notions concerning Venetian his-
tory are grossly erroneous. The worthlessness of Daru's famous
history is made very obvious. The third and fourth volumes
(1309–1457) will be found by most students of especial interest
and value. The author's style is clear and often picturesque.
Ranke, Leopold.-Zur Venetianer Geschichte. 8vo, Leipsic. Vol.
42 of Ranke's Sämmtliche Werke.
The Venetian archives are exceedingly rich, and no historian
has explored them so thoroughly as Ranke. In the course of
these investigations on various subjects this author has not been
forgetful of Venice berself. Whatever he has found of interest-
ing import he has gathered into this volume.
Machiavelli, Niccolò.—The History of Florence, and of the Af-
fairs of Italy, from the Earliest Times to the Death of Lorenzo
the Magnificent. Crown 8vo, London, 1847.
The last of this famous author's works. It was written at the
command of the pope, who, as the head of the family of Medici,
was also ruler of Florence. But the history treats the characters
of that illustrious house with fairness and impartiality. It does
238
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
not seem to have been the fruit of great original research, and is
by no means free from inaccuracies. But, in spite of this fact, it
has qualities of great excellence. It is spirited and picturesque,
beyond any other history of Italy. Notwithstanding its occasion-
al errors of detail, the reader will bring away from its perusal a
more lively and a more correct impression of early Florentine his-
tory than he could acquire from any other source. The great
and striking features of the history are painted with a master's
hand.
It had been the author's purpose to continue his narrative be-
yond Lorenzo de' Medici. But death prevented; and the task of
describing the turbulence and ruin that followed devolved on the
less skilful pen of Guicciardini.
Capponi, Gino.-Geschichte der florentinischen Republik. Aus
dem Italienischen übersetzt von Dr. Hans Dütschke, 2 vols.,
8vo, Leipsic, 1876.
At the time of the first appearance of the original of this work,
in 1874, it awakened unusual interest. The author had long been
known as a wealthy nobleman of scholarly habits and tastes,
whose encouragement and hospitality had been freely extended to
literary men from all parts of the world. The misfortune of
blindness had come upon him, but, in spite of every temptation,
he had persevered with his investigations until the publication of
his history in extreme old-age.
The scope of the work is the entire history of the Florentine
republic from its earliest existence to the conquest of the city by
the imperial and papal army, and the establishment of the prince-
ly house of Medici in 1532. The first volume describes the his-
tory of the republic to the return of Cosmo de' Medici from ban-
islıment, in the year 1434; the second, the course of the govern-
ment under the first Medici until the overthrow of Piero, in 1495,
and the re-establishment of republican methods between 1495 and
1532.
Capponi's knowledge of the Italian archives was doubtless very
extensive and very exact. His style is fluent and graceful, quali-
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
239
ties that are also manifest in the translation. It is obvious, how-
ever, that the noble author did not, either by inclination or hab-
it, apply to his authorities those rigid methods of criticism at
present demanded of the historical investigator. While the pro-
duction, therefore, is' amply fortified by authorities, and is more
readable than the works of Reumont, Scheffer - Boichorst, and
Bernhardi, it is somewhat less trustworthy, for the reason that it
has freely used a number of documents thought by the severer
critics to be undoubtedly spurious.
Scheffer-Boichorst, Paul. -- Florentiner Studien. 8vo, Leipsic,
1874.
A remarkable series of studies, said to be preliminary to an
elaborate work on the “Politik und Cultur des Trecento.” The
volume consists of three essays designed to show the spuriousness
of certain very important historical documents.
Of these essays by far the most noteworthy is that entitled
“Die Chronik des Dino Compagni eine Fälschung.” The others,
“Die Geschichte der Malespini eine Fälschung,” and “Gesta Flo-
rentinorum," are somewhat less important, but still are of much
interest. All of these documents had previously been relied upon
as of undoubted authority. It is here shown, however, that they
contain within themselves evidences either of entire spuriousness,
or, at least, of spurious interpolations.
Napier, Henry Edward.—Florentine History, from the Earliest
Authentic Records to the Accession of Ferdinand the Third,
Grand-duke of Tuscany. 6 vols., 12mo, London, 1847.
By no means a great book, but one that has some sterling qual-
ities. Its characteristics are impartiality of judgment, a rough
energy of expression, and an honest independence on the part of
the author of all other people's opinions.
These vigorous characteristics are counteracted by a certain
240
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
prolixity of style, a constant tendency to digression, and a some-
what defective arrangement.
Perrens, F. T.-Histoire de Florence. 4 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1877–
79.
A work of the first importance. The author has long been
recognized as one of the most learned and judicious students of
the Middle Ages, and this work has even raised still higher the
estimation in which he has for many years been held. The thor-
oughness with which the details of early Florentine history are
presented will long make it the basis of all successful studies of
that period. It unites with these solid qualities the charm of
having been written in a vivacious and interesting style.
The most striking feature of the work is its unusual fulness in
its treatment of the earliest period of Florentine history. The
third volume brings the history only to the conclusion of what
may be called the period of the formation of the republic. Espe-
cially worthy of commendation are the chapters on the institu-
tions of Florence. By no other writer have these been so ably
analyzed and fully described. The fourth volume ends with the
events of 1358.
Reumont, Alfred von.-Geschichte Toscana's seit dem Ende des
florentinischen Freistaats, 1530-1859. 2 vols., 8vo, Gotha,
1876.
The author is a diplomatist who for some years was a resident
of Florence in the service of one of the German courts. He
made industrious and judicious use of the vast literary treasures
at his disposal, and one of the fruits of his labors is the history of
Tuscany. It has everywhere been recognized as a work of ability
and importance. It portrays the period since the Reformation in
a manner not unworthy of comparison with the history of earlier
centuries by Perrens.
HISTORIES OF ITALY.
241
Reumont, Alfred von. — Lorenzo de' Medici, the Magnificent.
Translated from the German by Robert Harrison. 2 vols., Svo,
London, 1876.
Not so much a biography of Lorenzo as a history of Italy at
the time when Lorenzo was its most important figure. The work
fully sustains the author's high reputation as a scholar and an his-
torian. Residing for many years as German ambassador at Flor-
ence, Von Reumont was able to discover and make use of valua-
ble inaterials hitherto unknown. These he has wrought into his
writings with unquestionable skill.
Eight introductory chapters treat at some length of the consti-
țution, art, manners, and commerce of mediæval Florence, and
show the tendency which finally culminated in the overthrow of
the republic. The work is written with considerable literary skill,
though its most striking merits are the industry, the accuracy,
and the rigid impartiality of the author. The translation is dis-
figured with numerous errors, and the work has no index.
+
Roscoe, William.-The Life of Lorenzo de' Medici, called the
Magnificent. 2 vols., 8vo, London ; 8th ed., greatly improved,
( 1845.
This work, like the same author's “Pontificate of Leo X.," is
not to be regarded as a good authority. Roscoe's style intro-
duced his books easily into public favor, but his works have been
shown again and again to be inaccurate. He evidently took very
little pains to inform himself on doubtful points; and some ab-
surd blunders he did not take the trouble to correct, even though
they were pointed out before the earlier editions were exhausted.
Trollope, T. Adolphus.--- A History of the Commonwealth of
Florence, from the Earliest Independence of the Commune to
the Fall of the Republic, in 1531. 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1865.
· The most satisfactory history of Florence written in English,
though, in some respects, it is much inferior to the works of Per-
16
242
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
IV
rens, Reumont, and even Capponi. It should be classed with
those correct but rather dull books which give information, but
which awaken little interest and no enthusiasm. The most obvi-
ous fault of the work is that it is written with too little regard
for historical perspective. Many unimportant events are given
too conspicuous a place.
Colletta, General Pietro.—History of the Kingdom of Naples,
1734–1825. With a Supplementary Chapter, 1825–56. 2
vols., 8vo, Edinburgh, 1858.
A brilliant but a partisan narrative by a military officer who
had suffered much at the hands of the Neapolitan government.
In spite of very serious defects, it is the most satisfactory history
in English of the important period of Neapolitan history of which
it treats. It is graphic and interesting, but it lacks those high
qualities of judicial impartiality necessary to give it permanent
value.
Dunnistown, James.--Memoirs of the Dukes of Urbino. Illus-
trating the Arms, Arts, and Literature of Italy from 1440 to
1650. 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1851.
This description of one of the most important duchies on the
Adriatic is a valuable picture of Italian society in the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries. The volumes are not likely to interest
the general reader; but the student of Italian life and manners
will find in them much that is useful, and a little that is enter-
taining. The author's style is not attractive, but his investiga-
tions were thorough, and his observations judicious.
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. The best short sketch of Italian history is that of William
Hunt in Freeman's “ Historical Series." Mariotti's book is a gen-
· HISTORIES OF ITALY.
243
paedia of Lear: There successful rey
476 to the clearly the viompiled from lume in Lardnestory down
DU
eral and rapid survey down to 1840; and Spalding's "Italy and
the Italian Islands" is a successful review of Italian history down
to the same year. There is a small volume in Lardner's “Cyclo-
pædia of History," compiled from Sismondi, which describes
briefly but clearly the vicissitudes of the various Italian states from
476 to the accession of Napoleon I. A good short course on the
mediæval history of Italy would be the sixty-ninth and seventieth
chapters of Gibbon, followed by the third chapter of Hallam's
“Middle Ages.” These might be followed with Burckhardt's
“Renaissance,” or Symonds's “Age of Despots;" and these, in
turn, by the second volume of Mariotti. From the time of the
French Revolution, Reuchlin's work is the great authority; but if
a book in English is desired, that of Wrightson will probably give
most satisfaction.
2. The great works of Sismondi and Cantu have unquestiona-
ble merits, but they are too voluminous except for consultation on
specific subjects and periods. If the reader can use German, he
will find Gregorovius the most useful of all authorities on mediæ-
val Italy. If, on the contrary, he is confined to English, the chap-
ters on Italian history in Gibbon and Hallam will be found among
the best accessible. On the period of the Renaissance there are
now so many excellent books that the student has much feeedom
of choice. Burckbardt, Symonds, Reumont, Villari, and Perrens
each have marked excellences. Voigt’s “ Wiederbelebung des
classischen Alterthums” is a monograph, but it is the best author-
ity on the revival of classical learning. For a full account of
events in Italy from the Reformation to the French Revolution
the reader may use Botta, but he will do best to resort to the
histories of the individual states. Since the Revolution, Reuchlin
is the best of all authorities, though Botta, on the period of the
Revolution, may be read with profit. The “Memoirs" of D’Aze-
glio give an excellent view of the preliminaries of Italian unity;
and Mạzade's" Cavour" is the most appreciative and just account
of the work of that great statesman. The books of Godkin and
Arrivabene on the achievements of Victor Emmanuel are graphic
pictures, though they will probably have no very permanent
value.
3. The most important collection of original authorities on
Italian history is the great storehouse of Muratori, the best edi-
244
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
tion of whose works is that of Milan, 18 vols., 8vo. The edition
of Florence (40 vols., 8vo, 1827–32) is also well edited, and has
a continuation down to the date of publication.
The contributions of the different Northern races to the char-
acter of modern Italy may be studied with best advantage in
the works of Hodgkin and Coulanges. Much light is thrown on
the same subject by Freeman's essays on “Bryce's Holy Roman
Empire," " Frederick I.," and "Frederick II.”—all in the “First
Series” of Freeman's essays; and by the essay on “The Goths at
Ravenna,” in the “ Third Series." Testa's "Frederick I.” is the
most recent portrayal of the period when Italy was broken up
into petty governments. Machiavelli's “ History of Florence” is
not a work of accuracy, but is a work of genius. Under the
guidance of Villari, it may well be examined. Macaulay's essay
on Machiavelli will be likely both to interest and to mislead. If
the student should desire to examine Guicciardini, he will profit
by doing it in connection with an article on this author in the
London Quarterly Review for October, 1871. In the first volume
of Grimm's “Michael Angelo" is a good account of the sources
of early Italian history. Of the period just before the Renais-
sance, Bulwer's novel of “Rienzi” is a striking and, in the main,
án accurate picture.
Of more recent Italian history, interesting and instructive views
are given by D'Ideville in his “ Journal d'un Diplomate en Ita-
lie;"' by the London Quarterly Review for July, 1867, and for
July, 1872; and by the Fortnightly Review for June, 1868. The
recent separation of ecclesiastical from temporal power may be
studied in Mazzini's “Religious Side of the Italian Question;" in
About's “Roman Question;" in the Fortnightly Review for 1872;
in the Atlantic Monthly for 1867; and in the Westminster Re-
view for 1867.
The works on Italian art are very numerous. Viardot's “Won-
ders of Italian Art," and the same writer's “Wonders of Sculpt-
ure," are perhaps the most valuable small works for strictly pop-
ular use. The most exhaustive authorities, however, are the
works of Crowe and Cavalcaselle. Eastlake's edition of Kugler's
“Schools of Painting” is less voluminous, and it justly enjoys
high repute. Taine's “Art in Italy” aims not so much to de-
scribe as to account for the characteristics of Italian art. Lanzi
HISTORIES OF ITALY. .
245
and Vasari are native authorities of importance, Vasari having
himself lived and painted in the days of the great artists he de-
scribes. Valery's “Historical, Literary, and Artistical Travels in
Italy” is a mine of scholarly wealth. Hillard's “Six Months in
Italy” is also an admirable book. The works of Mrs. Jameson
treat attractively of Italian art; and Hawthorne, in his “ Marble
Fawn," throws around the same subject the weird witchery of bis
remarkable genius. The essays of Horace Binney Wallace may
also be read, in the study of Italian art, with great profit.
On Italian literature the books are also numerous and copious.
The most famous native authority is Tiraboschi, a learned Jesuit,
monarchist, and professor of history of the last century. His work,
in thirteen volumes, has been translated into French, but not into
English. The subject of Italian literature has been attractively
treated in French by Villemain and Sismondi, the work of Sis-
mondi having been translated into English. Fauriel's “Proven-
çal Literature” gives a review of Italian letters at the time of the
Renaissance; but the best special authorities on this period are
Symonds and Voigt. The whole ground is briefly traversed in
English by Mrs. Foster's “ Hand-book of Italian Literature;” and
information in regard to any particular author can generally be
found in Hallam's “Literature." Leigh Hunt's work on the
Italian poets, with prose translations, will please the most refined
literary tastes. The essays in Prescott's “Miscellanies” on the
“ Narrative Poetry of Italy” and the “Poetry and Romance of
Italy” are written in the author's well-known style. Symonds
has published a charming little volume of translations of the
"Sonnets of Michael Angelo.” The North American Review for
October, 1864, and October, 1866, has valuable articles on “ Ital-
ian Literature;" and the same review for July, 1867, has an in-
structive paper on the “ Origin of the Italian Language."
Numerous other articles may be readily found by looking un-
der “Italy” in Poole's “Index to Periodical Literature,” in the
Catalogue of the Brooklyn Mercantile Library Association, and in
the Catalogue of the Library of the Boston Athenæum. A very
complete list of historical novels and dramas on Italian history is
to be found under the head of "Italy” in the “ Class List for
English Prose Fiction" published by the Boston Public Library.
246
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
CHAPTER IX.
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Bryce, James.--The Holy Roman Empire. 12mo, London and
New York. Seventh edition, 1877.
A book that has steadily grown into the highest favor with
scholars. It is a portrayal of the mutual relations of Rome and
Germany during the Middle Ages-of that singular connection
which received the name of Holy Roman Empire, but of which
Voltaire said that it was neither holy, nor Roman, nor empire.
Bryce has shown clearly that the Roman Empire had a continued
existence throughout the Middle Ages-an existence which, as
Freeman has well remarked, is the key to a correct understanding
of the whole period. Freeman's essay on the subject may well
be read with the volume.
Dunham, S. A.-A History of the Germanic Empire. 3 vols.,
16mo, London, 1834.
All of Dr. Dunham's works are carefully and competently writ-
ten. The one before us deals somewhat less fully with the more
modern history of Germany than most readers would desire, but
the mediæval portion is a clear and judicious narrative of a pe-
riod that is often confusing to the mind of the student.
As especially worthy of notice may be mentioned the author's
account of “ Indulgences,” at the end of the second volume. In
an appendix are brought together the views on this subject of a
large number of doctors of the Roman Catholic Church. The
period subsequent to the Treaty of Westphalia is much less satis-
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
247
factorily described than is the same period by Menzel and Lewis.
That of the Reformation is given with more fulness and care.
For an account of events during the present century, the reader
will be obliged to resort to other works.
Kohlrausch, Frederick.—A History of Germany.
James A. Haas. 8vo, London, 1844.
Translated by
This work long enjoyed much popularity in Germany. It was
written in a style adapted to excite the interest and sympathy of
readers, especially of those who wish to acquire accurate knowl-
edge of the records of the country. As it does not include a
record of events during the last forty years, and as it has no char-
acteristics of superior excellence, it must be regarded as deficient
in comparison with the works of more recent writers. The trans-
lation is faulty.
Lewis, Charlton T.-A History of Germany from the Earliest
Times. Founded on Dr. David Müller's "History of the Ger-
man People.” Large 12mo, New York, 1874.
Of the several works from which the youth of Germany learn
the history of their fatherland, that of Dr. David Müller is one of
the most popular and valuable. Many of its details concerning
some of the princely houses have no interest except to a German
subject, and such have wisely been omitted in the preparation of
the volume before us. Additions have also been made from the
works of Ranke, Menzel, 'and Wirth for the purpose of amplify-
ing the too meagre account of the empire before the period of
the Reformation. With these exceptions, and the addition of a
chapter on the principal events since 1870, the volume is substan-
tially a translation of Müller's work.
It is the best brief history of Germany for the use of students
we have. Each of the six periods is subdivided in such a way as
to unite bappily a narration of events with an account of civiliza-
tion and progress. Chapters xiii. and xiv. give an admirable ac-
248
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
count of “The Cities and their Leagues," and of the “Life of
the People, Plague and Persecution, Science and Art," in the
fourteenth century. The fifth and sixth books are devoted to
the period since the Treaty of Westphalia, and will be found an
admirable presentation.
Menzel, Wolfgang.-The History of Germany from the Earliest
Period to the Present Time. Translated from the fourth Ger-
man edition by Mrs. George Horrocks. 3 vols., crown 8vo,
London, 1849.
Menzel is a Protestant, a man of strong feelings, an earnest pa-
triot, and, above all, a man of ideas. The work has enjoyed
mucb popularity in Germany. The third volume is devoted to
the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and will be found to
contain a more intelligible account of German complications dur-
ing that period than is to be obtained elsewhere within limited
space.
The author's style, unlike that of most Germans, is epigram-
matic and eminently readable. The account of the turbulence
that long disquieted Germany after the fall of Napoleon I. is espe-
cially full. The history during the present century is brought no
further than 1848, but down to that year the account is the most
satisfactory accessible to the general student. The book is made
easy of use by a good index.
Pütter, John Stephen.—An Historical Development of the Pres-
ent Political Constitution of the German Empire. Translated
from the German by Josiah Dornford. 3 vols., 8vo, London,
1790.
Though bastily prepared, and written a century ago, these
volumes still possess some value as a description of Germany in
former days. The author was one of the prominent jurists of his
time, and he wrote the work at the suggestion of the Queen of
England. It is not the result of any especial study, but rather
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
249
the easy effusion of a scholar whose head was full of the sub-
ject.
As a whole, it need not receive the very serious attention of the
scholar; but the last five chapters of the third volume are of con-
siderable value. They are devoted to a general description of the
constitutional peculiarities of the German empire at the end of
the last century. Of these peculiarities no better account is any-
where accessible to the reader of English.
Sime, James.—History of Germany. 16mo, New York, 1875.
No very small volume calling itself a history of Germany can
be very satisfactory, for the reason that Germany is not one na-
tion, but a confederation of many. The details are too numerous
and too intricate to be crowded into a brief space.
There has been no more successful effort, however, in this di-
rection than the one before lis. The author has brought the
prominent events so well into the foreground, and has so judi-
ciously omitted the less important details, that the result is not
only a useful, but also an interesting, little book.
Taylor, Bayard.—History of Germany. 12mo, New York, 1874.
Like the larger volume by Lewis, this is founded on the work
of Müller. It gives us general views rather than minute details,
touching only the most important features of the great events.
For the use of a student who would get a sketch rather than a
history of Germany, the volume is one of the most useful, and
will dispute the palm with that of Sime. To a majority of stu-
dents, the somewhat ampler history by Lewis will be more satis-
factory.
For the only the most general vie
250
.
P-
HISTORICAL LITERATUREII. HISTORIES OT LIMITED PERIODS.
Giesebrecht, Wilhelm von.-Geschichte der deutschen Kaiserzeit.
4 vols., 8vo, 3d ed., 1863–75.
One of the great modern works on the mediæval history of
Germany. The author passes the period before Otho the Great
in rapid review; but from the tenth century his narrative is very
complete and satisfactory. Its value for the general student is
in the fact that it is the latest and perhaps the best presentation,
from a German point of view, of the struggle between Germany
and Rome in the time of Gregory VII. The work is carried for-
ward with admirable spirit, and is fully entitled to the abundant
praise it has received in Germany. In point of style it is per-
haps a trifle less attractive than the history of the same period by
Von Raumer ; but it has the advantage of the author's acquaint-
ance with the results of the most recent researches.
At the end of vol. i. is an admirable map by Kiepert of the
political divisions of Germany at the time of the First Crusade.
Raumer, Friedrich von.-Geschichte der Hohenstaufen und ihrer
Zeit. 6 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1825; 4th ed., 1871.
Long the standard history of the great house which so valiant-
ly carried on the struggle with the popes in the eleventh, twelfth,
and thirteenth centuries. The subject was perhaps the most im-
portant that could engage the historian of mediaval Europe; and
it was treated by Von Raumer in a manner worthy of the great
events described. The volumes established the reputation of the
writer as one of the foremost historians of his day.
The work is exceptional. among German histories, in that it
abounds in eloquent passages and elaborate descriptions; and,
what is far better, it is wrought into so complete and symmetri-
cal a whole that it impresses the character of the age with great
force and clearness on the mind of the reader. When to this is
added abundant evidence of true German diligence in the collec-
STA
VOL
HISTORIES 251
OF GERMANY.
tion and examination of materials, it will be seen that the work
is entitled to a distinguished place among the great histories of
this century.
The narrative fills four volumes. The fifth and sixth are de-
voted to an account of the laws, customs, and arts of the period.
This, of course, is not the least valuable portion of the work.
Lindner, Prof. Dr. Theodor.-Geschichte des deutschen Reiches,
vom Ende des vierzehnten Jahrhunderts bis zur Reformation.
Vol. i., 8vo, Brunswick, 1875. As the portion here issued
reaches only to the year 1388, the complete work seems likely
to be voluminous.
The period which Lindner purposes to describe has heretofore
received very inadequate treatment at the hands of German bis-
torians. The great works of Raumer and Giesebrecht are brought
to an end before the beginning of the fifteenth century is reached.
The present undertaking, therefore, is not unwelcome.
The author has made a thorough study of the sources, and has
brought to light much new material. An appendix contains
twenty-two papers of valuable illustrative matter.
Robertson, William. - The History of the Reign of the Em-
peror Charles V. With an Account of the Emperor's Life after
his Abdication, by William H. Prescott. 3 vols., 8vo, Phila-
delphia, 1870. One vol., 8vo, New York, 1860.
A work deservedly recognized as a classic among English his-
tories. Though written nearly a century ago, it was prepared
with the utmost care, and must still be regarded as a standard
authority on the period of Charles V.
The author's style is one of the utmost dignity, and conse-
quently he finds it convenient to omit the consideration of many
events that an historian of the present day would deem of impor-
tance. Though Robertson's judgments are founded on a careful
scrutiny of evidence, yet it can hardly be claimed that he pene-
trates, like Ranke, to the secret springs of action.
252
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Of the numerous editions, that of Prescott is to be preferred,
as it throws new light on the last two years of the emperor's life.
The body of the work, however, received no important changes
or additions from the hand of the American editor.
Ranke, Leopold von.—History of the Reformation in Germany.
3 vols., 8vo, London, 1845–47.
A book of commentaries on the Reformation rather than a
history of the Reformation itself. Its greatest value is in the
light it throws on the relations of Germany to the other states of
Europe while the Reformation was in progress. It shows how
completely the great upheaval in Germany was connected with
Continental affairs everywhere. It is to be valued for its judg-
ments on difficult and obscure points rather than for its descrip-
tions. The opinions of the author are quoted with the greatest
respect by all recent writers on the period.
Ranke, Leopold von.-Für deutsche Geschichte vom Religionsfrie-
den bis zum dreissigjährigen Krieg. Svo, Berlin, 1870.
This might with propriety be called an Introduction to the
Thirty Years' War. It throws a flood of light on that period of
turmoil and uncertainty extending from 1552 to 1618. It shows
all of Ranke's well-known characteristics, and is a commentary
on the meaning of events, rather than a description of events
themselves. It is especially strong in the knowledge it displays
of the diplomatic correspondence of the times.
It forms vol. vii. of Ranke's Sämmtliche Werke.
Droysen, G.–Gustav Adolph. 2 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1869.
o
The author takes it for granted that the most prominent facts
in the life of Gustavus are sufficiently well known. He therefore
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
253
limits his purpose to the work of describing and discussing the
various political considerations and situations into which the
Swedish king was drawn. He has gathered his information
from many archives. He makes clear the general policy in Eu-
ropean affairs of the House of Vasa. The various German prob-
lems, the foreign policy of Gustavus before and after 1625, and
the different phases of the situation between 1630 and 1632 are
analyzed with great ability. The work is an important contribu-
tion to the literature of the period.
Schäfer, Arnold.-Geschichte des siebenjährigen Kriegs. 2 vols.,
8vo, Berlin, 1867-74.
By far the most able and satisfactory of the histories of the
Seven Years' War. Until Schäfer wrote, many of the archives
that contained important records of this period had not been
border of this period had not
carefully examined; some of them had not even become accessi-
ble. The embarrassments arising from this exclusiveness were
not completely removed until after the publication of Schäfer's
first volume; but before the publication of the second, the ar-
chives of Vienna, as well as the other bureaus of publication in
Germany, were placed at the service of scholars. Schäfer was
therefore able to throw much new light on the diplomacy of the
period under examination.
As a narrative of events the book is somewhat wanting in
color; but what is lacking in spirit is perhaps gained in im-
partiality. It is to be considered as really a diplomatic history;
and as such it is of the first order of importance. For these
reasons the reader is likely to find it less interesting than valuable.
Duncker, Max.-Aus der Zeit Friedrichs des Grossen und Fried-
rich Wilhelms III. Abhandlungen zur preussischen Geschichte.
8vo, Leipsic, 1876.
The critical skill shown by Duncker in his “ History of An-
tiquity” is fully maintained in this volume of essays. Some
254
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
are amongst noteworand " Preu
of them are among the ablest productions of recent historical
criticism. The most noteworthy are entitled “Die Besitzer-
greifung von Westpreussen,” and “Preussen wärend der fran-
zösischen Occupation.” The first of these is an examination of
recent evidence in regard to the first partition of Poland ; the
latter is the fruit of ten years of study of the period of French
supremacy. The importance of the first has been somewhat
lessened by the recent work of Beer ; but the second is still of
the greatest consequence.
Ranke, Leopold yon.--Die deutschen Mächte und der Fürstenbund.
Deutsche Geschichte von 1780 bis 1790. 2 vols., 8vo, Berlin,
1872.
The object of Ranke in this work is to show that, after the
Peace of Hubertsburg, Germany had a right to look forward to
peace and a promising future. The nation, however, was sur-
prised and overwhelmed by the French Revolution; and the peo-
ple gave themselves up, in great measure, to revolutionary ideas.
The complications of Prussia and Austria are described in a few
masterstrokes at the very beginning of the volume.
The book constitutes vols. xxxi. and xxxii. of Ranke's Sämmt-
liche Werke.
Ranke, Leopold von.--Ansprung und Beginn der Revolutions-
kriege, 1791–92. 8vo, Berlin, 1878.
A remarkable presentation of the various causes that finally
embroiled all Europe in war with France. The difficult compli-
cations of the German governments have been nowhere more
skilfully presented.
The book is vol. xlv. of Ranke's Sämmtliche Werke.
Häusser, Ludwig.- Deutsche Geschichte vom Tode Friedrichs
des Grossen bis zur Gründung des deutschen Bundes. 4 vols.,
870, 3d enlarged and improved edition, Berlin, 1863.
By far the ablest and most valuable bistory of Germany during
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
255
Revolo conspicuoat is far
its trying struggles with the French Revolution and with Napo-
leon. Häusser was esteemed by many as the most successful
professor of history in Germany during his times, and he de-
voted himself with especial fervor and success to the study of the
Revolutionary period. This is his most important work. It
shows conspicuous evidence of great industry, of scrupulous fair-
ness, and of what is far more rare among German historians—the
gift of forcible and graphic narration. Joined to these qualities
also is an unusual ability to trace out and bring into bold relief
the subtle causes and relations of events. Of all the pupils of
Ranke, probably Häusser most resembled his master. .
In politics Häusser was a liberal monarchist; and, like most of
the other German historians, he set his influence firmly against
the influences of the French Revolution.
Ségur, L. P., l'Ainé.--Tableau Historique et Politique de l’E11-
rope depuis 1786 jusqu'à 1796, ou l'An 4. Contenant l'his-
toire des principaux événemens du règne de Guillaume II., Roi
de Prusse. Seconde édition, revue et corrigée. 3 vols., 8vo,
Paris, 1801. Also published in translation under the title of
“History of the Principal Events in the Reign of Frederick
William II., and a Political Picture of Europe from 1786 to
1796.” 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1801.
An account by an intelligent observer of a turbulent period
and a contemptible king. As French Ambassador at the Court
of Russia, Ségur had unusual advantages for observing the springs
of diplomatic action. He was a skilful diplomatist and a spirit-
ed and graceful writer. His account, therefore, is an interesting
picture of certain secret movements of considerable 'importance.
As a narrative it is unquestionably inaccurate in some minor par-
ticulars. But as a picture it represents the more prominent feat-
ures of the time with accuracy as well as with spirit.
Seeley, J. R.-Life and Times of Stein; or, Germany and Prussia
in the Napoleonic Age. 2 vols., 8vo, London and Boston,
1879.
256
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Unquestionably one of the most important contributions to the
history of Germany ever placed before English readers. It is
founded upon a long and arduous study of original materials, and
it is a substantial contribution to the knowledge of the world.
The influence of Stein in shaping the destiny of Prussia during
the years that followed the disaster of Jena was scarcely less im-
portant than has been that of Bismarck since 1865. This influ-
ence it has been the purpose of Professor Seeley to describe..
And he has fulfilled his task with rare ability and moderation.
He is never intemperate in his criticisms or laudations, and he
uses few allurements of rhetoric to entice the reader.
The work has to do with the whole range of activity during
the long period under review, and perhaps its most striking char-
acteristic is that the author never for a moment allows himself to
become the victim either of a prejudice or an enthusiasm. It
may, perhaps, be said that the work lacks spirit; but it is so emi-
nently judicial in tone that even when a reason for a position
taken is not given, the reader does not doubt that a good reason
exists.
It is not easy to discriminate in favor of any one portion of so
excellent a book, but in part v. of vol. ii. will be found what to
most students will probably be of greatest value. The author here
gives a better description than is elsewhere to be found in Eng-
lish of those legislative, administrative, municipal, and educational
reforms which have been the potent means of raising Prussia to
her present greatness. This portion of the work cannot be too
heartily recommended.
Ranke, Leopold von. – Denkwürdigkeiten des Staatskanzlers
Fürsten von Hardenberg. 5 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1877.
A work entitled to the highest rank among the important pub-
lications illustrative of the recent history of Germany. It is
edited with the characteristic skill of the foremost of German
historians, and it abounds in papers, notes, and fragments of the
highest moment. Few more valuable contributions have ever
been made to the literature of the Napoleonic period.
The first and fourth volumes are written by Ranke himself,
HISTORIES OF GERMANY257
U IV
.
and might be called the Life and Public Services of Hardenberg;
the other three volumes are made up of illustrative documents.
For the general student, the portions contributed by Ranke are
the most interesting and the most important. In fact, they are
this distinguished author's account of that most turbulent and
most disastrous period extending from the outbreak of the French
Revolution to the organization of the Grand Alliance after the
close of the Russian campaign.
The first book shows the condition of Germany at the begin-
ning of the French Revolution, and the clear insight of Harden-
berg into the necessities of the government. Book second de-
scribes Hardenberg's part in German politics in 1794 and 1795.
The third book is a masterly account, in twenty chapters, of the
“Period of Neutrality," extending from 1796 to 1806. The still
more important events between the outbreak of the war in 1806
and the reconstruction of Prussia after the establishment of peace
occupy the whole of the twenty-six chapters of the fourth book.
At the close of the fourth volume is to be found in full the fa-
mous paper of Hardenberg on the “Reorganization of the Prussian
State," written in 1807 at the command of the king. This
should be read in connection with a similar paper prepared at the
same time by Stein and published by Seeley. In connection with
both, the reader may profit by Ranke's last chapter, where a most
critical and interesting comparison is drawn between the two
statesmen.
Droysen, Joh. Gust. - Das Leben des Feldmarschalls Grafen
York von Wartenburg. 3 vols., Berlin, 2d ed., 1851.
York was the last great general of Prussia of the old school;
and he set his face firinly against those reforms of Soharnhorst
which have resulted in the modern military system of Prussia.
He was sent by the king to aid Napoleon in the famous Russian
campaign; but as soon as the disasters of that campaign com-
pelled the French to retreat, York saw that the interests of .
Prussia called for an immediate alliance with Russia against Na-
poleon. At the Convention of Tauroggen such an alliance was
negotiated without the knowledge of the Prussian king. This
17
258
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
assumption of responsibility was doubtless treason - indeed,
York himself said that “his old head felt very loose on his
shoulders ;" but the event seemed to justify the action. In the
beginning of the second volume of Droysen's “Life” these singu-
lar events are best narrated.
Metternich, Prince-Memoirs of, 1773-1815. Edited by Prince
Richard Metternich, and translated by Mrs. Alexander Napier.
4 vols., 8vo, London and New York, 1880–81.
The papers left by Chancellor Metternich constitute three
series, the first of which is here given to the public, twenty years
· after the death of the writer. They are of great importance to
the historian of that period, and of great interest to the general
reader.
So much may be said without asserting that they are not dis-
appointing. Metternich beld the threads of European diplomacy
from the battle of Wagram, in 1809, to his own downfall in
1848; and during the whole of this period he was not only one of
the most conspicuous figures, but he was one of the most potent
forces, in European politics. In his “Memoirs,” therefore, we might
expect to find much that is new; but such an expectation will
be disappointed. In these volumes there are not many facts that
were not known long ago, and there are not many descriptions
that have not been equalled or excelled by others.
But while this is true, it ought also to be said that the impres-
sions of a man who was himself a great part of the great events
he describes can never be without interest. The Duke of Wel-
lington might not have given a fuller or more accurate description
of the battle of Waterloo than those of Thiers and Victor Hugo,
but who would not have preferred his account?
Metternich was the rnost influential, if not the greatest, con-
servative opponent of the French Revolution; and his policy from
first to last was directed to the work of thwarting its results. It
was in the interest of this policy that be supported Ferdinand of
Naples, Ferdinand of Spain, and Sultan Mahmoud; and that he
did whatever he could to stifle every popular movement within
his reach and influence. As the expression of one of the most
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
259
formidable opponents of liberal government in Europe during
nearly forty years, these “Memoirs" will always be of interest.
The author's pictures of Alexander I., and of the famous in-
terview with Napoleon at Dresden in June, 1813, are the most
valuable portions of the book. This interview, however, had been
described by Thiers after a sight of the Metternich MSS., and,
therefore, the presentation as it here appears is not to be re-
garded as strictly new.
Treitschke, Heinrich von. - Deutsche Geschichte im neunzehn-
ten Jahrhundert. Vol. i., 2d ed., 8vo, Leipsic, 1879.
Of modern German historical writers, probably Treitschke is
the most picturesque and graphic, as well as the most powerful.
He is an ardent admirer of Prussian methods and Prussian states-
manship. His object in the great work, the first volume of
which is here before us, is to explain the origin and depict the
characteristics of the new life of Germany. The chief agent of
this new life the author regards as the House of Hohenzollern.
The present volume begins with a general introduction, de-
signed to show the sources of disunion. This disunion the au-
thor attributes chiefly to the House of Hapsburg. The Treaty of
Westphalia was the first blow that disunion received. This made
the several states independent de jure as well as de facto; and,
consequently, from that time they were able to group themselves
as they chose.
The principal part of the volume is devoted to a description of
"The Downfall of the Empire," and "The Beginnings of the
Confederacy.” The work of Stein receives full and adequate, as
well as generous, treatment, and the volume closes with the second
Treaty of Paris.
The author writes with strong prepossessions if not prejudices;
but his work in point of ability must take rank among the fore-
most of recent historical productions.
Klüpfel, K.-Geschichte der deutschen Einheitsbestrebungen bis
zu ihrer Erfüllung, 1848–71. 2 vols., 8vo, Berlin, 1872–73.
260
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
The most satisfactory history yet written of the various efforts
to establish a German Union in place of the old German Confed-
eration. The author published in 1853 a similar work on the
period previous to 1848; and the encouragement which that pre-
liminary study received led to the further prosecution of his in-
vestigations, and the ultimate publication of the present more
elaborate work. It has substantial merits; and, though not a
work of the first order of talent, may be used with profit by any
student of the present century.
Frank, Constantin.--Die Wiederherstellung Deutschlands. 8vo,
Berlin, 1865.
A book of considerable value in the work of showing the
condition of Germany before the constitutional changes that re-
sulted from the war of 1866. The work is a powerful plea for
the dissolution of the old confederation and the establishment of
a new and a stronger union. The necessity of a union, the weak-
ness of the tie at the time the author wrote, the difficulties in the
way, and the proper methods of overcoming them are presented
with clearness and ability.
Van Deventer, M. L.-Cinquante Années de l'Histoire Fédérale
de l'Allemagne. Étude historique et politique. Svo, Brus-
sels, 1870.
In no book will the student get a better account of the German
Confederation from 1815 to 1866 than in this volume. The
author discusses the organization and character of the Federal con-
stitution, the characteristics of the Diet, the Zollverein, the effort
in behalf of unity in 1848, the dissolution of the old Confeder-
ation, and the final establishment of the North German Union
under the leadership of Prussia.
Lecomte, Ferdinand.—Guerre de la Prusse et de l'Italie contre
l'Autriche et la Confédération Germanique en 1866. Rela-
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
261
tion historique et critique. Avec cartes et plans. 2 vols.,
8vo, Paris, 1868.
This work, prepared by a Swiss officer, is probably the most
satisfactory yet published on the war of 1866. It has good maps
and plans, and is especially excellent in its account of the grow-
ing political animosities of Prussia and Austria before the final
outbreak of the war.
Hozier, H. M.—The Seven Weeks' War. Its Antecedents and
its Incidents. 2 vols., 8vo, London and Philadelphia, 1867.
One of the best accounts in English of the war of 1866. It is
founded on letters written to the Times, is easy to read, and is
well illustrated with maps and plans.
As a history of the war it is, of course, not to be accepted as
final authority on all points. It has the merits simply of a
graphic picture of a short but momentous struggle.
Véron, Eug.-Histoire de l'Allemagne depuis la Bataille de Sa-
dowa. 12mo, Paris, 1874.
A spirited picture of Germany during the important period be-
tween the close of the Austro-Prussian war and the end of the
great struggle between Germany and France in 1871. The au-
thor admits the infatuation of France, and sees no hope of coping
with Germany except in a thorough reform of her institutions.
The reforms that took place in Germany, and the reorganization
of administrations at the close of the war, are well described at
the end of the volume.
Droysen, Joh. Gust. - Abhandlungen, zur neueren Geschichte.
8vo, Leipsic, 1876.
The importance of these essays is chiefly in the light they
262
LI
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
throw on the relations of the several German states with one an-
other during the present century. The author here develops
more fully the idea advanced in the early part of his great “His-
tory of Prussian Politics”—narnely, that Prussia, throughout its
history, has had a distinct mission in German political affairs; and
that it is the prime duty of the historian to point out that mis-
sion. The great work of Prussia has been, in his opinion, to pre-
vent Germany from becoming “kosakisch," on the one hand, and
“republikanisch,” on the other. This position gives a key to the
spirit of all of Droysen's works.
The most valuable of the essays have the following titles:
“Zur Geschichte der deutschen Partei in Deutschland;" “Preus-
sen und das System der Grossmächte;" “ Zur Geschichte der
preussischen Politik in den Jahren 1830–32;" and "Friedrichs
des Grossen politische Stellung im Anfang des schlesischen Krie-
ges."
The author's style is always difficult, and here, as well as in his
larger work, he maintains his apparent contempt for what he
calls “rhetorische Geschichtschreibung."
Treitschke, Heinrich von. — Zehn Jahre deutscher Kämpfe,
1865–74. 8vo, Berlin, 1874.
A book quite worthy and characteristic of one of the most in-
fluential teachers and writers of history in Germany. Treitschke
was a pupil of Häusser's; he writes in an especially spirited and
rhetorical style, and is an intense supporter of Prussian policy.
The essays which make up the volume are perhaps the ablest
presentation we have of the important political problems arising
between the Danish war and the complete establishment of the
empire.
Rüstow, W.-The War for the Rhine Frontier. Its Political and
Military History. Translated from the German by J. G. Need-
ham. 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1871–72.
Though the writer is a military officer, and, in general, an histo-
HIISTORIES OF GERMANY.
263
rian of military affairs, yet the portions of this work that will be
found of greatest interest and value are those of a political nature.
The author has succeeded, in the first volume, in giving an ad-
mirable portrayal of the difference between the German and the
French system, as well as of the events immediately preceding
the war. The more strictly military events are described with
the author's well-known ability and skill.
Junck, Karl.-Der deutsch-französische Krieg, 1870 und 1871.
Historisch, politisch und kriegswissenschaftlich dargestellt. Mit
Karten und Plänen. 2 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1876.
One of the most satisfactory histories of the war from a Ger-
man point of view. The author was an officer of the army, and
consequently the work is cast in a military mould; but the vol-
umes give abundant evidence that Herr Junck thought of other
matters besides battles and sieges. The historical and political
phases of the work are worthy of commendation
III. HISTORIES OF INDIVIDUAL STATES.
Coxe, William. - History of the House of Austria from the
Foundation of the Monarchy by Rodolph of Hapsburg to
the Death of Leopold the Second, 1218–1792. 3 vols., crown
Svo. Also Continuation from the Accession of Francis I. to
the Revolution of 1848. 1 vol., crown 8vo, London, 1860.
Of the numerous scholarly productions of Archdeacon Coxe,
this is one of the most useful. Besides being a work of real in-
trinsic merit, it has the greater distinction of being the only com-
plete history of the House of Austria accessible to the reader of
English. . The author has dealt very fully with the military affairs
with which Austria has been engaged, and his accounts of mili-
tary transactions are always clear and often graphic. In his
presentation of the causes of the wars he is not so fortunate.
264
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
There is often a certain vagueness that must be regarded as a
fault. As an example of this may be noted his account of the
Prussian claims to Silesia. But, in spite of this defect, the work
is one of substantial value.
The "Continuation ” was prepared by two hands. Mr. Walter
K. Kelley wrote the epitome of the history from the accession of
Francis I. to the close of the Hungarian war in 1849. This is
followed by the treatise that forms the body of the work, enti-
tled “Genesis of the Revolution in Austria.” It is written by
Count Hartig, an Austrian official of high rank. At the time of
its publication it attracted so much attention for its ability and
its boldness that several editions were called for in rapid succes-
sion. The author took the ground that “there are no abrupt
transitions in nations," and that the causes of the Revolution
were to be looked for in the characteristics of the government it-
self. It is a most searching piece of criticism, and is well worth
the study of any student of political history. It had much to do
with the amelioration of Austrian methods of government and
administration.
Krones, Franz.-Handbuch der Geschichte Oesterreichs, von der
ältesten bis zur neuesten Zeit, mit besonderer Rücksicht auf
Länder-Völkerkunde und Culturgeschichte. 3 vols., 8vo, Berlin,
1876–78.
For acquiring a knowledge of early Austrian history this is, per-
haps, the best authority for the use of a student. Its references
to other works are sufficiently numerous to enable the reader to
pursue his investigations at will. As yet, however, the book has
not advanced to a date later than 1700. The Austrian part in
the Thirty Years' War, and in the great struggles of the seven-
teenth century with France, form the most interesting and valu-
able part of the work.
Mailath, Johann Graf.-Geschichte Oesterreichs. 5 vols., 8vo,
Hamburg, 1834-50.
These volumes form a part of the Heeren and Ukert series, and
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
265
they are entitled to high rank. They make up what for thirty
years has been considered the standard history of Austria. The
style of the author is not of the best ; but to the reader of Ger-
man desirous of tracing the tortuous course of that imperial house,
the work will give much valuable information.
Its superiority over the work of Coxe is in the fact that it is
founded on a much more thorough study of the original sources.
The archives of the government, however, had not been fully
opened to investigation at the time Mailath wrote.
Asseline, Louis.-Histoire de l'Autriche depuis la Mort de Marie
Thérèse jusqu'à nos jours. 12mo, Paris, 1877.
A convenient and useful little book, designed to inform French
readers of the general course of events in Austria during the last
century.
The author has made diligent use of the best authorities, and
has framed his materials into a readable book. The portion which
relates to the period before 1848, however, is inferior to the work
of Coxe; but for events since the Revolution the volume has
more substantial value.
Springer, Anton.--Geschichte Oesterreichs seit dem Wiener Frie-
den, 1809. 2 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1863–65.
One of the best of the excellent series edited by Biedermann on
the contemporary history of European nations. Springer brought
to his work unusual qualifications. In addition to the attractions
of a clear and compact style of narration, he gives his readers a
vast amount of information derived from sources hitherto unex-
plored.
Though the Austrian archives were still, for the most part, in-
accessible, yet the proceedings of the parliaments of Bohemia
and Hungary were placed before the author, and consequently
he was able to throw much new light on several dark questions.
His description of the Austrian policy during the Napoleonic rule
266
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
is masterly; and his account of the “System” of Metternich, in
the second book, is one of the best specimens of modern analyt-
ical treatment. The work is pervaded with a spirit of intellect-
ual freedom as refreshing as it is rare. The second volume is
devoted chiefly to that turbulent period which ended in the pres-
ent union of Hungary and Austria.
Almost the only word to be said against the book is that it has
only a very meagre table of contents, and no index.
Vehse, Dr. E.—Memoirs of the Court, Aristocracy, and Diplomacy
of Austria. Translated from the German by Franz Demmler.
2 vols., 8vo, London, 1856.
A picture of society and of public characters. The author's
model is Horace Walpole, though it ought to be said that, if he
follows Walpole, he follows him at a long distance behind. His
pictures are not derived from personal observation so much as
from study of what others have written. This is, of course, a
necessity, as the author deals with the whole period of Austrian
history from Maximilian I. to the death of Francis II., in 1835.
pictures are of what othereals with the who Francis II.
10
Arneth, Alfred, Ritter von.-Geschichte Maria Theresia's.
vols., 8vo, Vienna, 1880.
A work which takes high rank among the great historical pro-
ductions of the present generation. In many respects the volumes
of Arneth sustain the same relation to Maria Theresa and Austria
that those of Carlyle do to Frederick the Great and Prussia.
The German author is even more comprehensive in his method
of treatment than is his English contemporary. On the subjects
of art, education, and religion, where Carlyle showed some weak-
ness, Arneth is especially strong. The merit of the work is not
simply in its comprehensiveness of design and fulness of treat-
ment, but also quite as much from the fact that the author had
access to a vast amount of original materials never before ex-
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
267
amined by any historian. As a history of Austria during the
most important period of the last century, it is without a rival.
De Worms, Baron Henry.—The Austro-Hungarian Empire. A
Political Sketch of Men and Events since 1866. 8vo, 2d ed.,
London, 1877.
This volume is both historical and descriptive. The author
had the advantage of a long residence in Austria, and of great
familiarity with its political and social condition. As an account
of the present condition of the Austro-Hungarian empire the
work has no equal_indeed, in English, has no rival. The value
of the book is enhanced by several excellent maps, designed to
show the ethnographical and religious divisions of the people.
Hüffer, Hermann.- Oesterreich und Preussen gegenüber der
französischen Revolution bis zum Abschluss des Friedens von
Campo Formio. Vornehmlich nach ungedruckten Urkunden
der Archiv in Berlin, Wien und Paris.. 8vo, Bonn, 1868.
A work of considerable importance, designed to show the criti-
cal relations of the two most powerful of the German states to
each other, and the reasons why Germany was unable to pursue a
united policy towards France. The student of European politics
during the period of the French Revolution will find the work
suggestive and helpful.
8vo,
Beer, A.-Zehn Jahre österreichischer Politik, 1800–1810.
Leipsic, 1877.
Since the opening of the archives at Vienna to historical inves-
tigators, the writings of Beer have been among the most impor-
tant contributions to our knowledge of recent German history and
policy. His volume on Austrian politics during the Napoleonic
period rests upon a minute, and at the same time comprehensive,
268
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
study of the rich stores in the possession of the government. It
is divided into two parts, the first of which—entitled “Die Coali-
tion von 1805”-deals with the period of Austrian history under
Graf Ludwig Cobenzl; and the second — entitled “Die öster-
reichische Politik unter Stadion "— with the events froin 1805 to
the Peace of Vienna.
Though somewhat ungraceful in style, the volume is a valuable
contribution to the literature of that eventful period. An ap-
pendix furnishes several of the most important of the newly
discovered sources.
Böttiger, C. W., and Flathe, T.-Geschichte des Kurstaates und
Königreiches Sachsen. 3 vols., 8vo, Hamburg, 1830–71.
These volumes form a part of the Heeren and Ukert series,
and are still probably the best history of the Electorate and King-
dom of Saxony. The prominence of the electorate in the time
of the Reformation, and of the kingdom in the period of the Na-
poleonic wars, gives to the history of the country a very consider-
able general importance. The position of Saxony during these
periods is described with clearness and discriminating judgment.
Stenzel, G. A. H.-Geschichte des preussischen Staates. 5 vols.,
8vo, Gotha, 1831-54.
Stenzel's History of Prussia is one of the most valuable of the
series edited by Heeren and Ukert; and for some years has been
regarded as one of the most satisfactory general accounts of that
nation. The author was professor of history at the University
of Breslau, and enjoyed a high reputation as a scholar and author.
His work is free from the military flavor of Cosel, on the one
hand, and the strong political partisanship of Droysen, on the
other. The author's style is refreshingly picturesque, and, what
is not less rare among the historical productions of Germany, is
free from the strong bias of political prejudice. Unfortunately
the author did not live to complete the work. It ends with
1763.
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
269
Eberty, Prof. Felix. ----Geschichte des preussischen Staates. 7
vols., 8vo, Breslau, 1873.
Of the larger histories of Prussia, this is the only one of im-
portance that embraces within its scope the whole period of the
national life. It begins with the earliest known events, and con-
cludes with the stirring scenes of 1871. In spirit and purpose it
is a happy mean between the military history of Cosel and the
political history of Droysen. It is more nearly what Stenzel's
work would have been had the author lived to complete his un-
dertaking. The result of Eberty's labors is the most readable
and the most useful of the several large histories of Prussia.
The portion relating to the period since Frederick the Great is
of especial interest. The author has made judicious use of his
materials, has given interesting views of social life and culture,
and has shown himself especially happy in his analysis of charac-
ter and his narrations of events. The prominent personages he
places before us with unusual clearness and vividness. This is
especially noteworthy in the period of the Napoleonic wars. The
description of the years between 1848 and 1871 are much less
elaborate and somewhat less satisfactory.
The usefulness of the work is enhanced by a very full index.
Pierson, William.—Preussische Geschichte. 8ro, Berlin, 1865.
The author's style is compact and sententious; and, conse-
quently, he is able to condense a vast amount of information into
a small space. He is not only a man of thought, but a man of
discriminating judgment. He penetrates at once to the kernel of
the subject in hand, and lays it before the reader with great clear-
ness and force. The volume is accompanied with a large and ex-
cellent map of Prussia, showing the acquisitions of territory at
different periods of the nation's history.
The history is pervaded with an earnestness of patriotic admi-
ration for Prussia, which, if it does not add to the judicial fairness
of the work, imparts a welcome glow of warmth to its pages. It
closes with a good index.
270
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Heinel, Dr. Eduard. — Geschichte Preussens. Bearbeitet und
vom Jahre 1867–71 fortgeführt von E. F. Laudien. 8vo,
7th ed., Königsberg, 1876.
in Germany. The author's clear, simple, and picturesque style of
narration, his good judgment, and his firm grasp of the signifi-
cance of leading events have given his work a very great and a
very just popularity.
In the continuation, Dr. Laudien bas endeavored strictly to
preserve the original characteristics of the earlier editions, and in
this effort he has been in the main successful. As a history of
Prussia in one volume, this is one of the best.
8
Droysen, Joh. Gust. — Geschichte der preussischen Politik.
vols., 8vo, 2d ed., Leipsic, 1868–76.
The first volume of this important work appeared in 1855, and
was at once hailed as the production of a master. The author,
almost immediately afterwards, was appointed to a professorship
of history in the University of Berlin, where he has since exerted
his powerful influence upon a very large number of students.
The eight volumes already published bring the history down
only to the early years of the reign of Frederick the Great The
size of the work, therefore, puts it out of the range of all except
special students. But for one who would understand the funda-
mental principles of the Prussian government as they have been
slowly wrought out of a turbulent history, the volumes are indis-
pensable.
For thoroughness of research, the work of Droysen certainly
leaves nothing to be desired. In point of style, however, it is in-
volved, and lacking in perspicuity. In politics the author is a
monarchist of the Bismarck type, and, throughout the work, he
shows his devotion to high Tory ideas. He is as much opposed
to the principles of the French Revolution as was Burke or
George III. ; and, though his history only comes down to the
middle of the last century, his antipathies to the principles of
that great upheaval are often made manifest.
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
271
· These are what may be regarded, perhaps, as faults of minor
importance. A more fundamental defect is the apologetic spirit
with which the author is accustomed to treat the unconstitutional
usurpations of the early Hohenzollerns. The manner in which
the early promises of liberty in Prussia were trodden under foot
has received no adequate condemnation at his hands.
Cosel, E. von.-Geschichte des preussischen Staates und Volkes
unter den Hohenzollern'schen Fürsten. 8 vols., 8vo, Leipsic,
1869–76.
As a description of the development of Prussia from the earli-
est times of the Hohenzollerns down to the close of the Franco-
Prussian war, this history, in spite of some defects, is perhaps to
be preferred above all others. The author has not the deep po-
litical insight of Droysen, nor the literary skill of Stenzel; but
his work has the great advantage of describing a longer and a
more important period. It is founded on original research, and
is written with considerable skill, though it is hardly entitled to
the highest rank.
· The most important portion is the latest. Five of the vol-
umes are devoted to the period subsequent to the outbreak of the
French Revolution. The criticism most likely to be made is that
undue importance has been given to military affairs—a fact prob-
ably accounted for by the military vocation of the author. But
it must not be forgotten that the growth of Prussia has very
largely resulted from military successes.
As a comprehensive history of Prussia during all the most im-
portant periods of the national history, it has no superior, except,
perhaps, the work of Eberty.
Ranke, Leopold.—Memoirs of the House of Brandenburg, and
· History of Prussia during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth
Centuries. Translated from the German by Sir Alexander and
Lady Duff Gordon. 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1849.
The most valuable account accessible in English of the history
272
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
of Brandenburg and Prussia before the outbreak of the Seven
Years' War. It begins with an account of the gradual develop-
ment of the German territorial princes, the rise of the House of
Hohenzollern, and the way in which the family obtained posses-
sion of Brandenburg and Prussia. The accounts of the Great
Elector and of Frederick I. are brief, but of the highest value.
The reign of Frederick William I. is treated with much more ful-
ness, and with great discrimination and insight. This monarch
is shown to be not merely the brutal father and ruler he is often
l'epresented as being, but a king with a stern purpose, who carried
out a definite domestic and foreign policy, and who left the in-
press of his ideas permanently stamped upon his country.
The second and third volumes are devoted to the reign of
Frederick II., from his accession in 1740 to the end of the peace
before the Seven Years' War. The value of this part of the book
is in the calm but comprehensive account of the reforms insti-
tuted in the earlier part of Frederick's reign. Every reader will
regret that the history terminates so abruptly at an unnatural
point. The work was subsequently continued by the author, but
no translation of the continuation has been published.
Carlyle, Thomas.-History of Friedrich the Second, called Fred-
erick the Great. 6 vols., 12mo, New York, 1858–66. Peo-
ple's Edition, 10 vols., 16mo, London and New York, 1873.
A work of superlative genius, which defies every canon of crit-
icism and sets at nought every rule of historical composition. It
is a succession of startling flashes and detonations. In no one of
Carlyle's works do the peculiar qualities of his genius show them.
selves with more intensity. There is scarcely a paragraph that
does not contain in itself either a poem or a picture.
The book is founded on the most exhaustive study and the
most careful observation. The author even visited the more
important of Frederick's battle-fields, and had surveys made in
the interests of absolute accuracy. Every scrap of German writ-
ing that would throw light on the reign appears to have been ex-
amined and weighed. The result is one of the most remarkable
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
273
books in the English language, and one which, all things consid-
ered, is unquestionably the best history of Frederick the Great in
any language.
The first two volumes are devoted to an account of the history
of Prussia down to the accession of Frederick. That which de-
scribes the reign of the eccentric father of the great king is one
of the most interesting and valuable portions of the work. The
third, fourth, and fifth volumes, and the first half of the sixth, are
devoted to the course of Frederick's reign during the wars that
have made his name so famous. The last half of the sixth vol-
ume discusses the remaining twenty-three years, which the author
calls “the afternoon and evening” of Frederick's life. A great
believer in kings and heroes, Carlyle found in Frederick a king
and a hero after his own heart. Though he is not blind to the
monarch's faults, he attributes them generally to the defects of
his education and the peculiarities of his age. In his last para-
graph he defines him as “hitherto the last of the kings.”
The book is admirably supplied with maps, tables of contents,
and an index.
Preuss, J. D. E.---Friedrich der Grosse.
5 vols., 8vo, Berlin, 1832–34.
Eine Lebensgeschichte.
Dr. Preuss, for more than twenty-five years, devoted himself
almost exclusively to the study of the life and works of Frederick.
No other man has ever so thoroughly mastered the subject. His
work is distinguished for great carefulness and exactness in the
statement of facts and details. As an authority, therefore, it is
of the highest value; but it is not readable. The author had no
gift for organizing, arranging, or setting forth the results of his
researches. The volumes, therefore, with all their merits, can
hardly be said to be accessible to the general reader.
Thiébault, Dieudonne.-Frédéric-le-Grand, sa Famille, sa Cour,
son Gouvernement, son Académies, ses Écoles, et ses Amis,
Généraux, Philosophes, et Littérateurs; ou mes Souvenirs de
18
274
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Vingt Ans de Séjour à Berlin. 4th ed., 5 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1826.
A book abounding in piquant anecdotes. It is not organized
into any conventional form, but is simply an interesting bundle
of recollections founded upon the author's experience of twenty
years at the Prussian court.
The most valuable portion is the first half of the fourth vol-
ume, which is devoted to a description of Frederick's government
in its different branches.
The anecdotes of the book, though often very curious, are ut-
terly untrustworthy. They were related long after the time when
they are said to have occurred, and the author must often have
depended upon his imagination for his facts.
Raumer, Frederick von.-Frederick the Second and his Times,
being Contributions to Modern History from the British Mu-
seum and the State-paper Office. 8vo, London, 1837.
Office. Dvory from the Bris Times,
This volume, made up largely from new materials, throws
much new light on the international relations of Prussia and the
other countries of Europe. The. general reader will find it, how-
ever, somewhat devoid of interest, as it makes no effort towards
a continuous narration of events. It may be used with profit in
connection with other works on the subject.
Mirabeau, Le Comte de.-De la Monarchie Prussienne sous Fré-
déric-le-Grand. Avec un Appendice contenant des recherches
sur la situation actuelle des principales contrées de l'Alle-
magne. 8 vols., 8vo, London, 1788.
In 1786, Calonne sent Mirabeau to Prussia on a secret mission,
partly to remove him from France, and partly to obtain informa-
tion concerning the resources of Prussia.
The result was that, in less than two years from the time of his
appointment, Mirabeau had accomplished the stupendous feat of
HISTORIES OF GERMANY,
275
collecting the materials for this work, of writing it, and of put-
ting it through the press. The baste of preparation accounts for
many inaccuracies of detail; but, in spite of numerous faults of
this kind, the work has great value as a description of the condi-
tion of the nation. Agricultural, commercial, and military re-
tables is given in illustration of the text.
Véron, Eugène.-Histoire de la Prusse depuis la Mort de Frédé-
ric II. jusqu'à la Bataille de Sadowa. 12mo, Paris, 1867.
A skilful presentation of the most important facts of Prussian
history since the death of Frederick the Great. The author
passed lightly over details of minor importance in order to devote
more space to those of peculiar significance. His object was to
show that Prussian power has not come by chance, but is the re-
sult of causes long in course of preparation. The book is written
from a French point of view and with French sympathies, but
without animosity.
Hillebrand, M. K.-La Prusse Contemporaine et ses Institutions.
12mo, Paris, 1867.
Of this volume, part first is devoted to a description of the
work of Prussia in Germany in 1866; part second, to Prussia and
her institutions. The account, therefore, is descriptive rather
than historical. It is devoted to a discussion of the internal char-
acter and of the external relations of Prussia at the period of the
war which secured Prussian ascendency in Germany.
Hillebrand was a revolutionist in 1848, and ever since he has
been a keen observer of political affairs. As a study of Prussian
institutions, the work has real merits ; though, like all the minor
works of the author, it has an air of controversy about it which
detracts somewhat from its value.
276
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Tuttle, Herbert.-German Political Leaders. 16mo, London and
New York, 1876.
Nineteen descriptive essays, forming an admirable introduction
to the leading personages in the recent political history of Ger-
many. The author's habit of mind is essentially critical. He
therefore not only describes, but analyzes and compares. He is
convinced that the experiment that Germany is making in consti-
tutional government is already rich in lessons for the philosophic
student of politics, and several of these lessons he has not neg-
lected to point out. The volume may be studied with much ad-
vántage by any student of recent German political affairs. “The
Chancellor," "The Principal Ministers," "The Diplomatists,"
“The Parliamentarians," "The Party Leaders,” and “The Schol-
ars in Politics” are the titles of the several chapters into which
the volume is divided.
IV. HISTORIES OF INSTITUTIONS AND CIVILIZATION.
Arnold, Wilhelm.—Ansiedelungen und Wanderungen deutscher
Stämme. Zumeist nach hessischen Ortsnamen. 8vo, Mar-
burg, 1875.
A masterly study of one of the most difficult subjects of me-
diæval history. At the time the volume appeared it was every-
where greeted as a genuine contribution to historical knowledge.
It has to do not so much with the movements of the German
races before what may be called historical times as with the
changes that have taken place since the fourth century. The
most interesting part of the work is that embraced between chap-
ter vi. and the end of the volume, in which the author describes
the divisions of the land, and the nature of social and military
institutions.
Arnold, Wilhelm.-Deutsche Urzeit. 8vo, Gotha, 1879.
The investigations carried on by the author while preparing
his great work on “Migrations” fitted him admirably to present
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
277
m an ac volumnent a deser and the
in popular form an account of early German institutions. This
he has done in the volume before us. The title, however, is
slightly misleading. It is not a description of prehistoric times,
but of the conditions of the Germans and their institutions at the
time they emerge into the historic period. Divided into two
parts, it describes, first, the movement which led to the establish-
ment of the Frankish dynasty, and, second, the condition of the
Dino
Ozanam, A. F.-Les Germains avant le Christianisme. Recherches
sur les Origines, les Traditions, les Institutions des Peuples
Germaniques, et sur leur Établissement dans l'Empire Romain.
12mo, 5th ed., Paris, 1872.
The author, a professor of foreign literature in the University
of Paris, availed himself very fully of the results of recent Ger-
man research. Though the book is perhaps somewhat less pro-
found than the works on the same period by Arnold, it has the
advantage of being written in a picturesque and entertaining
style, and is therefore more likely to awaken the interest of the
student.
ligion, the laws, the languages, and the poetry of the Germans. In
the second part a description is given of the conflict between the
Romans and Germans—a conflict which the author deems quite
as much one of institutions as one of arms. In chapter vi. he
presents essentially the same view as that put forward by Cou-
langes-viz., that the Germans worked themselves into the empire
in various pacific methods, and that these methods constitute the
most important and interesting feature of what are commonly
called the invasions. A very interesting account is that entitled
“The Germans in the Public Offices.”
Sohm, Rudolph.—Die Altdeutsche Reichs- und Gerichtsverfassung.
I. Band. Die frankische Reichs- und Gerichtsverfassung. 8vo,
Weimar, 1871.
For a student of early German institutions this is a book of
278
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
the first importance. It embraces in its treatment the period
from the earliest history to the fall of the Carlovingians. It de-
scribes with great fulness the courts of the early Germans, as well
as the methods of imperial and local administration. The book
is a part of the best results of recent German scholarship, and
perhaps, for the limited period of which it treats, is to be com-
pared in importance only with the great works of Waitz and
Maurer.
Maurer, Georg Ludwig von.-Geschichte der Markenverfassung
in Deutschland. 8vo, Erlangen, 1856.
With the possible exception of Waitz, no living writer has in-
vestigated with so much care the early organization of German
local institutions as has the author of this work. It is his belief
that the Mark system is the basis of modern municipal institu-
tions throughout Germany, and, as such, should be thoroughly
understood. The book is full of learning, and is indispensable to
one who would go to the lower foundations of German local in-
stitutions.
Maurer, Georg Ludwig von.—Geschichte der Dorfverfassung in
Deutschland. 2 vols., 8vo, Erlangen, 1865–66.
Every student of German history and every traveller in Ger-
many has noted the peculiarities of the German village system.
The system is unique in some of its particulars. It is the result
of a slow evolution, which it is the object of Von Maurer in these
volumes to describe. The work is quite worthy of the author's
great fame.
Maurer, Georg Ludwig von.— Geschichte der Städteverfassung
in Deutschland. 4 vols., 8vo, Erlangen, 1869–71.
This great work is the culmination of Von Maurer's studies of
local institutions, carried on with unusual diligence and skill for
nearly half a century. He began his life work in the belief that
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
279
the theories then prevailing concerning the origin of German
municipal institutions were essentially erroneous. A general be-
lief had been entertained that they were Roman in their deriva-
tion. It was the purpose of Von Maurer to overthrow this belief.
He examines the condition of the cities at each period in the
Middle Ages; and the result is a work that, for its learning and
its critical acumen, has everywhere awakened the admiration of
the best scholarship. It takes high rank among the great his-
torical works of the present century.
imes the pupded that theially erron
Waitz, Georg. - Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte. 8 vols., 8vo,
Leipsic, 1844-78. The first three volumes passed into a second
and enlarged edition, 1865-80.
written in a style history of German will find ti
These formidable volumes bring the constitutional history of
Germany down only to the middle of the twelfth century. The
work may be called comprebensively exhaustive, but it is as
learned and able as it is elaborate. It is founded on the solid
basis of the most thorough and protracted investigation, and is
written in a style that is not unattractive. Every phase of the
early constitutional history of Germany has received the author's
careful attention. Very few students will find time to read it
from beginning to end ; but it is to the investigator of German
institutions what the work of Stubbs is to the student of the
early institutions of England
The first volume is entitled “Die deutsche Verfassung in der
ältesten Zeit;" the second, third, and fourth,“ Die deutsche Ver-
fassung im fränkischen Reich ;" the fifth to the eighth, inclusive,
“Die Verfassung des deutschen Reichs bis zur vollen Herrschaft
des Lehnwesens.”
The wealth of learning here shown will be most appreciated by
the student who has most to do with the questions discussed. :
In the fifth volume nearly three hundred pages are devoted to
“ Das Volk und seine Stände.” At the beginning of the sixth
the description of "Das Lehnwesen” occupies a hundred pages.
In the seventh is to be found an admirable account of the feudal
courts and of the prevailing systems of finance. The last chapter
280
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
of the work, of somewhat more than a hundred pages, under the
title of “Die Fürstenthümer und Städte,” shows the way in
which the Free Cities grew out of the feudal relations.
Some of the author's positions on the nature of benefices were
successfully controverted by Roth ; but the work as a whole is a
great monument of ability, learning, and industry.
The revisions made in the first three volumes are of much im-
portance, as the author has re-examined all positions that have
been assailed, and in a few instances has changed his views.
Kriegk, G. L.- Deutsches Bürgerthum im Mittelalter, nach ur-
kundlichen Forschungen. 2 vols., 8vo, Frankfort, 1871.
A systematic presentation of the different vocations and char-
acteristics of citizenship in the Middle Ages. Trades and guilds
as well as social and political institutions and customs are care-
fully described. The value of the work is lessened by the absence
of references; but the want of them is in part atoned for by
copious notes and illustrations at the end of each volume. The
arrangement is good. Each subject is treated historically, and is
carried through the entire period. For example, " Physicians,"
“ Brotherhoods," “ Beggars,” etc., are titles of chapters. It dif-
fers from Maurer in being a social rather than a political history,
Schafer, E. Dietrich. - Die Hansestädte und König Waldemar
von Dänemark. Hansische Geschichte bis 1376. Gekrönte
Preisschrift. 8vo, Jena, 1879.
The latest and one of the most satisfactory studies we have of
that remarkable commercial activity which sprang up on the
Baltic at the dawn of modern history. The work is the fruit of
a careful examination of the numerous writings recently published
by the Historical Society of the Hanseatic Cities. It is an ani-
mated picture of the urban activity of the period. Though not
an analysis and description of the entire system, it is a good por-
trayal of many of its general characteristics.
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
281
Ave-Lallemant, F. C. B. – Das deutsche Gaunerthum in seiner
social-politischen, literarischen und linguistischen Ausbildung
zu seinem heutigen Bestande. Mit zahlreichen Holzschnitten.
4 vols., 8vo, Berlin, 1858–62.
One of the most curious products of modern German scholar-
ship and industry. It is a picture of the various forms of ras-
cality in Germany during the past centuries, and, as such, throws
much light on the development of the Gerinan people. The first
third and fourth being devoted to the philology of the rogues'
dialects. The author was not a philologist, but a somewhat
learned commissioner of police.
Riehl, W. H. - Die Naturgeschichte des Volkes als Grundlage
lished in 1866. The volumes are also published separately, un-
der the following individual titles: “Land und Leute," "Die
bürgerliche Gesellschaft," and "Die Familie."
In the volume on “Land und Leute,” the author describes the
geographical and ethnographical characteristics of Germany and
of the German people, including also the various groupings into
nationalities and cities as well as into ecclesiastical systems. The
second volume describes the organization of society. After the
introduction, the work is divided into four parts—one on “Die
Bauern,” one on “Die Aristokratie," one on “ Das Bürgerthum,"
and one on "Der vierte Stand.” The volume on the Family is
devoted to a discussion of “Mann und Weib” and “Haus und
Familie.”
The first and second volumes are of much the greatest impor-
tance. They are descriptive rather than analytical; and, as the
style is easy and flowing, and is enlivened by the frequent intro-
duction of illustrative anecdotes, they are easy and agreeable read-
ing. Though they are more systematically designed and written
than the “ Bilder ” of Freytag, it is doubtful whether they con-
vey a more adequate or a juster impression.
282
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Soldan, Wilhelm Gottlieb.-Geschichte der Hexenprocesse aus
den Quellen dargestellt. 8vo, Stuttgart, 1843.
A history of witchcraft, and of the attempts of humanity to ex-
terminate it. Beginning with Oriental and Grecian history, the
author traces the delusion through the Middle Ages, and ends with
the last of the witches in the eighteenth century. He shows that
a belief in witchcraft has prevailed everywhere, excepting, per-
haps, in America ; for of the few persons burned as witches in
America he has apparently never heard.
The account embraced in chaps. xii.-xix. is a portrayal of one
of the inost remarkable episodes in the history of the human race.
The author gives a list of the executions at Würzburg for a single
month, during every day of which from two to nine persons were
burned..
The attitude of the Church to witchcraft at different periods is
presented with admirable self-restraint. The author shows that
Protestants and Catholics were equally zealous in their determina-
tion to exterminate all who were possessed with the devil.
Wächter, Dr. Carl Georg.-Beiträge zur deutschen Geschichte,
insbesondere zur Geschichte des deutschen Strafrechts. 8vo,
Tübingen, 1845.
An important contribution to our knowledge of the judicial
processes in Germany before the reforms of the eighteenth cen-
tury. The most curious part of the work is that which describes
the witchcraft mania that raged in Germany during most of the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. For example, the author
shows that in one part of Germany, in the course of a single “Proc-
ess” extending from 1661 to 1664, one eighteenth of the inhab-
itants were burned for witchcraft, and that, too, generally on the
testimony of the witches themselves.
Wirth, Johann Georg August.—Die Geschichte der Deutschen.
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
283
Second and greatly improved edition, 4 vols., 8vo, Stuttgart,
1853.
Not so much a history of events as a history of development.
The author touches but slightly upon the means and methods by
which one dynasty came to succeed another, but he dwells with
great fulness on the characteristics of the various national institu-
tions and on their influence on the life of the people. The work
shows industry and discrimination in the use of materials, good
judgment in arrangement, and simplicity and clearness in method
of presentation. While it is learned, it is popular in the best
sense of the term. It begins with the earliest known history, and
ends with the fall of the empire in 1806.
Sugenheim, S.-Geschichte des deutschen Volkes und seiner Kul-
tur von den ersten Anfängen historischer Kunde bis zur Gegen-
wart. 3 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1866–69.
Sugenheim has long been known as a careful and diligent stu-
dent of the Middle Ages. His history of the emancipation of
slavery and serfage was everywhere received as a masterpiece of
historical and literary work.
The book before us has much more considerable scope. It sets
out with the purpose of describing the condition of the several
classes of the German people in each of the periods from the ear-
liest time to the present day. But the work is brought down by
the three volumes only to A.D. 1470. So far as has yet been
published, it is, therefore, a work on the social condition of Ger-
many in the Middle Ages.
Janssen, Joh.-Geschichte des deutschen Volkes seit dem Aus-
gange des Mittelalters. Vol. i., 8vo, Freiburg, 1876.
The author assures us that he has given the labors of twenty
years to the study of the German people from the close of the
Middle Ages to the fall of the empire. It is his purpose to em-
284
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
body the results of these studies in six volumes, each of which
shall be devoted to the consideration of one of the phases of this
period, and be independent of the others. The first volume, that
given to a consideration of the moral and intellectual condition
of Germany at the time of the Reformation, was so successful
that it speedily passed through four editions. It gives abundant
promise that the whole work, if completed, will be a most valua-
ble addition to the historical literature of Germany.
The first part, devoted to “ Volksunterricht und Wissenschaft,”
and “Kunst und Volksleben,” gives a very entertaining view of
the German people in the fifteenth century. This includes a pict-
ure of the universities and schools, and of literature and art at
the time of the invention of printing.
The author writes from a pietistic and apparently a Roman
Catholic point of view, and accordingly gives greater credit to
the Church than Protestants will generally be willing to concede.
This characteristic imparts a certain one-sidedness to the work,
and may be regarded as its most striking weakness.
Biedermann, Karl.-Deutschlands politische, materielle, und so-
ciale Zustände im achtzehnten Jahrhundert. 4 vols., 8vo, Leip-
sic, 1854–80. The first two volunes appeared in a new and
revised edition in 1880.
A descriptive rather than an historical work, but one of very
great importance. Nowhere else can so many interesting facts
be found illustrative of the social and political condition of Ger-
many during the last century. No one can advance very far in
the way of a complete appreciation of the labors of Frederick the
Great, of the reforms of Stein, or even of the influence of the
French Revolution, until he has made himself familiar with the
wretched state of affairs which it was their mission to supplant.
And in no other book is this condition so well described. The
author's investigations were most thorough and most comprehen-
sive; his arrangement is generally skilful, and his method of pres-
entation is always attractive.
The good qualities of the work appear most conspicuously in
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
285
the first two volumes, which are devoted to questions of a social
and political nature. With the condition and history of litera-
ture and art the author seems to be equally familiar; but this
phase of the general subject has been ably treated by others, and
therefore its presentation here is less new and less important.
The third and fourth volumes seem also to show somewhat less
skill in their arrangement and method. For the work as a whole,
however, every student of German history should be thankful.
Balcke, Theodor.- Bilder aus der Geschichte der deutschen Land-
wirtschaft. 2 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1876.
A series of ten pictures arranged in historical order, for the
purpose of showing the industrial condition of Germany from the
earliest times to the present day. The most striking portions of
the work are the views given of German husbandry since the be-
ginning of the sixteenth century.
The deep wounds of the Peasants' War were, in the author's
opinion, completely healed in the course of one generation. Then
followed a period of remarkable prosperity. Merchants became
wealthy, products of the soil were sold at a high price, and tbe
streams of wealth continued to flow until the disastrous outbreak
of the Thirty Years' War. Then the land once more became al-
most a desert. The author asserts that “almost three fourths of
the inhabitants and eighty per cent. of the movable property per-
ished;" while “all the villages and many of the cities were in
ruins." Great credit, in the opinion of the writer, is due to
Frederick William I. for a system of husbandry which enabled
Prussia at least to recover from the effects of these disasters. The
labors of Frederick the Great, the impotence of Frederick William
II., the abolition of serfdom by Stein, are each subjected to care-
ful examination.
The whole work rests upon a painstaking and comprehensive
study of authorities; and, excepting, perhaps, for a somewhat too
emphatic method of statement, it is entitled to hearty commen-
dation.
286
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Staël, Baroness de. --- Germany. 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1813.
Many subsequent editions have been issued, but no important
revision has been made.
Perhaps the greatest work of one of the greatest literary gen-
iuses of her age. In it the author endeavored to portray the char-
acter of the Germans, and to account for the peculiarities of their
social and political life. This purpose led her into an examina-
tion and a discussion not only of their institutions, but also of
their literature and their philosophy.
The book was the first to call the attention of the outside
world to the real character of German life and letters. It came
upon Europe as a new revelation. It was therefore as surprising
for its novelty as it was remarkable for the keenness of its in-
sight and the grace of its expression.
Freytag, Gustav.—Bilder aus der deutschen Vergangenheit. 2
vols., 12mo, Leipsic, 1859.
The key to the spirit of these volumes is in the first sentence
of the introduction, in which the author says that “the German
seeks in vain for the good old time." Each of the volumes con-
tains twelve essays, the first group being devoted to the task of
illustrating the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries; the second, to
that of the seventeenth and eighteenth.
The titles of the chapters will convey some idea of the charac-
ter of the work. Among others are to be named the following:
“Leben eines deutschen Gutsbesitzers vor 300, 200, 100 Jahren,"
“Deutsche Fürsten auf dem Reichstage,” “ Eines jungen Gelehr-
ten Hochzeit und Haushalt,” “Deutscher Adel im sechszehnten
Jahrhundert,” “Der deutsche Teufel," "Gauner und Abenteurer,"
“Brautstand und Ehe am Hofe,” “Deutsches Badeleben.” No
less than six of the “pictures” in the second volume are devoted
to the period of the Thirty Years' War.
The noteworthy characteristic of these sketches is their delight-
ful literary flavor. They are just what the title indicates, a series
of historical pictures; and they are painted by a master's hand.
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
287
Perhaps no writer of German prose at the present day commands
a more graceful and charming method of expression. The great
popularity of the volumes in Germany has been well deserved.
been needed.
Freytag, Gustay.-Neue Bilder aus dem Leben des deutschen
Volkes. 12mo, Leipsic, 1862.
Of these twelve charming papers, four or five are especially
worthy of note. The first, “ Aus dem Leben des deutschen
Bauers," is a sketch, fifty pages in length, of the condition of the
peasantry from the time of the Romans down to the French Rev-
olution. The second is a similar picture, entitled "Aus dem
Leben des niedern Adels.” The third portrays the growth of the
middle class. Under the title “Aus dem Staat Friedrichs des
Grossen,” the author gives a series of views of the real condition
of the country; and in the eleventh essay, entitled “Die Erhe-
bung," we have a view of the way in which all classes were
aroused to throw off the foreign yoke after the disasters of 1806.
The concluding paper, “Erkrankung und Heilung,” is an en-
deavor to point out the real difficulty, and the nature of the true
remedy.
All of these essays are remarkable for that delightful combina-
tion of instruction and entertaininent of which Freytag is so con-
summate a master.
Hawkins, Bisset.-Germany, the Spirit of her History, Litera-
ture, Social Condition, and National Economy. Illustrated by
reference to her Physical, Moral, and Political Statistics, and by
comparison with other Countries. Svo, London, 1838.
view is not without some merits. It is an attempt to draw a
picture by means of colorless statistics and not very interesting
facts. The volume, therefore, is not so attractive as it is valuable.
It marshals a formidable array of figures of considerable interest
288
IIISTORICAL LITERATURE.
to one who is studying the natural resources and the productions
of the country, but it presents very few attractions to the general
reader.
Baring-Gould, S.-Germany, Present and Past.
London, 1879.
2 vols., 8vo,
In these volumes the author has successfully attempted to trace
the causes of the condition of modern Germany. He has studied
the country with care, and has recorded the results of his observa-
tions with great discrimination and skill. Even the more difficult
intricacies of German social rank he has succeeded in presenting
before the reader, and in explaining them with admirable clear-
ness. In two chapters on the upper and the lower nobility he
has pointed out the peculiar stratification of German society.
Perhaps the most valuable portion of the work is that which is
devoted to a description of the peasant proprietors. The subdi-
visions of property and the influence of small holdings on the
people are discussed in admirable spirit; and an interesting ac-
count is given of the way in which, during the present century,
many of the larger and entailed estates bave been broken up.
The book is one to be heartily recommended to any student
desirous of informing himself concerning the characteristics of
modern Germany. One of its prominent features is the informa-
tion it gives of what was done and what was not done for Ger-
many by the revolution of 1848.
Lorenz, Ottokar.—Drei Bücher Geschichte und Politik.
Berlin, 1876.
8vo,
The essays here brought together are seventeen in number, and
the three books into which they have been grouped by the author
bear the titles, “Staat und Kirche," “ Zur neuern und neuesten
Geschichte,” and “Kritische Untersuchungen zur Geschichte des
13. und 14. Jahrhunderts."
The discussions show comprehensive learning, good judgment,
and critical insight. In the less amplified form in which they
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
289
were first published they attracted considerable attention. Most
of the essays relate to German subjects, but several of the pa-
pers in the second book are devoted to English history. The
author here discusses, in a very suggestive manner, "English His-
tory in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries,” “ English and
German Historians," “ Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn," “ Lord
Palmerston,” and “The Growth of the English Constitution.”
Stroehlin, Ernest.-L'État Moderne et l'Église Catholique en
Allemagne. Premier volume: L'Allemagne sous le Régime des
Concordats, 1742–1870. Svo, Geneva, 1875.
The most able and the most satisfactory discussion of the
ecclesiastical questions that have presented themselves in Ger-
many during the present century. The author belongs to the
Old Catholic wing of the Church, is a professor of theology at
Geneva, and has been personally familiar with all the important
inovements in ecclesiastical affairs since the decrees of the Vati-
can Council.
The present volume is devoted to Bavaria, the Rhenish terri-
tory, and Prussia. It is apparently the anthor's intention to deal
with Austria and the remaining German states in a second vol-
ume; and, in a third, to describe the contest between the Empire
and the Church since the Franco-German war.
Löw, Ludwig, Freiherr von.-Geschichte der deutschen Reichs-
und Territorial-Verfassung; auch zum Gebrauche bei academi-
schen Vorlesungen. 8vo, Heidelberg, 1832.
This is one of the most convenient and perspicuous descriptions
of the constitutional and political development of Germany. It was
the aim of the author to seize hold of the strategic points, and to
exclude rigidly all matter having no direct bearing on the subject
of constitutional development. Of course, the book is no substi-
tute for works like those of Maurer and Waitz, but it gives an
19
290
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
excellent bird's-eye view of the whole subject. The author has
brought his materials together with conscientious care, and has
placed them before the reader in his foot-notes. The volume is
made easy of use by a good table of contents and a good index.
Martin, Dr. T. H.-Verfassung und Grundgesetze des deutschen
Reichs. Zum praktischen Gebrauche nach authentischen Quel-
len zusammengestellt. Als Apbang: Die Verfassungs-Urkunde
für das deutsche Reich. 8vo, Jena, 1871.
The organization of the German Empire, the most important
of the Federal statutes, the relations of the various states to the
general government and to one another, and the fundamental
laws which prevail throughout Germany are the subjects that the
author of this little volume has endeavored to make clear to the
reader. The book is especially helpful to a foreigner who would
get a clear insight into German political institutions.
Isaacsohn, S.-Geschichte des preussischen Beamtenthums.vom
Anfang des fünfzehnten Jahrhunderts bis auf die Gegenwart.
2 vols., 8vo, Berlin, 1874–78.
These two volumes give ample promise that the work, when
completed, will be the most satisfactory history of the Prussian
government ever published. The second volume brings the his-
tory down only to the beginning of the eighteenth century. It
is as learned as it is elaborate.
The several branches of the government are described with a
minuteness that will hardly be needed by any but a special stu-
the work easy of consultation and useful to every explorer of
early Prussian affairs.
Lancizolle, Carl Wilhelm von. — Geschichte der Bildung des
preussischen Staats. 8vo, Berlin, 1828.
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
291
Beginning with a description of the methods by which the
House of Hohenzollern laid the foundation for their future suc-
cess in Nuremberg, the author proceeds to describe with careful
minuteness the various steps by which additions from time to
time have been made to the original Mark of Brandenburg. The
description, however, extends only to the year 1608. .
The volume is one of great learning, and it has the reputation
of trustworthy accuracy. Its chief importance to the student of
Prussian history is in the fact that it brings within reach a clear
presentation of the grounds upon which Prussia laid claim to
Cleves, Pomerania, and Silesia. It also gives many interesting
glimpses of early methods of administration.
Oesfeld, Max von. — Preussen in staatsrechtlicher, kameralisti-
scher und staatswirthschaftlicher Beziehung. Das innere Staats-
recht mit besonderer Bezugnahme auf die preussische Verfas-
sungs-Urkunde vom 31. Januar 1850. Ein populares Hand-
und Hülfslehrbuch der inneren Staatsverfassungs- und Verwal-
tungskunde überhaupt. 2 vols., 8vo, Breslau, 2d ed., 1870.
As its title indicates, this is a popular band-book. But it is
more. It contains an explanation of the Prussian systems of
finance, of police, of agriculture, of political economy, of munici-
pal organization, and of the relations of the various parts of the
State to one another. It also abounds in references to authorities
where further information may be obtained. To any student of
Germany not already familiar with the somewhat obscure charac-
teristics of German institutions, the work will be of great value.
Gervinus, G. G.–Geschichte der deutschen Dichtung. Vierte,
gänzlich umgearbeitete Ausgabe. 5 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1853.
Of the many writers on the history and characteristics of Ger-
man literature, Gervinus is probably entitled to be called the most
able and the most critical. His knowledge is comprehensive, his
insight is profound, and his methods are severely analytical.
Ever since the first part of this work appeared, in 1837, it has
292
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
been regarded as an authority of the first importance. It em-
braces within its scope the entire field of German literature from
its earliest appearance to the death of Goethe, in 1832.
But in spite of many great qualities, the work can never be so
highly esteemed by foreigners as it is by Germans. Of all writers
of German prose, Gervinus is one of the most difficult. His sen-
tences are not only long, but they are idiomatic, and often so in-
volved as to put a severe strain upon the reader's attention. In
one division of this history, covering nearly a hundred pages, the
paragraphs average five pages in length, and there are sometimes
not more than three or four sentences on a page. This is a tax
upon the reader's energies, to which not many foreigners will sub-
mit. Fortunately, however, the work is made easy of reference
by a very complete index.
Hettner, Hermann.--Geschichte der deutschen Literatur im acht-
zehnten Jahrhundert. 3 vols., 8vo, Brunswick, 1862–70.
This author, who had already made himself well known in Ger-
many by his works on English and French literature, bere gives
us his most important production. It is divided into three books.
The first describes German literature from the end of the Thirty
Years' War to the accession of Frederick the Great. The second
deals with the period of struggle for the establishment of a sen-
timent of German nationality as seen in the writings especially of
Klopstock, Wieland, Lessing, and Winckelmann. The third book,
in two volumes, portrays the classical period of German literature
the age of Kant, Goethe, and Schiller, and their great contempo-
raries.
The characteristics of the author are clearness and elegance of
style, skilful arrangement of material, independent and unpreju-
diced judgment, and especially a fine ästhetic sense and practical
instinct, which enable him to detect and point out the reciprocal
influences that have been at work in each of the periods under
review. Of all histories of German literature, it is the most read-
able, the most entertaining, and probably, for the period em-
braced within its scope, the most instructive.
The work closes without an index, but the order of arrange-
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
293
ment and the full tables of contents afford an easy clew to what-
ever may be desired.
V. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. Bryce's "Holy Roman Empire” may well be the beginning
of all systematic study of German history. This should be ac-
companied, however, by Sime, if a very brief sketch is desired; or,
for a somewhat fuller account, by Lewis or Taylor. Menzel and
Dunham may be used for still fuller information. The part of
Germany, in the period of the Reformation, is best described by
Häusser. The period of the Revolution is treated exhaustively,
as well as with great intelligence and good judgment, by Seeley, in
his “Life of Stein.” For the period since the Revolution, either
the chapters on Germany in Alison's “Europe” or the works of
Véron and Hüffer may be used with advantage. The “Political
History” by Müller, though brief, is both interesting and instruc-
tive.
2. The books for a more thorough study of Germany can be
found only in the German language. Arnold, Ozanam, Coulanges,
and Sugenheim are the most valuable authorities on the earliest
period. These should be followed by the works of Von Raumer
and Von Giesebrecht. Robertson's "History of Charles the Fifth,"
Ranke's “Germany in the Time of the Reformation,” and the
same author's “ History of the Popes,” are of great value in the
study of the sixteenth century. Häusser's “Period of the Refor-
mation” is the ablest general portrayal of Germany from 1515
to 1648. Gardiner's little book on the “Thirty Years' War” is
the best on that subject written in English. The next period is
best described in Coxe's “House of Austria.” Of the histories
of Prussia, Heinel, Pierson, Eberty, and Stenzel are the best; or,
if the reader is not a master of German, Ranke's "House of
Brandenburg" and Carlyle's “Frederick the Great" should be
the substitutes. The great authority for the period from the
death of Frederick the Great to the Congress of Vienna is the
masterly work of Häusser. German history during and imme-
diately after the Napoleonic wars may be studied to best ad-
294
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
vantage in Ranke's "Hardenberg” and in 'Seeley's “Life of
Stein;" though Van Deventer's “ L'Histoire Fédérale," Véron's
“ La Prusse et l'Allemagne,” Springer's “Geschichte Oester-
reichs," and Hillebrand's "La Prusse Contemporaine" are all of
importance. Treitschke's “Deutsche Geschichte," the first vol-
ume of which only has yet appeared, is a work of great power
and brilliancy, and promises to exceed all others in interest, if not
in value. De Worms's “ Austro-Hungarian Empire” gives a very
satisfactory view of the more recent Austrian affairs and institu-
tions.
3. The student desirous of consulting original sources will find
the great collection of Pertz, entitled “Monumenta Germaniæ
Historica,” of the utmost value. It is in 13 vols., 4to, and was
published in Hanover, 1826–54. Invaluable information con-
cerning the further sources of German history may be found in
Potthast's “Wegweiser.”
The most trustworthy authorities on the early political char-
acteristics of Germany are Waitz, Sohm, Maurer, and Arnold.
Kriegk's “ Deutsches Bürgerthum” is probably the best represen-
tation of German municipal institutions in the Middle Ages.
Wächter's “Beiträge" and Soldan's “Hexenprozesse" throw
floods of light on early German methods of jurisprudence. Lea's
“Superstition and Force” is also of great value. Sugenheim's
“ Aufhebung der Leibeigenschaft" paints in strong colors the sys-
tem of serfage that long prevailed. Isaacsohn is the most trust-
worthy authority on the early political institutions of Prussia. Sir
James Stephen's essay on “Hildebrand,” in his “ Ecclesiastical
Essays," is the best brief account in English of the great contest
between Gregory VII. and Henry IV. On the cities of the Hanse,
Sartorius and Schäfer are the authorities. Of the political tur-
bulence just before the Reformation, Goethe's "Götz von Berli-
chingen" is one of the most successful representations. Scott's
“Anne of Geierstein" also gives a striking picture.
In the study of the Reformation, Luther's “Table-talk" ought
not to be neglected. Erasmus's “ Colloquies” and “Praise of
Folly" show at once why this author was willing to assail the
Church, but was unwilling to join in the assaults by Luther.
Drummond's “Life of Erasmus,” Stephen's “Essay on Luther,"
and especially Froude's essays on Luther and Erasmus, are of
HISTORIES OF GERMANY.
295
value. Fischer's “ Auswärtige Politik” is a valuable explanation
of the way in which the Reformation was influenced by foreign
complications. The most convenient accounts of German affairs
in the time of the War of the Spanish Succession are to be found
in the works of Noorden and of Coxe. The deplorable condition
of Germany in the last century is graphically portrayed in Bie-
dermann's “ Deutschland im achtzehnten Jahrhundert.” Floods
of light are also thrown on the same subject by Perthes's “Staats-
leben vor der Revolution," by Moser's “Herr und Diener," and
by the “Gesetztafel" of the Bishop of Speyers. The "Memoirs"
of Pöllnitz, and of Wilhelmina of Baireuth, may also be read;
though, from the representation of the latter, large deductions
should be made. Carlyle's "Frederick the Great” is reviewed in
the North British Review for January, 1859, and by J. R. Lowell
in the North American Review for April, 1866. Macaulay's es-
say on “Frederick the Great” is brilliant, but several of his po-
sitions are utterly demolished by Grimm in his essay on “Ma-
caulay and Frederick the Great.” Brougham, in his “Statesmen,"
has a sketch of Frederick that further investigation would doubt-
less have modified. Max Müller, in reviewing Schlözer's "Cha-
sot" in vol. iii. of “ Chips," discourses on the character of the
king. Frederick's own account of his reign and times may be
found in Holcroft's translation of his works. On the military
career of Frederick, Jomini is the great authority. The king's
literary activity is discoursed upon in an entertaining manner in
the “Life of Frederick" by Voltaire; also by Stahr in his “Life
of Lessing.” On the same subject see also papers in Harper's
Monthly for December, 1858, and September, 1862; Quarterly
Review for January, 1873; and Littell's Living Age for Decem-
ber 10, 1870. The Austrian side of the great contests, extending
from the accession of Frederick to the fall of Napoleon, are best
studied in the writings of Arneth and Beer.
The general breakdown after the death of Frederick the Great
is best portrayed in Ségur's “ Frederick William II.,” in Seeley's:
“Life of Stein,” and in the early pages of Häusser's “German
History.” The subsequent military reform is well described in
those chapters of Seeley's “Stein” devoted to Gneisenau, Scharn-
horst, and Blücher. Ranke's “Hardenberg" is of the first im-
portance to the student of the political phases of this period. Es-
yea, and in the wilitary refort to Gneise
296
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
pecially to be commended is this historian's comparison, at the
end of the work, of the parts accomplished respectively by Har-
denberg and Stein. Madame de Stäel's “Germany” is a book of
real genius, and is of interest not only for its great intrinsic merits,
but also because it was the first to point out the intellectual char-
acteristics of modern Germany. The impression thus inade was
deepened by Carlyle's masterly essays on German authors, pub-
lished in the first volume of his “Miscellanies.” The “Memoirs ?
of Metternich are of great value for the light they throw on the
motives of Austria in the Napoleonic struggle. On the events
that led to the supremacy of Prussia, the essays of Von Treitschke,
Duncker, and Droysen are of the utmost importance. On a
kindred subject see the North American Review for October,
1871. The student will also receive valuable assistance from
Tuttle's "German Political Leaders,” and from Stroehlin's “L'État
Moderne et l'Église catholique en Allemagne.” Klüpfel's “ Ein-
heitsbestrebungen" is perhaps the most satisfactory general re-
view of Germany during this century. Oesfeld gives the best de-
scription of Prussian institutions at the present day; and Martin
of those of the modern German Empire. Matthew Arnold's
“Higher Schools and Universities of Germany" is the best de-
scription in English of the German school system ; though Hart's
“German Universities” is the most graphic account of the life of
a German university student. Baring-Gould's “Germany, Past
and Present” is the best view in English of social institutions
and customs; though if the reader is able to make use of German,
he will receive unfailing satisfaction in the “ Bilder" of Freytag.
The works of Riehl and Balcke are also valuable and interesting.
Of the several works on German literature that of Hettner is the
most readable and one of the most valuable. An excellent brief
sketch of less than two hundred octavo pages is that in the sec-
ond volume of Weber's “Lehrbuch der Weltgeschichte."
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
297
297
CHAPTER X.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
I. GENERAL LIISTORIES.
Crowe, Eyre Evans.—The History of France. 5 vols., 8vo, Lon-
don, 1858-68.
Some twenty-five years ago, this author was selected to write
the “History of France” for Lardner's Cabinet Library. The limits
of the work then desired did not call for general investigation of
authorities; but the volumes, when published, were so well re-
ceived by the public and the critics that the author determined
upon the production of a larger work founded upon the most
thorough original research. The result is the history before us.
References have not been multiplied, but the writer gives his
readers the comprehensive assurance that “no original document
or narrative has been left unconsulted." The production bears
evidence of thorough research. It covers the whole period of
French history to the coup d'état of Louis Napolcon; and
though it is not of the highest order of merit, it is generally ac-
curate, is composed with temperate judgment, and is presented in
a style of considerable literary merit. On the whole, it must be
considered one of the most desirable histories of France in the
English language.
Dareste, Cléophas.—Histoire de France depuis les Origines jusqu'à
nos jours. 8 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1865–73. 2d ed., 1875.
One of the most desirable of the general histories of France.
The author bas not the conspicuons ability of Martin or Michelet,
but he shows great industry in the investigation of sources, good
298
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
judgment in the arrangement of materials, and descriptive powers
of a high order. As an authority midway between the brevity of
Duruy and the comprehensiveness of Martin, the work may safely
be recommended as the best. Its good qualities have been recog-
nized by the highest authority in France; for it twice received
the great Gobert Prize from the Academy.
Duruy, Victor.-Histoire de France. Nouvelle édition, illustrée
d'un grand nombre de gravures et de cartes géographiques. 2
vols., 12mo, Paris, 1876.
Beyond question, the best history of France ever published in
the small space of two volumes. It was prepared especially for
the use of students, and is filled with most valuable maps and
wood-cuts illustrative of different periods and events. In spite of
the school-book appearance thus given to the work, it is very read-
able, and will be found both more entertaining and more instruc-
tive than many of the larger histories.
The author was an Imperialist and a Roman Catholic; but while
he was Minister of Instruction under Napoleon III., he was bit-
terly attacked by the Catholics, because his religious earnestness
was not quite sufficiently pronounced in his historical works.
His individual views are never offensively conspicuous, but are
always given with a moderation that bespeaks tne approbation of
the judicious reader.
Godwin, Parke.—The History of France. Vol. i., Ancient Gaul.
8vo, New York, 1860.
of several others, brings the narrative down only to the Peace of
Verdun in 843. The fullest history of Ancient Gaul we have in
our language, it rests upon the careful examination of original au-
thorities, is put together with an appreciative regard for historical
perspective, and is written with considerable literary skill. One
peculiarity not altogether agreeable is what seems an approach to
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
299
affectation in the spelling of proper names, as“ Chlodowig” and
“Odhinn,” for Clovis and Odin.
The second and third chapters are worthy of note, as giving an
account of the social and political condition of the Ancient Gauls,
and as indicating the various changes produced by the conquest
of the Franks. The causes of the successes of the Barbarians over
the Romans are much less satisfactorily given than by Coulanges,
The career of Charlemagne, as a whole, is well drawn; though as
a picture of his efforts as a framner and organizer of civilization,
the work of Guizot is to be preferred.
Guizot, F.-Outlines of the History of France from the Earliest
Times to the Outbreak of the Revolution. An Abridgment of
the Popular History of France. With a Chronological Index,
Historical and Genealogical Tables, and Portraits, by Gustave
Masson, B.A. 8vo, Boston, 1880.
story of France Revolution. A from the Earliest
This abridgment of Guizot's larger work was prepared for the
use of schools and general readers. It is doubtless the most read-
able of the smaller histories of France. It has also the merits of
accuracy and of having been prepared by an author who knew
what to omit. Guizot never strove to be a painter of great and
startling historical pictures; but he always succeeded in being
dignified without being dull.
Guizot, F.-A Popular History of France from the Earliest Times.
With 300 Illustrations by A. de Neuville. Translated by Rob-
ert Black. 6 vols., royal 8vo, London and Boston, 1876.
One of the latest of Guizot's productions. On the title-page
of the French edition it is described as a history recounted to his
grandchildren. It is not only a strictly popular work, but it is
written with an especial effort to awaken the attention and in-
terest of intelligent young people. This is done not by making
a children's book in the ordinary sense of the term, but by especial
fulness in the delineations of character and the descriptions of
events. The important facts, and the great personages of French
300
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
history, are made the subjects of especially careful study. From
these as points or summits in the general landscape, the surround-
ing events are surveyed. Thus, the author has endeavored to
make great men and great events appear to be what they really
are in the life of the nation, the centres of all subordinate affairs.
The work is admirably sustained. The chapter on Charlemagne
and his government is one of the most successful descriptions of
the labors of that great man anywhere to be found. So, too, tlie
chapter on the Ministry of Turgot is an excellent estimate of that
eminent but unsuccessful statesman.
The illustrations are picturesque rather than instructive, inas-
much as they are, for the most part, ideal representations of events
and scenes. They are, however, well drawn, and add somewhat to
the popular interest in the work. The last volume closes with
the Convocation of the States-General in 1789. It is not only
the best popular history of France we have, but it can probably
be said with truth that no other country can boast of a history so
well adapted to the needs of intelligent young men and women
of sixteen or eighteen years of age.
The translation abounds in bad English, and needs careful re-
vision.
Jervis, W. H.-The History of France. Student's Series. 12mo,
New York, 1862.
No history of France in a single volume is very inspiring to the
student. But the “Student's History” is one of the least unsatis-
factory. It is chiefly a compilation from the great work of Mar-
tin, whose statements and positions are generally adopted as
authority. The author's style is clear and correct, though not
very spirited. It is a book of facts rather than of arguments, of
statements rather than of explanations. These characteristics
make it one of the best of the single volumes on France for
reference. The portion on the French Revolution is the least
valuable. It is admirably equipped with maps, cuts, and illus-
trative documents.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
301
Kitchen, G.W.—A History of France. 3 vols., 8vo, Oxford and
New York, 1877.
The result of an effort at once to avoid the dryness of a sum-
mary and to compress the whole history of France into three
volumes. The author's purpose was to show the growth of the
French monarchy by describing the most important events with
considerable fulness, and passing over the connecting links with
the briefest practicable notice.
The attempt has not been very successful. The work is not
quite devoid of dryness; and it is written with so evident and
strong a partiality for English political forms that the reader is
often confronted with comparisons quite out of place. The book
was apparently designed for the use of students. It is well sup-
plied with maps and tables, and is a useful though not an interest-
ing work.
Lacombe, Paul.- A Short History of the French People. Trans-
lated from the French. 12mo, New York, 1875.
A delightful little book, showing the growth of the more fla-
grant of those evils which it was the work of the French Revolution
to sweep away. It is an elementary book, but for many Ameri-
cans this elementary character will be found a real advantage; for
the author explains many things more or less familiar to Euro-
peans, but quite obscure to people on this side of the Atlantic.
It is a work of much less volume and importance than the “Short
History of the English People" by Green, whose title it seems to
have appropriated; but it is, nevertheless, not without admirable
qualities.
Martin, Henri.—Histoire de France depuis les Temps les plus
reculés jusqu'en 1789. 17 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1837; 4e éd., 1865.
This edition is the best, and is accompanied with fifty-two en-
gravings on steel.
This great work, by virtue of its numerous merits, stands con-
fessedly at the head of the long list of general histories of France.
302
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
It is an honor alike to its author and to the nation which it de-
scribes.
Martin began with the deliberate purpose of writing what
might be called a national history of his country. For thirty
years he devoted himself almost exclusively to his task. His de-
sign was to show his countrymen that France at every step had
grown out of its past history, and that the development of the
country is to be regarded as in some sense an organic whole.
The influence of his production has been of great national value,
inasmuch as it has tended to check the prevalent revolutionary
spirit by showing what France has been able to do, and what she
has not.
The work is divided into eight parts, each of which is in some
sense complete in itself. The vast wealth of materials at the
command of the historian of France the author has made use of
in a spirit that is beyond all praise. The seventeenth volume is
devoted exclusively to the index.
Michelet, Jules.—Histoire de France. Nouvelle édition, 17
vols., 8vo, Paris, 1871–74. The volumes of the first edition
were issued from time to time during the long period ex-
tending from 1833 to 1867. Many of them were several times
revised; but the issue of 1871–74 contains all the corrections.
In 1851 an English translation of the first six volumes appeared
in New York in two octavo volumes. The portion translated
is the best part of the work; but the translation was not ex-
tended beyond the death of Louis XI., in 1483.
In political and historical philosophy, Michelet called himself a
disciple and admirer of Guizot. In manner, however, he possessed
little in common with his exemplar. He bad, indeed, the sub-
stantial qualifications of patient industry and vast erudition, but
he had much more. He was endowed with a subtle and power-
ful imagination, and with an extraordinary gift in the art of his-
torical delineation. These varied qualifications made hiin one of
the most graphic and spirited of all modern historians. There is,
perhaps, no more brilliant historical writing in any language than
some of the writing of Michelet.
HISTORIES YO
303
OF FRANCE.
The sixth volume of the original history, closing with the death
of Louis XI., was published in 1844. The work was not resumed
by the author until 1855, when the seventh volume appeared.
During the interval, however, he had produced his “History of
the Revolution,” and had become filled with some of the wildest
theories of the revolutionists. The ten voluines of the original
work that close up the gap between Louis XI. and the Revolu-
tion are not free from those sentimental vagaries so characteristic
of the author's last writings. He was evidently preparing the
way for “L'Amour," " La Femme," and the other prose poems
of sentiment with which his literary life sadly ended.
Ranke, Leopold von.—Französische Geschichte, vornehmlich im
sechszehnten und siebzehnten Jahrhundert. 2d ed., 5 vols.,
8vo, Stuttgart, 1861.
For a thorough understanding of French history during the
period from the accession of Francis I. to the death of Louis XV.
this is one of the most important works yet written. Ranke does
not dwell upon details so much as Martin; but in the work of
showing the real influence and significance of events the vener-
able German historian has probably never been equalled. His
long-continued and profound studies of the archives of the sev-
eral governments of Europe in all that pertains to the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries have given him an understanding of in-
ternational relations such as no other man has ever possessed. At
this point, therefore, he is much stronger than any other contem-
poraneous writer. In all of his works he shows with great clear-
ness how far the nation whose course he is describing has been
influenced by considerations of foreign policy. During the re-
ligious wars of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries these con-
siderations were of the utmost importance.
The fifth volume of his “French History” is exclusively devoted
to an examination of some of the most important authorities.
The essays on the Memoirs of Richelieu and Saint-Simon are of
especial value.
304
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Sismondi, J.C. L. Simonde de.- Histoire des Français. 31 vols.,
8vo, Paris, 1821–44.
This work was long held as the standard history of France.
Its excellence, however, consists largely in the somewhat formal
dignity of the author's style rather than in the thoroughness of
the scholarship, the accuracy of the presentation, or the soundness
of the writer's judgments. Since the completion of Martin's
great work, that of Sismondi is no longer in much demand.
White, Rev. James.-History of France, from the Earliest Times
to 1848. 8vo, London and New York, 1859.
One of the most readable of the single volumes on France.
The author was not a great historian, but he was an interesting
writer. His merit was in his ability to seize upon the salient
points of a topic, and present them in such a manner as to inter-
est the general reader. The book has less intrinsic merit than
Masson's Guizot, less even than the Student's France; but it will
hold to the end a greater number of readers among those who
read chiefly for entertainment. This is the book to be chosen
for those who “need to be tempted” to the study of French his-
tory.
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
Franklin, Alfred.—Les Sources de l'Histoire de France. No-
tice bibliographique et analytique des inventaires et des re-
cueils de documents relatifs à l'histoire de France. 8vo, Paris,
1877.
Prepared by the librarian of the Mazarin Library at Paris, this
volume contains a vast amount of the most valuable information
concerning the sources of French history. It is not easy to say
too much in praise of the way in which the author has performed
his difficult task. The literature of France is richer in historical
material than is that of any other nation; and the author of this
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
305
volume has successfully attempted to show the character of these
historical treasures, as well as the form in which they exist. The
editing is done with the most judicious care. Not only are the
nature and value of each collection indicated, but tables of con-
tents of all the more important works are given. The editor's
bibliographical comments are critical, but they are always marked
with judicial impartiality. For a student or a librarian desirous
of information concerning the sources of French history, the work
is the most convenient in existence.
Guizot, F.- Collection des Mémoires relatifs à l'Histoire de
France depuis la Fondation de la Monarchie Française jusqu'au
XIII° siècle. Avec une introduction, des supplémens, des no-
tices, et des notes. 31 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1824–35.
There are five important collections of memoirs relating to the
history of France, and forming an aggregate of two hundred and
seventy-one volumes. In chronological order the collection gath-
ered and edited by Guizot is the first; but it is generally consid-
ered the most imperfect. Though nearly all the chronicles of this
collection were written in Latin, they all appear here in French.
A supplementary volume written by Guizot himself traces the
career of the Gauls from their first known history to the over-
throw of the Roman Empire. The contents of the individual
volumes are given by Franklin.
Buchon, J. A.-Collection des Chroniques Nationales Françaises
écrites en langue vulgaire, du XIIIe au XVIe Siècle. Avec
notes et éclaircissements. 47 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1824-29.
These volumes are grouped in three series, one for each of the
centuries from the thirteenth to the sixteenth. The chronicles
are of much importance, several of them never having been else-
where printed. Though the papers for insertion were judiciously
selected, the work of the editor was not done with very great
care. Many parts of the collection show signs of undue haste in
20
306
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
the process of preparation for the press; and the absence of an
index, and even a complete table of contents, makes the use of the
work very difficult. A list of the papers in the several volumes
is given by Franklin.
Petitot et Monmerqué, MM. - Collection Complète des Mé-
inoires relatifs à l'Histoire de France, depuis le règne de Phi-
lippe-Auguste jusqu'à la Paix de Paris conclue en 1763. Avec
des notices sur chaque auteur et des observations sur chaque
ouvrage. 131 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1819–29.
This great collection is divided into two series, the first con-
sisting of fifty-two volumes, the second of seventy-nine. They
tics, and soldiers. Each chronicle bears the name of its author,
and is preceded by a long explanatory essay or history not very
judiciously written by one of the editors. The collection is made
easy of use by a carefully prepared index at the end of each se-
ries.
Michaud et Poujoulat, MM.—Nouvelle Collection des Mémoires
pour servir à l'Histoire de France, depuis le XIIIe siècle jusqu'à
la fin du XVIIIe. Précédés de notices pour caractériser
chaque auteur des mémoires et son époque; suivis de l'analyse
des documents historiques qui s'y rapportent. 32 vols., 8vo,
Paris, 1836–39.
The editors have here brought together all the chronicles and
memoirs contained in the hundred and thirty-one volumes of Pet-
itot and Monmerqué, and several besides. They have also edited
the papers with very much more discretion. Long preliminary
histories are omitted, but in their place we have brief and judi-
cious statements concerning the character and significance of the
· respective works. The notes are perhaps somewhat too few and
too brief, and the series is without index. A list of the works in
each volume, however, is given in Franklin.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
307
Barrière et De Lescure, MM.—Bibliothèque des Mémoires rela-
tifs à l'Histoire de France pendant le Dix-huitième Siècle. Avec
avant-propos et notices. 30 vols., 12mo, Paris, 1855–75.
It was the purpose of the editors simply to gather together in
these volumes certain important memoirs omitted by Michaud
and Poujoulat. The series, therefore, supplements and completes
the great collections previously published. The volumes are edit-
ed with care and skill, and thus form a fitting conclusion of the
most remarkable collection of original historical authorities ever
brought together. Lists of the papers in each volume are given
by Franklin.
Thierry, Amedee.- Histoire des Gaulois depuis les Temps les plus
reculés jusqu'à l'Entière Soumission de la Gaule à la Domina-
tion Romaine. 2 vols., 12mo, Paris. 5th ed., 1857.
This work, published first in 1828, and since that time reissued
in numerous editions, has acquired the renown of a classic in
French historical literature. It is an account of the relations of
Gaul to Rome, presented, as far as possible, from the Gaulish point
of view.
A long introduction is devoted to the ethnology of the Gauls;
this is followed by an account of their migrations; and this by a
history of the people from the time of Brennus to the complete
conquest of the country by the Romans. For the general student
the book will be found much less interesting than that of Cou-
langes, and yet for a complete knowledge of the Barbarians it is
almost indispensable.
Fauriel, C. C.-Histoire de la Gaule Méridionale sous la Domina-
tion des Conquérants Germains. 4 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1836.
Fauriel was a special student of the early history of Southern
France. But his mind attached itself to the curious and pictur-
esque rather more willingly than to the subtle and obscure causes
of events. For this reason his work is not entitled to rank with
308
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
those of Thierry and Coulanges. The work closes with the
breaking-up of the empire soon after the death of Charlemagne.
Wallon, Henri Alexandre.--St. Louis et son Temps.
Svo, Paris, 1875.
2 vols.,
The most important study that has ever been published of the
life and the times of Louis IX. The author's position among
historical writers in France is very high; and if this work does
not increase his reputation, it does nothing to diminish it. The
relations of Louis to the State and the Church, and his first feeble
efforts to bind together a nationality out of the hostile fragments
are among the most important of the numerous questions exam-
ined.
Froissart, Sir John.-Chronicles of England, France, and Spain,
and Adjoining Countries, from the Latter Part of the Reign of
Edward II. to the Coronation of Henry IV. Translated from
the French, with variations and additions from many celebrated
MSS. by Thomas Johnes, Esq. To which are prefixed a Life of .
the Author, an Essay on his Works, and a Criticism on his His-
tory. 2 vols., large 8vo, London, 1839. Of this work there
are many editions, but the one named is to be preferred.
Froissart might be called the great interviewer of the Middle
Ages. The newspaper correspondent of modern times has scarce-
ly surpassed this mediæval collector of intelligence. He travelled ·
extensively in the various countries of Europe; he conversed with
gentlemen of rank everywhere, and he had the remarkable knack
of persuading those about him to divulge all he wanted to know.
He learned the details of battles from both sides and from every
point of view. He delighted in the minutest affairs of every
cavalry skirmish, of the capture of every castle, and of every brave
action and gallant deed. His memory was remarkable, and his
descriptive powers unusual. He lived from 1337 to about 1410,
and wrote chiefly of contemporaneous events.
The “Chronicles” of Froissart are universally considered as the
HISTORIES OF FRANCE..
309
most vivid and faithful picture we have of events in the four-
teenth century. No more graphic account of any age has ever
been produced. Probably no historian has ever drawn so great a
number of good portraits. But Froissart was not critical, and hence :
his portraits were pictures of men as they appeared rather than
as they actually were. He was simply a chronicler, and showed
no sense of historical responsibility, and no indignation against
oppression and cruelty. The great value of the work, therefore,
is in the fact that it holds up a mirror and enables us to see the
fourteenth century just as it seemed to the most observing and
inquisitive man of that age. The objects Froissart was most in-
terested in, however, were not always the things we wish he had
preferred to see. He tells us that he rejoiced mightily in carols:
and dances, loved to hear minstrels and poems, was fond of those
who loved dogs and hawks, and always pricked up his ears at the
uncorking of bottles. As he was himself a votary of pleasure, :
the sole object of his chronicles seems to have been to give pleas-
ure to his readers. As a picture of the most favorable side of
chivalry, the work has no equal.
Monstrelet, Enguerrand de—The Chronicles of, containing an
Account of the Civil Wars between the Houses of Orleans and
Burgundy, beginning with the year 1400, where that of Sir
John Froissart finishes, and ending with the year 1467, and
continued by others to the year 1514. Translated by Thomas
Johnes, Esq. London, 2 vols., large 8vo, 1867.
The “ Chronicles” of Monstrelet have very little of the merit of
those of Froissart or those of Commines. Their great fault is their
tedious diffusiveness. This shows itself in a wearisome fondness
for details, even of the most insignificant nature. The author,
however, is truthful and candid, and therefore the work is not
absolutely devoid of merit.
Barante, A. G. P. de.-Histoire des Ducs de Bourgogne de la Mai-.
son de Valois. 1364-1477. Numerous editions, Svo, Paris;
12mo, Brussels. The Parisian editions are much' to be pre-
ferred. 8th ed., 8 vols., Paris, 1858..
310
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
A work highly esteemed by historical writers and critics. It
is praised by Guizot as the most valuable picture of the turbu-
lence of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
The work is too ponderous, however, to be of much value, save
to the special student of the period of which it treats. Of the
complicated relations of the dukes of Burgundy and the kings of
France, the book contains the best account.
Quicherat, Jules.--Procès de Condamnation et de Réhabilitation
de Jeanne d'Arc. 5 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1841–49.
To be prized chiefly as a storehouse of documents. It is com-
piled from original records and such sources of information as still
exist. Its value is in the fact that it is the authority on which
all modern works on Joan of Arc must chiefly rest. For an in-
vestigator it is invaluable; for others it is of very little use.
Wallon, Henri Alexandre.-Jeanne d'Arc. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1860.
These volumes, at the time of their publication, won the great
Gobert Prize of the French Academy. The impression made by
the work, on its first appearance, has been fully sustained by sub-
sequent opinion. It is not only the most important work on the
career of Joan of Arc, but it is perhaps the best picture yet drawn
of the condition of France at the period of the formation of na-
tionality. It shows how completely Joan was deserted by those
who ought in decency to have supported her, and how shamefully
ungrateful was the court of France she had restored.
Tuckey, Janet.--Joan of Arc. 16mo, New York, 1880.
A sketch that makes no claims to original research, but gathers
most of its facts from the abundant stores of Quicherat. It is a
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
311
convenient and a not unsatisfactory account of the Maid's cam-
paigns, her imprisonment, and her condemnation. In point of
historical merit, however, it is not to be compared with the vol-
umes on the same subject by Wallon.
Jamison, D. F.—The Life and Times of Bertrand du Guesclin :
a History of the Fourteenth Century. 2 vols., 8vo, Charleston,
1864.
A meritorious attempt to rescue from forgetfulness one who
arose from the utmost obscurity to be constable of his country,
and who, after dethroning Peter the Cruel in Spain, drove the
English out of almost all their possessions in France.
The work is written with grace, even with elegance of style,
and is founded on the authority of none but original materials.
The abundant references in the book are chiefly to old French
and Spanish authorities, and to mediæval Latin and Gascon. It
is an interesting picture of an interesting period, and it abounds
with glimpses of mediæval society. The circumstances of its pub-
lication in the time of the Civil War, as indicated in the preface,
are not without considerable interest.
Commines, Philip de.—The Memoirs of; containing the Histories
of Louis XI. and Charles VIII., Kings of France, and of Charles
the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. To which is added The Scan-
dalous Chronicle. or Secret History of Louis, by Jean de Troyes.
2 vols., 12mo, London, 1855.
This author, not without some reason, has been called the father
of modern history. Certainly he was the first author of modern
times to reason with sagacity on the characters of men and the
consequences of their action. This work, therefore, is entitled to .
consideration.
Commines was contemporaneous with Columbus, and conse-
quently wrote during that lull which preceded the great storm of
the Reformation. He had every opportunity, if not every qualifi-
312
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
cation, for writing the history which he attempted. At one time
chamberlain and councillor of Charles the Bold, he was admitted
to a considerable degree of intimacy with the great Duke of Bur-
gundy. After abandoning the service of the duke, he yielded to
the substantial persuasions of the king, and joined the royal court.
He became at once councillor and chamberlain of Louis, and from
that time forward had the most perfect opportunities of observing
what was taking place. He was a true courtier. Though he de-
scribes in detail the cruelties of the king, even testifying that he
himself had experienced the tortures of one of his cages, he con-
tinued to the last a loyal admirer of the despot. His account in
book vi. of the last sickness and of the death of the king is ex-
ceedingly curious.
Kirk, John Foster.—History of Charles the Bold, Duke of Bur-
gundy. 3 vols., 8vo, Philadelphia, 1864-68.
A book of very considerable importance. It is a successful at-
tempt to collect into accessible form the results of recent explora-
tions in the materials for a history of the times of the last Duke
of Burgundy. The author had access to a large quantity of orig-
inal sources; and he has made judicious use of his opportunities.
In no other work have we so good a picture of the desperate strug-
gle for the establishment and maintenance of an independent mon-
archy along the Rhine. The contest between Charles and Louis
XI. is well described.
Legeay, Urbain.—Histoire de Louis XI., son Siècle, ses Exploits
comme Dauphin, ses dix Ans d'Administration en Dauphiné, ses
cinq Ans de Résidence en Brabant, et son Règne, d'après les
titres originaux, les chroniques contemporaines et tous les té-
moinages les plus authentiques. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1874.
No very satisfactory history of the reign of Louis XI. has yet
been written. The process by which the power of the feudal
lords' was broken, and the authority for the first time since the
establishment of feudalism vested in a central government, is one
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
313
of the most interesting and important subjects of French history,
but it has nowhere been quite adequately described.
The attempt of Legeay is the most recent, and probably, for
most purposes, the best we have. The author has brought to-
gether a large amount of material; but he lacks the power of
generalization necessary to impress upon the reader the real sig-
nificance of the events he describes. The accounts by Martin
and Michelet, though much briefer, are likely to convey a stronger,
if not even a more correct, impression of the reign.
Willert, P. F.—The Reign of Louis the Eleventh. With Map.
12mo, London and Philadelphia, 1876.
trinsic It is to be topical hand-book
One of the historical hand-books edited by Mr. Oscar Brown-
ing. It is to be especially commended, not so much for its in-
trinsic merits, though it is not without commendable qualities, as
because of the dearth of books on this important period. The
age of Louis XI. was not only the time when a new political or-
der was built up out of the decay of feudalism, but also the time
when physical force began to give way before the subtlety of dip-
lomatic methods. A history of this period, therefore, has to
describe the process by which France was consolidated from a
group of semi-independent provinces into some semblance of na-
tionality.
The volume before us is too brief to represent adequately the
great significance of these events and tendencies. But as an out-
line of the changes that were going on, it is not without considera-
ble value. The author's estimation of the character of Louis XI.
is much more favorable than that of Sir Walter Scott in “Quen-
tin Durward," and more favorable than that generally held.
Mignet, F. A.-Rivalité de François I. et de Charles V. 2 vols.,
8vo, Paris, 1875.
By far the most important contribution recently made to the
314
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
literature of the great struggle between the Germans and the
French during the period of the Reformation. This author sel-
dom investigates a subject without throwing light upon it, and
his studies had made him especially familiar with the period here
under review. France has never contributed any more important
work to the discussion of this important period. It is the best
account of the relations of Francis I. to the work of the Refor-
mation.
Baird, Henry M.—History of the Rise of the Huguenots of France.
2 vols., 8vo, New York, 1879.
An excellent account of the Protestant movement in France
from the accession of Francis I., in 1515, to the death of Charles
IX., in 1574. The work is written with a judicial moderation too
often wanting in the writings of both Protestants and Catholics.
But, while the work is judicial in its tone, and is entirely free from
all attempts at what would be called fine writing, the narrative is
not without genuine spirit. The author shows how the Refor-
mation in France began with the higher classes ; how the power of
the government was steadily exercised against the Reformed re-
ligion; how, in spite of this opposition, the Huguenots grew, un-
til, in the opinion of the author, they numbered a third of the
people of France; how, under the influence of Catharine de' Medici,
the religious differences resulted in civil war; and, finally, how
they culminated in the Massacre of St. Bartholomew.
In these two volumes the author goes no further than to show
that the Huguenots were not broken by the massacre of 1572;
and that at the death of Charles, in 1574, they were as strong as
they had been at any previous period.
Poole, Reginald Lane.—A History of the Huguenots of the Dis-
persion at the Recall of the Edict of Nantes. 12mo, London,
1880.
A very learned and a very successful attempt to show what be-
D
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
315
came of the Huguenots after the dispersion. Not only does the
author follow them into the different countries in which they took
up their new abode, but he shows that they exerted a powerful
influence in the society of which they became a part.
The book is written with more than usual literary skill; and a
glance at almost any one of its pages will be enough to convince
the student that the author has made good use of the abundant
materials at his hand.
White, Henry.-The Massacre of St. Bartholomew, preceded by
a History of the Religious Wars in the Reign of Charles IX.
With Illustrations. Svo, New York, 1871.
A work written in a judicious spirit for the purpose of portray-
ing the great struggle that devastated France in the later portion
of the sixteenth century, and culminated in the memorable tragedy
of 1572. The author proceeds on the theory that the real nature
of the contest cannot be understood unless the condition of both
Protestants and Catholics during the first half of the century be
taken into consideration. He adopts the view of Ranke and of
Soldan in believing that the famous massacre was not the result
of a long-premeditated plot, but was rather the fruit of a momen-
tary spasm of terror and fanaticism, awakened by the unsuccessful
attempt to murder Coligny. The writer has brought forward
many new materials tending to confirm this view.
Though the author looks upon the events he describes with the
eyes of a Protestant, yet his moderation is worthy of universal
commendation and confidence. The book, however, does not show
the same intellectual grasp as that manifested in the pages of
Baird.
Freer, Martha Walker.-Henry III., King of France and Poland.
His Court and Times; from Numerous Unpublished Sources.
3 vols., 8vo, London, 1859.
Not a book of any critical value, but one of some interest for
the account it gives of court life. It is filled with pictures of the
ceremonials and vanities of a pompous but disgusting reign. The
316
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
anthor gives the representation from only one point of view, and
the picture therefore is by no means true to life. The court of
Henry III. no lady in modern days could understand, much less
describe. But the view given, though superficial, is interesting
and agreeable. The most important features of the reign are
not described; and yet the author shows how the king in public
could put himself in chains, kneel in ashes, and wear a chaplet of
skulls, while in private he slept in white satin with embroidered
gloves and his face smeared with perfumed unguents.
Freer, Martha Walker.-History of the Reign of Henry IV.,
King of France and Navarre. From Numerous Unpublished
Sources, including MS. Documents in the Bibliothèque Im-
périale and the Archives du Royaume de France. 2 vols.,
12mo, London, 1860.
By no means a great history, but simply a bright picture. If
it does not go to the bottom of things, it describes well the
surface. It has some infelicities of manner, and some passages of
questionable taste; but in the dearth of even moderately good
books in English on this reign, it is worthy of a little attention.
Its characteristics are essentially the same as those of the author's
Henry III., though its faults are less conspicuous.
Sully, The Duke of.—Memoirs of the Prime-minister of Henry
the Great. Translated from the French. With Notes and
Historical Introduction, Index, and Portraits of Sully, Henry
IV., Coligny, and Marie de Médicis. 4 vols., crown 8vo, Lon-
don, 1856.
The remarkable events of the career of Henry IV. are nowhere
more adequately described than in the memoirs of his great min-
ister.' It is worthy of note, however, that, important as they are,
they are not without some minor errors. They were written, not
as the events which they describe took place, but from memory,
after the duke's retirement from public service.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
317
In the main features of important matters, they are doubtless
entirely trustworthy, and they give an invaluable insight into the
motives and considerations which influenced the conduct of the
government. The minor details, however, especially in the earlier
parts of the work, are to be read with the recollection that the
events described happened about twenty years before the account
of them was written. The author had no especial gift as a writer.
His memoirs, therefore, nowhere show either the graces or the
force of a good literary style.
Segretain, E. A. — Sixte V. et Henri IV. Introduction du
Protestantisme en France. 8vo, Paris, 1861.
One of the most successful accounts of the Reformation in
France. It traces it from the beginning to its recognition by the
Edict of Nantes. The work is written from a Protestant point of
view, and is pervaded with coolness, impartiality, and good judg-
ment. The appearance of the “History of the Huguenots” by
Baird, however, has deprived it of no small part of its value.
Poirson, Auguste.-Histoire du Règne de Henri IV. Second
edition, 4 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1862–67.
This work is declared by the author to be the result of fifteen
years of earnest devotion. It fills a space that had too long been
vacant. Its great excellences were duly recognized at the time
of its appearance; for in 1857, and again in 1858, it received the
great Gobert Prize of the French Academy. The second edition
is much to be preferred, as for it the volumes were carefully re-
vised and considerably augmented.
In the latter part of the second volume is to be found an ad-
mirable account of the difficult relations of Catholics and Prot-
estants, and of the religious embarrassments that beset the great
monarch. Nowhere else is the subject so well presented. The
fourth volume deals with the king's great foreign projects, and
shows in strong and new light his purposes in forming a coalition
318
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
against the two houses of Austria. The two great purposes of
the king's foreign policy-viz., the establishment of international
equilibrium, and the security of the religious autonomy of each
country--are described with great skill.
The work closes with a full table of contents, but it has no
index.
Lacombe, Charles Mercier de.-Henri IV. et sa Politique. 8vo,
Paris, 1860.
This admirable book is devoted exclusively to the political pur-
poses of the great monarch. The author not only had great per-
sonal fitness for the task, but he had access to the invaluable col-
lection of letters of Henry IV., published not long before he
wrote. What Poirson and Perrens are to the religious affairs of
that reign, and Freer to the court life, Lacombe is to the po-
litical.
· The author brings out with great force the relations of France
to the important questions that finally resulted in the Thirty
Years' War.
Perrens, F. T.—L'Église et l'État en France sous le Règne d'Henri
IV. et la Régence de Marie de Médicis. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1872.
This book was crowned by the Academy in recognition of its
great merits. It is the most satisfactory presentation we have
of the troublesome questions that confronted the French govern-
ment at the period under review. It is not a comprehensive his-
tory, 'like that of Poirson; but in the peculiar field chosen by the
author it has no equal. Why the great leader of the Protestant
cause concluded that “the crown was worth a mass,” and so ac-
cepted of the Catholic communion, if not of the Catholic faith, is
nowhere else so well explained.
Capefigue, Jean.--Histoire de la Réforme, de la Ligue, et du
Règne de Henri IV. 8 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1834–35.
The extraordinary fluency of this author's pen made it impos-
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
319
sible for him to write with care. It is said that within thirty
years he published more than a hundred octavo volumes, besides
contributing to very many of the prominent journals of France.
From all this enormous mass of good paper and print the vol-
umes above mentioned are perhaps the only ones worthy of any
especial note. Even these volumes may be said to acquire their
interest from the importance of the subject and the peculiarities
of the author's views.
Capefigue was an ardent Roman Catholic, and he always wrote
in the interests of political absolutism. His style was facile and
clear, though too many of his pages show unmistakably that he
wrote with slovenly haste. The value of this history, therefore,
is chiefly in the fact that it is a presentation of the extremist Ro-
man Catholic view. As an ultimate authority, it would nowhere.
be accepted by critical scholars of any creed.
Bazin, Antoine.—Histoire de France sous Louis XIII. 4 vols.,
8vo, Paris, 1838.
The great period of Richelieu still awaits an historian worthy of
that subject. The work of Bazin, however, is the result of ten
years of patient industry. The author's views are always put
forth with a moderation that commands respect. The fault of
the work is a want of proper perspective. The great questions
are not duly prominent, and the small ones are too conspicuous.
The book is important only because the period has not been ade-
quately treated by any writer of superior historical gifts.
Caillet, Jules.-L'Administration en France sous le Ministère du
Cardinal de Richelieu. 2 vols., 8vo, 2e éd., Paris, 1860.
A highly eulogistic book, but one that is the result of abun-
dant and careful research. It contains much that is new, and
may well be read in connection with the works of Quinet and De
Tocqueville on the pre-revolutionary period. It is much too lau-
datory and apologetic to be regarded as a final authority.
320
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Robson, William.-Life of Richelieu.
don, 1854.
12mo, new edition, Lon-
For an account of the great career of Richelieu the student is
chiefly dependent on books in French. This little volume of
Robson's is raised to an importance somewhat above its intrinsic
merits by the dearth of information on the subject in English.
The larger histories of France will afford quite as much insight
into the significance of that great administration; but if a small
book on the subject is desired, that of Robson is probably the
best.
Chéruel, Adolphe.--Histoire de France pendant la Minorité de
Louis XIV. 4 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1880.
1
The most recent account, and one of the most satisfactory, of
the turbulent and important ministry of Mazarin. Why the War
of the Fronde served to clinch despotism in France, when the
War of the Revolution served to break it in England, has never
yet been placed in any very strong and satisfactory light. But
this author has done much towards giving the reason. He shows
himself perfectly at home among the numerous documents at his
hand. Perhaps the greatest merit of the work, and that which
makes us feel that we are on solid ground while reading him, is
the constant use which he makes of Mazarin's correspondence with
his agents. The real purposes of the cardinal's government are
here fully set forth.
Martin, Henri.—History of France, from the Earliest Period to
1789. The Age of Louis XIV. and the Decline of the Mon-
archy. Translated from the fourth edition of the French, by
Mary L. Booth. 4 vols., 8vo, Boston, 1864-66.
A translation of the last four volumes of the great work of
Martin. It is the best elaborate account we have in English of
the course of events from the accession of Louis XIV. to the out-
break of the Revolution.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE,
321
But it is by no means a completely satisfactory history. Mar-
tin, like almost all other French writers, was dazzled by the exter-
nal splendors of the reign of Louis XIV., while failing utterly to
recognize the unreality and emptiness of the wonderful but un-
substantial pageant. The book cannot be said to show a philo-
sophic insight into the causes of the Revolution. The best chap-
ters are those on Colbert and Turgot.
. The translation is disfigured with a vast number of inaccuracies.
Pardoe, Miss Julia.--Louis XIV. and the Court of France in the
Seventeenth Century. 3 vols., 8vo, London ; 2 vols., 12mo,
New York, 1849. The Court and Reign of Francis I. 2 vols.,
8vo, London, 1850. The Life of Marie de Medicis. 3 vols.,
8vo, London, 1852.
These sketches of French manners about court are the product
of a very facile writer. Miss Pardoe had an especial gift for see-
ing the interesting features of society and of events. Her eye
did not penetrate very far beneath the surface of things, and per-
haps it is for this reason that her works have enjoyed only an
ephemeral popularity. They are not of very much consequence,
but they abound in gossip and anecdote, and may be read with
some profit by those who require something in the way of an
allurement to the pursuit of truth.
Grovestins, Sisterna de.-Guillaume III. et Louis XIV. His-
toire des Luttes et Rivalités politiques avec les Puissances Mar-
itimes et la France dans la dernière moitié du XVIIe siècle.
8 vols., 8vo, Paris, nouvelle édition, 1855.
While this work has to do especially with the foreign policy of
France, it touches incidentally upon domestic affairs, for the pur.
pose of showing the unity of the monarch's policy. The author
holds that the dominance of France, after the treaties of West-
phalia and the Pyrenees, was owing to the fact that all the re-
sources of the nation were under the direction and control of a
21
322
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
single will. To show this fact, and the influence of it, was the
author's purpose.
The first edition was completed and published in 1850, just
before Napoleon III. grasped the reins of empire; and by many
the book was regarded as a piece of special pleading. The au-
thor, however, declares that he had labored industriously upon his
history ever since 1828; that he had consulted all accessible ma-
terials, including a vast number of manuscripts; that his studies
had made him a greater lover of liberty; and, finally, that, in his
belief, liberty is best to be secured through the concentration of
substantial power in the hands of a single man.
As a huge Tory pamphlet it is certainly very successful.
than those of its of a similare original worki
Saint-Simon, the Duke of.—The Memoirs of the Reign of Louis
XIV. and the Regency. Translated from the French by Bayle
St. John. 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1876..
A judicious abridgment of the voluminous French edition.
The original is usually published in 20 vols., 8vo. For all but
the special investigator of this period the abridgment will be
found quite as useful as the original work.
No memoirs of a similar kind have ever been more popular
than those of Saint-Simon. They form a panoramic picture, drawn
with wonderful skill, of the last twenty years of the reign of
Louis XIV. and of the period of the Regency. The author was
himself at court, and was often an actor in the strange scenes he
describes.
Before the year 1829 only fragmentary portions of the work
had been allowed to be published. Voltaire and a few other his-
torians, however, had been permitted to see the MS., and had
made some use of it in the preparation of historical works. But
when, in 1829, it was finally published, it produced an extraordi-
nary sensation. It probably gave the severest blow the Bourbons
ever received. It showed that the most brilliant reign ever seen
in France, when stripped of its gilding and tinsel, was chiefly a
mass of rag's and wretchedness. The popularity of these “Me-
moirs" may be inferred from the fact that in a single year six
editions of the work, in 20 vols., were disposed of in Paris.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
323
Dangeau, Marquis de-Journal du,-publié en entier pour la
première fois, avec les Additions inéditées du Duc de Saint-
Simon, publiées par M. Feuillet de Conches, 1684–1718. 19
vols., 8vo, Paris, 1854–61.
One of the great sources from which the history of the reign
of Louis XIV. is derived. Dangeau was many years at court,
and kept a daily account of what took place. The work is not so
readable nor so famous as the “Memoirs” of Saint-Simon, but for
most purposes it is even more valuable. It deals less with the
affairs of the court and more with the affairs of the government.
Tocqueville, Le Comte de.- Histoire Philosophique du Règne
de Louis XV. Deuxième édition, 2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1847.
An effort to trace with philosophical spirit the faults and vices
that precipitated the Revolution. The author declares that he
wrote because of the dearth of good histories of the reign of
Louis XV. Though he is a lover of liberty, he does not hesitate
to attack the vices of liberty. The book is one of considerable
ability; though it is not to be compared with that of the author's
namesake on “The Ancient Régime.”
Thiers, Adolph.-The Mississippi Bubble: a Memoir of John
Law. To which are added Authentic Accounts of the Darien
Expedition and the South-Sea Scheme. Translated and edited
by Frank S. Fiske. 12mo, New York, 1859.
The most convenient brief account of the singular financial
scheme that convulsed France in the early part of the last cen-
tury. It was originally written by Thiers for an encyclopædia; .
and it has never appeared in separate form except in the transla-
tion here presented. It gives a very readable account of the life
of Law, presents a clear statement of his financial scheme and of
its results, and relates many curious anecdotes illustrative of the
excitement of the times.
324
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Broglie, The Duc de:--The King's Secret; being the Secret Cor-
respondence of Louis XV. with his Diplomatic Agents from
1752 to 1774. From the French. 2 vols., 8vo, London and
New York, 1879.
The historians of the period just before the French Revolution
have very generally called attention to the strange freak of Louis
XV. which led bim to enter into a mysterious and secret corre-
spondence with his diplomatic agents without the knowledge of
his ministers. This correspondence, long known as “The King's
Secret,” is the subject of these volumes. Many of the letters
passed between the king and the Duc de Broglie, and they are
now published by one of the members of the duke's family. The
letters are edited in so skilful a manner as to explain their signifi-
cance, and throw considerable light on the character of the king,
if not on the nature of the period.
It can hardly be said, however, that they call for, or would
justify, any important revision of our unfavorable opinions of the
character of the monarch. On the other hand, we find nothing
to intensify our dislike. The editor has remarked, probably with
truth, “That which the feeble Louis XV. carefully concealed for
twenty years from his subjects as well as from his ministers was
the best that was in himself."
D'Aumale, Le Duc.—History of the Princes of Condé in the
Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries. Translated from the
French by R. B. Bothwick. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1872.
At the time of its appearance in France this history attracted
much attention, not only on account of the rank of the author,
but on account of its own intrinsic merit. The Duc d'Aumale,
as son of Louis Philippe, is a member of the famous House of
Condé and a direct descendant of the great princes of that name.
The book, not great in itself, is yet of considerable value. The
Condés were worth writing about, and the princely author has
written a book which would have been no disgrace to an untitled
man of letters. It is worth a place in any scholar's library.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
325
Yonge, C. D.--History of France under the Bourbons, 1589–
1830. 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1866–67.
The author is an industrious compiler, but a careless writer.
His work shows that he has collected abundance of material, some
of which is quite new, and then bas thrown it together with un-
discriminating haste. His sentences are often awkwardly involved,
and his meaning is sometimes quite obscure. A still further fault
is the fact that the book does not fulfil the promise of its title.
It brings the history down only to the year 1789, and gives no
hint of a future. Those who have used Guizot, Martin, or even
Sismondi, will get very little benefit from the work.
Collier, Admiral Sir George.—France, Holland, and the Nether-
lands a Century Ago. Edited by his granddaughter, Mrs.
Charles Ternant. 8vo, London, 1861.
Admiral Collier visited the countries he describes a few years
before the outbreak of the great revolution, and this book is a
record of what he saw and thought. The volume is not to be
compared in importance with the great work of Arthur Young;
but it abounds in interesting sketches descriptive of the state of
society. The style is exceedingly vivacious.
Foncin, P.--Essai sur le Ministère de Turgot. 8vo, Paris, 1877.
The latest considerable attempt to clear up the doubtful points
in the life and works of one of the greatest of French statesmen.
It is the result of much and careful study not only of all published
materials, but also of a vast number of papers never before made
use of. The author ranks himself among those who believe that
France was in such a desperate condition that Turgot's remedies
could not have been successful. He thinks it of value, however,
to let the world understand the extent of Turgot's effort and the
nature. of his noble purpose. The book is a study rather than a
biography.
326
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Batbie, Anselme.-Turgot: Philosophe, Économiste, et Admini-
strateur. Svo, Paris, 1861.
The author is an able and respected professor of political econ-
omy in the University of Paris ; was member of the National
Assembly at Versailles, Minister of Public Instruction in 1873,
and was elected Senator in 1876. His studies specially fitted him
to discuss the financial and administrative problems of the minis-
try of Turgot.
The especial strength of the volume is in its description of the
financial situation of France just before the Revolution, and of the
measures proposed by the only public man in the country who
seems fully to have comprehended the situation. Especially in-
structive are the comments on the issues of paper money..
The merits of the work received the recognition of a crown by
the Institute.
Rocquain, Félix.—L'Esprit Révolutionnaire avant la Révolution,
1715-89. 8vo, Paris, 1878.
Without impropriety, this volume might have been called a his-
tory of public opinion in France from the death of Louis XIV. to
the outbreak of the Revolution. The author holds that the great
upheaval did not have its origin in the philosophers, but rather in
a sense of public wrongs that bad been taking deeper and deeper
root during all the years of the century. His purpose is to show
the real nature of those wrongs, and to point out the results of the
various attempts to correct them.
Several of the chapters are especially worthy of note. Those
on Turgot and Necker are among the most valuable. The author
holds that the reforms proposed by Turgot were not political in
their character, and that very largely for this reason they were
opposed by the court, the clergy, the nobles, and by Parliament.
The volume closes with a very interesting and suggestive appen-
dix of forty-five pages, giving a list of books condemned from
1715 to 1789. No better view could be given of the way in
which public opinion was strangled.
: HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
327
Young, Arthur.— Travels in France during the Years 1787, '88,
'89. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1793.
A book cited by every historian, and one that, as far as possible,
should be read by every student of the Revolutionary period. It
is the work of a very intelligent English gentleman who had
travelled much in Europe, and who now visited different parts of
France in order to study the condition of the country.
His observations were mainly directed to agricultural affairs;
but they extended, in fact, over the whole range of the economic
condition of the people. He stops in coffee-houses in out-of-the-
way corners of France; notes the discussions which he hears ;
observes the general want of practical ability in political matters;
talks with poor peasants on the road; dines with the leaders of
the States-General at Versailles, and notes their conversation ; in
short, has the best of opportunities, and gives a graphic picture of
what he sees and hears. All this took place just as the great up-
beaval was coming on. It is interesting to note that he attributes
much of the wretchedness of the peasantry to the extent to which
subdivisions of the soil had been carried. He makes note of the
fact that there were some six million landowners in France, and
that the parcels owned by individuals were so small that good
agriculture was seldom seen.
It is unfortunate that the book, in English, is out of print and
difficult to obtain.
Doniol, Henry.- La Révolution Française et la Féodalité. 8vo,
Paris, 1874; 2d ed., without important changes, 1876.
The title is slightly misleading, but the volume is one of the
before the French Revolution.
It might have been called a history of the abolition of feudal-
ism not only in France, but also in the other countries of Europe.
Its aim is to show how in different nationalities different methods
were adopted, and how, as a consequence, different results ensued.
The first book, containing one hundred and seventy-six pages, is
devoted to France; the second, of seventy-five pages, to the other
328
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
countries of the Continent; and the third, of eighty pages, to
England.
The causes that led to the abolition of feudal methods are dis-
cussed in the most painstaking and philosophical spirit, and the
volume may be heartily recommended to every student of the
Revolution.
Taine, H. A.—The Revolution. Translated by John Durand. 2
vols., 8vo, London and New York, 1878–80.
A very brilliant presentation of the anarchy and confusion re-
sulting from the transition from the old to the new régime. The
book will serve as a valuable companion to those histories which
occupy themselves chiefly with the march of political events. It
should not, however, take the place of other works; for it has
nothing to say of the great things done by the National Assembly,
or of the general progress that was made in the nation at large.
Its chief strength is in its portrayal of the social condition of the
nation. It piles up such a mass of evidence of misery and confu-
sion in the rural districts that it tends to obscure everything else.
Still another limitation of the value of the work is in the fact
that the author attributes all this misery chiefly to the perversity
of the Revolutionary leaders; whereas it was rooted in those rela-
tions of the different classes which the nobility and clergy had
persistently refused to change. The persons really responsible
were not so much those immediately concerned in the events
themselves, as those who had refused to remove the prolific causes
of them. Taine seems to have overlooked the responsibility of
those who defeated the reforms proposed by Turgot.
But, with all its limitations, the book is exceedingly brilliant;:
and, to a person already somewhat familiar with the events of the
Revolution, will be of great value.
Mignet, F. A.-Histoire de la Révolution Française. 2 vols.,
12mo, Paris, 1836. Also published in translation in Bohn's
series, in one volume.
This still continues to be the most satisfactory short history of
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
329
the Revolution. In style it is compact, and in method of treat-
ment it is clear, thoughtful, and just. The author believed in
constitutional government, and his reflections on the mistakes of
the revolutionists are worthy of careful attention. Mignet was
one of the most conscientious and judicial of modern French
writers, and everything from his pen is entitled to the most re-
spectful consideration.
The narrative is carried to the fall of Napoleon; but the latter
part of the work is briefer and weaker than the earlier portions.
Thiers, A.-Histoire de la Révolution Française. 10 vols., 8vo,
Paris. Numerous editions, the best of which, the thirteenth,
fourteenth, and fifteenth, are accompanied with fifty-four inter-
esting illustrative engravings on steel, and an atlas of thirty-
two maps and plans. The work has been translated into Eng-
lish, as, indeed, into nearly all other modern languages, and is
published in 2 vols., 8vo, London and New York, 1862.
Owing partly to the peculiar merits of the work, and partly to
the opportune moment of its first publication, this bas been the
most popular of the histories of the French Revolution. But, in
spite of the great literary skill with which it was written, the
work has much of the character of a political pamphlet, and its
value, therefore, is likely to decrease as time progresses. The au-
thor wrote and published it while the tide was rising against the
Bourbons, and therefore his pictures of the opening glories of the
Revolution were received with unnatural enthusiasm. The later
portions of the work were written in a better spirit, and are of
greater value. As a whole, however, this history is scarcely enti-
tled to the honors it has received. It abounds in looseness of
statement and in extravagances of expression, which make it at
once popular and untrustworthy.
Michelet, Jules. — Histoire de la Révolution Française. Troi-
sième édition, revue et corrigée. 6 vols., 8vo, 1868–69. Of
the first edition, which appeared in 1847–53, so much as re-
lates to the period before the flight of the king in June, 1791,
330
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
was published also in an English version, in 1.vol., crown 8vo,
London, 1860.
A book of singular merits and of some notable defects. It is es-
pecially full and suggestive on the early events of the Revolution.
It rests upon the solid foundation of a thorough study of the
subject, and it is written with that brilliancy of method which
everywhere characterizes Michelet's productions.
But the sentimentalism of the author shows itself on almost
every page. At one time he indulges in fantastic declamations;
at another he gives us pictures of marvellous exactness and pow-
er; at another he comments on the significance of events like one
inspired. The opinions of Michelet are always worth knowing;
but the history, as a whole, is not an entirely safe guide.
Sybel, Heinrich von.— History of the French Revolution. 4
vols., 8vo, London, 1866–68.
The most judicial of all the histories of this great period. The
author had access to masses of material never before explored,
and therefore he has been able to throw much new light on sev-
eral puzzling questions. The most important of these relate to
the dealings of other powers with France during the period under
examination. A number of important facts are revealed in re-
gard to the character and the doings of Lafayette. The author
has also discussed briefly, but with great acumen, the different
financial expedients that were resorted to at the early period of
the Revolution.
Von Sybel is one of the most respected of living German his-
torians; is a pupil of Ranke, and is no unworthy follower of his
great teacher. This history of the Revolution ends with the dis-
solution of the National Convention in 1795.
Alison, Sir Archibald. --- History of Europe from the Com-
mencement of the French Revolution in 1789 to the Restora-
tion of the Bourbons in 1815. This forms the first part of
the author's great work on the History of Europe from 1789
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
331
to 1852.. 14 vols., 8vo, London, 1849–50; 4 vols., 8vo, New
York.
The best of those histories written from what may be called an
extreme English point of view. The author was High-Tory in
spirit; but he was fair-ıninded, and his work has the merits of
being honest, full, and clear. It was written too early to profit
by the revelations that have been made by recent studies, and
consequently it is not so trustworthy in all of its statements as
some of the later histories. The suminary in the first volume is
excellent; but, as a whole, the volumes on the Revolution itself
are less valuable than the later portions of the work, of which
these volumes really form only the first part.
The American edition has valuable notes on the author's treat-
ment of American questions, and therefore is to be preferred, in
spite of its inferiority of paper and print.
Carlyle, Thomas.--History of the French Revolution. 3 vols.,
8vo and 12mo, London; 2 vols., New York, 1837. Various
other editions.
This is truly a marvellous book. But it is not so much a his-
tory as a succession of pictures, or perhaps a succession of poems
in prose. It is pervaded with Carlyle's philosophy, and is prob-
ably his most brilliant work. He finds abundance of demons to
hate, and a few heroes to admire. Mirabeau and Danton seem to
be his favorites, while Lafayette and Bailly are treated with a
more or less obvious contempt. He gives us a picture of pande-
monium, interspersing it with judgments that seem sometimes
preposterous and sometimes inspired.
Every student of the Revolutionary period should read the book;
but he will gain his chief advantage from it after his studies have
already made him master of the leading facts of the history.
Though it is probably the most remarkable work ever written on
the Revolution, it will prove unsatisfactory to nearly every stu-
dent unless it be studied in connection with a work of more com-
monplace merits.
332
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Blanc, Louis.--Histoire de la Révolution Française.
8vo, Paris, 1847-62.
12 vols.,
By many eminent judges this has been considered the most
satisfactory history of the Revolution yet produced. It gives ev-
idence of careful and ingenious research, abounds in most strik-
ing delineations of character, and is written with great energy and
brilliancy of style. The portraiture of Robespierre, and the de-
scription of events leading to his fall, are among the most satis-
factory accounts of the subject ever presented. Especially wor-
thy of note, also, is the Introduction to the work. This covers
much ground, and portrays with great power the events that re-
motely and immediately led to the Revolution.
The author has tinged the work somewhat with his well-known
socialistic views; but these views, when once understood, though
they diminish the value of the history, detract but little from the
interest and pleasure of the reader.
The Introduction and a portion of Part i. have been translated
and published in America; but the work, as a whole, has not been
rendered into English.
Häusser, Ludwig. - Geschichte der französischen Revolution,
1789–99. Herausgegeben von Wilhelm Oncken. 8vo, Berlin,
1867.
A verbatim report, stenographically taken, of the author's
course of lectures on the French Revolution. But it has the ad-
vantage of having been carefully collated with the author's notes,
after his death.
The subject is treated with great clearness and strength. An
introduction of a hundred and twenty pages gives a comprehen-
sive and philosophical account of the causes which led to the
great upheaval. This is followed by a brief description of the
literature of the subject. Everything that Häusser wrote is wor-
thy of the student's thoughtful attention. But his studies in
preparation for his “German History” had made him especially
at home on the period of the Revolution. The book is all the
more valuable because the author looked at the subject from a
*HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
333
German point of view. From no one volume can the student
procure a more philosophical account of the events described. It
is pervaded with the wisdom so conspicuous in the same author's
lectures on the "Period of the Reformation."
Rabaut, J. P.-Précis Historique de la Révolution Française. As-
semblée Constituante. Suivi de réflexions politiques sur les
circonstances. 2 vols., 12mo, Paris. Of several editions, the.
best is that of 1826.
The whole of this work is of importance, as it is the product
of a man who took a conspicuous part at the time of the Revolu-
tion, and whose influence was constantly set against those atroci-
ties to which he afterwards fell a victim.
Its greatest value, however, is in the picture it gives of what
such a man thought, rather than what he knew. The “political
reflections” are the most interesting portion of the book. Many
of these are curious in the extreme. The author fully shared the
more or less common impression of the time that; now that kings
“had ceased to excite the nations to war," and that nations had
become "sedentary," the millennium would soon be ushered in.
Such was the thought of one of the wiser of the revolutionists
on the eve of the Reign of Terror, and of the twenty years of
Continental war.
Buchez et Roux.-Histoire Parlementaire de la Révolution Fran-
çaise, ou Journal des Assemblées Nationales depuis 1789
jusqu'en 1815. 40 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1833–38.
Perhaps the most important of the several collections of ma-
terials for a history of the Revolution. The proceedings of the
assemblies, societies, and clubs are given at considerable length,
with extracts from the records and discussions. The collection
also contains copious citations from newspapers, pamphlets, and
reports.
The work is not a history, but it is a mass of most valuable
334
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
materials, arranged with considerable skill. Its generalizations
are often puerile, but its facts are of the utmost importance.
Deux Amis de la Liberte (Keryerseau et Clavelin).-Histoire de
la Révolution de France. 20 vols., 18mo, Paris, 1792–1800.
This work, the first eight volumes of which were written by
the authors above named, is of value chiefly because it was the
work of intelligent men deeply interested in the events they de-
scribed. The earlier volumes are of most value. Carlyle regards
it as a history“worth all the others,” and says that the first eight
volumes offer “the best, correctest, most picturesque narration
yet published.” Alison and other later writers quote the book
with confidence. The later volumes, however, were written by
other hands, and are somewhat untrustworthy.
Barante, A. G. P. de.-Histoire de la Convention Nationale. 6
vols., 8vo, Paris, 1851.
A book which nobody will find it easy to read continuously,
but which for reference is invaluable. It is entitled to the credit
of fairness and accuracy. Its merit is largely in the picture it
gives of the difficulties confronting the nation, and of the utter
demoralization of political life wrought by the institutions of the
country and the habits of the people. The reader will be aston-
ished to learn how inadequately the situation was comprehended
even by the best minds in the Convention.
Lamartine, Alphonse de.—Les Girondins. 4 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1846. An English translation by H. T. Ryde is published in
London and New York, 3 vols., 12mo, 1868.
Lamartine was, perhaps, the most conspicuous of those senti-
mentalists whose influence has been so harmful to French political
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
335
affairs. As an orator and poet he had no equal among his con-
temporary countrymen, and the influence of his writings on the
popular mind was well-nigh boundless. His history of the Gi-
rondists was at once the most popular and the most pernicious
of his numerous works. It was a glorification of the Revolution-
ary spirit, and it has probably had more influence than any
other literary production in keeping the revolutionary spirit in
France alive. It was sold by the hundred thousand copies; but
the sooner it is forgotten, save as a kind of brilliant literary phe-
nomenon, the better for mankind.
Ternaux, Mortimer.—Histoire de la Terreur, 1792–94, d'après
des documents authentiques et inédits. 7 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1862–69.
A very complete and satisfactory history of the Reign of Ter-
ror. It is too voluminous for the purposes of most readers; but
for one who would understand all the bearings of the events of
that period of political hurricanes the work is the most valuable
yet written.
The author was a thorough scholar, an eminent jurist, and a
member of the Institute. The work is entirely lacking in those
elements of sensationalism that have characterized so many of the
writers on this period. It is marked by solid rather than by
brilliant qualities.
..
Montgaillard, G. H. M.—Histoire de France Chronologique de-
puis la Prémiere Convocation des Notables jusqu'au Départ
des Troupes Étrangères, 1787–1818. Svo, Paris, 1823. .
As a chronological summary, giving the events day by day,
this work has considerable value. Though written with strong
prejudices of a reactionary type, the book is one of the best of
its kind on the subject.
336
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Staël, Madame de.-Considérations sur les Principaux Événe-
ments de la Révolution Française. 8vo and 12mo, Paris, 1818.
Numerous subsequent editions.
Like all the other productions of the author, this volume is
worthy of the student's reading, though it will scarcely be found
of as much importance as the same writer's volumés on Germany.
It was written after the close of the Napoleonic wars, and was
begun simply as an attempt to explain and justify the political
life of Necker. But, as the author's work went on, it grew into
an examination of the principal events of the whole period down
to the overthrow of Napoleon. It is not a bistory, but is a shrewd
commentary on historical events. At the time it was published,
it probably did more than any other work had done to point out
to Europe the real significance of the Revolution.
Napoléon I-Correspondance de, publiée par ordre de Napoléon
III. 28 vols., 4to and 8vo, Paris, 1858–69.
There have been many collections of letters purporting to be
Napoleon's correspondence, but this edition is the only one that
makes any approach to completeness. The first fifteen volumes,
covering the period from 1793 to 1809, were compiled under or-
ders “to make no alteration or suppression;" the remaining thir-
teen (1809–15) were compiled under the somewhat indefinite in-
junction to insert “only what the emperor wonld have printed."
The value of the collection, as a whole, is greatly diminished
by the uncertainty which attaches to the editorial work on the
later volumes. But concerning the first fifteen there is no uncer-
tainty. The disclosures made by them are very largely the basis
on which the severe judgments of Napoleon passed by Lanfrey
and other recent writers are founded. The work must hence-
forth be the foundation of all successful historical studies of the
first emperor.
Lanfrey, P.-Histoire de Napoléon I. 5 vols., 8vo and 12mo,
Paris. 4e éd., 1869–75. In translation, 4 vols., 8vo, London
and New York, 1871-79.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
337
The most important contribution ever made to our knowledge
of the first Napoleon. It is the only work of comprehensive design
published since the correspondence of Napoleon I. was given to
the world by Napoleon III.
In his treatment of the first emperor, Lanfrey is very severe;
but his severity is discriminating, and he has therefore been able
almost completely to revolutionize public opinion concerning the
character and purposes of the emperor. Bonaparte's early educa-
tion, the means by which he was first brought into power, the
coup d'état of the 18th Brumaire, the duplicity before the Treaty
of Campo-Formio, the double-dealing with the Venetian Senate
and the pope, the false bargain with Prussia, the despicable in-
trigue in Spain and the consequent rising of the Spanish peasant-
ry, are all portrayed with an energy and a sedateness which carry
conviction to the reader, often in spite of himself. The fifth vol-
ume brings the history to the organization of the army for the
invasion of Russia.
It was the hope of the author to complete the history in two
additional volumes, but death interrupted the work.
Thiers, Adolph.-History of the Consulate and the Empire of
France under Napoleon. Forming a sequel to "The History
of the French Revolution.” Translated by D. Forbes Campbell,
with the sanction and approval of the author. 20 vols., 8vo,
London, 1845–61.
For many years this was the standard authority in France on
the public career of the emperor. It surrounds the age of Napo-
leon with a halo of glory that has secured for the history an al-
most boundless popularity. The flattery of French pride could
go no further. As a record of events it is not always careful,
and it seems to be certain that the author was sometimes guilty
of suppressing important facts that conflicted with his peculiar
theories.
The most incisive criticisms of the work are that of J. Wilson
Croker in his “Essays on the Revolution," and that of Barni
in his volume of lectures on “Napoleon and his Historian, M.
Thiers."
22
338
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Beyond all doubt, the writings of Thiers have had an exceed-
ingly pernicious influence on the French people by means of their
consummate fattery. The events of 1870 can hardly be ex-
plained without reference to the “chauvinisin" encouraged, and
in great part created, by the “ History of the Consulate and the
Empire.”
Barni, Jules.-Napoléon et son Historien, M. Thiers. 8vo, Ge-
neva and London, 1865.
The most vigorous and the most destructive criticism ever
made of the fainous history of Thiers. The author maintains
that this historian's method is deficient in logic, morality, and
critical appreciation. Barni holds that Napoleon was not the
continuator of the Revolution ; but, on the contrary, the origina-
tor of a counter-revolution, and that the 18th Brumaire, far
from being necessary or even beneficial to France, was at once
both a crime and a blunder.
Throughont the whole of the volume, which consists of twelve
lectures, Thiers is pursued with relentless and cruel rigor. The
author even maintains that the famous codification of French law
had its origin in the Revolutionary assemblies, and that Napoleon
had only a secondary share in the completion of it. The book
goes far towards demolishing the legendary Napoleon, and it
shows the most renowned of the emperor's historians to be an un-
safe and untrustworthy guide.
Jung, Thomas.-Bonaparte et son Temps. 1769–99. D'après les
documents inédits, avec cartes. 2 vols., 12mo, Paris, 1880.
The latest and one of the most noteworthy products of the
strong current that has lately set in against the Napoleons. The
author seeks in Bonaparte's early life and education an explana-
tion of many of his characteristics. The fault of the book is the
intense warmth with which it carries on the battle against Napo-
leon. Though it is written with signal ability, it lacks that judi-
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
339
cious serenity of judgment necessary to give to a book a perma-
nent value. But notwithstanding this characteristic, it will not
fail to strengthen and deepen the impression made by the great ,
work of Lanfrey.
The principal value of these interesting volumes is in the nu-
merous important contributions the author makes to our scanty
knowledge of Napoleon's early life. Two new points he appar-
ently succeeds in establishing : first, that Napoleon was not the
second son, but the eldest; and, second, that he was not born in
1769, but in 1768. The ground of the falsification was the fact
that when young Bonaparte applied for admission to the school
at Brienne, he was past the proper age, and therefore represented
himself as one year younger than he really was. To the enor-
mous number of deliberate falsehoods of which Napoleon had
already been convicted, Jung has made a very considerable addi-
tion.
Rémusat, Madame de--Memoirs of. 1802–8. Edited, with a
Preface and Notes, by her Grandson, Paul de Rémusat, Senator.
Translated by Mrs. Cashel Hoey and Mr. John Lillie. 2 vols.,
8vo, London, 12mo, New York, 1880.
Madame de Rémusat was one of Josephine's maids of honor,
and, as such, was familiar with very many of the events that
transpired within the household of Napoleon. She was a woman
of remarkable intellectual gifts, and of far more than usual ac-
complishments as a writer. The keenness of her own intelligence,
and the intimacy with Josephine, to which she was not only ad-
mitted, but welcomed, gave her those extraordinary opportunities
which she has turned to so good account in these “Memoirs."
The work, as a whole, is at once the most interesting and the
most damaging commentary on the character of Napoleon that
has ever been produced. His all-devouring selfishness and ego-
tism, his brutal tyranny over his own family, his utter lack of
sincerity, his profound contempt for truth, his absolute faithless-
ness to the obligations he had imposed upon himself, are all
shown by an accumulation of evidence that is fairly appalling.
There is one deduction to be made from the work as an ani-
340
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
thority. The original memoirs were destroyed, and the copy that
we now possess was written out from memory. Though there
is abundant evidence that the author's powers of exact remem-
brance were remarkable, yet the judicious reader will attach to
the details of the narrative somewhat less importance than the
original copy would have deserved and received.
Hazlitt, William.- The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte.
8vo and 12mo, London and Philadelphia, 1878.
3 vols.,
This work, written by one of the most skilful literary artists
and critics of the early part of this century, was published in
1830, the year of the author's death. Hazlitt entered upon the
labor of preparing this book with the serious purpose of doing
what he could to counteract the common impressions in Eng-
land concerning the character and career of Napoleon. He stud-
ied the subject with considerable care, and spent some months on
The result is not, indeed, a correct view of Napoleon as he is
revealed to us by later investigators, but still one of the best of
tories of Napoleon written on the north side of the Channel, it
shows a strong sympathy for the career of its subject. Certainly
in English no better word than this has been spoken for the first
emperor. But as all histories written before the publication of
Napoleon's Correspondence are now to be regarded as incomplete
and imperfect, so this cannot be held as a high authority.
Abbott, J. S. C.—The History of Napoleon Bonaparte. With many
Maps and Illustrations. 2 vols., royal 8vo, New York, 1855.
This book has been read with more enthusiasm, and criticised
with more severity, than perhaps any other life of Napoleon. The
author was not simply an ardent, but a boundless, admirer of the
emperor. His effort was to create an enthusiasm for his hero.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
341
similar to that which he himself felt. He was not too particular
in regard to his facts, but those which he made use of he arrayed
with such consummate skill as to captivate completely the judg-
ment of the ignorant and the unwary. Few young persons can
read the book without sharing much of the author's enthusiasm
eren for what a mature judgment must call the bad qualities of
an essentially bad man.
Lamartine, Alphonse de.-The History of the Restoration of
Monarchy in France. Translated by Captain Rafter. 4 vols.,
crown 8vo, London and New York, 1854.
A work less objectionable than the same author's history of
the Girondists, but having many of the same characteristics. It
is the production of a rhapsodist, brilliant, interesting, and disap-
pointing. After the author's fashion, it portrays the government
from 1815 to 1830. Nearly the whole of the first volume is de-
voted to proving that “Napoleon's genius was posthumous. The
first of soldiers, not of statesmen, he was clear-sighted as to the
past, but blind as to the future."
Nobody will now care to read the book in course; but Lamar-
tine's testimony on particular points may be profitably consulted,
especially as consultation is made easy by a good index. The
translation is poor.
Viel-Castel, Louis de.-Histoire de la Restauration. 20 vols.,
8vo, Paris, 1860.
Even those who find time for the perusal of the twenty vol-
umes in which Thiers describes the fall of Napoleon need not be
encouraged to think they can read the same number of pages of
Viel-Castel ; for the work on the Restoration resembles that on
the Consulate and Empire only in length. Explorers, however,
will find it a useful book, but they will be compelled to use it as
they would “ Hansard's Debates” or the Congressional Globe.
342.
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Blanc, Louis.—The History of Ten Years, 1830-40. 2 vols.,
8vo, London, 1844.
A brilliant piece of writing, which abounds in minute details of
obscure events, many of them of no present value whatever, save
perhaps as a picture of the animosities between different parties.
As a portrayal of a very turbulent period, the book has some
value; but it was written for persons living in the whirl of events
described ; and, consequently, it abounds in allusions then per-
fectly understood, but now perplexing.
The introductory portion, swollen to some two hundred and
fifty pages, gives an interesting account of affairs from the down-
fall of Napoleon to the year 1830. Even these are a series of
reflections rather than a history. As a whole, the book is a con-
fusing mass of details, interspersed here and there with brilliant
similes and sayings. As if to add to the student's disappointinent,
the book was published without an index. It is a political pam-
phlet rather than a history, and was designed not so much to
describe events as to preach socialistic doctrines and assail the
government of Louis Philippe. It was not without much political
influence in its day.
Hillebrand, Karl.-Geschichte Frankreichs von der Thronbestei-
gung Louis Philippe's bis zum Falle Napoleons III. 2 vols.,
8vo, Gotha, 1877-79.
We here have ample promise of the best history yet produced
of the stirring period in the history of France extending from
1830 to 1871. The author has the advantage of a thorough
training in the best historical methods, of good judgment and
critical insight, and of an intimate familiarity with recent French
affairs.
His effort avowedly is to subject to a new examination facts
, for the most part already sufficiently well known, and to show
their relations to one another and their significance in such a way
as to reveal their real power and influence. In the fulfilment of
this purpose he has occasion to analyze the characters and the
political doctrines of the statesmen who have stood at the head
HISTORIES OF FRANCE..
343
what the authie." The me first the
of affairs. His psychological studies of Louis Philippe, Lafayette,
Guizot, and Thiers are among the most interesting and valuable.
portions of the work.
The first volume begins with a picture of events left by the
July Revolution. Ten chapters carry the history over a periodi
of seven years, and the first volume closes with the conquest of.
Algiers in October of 1837.
The second is devoted to what the author happily calls “ Die
Blüthezeit der parlamentarischen Monarchie.” The material is
divided into two groups of five chapters each. In the first the
writer describes the general condition of society, the literary and
religious activities, socialism, and national economy. In the
second he portrays in a masterly manner the several phases of.
the contest between Parliament and the throne extending from
1837 to 1840, and closes with an account of the growing separa-
tion of the government from the governed.
In the prosecution of his labors thus far Hillebrand has made
use of a large amount of new material, the most important of
which consists of the reports made by ambassadors and envoys
to their own governments.
The remaining portion must be even more interesting and valu-
able than that already completed.
Lamartine, Alphonse de.- Histoire de la Révolution de 1848.
2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1849; in English, crown 8vo, London, 1852.
Though this work partakes strongly of Lamartine's methods,
yet it has the advantage of having been written by a man who
was himself in the thick of the struggle. The book was pre-
pared in great haste ; but as a picture of actual events it has
some value. The author, even when at the head of the govern-
ment, could not cease to be a poet; and it was this fact which led
the people to shout, as they did on one famous occasion, “ Assez
de la lyre.” The same characteristic gives interest to his opinions,
and robs them of value.
344
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Pierre, Victor.--Histoire de la Républiqne de 1848.
8vo, 2d ed., 1878.
2 vols.,
The most recent and perhaps the most satisfactory, though not
the most complete, bistory of events in France from February,
1848, to December, 1851. It is founded on a careful examina-
tion of documents, and is written in a pleasing style. The author
is hostile to the imperial policy of the Bonapartes.
The first volume describes the provisional government, the
executive commission, and the power and influence of Cavaignac.
The second is an account of events from the full establishment
of the republic to its overthrow by the coup d'état of Napo-
leon III.
Normanby, Marquis of.-A Year of Revolution, from a Journal
kept in Paris in 1848. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1857.
The author was English Ambassador at Paris during the occur-
rence of the events he describes. The book is judiciously written,
and is an authority on the period. Alison made frequent use of
it in the preparation of his chapters on the Revolution of 1848.
Carné, Count Louis de.-Études sur l'Histoire du Gouvernement
Représentatif en France de 1789 à 1848. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1855.
A valuable study, calm in spirit, dignified in manner, and judi-
cial in tone. The author's bias is towards the doctrinaire school
of politics, but his views are generally tempered by the experi-
ences of a practical statesmanship. In his estimate of the revo-
lutionists he pursued a middle course, and is therefore more just
than are the sentimental writers of either school. He has given
a judicial estimate of the Girondists, standing about midway be-
tween the laudations of Lamartine and the depreciation of Louis
Blanc.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
345
Guizot, F.-Mémoires pour servir à l'Histoire de mon Temps. 8
vols., 8vo and 12mo, Paris and Leipsic, 1858-67. Also in
translation, London, 4 vols., 8vo.
These volumes cover the period of Guizot's political life, ex-
tending from 1807 to 1848. They are an account not so much
of contemporaneous events as of the manner in which those events
were looked upon by the author. The second half of the work
is devoted exclusively to the period of Guizot's ministry, from
1840 to 1848.
It is not too much to say that it is the most important and the
most successful defence of Louis Philippe's general policy ever
published. Few unprejudiced persons will read his account with-
out being convinced that the abuses existing under the govern-
ment did not call for so violent a remedy as a revolution. In
the first chapter of the eighth volume the author expounds the
nature of parliamentary government, and declares that both the
king and his ministry were ready to advance with reforms as far
and as fast as Parliament demanded. He also shows that his
ministry constantly held itself accountable to Parliament, and
ready to retire whenever it found itself unwilling to support the
parliamentary policy. He shows conclusively that the Revolution
of 1848 was not so much directed against the king and ministry
as against Parliament.
In the second chapter of the eighth volume the author devotes
more than two hundred pages to the subject of the Spanish mar-
riages. This is the most elaborate defence of what is likely to be
regarded as the only indefensible part of Guizot's policy. The
chapter is an able specimen of special pleading, but it will proba-
bly convince very few readers that Guizot was correct.
2
Tocqueville, Alexis de - Memoirs, Letters, and Remains of.
Translated from the French by the translator of Napoleon's
Correspondence with King Joseph. With large additions. 2
vols., 12mo, London, 1861.
Two delightful volumes, that will be sure to interest the stu-
dent of modern French history. So acute an observer and so
15*
346
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
profound a critic as De Tocqueville could not look with indiffer-
ence on the events which brought the Republic of 1848 into
being, and finally led to the establishment of the Second Empire.
The value of the work is partly in the articles published in the
first volume, and partly in the letters contained chiefly in the
second. Of the articles, the most noteworthy are the one on
“France before the Revolution” and the two on “France before
the Consulate.” What the author has written on both of these
subjects is worthy of the most earnest attention, as they show
what was the natural, if not the inevitable, tendency of events.
The letters also contain many shrewd and wise observations on
the events of the times. The author was a good letter-writer,
and he numbered among his correspondents many of the ablest
men of France and England.
Delord, Taxile.- Histoire du Second Empire. 6 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1875.
A masterly work, that has already passed through several edi-
tions. It was begun some years before the fall of the Second
Empire, and was completed in 1874. It shows thorough re-
search, careful judgment, and great literary art. The author was
opposed to the restoration of the imperial régime, and his book
is the most elaborate and powerful arraignment of the Second
Empire ever published. It shows with extraordinary skill the
speciousness of that apparent prosperity which so long imposed
upon the world, and appeared in its true light only after the
events of 1870.
Jerrold, Blanchard.—The Life of Napoleon III., derived from
State Records, from Unpublished Family Correspondence, and
from Personal Testimony. 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1871-74.
The author assures us that he began to collect materials for
his work soon after the emperor ascended the French throne.
During several years he had the active assistance of the imperial
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
347
family in making his researches. He writes from a sympathetic
point of view; but his spirit is in the main impartial, and his
history is, beyond all question, the best account of Napoleon III.
and the Second Empire we have in English. It may well be read
in connection with the great work of Delord, in which the cause
of opposition to Napoleon is presented with consummate skill
and power. In point of ability, Jerrold must be considered much
inferior to Do in point of shis presented
Hugo, Victor.--The History of a Crime.
Witness. 12mo, New York, 1877.
The Evidence of a
This account of the coup d'état was written during the first
months of Victor Hugo's exile, in 1851 and 1852. It is devoted
to a description of the two days which saw the fall of the repub-
lic and the elevation of Louis Napoleon on the imperial throne.
Of its extraordinary popularity, evidence is seen in the fact that
in three months after its publication a hundred and twenty edi-
tions had been published. Of all the haters of Napoleon III., Vic-
tor Hugo was, perhaps, the most energetic, certainly the most
graphic. This fact gives ample key to the nature of the volume.
Adams, Charles Kendall.—Democracy and Monarchy in France,
from the Inception of the Great Revolution to the Overthrow
of the Second Empire. 8vo, 2d ed., New York, 1875.
This volume is made up of ten chapters, designed to show that
the political weakness of the Second Empire was the legitimate
result of the doctrines and habits that had been taking root in
the nation during the previous century. “The Philosophers of
the Revolution," "The Politics of the Revolution,” “The Rise of
Napoleonism,” “The Restoration," "The Ministry of Guizot,”
“The Revolution of 1848," "From the Second Republic to the
Second Empire," " Universal Suffrage under the Second Empire,”
and “The Decline and Fall” are the titles of the chapters under
which this discussion is carried on.
348
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
The most prominent political evils in France are attributed to -
the revolutionary spirit engendered and encouraged by the faults
of the government, on the one hand, and by the political litera-
ture of the period on the other.
Van Laun, Henry.—The French Revolutionary Epoch. Being
a History of France from the Beginning of the First Revolu-
tion to the End of the Second Empire. 2 vols., 8vo, London
and New York, 1878.
A rapid sketch, without great care, and without deep insight
into the significance of events. As a narrative it is generally
accurate, and consequently is not without value, though it shows
marks of too great haste on the part of the author. It is a de-
scription of events, rather than a discussion of causes and conse-
quences.
Martin, Henri.—Histoire de France depuis 1789 jusqu'à nos
jours. 3 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1879.
The reader will here find the well-known characteristics of the
author's great “ History of France," of which, indeed, it may be
regarded as a continuation. Every chapter shows absolute impar-
tiality, firm and elevated judgment, clear and rapid narration, and
a simple and graphic style. The third volume embraces the his-
tory from the treaty of Campo-Formio to the retreat from Russia.
The promise given in the title, it will be seen, has been as yet
but partially fulfilled. It is a fragment, however, for which every
genuine scholar of French history will be thankful.
Le Goff, Francois.— The Life of Louis Adolphe Thiers. Trans-
lated from the unpublished manuscript by Theodore Stanton.
12mo, New York, 1879.
A very interesting but much too laudatory sketch of the polit-
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
349
ical life of Thiers. His career ended, it is true, in triumph; but
probably no biography will ever be able to show that this states-
man's vast talents were not very often enlisted in the wrong cause.
The deliberate judgment of history will hardly fail to declare that
Thiers contributed more than any other man, with the possible
exception of Lamartine, to the weaknesses of French politics from
1815 to 1870. His career, at least during forty years, amply jus-
tified the mot of Cousin, that Thiers was a vine in constant need
of an oak.
Simon, Jules.—The Government of M. Thiers, from the 8th Feb-
ruary, 1871, to the 24th May, 1873. 2 vols., 8vo, New York,
1878.
An account of that most trying period which immediately fol-
lowed the fall of Paris. It is written by one who was at once a :
minister of the government, a scholar, and an acute observer of
affairs. As member of the Cabinet, Simon had adınission to all
the councils of the President and all the sessions of the Assembly.
In addition to these qualifications, he has the gift of clear and
judicious narration.
The last chapter of the first volume is devoted to the Commune,
and is an excellent account of the rise and fall of that turbulent
attempt to control the city. The third chapter of the second vol-
ume gives one of the best accessible explanations of the fall of
the Thiers government.
III. HISTORIES OF INSTITUTIONS AND CIVILIZATION.
Coulanges, Fustel de.--Histoire des Institutions Politiques de
l'Ancienne France. Première partie : L'Empire Romain; Les
Germains; La Royauté Mérovingienne. 8vo, Paris, 1877.
While professing to be simply a picture of Gaul from the first
to the ninth century, this is really a picture of the whole Barbarian
world and of its relations with the Roman Empire.
All the writings of this author show extensive research, critical
350
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
judgment, and great literary skill. Of the work before us, the
most striking portions are books ii. and iii. The former, contain-
ing some two hundred pages, is devoted to the political organiza-
tion of the Roman Empire; the latter, of a hundred and twenty-
five pages, to the Germanic invasions, or the various methods by
which the German element worked itself into the Roman do-
mains. The political and social institutions of the German races
are described with extraordinary skill. No other recent work has
thrown more light on early mediæval history, and no work on
the subject has at any time been presented in so attractive a form.
The literary skill of the author has given to the subject a surpris-
ing freshness and attractiveness. It is a work that no student
can afford to neglect.
Ampère, J. J.-Histoire Littéraire de la France avant Charle-
magne. 2 vols., 8vo, 2d ed., 1867.' The second edition is but
slightly modified from the first, though some of the modifica-
tions are not without importance.
The first edition of this work appeared in 1839, and was hon-
ored with the Gobert Prize of the French Academy. It was
everywhere received as a substantial contribution, not only to the
history of French literature, but also to French literature itself.
It shows great erudition, and, though written in a pleasing and
popular style, the more substantial qualities of learning are never
sacrificed to piquancy of language or grace of expression.
Six preliminary chapters of nearly a hundred and fifty pages
are devoted to a description of the people of Gaul before the
Conquest by Cæsar. In the course of this description, the influ-
ence of the Iberians, the Celts, the Phænicians, the Greeks, and
the Romans is carefully considered. Then follow twenty chap-
ters on the condition of Gaul from the establishment in the coun-
try of the Greeks and Romans to the arrival of the “Barbarians.”
This includes the period of the establishment of Christianity, and
involves a description of such literary works, both Christian and
Pagan, as appeared to the author worthy of notice. The second
book, of seventeen chapters, concludes the work with an account
of the period between the invasions and accession of Charle-
magne.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
351
The last chapters, those in which the author describes the
legends of the age, and accounts for them in the essential barba-
rism of the people, are of especial interest and value. The work
as a whole is still an authority, though a few of the author's con-
clusions have been opened to question by later investigations.
Ampère, J.J.-Histoire Littéraire de la France sous Charlemagne
et durant les Xe et XIe siècles. 8vo, 2d ed., Paris, 1868.
We here find the same graceful and scholarly characteristics as
The period is a far more interesting one; but it is one about
which more was already known, and it may be doubted, there-
fore, whether the volume makes as large a contribution to our
knowledge as did its predecessors. But it is no less thorough in
its methods, and to most readers it will be no less new. It may
be used with great advantage in connection with Guizot's “ His-
tory of Civilization in France" and Mullinger's “Schools in the
Time of Charlemagne.”
Guizot, François.—History of Civilization in France from the
Fall of the Roman Empire. Translated by William Hazlitt.
3 vols., 12mo, New York, 1860.
Two courses of lectures, giving a picture of society in Europe
during the period of the invasions and the prevalence of the
feudal system.
Though the work was published as early as 1831, and conse-
quently had not the advantages of the profound researches since
carried on, yet its merits and importance were such that it has
not yet been superseded.
The characteristics of the lectures are general thoroughness of
l'esearch, clear insight into political causes, elevation of moral
sentiment, and earnest but liberal religious conviction. Guizot
in narrative and descriptive power, and hence he fell short of be-
ing what would be called a great historical artist. But he was
352
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
what may be called a physiologist of history, and as such has had
no superior. It is in an ability to lay bare the internal and secret
connection of facts, the motive forces of the social and political
organism, that his merits are most conspicuous.
The work is not limited in its scope to France alone; but as it
treats of the period before the rise of modern nationalities, it is
almost equally applicable to other Continental nations. The por-
tions that relate to the condition of affairs under Charlemagne
and to the feudal system are of greatest value.
Guizot, François.--Essais sur l'Histoire de France. 8vo, Paris,
9th ed., 1857. The first edition appeared in 1823.
The ideas which Guizot gave to the public for the first time in
this collection have since been elaborated in his various courses
of lectures. But the first essay in the volume continues to have
a distinct value. It is “Concerning Municipal Government in the
Roman Empire during the Fifth Century of the Christian Era,"
and is a discussion of the great and puzzling question as to the
true causes of the fall of the Roman authority.
The author fixes attention to the fact that the empire was an
agglomeration of towns held together by the central power, but
really controlled by classes, which under the Roman system were
gradually but completely destroyed. The consequence was that
the central authority no longer had any resources on which it
could rely. As the Germanic element gradually infiltrated itself
into the towns, the Roman authority lost all its vitality. Before
the appearance of the work of Coulanges, this essay was the best
account ever given of the most fatal weakness of the empire.
Thierry, Augustin.-Lettres sur l'Histoire de France pour servir
d'Introduction à l'Étude de cette Histoire. Nouvelle édition,
revue et corrigée. 8vo and 12mo, Paris, 1859.
This volume of letters throws much light on several topics that
are somewhat obscure and difficult. The letters are not all of the
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
353
same value, and need not be read in course. But letters xiii.-xxiv.
are devoted to a description of the mediæval communes; and as
a portraiture of the system of free cities are of the greatest im-
portance. Letter xxv., also, is an admirable account, in some
twenty pages, of the national assemblies.
Thierry, Augustin.--Dix Ans d'Études Historiques. Cinquième
édition, revue et corrigée. Svo and 12mo, Paris, 1846.
An admirable collection of essays on the history of England
and the history of France. Eleven of the papers are devoted to
England and eighteen to the author's own country.
The essays are brief, but they are the fruit of earnest labor,
keen intelligence, and careful judgment. The only qualification
of praise to be made is the fact that at times they seem a little
passé, owing to the result of more recent investigations. Thierry
may always, however, be read with interest and profit.
Thierry, Augustin.-The Formation and Progress of the Tiers
État, or Third Estate in France. 12mo, London, 1855.
A portrayal of the rise of the common people in France from
villenage to the possession of political power. The humble part
of the people in the States-General of the fourteenth, fifteenth,
and sixteenth centuries, and the temporary extinction of their in-
fluence by the policy of Richelieu and Louis XIV., are fully de-
scribed.
In.the tenth chapter the author shows how completely, under
Louis XIV., local institutions were smothered and the life of the
nation was drawn towards the centre. The last part of the work
gives an interesting insight into the establishment of communal
governments in the twelfth century. In an appendix is given an
interesting cahier drawn up by the village of Blaigny for the
States-General of 1576. As a specimen of the state-papers of the
sixteenth century, it is worthy of note.
23
354
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Bastard, Le Vicomte de.—Les Parlements de France. Essai His-
torique. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1858.
An admirable picture of the conspicuous part played by the
parliaments of France from the thirteenth century to the eigh-
teenth. The volumes show the real nature of that long struggle
between the parliaments and the crown which had so inuch to do
with shaping French history.
It was doubtless largely through the influence of these bodies
that the old nobility of France grew into power. The right to
judge as well as the right to rule became hereditary. Lads of
sixteen or seventeen were often recognized as the successors of
their fathers; and although the sons did not acquire the right of
sitting as judges at once, they sat to prepare themselves for the
time when their full rights should be acknowledged. The growth
of these characteristics is well traced. The book is worthy of the
attention of every thoughtful student of political development.
Bavélier, Adrien.-Essai Historique sur le droit d'Élection et sur
les Anciennes Assemblées Représentatives de la France. 8vo,
Paris, 1874.
The importance of the subject here examined is fully indicated
by the title of the work. The student who would compare the
manner in which the early representative assemblies of France
lost their power and influence with the way in which representa-
tion in England grew into a permanent feature of government
will find here much that is of great value.
The author is a jurist of eminence, and writes from a legal as
well as from an historical point of view.
Picot, Georges.-Histoire des États-Généraux, considérée au point
de vue de leur influence sur le gouvernement de la France de
1355 à 1614. 4 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1872.
A book of great importance in the study of the constitutional
development of France. To the student who would learn what
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
355
the States-General were, and why they accomplished so little for
the development of the nation, while for England Parliament ac-
complished so much, this work of Picot will afford abundant as-
sistance and satisfaction. It is a later and a much more satisfac-
tory treatment of the subject than that of Boullée.
Boullée, M. A.-Histoire Complète des États-Généraux et autres
Assemblées Réprésentatives de France, depuis 1302 jusqu'en
1626. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1845.
This work received the honor of favorable mention by the In-
stitute, and is also worthy of the favorable attention of the stu-
dent. During several centuries the States-General were more or
less intimately identified with all the great movements in France,
and it was long a question whether they would finally develop
into a permanent legislative body like the Parliament of England,
or whether they would fall into decay and ruin. The author has
made very clear how they were called into power, how for four
centuries they did something to protect popular liberty, how they
failed to do very much, and, finally, how they ceased entirely to
be a political force.
The portion of the work that will most interest the general
student is the second half of the second volume. This is devoted
to the composition of the States-General, the modes of election,
and the ceremonials of deliberation. This description might well
have formed the introduction instead of the conclusion of the
work.
Dareste, Cléophas.—Histoire de l'Administration en France et
des Progrès du Pouvoir Royal depuis le règne de Philippe-Au-
guste jusqu'à la mort de Louis XIV. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1848.
The very important subject of these volumes has nowhere re-
ceived more adequate treatment. The author describes with am-
ple fulness and with judicious discrimination the growth of royal
power from the time when the feudal barons were everywhere as-
serting their independence to the final absorption of all authority
in the hands of Richelieu and Louis XIV.
356
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
The most important part of the work is that which depicts the
long struggle between the monarch and the parliaments and the
States - General. The way in which all legislative power was
gradually concentrated in the hands of the king forms one of
the most instructive lessons of French history.
Pasquier, Félix.-Histoire de l'Unité Politique et Territoriale de
la France. 3 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1879–80.
The subject is one of great interest and importance, and the
author has treated it with impartiality and moderation.
But while the book has these merits, it has some defects. The
arrangement of the materials is unsatisfactory; and the author
has not been quite sufficiently careful in his presentation of facts.
A more thorough examination of sources or a little more care in
the labor of preparation would have enabled him to avoid a few
errors that now disfigure his pages. The errors, however, are
generally of minor importance.
Doniol, Henry.—Histoire des Classes Rurales en France et de leurs
Progrès dans l'Égalité Civile et la Propriété. 8vo, Paris, 1857;
2d ed., 1865.
This author has recently made several important contributions
to the history of the period just before the French Revolution.
He has studied with special care the condition and the relations
of the several classes; and the most important of the results
reached he has embodied in a work on the abolition of feudalism,
and in this one on the history of the rural classes.
Industrious and skilful use has been made of the vast store of
materials at the author's hand. He has penetrated the subject
with keen insight, and has pointed to many facts overlooked by
De Tocqueville, Taine, and Quinet.
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
357
Dareste, Cléophas.—Histoire des Classes Agricoles en France de-
puis Saint Louis jusqu'à Louis XVI. 8vo, Paris, 1854; 2d ed.,
entirely recast and much enlarged, 8vo, 1858.
The systems of land-tenure and the methods by which taxes were
imposed are universally regarded as among the most fruitful of
the causes that brought on the great Revolution.
Nowhere else is the subject more adequately and compre-
hensively treated than in this volume. The student who is trying
to trace the history of social changes in France will derive help
from the volume at almost every point.
Perrens, F.T.—La Démocratie en France au Moyen Âge. Histoire
des tendances démocratiques dans les populations urbanes au
XIVe et au XVe siècle. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1873.
This work was crowned by the Institute, and was generally re-
ceived as one of the most scholarly of recent productions on the
Middle Ages. It is at once a description of municipal life in
mediæval France and an account of the great struggle towards
municipal freedom. It is a production of unquestionable impor-
tance, for it shows the same philosophical insight into political and
hilosophical insight into political and
social forces as the author's more recent “ History of Florence.”
Stephen, Sir James. - Lectures on the History of France. 2
vols., 8vo, London, 1857. An abridged edition, containing se-
lected lectures, New York, 1 vol., 8vo, 1860.
A course of lectures of very considerable value in the study of
French institutions. They deal largely with the relations of cause
and effect; and, therefore, throw light on the development of
French nationality. The lectures giving most important presen-
tations are those in which the parliaments and States-General are
described. Those on the “Sources and Management of the
Revenues” and on the “Power of the Purse” are also of value as
showing the fundamental difficulties that finally brought on the
Revolution.
358
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Vuitry, Ad. - Études sur le Régime Financier de la France
avant la Révolution de 1789. Les Impôts Romains dans la
Gaule au Ve au Xe Siècle ; Le Régime Financier de la Mo-
narchie Féodale aux XI, XII, et XIIe siècles. 8vo, Paris,
1878.
Of the numerous questions that Calonne, Turgot, and Necker
had to grapple with, none were more troublesome than the prob-
lems of taxation and revenue. The financial methods of France
had been exceedingly confused and incoherent. Taxes had been
levied with oppressive inequality; and injustice was so rooted in
the prevailing methods and traditions that all attempts at reform
met with a stubborn and successful resistance.
It is the expressed purpose of M. Vuitry to write a history of
financial methods in France from the earliest times down to the
close of the eighteenth century. He is well qualified for the task,
not only by his ability and learning, but also by some thirty years
of successful public service. The first volume gives promise of
a work of great learning and value.
The first part, consisting of a hundred pages, gives a sufficiently
full account of the financial methods that prevailed before the
eleventh century. The second part is much more elaborate, and
is divided into ten chapters. The subjects treated embrace the
condition of all ranks of persons, from the serfs to the king; the
division of lands; the power of the seigneurs; the royal power ;
the domains of the crown and the history of their extension; the
revenues of the monarch ; different kinds of money; the royal
expenses; methods of financial administration; and an historical
account of receipts and expenditures.
Rosières, Raoul.-Histoire de la Société Française au Moyen Âge.
2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1878–80.
In these volumes the author has brought together a vast num-
ber of facts gathered promiscuously at second-hand and from
original sources. The work, therefore, is not so much a history
as a succession of vivid pictures.
Each of the volumes is divided into two parts—the first volume
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
359
becond volume, 1 of faith, as bas of the clergy
being devoted to monarchy and the nobility; the second, to the
Church and the people.
The most striking peculiarity of the work is the fact that the
author, in the second volume, has undertaken to show that the
Middle Ages were not a period of faith, as has commonly been
supposed, but, on the contrary, that the empire of the clergy over
the people was always precarious, and that civil society was al-
ways in a state of rebellion against it. These conclusions will
hardly be accepted; but, at least, it must be admitted that the
author has presented a picturesque view of medieval affairs. The
sad realities of monastic life are painted in dark contrast with the
high ideals entertained by its founders.
Elliot, Frances.--Old Court Life in France.
London, 1873.
2d ed., 2 vols., 8vo,
Mrs. Elliot declares in the preface to this book that she has all
her life been a student of French memoirs. The result of this
devotion is a gossipy picture of the absurd formalities of old times
in France. It is a story of unsavory plots and counterplots, be-
ginning with Francis I. and ending with Maintenon.
As a picture of one of the phases of French society, it has its
value; though it will be thought by most judicious readers to be
inferior to some of the chapters on the same subject in Taine's
volume on the old régime.
Monteil, Amans Alexis.—Histoire des Français des divers États,
ou Histoire de France aux cinque derniers siècles. 4° éd., aug-
mentée d'une notice historique par M. Jules Janin, et d'une table
analytique par M. Bruguière. 5 vols., 12mo, Paris, 1853. This
edition, though inferior in form to the third, is in other respects
superior.
A book of remarkable erudition, but the arrangement of its
materials is so unskilful that it is very difficult to use. A student
desiring knowledge of life in France from the fourteenth to the
eighteenth century, however, may find much in it that is useful as
360
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
well as entertaining. In imitation of Isaac Disraeli's work, it
might have been called “Curiosities of French History.” Monteil
carried on his explorations everywhere, and the fruits of his re-
searches constitute an invaluable museum of historical curiosities.
Each of the volumes is devoted to one of the centuries included
in the scope of the author's purpose.
Hettner, Hermann.-Geschichte der französischen Literatur im
achtzehnten Jahrhundert. Svo, Brunswick, 1860.
This volume shows the same skilful handiwork that was ob-
served in the author's.“ History of German Literature."
It begins with a sketch of the literary characteristics of the last
years of Louis XIV. and of the regency of the Duke of Orleans.
The second book is entitled "Die Blüthe der französischen Auf-
klärungsliteratur,” and includes a critical account of “ Voltaire
and Montesquieu," “ Diderot and the Encyclopedists,” and “Rous-
seau and his School.” .
One of the most interesting and valuable portions of the vol-
ume is the third book, in which the author considers the power
and influence, in the several nations of Europe, of the French
literature of the last century. It is in this portion of the work
that the writer's powers show to the best advantage.
Taine, H. A.—The Ancient Régime. Translated by John Du-
rand. 8vo, London and New York, 1876.
Written with the author's well-known brilliancy and ability,
The reports of the intendants in different parts of the realm are
very freely used, and furnish the material for the most valuable
parts of the book. As a revelation of society in its different
phases during the hundred years before the Revolution, the book
has no equal. The habits and methods of the rich and the poor
are painted with wonderful skill; and the causes of the prevailing
poverty are shown to be somewhat different from those generally
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
361
assigned. Great stress is laid upon that system of absenteeism
which encouraged the nobles in going to the cities, withdrew the
wealth from the country districts, led to the abandonment of vast
tracts of fertile soil, and finally brought on famine and starvation.
The volume may properly be considered a picture of society
preliminary to the author's "History of the Revolution.”
Tocqueville, Alexis De. - L'Ancien Régime et la Révolution.
8vo, Paris. 3e éd., revue et corrigée, 8vo, Paris, 1857. Also
translated into English by John Bonner, 12mo, New York,
1856.
Somewhat less complete and satisfactory than De Tocqueville's
book on Democracy in America ; but doubtless for the reason
that the author did not live to complete it. It shows the same
diligent research, and the same masterly application of the in-
ductive method to the study of political and social conditions.
De Tocqueville possessed a high-minded and pure-hearted sym-
pathy with democratic ideas; and he brought all his great abilities
to bear upon the study of the period just before the Revolution.
His conclusions were founded upon the most laborious and consci-
entious study of original documents, such as the accounts and
correspondence of the intendants, the parochial registers, and the
parliamentary memoirs. The result was a far more trustworthy
and conclusive exposition of the causes that overthrew the old
French monarchy than had ever before been presented.
Not only did he give a striking exposure of the wretched in-
competency and oppressiveness of the monarchs; but, what is per-
haps of still greater value, he gave a most convincing demon-
stration that the Revolution bad changed the governmental system
of the monarchy far less than has generally been supposed. He
also showed the folly of attributing to the Revolution the ad-
ministrative centralization of France, as well as the folly of the
promoters of the Revolution in maintaining centralization while
professing to foster liberty.
Although the work is incomplete, and therefore in a measure
unsatisfying, yet, notwithstanding this fact, it must be regarded
362
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
as one of the most valuable books on the period just before the
Revolution ever written.
Janet, Paul.-Philosophie de la Révolution Française. 2 vols.,
Svo, Paris, 1874.
The work of a philosopher, who discusses in excellent spirit
the predominant views entertained in the time of the Revolution.
The book is pervaded by two leading ideas. In the first place,
although the dominant aims of the Revolutionists were founded
in justice and reason, their extreme and despotic methods could
not be otherwise than injurious to the nation. In the second
place, these extreme methods begot a revolutionary spirit that,
even down to the war of 1870, was a great obstacle to anything
like true political development.
The book is written in the best form of philosophical discus-
sion, and to one who is fond of political philosophy will not fail
to be attractive.
Quinet, Edgar.-La Révolution. 5e éd., revue et augmentée de
la critique de la Révolution, 2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1868.
This might be called a study of the Revolution rather than a
history of it. Quinet was a very vigorous and suggestive think-
er, and was entirely free from the sentimental and melodramatic
methods so common with French writers on the Revolution. His
mind was one of the most finely cultured in France. He studied
in all the countries of Western Europe; and he brought to his
work an intelligence enriched with earnest thought as well as with
extended observation. Whatever he has written is worthy of
attention ; for he is the best representative of the reaction against
the optimistic method.
In his work on the Revolution he has taken up different phases
of the subject and studied them in a method similar to that we
may imagine De Tocqueville would have used had he lived to
continue his contemplated work. But Quinet's point of view
was quite different from De Tocqueville's. While the latter was
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
363
.
always inclined to make men the product of institutions, the
former looked upon institutions as the product of men. This
tendency gave Quinet a clear insight into certain phases of the
Revolutionary movement that some of the most painstaking inves-
tigators have overlooked. He was a Protestant, and his nature
was essentially, perhaps one might say ardently, religious. Hence
he did not lose sight of the fact that the failure of the Revolu-
tionists was largely due to their utter inability to solve or under-
stand the religious problems that confronted them. He points
out with great subtlety the spiritual deficiencies in the Revolu-
tionary creed ; and shows that many of the worst features of the
old régime were retained simply because the ideas on which they
rested were entirely misunderstood.
Of especial interest is the light the author throws on the career
and fall of Robespierre. In this he has contributed largely to our
knowledge by introducing extracts from the unedited memoirs of
Baudot.
In the study of what may be called the ethical rather than the
material elements of the Revolution, Quinet is perhaps the most
useful of all authorities. Like Carlyle, he should be used only
after some familiarity with the events of the period bas been
obtained.
Berriat, Saint-Prix.—La Justice Révolutionnaire. 8vo, Paris,
deuxième édition, 1870.
The production of a scholarly investigator, this volume is supe-
rior to all others on the subject of which it treats. It is success-
ful in showing that many of the impressions concerning the Revo-
lutionary tribunals are entirely erroneous. Among other correc-
tions, he proves at length that the story often repeated by histori-
ans and essayists of the so-called “ mariages républicains" is pure
fiction.
Burke, Edmund.-Reflections on the Revolution of France. 8vo,
London, 1790; also to be found in the fourth volume of
the American edition of Burke's Works.
This extraordinary book was published near the outbreak of the
02
364
LITERATURE.
TY
HISTORICAL French Revolution, and justly takes rank as one of the master-
pieces of English literature. It is at once a condemnation of the
Revolution, and a prophecy of the evils the Revolution would pro-
duce. As a specimen of denunciatory writing, it is probably one
of the most remarkable ever produced in any language. It pours
out torrent after torrent, Niagara after Niagara. But though it is
repetitious, and tberefore somewhat monotonous, it abounds in
shrewd judgments, in brilliant pictures, and in prophecies that
seem inspired. At times it is so unfair and so unjust that some
have attempted to explain its excesses by the presumption that
Burke had lost his reason. There is no need, however, of re-
sorting to this violent hypothesis. Burke's mind was always
essentially denunciatory in its nature ; and he was never able to
be quite just either to men or to political methods he disliked.
Moreover, though he was a passionate friend of liberty, he never
believed liberty was to be secured or preserved by submitting
political affairs to the control of masses of ignorant men. These
characteristics of his mind and of his political doctrines are quite
sufficient to account for the peculiarities of what, with all its
drawbacks, must probably be considered the greatest work of the
greatest writer of English prose.
Mackintosh, Sir James.--Vindiciæ Gallicæ. A Defence of the
French Revolution and its English Admirers against the Accu-
sations of the Right Hon. Edmund Burke, including some Strict-
ures on the late Production of Mons. de Calonne. 8vo, Lon-
don, 1791. Also published in the author's collected works.
This should be read in connection with Burke's essay. Its
purpose is sufficiently indicated by its title. Perhaps Mackintosh
was the only man at the time in England who by his literary
skill and his political sympathy was qualified to review the work
and break the force of its great influence.
Through the whole essay there runs a strong current of liberal
thought, which gives to it a constant value. As a presentation of
the view opposed to that of Burke, it has bad no superior, and,
perhaps, has never been equalled. Its appearance in England
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
365
raised the author at once to a position of supreme influence
among the members of the Whig party.
Croker, John Wilson.—Essays on the Early Period of the French
Revolution. 8vo, London, 1857.
A number of searching and very interesting studies on more or
less important points in the history of the Revolutionary period.
Croker's paper on the guillotine shows that the Revolutionary
method of decapitation was by no means new; and his review of
the histories of Thiers is the most searching and condemnatory
ever published before the appearance of the more elaborate criti-
cism of Barni. He was one of the extremest of Conservatives,
and, under the name of Rigby, was made to masquerade as a writer
of “slashing articles” in Disraeli's “Coningsby." As a reviewer,
Croker was one of the most conspicuous Tory figures of his day.
Schmidt, Julian.-Geschichte der französischen Literatur seit der
Revolution, 1789. 2 vols., 8vo, Leipsic, 1858.
A book at once very useful and very agreeable. Beginning
with the Revolution, the author passes in review the most impor-
tant writers of the several schools down to the developed form of
positivism in the productions of Comte.
The work is descriptive rather than critical. It is written, as
the author declares, not for Frenchinen, but for Germans; and he
might have added, not so much for German scholars as for the
more intelligent of the German middle class. Its aim is to give a
more general knowledge of that remarkable intellectual activity
which has characterized France during the present century.
Perhaps the most striking quality of the volumes is the pictur-
esqueness of the descriptions. The author shows a very bappy
faculty of describing each writer in such a way as to make him
a distinct personality in the presence of the reader. At times,
his characterizations are perhaps a little overdrawn, but they are
always striking and usually just. The descriptions of Lamartine
and Capefigue are especially worthy of note.
366
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
The author's style is one of the easiest to be found in modern
German prose.
Ferry, Jules.- La Lutte Électorale en 1863.
12mo, Paris, 1863.
A remarkable portrayal of the hollowness of the French system
of elections under the empire. The author shows in a very strong
light and with minute details the utter worthlessness of those
directly a powerful attack on the Second Empire, inasmuch as it
showed that the popular support on which it pretended to justify
its existence was a mere pretence and a sham.
Reeve, Henry. - Royal and Republican France. 2 vols., 8vo,
London, 1872.
Reviews and essays published from time to time by an able
and careful observer of French affairs. Reeve was an intimate
friend of De Tocqueville and the translator of his works. Much
of his life was spent in France, and he was on intimate terms with
the most prominent Frenchmen of his time. Probably no Eng-
lishman of the present century, excepting, perhaps, Senior, has
made himself more familiar with recent French political history.
The essays here collected, therefore, are invariably judicious in
tone and are worthy of careful study. Those on “Mirabeau” and
on “Marie Antoinette” will probably be found of greatest value.
Senior, Nassau William. — Journals kept in France and Italy
from 1848 to 1852 ; with a Sketch of the Revolution of 1848.
Edited by his Daughter, M. C. M. Simpson. 2 vols., 8vo, Lon-
don, 1871.
Mr. Senior was a well-known English political economist, but
his favorite recreation was the study of politics, and his life was
largely spent among politicians. · On going to the Continent, he
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
367
was loaded with letters of introduction from all quarters, and
these, with his personal accomplishments, secured for him every-
where a cordial welcome. He kept a journal which differs from
the journals of others in the great prominence he gives to the
conversations of those he meets. His memory was so strong that
he was generally able to write a verbatim report of what was said
on any occasion. These reports he had the singular habit of hav.
ing corrected by the speakers themselves. Their accuracy, there-
fore, appears to be unquestionable.
Senior arrived at the French capital in 1848, in time to witness
the attack on the National Assembly. He became the intimate
friend of De Tocqueville, and was at once admitted to the best so-
ciety of Paris. As material for the history of the time, the value
of these volumes must be apparent to every reader.
Senior, Nassau William. — Conversations with M. Thiers, M.
Guizot, and other Distinguished Persons during the Second
Empire. Edited by his Daughter, M. C. M. Simpson. 2 vols.,
8vo, London, 1878.
A continuation of the preceding work. The author was much
with the leaders of the opposition to the government of the Sec-
ond Empire. From 1852 to 1860 he was nearly as much in Paris
as in London. During the whole of this time his keeping of a
journal was no secret; and his daughter assures us that in most
cases the speakers corrected his reports of their conversations.
The volumes are at once delightful reading, and of great use as
affording to each of the speakers an opportunity to account in his
own words for his political stewardship. It is to be noted, how-
ever, that Senior was more with the opposition than with friends
of the government, and, consequently, the government has not
quite a fair representation. But as a presentation of the views of
the opposition, the work is one of the most complete ever made.
Haas, C. P. Marie.—Administration de la France. Histoire et
Mécanisme des Grands Pouvoirs de l'État, Fonctions Publiques,
368
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Conditions d'Administration et d'Avancement dans toutes les
Carrières, Priviléges et Immunités. 2e éd., 4 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1861.
The design of the author of this great work was to describe
the peculiarities of the French government from the earliest times
to the present. It does for the government of France what Todd
and Gneist have done for the government of England. Each pe-
riod of the history is taken up in its order, and its peculiarities
of government and administration are well described.
Kaiser, Simon.-Französische Verfassungsgeschichte von 1789 bis
1852 in ihrer historischen Aufeinanderfolge und systematischen
Entwickelung. 8vo, Leipsic, 1852.
As a description of the numerous constitutions adopted in
France since the outbreak of the great Revolution, this book has
real value. Nor is it merely a collection and description of the
constitutions. Although these are all brought together in an ap-
pendix, the main portion of the work consists of a history of the
ideas which from time to time were embodied in the constitutions
newly adopted. It is probably the most valuable work of its
kind yet produced.
Nisard, D.-Histoire de la Littérature Française. 4 vols., 8vo,
Paris, 1844–61. The fifth edition, without important changes,
was published in 1874.
In the first book the author describes the general characteris-
tics of French literature during the Middle Ages. The second in-
troduces the reader to a much fuller treatment of the period of
the Renaissance; the third, filling the second and third volumes,
describes the literature of the age of Louis XIV.; and the fourth
brings the work to an end at the beginning of the French Rev-
olution.
As early as 1834, when only twenty-eight years of age, Nisard
attracted the attention of Guizot by the power and brilliancy of
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
369
his work entitled " Les Poëtes Latins de la Décadence.” He was
a successful applicant for an important position in the École Nor-
male, though Sainte-Beuve was a rival candidate for the chair. A
little later he was chosen first assistant to the Minister of Public
Instruction, and in 1850 was given a seat in the Academy.
In literary criticism, as in politics, Nisard was a liberal Consery-
ative of the school of Guizot. In one of his earliest works he
criticised severely the tendency towards literary decadence, as
manifested in the popularity of the writings of Victor Hugo ;
comparing the tendency with that which was so marked in the
later literature of Rome. He was a strenuous opponent of the
Revolution of 1848, and criticised it with so much severity that
his words brought upon him the interference of the government.
He often refers to the Revolution of 1848 as the embodiment of
the worst teachings of the writers of the eighteenth century.
Throughout his work the author's criticisms are trenchant, his
comments are striking, and his style is fluent and interesting.
Villemain, Abel François.-Cours de Littérature Française. Ta-
bleau de la Littérature du Moyen Âge, 2 vols.; Tableau de la
Littérature au XVIIIe Siècle, 4 vols. In all, 6 vols., 8vo and
12mo, Paris, 1840; latest revised and corrected edition, 1864.
The author, one of the most brilliant lecturers and writers of
his generation, early showed extraordinary gifts. He was succes-
sively appointed professor of history, of eloquence, and of litera-
ture; was admitted to the Academy as its youngest member; was
made its perpetual secretary; was appointed Minister of Public
Instruction; and, finally, was elevated to the rank of peer of
France.
The sixty-two lectures of which these volumes are made up
were a part of that triad so frequently referred to as the most
brilliant event in the history of higher education in France. They
were given on alternate days with the lectures of Guizot on the
“ History of Civilization, and with those of Cousin on the “ His-
tory of Philosophy.” Delivered in 1828 and 1829, they were at
first published from stenographic reports. These were revised by
24
370
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
the author in 1840, and again for the edition of 1864. The latest
revision contains no very fundamental or important changes.
The first volume surveys the period from the death of Louis
XIV. to Montesquieu ; the second, from Duclos to Voltaire; the
third, from Voltaire to Beaumarchais; the fourth, from Beaumar-
chais to Madame de Staël and Joseph de Maistre. •
· All critics agree that Villemain was one of the most happily
endowed writers of modern French. To a hearty appreciation
of great thoughts he united a style that was remarkable for its
elevation, its grace, its spirit, and its freedom from extravagance.
His judgments were independent and moderate, his insight quick
and profound, his imagination active and fruitful, and his modes
of expression were equally removed from the commonplace and
the extravagant.
It is doubtful whether the form of public lectures is the one
best adapted to impart minute information; but if something is
lost in precision, something is gained in spirit, and perhaps in
breadth. If the reader of Villemain does not acquire the most
exact knowledge, he will at least receive broad impressions that
are likely to be both correct and permanent.
Van Laun, Henri.—History of French Literature. Vol. i., from
its Origin to the Renaissance ; vol. ii., from the Classical Re-
naissance until the End of the Reign of Louis XIV. ; vol. iii.,
from the End of the Reign of Louis XIV. till the End of the
Reign of Louis Philippe. 3 vols., 8vo, London and New York,
1877.
A summary of French literature that the reader of English will
sometimes find convenient, but not one that is entitled to very
high praise. It is agreeably written, and is, for the most part,
well arranged.
But the faults of the work are numerous and important. It
shows unmistakable evidence of too great haste in preparation; it
contains numerous errors of considerable moment; it often sbows
a flippant looseness of expression; and, in general, it seems to be
founded quite as much on the standard histories of French litera-
ture as on a study of the literature itself. To one who is famil-
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
371
iar with the superior works of Ampère, Villemain, Hettner, and
Schmidt, it will appear to be a hasty and feeble handling of a
great subject. In one who knows little of French literature it
may awaken an interest, and even an enthusiasm. The author's
style is at least spirited, and his manifest love of the subject may
perhaps be imparted to the reader. But his judgments are not
an altogether safe guide.
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. The best brief history of France is probably Guizot's "Con-
cise History.” Lacombe's “Short History of the French People"
is a still briefer, but an admirable, book. White's “France” was
written with much spirit, but with some lack of judgment. The
lectures by Sir James Stephen should form a part even of a short
course. The chapters on France in the first volume of Buckle's
“Civilization " give one of the best preliminary views of the Rev-
olution. This may be followed by Mignet's or Morris's “Revolu-
tion," and this by Van Laun or Adams.
2. The best book on the earliest period is Coulanges's “ Insti-
tutions Politiques.” Thierry's “Histoire des Gaulois” is justly
famous. Guizot's “ Civilization in France” is next in importance.
It covers the period from the Roman Conquest to the end of the
feudal system. As a narrative history of the period before Louis
XI., Michelet's is the best in English, Martin's in French. The
events which led to the consolidation under Louis XI. are best
described in Commines, Willert, and Kirk. In the same connec-
tion, lecture xi. of Guizot's “ Civilization in Europe" should be
l'ead. The period of the Reformation is best described in Baird's
“Rise of the Huguenots.” The Catholic view is presented by
Capefigne. Poirson, Lacombe, and Perrens are the great modern
authorities on the time of Henry IV.; but nothing supersedes the
importance or interest of the “Memoirs ” of Sully. If the reader
commands German, he should consult Ranke on all questions of
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. On the great period of
Richelieu's administration there is no very satisfactory authority.
Martin's account, on the whole, is perhaps the best. Michelet
372
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
writes powerfully from a liberal point of view, and Capefigue
gives the monarchical side with his customary flippancy. Mar-
tin's “ Age of Louis XIV." is a somewhat too favorable view.
Guizot's account of this reign in his “ Popular History” is open
to the same objection, though, in the main, it is an admirable
picture of one side of the question. For the other side, see the
first volume of Buckle, also Taine's “Ancien Régime.”
The most judicious work on the Revolution is that of Von
Sybel. Carlyle's is a work of supreme genius, but should be read
not as a history, but as a condiment to go with other histories.
The history of the Revolution by Thiers has been the most
popular one in France, though many good judges give the palm
of excellence to that of Louis Blanc. Of all writers on the pe-
riod, Quinet is one of the most judicious and suggestive. Thiers's
“ Consulate and Empire” has some great qualities, but its prodig-
ious popularity has been chiefly owing to the adroit manner in
which it flatters French vanity. Lanfrey's book has almost rey-
olutionized public opinion of Napoleon I. Scott wrote without
investigation, and is quite untrustworthy. Alison investigated
with care, but is always strongly tinctured with Toryism ; Lock-
hart has a bias in the same direction. Hazlitt is an energetic
champion of Napoleon, and Abbott is absurdly laudatory. If the
reader desires a general work in English on France during this
century, he must use either Van Laun's “Revolutionary Epoch”
or Adams's “Democracy and Monarchy." For fuller accounts
of specific events, Hillebrand, Lamartine, Blanc, Hugo, Delord,
and Simon should be used.
3. Amédée Thierry's “Gaulois” is well summarized and re-
viewed in the Westminster Review for April, 1872. Arnold's
“Roman Provincial Administration” throws much light on early
municipal methods in France. The same subject receives lumi-
· nous treatment in Guizot's essay on the “Régime Municipal dans
l'Empire Romain,” published in the author's volume of “Essais."
The essay by the same historian on the causes of the fall of the
Merovingians and Carlovingians is worthy of careful attention.
The writings of Augustin Thierry are among the highest authori-
ties on this period. Fauriel's “Southern Gaul under the Germans"
is a learned description of society in the South; and Palgrave's
“Normandy" is a still more able and comprehensive view of the
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
373
North. Montalembert's “Monks of the West” gives eloquent
accounts of the introduction of the religious orders. Mullinger's
“Schools of Charles the Great” is a useful supplement to Gui-
zot's account of that monarch. Bulfinch’s “ Legends of Charle-
magne" present the romantic side of the period. De Joinville's
“ Louis IX.” is of interest, not only for its historical value, but as
being one of the earliest monuments of French literature. Guizot's
essay on St. Louis is an admirable portrait of a representative
Catholic Christian of his century. James's novel of “Philip Au-
gustus” is a portrayal of society and manners in the thirteenth
century ; Scott's “ Count Robert of Paris” is a much better repre-
sentation of the times of the First Crusade, and "The Talisman"
of the Third Crusade. “Quentin Durward” admirably delin-
eates the characteristics and the relations of Louis XI. and Charles
the Bold; and “ Anne of Geierstein "gives an equally correct and
entertaining view of the events which combined the Swiss against
the Burgundians, and led to the overthrow of the rash duke. The
same novel is of value as introducing the reader to the famous
Vehmgericht of mediæval Germany. For a full explanation of
this remarkable court the introduction to the later editions of the
novel should be read. Hugo's "Hunchback of Notre Dame”
and Reade's “The Cloister and the Hearth” relate to this same
interesting period. The most valuable and entertaining essay on
the political relations of this reign is Freeman's review of Kirk's
“Charles the Bold.” Of the representations of Joan of Arc,
Harriet Parr's is the best in English, and Wallon's in French.
Stanhope has an essay that gives a good view of the trial, and
the paper on the subject in De Quincey's “Miscellanies" is wor-
thy of consultation.
On the subject of the legislative assemblies in médiæval France,
Bastard and Bavelier are the best authorities, though Picot should
be examined, and the lectures on the subject in Sir James Ste-
phen should be read. Of the highest authority, also, is Thierry's
“ History of the Third Estate.” Monteil's “ History of the Es-
tates" is a book of immense learning, but of so faulty an ar-
rangement as to be used with considerable difficulty.
Of the wars of the League, Lingard, in his “History of Eng-
land,” has given the Catholic view, and Buckle cites numerous
authorities to show that Catholics and Protestants were actuated
374
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
by substantially the same spirit. Disraeli, in his “Curiosities of
Literature,” has an apology for the Massacre of St. Bartholomew.
In the Edinburgh Review, vol. xliv. (1826), is to be found a very
strong presentation of the view that the massacre was the con-
summation of a plan devised long before. The opposite view is
held by Ranke and the best of later authorities. The Regency
of Mary de' Medici is well described by Dumas in his “Three
Guardsmen," and the War of the Fronde is portrayed with equal
spirit in the same novelist's “Twenty Years After.” The novels
of G. P. R. James on this age of French history are countless, if
not worthless. On the statesmanship of Richelieu, see President
White's article on that minister in the Atlantic Monthly for May,
1862. Poole's “Huguenots” is very scholarly, and, if less valua-
ble than Baird's, gives a view of the persecutions after the Revo-
cation of the Edict of Nantes that is worthy of notice. This ac-
count, however, should be compared with the Catholic author-
ities.
The literature on the period from Louis XIV. to the Revolu-
tion is almost limitless in extent, and it is therefore difficult to
discriminate in attempting to indicate the most valuable. St.
John's edition of Saint-Simon's "Memoirs,” Reeve's essay on Louis
XIV., in that anthor's “Royal and Republican France;" De Toc-
queville's essay on “France before the Revolution,” published in
the Westminster Review for April, 1836, and in his “ Memoirs ;">
Morley's essays on “Rousseau” and “Voltaire," and Arthur
Young's “Travels in France,” are perhaps the most important
adjuncts to the works already mentioned. Carlyle's essay on
the French Revolution, in volume iv. of bis “Miscellanies," char-
acterizes the different works on the period in a masterly man-
ner. The essays by Croker are full of learning, and of the
cynical spitefulness so characteristic of his intense Toryisin.
Burke's famous essay is by far the strongest presentation of
the anti-revolutionary argument, and Mackintosh's review of it
perhaps the strongest argument on the other side. De Staël's
volume on the Revolution is a work of great genius; and the
essay of Jeffreys, in review of it, pertinently calls attention to
the prevailing ignorance of the subject in England. Macaulay's
essays on “Mirabeau” and “Barère" are among the more enter-
taining of that author's papers. Dickens's “Tale of Two Cities?
HISTORIES OF FRANCE.
375
gives a striking picture of the Reign of Terror. Victor Hugo's
“Ninety-three” is devoted to the same period.
The novels of Erckmann-Chatrian, of which excellent transla-
tions have been made, pertain mostly to this period, and are
among the best specimens of historical fiction. They are both
trustworthy and graphic. Of the numerous essays on Napoleon,
those of Channing, Emerson, Carlyle, Bayne, and Hayward are
most worthy of notice. On the military career of Napoleon,
Jomini and Napier are the great authorities. The real and fatal
significance of Napoleon's Spanish policy is strikingly presented
in Seeley's “ Life of Stein.” The latest, and perhaps the most
damaging, assaults upon Napoleon's title to grateful remembrance
have been made by Barni, Jung, and Madame de Rémusat. The
former shows that he was not entitled even to the credit of the
Napoleonic Code; the latter, that from beginning to end he was di-
rected by a stupendous and all-devouring egotism and selfishness.
Striking pictures of France during the last days of Napoleon's
career are given in chapter i. of Guizot's “Memoirs," in the
Atlantic Monthly for April and May of 1858, and in volume iii.
of John Quincy Adams's “Memoirs.” De Tocqueville's “Memoirs"
contain an admirable chapter on “France before the Consulate."
On the period after the fall of Napoleon, Lamartine and Blanc
are the authorities with republican sympathies, Capefigue with
monarchical. Much light is thrown on the Revolutions of 1830
and 1848 by De Tocqueville's and by Guizot's “ Memoirs,” by Sen-
ior's “Journals," also by Alison's essay on "The Revolution of
1830," and by portions of Bulwer's “France.” Brougham and Gui-
zot condemn the Revolution of 1848; Mill and Lamartine justify it.
The coup d'état is elaborately described by Ténot and Hugo.
The same event, as well as the general early policy of Napoleon
III., is described and reviewed in very spirited and denunciatory
terms by Kinglake, in the first volume of his “Crimean War.” De
Tocqueville's description, contributed to the Times newspaper, is
reproduced in his “ Memoirs." What is to be said on the Napo-
leonic side of the question may be seen in the brilliant letters of
Bagehot, written from Paris, and republished in his posthumous
works.
On the Franco-German War of 1870, Hazen's “Schools and
Army of Germany,” and Roberts's “Campaigns” are of value.
376
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Reeve's essay on “Communal France” and Michelet's “France
before Europe," are worthy of note. Constitutional questions
have been very fully and very ably discussed by Renan, Labou-
laye, Guizot, De Broglie, and Kaiser. The latter, in an appendix,
gives the texts of all the constitutions from 1791 to 1851. Among
the most brilliant books on France during this century may be
mentioned Seneuil's “ L'Héritage de la Révolution" and Prevost-
Paradol's “ La France Nouvelle.”
On the history of the literature of France the most important
authorities are Ampère, Villemain, Nisard, Hettner, Schmidt, and
Van Laun. The Revue des Deux Mondes is probably entitled to
be ranked as the foremost review in existence, and it may be con-
sulted with profit on almost all important questions of the pres-
ent century. The Revue Historique, published since 1874, aims
to give critical notices of all noteworthy historical publications,
together with a periodical list of all articles of note in all parts
of the world.
Nearly all modern French writers of prominence have been
reviewed by Sainte-Beuve, perhaps the most brilliant and dis-
criminating of all critics. His papers have been brought togeth-
er in a long series of volumes under the title of “ Causeries de
Lundi." The criticisms of Edmund Schérer promise to be not
an unworthy continuation of the celebrated “Causeries” of
Sainte-Beuve. Of Schérer's papers five volumes have already
been published.
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
377
CHAPTER XI.
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
I. HISTORIES OF RUSSIA.
Bell, Robert.- A History of Russia. 3 vols., 12mo, London, 1836.
Like all the other works of Dr. Lardner's series, this history
was written by an author selected on account of bis especial quali-
fications for the task. The volumes are written with care and are
not without the merit of a graceful and attractive style. The third
volume is almost exclusively devoted to the Napoleonic period, and
will be found by most readers to awaken the greatest interest and
to possess the most value. The author brings his work to a close
with the end of the Napoleonic wars. No foot-notes or references
to authorities are given, and the presumption is justified that the
volumes are made up chiefly froin a study of Lévesque, Tooke, and
Karamsin. The work is greatly inferior to that of Rambaud.
Bernhardi, Theodor von.-Geschichte Russlands und der euro-
päischen Politik in den Jahren 1814-31. 3 vols., 8vo, Leipsic,
1863-75.
The author acted upon the theory that the Napoleonic wars
were something quite distinct from the true national life of Russia.
He therefore has deemed the great contest which culminated in
1813 an episode to receive separate and peculiar treatment. The
first voluine, accordingly, is devoted exclusively to an account of
the contest with Napoleon. Two large volumes of more than
twelve hundred pages are then filled with a description of Russian
378
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
politics during the period previous to the time at which the his-
tory avowedly begins.
But, notwithstanding these unfortunate peculiarities, the work
has remarkable merits. In no other book has the traditional
policy of Russia been more ably and clearly presented. The
author furnishes evidence on every page of clear insight and im-
partial judgment. When the work is completed to the end of
the Polish revolt in 1831, it will probably be the most valuable
history of modern Russia in our possession. But the arrange-
ment must always be considered unfortunate.
Catherine the Second.—Memoirs written by Herself, with a Pref-
ace by Alexander Herzen. Translated from the French. 8vo,
London, 1859.
As this work was not published until the outbreak of the Cri-
mean War, the question of its genuineness was everywhere raised.
From internal evidence, it is now generally accepted as authentic;
though it was long in the bands of Catherine's imperial suc-
cessors, and the proof that it was not tampered with is not quite
complete.
The volume has to do almost exclusively with Catherine's early
years. But it is a most extraordinary uncovering of Russian
court life. The imbecility of Peter the Third, the dissimulation
and ambition of his wife, the mixture of barbarism and brutality
that everywhere prevailed, are nowhere else more graphically por-
trayed.
Howorth, Henry H.-History of the Mongols from the Ninth to
the Nineteenth Century. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1876–80.
The history of the Mongols is so interwoven with the history
of Russia that the student who would learn much of the latter
will find great advantage in at least a general acquaintance with
the former. The volumes of Howorth, therefore, may serve a use-
ful purpose, though they are lacking in some of the qualities
necessary to a work of high merit.
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
379
C
The author shows great industry in research, a very intimate
personal knowledge of the people of whom he writes, and not a
little ingenuity in the interpretation of events. But he is not
endowed with the art of graceful or spirited expression. The
work, in short, is written in a dull and heavy style. It is also
probably somewhat too enthusiastic in its praises of the Mongol
conquerors.
The first volume is devoted to “The Mongols Proper and the
Kalmucks ;" the second to “ The so-called Tartars of Russia and
Central Asia."
Karamsin, N.-Histoire de l'Empire de Russie. Traduite par
MM. Saint-Thomas, Jauffret, et de Divoff. 11 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1819–26.
The standard history of the early centuries of the empire. The
author has shown great erudition as well as industry. At the end
of each volume he has given a series of notes that bear ample
testimony to his faithfulness in the examination of authorities.
These are not confined to native sources. The historians and
travellers of other countries--Greek, Latin, Arabian, German, Scan-
dinavian, Polish, Hungarian, and English—are compelled to pay
tribute to his volumes. The result is an amount of material and
information in regard to the early history of Russia not elsewhere
to be easily found.
But its very nerits exclude it from general use. Its extreme
minuteness of detail practically destroys its utility for the general
reader. The eleven volumes only bring the history down to 1606;
and consequently do not even reach the period when Russian his-
tory begins to be either very interesting or very important. The
highest claim of the work is that of an industrious compilation,
for it shows neither critical acumen nor sound judgment.
The translation is not very faulty in style, but it is said to
abound in errors.
Kelly, W. K.-The History of Russia from the Earliest Period to
• the Present Time. Compiled from the most authentic sources,
380
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
including the works of Karamsin, Tooke, and Ségur. 2 vols.,
Crown 8vo, London, 1854.
· The author of these volumes makes no claim to the credit of
original research, but he performed a meritorious service as a com-
piler. The writers from whose materials he has built up his
structure are too voluminous for the purposes of the ordinary
student. The huge volumes of Karamsin and Tooke, nearly
twenty in number, are condensed into a handy duodecimo, which
contains all that most people will take the trouble to learn of the
history of Russia before the time of Peter the Great. The second
volume of Kelley is devoted to the last century, and carries the
history to the close of the Crimean War.
Though the work is not generally inaccurate, many errors, some
of them of considerable importance, have crept into it. In spite
of these defects, however, in the estimation of a majority of read-
ers, it will take rank for general purposes next below that of
Rambaud. In point of genuine scholarship, it falls much below
the German history of Strahl and Hermann.
Lamartine, Alphonse de.- Histoire de la Russie. 2 vols., 8vo,
Paris, 1855.
The work of a poet, compiled on a bookseller's order. It is
written with that brilliant vivacity so characteristic of all of La-
martine's writings; but as a history it has no value, save to those
who have no access to other authorities. It was made up from
the writings of Lévesque and others, and has no just claim to any
originality save the originality of form. It is undeniably one of
the most readable histories of Russia; but it must rank with the
writings of Voltaire on the same subject, in that its merits are
literary rather than bistorical.
Lévesque, P. C.-Histoire de Russie. 4e éd., continuée jusqu'à
la mort de Paul I., et publiée avec des notes par MM. Malte-
Brun et Depping. 4 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1812.
For many years these volumes enjoyed the distinction of being
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
381
the only ones from which foreigners could acquire any consider-
able knowledge of Russia. They have been largely used by writ-
ers on Russian history in almost all the countries of Western Eu-
rope.
The author resided for some years at the Russian capital, wrote
in a spirited style, and had access to many chronicles and public
documents. But he had no very clear apprehension of his sub-
ject, chose his topics for treatment without discrimination, and,
consequently, he either omitted or but slightly touched upon
many subjects of great importance, and indulged in many con-
jectures which subsequent researches have shown to be quite un-
founded. With some points of merit, therefore, the work is no
longer of any especial value. It is, however, accompanied with
an atlas of sixty excellent maps.
Rambaud, Alfred.—The History of Russia from the Earliest
Times to 1877. Translated by Leonora B. Lang, with Illustra-
tions. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1879.
By far the best history of Russia accessible to the reader of
English, and probably even the best in any of the languages of
Western Europe. The author is thoroughly conversant with Rus-
sian literature, and in the preparation of the work he has made
use of original materials. The history has at once the merits of
thoroughness and freshness, while, at the same time, it is made up
with so good judgment and so fine a sense of proportion that the
perspective leaves nothing to be desired. The author has laid
under constant contribution the works of the latest Russian his-
torical writers; and thus the reader is led to feel that he is at all
times receiving the benefit of the latest and the best thought on
the period under examination.
The first volume gives us an account of the beginnings of Rus-
sia, of the early Russian principalities and republics, of the as-
cendency of the Muscovite, of the concentration under Ivau the
Terrible and the Romanofs, and, finally, of the turbulent period
just before the accession of Peter the Great. To this monarch
the author gives a large place, and one has only to look over his
pages to see how completely the superficial treatise of Voltaire
382
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
has been cast into the shade. The author seizes upon the salient
points of the reign with remarkable ability, and shows in a mas-
terly manner the means by which Peter was able to shake off the
Oriental traditions of his ancestors. His treatment of the inva-
sion by Napoleon is very graphic, although his French sympathies
lead him to some statements and conclusions with which the read-
er will hardly agree. The review of the government and its pol-
icy under the four emperors of the present century is also most
admirable.
The translation is excellent, and, as the English version contains
several chapters specially prepared by the author for this edition,
it is to be preferred to the work as it was originally written.
Schnitzler, J. H.-Secret History of the Court and Government
of Russia under the Emperors Alexander and Nicholas. 2 vols.,
8vo, London, 1847.
Of some value as a portrayal of the difficulties in Russia that
led to the revolts of 1825 and the consequent policy of Nicholas.
The author spent several years at St. Petersburg, and was an acute
and careful observer of affairs. The volumes are devoted quite
exclusively to the portrayal of political matters, and for the stu-
dent who would learn what is to be known of more recent political
troubles in Russia they are not without considerable importance.
Ségur, General, Count de.- History of Russia and of Peter the
Great. 8vo, London, 1829.
This volume is not without value as a summary of the dreary
centuries of early Russian history. But it may be said that the
portion doubtless regarded by the author as the most important
is of least value. He shows an absurd idolatry of Peter the
Great, and he wrote in a style that is inflated and unnatural. The
volume had considerable popularity at the time of its first appear-
ance, and the writings of Ségur on Russian affairs are unquestion-
ably entitled to some notice as the work of a personal observer ;
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
383
but when the author abandons the purpose of telling us what he
saw for the task of telling us what he thinks, he ceases to be
either interesting or instructive.
Strahl, Ph., und Hermann, E.-Geschichte des russischen Staates.
6 vols., 8vo, Hamburg, 1832–60.
One of the most notable and one of the best of the complete
histories of Russia. It was prepared with great care, after long
and painstaking study, and takes a high rank among the Heeren
and Ukert series, of which it forins a part.
For readers of German it still has no superior, though for most
students the more spirited history by Rambaud will be preferred.
The part of the work devoted to the eighteenth century is of
greatest importance, and embodies the results of important re-
searches by Hermann on the puzzling question of the partitions
of Poland. The author is not inclined to exculpate Russia from
the chief responsibility of the first partition.
Tissot, Victor.-Russes et Allemands. 12mo, New York, 1881.
Though this volume professes to deal with Germans as well as
with Russians, its importance is in the picture it gives of the con-
ditions which have developed into modern Nihilism. On this
particular phase of modern thought concerning Russian affairs it
is the most clear and concise account we have. The subject which
mainly occupies the volume is so important, and the author's
method is so perspicuous and so spirited, that the volume passed
through several editions within the first month after its publication.
The first chapter, that devoted to the " Fathers of Nihilism,”
describes the growth and development of this sect, and indicates
with sufficient clearness the nature of the doctrines from time to
time entertained. Of especial interest is the account of the
manner in which the apostles of this negation have carried on
their work of propagandism. The organization of the Nihilists,
or rather their want of it, is also explained.
384
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Other chapters are devoted to the education of women in Rus-
sia, the Russian universities, the army, the relations between Ger-
many and Russia, and the important part of German officers in
Russian affairs.
The account of Alexander Herzen, the real founder of Nihil-
ism, is inferior to that given by Eckardt; but the volune as a
whole is more spirited, and for that reason more readable.
Tooke, William.-Russia; or, A Complete Historical Account of
all the Nations which Comprise the Russian Empire. 4 vols.,
8vo, London, 1780–83. Also, A History of Russia from A.D.
862 to 1762. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1806. Also, The Life of
Catharine II. Fourth edition, 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1800.
Mr. Tooke was a clergyman of the English Church, stationed
for a considerable time at Cronstadt and St. Petersburg. Not-
withstanding his facilities, however, bis histories are crude and
unsatisfying. But for the fact that they long had exclusive pos-
session of the field, they would hardly be deserving of notice.
The history of Catharine II. approaches nearest to having some
intrinsic merit. But the volumes were all made up of the results
of very superficial observation and very limited acquaintance with
original sources of information. Lévesque was the author from
whose untrustworthy pages he drew a large share of his historical
information and his historical ignorance.
II. HISTORIES OF POLAND.
Dunham, S. A.—The History of Poland. 12mo, London, 1834.
This excellent little volume is not a mere compilation; but,
like most of the other histories by Dr. Dunham, is founded on
original research. The author explored the best sources of infor-
mation in the Polish, Bohemian, Hungarian, German, and French
languages, and has wrought his materials into admirable form.
For the first partition of Poland he is inclined to hold Fred-
erick the Great chicfly responsible, though he confesses to no
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
385
positive evidence on the subject, and consequently expresses his
conjecture with judicious moderation. The latter part of the
work is the least satisfactory, chiefly for the reason that sources
of original and correct information on this period were not ac-
cessible. Recent investigations have thrown much additional
light on Polish history during the last century.
Fletcher, James. The History of Poland, from the Earliest Pe-
riod to the Present Time. 8vo, London, 1831.
One of the most readable of the short histories of Poland. The
author brought to his task considerable learning, and carried for-
ward his researches with industry and patience. His methods,
however, are much less exact than Dr. Dunham's; and, though he
will perhaps more interest the general reader, his opinions will be
received with less confidence by the careful student. His account
of the several partitions of the country is made valueless by the
investigations of more recent writers.
Lelevel, Joachim. — Histoire de Pologne. 2. vols., 8vo, Paris,
1844.
A standard history of Poland from a Polish point of view,
But no work was ever published from which more conclusive
evidence can be derived of the essential tyranny of Polish insti-
tutions. The second volume gives a sad picture of the relations
of the nobles and peasants—relations which grew worse and
worse from 1374 to 1572. .
Although the book was written as a sort of plea for Poland, it
is a conclusive condemnation of Polish institutions, if not even of
Poland itself.
Röpell, R., und Caro, S.-Geschichte Polens. 3 vols., 8vo, Ham-
burg, 1840–63.
The most dispassionate and the most valuable of the compre-
25
386 : :: HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
hensive histories of Poland. Of the general course of Polish
history the student will find it the most satisfactory account,
though for a view of individual periods other and special works
will probably have to be resorted-to. It is much fuller, and was
prepared with even greater care, than the general history by Dun-
ham, and therefore for the special student is much superior; but
for the general reader the small volume of the English author will
be more readable and more satisfactory. The earlier portions of
this history are the most valuable, for the reason that at the time
it was written the studies which have since thrown so much light
on the partition's had not produced their fruits. For these the
stüdent must consult the later works of Röpell and others.
Röpell, Rich.-Polen um die Mitte des 18. Jahrhunderts. 8vo,
: Gotha, 1876.
.........
The author has been one of the most tliorough students of the
original sources of information concerning Polish affairs, and he
has treated the limited subject here undertaken with the skill and
the ability so conspicuous in his larger history. .
- In the first cight chapters of the volume and in four appen-
dices he pictures in a masterly manner the deplorable political
condition of Poland from 1697 to 1763 ; while he devotes the
remaining portion of the work to an equally graphic and success-
ful description of ecclesiastical turbulence. .
Especially noteworthy is the first chapter, entitled “Republik,"
in which the author points out the characteristics of the govern-
ment, and compares its condition with that of Rome in the time
of the Gracchi. Equally powerful are the descriptions of the no-
bility and of the common people. The attitude of the one is
indicated by the motto “Der Adel die alleinige Macht;". of the
other, by the common form of greeting, “Ich küsse des Herrn
Füsse.”
The book, as a whole, is one of the most powerful pictures ever
drawn of Poland just before the first partition, and no student
can read it without new and stronger impressions of the deplora-
ble condition of the country.
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND. 387
Rulhiere, Claude Carloman de.-Histoire de l'Anarchie de Po-
logne. 4 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1807. Posthumous edition, 1819.
Also, as a supplementary work, Révolutions de Pologne. 3.
vols., 8vo, 4th ed., Paris, 1862.
This author gives what was for many years the most complete.
and graphic account of the national turbulence which led to the
fall of Poland. It is chiefly from this work that Alison and oth-
ers have drawn their most significant facts. Any one who reads
it will be able to understand the tendencies to dissolution which
made union for the purpose of resisting partition quite impossible.
Whatever may be the opinion of a student concerning the atti-
tude of the partitioning powers, a careful reading of these vol-
umes will not fail to convince him that the maladies of Poland
were very grave, if not absolutely incurable.
Salvandi, M. de.—Histoire de Pologne, avant et sous le Roi Jean
Sobieski. 3 vols., 8vo, Paris; 2 vols., 8vo, Brussels, 1841.
Salvandi's is a standard history of Poland to the end of the
seventeenth century. The work is valuable to any student de-
sirous of knowing what is to be learned of the early power and
material greatness of the nation. It is much quoted as an all-
thority by Alison and others, but it ends before the most inter-
esting portion of Polish history begins. Even on the early his-
tory of Poland it may be regarded as less important than the
later work of Röpell and Caro.
Ferrand, Le Comte Antoine de. Les Trois Démembrements de
·la Pologne, pour faire suite aux Révolutions de Pologne de
Rulhière. Édition revue sur le texte et annotée par Christien
Ostrowski. 3 vols., 12mo, Paris, 1865.
The first edition of this work appeared as carly as 1820, and
it has done much to shape public opinion in regard to the subject.
of which it treats. It has not great intrinsic merits, however, and
it was written before the archives of the nations engaged in thoi
388
HISTORICAL LITERATURE,
several partitions had been thrown open to investigators. What-
ever value the work may at one time seem to have had, it has
been almost entirely taken away by the more recent and thorough
researches of Duncker, Beer, and others.
Beer, Adolf.—Die erste Theilung Polens. 3 vols., 8vo, Vienna,
1873.
inuation
results Polish at
d, lastly, Belours, Duncko, Soloviev has
This work is an exhaustive study of the subject of which it
treats, in the light of all the most recent researches. Since the
appearance of Rulbière's history, and the continuation of it by
Ferrand, the most careful studies of Polish affairs have been car-
ried on, and the most fruitful results have been obtained. Her-
mann has made known the reports of the Saxon envoys, Theiner
bas published the despatches of the Papal nuncios, Soloviev has
revealed the documents at St. Petersburg, Duncker has explored
the archives at Berlin, and, lastly, Beer has made the most com-
prehensive researches in the state-papers at Vienna. .
The result of all these labors has been to lay the bistory of the
first partition completely open to the eye of the historical student.
Ranke, with characteristic foresight, long since predicted that
when the archives came to be fully explored it would be found
that the account of the first partition given by Frederick the
Great was substantially correct. Events have justified the pre-
diction. The writings alluded to have conclusively shown that
the partition was not the result of a deliberate policy, but was
adopted in an emergency as a means of preventing a general
European war. Of the various contributions to this conclusion,
that of Beer is by far the most important. The author, by trac-
ing the history of events from the close of the Seven Years' War,
and by following the diplomatic threads discovered in the archives,
makes it perfectly clear that the common impression that Frederick
was the originator of the scheme is without foundation. The
history throughout the volumes rests upon despatches and docu-
ments that are quoted at length, and leave no chance for doubt
as to the correctness of the ground taken. The third volume is
made up exclusively of state-papers, now for the first time brought
to light,
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
389
Von der Brüggen, Ernst.-Polens Auflösung. Kulturgeschicht-
liche Skizzen aus den letzten Jahrhunderten der polnischen
Selbstständigkeit. 8vo, Leipsic, 1878.
A series of essays, published from time to time on Polish lis-
tory and Polish society. The author is not only thoroughly fa-
iniliar with the land and people of Poland, but he has made an
especial study of its literature, including a mass of memoirs and
correspondence, in part, at least, as yet unpublished.
The volume contains seventeen chapters, the most important of
which are on the following subjects: “An Introductory Sketch of
the Political and Social History of Poland from the Fifteenth to
the Eighteenth Century;" “The Inhabitants;" “The Cities ;"
“The Finances, the Army, and the Church ;" “The Clergy and
the Schools ;” “The Magnates;”? “Warsaw ;" “ Poniatowski ;”
“The First Partition ;" “ Concluding Observations, embracing a
View of the Political Development of Poland from the Third
Partition to the Insurrection of 1863."
The chapters are admirably written, and the impressions left
upon the mind of the student will be similar to those left by the
masterly work of Röpel. The style is more spirited, and conse-
quently the book is better calculated to interest the general
reader.
III. HISTORIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PROGRESS.
Celestin, Fr. J.-Russland seit Aufhebung der Leibeigenschaft.
8vo, Laibach, 1875.
This volume, better than any other, better even than that of
Wallace, presents a view of what the government in Russia has
been attempting to accomplish since the accession of Alexander
II. The reforms attempted in finances, in judicial affairs, in gen-
eral administration, and in education are explained at length.
The result leads to the conclusion that very much has been done,
however far the government may still be from the condition of a
model state. The work admirably treats of several important
subjects not touched upon by Wallace at all.
390
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Custine, Le Marquis de.—La Russie en 1839. Cinquième édi-
.. tion, revue, corrigée et augmentée, suivie de la critique de l'ou-
vrage, par un Russe. 4 vols., 12mo, Paris, 1844. In 1854 an
English version, somewhat abridged, appeared in New York,
A book of considerable value as a picture of Russia at the time
when Nicholas I. was at the summit of his power. The author
appears, however, to have been constitutionally careless, and con-
sequently the first edition of the work abounded in errors. Many
of these have been corrected in the editions after the first; but
the work, at best, is not entirely trustworthy in its statements.
Its great popularity has been due to the attractiveness of the sub-
ject and the brilliancy of the author's style,
Day, W.A.-The Russian Government in Poland. With a Nar-
rative of the Polish Insurrection of 1863.' 8vo, London, 1867.
The work of an Englishman who, in the course of three years
in Russia and Poland, studied the various phases of the subject
he intended to describe. The result is a book of real value. The
author describes the means by which the Emperor Nicholas alien-
ated the Polish leaders, first by destroying their universities, and
then by reducing all ranks of the people to a practical servitude.
He shows how thosc methods were all changed under Alexander
II., wbo made a genuine attempt to reform the condition of af-
fairs in that unfortunate land.
But the state of society made permanent reform impossible.
In chapter iii, the author gives an excellent picture of the condi-
tion to which the peasants had been reduced while Poland was
still enjoying what was called freedom. Among other evidences
of the crude and even barbarous state of society, he notes the
fact that the penalty for killing a peasant was a fine of fifteen
livres, This condition of affairs having existed since 1572, the
author finds abundant reasons why, a government acceptable to
the old nobility is impossible.
Eckardt, Julius.--Modern Russia, Comprising Russia under Alex-
ander II.; Russian Communism; the Greek Orthodox Church
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
391
,' and its Sects ;' the Baltic Provinces of Russia. Translated from
the German. 8vo, London, 1870.:
The author is a German publicist who lived for many years in
Russia and was educated in part, or wholly, in St. Petersburg. He
is a writer of unusual ability and force. Not only does he wield
a powerful pen, but his familiarity with Russian institutions and
Russian sentiment extends to almost every branch of government
and society. He has long been carrying on a controversy with
several writers of the extremne Muscovite school; and his papers
have attracted very general attention both for the keen intelli-
gence of the author and for the comprehensive acquaintance
which he shows with the several ranks of Russian society.
All the writings of Eckardt differ from those of Wallace in
that they are less descriptive and more analytical. They deal
with the physiology of society rather than with its anatomy. For
imparting a knowledge of the organization of the government
and people, Wallace's volumes will be the most useful; but for
gaining an insight into the views and motives of the intelligent
.classes, those of Eckardt are superior.
Russia Before and After the War. By the author of “ Society
in St. Petersburg," etc. Translated from the German (with later
Additions by the Author) by Edward Fairfax Taylor. 12mo,
i London and New York, 1880.
Within the last few years a series of small volumes on Russian
'affairs have attracted great attention in Europe by. their unusual
ability and brilliancy. They have appeared without the author's
name; but while they purport to come from a Russian, they are
written in Germàn. The peculiar abilities of the writer, and his
great familiarity with the different phases of Russian society, haye
led to the general supposition that the author is none other than
Julius Eckardt.
The first of these volumes appeared in 1873, and was entitled,
“ Aus der Petersburger Gesellschaft.” It was an able and con-
nected account of contemporaneous Russian events, with masterly
sketches of some of the most important personages about the
392
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
government. The volume rapidly passed through many editions,
and was translated into several of the languages of Europe. Not
long after appeared “Russland vor und nach dem Kriege ;" and
this, in 1881, was followed by “Von Nikolaus I. zu Alexander
III.” All the volumes reveal the sane master's hand, and, though
only one of them has appeared in English, they are all entitled to
the student's most careful consideration.
The leading thought is that the cultivated classes of Russia are
profoundly dissatisfied with what they regard as the harsh, foolish,
and short-sighted policy of repression. The author gives a mul-
titude of facts in striking confirmation of his opinion. He as-
serts that in consequence of the prevailing dissatisfaction there is
almost an entire absence, even among the cultivated classes, of
what may be called public spirit. In illustration he gives his own
experience as a student in 1855 at St. Petersburg, and declares
that it is impossible to conceive of a more absolute indifference
than that with which the students received the bad news that ar-
rived almost daily from the Crimea.
The volumes are all rich in precise and exhaustive information
on subjects of the utmost importance to one who would interpret
the recent difficulties of the Russian government. The author is
entirely fair-minded, but his tone is severe and his conclusions are
far from cheering.
.......
.
Gurowski, Count Adam.-Russia as it is.
1854.
12mo, New York,
An honest and entertaining description of Russian government
and society by an acute observer. Gurowski, however, was a
Polish exile whose estates had been confiscated, and consequently
he wrote as an enemy of Russia, and as one whose hatred was
very intense. The book is bright, and, with a remembrance of
the circumstances under which it was written, may be read with
some profit as well as with great interest.
Haxthausen, Le Baron Auguste de.-Études sur la situation In-
térieure, la Vie Nationale, et les Institutions de la Russie. Édi-
HISTORIES SID
OF RUSSIA AND POLAND. 393
tion française. 3 vols., 8vo, Hanover, 1848–53. An English
version was published in 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1856.
Before the appearance of Wallace's book this was much the
best general description of Russia. The author was one of the
most thorough as well as one of the wisest observers. He spent
some years in personal study of the country. Of especial and
exceptional value is his description of the philosophical school of
Herzen as he found and observed it at Moscow. From his pres-
entation of their modes of thought, it is easy to account for the
recent disturbances in the Russian Empire.
Maxwell, J. S.-The Czar; his Court and his People. 12mo,
New York, 1849.
A little book of some value to the student as a picture of Russia
just before the outbreak of the Crimean War. It is not very pro-
found; but it is a judicious sketch of what was seen by the au-
thor during a diplomatic residence at St. Petersburg. It is not,
however, comparable in importance with the works of Haxthausen,
Eckardt, and Wallace, though as a sketch it may be read with
interest by those to whom the larger works are not accessible.
Ralston, W. R. S. - Early Russian History. Four Lectures de-
livered at Oxford in the Taylor Institution. 8vo, London,
1874.
Mr. Ralston for many years has been recognized as the most
eminent English authority on Russian literature and history.
This little volume, therefore, may be relied upon as giving the
best general survey extant in brief space of early Russian institu-
tions and progress.
The four lectures have been rearranged into seven chapters, six
of which relate to the period before the first of the Romanofs,
while the seventh is devoted to a critical discussion of some
points that are yet a matter of controversy. The book is not so
much a presentation of opinions as an effort to lay before the
394
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
reader “the judgment on vexed questions of the best and most
recent of Russian historians.” The purpose is admirably carried
out, and the volume may, well be used by the student as an in-
troduction to the recent work of Wallace.
Schnitzler, Jean Henri.—Les Institutions de la Russie depuis
les Réformes de l'Empereur Alexandre II. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris,
1866. a
The first work of this author on Russia was published as carly
as 1829. Since that time he has been a constant student of
Russian institutions, and probably no writer has ever understood
Russian affairs more perfectly than be. For some years he was
an officer in the employ of the government, and consequently had
good opportunities for seeing the peculiarities of Russian methods
from within as well as from without. The writer was not devoid
of sympathy with the government; indeed, his most important
work was prepared under the patronage of the emperor himself.
Of his numerous books the one here named is the most impor-
tant. In a somewhat less amplified form it originally was the
third volume of the author's work “L’Empire des Tsars."
Schnitzler, Jean Henri.-L'Empire des Tsars au point actuel de
la science. 4 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1856–69.. . ......
· The most comprehensive of the accessible works .on Russia.
The first volume is devoted to a description of the natural re-
sources of the country; the second describes the yarious races,
tribes, and divisions of the people, including an account of their
„social habits and peculiarities; the third portrays' the organiza-
tion and administration of the goverņınent and the Church; while
the fourth is given up to a description of material and private
interests, especially agriculture, and the various branches of in-
- dustry and commerce.
: The great familiarity of the author with the people and the
institutions of Russia gives whatever he may write on the subject
the weight of an authority. He is destitute; however, of the im-
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
395
agination necessary to give life and spirit to his writings. The
result is that the volumes are not very readable. With all his
knowledge, he seems not quite able to interpret what he sees, so
as to indicate and impress upon his readers its real significance.
On this account the work will generally give less satisfaction than
those of Wallace, Eckardt, and Tissot.
Schuyler, Eugene.-Turkistan. Notes of a Journey in Russian
· Turkistan, Khokand, Bukhara, and Kuldja. With three maps
and numerous illustrations. 2 vols., 8vo, London and New
York, 1876... .
The journey here described was made in 1873 for the especial
purpose of studying the political and social condition of the re-
gions which, at the extreme southeast, had recently been annexed
to Russia. Mr. Schuyler visited all the more important cities and
towns of the territory, and, by reason of the facilities and protec-
tion afforded himn by the Russian government, succeeded in mak-
ing every observation he desired. He had ample opportunities
for comparing the condition of the inhabitants under Russian
rule with the condition of those living under the government of
the Khans.
· The first volume is largely devoted to descriptions of the places
visited and the social customs observed. In the latter part of the
work are given a few admirable chapters on the condition of that
portion of the country not yet brought completely under Russian
rule, and on the nature of Russian administration and Russian
foreign policy in Asia. The Khivan campaign and its conse-
quences are described at length. In an appendix is an historical
sketch of “The Russian Policy regarding Central Asia,” prepared
by Professor Grigorief. The despotism of the Khans is made
painfully real by the incidents related in chapters iii. and ix. .
The work is not only instructive, but it is interesting. Its plan
is not strictly chronological; but the author usually devotes a
chapter either to a city or a district, and groups his information
in such a way as to make a very effective picture. He not only
gives his impressions of what he saw, but he also makes use of
what he was able to learn both from Russians and from natives.
396
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
He does not hesitate to point out certain weaknesses in Russian
methods of administration; but his tone is not unfriendly, and he
makes it abundantly obvious that the government of Russia is
vastly superior to that which it overthrew. The value of the
work is much increased by two admirable maps.
Tilley, Henry Arthur.-Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Po-
litical and Social Sketches on Russia, Greece, and Syria in
1861,'62, '63. 12mo, London, 1864.
The chief value of this book is in the excellent account given
in chapters iii., iv., and y, of the various reforms in Russian insti-
tutions introduced by Alexander II. at the beginning of his reign.
The vexed Polish question is also treated with intelligence, and
three chapters of some merit are devoted to the condition of
Greece.
The volume, however, is not an authority on the general condi-
tion of Russian affairs. The reader will gain much more infor-
mation from the use of the better works of Wallace and Eckardt.
OY
Tourgueneff, N.-La Russie et les Russes.
1847.
3 vols., 8vo, Paris,
This eminent author was inany years in the service of the
Russian government, and thus he became thoroughly familiar
with the political affairs of the nation. He was much interested
in the emancipation of the serfs, and in 1825 became involved in
such a way that he was sentenced to death. Escaping to Paris, he
deroted himself henceforth to literary work.
The first volume is an account of the affairs which led to his
proscription, and is no longer of any very general importance;
the second is a political and social picture of Russia well worth
the student's attention; the third is of less importance, as it is
devoted to speculations concerning the future of the country.
- The author received his political bias from the famous Von
Stein when that great German statesman was at St. Petersburg in
1813. The work, therefore, is marked with great positiveness of
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
397
expression and character. It is not a correct description of the
Russia of to-day; of course; but it is useful as a means of show-
ing the great advances made in that country in all the essential
ways of civilization since the accession of Alexander II.
Wallace, D. Mackenzie.—Russia. 2 vols., 8vo, London; 1 vol.,
8vo, New York, 1877.
As a picture of modern Russia, this work is, for the reader of
English, superior to all others. The author spent six years in the
Russian Empire, travelling into its various parts, and conversing
with all classes of people. The information thus gained he has
embodied in a work which is nearly a perfect model of its kind.
Not every subject of interest is considered, but whatever is de-
scribed is treated in a most thorough and satisfactory manner. It
is one of the few books in English on Russia that can be recom-
mended without important reserve.
Several subjects of importance on Russian affairs were left ap-
parently for future treatment. The methods of imperial admin-
istration and the Russian system of schools are almost altogether
untouched in the present volumes. As the work stands, it is an
admirable description of the Russian people and of local affairs
rather than of that more comprehensive subject included in its
title. Fortunately, the subjects omitted by Wallace are admira-
bly treated by Eckardt and Celestin.
In point of literary style the book is admirably clear and inter-
esting
III. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. Rambaud's history is the best continuous account of Russia,
though the volumes of Kelly are not without some merit. The
books of Schnitzler followed by that of Wallace are the best au-
thorities for Russian affairs during the present century. The ac-
count of Poland given in Alison's Europe is doubtless the best
brief description in English of Polish difficulties. Beer's is incom-
parably the best in German,
398 ; : HISTORICAL LITERATURE. :.
2. As the history of Russia before the time of Peter the Great
is of little interest to the general reader, the works of Rambaud
and Kelly will be found adequate. Ralston's “Early Russian
History," however, gives broad views, and will be sure to interest as
well as instruct. Of the work of Peter the Great, no account yet
given is very satisfactory, except, perhaps, that in Oncken's “ Allge-
meine Geschichte.” Schuyler's “ History of Peter the Great," now
in course of publication, promises to supply an important want.
Schnitzler's “Russia under Alexander and Nicholas" is a good
authority; though, if the student commands German, Bernhardi
should be preferred. Haxthausen enjoys the distinction of hav-
ing been the first to reveal the real condition of modern Russia to
the outer world. The present social state of the country is no-
where else so well described as in the admirable book of Wallace:
The characteristics of the Imperial administration, however, are
much more satisfactorily treated by Celestin. The origin of Ni-
hilisın is admirably explained in the chapter of Eckardt's “Rus-
sische und baltische Bilder” entitled “Die neue Formel der Civi-
lisation.” A more spirited, but not a more satisfactory, account
is given in the first chapter of Tissot's “Russes et Allemands."
The educational system, including the reforms under Alexander
II., is best portrayed by Celestin and Tissot. The most interest-
ing continuous history of Poland in English is that of Dunham,
though the difficulties which led to the partitions must be sought
in Rulhière, Beer, Von der Brüggen, and in the various histories of
the partitioning powers. Day's book is of some value as an ac-
count of Poland under Russian rule.
i 3. The bulky history of Karamsin is reduced into a nutshell
by Alison in one of his essays. The chapters on Russia in Alison's
“Europe” are of exceptional value. Gibbon, chapter lv., sketches
the origin of the Russian monarchy. The various writings of
Ralston are of the first importance on all Russian subjects. Motley's
famous essay on Peter the Great, originålly contributed to the
North American Review for October, 1845, has been recently re-
published in various forms. Voltaire's “Russia in the Time of
Peter the Great” is a graceful summary of knowledge possessed a
century ago. On Catharine II., see Harper's Monthly for April,
1869, and Brougham's sketch in the second series of his “States-
men in the Time of George III.” The “Memoirs" of Catharine
HISTORIES OF RUSSIA AND POLAND.
399
throw more light on her real character than anything that can be
written about her. The traditional policy of Russia is well de-
scribed in the Atlantic Monthly for November, 1868. The first
partition of Poland is admirably discussed in the light of the
latest researches by Von Sybel in the Fortnightly Review for
August, 1874.
The first chapters of Kinglake's " Crimean War” give the best
account of Russia's position under Nicholas. Froude's essay on
the Eastern Question in vol. ii. of his “Short Studies," and Hay-
ward's essay on the Crimean War, are among the most interesting
papers on the subject. Madame Swetcline's “Memoirs ” give a
good representation of court life under Paul, Alexander, and
Nicholas. The condition of affairs which led to emancipation is
best described in Morley's “Sketches,” Browne's " Land of Thor,"
.
November, 1862, Westminster Review for October; 1867, North
American Review for July, 1867, and the chapter in Eckardt's
Russische und baltische Bilder" entitled “Die neue Formel der
Civilisation.” Tourgueneff's “Fathers and Sons," " Lisa," and
“Smoke” are novels of great power, designed to portray certain
phases of Russian life..
: The struggles of Alexander II. to introduce financial, judicial;
administrative, and educational reforms are best described by
Review for July, 1879. Certain phases of Russian international
policy are discussed with great brilliancy by Klaczko in his “Two
Chancellors.” The questions involved in the recent Russo-Turkish
war are fully presented in Argyll's “Eastern Question," and in the
Contemporary Review and other English journals of the time.
The most brilliant contribution to our knowledge of Russia since
the close of the Turkish war is Victor Tissot's striking volume
entitled “Russes et Allemands."
-400
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
CHAPTER XII.
HISTORIES OF THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
I. HISTORIES OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL.
Baumgarten, Hermann.--Geschichte Spaniens vom Ausbruch der
französischen Revolution bis auf unsere Tage. 3 vols., 8vo,
Leipsic, 1865.
As a description of the turbulent history of Spain since the
outbreak of the French Revolution, this work has merits superior
to those of any other. The author had access to a vast amount.
of material hitherto unedited, and be used it with rare good sense
and judgment. The narrative is attractive, and the opinions of
the author are founded on a careful examination of evidence.
There is no work on this subject of similar excellence in English;
indeed, Baumgarten is the only worthy continuation of Lembke
and Schäfer, and even of Dunham.
V
Bollaert, William.-The Wars of Succession in Portugal and
Spain from 1826 to 1840; with a Résumé of the Political His-
tory of Portugal and Spain to the Present Time, Maps and
Illustrations, 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1870.
The recent political movements in Spain have not been very
successfully described for readers of English. The two volumes
of Bollaert owe their importance almost solely to the dearth of
good books on the subject.
The author participated in the movement of Dom Pedro of
Portugal; and had he confined his narrative to a description of
what he saw, he would at least have produced a readable and a
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
401
useful book. But he possesses very few of the qualities of an
historian. His volumes are bulky and are encumbered with a
vast amount of ill-chosen and irrelevant matter. As a picture of
the atrocious crimes that marked the conflict, the volumes, in spite
of their faults, are not without some value.
Pout so, he contratter
Condé, J. A.-History of the Dominion of the Arabs in Spain.
Translated from the Spanish by Mrs. Jonathan Foster. 3 vols.,
12mo, London, 1860.
The product of a vast amount of minute learning of little value
save for the purposes of reference. The book is a record of in-
terminable petty wars, and of little else. It gives a very inade-
quate picture of Arabic civilization, though here and there in the
midst of masses of rubbish one finds something of value. A very
full index affords a key to the worthless exploits of several thou-
sands of worthless Arabic rulers and knights.
Coppée, Henry. History of the Conquest of Spain by the Arab
Moors. With a Sketch of the Civilization which they Achieved
and Imparted to Europe. 2 vols., 12mo, Boston, 1881.
The most recent and by far the most attractive account of the
Moorish conquest of Spain. It rests on the basis of Arabic and
Spanish sources; though it ought, perhaps, to be added that the
most important of the authorities is not of an earlier date than
about the middle of the seventeenth century. It is not, therefore,
a history of the highest order of merit. Its value is chiefly in
the attractiveness of the presentation, and in the fact that our
literature affords no other readable account of the period.
The work is divided into ten books. The first is devoted to a
sketch of the earliest Mohammedan history and to the causes of the
Spanish invasion. The second is a description of Spain before
the Conquest. The next five books describe the progress of the
invaders from the year 711, when the Arabs first crossed the
.
26
402
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Straits, to 788, when their authority may be said to have been fully
established. The eighth book gives a rapid sketch of Moslem
power to the time of its extinction by Ferdinand and Isabella,
in the fifteenth century; and the ninth and tenth treat of the civil-
ization and achievements of the Arabs while in Spain.
Coxe, Archdeacon William.-Memoirs of the Kings of Spain of
the House of Bourbon from the Accession of Philip V. to the
Death of Charles (1700-88). Drawn from original and un-
published documents. 2d ed., 5 vols., 8vo, London, 1815.
The author of this work, the first edition of which appeared in
1813, was not only one of the most painstaking historians of his
time, but he had made himself especially familiar by his previous
studies with the period bere described. The work is the fruit
of thorough investigation and scrupulous impartiality. Though
important studies in the same field have since been carried on, the
work of Coxe has not been superseded.
Crawfurd, Oswald.-Portugal, Old and New. With Maps and
Illustrations. 8vo, London and New York, 1880.
The author was for many years English Consul at Oporto, and
had excellent opportunities for observing and studying the coun-
try. His volume is a most important addition to our scanty
knowledge of Portugal. It may be called a series of studies of
Portuguese history, literature, and social life, and it is by far the
most accurate and discriminating account of this people that has
been given to English readers.
As the country has practically been cut off from the rest of
Europe by the necessity of a sea voyage to reach it, so it has
been less visited by Europeans and Americans than perhaps any
other portion of the Continent. But this volume, which the au-
thor himself describes as a medley of history, criticism, and de-
scription, gives an admirable idea of what every reader will agree
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
403
to call an interesting country. The author is a ripe scholar, a close
observer, and a zealous student of history and antiquities.
Dunham, S. A.—The History of Spain and Portugal. 5 vols.,
12mo, London, 1832.
This work covers the whole period from the earliest history of
the Spanish peninsula down to the outbreak of the French Revo-
lution.
The author enjoyed the advantage of a long and intimate ac-
quaintance with Spain; and he turned his knowledge to excellent
account in the preparation of these volumes. The literary work-
manship is good; but the greatest merit of the book is to be
found in the conscientious thoroughness with which the writer
studied the mass of original authorities before him, and the judi-
cious use he made of his acquisitions. The value of the book is
enhanced by excellent tables, full analytical tables of contents, and
a very complete index. It is not only the best general history of
Spain in English, but is one of the best in any language.
Dunlap, John.—Memoirs of Spain during the Reigns of Philip
IV. and Charles II. (1621-1700). 2 vols., 8vo, Edinburgh,
1834.
A book of some value, inasmuch as it conveniently deals with
the events that transpired between the periods described respec-
tively by Watson and Coxe. It contains much information of
importance, and is written in a style generally agreeable and
spirited. The judgments of the author, however, are not entitled
to very great weight. The work, therefore, will be regarded as
quite unimportant by those who can make use of larger works in
French and German.
Irving, Washington.--Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada.
12mo, New York, 1850.
One of the most important and one of the most charming of
404
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Irving's historical works. Its plan was developed when the author
was engaged on his “Life of Columbus,” and was brought to a
close only after a careful inspection of the most important rec-
ords, and of the places made famous by the events described.
The work received the hearty endorsement of Prescott for its
accuracy and good judgment as well as for the almost matchless
beauty of its style.
Landmann, George.- Historical, Military, and Picturesque Obser-
vations on Portugal. Illustrated by seventy-five colored plates,
and numerous maps and plans. 2 vols., imp. 4to, London,
1818.
A sumptuous work, prepared by an officer of the British army,
and designed to give to English readers a description of the coun-
try, which at the close of the Napoleonic wars first began to at-
tract considerable attention. The historical part is less attractive
than the descriptive; but as an account of the nature and resources
of Portugal, it was long unsurpassed. The appearance of Crair-
furd's book has deprived it of its principal importance.
Lembke, F. W., und Schäfer, H.-Geschichte von Spanien. 3
vols., 8vo, Hamburg, 1831–61.
These volumes, forming a part of the Heeren and Ukert series,
are probably the best general history of Spain yet published. If
not the very best, they dispute the palm with the history by Dun-
ham. In point of thoroughness they are superior to the English
author, though in freshness and grace of style they are inferior.
The authors long made the history and condition of the Spanish
peninsula a subject of special and careful study, and they have
had some advantages, in the way of access to archives, not en-
joyed by Dunham. The opinions of the authors are therefore
entitled to much weight.
Mariana, John de.—The General History of Spain. Froin the
First Peopling of it by Tubal till the Death of King Ferdinand,
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
405
who United the Crowns of Castile and Aragon, with a Contin-
uation to the Death of King Philip III. To which are added
two Supplements; the first by F. Ferdinand Camargo y Salcedo,
the other by F. Basil Varen de Soto, bringing it down to the
Present Reign. The whole Translated from the Spanish by
Capt. John Stephens. Folio, Lundon, 1699.
This great work, the first twenty books of which were pub-
lished as early as 1592, is the most important historical monu-
ment ever reared in Spanish literature. The author was a learned
Jesuit, who, after withdrawing from the active duties of a preacher
and teacher, devoted some thirty years to the preparation of his
great history. It was originally written in Latin, but was received
with so much favor that the author was himself persuaded to
translate it into the language of the Spanish people. In the
course of the successive editions it was greatly enriched and en-
larged, until, at the time of the author's death, it had been extended
by nearly the amount of an octavo volume.
Even in the English version the remarkable qualities of the
author do not fail to appear. The narrative everywhere moves
on with a graceful but stately tread. The author had not the
characteristics of a modern critical scholar. He generally accepted
evidence as he found it. He built up his work apparently on the
model of Livy, composing speeches for his orators after the same
antique fashion. In many respects he was quite the equal of his
Roman exemplar. The turbulence of the times of Peter the Cruel
has never elsewhere been described with so much spirit, and that
haughtiness of the nobles which so long made liberty in Spain im-
possible is portrayed with a power not often found in historical
literature. The qualities of the work are so remarkable that Tick-
nor, in his “ History of Spanish Literature," does not hesitate to
affirm that “it presents the most remarkable union of picturesque
chronicling with sober history that the world has ever seen." It
is a book which every true historical scholar will read with de-
light, if not with profit.
Marliani, M. de.- Histoire Politique de l'Espagne Moderne, sui-
vie d'un Aperçu sur les Finances. 2 vols., 8vo, Paris, 1840.
These volumes are introduced by a brief review of Spanish
406
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
history from the days of Charles V. to those of the Constitutional
movement in 1810. At this point the body of the work begins.
It might be called a polìtical description of Spain extending over
the period from 1810 to 1840.
Though the book is not without substantial value, it is much
inferior to the German work of Baumgarten on the same period.
Its value is in the view it affords of the financial weakness of
Spain during the first half of this century.
Mazade, Charles de.-L'Espagne Moderne. 12mo, Paris, 1855.
Not a history, but a descriptive commentary. Mazade was a
very shrewd observer of political events and tendencies. As one
of the editors of the Revue des Deux Mondes, he gathered infor-
mation from all sources. His commentary on Spanish affairs
shows familiarity with the subject, and a deep insight into the
causes of Spanish troubles. No other small book on Spain during
the present century is so interesting or so valuable. It will be all
the more enjoyed if the reader is already possessed of some
knowledge of current Spanish events.
Napier, Sir William Francis Patrick.-History of the War in
the Peninsula and the South of France. Many editions, of
which the best is that of London, 1857, 6 vols., 8vo. A cheap-
er edition was published in New York in 5 vols., 12mo, 1856.
The volumes of this history first appeared at intervals between
1828 and 1840, and attracted universal attention. The work
has gradually settled into the reputation of being one of the
best, if not the very best, of the military histories in our lan-
guage.
At the time of its appearance it was highly extolled and se-
verely criticised. The author himself took part in the contest
which he describes, and he wrote with as much earnestness and
gallantry of spirit as he had fought. It was but natural, there-
fore, that the volumes should invite criticisin.
THUN
407
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
The characteristics of Napier's “History" are vividness of de-
scription and beauty of narration. His pictures of battles and of
the heart-stirring events of the war have scarcely been surpassed
by any descriptions in literature, either ancient or modern.
The defect of the work springs naturally out of what may be
called its great merits. It shows a want of calmness of judg-
inent, especially concerning political matters; and it is inclined
to be overcrowded with details that now seem to be unimportant.
But for these drawbacks there would probably be few to dispute
the praise--sometimes bestowed upon the work-of being the
most successful military history in our language.
Prescott, William H.-History of the Reign of Ferdinand and
Isabella. Revised edition. Edited by J. F. Kirk. 3 vols.,
8vo, Philadelphia, 1876.
Though this history was the first written by Prescott, it has
scarcely been excelled in merit by any of its successors. The
author expended ten years of arduous labor upon the work, and
on its publication its superior qualities were everywhere recog-
nized, both in Europe and in America.
Prescott's writings are conspicuous for thoroughness of re-
scarch, keenness of insight, impartiality of judgment, picturesque-
ness of narration, exclusion of irrelevant matter, and correctness
and elegance of style. He had not much of the passion of the
politician or the imagination of the poet; and therefore he is
never quite able to produce the highest dramatic effects in narra-
tion, or arouse the bighest enthusiasm of the reader. But as an
offset to this deficiency, if, indeed, it can be called such, he has the
far more than counterbalancing merit of making his readers feel
that they are listening to a wise and learned judge rather than
to a skilful advocate. Prescott's good qualities are so marked
and so numerous that the best judges will hardly hesitate to place.
him at the head of American historians.
In the first two chapters of the History of Ferdinand and Isa-
bella we have an excellent summary of Spanish history during
the Middle Ages, and a good account, in brief space, of the gen-
eral political condition of Spain in the fifteenth century. Chap-
408
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
ter vii. of volume i. is a brief but admirable sketch of “The
Establishment of the Modern Inquisition." Chapter viii. gives a
"Review of the Political and Intellectual Condition of the Span-
ish Arabs previous to the War of Granada.”
As a description of the important period of the consolidation
of Spain from a number of petty governments into what was
practically one kingdom, this work has no rival in any language.
Prescott, William H.-History of the Reign of Philip the Sec-
ond, King of Spain. Revised edition, edited by J. F. Kirk,
3 vols., 8vo, Philadelphia, 1876.
This history, which the author, unfortunately for letters, did
not live to complete, is a worthy conclusion of the literary work
of our foremost historian. It is a monument of thorough study
and research, of tolerant and dispassionate judgment, and a model
of skill in narration.
The terrible shock of passions in the reign of Philip II. seemed
to fill the author with a gentle and wise melancholy, instead of
the stormy emotions of a violent indignation. The reader, in
consequence, soon learns to look for no very great energy in
denunciation, but is content to listen to the careful decisions of
a dispassionate judge.
The last volume completed by Prescott brings the history down
only to 1580. The work covers much of the ground traversed
by Motley in his “Rise of the Dutch Republic.” But as the pur-
pose of Prescott included a view of the whole policy of Philip, it
is far more comprehensive in its scope than that of his more brill-
iant but less judicious countryman.
Romey, Charles.—Histoire d'Espagne depuis les premiers temps
jusqu'à nos jours. 9 vols., Svo, Paris, 1839-50.
The author claims that this is the first earnest effort made to
apply the principles of modern historical composition and criti-
cism to the history of Spain. He regarded Augustin Thierry as
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
409
his model, and consequently he endeavored to sift his materials
in the spirit of careful discrimination. In this effort he was suc-
cessful.
But the work became so voluminous on his hands that he was ·
unable to fulfil the promise made in the title. The ninth and
last volume closes with the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella.
It is to be regarded, therefore, not as a general history, but as sim-
ply a history of Spain during the Middle Ages. It ends at the
point where Prescott begins..
Rosseeuw-Saint-Hilaire, Eugène François.-Histoire d'Espagne
depuis l'Invasion des Goths jusqu'au Commencement du XIXe
Siècle. 10 vols., Paris, 1846–68. .
This unfinished work brings the history down only to the mid-
dle of the sixteenth century. As a portrayal of the mediæval
history of Spain, it is in one respect excellent. It shows in strong
light how, from first to last, the great political curse of Spain was
the inordinate power of the nobility. They were arrayed against
both the monarchs and the people, and the consequence was that
although the people of Spain had an earlier representation in the
government than did the people of England, they were unable to
organize any influence or power for the formation of political in-
stitutions. While in England the people, led by the nobles,
formed a check upon the monarch, and finally organized a true
representative branch of government, in Spain they were con-
stantly oppressed by the nobles, and consequently were unable to
exert any political influence whatever.
This great lesson of the mediæval history of Spain is here
brought out with great force, though it was hardly necessary to
write ten volumes in order to teach it.
Ticknor, George.- History of Spanish Literature. 3 vols., 8vo,
New York, 1849. New and revised edition, Boston, 1872.
One of the most creditable contributions ever made to Ameri-
can letters. It is founded on the most extensive and critical
410
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
studies; it is written in a style that is a happy combination of
force and grace, and it comprehends within its scope the whole
period of Spanish literature down to the early part of the present
century. It has been translated into the most important lan-
guages of Europe, and it is everywhere recognized as a work of
great and permanent qualities. In no country have its merits
received more hearty recognition than in Spain.
The author's method of treatment combines the chronological
and the philosophical. He groups the authors whose works he
considers into such connection as to show the natural development
of the various species of literary production. “Early National
Literature," "Old Ballads," “ Chronicles,” “The Early Drama,"
“Provençal Literature in Spain,” “Courtly School in Castile,"
“Historical Literature,” are the titles of some of the chapters of
the first volume. In the second and third are described at length
the characteristics of dramatic and lyric poetry, as well as the
literature of history and romance.
The work is divided into three periods—the first extending
to the reign of Charles V.; the second from the death of Charles
V. to the accession of the Bourbon family; the third from the
beginning of the eighteenth century to the invasion of Bonaparte.
Walton, William.-Revolutions in Spain, 1808–36. 2 vols., 8vo,
London, 1837.
A graphic picture of the contests that raged in the Spanish
peninsula during the early years of this century. : The author
wrote with great clearness, moderation, and ability. He explains
the objects of the parties engaged, the claims of the competitors
to the throne, the consequences of triumph on the part of the
one claimant or the other, and the frightful results of what he
considers the iniquitous co-operation of the English with the
cause of oppression. He writes as an ardent Tory, but his pages
show both ability and candor.
Watson, Robert.-History of the Reigns of Philip II. and Philip
III. 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1777–83.
These books have been somewhat famous; but they possess
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE. 411
very little historical value. The account of Philip II. has been
demolished and superseded by the great work of Prescott, and
the Philip III. is only important because it stands in a gap be-
tween Prescott and Coxe. The author's literary skill was consid-
erable, but his habits of investigation were careless, and his con-
clusions untrustworthy.
IỊ. HISTORIES OF SWITZERLAND.
Daguet, Alexandre.--Histoire de la Confédération Suisse depuis
les temps anciens jusqu'en 1864. Sixième édition, 8vo, Lan-
sanne, 1865.
A volume acknowledged in Switzerland to be an authority, and,
indeed, one of the best brief histories of that country extant. The
sixth edition is to be preferred; for it embodies numerous correc-
tions as the result of recent investigations. The author shows by
his clinging to the story of Tell that his patriotic sentiments are
somewhat stronger than his critical judgment. But he is en-
titled to the praise of having generally made industrious use of
a large amount of original material, and of having produced a
convenient and useful book.
The History of Switzerland, in Lardner's Cyclopædia. 12mo,
London, 1832.
A useful little book, descriptive of Switzerland from the earliest.
times down to 1830.
The best features of the volume are the descriptions of the
condition of the people at different periods. In chapter viii., e. g.,
is a striking account of the prevalence of ignorance before the
founding of the university at Basle in 1460.
Morin, A.-Précis de l'Histoire Politique de la Suisse. 5 vols.,
8vo, Genève, 1855–75.
The most complete and valuable history of Switzerland. It is
412
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
all the more to be esteemed by the general student because it
deals but slightly with the details of military affairs. The nature
of the struggles of Switzerland with surrounding nations, es-
pecially with Austria, the internal contests which preceded the
final organization of the Confederation, and the problems which
have received the attentions of the Confederation itself will here
be found adequately described.
.
Müller, Monnard et Vuillemin.-Histoire de la Suisse. 19 vols.,
8vo, Paris, 1837–51.
The work of the German historian Johannes Müller, written in
the latter part of the eighteenth century, has been universally
received as the most important work on the early history of
Switzerland ever published. But the seven volumes of that his-
tory bring the narrative down only to the end of the sixteenth
century. It has been the work of Monnard and Vuillemin to
translate Müller into French, and continue the history down to
the present century.
Though the work is too elaborate and minute in its details for
the general student, it is invaluable as a work of reference. It is
the most comprehensive of the histories, and its positions are al
ways entitled at least to respect.
Rochholz, E. L.-Tell und Gessler in Sage und Geschichte. Nach
urkundlichen Quellen. 8vo, Heilbronn, 1877.
The most critical and conclusive examination of the story of
Tell and Gessler.
The purpose of the book is twofold-first, to show that the
ordinarily received story cannot be true, and, secondly, to indicate
the manner in which the myth came to be regarded as history.
This purpose involves an examination of the substance of the
story of Tell, and a history of the family of Gessler. To most
readers the presentation will be conclusive. ·
Vieusseux, A.-The History of Switzerland from the First Irrup-
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE. 413
tion of the Northern Tribes to the Present Time. 8vo, Lon-
don, 1846.
A compilation froin the great works of Müller, Meyer, Franscini,
and Kasthofer. At the time of its publication, it was one of the
best of the short histories of Switzerland. Since 1846, however,
much has been done by explorers of early Swiss annals; and con-
sequently it is no longer of its former value.
· The portions of the work on the period of the Reformation
and the period of the French Revolution are of most value. The
author has no doubt whatever of the truth of the story of Tell
and Gessler.
Zschokke, H.- History of Switzerland, with à Continuation to
1848 by Emil Zschokke. 12mo, New York, 1858 ; new edi-
tion, 1875.
A translation from a well-known German work of value. The
book is generally trustworthy in its statements; and as a sum-
mary may be read with profit. It does not embody, however, the
results of recent research, and very great importance, therefore,
should not be attached to its conclusions. It is one of the most
readable of the small books on the subject.
III. HISTORIES OF TURKEY AND MODERN EGYPT.
Freeman, Edward A.—The History and Conquests of the Saracens.
Six Lectures. Third edition, with new preface. Crown 8vo,
London, 1880.
The first edition of this little volume was published as early as
1856; and ever since that time it has been the most interesting,
and perhaps the most valuable, introduction we have to the study
of Turkish history. It has not so much to do with the Ottoman
Turks as with the other Mohammedan nations; but it indicates
the relations of the Turks to the races and tribes of the East;
414
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
“ Ottoman Power in Europe."
Baker, James.-Turkey. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1876; 1 vol., 8vo,
New York, 1877.
The author is an English gentleman who, just before the prepa-
ration of his volume, resided three years in Turkey, and visited
nearly every part of the country. He shows little of that spirit
of careful and patient investigation so admirable in Wallace's
Russia; but, notwithstanding this fact, the book is not without
some value. It is descriptive rather than historical; but it gives
such an abundance of facts that the reader will have no difficulty
in forming an opinion concerning the embarrassments of the
Turkish government.
The view presented is more favorable to Turkey than Ameri-
cans generally have been disposed to entertain. The most satis-
factory part of the work is the account of the several tribes and
races that go to make up the conglomerate population of the
country. Its most serious fault is a certain flippant and jocose
method of discussing even matters of greatest moment.
Hammer-Purgstall, Joseph von. --Geschichte des osmanischen
Reiches, grossentheils aus bisher unbenützten Handschriften
und Archiven. 10 vols., 8vo, Pesth, 1827–35. A second edi-
tion, slightly revised, but without the documents, was published
in 4 vols., 8vo, in 1836. A French translation by J. J. Hellert
appeared in 18 vols., 8vo, at Paris, 1835–44.
A work designed not so much for readers as for investigators.
It is the great mine from which materials are procured for nearly
all the other histories of Turkey. On the work the author is
said to have expended thirty years of more than ordinary German
industry. The product of this labor and learning is a series of
volumes that take high rank among the historical productions of
this century.
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
415
Creasy, Sir Edward S.-History of the Ottoman Turks from the
Beginning of their Empire to the Present Time. Revised edi-
tion, 8vo, London and New York, 1877.
One of the most satisfactory histories of the Ottoman Turks
in our language. The author has freely availed himself of the
learning of Germany and France on the subject. Especially is
he indebted to the great work of Von Hammer-Purgstall.
On recent Turkish affairs the volume is not especially strong.
It differs from the work of Freeman in being more historical and
much less descriptive and critical. While, therefore, it will be
found somewhat less interesting to the general reader, it will be
perhaps even more valuable to the historical student.
Freeman, Edward A. -The Ottoman Power in Europe, its Nat-
ure, its Growth, and its Decline. With three colored Maps.
12mo, London, 1877.
A companion and supplement to the same author's “ History
and Conquests of the Saracens." While in the earlier work Free-
man treated of the other Mohammedan races and nations, he
here deals with the history and character of the Ottoman Turks.
The conspicuous characteristic as well as the great merit of the
book is the fact that it deals with Eastern and Mohammedan
affairs from a Western and European point of view. It is, there-
fore, political more than historical. The author discusses “Eastern
and Western Europe;" " The Races of Eastern Europe;" "The
Ottoman Turks and their Religion;" “ The Rise and Growth of
the Ottoman Power;" “The Decline of the Ottoman Power ;"
“The Revolts against the Ottoman Power;" and "The Practical
Question."
At the end of the preface is a valuable list of articles written
by the author on the same general subject, and published in the
various English reviews in the course of the last twenty years.
Lane, Edward William.- Manners and Customs of the Modern
Egyptians. 2 vols., 12mo, London, 1836. Fifth edition, 1848.
For many years in the early part of this century, Mr. Lane re-
416
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
sided in Egypt, devoting himself to the preparation of an Arabic
lexicon. As a scholar he is well known through his translation
of the “ Arabian Nights."
The especial and exceptional value of this work is in its careful
and minute account of the social conditions and habits of the
people of Egypt. Mr. McCoan, in his recent work on Egypt, as-
sures us that the descriptions are admirable portrayals of Egyp-
tian life at the present day.
McCoan, J. C.-Egypt as it is. With a Map, taken from the most
recent survey. 8vo, London and New York, 1878.
This work is entirely descriptive, but it describes not only the
present condition of society and government, but also the recent
efforts to revive the old importance of the country.
The author's information has been gained chiefly during a long
residence in Egypt; but his own observations have been supple-
mented by constant reference to the numerous works of recent
French writers. Of German authorities, Mr. McCoan has appar-
ently made no use whatever. The value of the book consists in
its descriptions of Egypt's present material and administrative
condition.
Ranke, Leopold von.- A History of Servia and the Servian Rev-
olution, from Original MSS. and Documents. Translated from
the German by Mrs. Alexander Kerr. 8vo, London, 1847.
The importance of this volume is much greater than at first
would appear. The geographical position of Servia between Tur-
key and Austria has made the country the seat of a protracted
struggle between European civilization and Asiatic despotism.
Ranke's work, therefore, is nothing less than an account, by the
most eminent of living historians, of the international interests
involved in the long contest.
Zinkeisen, J. W.-Geschichte des osmanischen Reiches in Europa.
7 vols., 8vo, Hamburg, 1840–63.
The work on the history of Turkey next in importance to the
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE. 417
famous production of Von Hammer-Purgstall. For all but writ-
ers of history it is even superior to the more celebrated work,
upon which, indeed, it is largely founded. As one of the “His-
'tories of the European States” edited by Heeren and Ukert, it
partakes of the characteristics of that excellent series. The use
of the volumes is made easy by a good index. On the whole, it
is the best history of Turkey.
IV. HISTORIES OF HOLLAND AND BELGIUM.
Amicis, Edmondo de.-Holland and its People. Translated from
the Italian by Caroline Tilton. 12mo, New York, 1880.
A very bright book, better calculated than any other to give
the reader a vivid and true impression of the country and people
it describes. The writer is an Italian gentleman who visited all
parts of the Netherlands, inspected the country thoroughly, be-
came familiar with people and institutions, and wrote down on
the spot his descriptions of what he saw and thought. The most
noteworthy qualities of the book are its fresh, original, and some-
what enthusiastic methods. The writer is at times somewhat too
voluble, but he is always interesting and always instructive. The
translation is excellent.
Davies, C. M.-History of Holland and the Dutch. 900–1799.
3 vols., 8vo, London, 1841–44. New edition, 1851.
As a continuous history of Holland, these volumes are not withi-
out some value. Their inherent merits, however, are not great.
A work, covering the whole ground of the national life of the
Dutch, was doubtless needed in English ; but the student is like-
ly to be better satisfied with the volumes of Motley, Dunham, and
Schlosser. The most useful part of Davies's book is that which
treats of Holland from the wars of Louis XIV. to the French
Revolution; but Schlosser's "History of the Eighteenth Century”
will be found quite as valuable even on this period.
27
418
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Geddes, James.-History of the Administration of John De Witt,
Grand Pensioner of Holland. Vol. i., 1623-54. 12mo, Lon-
don and New York, 1880.
The author has made painstaking search in the arcbives of the
Hague for information illustrative of the life and work of the
Grand Pensioner. Much that he presents is new even to the peo-
ple of Holland.
The period from the death of Barneveld to the accession of
William III. was one of turbulence, but it has been only imper-
fectly understood. From the accession of John De Witt, in
1652, to the time of bis assassination, in 1672, he ruled the Dutch
provinces with a firm hand, secured internal peace and prosperity,
and made the country feared and honored by the other nations of
Europe.
To the early life of this man, who once more made Holland
great and powerful, the author devotes his first volume. He
shows that the government, put into operation after the establish-
ment of Dutch independence, was a government full of corrup-
tions and weaknesses; in fact, that it was at best nothing but a
spurious republic. The States-General was a packed body, filled
with the creatures of the prince; and the mass of the Dutch people
had no political power whatever. The authority was exclusively
in the hands of the wealthy burghers, who ruled the local govern-
ments absolutely, and who kept themselves united under the cen-
tral power of the States-General only because of the threatening
attitude of foreign aggression. Such was the condition of affairs
when the De Witts came forward, not as the advocates of liberty,
but as the opposers of the tyranny of the House of Orange, and
the promoters of national concentration and unity.
The first volume is but introductory to what must be the more
important portion of the work; but it gives ample promise of a
substantial addition to our historical literature. In the years from
1652 to 1654 De Witt already had begun to have important deal-
ings with Cromwell; and the author, in treating of these years,
has been able to throw new light upon the policy of England as
well as upon that of Holland. His researches have been most
thorough, and the first volume is written with considerable literary
skill.
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
419
Grattan, Thomas Colley.--The History of the Netherlands. 12mo,
London and New York, 1830.
A valuable little book as a compendium of the “History of the
Netherlands, from the Christian Era down to the Formation of
the Kingdom of Belgium.” As a bird's-eye view of the whole
history of the country, this is one of the best in English, and is
really excellent. More than such a view, however, it is not; for
it embraces in its narrative the whole period from the time of
Julius Cæsar to the Revolution of 1830. In point of style, the
volume is attractive and spirited.
Juste, Théodore.- Histoire de Belgique depuis les temps primi-
tifs jusqu'à la fin du règne de Léopold I. 4e éd., 3 vols., 8vo,
Brussels, 1868.
The author is one of the most respected historical writers and
teachers of history in Belgium, and his work is probably the most
successful of the several attempts to describe the entire history of
the country within the limits of a single treatise. It is written
in a spirited style, but it has the weakness of a somewhat undis-
criminating enthusiasm. This shows itself especially in the his-
tory of Leopold I., who is treated with altogether extravagant
praise.
Juste, Théodore. — La Révolution Belge de 1830, d'après des
documens inédits. 2 vols., 8vo, Brussels, 1873.
The best description of the revolution which raised Belgium to
an independent kingdom, and placed the nation in its present
condition. The volumes have the same general characteristics as
the author's general history of Belgium. Though this is perhaps
the best account of the revolution we have, its conclusions are not
to be accepted without the limitations indicated in characterizing
the same author's general history..
Motley, John Lothrop. - The Rise of the Dutch Republic. A
420
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
History. 3 vols., Svo, New York, 1856; new edition, New
York, 1880.
This is a remarkable book. It is a vivid portrayal of one of
the most dramatic portions of modern European history. Motley
possessed nearly all the essentials of a great historical writer. His
industry was unwearied, and bis opportunities were all that could
be desired. He penetrated deep below the surface of things, and
explored their hidden causes. His pages are instinct with the
love of freedom and hatred of tyranny. His style is clear, vivid,
and eloquent. His analysis of character is remarkably distinct,
and his power of dramatic narrative has not often been excelled.
But the work, with all these excellent characteristics, has its
drawbacks. The judicious reader constantly labors under the im-
pression that there is another story to be told. The author's
aversions are so strong and his predilections so extreme that they
seem often to have taken absolute possession of his judgment.
At times he almost appears to be apprehensive that his words will
not adequately express the energy of his thoughts, and conse-
quently his language sometimes becomes so emphatic as to appear
stilted and declamatory.
The work, after an historical introduction of ninety-two pages,
is devoted to that turbulent age from the abdication of Charles
V., in 1555, to the assassination of Williamn of Orange, in 1584.
Much of this period, therefore, is the same as that treated by
Prescott in his “ History of Philip II. ;" but the point of view is
essentially different. While the one is looking from Spain, the
other is looking from Holland.
Throughout the history, William of Orange is Motley's idol
and his client. In his behalf he has certainly made a magnificent
plea; but it is a plea, not a decision.
Motley, John Lothrop. - History of the United Netherlands,
from the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Years'
Truce-1609. 4 vols., 8vo, New York, 1861–69 ; new edition,
1880.
The period covered by this work is less dramatic than that de-
scribed in the "Rise of the Dutch Republic," by the same au-
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
421
thor; but it was scarcely less significant in its influence on subse-
quent events.
There have been few more important years in all modern lis-
tory than those during which was matured the great Spanish
project of conquering England and the Netherlands, and bringing
them again under Catholic rule. The intimate connection of the
kingdom of England and the republic of Holland at the time
when the fate of Protestantism rested with them alone, made the
history of the two commonwealths, in many respects, nearly iden-
tical. It is this period and this struggle, as well as the interior
government of the Netherlands, that Motley has portrayed in the
work before us.
The book has the same general characteristics as the preceding
one. The author, in his preface, characterizes the course of the
Catholics as the “deep-laid conspiracy of Spain and Rome against
human rights;" and the period seems to him to show “the dan-
gers that come from superstition and despotism, and the blessings
which flow from the maintenance of religious and political free-
dom.” With all the merits of the work, and these are many and
conspicuous, it must be conceded that it is too controversial in its
character to be accepted as the final judgment of mankind.
Though these faults detract from the value of the history, they
will not diminish in the least the interest of the reader in its
pages.
Motley, John Lothrop.---The Life and Death of John of Barne-
veld, Advocate of Holland. With a View of the Primary Causes
and Movements of the Thirty Years' War. 2 vols., 8vo, New
York, 1874.
The author intended these volumes as a link between the histo-
ries he had already published and the even more important work
he had in contemplation on the Thirty Years' War. They are an
account of what is known in the Netherlands as the “Twelve
Years' Truce.” It was a turbulent period of intrigues between
the conflict that for more than forty years had been raging in
Holland, and that greater struggle which engrossed the energies
of all Central Europe for more than a quarter of a century. The
422
LITERATURE.
TO
HISTORICAL years included within the scope of the work, therefore, were not
well adapted to show the genius of Motley to best advantage.
Though the volumes are marked with the same general charac- ·
teristics as the former ones by the same author, yet the events
they describe are of a less stirring interest, and the faults of the
work consequently appear in a much stronger light. The vol-
umes, moreover, lack something of that literary finish which was
so striking a characteristic of the author's earlier histories. Many
of the descriptions, however, are exceedingly interesting and
graphic. Especially worthy of note is the account of the deal-
ings of the government with Grotius.
V. HISTORIES OF SCANDINAVIA.
Anderson, R. B.—Norse Mythology; or, The Religion of our
Forefathers. Containing all the Myths of the Eddas, care-
fully systematized and interpreted. With an Introduction,
Vocabulary, and Index. 12mo, Chicago, 2d ed., 1878.
Perhaps the most convenient summary we have of the body of
Northern mythology. As such it is not only interesting, but valu-
able. The author believes in the essentially indigenous character-
istics of the Teutonic and Scandinavian myths, and also in their
marked moral superiority over the mythology of Greece and Rome.
In this be differs sharply from some of the best authorities on the
subject; but his volume is one which may be read with profit as
well as interest.
Baring-Gould, Sabine.- Iceland, its Scenes and Sagas. 8vo,
London, 1873.
For English readers this portly volume is the best modern pop-
ular description of Iceland. It is written in a free and easy style
by one who visited the island for the purpose of making sketches
of its scenery, and of studying the scenes of its sagas. Its fault
is its great size. It is too large a book for a description of so
small a country; but it is made interesting by an attractive style
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.. 423
and numerous well-drawn illustrations. With the use of the tabic
of contents judicious omissions may be made and the volume may
thus be of essential service.
Carlyle, Thomas.-The Early Kings of Norway. 12mo, New
York, 1875.
A slight work, that owes its importance chiefly to the fame of
its author rather than to its own intrinsic merit. It is mainly a
coinpilation from Sturleson and Dahlmann, with bere and there a
bright phrase thrown in by the distinguished writer. Though
published as one of the latest of Carlyle's works, it was prepared
during the early years of his literary career, and is not to be re-
garded as of much intrinsic importance.
Dahlmann, F. C.-Geschichte von Dänemark bis zur Reforma- .
tion, mit Inbegriff von Norwegen und Island. 3 vols., 8vo,
Hamburg, 1840–43.
During many years Dahlmann was a professor of history and a
prominent historical writer. He was identified with the political
agitations of 1848, and was an ardent advocate of liberty.
His “ History of Denmark” is his most considerable work, and
it has a standard value. But, as it has to do with the Middle
Ages exclusively, it gives no information in regard to the period
of most interest in Danish affairs. The days when the Danes
were the terror of French and English alike are skilfully described.
Dunham, S. A.-History of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. 3
vols., 16mo, London, 1840.
As a brief history of Scandinavia these volumes still have no
superior in English. The writer brought to his task the same
characteristics that he has shown in his other works. As a brief
general history for the purposes of the general reader, it leaves
very little to be desired.
424
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Fryxell, Anders.—The History of Sweden. Translated from the
original. Edited by Mary Howitt. 2 vols., 12mo, London,
1844.
iginal bas greunal European laccessfully done continued
The original has great popularity in Sweden, :ind has been
translated into the principal European languages. It was written
for strictly popular purposes, and was successfully done.
The translation into English, however, has never been continued
beyond that portion of the work which reaches the year 1612.
It ends, therefore, before the reign of Gustavus Adolphus, conse-
quently before the history of Sweden began to assume European
importance.
Geijger, E. J., und Carlson, F.F.-Geschichte Schwedens. Ueber-
setzt von J. C. Petersen. 5 vols., 8vo, Gotha, 1844-75.
.
The standard and by far the most important history of Swe-
den. The volumes, the first three of which were prepared by Geij-
ger, have steadily maintained the reputation of ranking anong
the most successful of the admirable series published under the
editorial direction of Heeren and Ukert. The portion written by
Geijger appeared in a French version, at Brussels, in 1845; but
the work has never been translated into English.
The volumes by Carlson are in most respects superior to the
others. They show unusual powers of description united with a
keen insight into the complicated relations of Sweden with the
nations adjacent. These qualities appear to great advantage in
the fifth volume-the one devoted to the trying years between
1680 and 1697. In 1679 the war had ended which made France
the first power in Europe. Into that great war Sweden had been
drawn, and during some years the contest was nothing less than a
struggle for national existence. The period that followed was
one of reconstruction. The restoration of internal order, and the
establishment of new relations with the altered nationalities of
Europe, were the two great political problems demanding solution.
The way in which the difficult task was performed is described
with a clearness of insight and a vigor of expression that leave
little to be desired.
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE. 425
Gosch, Charles A.-Denmark and Germany since 1815. With
four Maps. Svo, London, 1862.
An important work, descriptive of the relations of Denmark and
Germany during the twenty years before the Schleswig-Holstein
War. The involved nature of those relations is hinted at in the
saying that they were never understood except by one man, and
that he died without imparting the secret.
The author shows a bias towards the Danish side; but, on the
whole, his statements are honest and fair. Perhaps the account
is the most satisfactory we have in English, though the pages
must be read with the constant remembrance that the writer can
make no claim to impartiality.
Lang, Samuel.-The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of
Norway. Translated from the Icelandic of Snorro Sturleson.
With à Preliminary Dissertation. 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1844.
The original of this work, written by Sturleson, an Icelander
of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, is a picture of the North-
men and their institutions by a rough, wild, and vigorous member
of their number, who possessed remarkable literary gifts. No one
will doubt the importance of the work who remembers that the
Northmen colonized Northumberland and other parts of England,
amounting to a third of the whole island. It is thought by many
that they were the forefathers of nearly as large a proportion of
the present English race as the Anglo-Saxons themselves. Under
their own laws, moreover, they occupied this territory for cen-
turies.
: The work consists chiefly of a collection of sagas that indicate
the history from the carliest traditions to the time of the author.
It has been translated into ncarly all the languages of Europe, and
has a standard and permanent value.
In the first volume the translator has prefixed to the work a
valuable dissertation of some two hundred pages, the purpose of
which is to explain the condition of the Northmen and their title
to our attention. An appendix to the third volume is also of
1
value.
426
. HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
.
Mallet, M.-Northern Antiquities; or, An Historical Account of
the Manners, Customs, Religion and Laws, Maritime Expedi-
tions and Discoveries, Languages and Literature, of the Ancient
Scandinavians (Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, and Icelanders);
with Incidental Notes respecting our Saxon Ancestors. Trans-
lated from the French by Bishop Percy. New cdition, revised
throughout, and enlarged with a Translation of the Prose Edda
from the original of the old Norse text; with Notes, Critical and
Explanatory, by J. A. Blackwell, Esq. Crown 8vo, London,
1847.
The author was a French scholar who spent several years in
Denmark as the instructor of the Prince, who afterwards ascended
the throne as King Christian VII. During his residence at the
Danish court he began the preparation of a listory of Denmark,
As an introduction to that history he drew up the two volumes
which Bishop Percy translated and Mr. Blackwell edited.
The importance of the work has been acknowledged in all parts
of Europe. As the translation was first published as early as
1770, the results of more recent investigation have brought to-
gether a mass of materials, which Mr. Blackwell has performed a
good service in adding to the volume as notes and illustrations.
The second half of the work is exclusively made up of Mr. Black-
well's valuable additions.
Maurer, Konrad.—Island von seiner ersten Entdeckung bis zum
Untergange des Freistaates. Svo, Munich, 1874.
This volume was published on the 2d of August, on the occa-
sion of the celebration of the one thousandth anniversary of the
settlement of the island. But it is not simply an ordinary con-
tribution to a national jubilee. No other living writer has studied
Iceland so thoroughly as has Konrad Maurer; and he has here
brought together the ripe fruit of thirty years of industrious
labor. It is by far the best book on Iceland.
The island appears to have been discovered by Celts about the
year 825. A few years later came the Norman discoverers. But
it was not until the year 874 that the first immigrants established
themselves in a permanent home. Within sixty years the num-
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
427
ber of the population grew to be nearly 70,000, a number that
has varied but slightly down to the present time. As the new set-
tlers-Celts, Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes--brought their own
institutions, the mixture resulted in many new forms and methods.
And it is in the development and history of these that our inter-
est in Iceland chiefly centres. The social customs were in many
respects different from any that have elsewhere appeared in Eu-
rope. The families were, for the most part, isolated, and there-
fore were chiefly dependent upon themselves. Under such in-
fluences there grew up a peculiar but a rich national culture
which found expression in poetry and song. The history of this
singular development the author has portrayed in a manner as
interesting as it is instructive.
Maurer, Konrad.—Isländische Volkssagen der Gegenwart gesam-
melt und verdeutscht. 8vo, Leipsic, 1860.
This work, by the most accomplished living scholar in Icelandic
lore, is of more importance than any other on the subject, and
is entitled to be regarded as the standard authority. It throws
much light on the early institutions of the North, and should be
carefully studied by every student of Scandinavia. It is also not
without importance in the general study of early institutions. It
may well be read in connection with the author's later and more
important work.
Rink, Dr. Henry.-Danish Greenland. Its People and its Products.
Edited by Dr. Robert Brown. With Illustrations by the Es-
kimo, and a Map. 12mo, London, 1877.
The best account we have of Greenland. It is both historical
and descriptive. The author was a Danish official whose duties
brought him into the most intimate knowledge of the subject,
and who made industrious and judicious use of his opportunities.
· Sinding, Paul de.- History of Scandinavia from the Earliest
428
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Times of the Norsemen and Vikings to the Present Day.
12mo, New York, 1858. .
If English literature abounded in histories of Scandinavia, this
book would be considered as of very small importance. But it is
a sketch inspired by the dearth of works on the subject, and by
the prevailing ignorance concerning the nations described. It is
characterized by a certain naïve goodishness not very much to be
admired; but it has the merit of making an honest effort to fill a
place in which a good book was felt by the author to be needed.
Thorpe, Benjamin.-Northern Mythology, comprising the Prin-
cipal Popular Traditions and Superstitions of Scandinavia,
North Germany, and the Netherlands. Compiled from original
and other sources. 3 vols., 12mo, London, 1852.
A work on this subject by one of the most eminent of Anglo-
Saxon scholars in England could not fail to have great literary
and historical value. The very copious and scholarly notes with
which it is fortified render it perhaps the most valuable collection
we possess of the Northern sagas. It is much fuller than Ander-
son's work on the same subject; and though by the general reader
it may not be found more interesting, yet by the student it
will be regarded as much more complete and satisfactory.
Wheaton, Henry.--History of the Northmen, or Danes and Nor-
mans, from the Earliest Times to the Conquest of William of
Normandy. 12mo, London, 1831.
Few men have done more for the honor of American letters
than Henry Wheaton. The work before us was written during
the period when he was Ainerican Chargé d'Affaires at Copen-
hagen, and after he had become a member of the Scandinavian
and Icelandic societies.
In the preparation of the work the author made use of all the
best authorities, and selected from them what was likely to be of
most interest and value. He wrote with a combination of judg-
inent, learning, and enthusiasın that has justly secured for the
work a high place in the literature of the North. Its merits have
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE.
429
been recognized by translation into all the more important lan-
guages of Europe.
Worsaae, J. J. A.–An Account of the Danes and Northmen in
England, Scotland, and Ireland. 12.no, London, 1852.
In 1846 a commission was appointed by Christian VIII. of
Denmark to investigate and report upon any existing monuments
and memorials of Danes and Norwegians in the British Isles. In
the work of carrying on the resulting investigations, the com-
mission received generous assistance in England.
The volume before us is a translation of an account of the re-
mains discovered. The plan of the book is historical rather
than archæological, and is a good presentation of the part taken
by the Danes in the mediæval history of England.
VI. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. The best of all general histories of Spain, in English, is that
of Dunham. If the reader desires a less elaborate account of
the mediæval turbulence of the country, he will find an excellent
summary in the first two chapters of Prescott's “ Ferdinand and
Isabella.” In connection with these chapters the account of
Spanish institutions in Hallam's "Middle Ages," and also that in
Robertson's "Introduction to the History of Charles the Fifth,"
will be found at once interesting and valuable. If the reader
uses German, he should follow Dunham with Baumgarten; if
not, he may well read the chapters on the Peninsular War in
Seeley's “Stein” or Alison's "French Revolution.”
Daguet's "Switzerland” is to be preferred; though if a work
in English is desired, Vieusseux, Zschokke, or the volume on the
subject in Lardner's “Cyclopædia” should be used.
On the history of Turkey, Freeman and Creasy will be found
ipost valuable. Freeman is more readable, and is not without
peculiar and characteristic merits. Lane and McCoan are the au-
thorities on modern Egypt.
Grattan's "Netherlands ” is perhaps the most satisfactory brief
history. Dunham's “Denmark, Sweden, and Norway” is a useful
430
HISTORICAL LITERATURE...
-
summary. Gosch's "Denmark and Germany since 1815" is de-
voted to a description of the relations and difficulties which re-
sulted in the Schleswig-Holstein war. Wheaton's is still one of
the best accounts of the early Northmen.
2. Lembke and Schäfer's is the best of the larger biscories of
Spain. If the reader must confind himself to English, Dunham's
"Spain" may be used, and may well be followed by Prescott's
“Ferdinand and Isabella,” Robertson's “ Charles V.," and Pres-
cott's “Philip II.” These are most worthily succeeded by Dunlop,
Watson, Coxe, Baumgarten, Napier, and Mazade. The portions
of Mariana on the history of Spain in the Middle Ages may be
read with pleasure as well as profit.
Of the large histories of Switzerland, Morin is likely to be most
satisfactory, though Müller has not been completely superseded.
Rochholz has made the most complete examination of the legend
of Tell.
Baker's "Turkey” gives an alleviating view of the Turkish
government. Argyll's “ Eastern Question " discusses the general
relations of Turkey to the adjacent nationalities. For an account
of events leading to the complications of 1875–80, recourse should
be had to the “Annual Register" and to the English reviews for
those years. For a thorough history of Turkey, Zinkeisen is
above all others, except Von IIammer-Purgstall.
The great struggle by which the Netherlands achieved their
independence is portrayed with remarkable spirit by Motley.
The same author's “ History of the United Netherlands” is also
a work of very high repute. The work of Geddes is one of
great promise. Juste's "Belgium” is the standard book on the
subject.
If the reader desires a very complete history of mediæval Den-
mark, he will be satisfied with Dahlmann only, though for most
readers Dunham will be entirely adequate. The monographs of
Worsaae and Gosch are of considerable merit. Fryxell's “Sweden”
may be read for a fuller account than that of Dunham; but the
great authority is that of Geijger and Carlson. The growth of
Swedish power under the House of Vasa is admirably sketched by
Häusser in his “Period of the Reformation.” Droysen's “Gus-
tavus Adolphus," without going very fully into the details of the
king's career, throws much light on the relations of Sweden to
THE SMALLER NATIONALITIES OF EUROPE. 431
Germany. Voltaire's “History of Charles XII.” is justly one
of the most popular of the witty Frenchman's works.
3. The works of Bouterwek and Sismondi on the literature
of Spain have been greatly surpassed in merit by that of Ticknor;
though the second chapter of Sismondi's “Literature of the South
of Europe" is, perhaps, the most graphic account we have of the
learning of the Arabs. Important papers on the subject of Span-
ish literature are to be found in Gibbon, chapter li.; in Schlegel's
“Dramatic Literature," in the Edinburgh Review for January,
1841, and in the Quarterly Review for July, 1837. Irving's “Al-
hambra" is a semi-fictitious account of Spanish manners; and the
same writer's “Conquest of Granada” is a graphic portrayal of
the terrible struggle which led to the downfall of the Moors.
Southey's “Chronicle of the Cid” is one of the best portrayals
of Spanish manners. Irving's “Spanish Papers” give an inter-
esting account of the union of Castile and Leon. On the subject
of the Inquisition, Llorente is the great Roman Catholic authority;
Rule the Protestant authority. Macaulay's essay in review of
“Stanhope's War of the Succession” is a brief but an entertain-
ing account of an important period. The great work on this war,
however, is the recent history by Noorden. The Cornhill Maga-
zine. for 1871 has a series of important papers on more recent
Spanish affairs. Two of these papers are reprinted in Littell's
Living Age for the same year. Instructive articles may also be
found in the Atlantic Monthly for April, 1868, and in volumes
xl., xli., lxii., and lxiii. of Harper's Monthly. Crawfurd's “Portu-
gal” is a recent book, combining description and history in an
agreeable manner. Cervantes's view of Spanish manners has the
high endorsement of Prescott. Cooper's “Mercedes of Castile"
aims to describe Spanish affairs in the time of Ferdinand and Isa-
bella. Picton's “Spanish Brothers" relates to the Inquisition,
Coleridge's “Remorse" to the times of Philip II., and Mrs.
Charles's “Martyrs of Spain" to the days of the Reformation.
Illustrative of the bistory of Switzerland, much of importance
is to be found in Coxe's." House of Austria” and Barante's
“Dukes of Burgundy.” For the value of the myth concerning
William Tell, sce Atlantic Monthly for March, 1861, where the
evidences are balanced. See also on the same subject, Baring-
Gould's “ Curious Myths of the Middle Ages," and the Edinburgh
sine for 1987.1 has a series
432
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Review for January, 1869. Scott's “Anne of Geierstein" is a
graceful tribute to Swiss devotion and heroism in the last struggle
with Charles the Bold. For the historical details of this contest,
Kirk's “Charles the Bold” may be consulted. The Reformation
in Switzerland is described at length by D’Aubigné, and concisely
by Häusser and Fisher. The part of Switzerland in the Revolu-
tionary period is well portrayed by Alison.
The establishment of Turkish power in Europe is described by
Gibbon and Finlay, as well as by Freeman and Creasy. Prescott,
in his histories of Spain, especially his “Philip II.,” gives very
graphic portrayals of the long contest between the Spaniards and
the Moslems in the sixteenth century. The more recent history
of Turkey is illustrated by Benjamin's “The Turk and the
Greek,” Crowe's “The Greek and the Turk,” MacCulloch's “Rus-
sia and Turkey," Moltke's “Russians in Bulgaria in 1828–29,"
Noyes's “Roumania,” and Oscanyan's “The Sultan and his Peo-
ple." See also Harper's Magazine, volumes xxiv. and xxxv., Inter-
national Review for 1876, and the several English reviews since
1875. In the preface to Freeman's " Ottoman Power in Europe"
is an important list of articles on modern Turkish affairs.
Miss Barrett, in her “ William the Silent,” has condensed the
histories of Motley and Prescott. The reign of Charles V. in
the Netherlands is well described by Juste. Butler's “Life of
Grotius” is a good account of the period just before the Thirty
Years' War. Schiller's “Revolt of the Netherlands” is much more
admirable from a literary than from an historical point of view.
Grattan's account of the more recent history of Holland is best
supplemented by special portions of the general histories. James's
“Mary of Burgundy” and Pichler's “Artist Lovers " depict
phases of Dutch society in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Goethe's "Egmont” is a powerful rendering of one of the most
painful episodes of that terrible struggle.
On the early history of Scandinavia, Maurer, Thorpe, Lang, and
Mallet are the authors of most importance. A briefer book of
great merit is that of Wheaton. Professor Anderson's mono-
graphs throw much light on special subjects. Bowring's trans-
lations of the Eddas are of the highest repute; those of Anderson
are more accessible, and not without much merit. In all that
pertains to the history and institutions of Iceland, Konrad Maurer
is the most trustworthy authority.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
433
CHAPTER XIII.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
I. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Brewer, J. S.-The Student's Hume. 12mo, New York, 1880.
Before the appearance of Green's “Short History of the Eng-
lish People” the volume known as “The Student's Hume” was
the best brief account of England for the use of a student. It
was generally free from errors, it contained interesting illustra-
tions, and it presented to the student many of the most impor-
tant documents of English history.
The effort of Professor Brewer in the present edition has been
to revise it thoroughly, with a view to giving it all the benefits of
recent historical criticism and research. The editor was thor-
oughly qualified for his work, and in the performance of his task
he has left little to be desired. The volume is not so much a his-
tory of civilization and institutions as is that of Green, and it is
not so full in what are sometimes called matters of fact as is that
of Bright; but between the two it occupies an important place.
Unlike the work of which it purports to be an abridgment, it
brings the narrative down to the present time.
Bright, Frank.-English History for the Use of Public Schools.
3 vols., 12mo, London and New York, 1878.
The author is a lecturer on history in Baliol, New, and Uni-
versity colleges at Oxford, and he has produced for the use of
college students one of the best text-books on the history of Eng-
land in the language.
28
434
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
It is clear, careful, and accurate; is fortified with excellent ta-
bles and maps, is a magazine of information, and in matters of
opinion is fully abreast of the latest conclusions and criticisms.
Its style is very compact, and on this account, unless consider-
able time be given to it, there is danger of its being thought hard
and dry. If the student is unable to do much collateral reading
in connection with it, the results are likely to be inferior to those
secured from the study of Green. It is a book of solid rather
than of brilliant qualities.
Burton, John Hill. – The History of Scotland from Agricola's
Invasion to the last Jacobite Insurrection.' 8 vols., 12mo, Lon-
don and New York. 2d ed., 1875.
It is but simple justice to say that this work has superseded in
value all other histories of Scotland. As a complete record of
one of the most turbulent of all histories, it is eminently suc-
cessful. To the preparation of the work the author devoted
many industrious years, and on several of the most disputed ques-
tions of Scottish history he has thrown a welcome light. The
work is clear in style, and is arranged with an admirable regard
for historical perspective. The events of the sixteenth century
accordingly receive a large amount of space.
Campbell, Lord John.-The Lives of the Lord Chancellors and
Keepers of the Great Seal of England from the Earliest Times
till the Reign of Queen Victoria. 8 vols., 8vo, and 10 vols.,
12mo, London and New York, 1869, and many other editions.
Also, Lives of the Chief Justices of England from the Norman
Conquest till the Death of Lord Tenterden. 4 vols., 8vo and
12mo, London and New York, 1857, and subsequent editions.
The writings of Lord Campbell have great merits, but they are
not without great defects. They embody a vast amount of inter-
esting as well as valuable information. The author was an emi-
nent lawyer, and a statesman of considerable prominence. His
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
435
works show an ease and an animation of expression which make
them popular with a large class of readers.
The defects of the work are nearly allied to its merits. They
are to be found chiefly in the strong partialities and animosities
of the author; and, while these characteristics impart spirit to his
pages, they detract very considerably from their real value. Lord
Campbell was an energetic hater, and he never hesitated to give
expression to his animosities. The value of his writings, there-
fore, is in the general impressions and the entertainment they af-
ford, rather than in the correctness of the information they give
or the soundness of the conclusions they reach. The freedom
with which the author reproduced the productions of others
amounted at times to unblushing plagiarism.
Green, John Richard.--A Short History of the English People.
Crown 8vo, London and New York, 1875.
· This book has extraordinary merits. It is rather a commentary
on the history of England than a history itself, and therefore
those who already have some knowledge of the subject are likely
to be most profited by its use.
· The qualities which have given to the work its great popular-
ity are the brilliancy of its style, the breadth of its generaliza-
tions, the vividness with which it portrays the general drift of
events, the clearness with which it shows the relations of cause
and effect, the prominence which it gives to the literary and so-
cial progress of the people, and the skill with which the author
has made his selections and exclusions. The book has been
shown to be somewhat inaccurate in matters of minor detail; but
the inaccuracies are, for the most part, such as may easily be
remedied by careful revision, without disturbing the general ar-
rangement of the work. For the purposes of the general reader
it is superior to all other works in a single volume. Its value is
also increased by a carefully drawn list of authorities at the be-
ginning of each subject. These lists afford a somewhat compre-
hensive and very valuable bibliography of English history.
436
LLLL
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Green, John Richard. History of the English People. 4 vols.,
8vo, London and New York, 1878–80.
By far the most important general history of England that has
cver been written. It not only covers the whole period of Eng-
lish history down to the close of the Napoleonic wars, but it also
embodies the results of those researches into special periods
which of late have been so characteristic of English historical ac-
tivity.
To these merits must be added several others of scarcely less
importance. The author writes in an unusually vigorous and in-
teresting style. His pages are not encumbered with notes, but at
the beginning of the history of each period is to be found a very
complete and valuable account of the sources from which infor-
mation on the subject treated is to be drawn. These bibliograph-
ical introductions will be found of the greatest use to the special
student of English history.
Another important feature of the work is the amount of space
devoted to descriptions of the social condition of the people-a
method of treatment that adds greatly to the interest of the reader
as well as to his profit. The first volume brings the history down
to the close of the Parliament of 1461, the second to 1603, the
third to 1688, the fourth to 1815. The fourth volume is gener-
ally thought to be somewhat less meritorious than the others.
Finally, the book is admirably equipped with maps and tables,
and is brought to a close by a very full index.
Guizot, F.--The History of England, from the Earliest Times to
the Accession of Queen Victoria. Related for the Rising Gen-
eration. Translated from the French. 4 vols., 8vo and 12mo,
London and Boston, 1879.
A history especially intended for the young, or, as the venera-
able author chose to say, for his grandchildren. But in the prep-
aration of it the characteristics of the renowned historian and
statesman did not desert him. He had made a profound study
of English history, and had followed the different steps in the
growth of the English political system with a keen and a sympa-
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
437
thetic intelligence. This history, therefore, may always be con-
sulted with profit as well as with interest.
Hume, David. The History of England, from the Invasion of
Julius Cæsar to the Revolution in 1688. Various editions, one
of the best being in six vols., 8vo, New York, 1880.
This work, written more than a hundred years ago, has enjoyed
the rank of a classic in historical literature from the day of its
completion to the present time. In point of clearness, elegance,
and simplicity of style it has never been surpassed. This pecu-
liarity, however, united as it is with the calın and philosophical
spirit with which the author contemplates the events he describes,
has given the work a rank to which its strictly historical merits
never would have entitled it. Indeed, Hume was not an historical
investigator in any true sense of the term. He was under much
greater obligations to some of his predecessors than he ever ac-
knowledged. With some propriety it may be said that Carte
was the miner, while Hume was only the finisher of the materials
brought together by his more industrious and thorough predeces-
sor.
An historical work written as Hume wrote could hardly fail to
abound in gross errors. For a long time many of the mistakes
of this history escaped detection ; but of late the errors have
been shown to be so abundant and so flagrant that the opinion
of scholars concerning the value of the work has been completely
modified.
The portion relating to the reign of the Stuarts was the first
written, and is, perhaps, the most faulty. It is founded on an
erroneous conception of the nature of the English government at
the time of the accession of James I. Brodie, in bis “Consti-
tutional History," has shown the worthlessness of Hume's account
of this period, and has made it plain that it is "a fictitious phi-
losophy buttressed by a fictitious narrative."
Of the numerous "continuations” of Hume, no one is worthy
of the student's notice. The best edition, as above indicated, is
that published in New York in 1880; but editions are to be
judged chiefly by the external qualities of paper and print; for
438
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
the revisions of the author were of political rather than of his-
torical importance, and were really of no value. In 1770 he
wrote: “I am running over the last edition of my History in
order to correct it still further. I either soften or expunge many
villanous, seditious Whig strokes which had crept into it. I am
sensible that the first editions were too full of those foolish Eng-
lish prejudices which all nations and all ages disavow." It was
this that what he called the “firm conduct and manly resentment
of George III.” convinced him that he had not done enough to
canonize Laud and whitewash Strafford and Jeffreys.
Knight, Charles.—The Popular History of England. An Illus-
trated History of Society and Government, from the Earliest
Period to our own Times. 8 vols., London, 1856–62. Also,
without the illustrations, 6 vols., 12mo, New York, 1878, and
2 vols., 4to, New York, 1880. .
This work was written, as the author declares, for “young men
of cighteen,” for whom there was no history of England but
that of "the cool, scoffing philosopher who could relate with un-
ruffled temper the outrages of despotism, the vices of kings, and
the extravagances of superstition, and who reserved his criticisms
for genius and his sarcasms for zeal.” .
As will be inferred from this declaration, the ambition of Mr.
Knight was not to write a history of the highest order of merit;
but to produce one which should be light and readable without
being superficial, which should abound in pictures rather than dis-
sertations, and, above all, which should carry the reader through
a survey of English life with a generoiis sympathy for what is
noble in all parties, without losing in philosopbic indifference his
manly confidence in truth and fact.
The volumes cover the whole period of English history down
to the present generation. While the work is not profound, it is
thoroughly healthful in tone; and, with the exception of Green,
for the purposes of the general reader, is probably the best his-
tory of England yet completed. The English edition abounds in
illustrations, introduced not merely for the embellishment of the
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
439
volumes, but for the clucidation of the narrative. The illustrations
are unusually excellent, both in kind and quality. .
Four of the volumes are devoted to the period subsequent to
the Revolution of 1688. On the history of more recent events,
therefore, it is much fuller than any of the other histories of
similar scope and purpose.
The Pictorial History of England.—Being a History of the
People as well as a History of the Kingdom. Illustrated with
many hundred wood-cuts. 8 vols., royal 8vo, London ; 4 vols.,
New York, 1838.
Although this is a pictorial history, it can hardly be called a
popular history. It is a book of solid rather than brilliant quali-
ties. In the preparation of it a large number of the most cmi-
nent English scholars were engaged, and it is likely to be much
more highly prized by scholars than by general readers.
The editor has divided the history of England into periods,
and he has caused each period to be treated under seven different
heads, and by as many different hands. These several depart-
ments are " Civil and Military Transactions ;" “Religious His-
tory;' “ The Constitution and Laws;" “National Industry;">
“ Literature, Science, and the Arts;" “Manners and Customs ;"'
and “The Condition of the People."
The illustrations are well chosen and well engraved. The his-
tory closes with the year 1820.
Linearne Romake there
Lingard, John.--A History of England from the First Invasion
of the Romans to the Accession of William and Mary, in 1688.
Of this work there are numerous editions, the most accessible
and one of the best being that in 10 vols., London and New
York. The fourth edition (1837–39) was revised with extraor-
dinary care by the author; and so many changes were made
that the former editions may be regarded as of little value.
The best edition is the 5th, London, 10 vols., 8vo, 1849.
The great Roman Catholic authority on the history of Eng-
440
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
land. It covers about the same period as the work of Hume,
but it is written with far more historical learning and care. No
history was ever more violently assailed (see Edinburgh Review
for April, 1825, and July, 1826), and yet the author succeeded in
vindicating himself from the most serious charges brought against
him. No one, however, can read the work without perceiving
that it is pervaded by a strong bias, which appears, perhaps, not
more in what is said than in what is omitted. It will be difficult
to detect the author in false assertion ; but very much that is
known to be fact, but adverse to his position, is, either purposely
or unwittingly, kept out of view. At the same time, it is not
free from positive and inexcusable errors. For example, his state-
ments in regard to the conduct of Cromwell's army at Drogheda
and Wexford not only have no foundation in trustworthy evi-
dence, but are in direct opposition to very positive evidence of a
contrary nature. These peculiarities make it desirable that the
student should read it in constant connection with some other
author. Dr. Lingard's talents were of a high order, and his char-
acter was above all reproach: it is not easy, therefore, to under-
stand how, in the light of this century, he could have written a
history so pervaded with the spirit of religious partisanship.
Aside from this very considerable drawback, the work is the best
general history of England before 1688 yet written for the pur-
poses of a student. The scholar who keeps these characteristics
in mind will have no difficulty in making all due allowances, and
may use the work with great profit.
MacMullen, John.-The History of Canada, from its first Dis-
covery to the Present Time. 8vo, Brockwith and London,
1868.
As a continuous account of Canadian history, this is one of the
most satisfactory.
The early settlement of Canada was so intimately associated
with our own that the first chapters of the book will present to
the reader very little that is new or especially valuable. But
after chapter xii. the volume is of greater interest. It gives a very
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
441
clear picture of the difficulties which led to the Papineau Rebell-
ion and the reforms under Lord Durham. From the twentieth
chapter to the end the reader will find a good account of recent
Canadian affairs.
Mill, James.—The History of British India. 4th ed., with Notes,
and a Continuation by Horace Hayman Wilson. 9 vols., Svo,
London, 1851; 5th ed., 9 vols., 12mo, 1858.
A book of great ability, of strong prejudices, and of very ex-
tensive learning. The author plunged deep into the most obscure
sources of knowledge, and, for such information as he desired, fol-
lowed out every clew to its end. He culled from old despatches
everything that could throw light on the subject in hand.
The point of view from which he wrote was that of an oppo-
nent of the purposes and methods of the East India Company,
The volumes might be called an elaborate and sustained arraign-
ment of the entire policy of the Company.
*The work has been much improved by the careful hand of the
editor, Professor Wilson, one of the foremost Oriental scholars of
his day. Under his supervision many errors have been corrected,
and a still greater number of extravagant statements have been
modified or explained.
Though the work, as a whole, is a monument of learning, if not
of historical skill, it ought to be said, perhaps, that in point of
style it lacks animation and picturesqueness. This characteristic
will always prevent it from attracting and holding a very large
number of general readers. On this account its popularity can
never equal its intrinsic merits. For the special student of the
English policy in the East it is invaluable.
Strickland, Agnes.—Lives of the Queens of England, from the
Norman Conquest; with Anecdotes of their Courts, now first
published from Official Records and other Authentic Docu-
ments, Private as well as Public. New edition, with Correc-
tions and Additions. 8 vols., Svo, London, 1864. Several sub-
sequent editions in England and America.
The author has produced a spirited and interesting series of
442
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
biographical sketches. It cannot be claimed, however, that they
possess very great historical value. The writer studied carefully
and thoroughly, and she has given her readers the advantage of a
large number of valuable extracts from original and somewhat
obscure sources. But she was moved by strong partialities and
prejudices, and her pages constantly show that her judgment was
not above being warped by her sympathies. This characteristic
is most obvious in her partiality for the Stuarts and in her an-
tipathy to the supporters of the Revolution.
White, Rev. James.-History of England, from the Earliest Times
to the Year 1848. 12mo, London, 1848.
Before the publication of Green's “Short History of the Eng-
lish People,” this book was much read. It is a sketch of the
more striking incidents of English history, written with an obvi-
ous effort to avoid dulness. It is much inferior to Green, though
it presents the various phases of English history in a manner that
is very attractive. Next to the “Short History of the English
People” it is still, perhaps, the most readable of the smaller
works on the subject.
The Parliamentary or Constitutional History of England, being
a Faithful Account of all the most Remarkable Transactions in
Parliament from the Earliest Times to the Restoration of King
Charles II. Collected from the Journals.of both Houses, the
Records, Original MSS., Scarce Speeches and Tracts, by Several
Hands. 24 vols., 8vo, London, 1751-61.
This series of volumes is very often used as an authority, and
as such it is not without some value. Its chief merits are in its
somewhat elaborate presentation of the views of different men on
the various questions in band, and in the authority of the work as
a means of rerification. It contains many speeches, in full or in
part, not elsewhere so casily accessible.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
443
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
Lappenberg, J.M.-A History of England under the Anglo-Saxon
Kings. Translated from the German by Benj. Thorpe. With Ad-
ditions and Corrections by the Author and the Translator. 2 vols.,
8vo, London, 1845; new edition, 2 vols., 12mo, London, 1880.
At the time of the first appearance of this work in Germany,
in 1833, it was, beyond all question, the best authority on the
subject. Time and subsequent investigations have deprived it of
a part of its value, though the edition before us has been greatly
improved by the learning and care of the translator, who was one
of the profoundest Saxon scholars in England. .
It is a history of events rather than a description of the time,
and by most readers will probably be found somewhat juiceless.
Part v. of vol. ii. is devoted to the “Social State of the Anglo-
Saxons," and is perhaps the most interesting portion of the book.
The author's style is involved, and the translation, though
doubtless generally correct, partakes somewhat too much of the
awkward literary workmanship of the original.
The “Literary Introduction" contains a careful description, in
some fifty pages, of the various books devoted to the subject, in-
cluding all works publishıcd down to date.
Turner, Sharon. History of the Anglo-Saxons. 3 vols., 8vo,
London. Seventh edition, 1852.
The first edition was published as early as 1805; and though for
the edition of 1807 the work was carefully revised, it can hardly
be considered a standard anthority at the present day. The in-
vestigations of Kemble, Palgrave, and others have deprived it of
a value it once possessed.
It will be found, however, that the volumes contain many minute
details of considerable interest. The author was a special student
of this period; but, though he accumulated a vast number of
interesting facts, his methods were much less philosophical than
those of his more distinguislied successors in the same field.
:
444
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
The literary style is not such as to give additional value to the
volumes.
Aside from its intrinsic merits, the work is entitled to some
respect; for, when it was first published, it was a genuine reve-
lation to the English people. Until that time, no one had taken
the trouble to collect the accessible evidence and bring it into
a single book. Turner, therefore, performed a very useful work
in calling attention to a field which has since been very success-
fully cultivated.
Palgrave, Sir Francis.—The Rise and Progress of the English
Commonwealth. Anglo-Saxon Period, containing the Anglo-
Saxon Policy, and the Institutions Arising out of Laws and
Usages which Prevailed before the Conquest. 2 vols., 4to,
London, 1831.
These volumes, at the time of their publication, were said by the
Edinburgh Review to be “beyond all question the most luminous
work that has ever been produced on the early history of Eng-
land.” They threw so much light on the subject of the origin
of modern English jurisprudence that Chancellor Kent declared of
the production that it surpasses “every modern work whatever
in ingenious and profound antiquarian erudition relative to Eng-
lish legal antiqnities."
Some of the author's positions have been made at least question-
able by the more recent researches of Kemble and Stubbs; but the
work will always be esteemed by scholars on account of the great
ability with which it points out some of the most subtle charac-
teristics of English jurisprudence. For a student of the legal
antiquities of England the work still remains without an equal.
The account of the famous Vehmgericht of mediæval Germany
is one of the best accessible. It consists of two parts-part i.,
of the text proper; part ii., of proofs and illustrations. The
table of contents is very full and satisfactory, but, much to tho
annoyance of the investigator, it has no index.
Palgrave, Sir Francis.- History of Normandy and of England.
4 vols., Svo, London and New York New edition, 1878.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
445
A work full of learning, and, before the appearance of Freeman's
great history, the best account of the period. It was originally
intended by the author as a continuation of his work on the
Anglo-Saxons; but the richness of the materials induced him to
extend his plan so as to embrace a history of the Norman duchy
before the Conquest.
The first volume is scarcely more than introductory, and the
whole work, so far as the author lived to complete it, is quite as
much a survey of the groundwork of European history as a his-
tory of England. Though this book has great merits, it is too
obviously the work of an antiquarian rather than that of an his-
torical artist to be in great popular demand.
The work was very ably examined by Freeman in a paper pub-
lished in the Edinburgh Review for April, 1859, and republished
in that author's “Historical Essays.” As the period embraced in
the work is considerably less than the author had in mind when
it was begun, its title is somewhat misleading. It is much more
a history of Northern France than a history of England.
Freeman, E, A,—The History of the Norman Conquest of Eng-
land. Its Causes and its Results. 6 vols., 8vo, London and
New York, 1867–79. The first four volumes were published
in a second edition, carefully revised, 1870–75.
One of the greatest monuments of English historical scholar-
ship. It not only surpasses in importance every former work on
the period, but for the purposes of the general student is of
greater value than all former works combined.
The first volume is entitled “The Preliminary History, to the
Election of Edward the Confessor;" the second, “The Reign of
Edward the Confessor;"' the third, "The Reign of Harold and
the Interregnum ;"' the fourth, “The Reign of William the Con-
queror;" the fifth, “The Effects of the Norman Conquest;" the
sixth, “Index Volume.""
The style of the author is remarkable for its perspicuity, and
his learning is everywhere obvious. While he is the advocate of
a particular theory, he furnishes the means by which those who
446
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
views rest. He is a firun believer in the continuity of the Saxon,
the Norman Conquest, instead of overthrowing the Saxon civil-
ization, only modified it somewhat, and that its essential character-
istics have continued to be predominant throughout the whole
history of England.
In chapter iii. of vol. i. is the best account of the English con-
stitution in the tenth and eleventh centuries; and chapter xxiv.
of vol. v. is the best presentation of “The Political Results of the
Norman Conquest.” The consequences of the change of dynasty
are summed up in a manner at once masterly and interesting.
Nowhere else can an equal amount of valuable information on
the period be found. The work contains full analytical tables of
contents.
Pearson, Charles H.-History of England during the Early and
Middle Ages. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1867.
The production of one who is at the same time a good general
scholar and a learned specialist. It is a successful attempt to bring
into a convenient form for the use of students the latest results
of investigations into the bistory of early and mediæval England.
Every page of the book bristles with evidence of the author's
superior qualifications for his work.
· The volumes have two peculiarities worthy of note. In the
first place, they form distinctively a political history, and therefore
are of great consequence to the student of politics. Secondly,
the author is strongly impressed with the continuity of British
history. He holds that the Roman influences were perpetuated
through the Saxon times, and, indeed, that since the beginning of
civilization, all changes in the constitution of society have been
gradual and partial. The author's view of the condition of
society in the Middle Ages is more favorable than has generally
been held.
The first volume ends with the reign of Richard I., and con-
cludes with a good description of the literary and social condition
of England at that time. The second volume continues the work
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
447
to the time of the full establishment of the English constitution
under the Lancastrian kings.
To the student of English political history, many of Pearson's
chapters will be found to be of the utmost value.
Stubbs, William.-The Early Plantagenets. 16mo, London and
New York, 1877.
One of the ablest and most useful of the series known as
“Epochs of History." It presents in readable form and brief
space the course of events in England during the period in which
parliamentary government was established. The Great Charter
and the founding of the House of Cominons are the events of
greatest importance. They have been described by the author
with brevity, but with: rare, ability and discrimination. In no
other volume are the important characteristics of the time when
the foundations of legislative government were laid so well pointed
out.
Longman, William.—The History of the Life and Times of
Edward the Third. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1869.
A history of much importance. It is the first adequate presen-
tation of that great reign which saw fifty years of earnest struggle
for the crown of France, the development of the House of Com-
mons into a regular part of the government, and the first full
bloom of English literature.
This work of Longman has several distinctive merits. It is a
perspicuous account of what the most recent investigation has to
reveal of an important and interesting reign. It is admirably
supplied with maps and illustrations, which throw great light,
not only on the wars of Edward and the Black Prince in France,
but also on the social condition of the English people.
In the first chapter of vol. ii. is a good account of “The
English Rule in Ireland, and its really Mischievous Character."
Chapters x. and xiii. of the same.volume show how the necessities
448
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
of the king contributed to the development of parliamentary
power.
Gairdner, James.- History of the Life and Reign of Richard the
Third; to which is added the Story of Perkin Warbeck, from
Original Documents. Svo, London, 1878.
Probably no scholar in England is more thoroughly acquainted
with the period of Richard III. than is Mr. Gairdner; and since
the publication of this volume all doubt in regard to the character
of that monarch may be set aside. The author tells us that for
twenty years he labored to convince himself that Richard had
been maligned, and that, if the facts could only be known, it
would be seen that the king was not a tyrant. But he confesses
that his long efforts have been in vain, and that he is finally com-
pelled to testify to the general correctness of the picture given by
More and Shakespeare.
As an account of a reign that has long been a kind of riddle,
this book must supersede all its predecessors.
Conquest and Loss of France. With five Maps. 16mo, Lon-
don and New York, 1877.
A compact and readable history of England during the turbu-
lent century between the death of Edward III. and the accession
of Henry VII. Though a time of incessant wars, this was a pe-
riod during which great efforts were made to secure guarantees
for the liberties of the English people.
Why so much, and no more, was done is well shown by this
little book. Of especial interest are the reigns of Henry IV. and
Henry VI., when many things were accomplished to place the
representative branch of the government on a firm footing.
Fenn, Sir John.-Paston Letters, written during the Reigns of
· Henry IV., Edward IV., and Richard III., by various Persons
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
449
of Rank and Consequence. New edition, by A. Ramsey. 2
vols., 12mo, London, 1859; also published in one volume. A
still more recent and superior edition, edited by James Gaird-
ner, was published in 3 vols., 8vo, 1872–75.
1
These letters, passing between the members of a family of some
note, are probably the best account now extant of social life in
England during the latter half of the fifteenth century. Inci-
dentally, there is also much light thrown on affairs of State, and
on the prevailing methods of political wire-pulling. The influ-
ence of the aristocracy on the elections of members of Parliament
is amply shown in the introduction, and in the course of the let-
ters. Almost every imaginable subject is touched upon, from the
mightiest affairs of State to a valentine from “the merriest
maiden on ground to her right worshipful dear John."
The great value of the collection is in the fact that the letters
give us a real view of the coarseness of feeling, the rudeness of
manners, and the low moral sense that prevailed in England dur-
ing the century when chivalry is supposed to have been in its
perfection.
The prefaces in Gairdner's edition are of great value to the
reader, as they show with much clearness the social animosities
that found vent in the Wars of the Roses.
Froude, James Anthony.History of England, from the Fall of
Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth. 12 vols., 8vo and 12mo,
London, 12mo, New York, 1870..
Since the appearance of Macaulay's great work no volumes
on English history have awakened so great a popular interest as
these. The period of the Reformation in England is not only
of great political importance, but is filled with such incidents
as encourage a spirited narration. The characteristics of the peri-
od, therefore, in the hands of a literary artist of Mr. Froude's skill
could not fail to result in the production of a work of great pop-
ularity. The author's style is remarkable for its perspicuity, his
narrative is vivacious, his theories are ingenious, and his sympa-
thies are intense. In consequence of these peculiarities, the pages
29
450
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
of the work often have more of the characteristics of an essay
than of a history, and the author appears to write as an advocate
rather than a judge. While these features increase the spirit
of the narration, they detract from the value of the work as an
authority.
The author has made a strenuous effort to reclaim the memory
of Henry VIII. from the obloquy under which it has long rested,
and in his effort he has been at least partially successful. Not
only on the reign of Henry, but also on that of Elizabeth, he has
brought to light much new evidence. In the archives of Simancas
be discovered many important documents never before used. In
the new light of this evidence Mr. Froude holds that the mascu-
line ability of Elizabeth appears not more conspicuous than hier
jealousies, her prevarications, her treacheries, and her cruelties.
And yet it is shown that the greatness of England was really es-
tablished on a permanent basis during the reign of Elizabeth, and
largely through the direct or indirect efforts of the queen. As
for Mary Queen of Scots, she is represented as baving little but
her physical beauty and her mental vivacity to command our ad-
miration, our respect, or our sympathy.
Numerous errors have been brought to light by the vigorous
criticisms to which Mr. Froude's work has been subjected. But
the principal fault of the history is not in its errors in matters
of detail so much as in its constant tendency to one-sidedness.
The likes and dislikes of the author are too intense to allow him
ever to be strictly judicial. Hence, while this history never fails.
to interest, it always leaves the impression that there is still
something of importance to be said in reply.
The work is made casy of use by an admirable equipment of
tables of contents, marginal titles, and index.
Burnet, Bishop Gilbert.-A History of the Reformation of the
Church of England. 7 vols., 8vo, London, 1866.
This new and best edition is the result of a careful revision and
collation of the records by the Rev. N. Pocock. The original
history, while it had many of the characteristics of a great book,
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
451
abounded in errors and crudities. These it has been the editor's
effort to clear away, and his work is a monument of critical in-
dustry and learning. The edition is not only the best, but it is
the only one that may safely be relied upon.
This history was received with the greatest favor by the people
and Parliament of England when it first appeared, but the critics
soon showed that it abounded in errors. It is probable, however,
that it will not compare unfavorably, even in this respect, with the
other historical works of the time. Perhaps any of the other
histories written in the seventeenth century, if subjected to the
same scrutiny, would be found to be no less inaccurate and vul-
nerable.
But this is only saying that it is probably not worse than other
books of its time. Even with the best of editing, it is not en-
tirely a safe guide.
Geikie, Cunningham.—The English Reformation: How it came
About, and Why we should Uphold it. 12mo, London and
New York, 1879.
An essay rather than a history. It is, however, a strong pres-
entation of the Protestant side of the Reformation. The book
is argumentative rather than judicial, and is written from the
Church-of-England point of view. It is interesting and forcible,
but it should be regarded as a plea rather than a decision.
Cobbett, William.-History of the Protestant Reformation in
England and Ireland. 2 vols., 12mo, London, 1846.
A curious and elaborate defence of Queen Mary and Bishop
Bonner, as well as a vigorous attack upon the Reformation and
all those who attempted to bring it about. Its strength is in its
style, which partakes of the author's well-known vehemence. Its
statements are quite untrustworthy, but the energy of the author's
method has caused it to be translated into several Continental
languages, and to be much read by Roman Catholics.
452
.
NYTT
HISTORICAL LITERATURELabanoff, Prince Alexandre. — Marie Stuart. Lettres, Instruc-
tions, et Mémoires de Marie Stuart, Reine d'Écosse ; publiés
sur les Originaux et les Manuscrits du State - paper Office de
Londres et des principales Archives et Bibliothèques de l'Eu-
rope, et accompagnés d'une Résumé Chronologique. 8 vols.,
8vo, London, 1844-59.
The most important of all sources of knowledge in regard to
Mary Queen of Scots. The collection is the result of a long and
laborious effort to bring together the bits of information scattered
throughout a vast number of more or less inaccessible works.
The collector seems to have been entirely devoted to the memory
of the unfortunate queen.
At the end of the seventh volume is a notice of the printed
works in which the letters of Mary are to be found, as well.
as a glossary of the peculiar French words then in use. The
eighth volume is supplementary, and was not published until fif-
teen years after the appearance of the others.
Tytler, William. — An Historical and Critical Enquiry into the
Evidence Produced by the Earls of Murray and Morton against
Mary Queen of Scots; with an Examination of the Rev. Dr.
Robertson's Dissertation and Mr. Hume's History with respect
to that Evidence. 4th ed., with large Additions, 2 vols., 8vo,
London, 1790.
A very ingenious and able effort to free Queen Mary from the
imputations cast upon her by Hume, Robertson, and others. The
aim of the author is to show that the murder of Darnley was
committed by Morton, Murray, and their confederates, and not
by Mary, or with her knowledge.
It has been one of the most influential of the defences of the
queen, and, until the appearance of the work by Hosack, was per-
haps the ablest. . It has to do, however, exclusively with the early
portions of the queen's career. A translation edited and revised
by Prince Labanoff, appeared in French in 1860.
Hosack, John.-- Mary Queen of Scots, and her Accusers. 2 vols.,
8vo, London, 1869-74.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND..
453
a well f Maryonstant, but
The author is a learned Scotch barrister and a Protestant, but
he has shown himself the most able and ardent of Mary's defend-
ers. His work is the powerful plea of a well-endowed advocate.
He has not much new evidence; but he has handled his materi-
als with great ingenuity, and has made at least a manly effort to
relieve a poor woman's reputation. He paints the character of
Elizabeth in the darkest hues, and believes that "the great and
unpardonable crime of the Queen of Scots was her religion.” His
theory is that Mary was the hope of the Catholics, Elizabeth the
hope of the Protestants, and that Mary was sacrificed in the gen-
eral interests of the Reformed religion. Whether he has done
much to relieve Mary from the imputations cast upon her, he has
at least succeeded in making more obvious the insincerity of the
English court.
The first volume carries the history to the death of Regent
Murray, in 1570; the second closes with an index that makes the
work easy of use. As a whole, it is to be regarded as by far the
most successful defence of the queen.
Mignet, F. M. A. --- Histoire de Marie Stuart. 2 vols., 8vo, 2e
éd., Paris, 1854.
Of the many recent books on Mary Stuart, that of Mignet still
remains the most trustworthy and most satisfactory. The author
is renowned for his judicial fairness; and in this work he has
sifted and weighed the evidence with great care.
He is led to condemn the queen, though his condemnation is
entirely free from bitterness or prejudice. His conclusions are
not essentially different from those of Hume, though his judg-
ment is founded on a careful examination of all the material in
Labanoff's collection, and such evidence of intrigue as he dis-
covered in the Spanish archives.
Gardiner, Samuel Rawson.-History of England from the Acces-
sion of James I. to the Disgrace of Chief-justice Coke, 2 vols.
Prince Charles and the Spanish Marriage, 2 vols. England un-
454
LO
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
der the Duke of Buckingham and Charles I., 2 vols. The Per-
sonal Government of Charles I., 2 vols. 8 vols., 8vo, London,
1867–77.
:
This series of works, on which the author is still engaged,
promises to be the long-needed history of the Stuart dynasty. Mr.
Gardiner does not belong to the school of Macaulay and Froude,
but rather to that of Freeman and Stubbs. He does not carry
his reader along by any such marvels of literary art as those by
which Macaulay enchanted so many thousands of seekers of
literary pleasure; but, on the other hand, he never allows his
enthusiasm to gain dominion over his judgment, or to interfere
with the absolute impartiality with which he holds the balance of
evidence.
The author has availed himself of many new and important
authorities that have been brought to light by recent research,
and he has therefore been able to modify many conclusions
previously reached. He has adopted the highest ideal of the
duty of an historian, and he has drawn his pictures, for the most
part, with a firm hand. The most conspicuous characteristic of
the work is an obvious and ever-present desire to do even justice
to all persons with whom he has to deal. Hence, what appears at
first thought as one of the faults of the book grows out of one of
its great merits. The author's scrupulous anxiety to be fair tow-
ards all the characters that pass before him appears to tempt him
at times to pare down his statements until they lose much of their
force. There is also, perhaps, at times an over-subtlety of argu-
ment growing out of the same characteristic. And yet the
volumes afford abundant materials from which the thoughtful
reader will have no difficulty in forming downright judgments.
In one other respect these volumes are slightly deficient: they
fail to give an adequate account of the people, of that great
power which was now, for the first time in English history, mak-
ing itself duly felt, and which in the end baffled the king and
swept him away.
But, notwithstanding these slight defects, the work is one of
great merit, and the remaining volumes will be looked for with
interest.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
455
Guizot, Francois.-History of the English Revolution of 1640, 2
vols. History of England under Oliver Cromwell, 2 vols. His-
tory of England under Richard Cromwell, 1 vol. History of
Monk, 1 vol. 6 vols., 8vo, London, 1845.
It is nearly fifty years since these volumes first appeared; and
yet, though a few of the author's conclusions have been over-
thrown by the results of more recent researches, they are still
worthy of the most careful consultation.
Guizot deals but slightly with the remote causes of the Rero-
lution, a method of treatment manifestly defective. But he has
seized with great firmness the leading characteristics of the period,
though, if the fruits of recent research had been before him at the
time of writing, we cannot but suppose that his views on some
points would have undergone important modifications. This is
especially the case with the history of Cromwell. It is the por-
tion in which the author himself had most confidence; but it is
the portion which now most needs modification on account of
the more recent studies of Carlyle and Bisset.
The volumes on Richard Cromwell and Monk are very full and
satisfactory, and form an almost unique description of the diffi-
culties and complications of the time.
Disraeli, Isaac.-Commentaries on the Life and Reign of Charles
the First, King of England. A new edition, revised by the
author and edited by his son. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1851.
This was the closing work of a remarkable literary life. It is
written with all that force and command of obscure and remote
resources which always characterized the author of the “Curiosi-
ties of Literature.”
Disraeli's point of view is that of a High Tory, and it is prob-
ably the most powerful plea ever made in behalf of Charles I.
But, notwithstanding the ardor of its advocacy, it is temperate in
language and dignified in tone. The greatest value of the vol-
umes is not so much in the new evidence brought to light, though
new evidence is not wanting, as in the ingenuity with which
known facts are woren into the argument and made to support
456
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
his cause. The most interesting portions are those on the trial
and death of Strafford, the Army Plot, the significance of the
letter of the Scotch to the king, the Grand Remonstrance, and
the chapter entitled “ Who Began the Wars ?”
The plea is a much more powerful one than that of Hume;
and the student would do well to examine it in connection with
the work on the same events by Brodie.
Bisset, Andrew.-The History of the Struggle for Parliamentary
Government in England. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1877.
The success of Mr. Bisset's work on the Commonwealth led
him to undertake an examination, in similar spirit, of the reign of
Charles I. His second undertaking has been no less successful
than was the earlier one. His theory is that representative gov-
ernment was constitutionally established from the days of Ed-
ward IV.; that the Wars of the Roses and the consequent inde-
pendence of the Tudors enabled them to usurp the powers of the
government, and that those powers could only be regained by a
second civil war greater than that which had established them.
The first and second chapters contain a powerful arraignment
of the Plantagenet, Tudor, and Stuart monarchs, and a graphic
description of the attempt to reduce the people to slavery. The
author considers the means employed to overthrow this despotism
as entirely justifiable, even to the dethronement and execution of
Charles I. He believes that the only mistake made by the king's
opponents was in bringing him to trial, and that necessity war-
ranted a more summary course. His belief is that the most note-
worthy influence of the death of Charles was that it broke " the
spell of inviolability and consequent impunity for crimes that had
by the divine-right fiction of the two preceding centuries been
woven around kings.”
This sentence is a key to the whole work. It is the fruit of
long and careful investigation, and is one of the strongest pres-
entations of the case against the king ever published.
Bisset, Andrew.--History of the Commonwealth of England,
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
457
from the Death of Charles I. to the Expulsion of the Long
Parliament by Cromwell. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1867.
Volumes of great merit and importance. They are not so
much a history, in the ordinary sense of the term, as a criticisni
on the histories of this period previously written. The basis of
the author's work was the “ MS. minutes of the Council of State,"
which had never before been thoroughly explored by an English
historian.
Mr. Bisset condemns Cromwell for the course he took in dis-
solving the Long Parliament, and thinks that much of the credit
of the Protector's rule was due to the Council, and especially
to the wisdom of Blake, for whom he entertains an extravagant
and alınost unbounded admiration.
Carlyle, Thomas. Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches, with
Elucidations. 3 vols., Svo and 12mo, London; 2 vols., 12mo,
New York, 1850.
A very extraordinary book, one that has had almost influence
enough to reverse public opinion in regard to the Protector. For
nearly two hundred years Cromwell bad rested under the obloquy
heaped upon him by the writers of the Restoration; and it was
the purpose of Carlyle in this book to give Cromwell a hearing
in his own behalf.
Though the editor is strongly in sympathy with his hero, the
chicf strength and the greatest value of the book are in the original
papers here collected, many of which were now for the first time
published. Carlyle professes to write for no other purpose than
a mere elucidation of the text, but he has so far exceeded his
professions as to frame the most powerful argument in behalf of
Cromwell ever written,
The second and subsequent editions (those published since
1846) are much superior to the first.
Forster, John. ---- Sir John Eliot. A Biography. 1590–1642.
2 vols., 8vo, London, 1864.
A work of the very first importance to the student of this
458
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Inot previouslymes, therefore, Colsewhere
period. Sir John Eliot was the most eloquent leader of the first
Parliament of Charles I. ; but, until the appearance of this biog-
raphy, there was no means of obtaining an account of the part
he took. His speeches, of which MSS. generally remained, had
not previously been published or even read.
These volumes, therefore, contain a vast amount of valuable in-
formation not to be found elsewhere. This material comprises
not only Eliot's specches, but also a voluminous correspondence
with all the prominent leaders of the popular movement. No
one will ever understand thoroughly what the rising against the
Stuarts meant until he is well acquainted with its beginning, and
no one can get such an acquaintance better than by studying
these volumes. Mr. Forster was long considered the best English
biographer; and the Life of Sir John Eliot is his most valuable
production.
Forster, John.-The Statesmen of the Commonwealth of Eng-
land. 7 vols., 12mo, London, 1840; also in 1 vol., 8vo, New
York, 1847.
This series of biographies, prepared by several hands, but edit-
ed by Forster, includes lives of Eliot, Wentworth, Pym, Hamp-
den, Vane, Marten, and Cromwell.
The Cromwell has been superseded by the work of Carlyle, and
the Eliot has lost its importance in the larger work by the same
author. The other biographies continue to retain their great
value. Taken as a whole, the volumes constitute a continuous
narrative, in the form of biography, of the most extraordinary
and eventful period of English history.
Though Forster sympathized thoroughly with the Revolution-
ary movement, he condemns Cromwell severely for the part he
took after the death of the king. As Carlyle is Cromwell's most
able defender, Forster is perhaps his most able prosecutor.
Forster, John.—Arrest of the Five Members by Charles the First.
A Chapter of English History Rewritten, 12mo, London, 1860.
An important and successful attempt to counteract the elabo-
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
459
rate, ingenious, and studied misrepresentation of that act by Lord
Clarendon. Forster's account is made up from contemporary and
unpublished records, and is indispensable to the most complete
understanding of the relations of the Royal and Parliamentary
parties.
Though the act which precipitated the war was by no means
the cause of it, yet the attempt to arrest the members placed the
king so clearly in the wrong that the cause of Parliament re-
ceived a powerful impulse.
Nugent, Lord.—Memorials of John Hampden. 12mo, London,
1825.
A valuable work, brought into general notice by Macaulay's es-
say on Hampden. It will hardly be found to be of so great ser-
vice as the work of Forster; but for the student who would study
the period exhaustively it is indispensable. It deals, of course,
exclusively with the period during which the disagreements of
Crown and Parliament ripened into civil conflict.
Ranke, Leopold von. A History of England, principally in the
Seventeenth Century. 6 vols., 8vo, Oxford, 1876.
One of the greatest works of the foremost of living historians.
No other scholar has studied the period of the Reformation with
such profound insight and such fruitful results. In many respects
this history differs from all other histories of England; but its
most striking difference is in the fact that the author regards Eng-
land as playing not an isolated part, but a portion of a great Eu-
ropean drama. The bearings of foreign policy on the course of
England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries have no-
where else been so well described. The author has shown how
completely many of the most puzzling events of the period are
easily explained by the relations of the country to foreign pow-
ers. This is notably the fact in his treatment of the reigns of
Elizabeth and Cromwell.
Though the author deals in some measure with the whole of
460
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
English history to the death of George II., yet he evidently re-
garded the portions relating to the Revolutionary periods as the
body of the work. The whole of the sixth volume is devoted to
an Appendix, in which original authorities are discussed with the
author's unrivalled acumen. The three chapters in which are de-
scribed the general characteristics of the development of English
institutions down to the time of James I. are among the most
masterly generalizations of modern historical writing.
To one who is just beginning the study of English history,
much of Ranke's work will be in a measure incomprehensible;
for one who has already considerable knowledge of the subject, it
is perhaps superior to all others. It is the bistory for historians.
Raumer, Frederick von.— The Political History of England dur-
ing the Sixteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth centuries. 2
vols., 8vo, London, 1837.
The value of this work is in the fact that it is strictly political.
It is by no means the most exhaustive treatment of the subject
we have; but the author's well-known eminence and sagacity on
all political questions entitle his opinions to a respectful consid-
eration. He was thoroughly familiar with English political meth-
ods as well as with English political events. Compared with the
history by Ranke, however, that of Raumer will be seen to touch
only the surface.
Bayne, Peter.— The Chief Actors in the Puritan Revolution. 8vo,
London, 1878.
A series of eleven chapters planned as a whole, but published
originally in the Contemporary Review. The chapters are studies
founded on the most recent researches, and are admirable speci-
mens of judicious, incisive, and well-sustained criticism. They
are entitled to rank with the best of modern historical essays.
The subjects treated are, “James I.," “ Laud," “ Henrietta Ma-
ria," “ Charles I.,” “Charles II.," “ Argyle," “Montrose," “Mil-
ton," "Sir Henry Vane," "Oliver Cromwell,” “Clarendon."
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
461
Smith, Goldwin.-Three English Statesmen. A Course of Lect-
ures on the Political History of England. New and revised
edition. 12mo, London and New York, 1868.
Three very brilliant and valuable lectures on Pym, Cromwell, ·
and the younger Pitt. The paper on Pitt is divided into two
parts, one being devoted to a consideration of his education and
his early views, the other to his views and course after the French
Revolution.
The lectures on Pym and Pitt will be found to have the great-
est value. Pym is regarded by the author as the greatest parlia-
mentary leader England has ever known.
Godwin, William.—History of the Commonwealth of England
from the Commencement to the Restoration of Charles the
Second. 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1824-28.
This is not a work of great importance, but the author is per-
haps the most vigorous champion of the Cromwellian policy that
has written. The work, as a plea for Cromwell, may at times
be used with advantage. As it was written before the great work
of Carlyle appeared, however, its positions were not always very
wisely chosen. It no longer has the reputation it once enjoyed.
Vaughan, Robert.—Memorials of the Stuart Dynasty, including
the Constitutional and Ecclesiastical History of England from
the Decease of Elizabeth to the Abdication of James II. 2
vols., 8vo, London, 1831.
We here see the same general characteristics as those we find
in Godwin, although the author is less emphatic in his approval
of Cromwell's policy. For some years this work was regarded
as an authority on the Cromwellian period; but, since the pub-
lication of the more important writings of Carlyle, Guizot, and
Bisset, it is no longer of much consequence.
S
Burnet, Bishop Gilbert.-History of His Own Time. 6 vols.,
462
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
8vo, Oxford, 1833; and 2 vols., royal 8vo, with fifty-one Por-
traits, 1847. These are the best of the several editions.
This famous. work covers the period extending from 1659 to
the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. It was highly prized by Macau-
lay, not only on account of the author's familiarity with the
scenes he describes, but also on account of his prominence and
his character.
The sympathies of Burnet were strongly with the Whigs, and
perhaps for this reason Macaulay looked upon his writings with
too great favor. Ranke, on the other hand, in the sixth volume
of his history, has subjected him to a dissection that completely
destroys his value as an authority. He is shown to be quite un-
trustworthy by a comparison of many of his statements with
those of the Dutch Reports. Ranke also shows that the printed
copy differs in many important respects from the manuscript left
by Burnet.
Pepys, Samuel.-The Diary and Correspondence of. From his
MS. Cypher in the Pepysian Library, with a Life and Notes by
Richard, Lord Braybrooke; Deciphered, with Additional Notes,
by the Rev. Mynors Bright. With numerous Portraits. 6 vols.,
8vo, London, 1875–79. This famous diary was originally writ-
ten in a very obscure short-hand, and all the editions previous
to that of Bright suffered from more or less numerous sup-
pressions and omissions. The edition in 4 vols., crown 8vo,
London and New York, is much superior to all issues before
1848; but even this is marked by serious deficiencies.
The Diary of Pepys is unquestionably one of the most singu-
lar and one of the most entertaining in any language. Though
the author was not without royal favor in the days of Charles II.,
he was not above the work of making record in his diary of the
most insignificant affairs. He was stage-struck and a tippler; yet,
in recounting all his singular adventures and experiences, he ev-
erywhere preserves an undertone of gravity that is ineffably ludi-
crous and entertaining. At one time telling us of the hymn that
he sang before he arose in the morning; at another time how he
was made glad by being spit upon by a very fair lady; at all
times how resolutely he tried to get the mastery of his appetites,
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
463
and how signally he always failed-he gives us an insight into
much that otherwise never would have been known concerning
the society in which he lived and moved.
The diary covers the interesting period from 1659 to 1669, and
throws a flood of light on the character of that singular decade.
It deals with social far more than with political affairs; but the
student of politics will here find not only much that will enter-
tain, but also something that will instruct.
UD
Evelyn, John. - Diary and Correspondence of. To which is sub-
joined the Private Correspondence between King Charles I. and
Sir Edward Nicholas, and between Sir Edward Hyde (after-
wards the Earl of Clarendon) and Sir Richard Browne. Edited
from the original MS. at Wotton by William Bray, Esq. New
edition in 4 vols., 12mo, London, 1878.
The Diary of Evelyn covers the long period from 1641 to 1705.
The author was a much more important and worthy personage
than his friend Pepys, and yet his work is of somewhat less in-
terest, if not of less value. He travelled extensively in different
parts of Europe, and he made record of what impressed him
most. But those objects which interested Evelyn were the very
objects which Pepys cared least about. In this way the works
supplement each other, and give us the most perfect view we have
of manners and customs in England during the latter part of the
seventeenth century.
The edition above pamed contains numerous portraits and a
very good index.
Macaulay, Lord T. B.—The History of England from the Acces-
sion of James II. 5 vols., 8vo, London and New York, 1879.
The first four volumes, first published in 1849–55, were revised
by Macaulay in 1857. In selecting an edition, care should be
taken not to procare a reprint of the carliest issue.
This is undoubtedly the most brilliant and the most popular
history ever written in the English language. Though the work
covers a period of only seventeen years, and those not among the
most eventful ones in English annals, yet thc splendor of the au-
464
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
thor's style has caused it to be more universally read than any
other history in English literature. It shows vast research, ex-
traordinary power in the portraiture of individual character, and
a literary skill that is unrivalled.
But with these great qualities it shows also certain defects.
The author was always the victim of an intense partisan spirit,
and therefore all his writings have something of the flavor of a
political pamphlet. His sympathies always inclined strongly to
the Whigs, and consequently he was invariably more than just to
the Whigs and less than just to the Tories. On some particular
points, also, he has been successfully refuted. His severe treat-
ment of William Penn appears to have arisen from a confound-
ing of two different persons. His description and judgment of
Marlborough, his account of the Massacre of Glencoe, and his
general representations of the condition of the Highlands of Scot-
land have been successfully refuted. The portions of the his-
tory relating to these subjects should be read in connection with
W. E. Forster's “William Penn and Thomas B. Macaulay” (Lon-
don, 1849), and John Paget's “New Examen" (London, 1861).
But, in spite of these drawbacks, Macaulay's history is executed
with such consumate art that it will hardly fail to have a last-
ing place in the literature of the language. It is a book that ev-
ery person of the slightest literary taste must read with pleasure,
and nearly every person with profit.
Froude, James A.-The English in Ireland in the Eighteenth
Century. 3 vols., 8vo, London; 2 vols., 8vo, New York, 1873.
The graphic pen of this author has given a very vivid picture
of Irish affairs, from the time of the Revolution in the middle of
the seventeenth century to the Union at the close of the eigh-
teenth. Mr. Froude always has an opinion. He is firm in the
belief that the greater part of the evils to which Ireland has been
subjected would have been avoided had the Cromwellian policy
not been repealed. The book is written with great force, but it is
not judicial in tone, and consequently most readers will conclude
that the last word on the subject has not yet been written. Father
Burke's review of it may well be read in the same connection.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
465
Lecky, William Edward Hartpole.- A History of England in the
The high expectations raised by the great merits of this au-
thor's previous works were fully met by the admirable qualities
of these two volumes. They are written in the author's well-
known method. He has not chosen to deal with events in chro-
nological order, nor does he present the details of personal, party,
or military affairs. The work is rather an attempt “to disengage
from the great mass of facts those which relate to the permanent
forces of the nation, or which indicate some of the more enduring
features of national life.”
The author's purpose has led him to treat of the power of
monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy; of the history of political
ideas; of manners and of beliefs, as well as of the increasing pow-
ers of Parliament and of the press.
The two volumes already published cover much of the ground
examined and described by Mahon; but the object of Lecky is so
different that he can hardly be said to traverse the same field.
Lecky's work will appear all the more valuable to one who is fa-
miliar with the pages of the other histories.
The most interesting portions to inost readers will probably be
chapter iii. of vol. i., on the general condition of the people, and
the last chapter in vol. ii., on the religious revival and the growth
Stanhope, Earl (Lord Mahon). — History of England, compris-
ing the Reign of Queen Anne until the Peace of Utrecht,
1701-13. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1870.
This work was written for the purpose of filling the gap be-
tween the larger work by the same author (then known as Lord
ton's, it was the best history of England during the important pe-
riod of the War of the Spanish Succession. It is largely made
up of descriptions of the campaigns of Marlborough.
The sympathies of Stanhope are with the Tories, and are there-
fore the very opposite of those of Macaulay. In point of style,
too, the works are very dissimilar. Stanhope has shown great
30
466
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
diligence in examining authorities, good judgment in weighing
testimony, and great impartiality in estimating characters; but in
the presentation of his results he is quite devoid of that literary
skill which made his predecessor so famous. The style, though
generally perspicuous, is formal and stiff, sometimes even incor-
rect.
Burton, John Hill.—A History of the Reign of Queen Anne.
3 vols., 8vo, Edinburgh and New York, 1880.
This work, by the well-known historian of Scotland, is at once
the fullest and the ablest account of Queen Anne's reign. It is
especially successful in its description of the great event of that
period—the union of England and Scotland into Great Britain.
The author shows much skill in the portrayal of the various ·
influences which had determined the peculiar attitudes of England
and Scotland towards each other, and which finally, under the di-
rection of a statesmanship of rare ability, brought the two nations
into an harmonious union. He shows that while in the specific
terms of the union Scotland got the advantage, inasmuch as nearly
every concession was made to the weaker nation, yet, in the long-
run, it was so beneficial to England that it may fairly be said to
· have laid the foundations of the greatness of the British Empire.
In the author's opinion, the union has produced greater national
prosperity than any other deliberate act of policy of modern
times, with the exception of the formation of the United States.
The military campaigns of Marlborough are admirably de-
scribed ; but the general characteristics of the course of political
events during the reign are less skilfully delineated.
The work is disfigured by many misprints, but the errors will
doubtless be corrected in a second edition.
Wyon, Frederick William.-The History of Great Britain dur-
ing the Reign of Queen Anne. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1876.
These volumes relate the story of Queen Anne's reign in a
manner that will probably both interest and disappoint the gen-
eral reader. The account of the union of England and Scotland,
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
467
though in the main correct, is inferior to that of Burton, and
the description of the great military events is not so good as
either Burton's or Stanhope's. The book is a very difficult one
to use, as the chapters have no titles, and there is no table of con-
tents. The style is hard, and the index is inferior.
Stanhope, Earl (Lord Mahon).-History of England, from the
Peace of Utrecht to the Peace of Versailles, 1713–83. 7 vols.,
12mo, London and Boston, 3d ed., revised, 1853.
The best history of England during the period just before and
including the American Revolutionary War. Though the author's
sympathies were constantly with the Tory party, his work is gen-
erally pervaded with a fair and generous spirit towards the colo-
nies struggling for their independence. Only a small portion of
the work is devoted to American affairs, and yet the account of
the Revolutionary War is, with some defects, perhaps the best
written in England. With this portion of the work a student
may read with great profit an elaborate review of the author's
account of American affairs, by J. G. Palfrey, in the North Ameri-
can Review, vol. lxxv. (July, 1852), pp. 125–208.
The author's condemnation of Washington for the execution
of André called forth numerous replies, the most important being
that of Major Charles Biddle, published in the Historical Maga-
zine for July, 1857. After the publication of this paper the
London Critic declared, “ Lord Mahon owes to the memory of
the great American patriot the reparation of an apology, or else
he owes to his own fame' as an historian a refutation of the facts
on which the Americans rely.” The same authority adds that in
its opinion the evidence produced by Major Biddle “would be
sufficient to bring an English jury to the same way of thinking."
But, with the exception of a few very weak points of this kind,
the book, as a whole, is entitled to general respect.
Trevelyan, George Otto.—The Early History of Charles James
Fox. 8vo, London and New York, 1880.
Although this volume purports to be only a history of a small
468
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
part of the life of a single person, yet its historical importance is
such as to entitle it to the student's most careful consideration.
The work is fitly described by saying that it is the best picture
that has ever been drawn of the transition from the old methods
of statesmanship to the new. The author holds that Fox was the
first great statesman of the modern school.
To the student of the last century nothing can be more instruc-
tive than the picture painted of the methods of government in the
early years of George the Third's reign, and of the processes by
which those methods were gradually swept away. The volume
may be regarded as the best history we have of the English gov-
ernment from the fall of the Whigs in 1760 to the close of the
American War. It is an admirable specimen of literary work-
manship, and its charming pages are as instructive as they are
fascinating.
X
Malcolm, Maj.-Gen. Sir John.--The Political History of India,
from 1784 to 1823. 2 vols., London, 1826.
A book written at the urgent suggestion of Sir James Mackin-
tosh, and one of considerable importance. It presents the history
of India from a point of view exactly the opposite of that as-
sumed by Mill.
Malcolm applauds the course of Clive and Hastings, and is the
ablest defender of the British policy in subąuing and governing
the people. The style of the book is graphic; in this respect it
is far superior to that of Mill. It goes less into obscure and in-
tricate details, but deals largely with general events and results.
Adolphus, John.—A History of England, from the Accession of
George III. to 1803. New edition. 7 vols., 8vo, London, 1840.
This work originally appeared as early as 1802. It is a maga-
zine of valuable facts; but, on the whole, it is a dull book, which
no one in these days ought to spend much time in reading. It
has been quite superseded by other works of greater value. Its
style is cumbersome, its author's political views are those of an
absolutist, and it is made difficult of use by the absence of con-
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
469
tents and index. It was much used by the English Tories in the
early part of this century, and before the revision of 1840 was
carried through several editions. The authorities quoted, how-
ever, do not include some of the most important. .
Massey, William.—A History of England during the Reign of
George the Third. 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1855–63.
A production of marked ability, and written from a point of
view the opposite of that of Adolphus. The author's sympathies
are with the Whigs, and he criticises the course of the government
in its dealings with the American colonies with severity. The
style is graceful, but is, perhaps, slightly lacking in vigor. His
condemnation of George III. has commonly been thought to be
too severe.
The first volume deals with events extending from 1745 to
1770; the second with those between 1770 and 1780; the third,
those from 1781 to 1793; and the fourth from 1793 to 1802.
Wright, Thomas.- Caricature History of the Georges; or, An-
nals of the House of Hanover, compiled from the Squibs,
Broadsides, Window Pictures, Lampoons, and Pictorial Carica-
tures of the Time. 8vo, London, 1867.
The petty spirit with which party warfare was often carried on
a century ago is here abundantly shown. In this sense the vol-
ume affords not a little instruction. In other respects it is less
valuable than amusing.
Cory, William.- A Guide to Modern English History. Part i.
· 1815–30. 8vo, London and New York, 1880.
This little volume can hardly fail to interest the student of the
recent history of England. It is an attempt to give a philosoph-
ical explanation of events in the light of political science and po-
litical economy. In point of style it is remarkably epigranımatic
470
HISTORICAL LITERATURE,
and pungent. The author is an ardent admirer of his own coun-
try, but his judgments are generally sound and well balanced.
His powers of analysis, as shown, for example, in his portrayal of
Wellington as a general and a statesman, are altogether excep-
tional.
Martineau, Harriet.—The History of England, from the Com-
mencement of the Nineteenth Century to the Crimean War. 4
vols., 12mo, London and Philadelphia, 1864.
A work containing much information of interest and value, and
written with the author's well known spirit and vivacity. It is
strongly tinged with personal feeling, and, for this reason, the
work can hardly be said to have permanent value. Miss Marti-
neau entered into the life and activity of political affairs with great
zeal, and, as she grasped every subject with the energy of a strong
mind, her opinions are always entertaining, and are generally well
worth listening to. Her description of the deplorable financial
and social condition of England after the Napoleonic wars is per-
haps the most successful part of the work.
The volumes are pervaded with an ardent sympathy for the
people in their struggles for greater liberties. In the preparation
of the work the author had access to much unpublished material,
and received the assistance of numerous friends, a fact that con-
tributed largely to its value. The first book was written by
Charles Knight; and the early editions ended with the year 1846.
The American edition, in 4 vols., continues the narrative to the
outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854.
Walpole, Spencer.--A History of England from the Conclusion
of the Great War in 1815. 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1878–80.
A production of the most substantial merits. It is the result
of a careful study into the social conditions of the English people,
and of the difficulties with which the English statesinen have had
to contend. It abounds in most interesting knowledge, is written
in a truly philosophical spirit, and is arranged in methodical or-
der. Though it bas not the same elements of popularity which
have insured the great success of McCarthy's history of the same
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
471
Chical in its sts, tolerant permanent. I
period, its merits are of a more solid quality, and its favor with
historical readers is likely to be more permanent. It is careful
and accurate in its statements, tolerant in its judgments, success-
ful and methodical in its arrangement, and, in the main, is free
from party prejudices.
The first volume deals with the policy of the Tories from the
close of the war to the accession of George IV.; the second re-
cords the great reforms in administration, legislation, and finance
under the Whigs; and the third describes the use which the Whigs
made of their victories under Grey and Melbourne. The terrible
condition of England's social life, the abolition of slavery, the Fac-
tory Act, the Irish Church Act, the reform of the Poor Laws, the
O'Connell agitation, the postal reform, the rebellion in Canada,
and the Jamaica crisis are some of the subjects which pass under
review.
Molesworth, W. N. - The History of England, from the Year
1830 to 1874. 3 vols., 12mo, London, 1874.
A valuable history of England during the generation that saw
the reforms of 1832 and 1867. Though it is strictly a political
history, it enters sufficiently into military and social events to give
to political affairs their true significance. The account of the
great Reform of 1832 is the best accessible, and perhaps the same
may be said of the Reform of 1867, unless that of Mr. Homers-
ham Cox be an exception. The narrative is pervaded with life
and spirit. The work is written from a liberal point of view,
and may be read by all students with profit.
McCarthy, Justin.-- A History of Our Own Times, from the Ac-
cession of Queen Victoria to the Berlin Congress. 4 vols., 8vo,
London : 2 und
London; 2 vols., 12mo, New York, 1878–80.
The work of a writer who is at once a journalist, a novelist, a
member of Parliament, and an acute observer of political affairs.
For his materials he has drawn from a capacious memory and
from contemporaneous accounts of current events.
472
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
This the most a political
ature.
His pages give no evidence of familiarity with secret state-pa-
pers. Indeed, his history may be said to be the work of a skilful
journalist rather than of a practised historian. But it has sub-
stantial merits. The admirable accounts it gives of the men who
have directed English political affairs during the past fifty years
are among the most fascinating pages of modern historical liter-
ature. The volumes are far more interesting than any of the au-
thor's novels, and that is saying a great deal. It is an admira-
ble book for those who seldom try their intellects with anything
stronger than a newspaper or a romance; for the reader is be-
guiled in the most delightful manner into the possession of a
large amount of interesting and valuable information. The chap-
ters on Palmerston, Peel, and Beaconsfield are among the best
specimens of their kind, even if the kind is not of the highest.
All readers of these agreeable volumes will cease to be astonished
at the remarkable success of the work both in England and in
America.
Duffy, Sir Charles Gavan.-Young Ireland: a Fragment of Irish
History, 1840–50. 8vo, London and New York, 1880. .
Late in the life of O'Connell a revolt from his leadership was
brought about by a considerable number of the most spirited
actors in the general movement of opposition to England. They
advocated an abandonment of the pacific policy of O'Connell,
and the adoption of more energetic and coercive measures. The
party was made up chiefly of young men, and prominent among
them was the author of this voluine.
The account is very clear and interesting as a picture of the
ten by one who has since had large and successful experience in
the British colonies in the South Pacific. The hot temper and
most notable defect of what, on the whole, is a good account is
the fact that it does not point out the mad folly of an appeal to
arms by a group of young enthusiasts who had neither officers,
arms, organization, nor money.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
473
Kinglake, Alexander William.-The Invasion of the Crimea.
Its Origin and an Account of its Progress to the Death of
Lord Raglan, 6 vols., Svo, London ; 4 vols., 12mo, New York,
· 1863-
A work that has taken rank as one of the most important mil-
itary histories in the English language. It is still incomplete, the
last volume yet published bringing the history down only to the
Battle of Inkermann; but enough has been published to estab-
lish its reputation.
The author's style differs from that of Napier-perhaps the
only other great military historian with whom he may properly
be compared-in being less graceful, but more vigorous. While
his descriptive powers are scarcely inferior, his political acumen
is far greater, and his research into the complicated relations of
the different nations at war far more subtle and successful.
The presentation of the causes of the war, occupying more
than three hundred pages of the first volume, is perhaps the most
brilliant part of the history. The grasp and insight with which
the author traced the impulses that finally led to the conflict are
worthy of great adıniration. The chapter devoted to the history
of France just before the outbreak of the Crimean difficulties still
remains one of the severest arraignments to which Napoleon III.
was ever subjected."
The book abounds in pictures of great vividness and power.
The author is an energetic hater, and, consequently, his words
have provoked the most energetic criticism. By many the work
is thought to be strongly partisan, but this appearance of parti-
sanship probably comes from energy of feeling rather than from
any consistent bias.
Cox, Homersham.—A History of the Reform Bills of 1866–67.
8vo, London, 1868.
The best account, from a Liberal point of view, of the Reform
under the Derby-Disraeli government. It is spiced with consid-
erable political feeling, but it is generally trustworthy, and always
interesting
474
HISTORICAL LITERATURE:
Prentice, Archibald.-History of the Anti-Corn-Law League. 2
vols., 12mo, London, 1853.
This book, by one of the Executive Council of the League, is
a sketchy account of the great movement which broke down the
system of protection in England.
As a description of an important economical revolution the
book is graphic and interesting, though for the general reader the
account given in Martineau's " History of the Peace' will be found
loss diffuse and more satisfactory. A full table of contents will
enable the student to use the volumes without inconvenience,
though there is no index.
III. POLITICAL, CONSTITUTIONAL, AND SOCIAL HISTORIES.
Thorpe, Benjamin. — Ancient Laws and Institutes of England;
comprising Laws enacted under the Anglo-Saxon Kings from
Æthelbirht to Cniit, with an English Translation of the Saxon..
2 vols., 8vo, London, 1840.
To the student of early English history this compilation is of
supreme value. Its title is perhaps enough to recommend it; but
the scholarly manner in which the work has been cdited gives it
great additional importance. Mr. Thorpe was one of the most
accomplished Anglo-Saxon scholars England has produced, and
his editing has not only made the laws accessible, but materially
augmented their value.
Adams, Lodge, Young, and Laughlin.--Essays in Anglo-Saxon
Law: containing Titles of Works Cited; The Anglo-Saxon
Courts of Law, by Henry Adams; The Anglo-Saxon Land Law,
by H. Carter Lodge; The Anglo-Saxon Family Law, by Ernest
Young; The Anglo-Saxon Legal Procedure, by J. Lawrence
Laughlin ; Select Cases in Anglo-Saxon Law. With an Index.
Svo, Boston, 1876.
These admirable essays are the result of special studies carried
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
475
on in the most scholarly spirit at Harvard University. The top-
ics treated, though somewhat obscure and difficult, are of much
interest; and the student of Anglo-Saxon times will profit by
giving them very careful attention.
Kemble, J. M.—The Saxons in England. 2 vols., 8vo, London ;
new edition, 1877.
This work, ever since the first edition was published in 1848,
has taken rank as the highest authority on the period of which it
treats. It is not a book which one who reads simply for recrea-
tion is likely to choose; and yet, if one desires the most complete
understanding attainable of the political and social conditions of
the country at this early period, Kemble is the most helpful of
all authors.
The volumes deal but slightly with military affairs. Their
pages are confined chiefly to a careful description of the consti-
tutional, political, and social condition of the people. By most
readers they will probably be found more interesting than the
pages of either Turner or Lappenberg, since these enter with con-
siderable minuteness into the petty and unimportant conflicts of
the time.
* Kemble's views and conclusions command the highest respect
of all historians, and his work should not be slighted by the stu-
dent.
Wright, Thomas.--Biographia Britannica Literaria; or, Biogra-
ply of the Literary Characters of Great Britain and Ireland ar-
ranged in Chronological Order. Vol. i., Anglo-Saxon Period;
Vol. ii., Anglo-Norman Period. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1842–46.
The most important work on the subject of which it treats.
Nowhere else can so much information be found on the earliest
writers of English prose and poetry.
The volumes may often be referred to with profit for accounts
of the earliest historical writings.
476
HISTORICAL - LITERATURE.
Wright, Thomas.--A History of Domestic Manners and Senti-
ments in England during the Middle Ages. With Illustrations
from illuminations in contemporary. manuscripts. 8vo, Lon-
don, 1862.
The author was one of the foremost of English antiquarians,
and, like all of his other works, this one is worthy of some atten-
tion. It abounds in crude and interesting illustrations, and fur-
nishes as good evidence as we have of the way in which the
people of the Middle Ages lived and amused themselves. It is
strictly the production of an antiquarian, not that of an historian;
the student, therefore, must not look for generalizations, or even
for very suggestive speculations.
Wright, Thomas.—Political Poems and Songs relating to Eng-
lish History, composed during the Period from the Accession
of Edward III. to that of Richard III. 2 vols., 8vo, London,
1859.
An invaluable collection, made with great care by one who was
in every way qualified for the somewhat difficult task. It is pro-
verbial that the sentiments and feelings of a people shape them-
selves in songs before they are embodied in laws. In no way
can we learn more of the ideas and feelings of the people during -
the turbulent and important period between the third Henry and
the third Richard than by an inspection of the somewhat crude
lyric poetry here brought together.
Wright, Thomas.—Essays on Subjects Connected with the Litera-
ture, Popular Superstitions, and History of England in the
Middle Ages. 2 vols., 12mo, London, 1846.
The importance of the subjects discussed in these volumes is
sufficiently indicated by the titles of a few of the chapters.
“Anglo-Saxon Poetry,” “Anglo-Norman Poetry," “Adventures
of Hereward the Saxon," "The Robin Hood Ballads," and "Old
Political Songs ” are, perhaps, the most important. These sub-
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
477
jects are treated in a manner quite worthy of the author's great
reputation.
Cox, Homersham.-Antient Parliamentary Elections; a History
showing how Parliaments were Constituted and Representatives
of the People Elected in Antient Times. Svo, London, 1868.
A very scholarly and valuable work—the only one in which
satisfactory information on this important subject can be obtained
in brief and convenient space.
The volume may be used with profit, not only in the study of
English institutions, but also for a comparison with the methods
that prevailed on the Continent.
Stubbs, William.- The Constitutional History of England in its
Origin and Development. 3 vols., 8vo and 12mo, Oxford and
New York, 1874–79.
This is incomparably superior to all other general authorities
on the period of which it treats. The first volume closes with
the reign of Henry II. ; the second with that of Richard II.; and
the third with that of Richard III. The work thus ends at the
point where that of Hallam begins. Mr. Freeman, one of the
best living judges, has not hesitated to characterize it as "the
greatest monument yet reared by English historical scholarship.”
The nature of the history may be correctly inferred from the
sentences with which the first volume begins. “The history of
institutions cannot be mastered — can scarcely be approached -
without an effort. It affords little of romantic incident or of the
picturesque grouping which constitutes the charm of history in
general, and holds out small temptation to the mind that requires
to be tempted to the study of truth. But it has a deep value
and an abiding interest to those who have the courage to work
upon it.”
With this spirit of sober earnestness, the author has brought to
his work unrivalled familiarity with the original sources of infor-
mation, untiring industry, coolness of judgment, and keenness of
478
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
discrimination. Every student of English constitutional history
should make this his text-book and his chief authority. By some
students it may be deemed dry; but all such should remember
that nine tenths of all fruitful work is drudgery; and, if they find
it impossible to take an interest in this work, they may as well
abandon all hope of acquiring any comprehensive knowledge of
the subject. Chapters v., vi., X., xi., xiii., xv., and xvii. will prob-
ably be found to have greatest value; thongh a glance at the
table of contents will show a great number of chapters that will
tempt the diligent and inquiring student.
As will be inferred from the above quotation, it is a work for
earnest study rather than listless reading; but every sentence has
its value, and it is difficult to see how it can ever be super-
seded.
Stubbs, William. Select Charters and other Illustrations of Eng-
lish Constitutional History from the Earliest Times to the
Reign of Edward the First. 12mo, Oxford and New York, 1875.
A book that is almost indispensable to one who would under-
stand thoroughly the nature of the times of which it treats. The
documents are all given in the original tongue; but even for one
who cannot read the easy Latin of the Middle Ages, the judicious
introductions and explanations of Professor Stubbs will be found
to possess great interest and value. One who is seriously study-
ing any portion of the early history of England would do well to
have this little book constantly at his elbow or in his hand. An
appendix contains the text of the Petition of Right, and of the
Bill of Rights.
Gneist, Dr. Rudolf.-Geschichte und heutige Gestalt der engli-
schen Kommunalverfassung, oder des Selfgovernment. Zweite
völlig umgearbeitete Auflage. 2 vols., 8vo, Berlin, 1863.
For fulness, thoroughness, and accuracy, this is superior to all
other works descriptive of the English constitution and govern-
ment. It is the product of long study of the subject by one who
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
479.
has devoted his life very largely to the work of teaching German
students the characteristics of the English constitution.
Gneist, as professor in the University of Berlin, has for years
lectured on English political institutions. His work enters into
the minutest details. It describes the workings of all the more
important parts of the central government as well as all the es-
sential characteristics of local administration. It is therefore ex-
ceedingly elaborate ; indeed, it is swollen to the bulk of more than
fifteen hundred closely printed octavo pages. But it is an au-
thority recognized by English and Germans alike as of the first
importance. It is too ponderous for the purposes of the general
reader ; but as a mine from which materials may be gathered, it
has no equal. Though it is doubtful whether the author has al-
ways caught the real spirit of English institutions, his views are
always worthy of thoughtful consideration.
Gneist, Dr. Rudolf.—Das englische Verwaltungsrecht, mit Ein-
schluss des Heeres, der Gerichte und der Kirche, geschichtlich
und systematisch. 2 vols., 8vo, Berlin, 2d ed., revised, 1867.
The most exhaustive treatise extant on the subject of English
administrative law. It describes with great minuteness the various
organizations not only of the general civil government, but also
of the army, the courts, and the Church. The work contains
1360 large and closely printed pages; and these are crowded with
details and references. The English themselves have no work on
the subject comparable with it in coinpleteness. It is an enor-
mous storehouse of facts, rather than a record of opinions.
Fischel, Edward. The English Constitution. Translated from
the second German edition by Richard Jenery Shee. Svo, Lon-
don, 1863.
A work originally prepared for the purpose of giving to Ger-
man readers a knowledge of the details of the English govern-
ment. The various subjects are treated descriptively as well as
480
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
historically; and in no other volume in English dress is so much
knowledge conveyed of the minutiæ of English political methods.
The translator has not strictly followed the original, but has
omitted such portions as seemed of value to Germans only. He
has also taken some liberties in changing the arrangement of the
material and in citing additional authorities.
The book is much less attractive to the general reader than
Bagehot, but for most persons it will be found not less valuable.
While Bagehot discusses principles, Fischel describes forms. The
one explains fundamental ideas, the other deals with practical
every-day workings. Fischel describes how, Bagehot explains why.
The books, therefore, may well be read together.
. Creasy, Sir Edward. - The Rise and Progress of the English
Constitution. 12mo, London and New York, 1855.
As a manual for the use of the historical student while he is
laying the foundation for a knowledge of the English constitu-
tion, this little book is without a superior. It is not written as a
disquisition, but rather as an historical and descriptive text-book,
It combines accuracy with vivacity; and should be constantly
used by the student in the early period of his studies.
The best portion of the book is that which gives an account
of the growth of the constitution before the revolutions of the
seventeenth century.
S
Taswell-Langmead, Thomas Pitt.-English Constitutional His-
tory, from the Teutonic Conquest to the Present Time. 8vo,
2d ed., with important revisions and additions, London, 1880.
As a description of the growth of the English constitution, this
volume is somewhat fuller than that of Creasy. It shows more
learning, though less of ability and good judgment. In the text
and in the notes the author introduces a large amount of material
which a more judicious writer would have condensed into a more
homogeneous forin.
But, notwithstanding some lack of skill in the literary work-
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
481
manship of the volume, it should be prized for the vast amount
of information it brings to the reader. It was intended as a
text-book for the use of students at the English universities and
inns of court, and was designed to give a concise but compre-
hensive history of the origin and development of the English
constitution. It cannot be said that the author has failed to ac-
complish his purpose, though, on the other hand, his success can
hardly be called brilliant.
Its His-
Brougham, Henry, Lord.—The British Constitution.
tory, Structure, and Working. 12mo, London, 1861.
The great ability and the prominence of this author entitle this
volume to consideration.
The first eleven chapters are largely speculative, and to most
students will be of less value than those which follow. From
chapter xii, to the end, the volume is of considerable historical
value. Especially able and discriminating is the discussion of
the relations of monarch and Parliament in the time of the
Plantagenets and Tudors. Chapter xix., on judicial establish-
ments in different countries and in England, is of especial value
to the student of law.
Freeman, E. A.--The Growth of the English Constitution from
the Earliest Times. 12mo, London, 1872.
A sinall book expanded into its present form from two popular
lectures. Its object is to "show that the earliest institutions of
England and of other Teutonic lands are not mere matters of
curious speculation, but matters closely connected with our pres-
ent political being." It is a successful attempt to explain in a
popular way the continuity of English political life. The author
makes prominent his theory that since the Saxons got possession
of England, no fundamental changes in English institutions have
taken place. .
Hallam, Henry. - The Constitutional History of England from
31
482
HISTORICAL. LITERATURE.
the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George III.
3 vols., 12mo, New York, 1864;, and 2 vols., 12mo, 1880.
This work was greatly revised some years after the publication
of the first edition, the revisions amounting to nearly a third part
of the whole text of the work. This new version contains so im-
portant modifications and enlargements that the earlier issues
may. be regarded as practically worthless. The various editions
in one volume are generally reprints of the earlicst versions, and
should be avoided.
In connection with chapter viii. of the same author's “History
of the Middle Ages,” these volumes have long been considered the
standard authority on the subject of which they treat.
They are the result of most laborious rescarch, and are written
with so judicial a spirit that Macaulay, in his essay on the work,
characterized it as the most impartial book he had ever read.
But, notwithstanding these great qualities, the work no longer has
quite the same value it formerly possessed. Though it was care-
fully revised in 1846, the subsequent investigations of Stubbs,
Gardiner, Forster, and Bisset have thrown floods of new light on
many of the questions which Hallam discussed.
The author's literary style is so faulty that but for his great
learning and good sense the work would long since have been
condemned to obscurity. Its judicial spirit of fairness to all per-
sons and parties makes it popular with judicious minds, in spite
of all its shortcomings.
May, Thomas Erskine.—The Constitutional History of England
since the Accession of George the Third. 3 vols., 8vo and
12mo, revised edition, London, 1871; 2 vols., 12mo, New
York, 1880. The latest Englisli edition, of which the New
York cdition of 1880 is a reprint, brings the history down to
· 1870, and is therefore much to be preferred to the reprints of
the first edition.
In some sense, a continuation of Hallam's “ Constitutional His-
tory." The author has deviated from a strictly chronological
narrative, and has adopted a much more effective method of treat-
ment by a grouping of leading subjects. Each inquiry is pursued:
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND..
483
through the entire century, and is devoted strictly to the branch
of the work in hand.
The first volume is devoted to a history of the prerogatives,
influence, and revenues of the crown, together with the constitu-
tion, powers, functions, and political relations of the Houses of
Parliament. The second comprises a history of parties, of the
press, of political agitation, of the Church, of political and civil
liberty. The work is concluded with a general review of English
legislation during the whole period.
Though the author has had to deal with many controverted
points, he bas generally been successful in avoiding a tone of con-
troversy. In literary style the work will be found more spirited
and readable than that of Hallam; while as an authority it is
scarcely less trustworthy. No other work will give to the student
so good a view of the political history of England during the cen-
tury of its greatest progress and power. As a political text-book
it is invaluable.
Brodie, George.-A Constitutional History of the British Empire
from the Accession of Charles I. to the Restoration, with an
Introduction tracing the Progress of Society and of the Consti-
tution from the Feudal Times to the Opening of the History,
and including a Particular Examination of Mr. Hlume's State-
ments relative to the Character of the English Government. 3
vols., 8vo, London, 1866.
A new and improved edition of a work in four volumes, pub-
lished in 1822'under a different title. Tlie author is an admirer
of the Revolutionary policy, and is one of the strongest advocates
· of that cause. The literary style of the work is involved and
without much art; and, for this reason; the book is soinewhat un-
attractive. But it has substantial merits. The criticism of Hume
has, without doubt, done much to damage the reputation of that
historian for accuracy, if not even for honesty. Few persons can
read Brodie's pages without seeing that Hume's history for thë
period after the Tudors is essentially worthless.
While the author is a vigorous supporter of the Revolutionary
policy, he condemns the course of Cromwell after the establish-
mcnt of the Commonwealth.
484
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Russell, Lord John.--An Essay on the English Government and
Constitution from the Reign of Henry VII. to the Present
Time. 12mo, London, revised edition, 1866.
This little book has enjoyed a just popularity in England, not
only on account of the author's political prominence, but also on
account of its intrinsic merit.
The last five chapters are of more consequence than the others.
Originally published in 1820, the book has been brought down to
modern times by the concluding chapter of the last edition. The
author's sympathies are strongly Whig.
De Lolme, J.L.--The Rise and Progress of the English Constitu-
tion, with an Historical and Legal Introduction, and Notes by
A. J. Stepheus. 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1838.
Of the celebrated essay of De Lolme there have been several
editions, but that of Stephens is to be preferred. The historical
and legal introduction embraces the whole of the first volume,
and has been prepared with great care and skill. The notes also
on the text of De Lolme have corrected certain crrors of the
French author, and have made such modifications as time has ren-
dered desirable.
De Lolme wrote nearly a century ago, and at the present time
his treatise is of value chiefly as a study of comparative politics.
Strictly speaking, the work is an essay, and was written for the
purpose of showing to the people of France the superiority of the
English constitution and government over those then existing on
the Continent. The author was a learned and brilliant writer,
though at times his brilliancy ran into a certain pertness that is
fantastic, if not offensive.
The first three chapters, “The Causes of the Liberty of the
English Nation," and the last four, " Very Essential Differences
between the English Monarchy, as a Monarchy, and all those with
which we are Acquainted,” will probably be found of greatest
value.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
485
Smith, Philip V.—History of English Institutions. '12mo, Lon-
don and Philadelphia, 1874.
The object of this little volume is to show the student the origin
of English local institutions, on the one hand, and of the central
government on the other. In a word, it is the history of the evo-
lution of the present government out of its original elements.
The subject is treated under three general heads; first, the
“Social Development of the Constitution;" secondly, “ Constitu-
ents of the Central Authority;" and, thirdly, "Central Govern-
ment." Each of these parts is subdivided, and every subject is
treated briefly, but generally with sufficient fulness and clearness.
If fault is to be found with the book, it is that it deals somewhat
too exclusively with facts themselves, and not quite enough with
the meaning and relations of facts. With this qualifying remark,
the volume may be commended without further reserve.
Hearn, William Edward. - The Government of England, its :
Structure and its Development. 8vo, London, 1867.
The author of this work is professor of history and political
economy in the University of Melbourne, and the book was pre-
sumably written for the purpose of supplying a convenient means
of information on the subject of the home government to inquir-
ers in Australia,
Dr. Hearn advocates no particular political doctrines. He treats
the subject strictly from a constitutional and a legal point of view.
The kingship, the cabinet, the various councils of the crown, the
systems of tenure, the growth and character of Parliament, and
the checks on the various branches of the government are all
passed in review.
The method of treatment, as well as the purpose of the author,
renders it one of the most useful books on the subject for a
foreign student.
Cox, Homersham.-The Institutions of the English Government;
being an Account of the Constitution, Powers, and Procedure
of its Legislative, Judicial, and Administrative Departments,
486
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
· with Copio’s References to Antient and Modern Authorities.
8vo, London, 1863.
: The work is divided into three books, each of which treats of
one of the three several branches of the government. To the
student of constitutional forms each of the parts will be found to
be of great importance. That portion which relates to the modes
of procedure in Parliament and to the constitution of the respec-
tive branches of Legislature is of especial interest.
The work shows extensive legal knowledge and unwearying
industry in the collection and marshalling of authorities. If a
student would master the details of the English governmental
methods, he will derive the greatest, assistance from this work.
None but that of Gneist is comparable with it in value. For the
purposes of a general reader it may be found inferior to that of
Todd, but it is far more learned, and better adapted to the wants
of a special student.
Ewald, Alexander Charles.—The Crown and its Advisers; or,
Queen, Ministers, Lords, and Commons. 12mo, London, 1870.
Four lectures, delivered to audiences of conservative working-
men in London and vicinity. It was the author's design to give
to his hearers a knowledge of the leading characteristics of the
English constitution. He succeeded admirably.
The book is strictly elementary, dealing largely with the sim-
ple, every-day workings of the government; but on that account
it serves its purpose all the better. Any person in the least inter-
ested in political forms will read the book with pleasure from
beginning to end. It is one of the best, if not the very best, of
the small books.
Fonblanque, Albany de.—How we are Governed'; ór, The Crown,
the Senate, and the Bench. A Hand-book of the Constitution,
Government, Laws, and Powers of Great Britain. 13th ed.,
revised to present date, and considerably enlarged, by a Barris-
ter. 12no, London, 1879...
One of the most useful manjials for a student. Its great pop-
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND:
487
ularity in England is well deserred. It is a sketch rather than
a book of reference. It is more brilliantly written than that of
Ewald, though it is not more informing. It tempts the reader to
the further pursuit of information.
Todd, Alpheus. - Parliamentary Government in England. Its
Origin, Development, and Practical Operation. 2 vols., 8vo,
London, 1867:
. A work of unquestionable value to one who would study the
machinery of the English government in all its parts. Indeed, for
giving an insight into the practical affairs of the politics of Eng-
land there is no other work of so great value.
After a general and historical introduction of nearly two hun-
dred pages, in which the growth of the government is traced, the
author divides the subject into the three natural divisions, and
discusses cach of them, both historically and constitutionally. The
work happily combines a discussion of principles with a description
of methods, though it must be admitted that the author's Tory
sympathies occasionally lead him to obtrude opinions which a more
judicious historian would keep out of view. The book deals less
with civil affairs than does the great work of Cox; but in strictly
political matters it will be found by most students to be more
satisfactory.
tions of its History and Practice. 12.no, London, 1878.
An entertaining and useful little book, by one of the officers of
the House of Commons. It is a series of descriptions and discus-
sions thrown together for the purpose of making English people
more familiar with the methods: of that great legislative body
which virtually rules so large a part of the globe.
· It abounds in sketches and incidents, and its literary workman-
Jennings, George Henry.-An Anecdotical History of the British
Parliament, from the Earliest Periods to the Present Time.
488
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
With Notices of Eminent Parliamentary Men, and Examples of
their Oratory. 8vo, London and New York, 1881.
This production is in no sense a history, but is rather a collec-
tion of anecdotes, extending in its scope from the rise of Parlia-
mentary institutions down to the present day.
The anecdotes are arranged in chronological order. A few of
them are bright, but by far the greater number are very dull.
Few persons will find themselves able to read the volume from
beginning to end; but those who do will find here and there a
passage that will afford temporary relief in what, as a whole, must
be a tedious process.
Cooke, George Wingrove.—History of Party, from the Rise of
the Whig and Tory Factions, in the Reign of Charles II., to
the Passing of the Reform Bill. 3 vols., 8vo, London, 1836–37.
A book that is strongly Whig in its sympathies, and one that
makes no pretensions to impartiality. The author speaks freely
of the “intrigues” of the Tories, and of the “liberal policy" of
the Whigs. But in spite of the manifest and strong prejudices
of the author, the book is of value for its able presentations of
the questions at issue at different times in the past two centuries.
It should be studied in connection with the works of Bolingbroke
and Disraeli.
The first rolume covers the ground from 1666 to 1714; the
second, from 1714 to 1762; the third, from 1762 to 1832.
Disraeli, B. (Lord Beaconsfield). --- Vindication of the Englishi
Constitution. 8vo, London, 1835.
The purpose of the author in this volume was to show, first,
that the nature of the English government was essentially Tory;
second, that the Tory party is democratic in character; and,
third, that the tendency of Whiggism is to the establishment of
an oligarchy.
The views here presented and urged are essentially the same
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
489
as those advanced in Disraeli's “ Life of Lord George Bentinck,"
and also in his novels of “ Coningsby" and "Sybil.” Next to the
writings of Bolingbroke, these works present the most cogent ar-
gument for Toryism easily accessible.
Cox, Homersham.-Whig and Tory Administrations during the
last Thirteen Years. 8vo, London, 1868.
A liberal politician's view of affairs since the accession of Lord
Palmerston in 1855. The book has a strong coloring of party
bias. But the severe criticisms of the author abound in evi-
dences of honesty as well as of ability and of zeal. It is one of the
most powerful arraignments of the Conservative party, and as
such it may well receive the student's attention.
Amos, Sheldon.-Fifty Ycars of the English Constitution, 1830–
80. 12mo, London and Boston, 1880.
celorly. Con force the the silen oto
Since 1830 the unwritten constitution of Great Britain has
been slowly changing. The great Reform Bill of 1832 brought
into operation forces which have been showing their power from
that day to this. The author of this volume is one of the most
capable exponents of this silent revolution. The work is not
marked by that keen insight into the hidden characteristics of
affairs which we so much admire in Bagebot, but it has succeeded
admirably in placing before the eyes of its readers a picture of
the slow transformations that have taken place.
Bagehot, Walter. — The English Constitution. 12mo, London
and Boston, 1873.
olish government..ne in many years of Burke.
A series of essays on the various branches and functions of the
English government. It is the most brilliant political work that
has appeared in Europe in many years; the most brilliant that
has appeared in England since the death of Burke. It should be
490
HISTORICAL LITERATURE,
thoughtfully studied by every student of political forms and
methods.
Bagehot's leading characteristic is not so much that he de-
scribes the English government as that he penetrates beyond its
forms and examines the essence and significance of whatever part
of it he has in hand. To a student, therefore, who already knows
something of the organization of the government, Bagehot is
likely to be the most suggestive and awakening of all writers.
The work is so free from all controversial spirit that it is not
easy to decide from it whether the author ranks himself as a Lib-
eral or as a Conservative. While he admires the English govern-
ment as a whole, he does not hesitate to criticise it sharply wherev.
er he finds a weak point. Another feature of the volume is in the
frequent comparisons into which the author enters of the results
of English methods, and of the results of other methods else-
where. These comparisons may not always be accepted as en-
tirely just, but they are always suggestive and never common-
place.
The author's style is excecdingly vivacious, and therefore, the
book is as interesting as it is valuable.
Merewether, H. A., and Stephens, A. J.---The History of the
Boroughs and Municipal Corporations in the United Kingdom,
* from the Earliest to the Present Time. 3 vols., large 8vo,
London, 1835.
: The great authority on the English system of local govern-
ment. The minuteness with which various peculiarities are de-
scribed and various questions discussed enables the student gen-
erally to get from the work any information he may desire con-
cerning the general subject of which the volumes treat.
Argyll, The Duke of.-The Eastern Question, from the Treaty of
Paris in 1856 to the Treaty of Berlin in 1878, and to the Sec-
ond Afghan War.' 2 vols., 12mo, London, 1879.
The sketch of the Eastern Question here presented is almost
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
491
entirely made up of official documents. Thesc, however, are
bound together by connecting threads in such a way as to make
an eminently readable narrative..
· The point of view is that of an energetic opponent of the Bea-
consfield policy. The author liolds that England, having taken
a prominent part in the settlement of the Eastern Question, by
the Treaty of 1856; was morally bound to make her influence felt
in the adjustment of those difficulties which brought on the late
war. · In his opinion, it was “the duty of England to join the
other powers in acting upon the moral obligations they had in-
curred in the Treaty of 1856,” and that "the uncertain sound
given upon this subject at the beginning of the contest was a fatal
mistake.” It is his opinion that if England had united with the
other powers in the Berlin Memorandum, and had been ready
to act promptly in case of its rejection, a far better result would
have been secured.
· The history of the Turkish Question, ending with the chapter
on “The Congress and the Treaty of Berlin,” extends to abont
the middle of the second volume. The last five chapters are de-
voted to a discussion, in similar spirit, of the English policy in
Afghanistan.
De Worins, Baron Henry.-England's Policy in the East. An
Account of the Policy and Interest of England in the Eastern
Question as Compared with those of other European Powers.
8vo, 6th ed., London, 1878.
This work, prepared by a government officer who has been
much in the East, bad, until the appearance of the work of Argyll,
unique value. It presents the English case in a strong light, and
is a convenient work of reference in the study of Eastern politics.
The volume has valuable tables and maps, and an appendix con-
tạins copies of the Treaty of Paris, the Andrassy Note, the Berlin
Memorandum, the Derby Despatches, and the Treaties of 1856
and 1871. .
Martin, Montgomery.—The Progress and Present State of Brit-
ish India. A Manual for General Use, based on Official Docu-
492
HISTORICAL LITERATURE,
ments furnished under the Authority of Her Majesty's Secre-
tary of State for India. 12mo, London, 1862.
A digest of the principal facts that distinguished the condition
of India at the time the book was written. It is an admirable
little volume for one who would get an idea of the greatness and
importance of India without the inconvenience of reading one of
the elaborate works.
The author shows that great wrongs have been perpetrated,
but also that the government, as a whole, is slowly but constantly
improving, and that it has greatly ameliorated the condition of
the native population.
Rogers, James E. Thorold.--A History of Agriculture and Prices
in England, from the Year after the Oxford Parliament (1259)
to the Commencement of the Continental War (1793). Com-
piled entirely from original and contemporaneous records. 2
vols., large 8vo, London, 1866.
No other work gives so full and satisfactory an account of the
condition of the people of England in the Middle Ages as this.
Though the author's design, as expressed in the title, is to bring
the work down to the present day, the two volumes already pub-
lished are devoted to the years prior to A.D. 1400.
The first volume is made up of discussions and descriptions
founded on the autlior's tireless investigations. The second is
devoted to tables and statistics, gathered from all conceivable
sources, for the purpose of showing the prices that prevailed dur-
ing the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
The author's well-known eminence as a political economist
entitles his opinions to great weight, especially when, as in this
instance, they are founded on careful and long-continued investi-
gations.
Some of the chapters in the first volume arc invaluable. As
especially worthy of note may be mentioned the chapters on
“Social Distinctions and the General Distribution of Wealth," .
“Mediæval Justice and Courts,” “Taxes and Contributions,"
“Averages of Prices," "The Price of Labor," "The Price of
Live-stock," and "The Purchasing Power of Wages.”
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
493
Nicholls, Sir George.—A History of the English Poor Laiv in
connection with the Legislation and other Circumstances Af-
fecting the Condition of the People. 2 vols., 8vo, London,
1854. Also, A History of the Scotch Poor Law, and A His-
tory of the Irish Poor Law, 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1856.
The author for many years held the responsible position of
Poor-law Commissioner. In this office he had extended obser-
vation and experience. These he has turned to advantage in the
preparation of his works, though it cannot be said that the result
has been altogether satisfactory. The works are too narrow in
their scope, in that they are a history of Poor Laws rather than a
history of the poor. A long series of legislative acts, tests, penal-
ties, and modes of relief are given ; but how the masses of the
people were affected by them is not made very clear.
In the treatment of the Poor Laws of Ireland and Scotland the
work is more satisfactory. The real condition of the poor is de-
scribcd, not indeed with skill, but at least with some effectiveness.
Jardine, David.-Criminal Trials. 2 vols., 16mo, London, 1832.
These little volumes, forming a part of the “Library of Enter-
taining Knowledge,” are of unusual value for the light they throw
on the methods of judicial procedure in England in the seven-
teenth century. Of especial importance is the introductory es-
say on the general subject of criminal trials before the Revolu-
tion. The body of the first volume contains accounts of twelve
noted trials, from that of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton to that of
Sir Walter Raleigh. The second volume is devoted exclusively
to a study of the Gunpowder Plot.
noted The body ral subject of importance isngland in
Fuller, Thomas.—The Church History of Britain from the Birth
of Jesus Christ until the Year 1648. A new edition with the
Author's corrections. 6 vols., 8vo, London, 1845.
No writer of English prose has been a greater favorite with a
certain class of literary men than Thomas Fuller. Coleridge wrote
494
HISTORICAL - LITERATURE.
of him, " Next to Shakespeare, I am not certain whether Thomas
Fuller, beyond all other writers, does not excite in me the sense
and emotion of the marvellous. . . . You will scarcely find a page
in which some one sentence out of every three does not deserve
to be quoted by itself, as motto or as maxim."
This praise, though altogether extravagant, describes the quality
of the book. It is especially a subjective history; but it is per-
meated with a candid and liberal spirit. Though Fuller was a
firm supporter of the national Church and of the king, yet he
made an honest endeavor to reconcile contending factions, and to
soften the bitterness of ecclesiastical controversy.
2
Blackstone, Sir William. ---Commentaries on the Laws of Eng-
land, in Four Books; with an Analysis of the Work Edited
. by Thomas M. Cooley. 2 vols., large 8vo, Chicago, 1876. :
The.grace, clearness, and dignity of style in which Blackstone
wrote have made his work a favorite text-book with young law-
yers for somewhat more than a century. But its popularity has
been far greater than its intrinsic merits alone would have justi-
fied. Blackstone was not a profound historical scholar; and he
wrote at a period before the investigation of sources had taught
students what to accept and what to reject. It is not singular,
therefore, that many of his statements of fact have been shown
to be erroneous, and that some of his conclusions have been over-
thrown. . .
The author's legal opinions are probably entitled to much more
respect than his historical knowledge, though on this point there
has been some disagreement among the best judges; but, how-
ever this may be, as an historical authority his " Commentaries?
are of very little value.
Forsyth, William. — History of Trial by Jury. 8vo, London,
1852; also, edited by J. Å. Morgan, Chicago, 1875.,
Not only a very useful sketch of the origin and growth of the
system of trial by jury, but also a good comparative view of
methods of trial in different countries....... ..........?
. HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
495
: After describing the nature of the jury system and explaining
the several theories.concerning its origin, the author discusses the
primitive tribunals of Scandinavia and Germany, and points out
the way in which the English system was evolved from germs
brought from the Continent. The view is held that the origin
of the system cannot properly be referred to a period earlier than
the reign of Henry II. Earlier methods of trial not only in Eng-
land, but on the Continent, are carefully analyzed for the purpose
of showing that they nowhere presented the essential charac-
teristics of the modern jury.
Not the least interesting portion of the volume are those chap-
ters devoted to a comparative view of the jury systems of Scot-
land, America, France, Germany, and other parts of Europe. The
work at all points is able and learned, and is fully entitled to
the recognition it has received.
Escott, T. H. S.- England : her People, Polity, and Pursuits.
2 vols., 8vo, London; 1 vol., Svo, New York, 1880.
This admirable work is designed to present to the reader a
faithful and complete picture of the England of the present day.
In the preparation of the materials for his book, the autlior visited
nearly all parts of the country and conversed with all classes of
people.
· The titles of some of the most important of the chapters will
convey an adequate idea of the nature of the work. Some of
these are: “The English Villag'e ;?." Great Landlords and Estate-
management;", "Municipal Government;"? “ Commercial and
Financial England;" "The Working Classes ;"? " Pauperism and
Thrift ;" “ Co-operation ;" “ Criminal England;" « Educational
England ;" “ The Structure of English Society ;" “ Crown and
Crowd;" “Official England;" “The House of Commons;" "The
House of Lords ;” “The Law Courts ;"” “Religious England ;"
“Popular Amusements ;" " Professional England ;" and “Impe-
rial England.”...
The descriptions and discussions are carried on in a manner at
once philosophical and attractive. The work gives a clear insight
into the fundamental ideas and the methods of English society,
496
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
and it may be studied with equal interest and profit by every
intelligent person at all interested in English affairs.
Creasy, Sir Edward. The Imperial and Colonial Constitutions
of the Britannic Empire, including Indian Institutions. 8vo,
London, 1872.
This admirable work gives a very complete and satisfactory
account of the vast colonial possessions of the British Empire.
The various forms of government and administration are de-
scribed in sufficient detail, and the volume is accompanied with
excellent maps, showing all the colonies and provinces. From no
other work can the student get so good an idea of the vastness,
and, at the same time, of the general liberality and excellence, of
the methods of administration in the various parts of the empire.
of administratie general liberalithea of the vastness
Todd, Alpheus.--Parliamentary Government in the British Col-
onies. Svo, Boston, 1880.
This volume may be regarded as in some sense a continuation
of the work on “ Parliamentary Government in England," which
has made the author's name so well known. It was written prima-
rily for the use of Canadian readers, but it is well adapted to
the use of all students who would make themselves familiar with
the recent development of English political methods. It is not
quite so readable a volume as the work on the same general. siib-
ject by Sir Edward Creasy; but what it loses on this account it
fully makes up by its more philosophical methods of treatment.
IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. Green's “ History of the English People," for general use,
is superior to all others. This author's “Short History" may be
preferred by a few students, but for most persons the work in four
volumes is better. Bright is better adapted to certain methods of
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
497
instruction in a ciass-room than Green, though much less inter-
esting to the general reader. Brewer's edition of “ The Student's
Hume” is also a book of many excellences, among which are the
reprints of important historical documents. Next to Green in im-
portance is Knight, and next to Knight, Lingard. On the growth
and characteristics of the English government Creasy's is the best
of the small books. Taswell-Langmead's is a larger book,, found-
ed on the most recent authorities. More purely descriptive of
the present methods of the government are the books of Fon-
blanque, Ewald, and Hearn. Modern life in England, in its vari-
ous phases, is well described in Escott's “England." Bagehot's
“English Constitution” is the most brilliant discussion of actual
English political methods.
2. In connection with Green, Lingard may be profitably read,
for the views of a scholarly Roman Catholic. The popularity of
“Hume” has an astonishing vitality; but this is owing to the
literary rather than to the historical value of the work. The
controversy concerning Mary Queen of Scots is most ably conduct-
ed on the one side by Mignet, on the other by Hosack. The queen's
most ardent advocates, however, are Tytler and Miss Strickland,
while her most pronounced accusers are Hume and Froude.
On the course of the Reformation in England, Häusser's is
perhaps the best brief account; Geikie is somewhat fuller, and is
excellent. The revolution in the seventeenth century should be
studied in the works of Gardiner and Guizot. These may be
followed in order by Macaulay, Stanhope, Mahon, and either Wal-
pole or McCarthy. The great works on the “Constitutional
History of England” are those of Stubbs, Hallam, and May.
Stubbs treats of the subject during the formative period, from
the earliest times to the accession of the Tudors; Hallam, during
the period of struggle, from Henry VII. to George III. ; and May,
during the period of development, from George III. to the pres-
ent time. For the most complete descriptions of governmental
methods, Todd's “ Parliamentary Government” and Cox's “In-
stitutions” are the authorities. Bagehot is unrivalled for the
suggestiveness of his commentaries on the present workings of
the government. For the purpose of teaching the real spirit of
English institutions, his little book is worth a score of others.
3. For the more thorough study of English history there are
.32
498
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
of all e accession of English historaccount of en
certain catalogues and serial publications that are of the greatest
importance to the student. Among these the following are per-
haps most worthy of note:
Sir Thomas D. Hardy, in 1862–71, published an invaluable
work in three volumes, entitled “Descriptive Catalogue of Ma-
terials relating to the History of Great Britain and Ireland.”
It furnishes a detailed critical account of the printed and un-
printed sources of English history, from the earliest times down
to the accession of Edward III., and is by far the most important
of all works on the subject. If this masterpiece of historical bib-
liography is not at hand, adequate accounts of early writers on
historical subjects may generally be found in Wright's “Bio-
graphia Britannica Literaria," and in Morley's “English Writers."
Sir Henry Ellis, in 1824-46, published three series of histori-
cal letters of much value. The first series, in three volumes,
embraces a collection extending from Henry V. to the end of
Elizabeth's reign; the second series, in four volumes, from the
outbreak of Glendower's Rebellion to the reign of George II. ;
the third series, also in four volumes, from the time of Lanfranc
to the reign of George III.
In 1857, on the recommendation of the Master of the Rolls,
the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury determined upon the
publication of a series to be known as “ Chronicles and Memo-
rials of Great Britain and Ireland, from the Invasion by the Ro-
mans to the Reign of ITenry VIII.” The conditions of publica-
tion were such as to contribute greatly to the usefulness of the
works. Three important rules for the guidance of editors were
adopted. First, the works selected were to be published without
mutilation or abridgment; second, the text adopted should be
founded on a careful collation of the best manuscripts; and, third,
each paper should be preceded by an account of the manuscripts
used, a notice of the era in which the author wrotc, and an expla-
nation of all chronological difficulties. These conditions have
brought to the work of editing some of the most eminent histor-
ical talent in the realm. This series, popularly known as the
“Rolls Series," contains many volumes, each of which has been
edited by an eminent specialist. The prefaces are of the greatest
importance, often representing an amount of special knowledge
possessed by no other person than the editor..
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
499
Until after the Restoration, all papers with respect to negotia-
tions of State were kept carefully secluded from men of letters.
Four treaties were ordered published by Charles II., and on the
recommendation of the ministry, at a somewhat later period,
Thomas Rymer, in his capacity as historiographer royal, was di-
rected to transcribe and publish "all the leagues, treaties, alli-
ances, capitulations, and confederacies” which, up to that time, had
been made between England and the other powers of the world.
The result of this commission was the series of volumes known
as “Rymer's Fædera," published first in the early part of the
eighteenth century, but republished in a better edition at the
Hague in 1737–45. A complete account of the contents of the
series may be found in Hardy's “ Catalogue.”
What are commonly known as the “Rolls of Parliament" are
six folio volumes, published by the government in 1767, and de-
voted to the period extending from the reign of Edward I. to that
of Henry VII. They form the most valuable and authentic
series of save orders fasury, on the
of State
history of the country. A general index of the volumes was pub-
lished in 1832.
In 1855 the Lords of the Treasury, on the suggestion of the
Master of the Rolls, gave orders for the preparation and publica-
tion of a series of indexes, or, as they were known, “ Calendars
of State-Papers," intended ultimately to cover the several divis-
ions under which the records are classified-Domestic, Foreign,
Colonial, and Irish. Thus the contents of the vast stores of doc-
uments preserved in the British archives are to be placed beforo
the literary world. The number of volumes already published
reaches nearly a hundred, and is rapidly increasing. A complete
list is published in Longman's “ Catalogue of Books.”
The collection known as the “Parliamentary History” was
projected in the early part of this century by the famous demo-
cratic leader William Cobbett. It is embraced in thirty-six vol-
umes, and is so well edited as to supersede in importance most of
the several collections made in the last century. The history
covers the whole period from 1066 to 1803. The index is in a
separate volume.
The work begun by Cobbett has been continued in the series
known as “Parliamentary Debates," often called, from the namo
500
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
of the editor and printer, “Hansard's Debates.” They form a
complete record of parliamentary proceedings since 1803, and
already number about three hundred volumes. There are two
indexes, covering the portions before 1830, since which time there
is a separate index for each session of Parliament.
. All the above works have been supplemented during this cen-
tury by the publication of the “ Journals of the House of Lords,"
beginning with the year 1509, and the “Journals of the House
of Commons," since the year 1547. Each of the volumes has a
separate index.
The series of twelve quarto volumes known as the “Harleian
Miscellany" contains a vast number of papers of the greatest im-
portance, on almost every subject of modern history. But the
papers are arranged without system, and no index has yet been
prepared. A list of the contents is published in the “Catalogue
of the Boston Athenæum.”
Of the papers printed by the learned societies, many possess
not a little interest and importance, though by far the greater
number are of purely local and antiquarian interest. The names
of these societies, the purposes for which they were severally or-
ganized, and complete lists of the publications they contain may
be found in the first volume of Hardy's “ Catalogue.” The Cam-
den Society, one of the most important, has an excellent catalogue
descriptive of all the publications of the society down to 1872.
The Early English Text Society is one of the most important, as
its list of publications contains many works never before printed,
some of them possessing much value for the bistorical student.
The papers are generally edited with praiseworthy ability and care,
On the history of special phases of English progress and civili-
zation a number of works are noteworthy. .
A clew to the leading authorities on ecclesiastical and university
history may be attained in Le Neve's "Fasti Ecclesia Anglicana;
or, Calendar of the Principal Dignitaries in England and Wales,
and of the Chief Officers of the Universities of Oxford and Cam-
bridge, from the Earliest Times to the Year 1715. Corrected
and continued to the present time by T. Duffus Hardy," 3 vols.,
8vo, London, 1854.
The “ Athenæ Oxonienses ” of Anthony Wood is a valuable
collection of biographies of eminent persons educated at Oxford.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
501
It was first published in 1691, and has acquired a fame perhaps
somewhat exceeding its deserts.
Fuller's “History of the Worthies of England” is a book that
will not only give much knowledge of early English life, but, by
reason of the remarkable qualities of the author's wit, will afford
unfailing entertainment.
Macpherson's “Annals of Commerce, Manufactories, Fisheries,
and Navigation” was published in 1805, in 4 vols., 4to, and was in-
tended to give a history of the intercourse of England with other
nations, from the earliest times down to the beginning of the
present century. “The Progress of the Nation,” by R. G. Porter,
carries on the narrative down to the date of publication of the
third edition, in 1851. A more philosophic and successful pres-
entation of the same subject is that in Levi's “ History of British
Commerce and of the Economic Progress of the Nation." It is
in one volume, and covers the period from 1763 to 1878.
The naval history of Great Britain is best described in the work
by William James. A new and improved edition, in six volumes,
appeared in 1878, in which the accounts of the growth of the navy,
the changes in the methods of naval warfare, and the improve-
ments in vessels of war and in artillery are continued down to
the battle of Navarino, in 1827.
Of the numerous histories of English literature, a few are so
important as to deserve mention.
Thomas Warton's "History of English Poetry, from the Close
of the Eleventh to the Commencement of the Seventeenth Cen-
tury," is a very curious and valuable work. It has had the rep-
utation of a classic ever since its first publication, in 1774.
The best edition is that in 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1871. Henry
Morley's “ English Writers” is the most exhaustive description
of the earliest literature of the language, but the two volumes
published bring the work down only to Dunbar. George L.
Craik's “ Compendious History of English Literature and of the
English Lauguage" is the production of a ripe scholar and a
specialist; but it everywhere shows solid rather than brilliant
qualities. The second volume ends with a chapter on the general
character of the Victorian literature. Of the manuals of English
literature in a single volume, that of Morley and Tyler and that
of Shaw are the most valuable. J. Payne Collier's “History of
The best english Write of th
502
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
English Dramatic Poetry to the Time of Shakespeare, and Annals
of the Stage to the Restoration” is a work of much renown, and
abounds in minute and curious information. A new and much im-
proved edition in three vols., large 8vo, appeared in London, 1879.
Adolphus William Ward's “ History of Dramatic Literature to the
Death of Queen Anne" deals with the subject from a literary
rather than an antiquarian point of view. Thomas Humpliry
Ward's “English Poets : Selections, with Critical Introductions
by Various Authors, and a General Introduction by Matthew
Arnold,” is a delightful collection of the gems of English poetry.
The first volume covers the period from Chaucer to Donne; the
second, from Ben Jonson to Dryden; the third, from Addison to
Blake; the fourth, from Wordsworth to Sydney Dobell. H.
Taine's " History of English Literature” is by far the most brill-
iant and the most suggestive of the general works on the subject.
The peculiar theories of the author confront the reader at every
point; but the brilliancy of the book is everywhere unquestion-
able. Of the numerous editions, that in 4 vols., Svo, London,
1878, is the best.
. 4. For a thorough study of the constitutional and political
history of England, the topical method is carnestly recommended.
Not only does it secure far more satisfactory results, but it has
the additional advantage of giving the student an invaluable
knowledge of the sources of information. The following sugges-
tions and references may serve as a guide to the student in the
prosecution of his work.
I. THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD.—The first thirteen pages of
Stubbs's “Select Charters," and chapters iii. to viii., especially
chapters v. and vi., of the same author's “Constitutional His-
tory," are the most important of all authorities on the subject.
Kemble's “Saxons in England” is also worthy of the highest
consideration. Palgrave's “ Commonwealth,” vol. i., chapters iv.
and vii., gives the most trustworthy account of the early courts.
For valuable illustrated papers on Anglo-Saxon antiquities and ar-
chitecture, see Wright's “Essays on Archæology,” vol. i., chap-
ters vii. and ix. The same author's “ History of Domestic Man-
ners and Sentiments,” chapters i.-Y., are of value. Pearson's
“Early and Middle Ages," chapters xvi.-xviii., embodies, in a
scholarly manner, the results of recent investigations. Turner's
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
503
se
dobles, the counthich the cost valuab.count of found an in
of td a brief onto on perem
history is somewhat antiquated as an authority, but in vol. iii.,
book viii., chapters i.-iii. and v., may be found an interesting,
though somewbat inaccurate, account of the early kings and
witenagemots. The most valuable part of Lappenberg is vol.
ii., part v., in which the origin of titles of nobility, the duties of
nobles, the condition of freemen, slaves, and clergy, may be stud-
ied with advantage. On p. 350 et seq. of the same volume may
be found a brief and perspicuous account of the origin of guilds
and of the municipal system of England.
Hallam, in “ Middle Ages," vol. ii., chapter viii., part i.,. presents
a very clear and concise account of the most important Anglo-
Saxon institutions. Especially worthy of remark is the discus-
sion upon feudal tenures before the Conquest. On the courts,
notes v.-viii. are entitled to particular consideration. Though
Hallam wrote with the most judicious care, the student should
not forget that the first edition of "The Middle Ages” was writ-
ten as early as 1818, and that even the very thorough and impor-
tant revision of 1848 did not embody the results of the inost re-
cent researches.
Guizot's “Representative Government” is remarkable for the
clearness of the author's style and the judicial habit of his mind.
The most important characteristic of this history consists of the
comparisons frequently drawn between the various governments
of Europe in early times. Lectures ii.-v. of part i. pertain espe-
cially to this period.
Freeman, in vol. i., chapter iii., gives one of the best accounts
of the origin and power of the witenagemot and of the imperial
power of the king. Creasy’s “ English Constitution ” contains an
admirable discussion of the opinions of Hallam, Palgrave, and
Kemble; and for a student who desires opinions and conclusions,
rather than facts on which to found opinions, it is probably the
best of the manuals. Brougham's “British Constitution” is a
work of great ability, of considerable knowledge, and of much
ignorance. Of the condition of the Anglo-Saxon government,
Brougham gives a much too lugubrious account; but the intel-
lectual power of the author makes his pages always worthy of
consultation. The first part of Freeman's “Growth of the Eng-
lish Constitution" embodies the opinions of one of the most
careful students of the period.
504
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
· Adams's “Essays in Anglo-Saxon Law” are of especial value
to a student of the legal phases of the Anglo-Saxon constitution.
The much-disputed question concerning the permanence of Ro-
man influence may be studied in Pearson, vol. i., pp. 83–103; in the
Quarterly Review, vol. cxli., pp. 295–301; in Dr. Edwin Guest's
“Early English Settlements in South Britain;" and in Mr. Coate's
“The Romans in Britain.” All these authorities hold to the
greater or less permanence of Roman institutions. On the other
side of the question are ranged Lappenberg, Stubbs, Freeman, and
Wright. On the same subject Algernon Herbert's “Britannia
· after the Romans,” in 2 vols., 1836-41, will throw some light,
· though its authority is not very great. On the influence of the
Danish Conquest, Worsaae, in his “ Account of the Danes and Nor-
wegians in England,” is the best authority, though it seems prob-
able that he pushes his theories and conclusions somewhat too far.
Of the historical literature on this period an admirable account
is given in Lappenberg's “Introduction.” Anglo-Saxon authors
are best described and characterized by Wright in his “Bio-
graphia Britannica Literaria.” The most valuable and accessible
original authorities are Thorpe's “Anglo-Saxon Laws,” the same
author's “Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," and the writings of Gildas,
Bede, Asser, Ethelward, Florence of Worcester, William of
Malmesbury, Geoffrey of Monmouth, and Ingulph of Croyland.
Translations of these important original authorities have been
published by Bohn, and will be found not only valuable, but also
curiously interesting. Hardy's “Catalogue” furnishes a critical ac-
count of all the original authorities on the period. Gardiner and
Mullinger's "Introduction to the Study of English History " also
contains excellent descriptions and characterizations.
II. THE HISTORY AND THE INFLUENCE OF THE NORMAN CON-
QUEST.—The writings of Thierry and Palgrave on the history of
the Conquest have been practically superseded by the great work
of Freeman. The political results of the Conquest are nowhere
else so ably and exhaustively treated as in Freeman, vol. v., chap.
xxiv. The peculiarity of this masterly work is in its showing how
the Conquest made, rather than unmade, the English people. The
same author, in his lectures on the “Growth of the Constitution,”
has treated the subject from the same point of view, but in a
more popular manner.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
505
Stubbs, in vol. i., chapters ix.-xiii., also discusses the subject in
a manner worthy of the most careful attention. In chapter xiii. is
to be found the best brief account of the origin of juries. For
a fuller account, Forsyth’s “ History of Trial by Jury” should be
consulted.
Guizot's lectures iii.-v. of part ii. explain in an admirable man-
ner the peculiar differences between the fortunes of liberty in
England and in the countries of the Continent. Notice especially
the author's position, in lectures ir. and v., on the influence of
the inordinate power of royalty in moulding baronial opinions
and producing a gradual resistance on the part of the feudal aris-
tocracy.
· Hallam's treatment of this question, vol. ii., chapter viii., part
ii., also note x., is worthy of notice for the account it gives of the
Anglo-Norman courts and of the origin of the common law.
Creasy's account, in chapters vii. and viii. of the Feudal System, is
worthy of note, though it is not an exhaustive presentation. Ste-
phens's edition of De Lolme, chapter ii., section i., explains in a very
satisfactory manner the terins “sac" and "soc," and others used
under the feudal régime. The various tenures of land are also
clearly described. In the “Pictorial History of England," vol. i.,
p. 562, is to be found a good description of the changes from a
system of local to a system of general jurisdiction.
Turner, in chapter xiv. of vol. iv., has an interesting account of
the rise of chivalry in England; and Mills's “History of Chiv-
alry,” vol. i., chapter viii., gives a sketch of chivalry from the Nor-
man Conquest to the death of Edward II. Wright's “ Domestic
Manners," chapters v. and vi., contains interesting accounts and
illustrations.
Pearson, in chapter xxiii., gives an excellent general view of
the results of the Conquest, and in chapter xxxiii. perhaps the
best brief account we have of the Anglo-Norman law-courts.
Longman's “ Lectures on the Early History of England,” lecture
ii., gives a popular statement of the feudal system and of the
courts of law under the Normans. The list of authorities on p.
151 may be found useful. Green's “ History," vol. i., book ii.,
chapter i., contains a characteristically neat statement of the con-
dition of affairs in the latter part of the eleventh century. Note
this author's estimate of the real benefit derived from the Con-
506
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
quest; also the way in which he differs from the view of Scott
in "Ivanhoe” as to the time when the two races became assimi-
lated into one people.
Johnson's "Normans in Europe" gives a bird's-eye view, in a
manner that affords both information and pleasure. Lingard's
account of this period is spirited, though the author's tendency
to take the side of the conquered party gives one a more favorable
impression of bis humanity than of his judgment. Hume's ac-
count is slipshod and unimportant. Kingsley's “Hereward" and
Scott's “ Ivanhoe” are spirited and famous novels, illustrative of
the period of the Conquest.
The first chapter of the sixth of Guizot's “ Essais sur l'Histoire
de France" gives a view of the strong contrast between English
and French constitutional history at the period of the Conquest.
Ecclesiastical questions and their relations to politics may be
studied to advantage in the essay on Thomas à Becket in the
second series of Freeman's “ Historical Essays,” in Dean Church's
“Life of Anselm,” in Perry's "Life of St. Hugh of Lincoln,” and
in Crozat's “ Lanfranc: sa Vie, son Enseignement, sa Politique.”
For the best account of modern works on the period see Lap-
penberg, vol. i., literary introduction, pp. lxii.-Ixviii. The best
descriptions of the original authorities are given in Wright's
“Biographia Literaria” (Anglo-Norman Period), in Hardy's
“Catalogue,” and in Lappenberg, pp. lv.-lxii. Valuable bibli-
ographical statements are also given in the “Student's Hume,”
and especially in Green's “Short History."
The most important of the original authorities are the “Saxon
Chronicle," Roger of Hoveden, Ingulph, Henry of Huntingdon,
Florence of Worcester, William of Malmesbury, Odericus Vitalis,
Roger of Wendover, William of Poitiers, and William of Ju-
miéges. Of these, the last four are of special value. Stubbs's
“Documents Illustrative," etc., with the comments of the editor,
is invaluable, and should constantly be within the student's
reach.
III. THE GREAT CHARTER, AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE GROWTH
OF LIBERTY.—The immediate causes of the charter are described
with most judicious discrimination by Stubbs in his “ Constitu-
tional History," vol. i., pp. 513–544. The account includes a de-
scription of John's quarrel with the Church, of his general misgov-
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
507
ernment, of his ill-treatment of the barons personally, as well as of
the more remarkable causes of Magna Carta itself. Stubbs's
“Select Charters," pp. 260–298, affords the means of comparing
the Great Charter with others.
Thompson's “Essay on Magna Charta” contains not only an
English translation of the great document itself, but copies of the
confirmation charters, together with very full illustrative notes.
A careful study of pp. 159–328 will be found at once more te-
dious and more profitable than the study of any other authority.
Blackstone's monograph on the charters is worthy of more
respect for historical merit than is the same author's inore cele-
brated commentaries. Creasy's “Constitution," chapters xi.-xiii.,
gives the text of John's charter in English; also the charter as
confirmed in the ninth year of Henry III., and a valuable dis-
cussion of the principles embodied in the charter as a whole.
Brougham, in chapter xii., has called attention to the important
evidence of union between the barons and the people.
Stephens's “De Lolme," vol. i., pp. 50–65, has some suggestive
remarks on certain fine-spun theories concerning the influence of
the Great Charter on legislative assemblies and borough institu-
tions. The same author, however, shows the real advantages of
the charter to the clergy, the barons, and the people. Hallam, in
his “Middle Ages," vol. ii., p. 308 et seq., maintains that the
charter really “infused a new soul into the people of England,"
and points out the advantages accruing to the cause of liberty
from the reign of Henry III. Guizot, part ii., lecture vii., gives a
characteristic analysis of the most important clauses, and in lect-
ures viii. and ix. discusses the charters of Henry III. and Edward
I. This sequel to the history of the Great Charter conveys much
valuable information in regard to the Great Charter itself.
Lingard's account of John's reign is one of the most skilfully
drawn we have. Few will be able to read it without an increased
hatred for the meanness and the mad folly of the king. The
author's Catholicism clearly shows itself in his effort to exculpate
the monarch’s whining submission to the Pope. Hume's account,
though written with this author's unfailing literary skill, is much
inferior.
The struggle for the charters after the death of John is well
portrayed in Stubbs, vol. ii., pp. 1–72. A more vivid account
506
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
of the alternate violation and confirmation of the charter will be
found in Guizot, part ii., lectures viii. and ix. Stubbs's "Early
Plantagenets” is one of the most admirable of the “Epochs of
History” Series, and at page 151 it gives a short and clear state-
ment of the baronial quarrel and its results. Accounts of the
Great Charter are also given by Green, vol. iv., p. 240; by Turner,
vol. iv., p. 420; by Knight, chapter xxiii., and by the “ Pictorial
History," vol. i., pp. 515 and 671.
· Of the contemporaneous writers, Matthew Paris is much the
most important. The great work known commonly as “Historia
Major" is universally associated with his name, though it seems
probable that only a portion of it is the production of his pen.
It is the opinion of Mr. Luard, the editor of the best edition, that
the narrative up to the year 1119 was the production of John de
Cella; that it was continued by Roger of Wendover to 1235, and
that from 1235 to 1259 it was exclusively the work of Matthew
Paris. The whole of the history was transcribed by Paris, and
in many places corrected and amplified. Its importance is largely
in the fact that it is not merely a chronicle, like the works that
had preceded it, but that it is the first of English works to rise
to something of the dignity of history. The author shows him-
self an opponent of political and ecclesiastical tyranny, and a
warm advocate of civil rights and liberties.
. Of the other contemporaneous writers, full accounts may be
found in Hardy's “ Catalogne,” in Wright's “Biographia Lite-
raria," in Luard's "Annales Monastici," and in Gardiner and
Mullinger's “Introduction.” Luard's work, published in the “Rolls
Series,” will be found of value, not only for the chronicles them-
selves, but for the admirable prefaces of the editor.
Wright's “Political Songs of England, from the Reign of John
to that of Edward II.,” and Shirley's “Royal and Historical Let-
ters Illustrative of the Reign of Henry III.,” reveal the senti-
ments and opinions of different classes on the political questions
of the day.
IV. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. —
Stubbs's authority on this subject is undoubtedly the best. Chap-
ter v. of vol. i. contains much valuable information concerning
the township assemblies under the Saxons—the burh-gemots, the
hundred-moots, the shires, and the shire-inoots. Note .cspecially
IIISTORIES OF ENGLAND.:
509
the machinery of the courts, the nomination and powers of the
gerefa, of the ealdormen, and of the four best men. The ques-
tion of double government in the shire-moot is one of interest, as
is also that of legislative action in the same court. The Witena-
gemot, chapter vi., pp. 118–140, must be thoroughly understood
before, any very profitable examination of subsequent assemblies
can be made. Chapter ix., § 123, on the Magnum Concilium of
the Norman kings, is properly a continuation of chapter vi.
What is said on the" Assizes” of Clarendon should be read; also
the description in chapter xii. of the amalgamation of races, of.
tongues, and of institutions. On the characteristics of local rep-
resentation before the time of the Great Charter, useful informa-
tion may be obtained from the references already made to Pal-
grave, Kemble, Freeman, Creasy; Guizot, and others. Chapters
xiv, and xv., vol. ii.,. of Stubbs, describe the parliaments in the
last half of the thirteenth century, and show, in a masterly man-
ner, the characteristics of each.
Guizot has several very attractive lectures on this period. Es-
pecially to be noted are lectures xii. and xiii. of part ii. The ad-
mission of shire, borough, and city members in the parliaments
of 1254, 1273, and 1283 should not be overlooked. Stubbs's
“Select Charters” is an invaluable authority on the early parlia-
ments. Pauli, in his " Pictures of Old England,” has reviewed
the parliaments of the fourteenth century. The same author's
“Simon de Montfort” throws much light on the motives of the
duke in summoning the commoners in 1264. Prothero's “Simon
de Montfort” is less a biography and more a history of constitu-
tional changes than the book of Pauli. The chapters on the
revolution of 1258 and on the government of the duke are per-
haps most worthy of note.
Homersharn Cox's “Antient Parliamentary Elections” is a
very scholarly work, the preliminary chapters of which are well
adapted to the proper examination of the first part of this ques-
tion; and chapters iii. and iv. will be found to present some novel
ideas on the construction of county courts before and after the
Conquest. Note that the author insists on the democratic char-
acter of the courts, and that he brings evidence to show the pres-
ence of villeins even in the assemblies of the Saxons. Chapters
V., viii., and ix. will be found especially suggestive and valuable.
510
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Chapters ix. and x. of Stubbs's “Plantagenets” contain a con-
cise account of the parliaments of Edward I. Freeman, in “His-
torical Essays,” series i., essay ii., in discussing the continuity of
English history, presents a contrast of the several peculiarities of
English, French, and German legislative institutions. The “Notes"
appended to part iii. of. chapter viii. of Hallam's “Middle Ages,"
especially notes iii.-X., are of considerable value, inasmuch as they
correct certain errors of the text into which the author had fallen
in the earlier editions. The one-volume editions do not gener-
ally contain these invaluable notes.
Hume's treatment of De Montfort is marked by the most spite-
ful and unwarranted bias. Green, vol. i., book iii., contains a clear
treatment of the parliamentary reforms of Edward I. Milman's
“Latin Christianity,” book ix., chapters ix. and x., gives an excel-
lent account of the Church at this period. The same subject
inay be studied in detail in the lives of Stephen de Langton, Bon-
iface of Savoy, Edmund Rich, and Robert Winchelsey, in Dean
Hook's “Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury.” The general
effects of the policy of Pope Boniface VIII. on the condition of
England and the other countries of Europe are considered in
Milman's " Latin Christianity,” book xi., chapters vii., viii., and ix.
Of original authorities, Hardy's “ Catalogue” gives the most
complete inforination down to the year 1327. Gardiner and Mul-
linger's “Introduction" also gives a clew to the inost important
sources.
V. THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE INSTITUTIONS.-
The history of the House of Commons is the distinctive feature
of the history of England during the fourteenth century. On
this, as on previous topics, the best single authority is that of
Stubbs. Chapter xviii. gives to the knights of the shire due
praise as the true upholders of national right, and explains the
reciprocal action of the principles of constitutional freedom and
the counter-principles of royal prerogative. Note also the checks
on royal abuses, through the impeachment of 1376, as well as
through the tightening of the vulgar clutch on the purse-strings.
The history of petitions, the evasions of royal promises, the grow-
ing freedom of discussion, and the influence of legislation on the
nobility and clergy are all treated with the author's characteristic
good judgment.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
511
The subject is also well treated by Green, in vol. i., book iv., of
his larger“History." The importance of the union of knights
and burgesses is pointed out, and the effect of the wars of Edward
III. on the powers of Parliament is set forth. The observing
rcader will noté the growing weakness of the baronage and cler-
gy, and the growing strength of the Commons, as well as the re-
sult of a limitation of the suffrage.
Cox's “Antient Parliamentary Elections” throws much light
on this question. It clears up completely the disputed question
as to the early nature of county suffrage. Qirotations and ex-
tremely useful inferences from petitions, writs, statutes, etc., are
given concerning the parliaments between 1327 and 1485. Note
the two important questions on p. 148..
Longman's “Life and Times of Edward III.” vol. i., chapter xix.,
treats skilfully of domestic legislation. The exclusion of lawyers
from Parliament is pointed out. · Of especial importance are chap-
ters V., X., and xiii. The paper in the first series of Freeman's
“Historical Essays” on the French wars of Edward III. and
Henry V. is the best general review and criticism of England's
Continental policy.
In Guizot, part ii., lectures xiv., xv., and xvi., is an examination
of the electoral system of the fourteenth century. Beginning with
the separation of the houses of Parliament, the author reviews
the whole life of representation until the accession of Henry VII.
This is the most interesting and philosophical treatment of the
subject accessible to the student; but it should be read in connec-
tion with one of the more recent authorities, for the correction of
certain errors of detail.
Hallam's account in part iii. of chapter viii. will be found useful,
if read in connection with Notes iii., viii., ix., xi. In Freeman's
“Historical Essays,” series i., essay r., the author calls attention to
the accidental growth of parliamentary power, as aided by the use-
less victories and territorial losses of Edward III. Brougham, in
chapter xiii. of his “British Constitution,” has some suggestive
pages on the careless preparation of acts of Parliament, the even
tenor of constitutional government, and the irregularity of baronial
and plebeian influence upon the acts of the crown. Creasy's ac-
count is concise, but clear. The development of the Commons
is also trcated, but not in a very satisfactory manner, by Lingard,
512
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Knight, and Hume. Ranke's account, in vol. i., pp. 74–96, is of
more real value, as it indicates the influence on domestic institu-
tions of foreign complications. Brougham's “History of England
under the House of Lancaster" is a useful sketch, though it is
not without the faults of the author's other historical writings.
Much more valuable are the works of Gairdner on "Richard III.”
and on the “Houses of York and Lancaster.” Wallon's “Richard
II." is the best authority on the life of that monarch. .
“Wyclif's Select English Works,” edited by T. Arnold, 3
vols., 1871, and “The English Works of Wyclif, hitherto un-
printed," edited by F. D. Matthew, and published in 1880, are not
only admirable specimens of early English, but are also of consid-
erable historical value. Wright's “Political Poems and Songs,
from Edward III. to Henry VIII.” will both interest and instruct.
The most important of the original authorities are in the pub-
lications of the Master of the Rolls. Fabyan's “New Chronicles,”
however, are worthy of mention as the massive and dull writings
of a contemporaneous London alderman. His musty pages give
much information in regard to the city, and a little in regard to
the country as a whole. His partialities for the Lancastrian House
were very strong. Sir Thomas More's “History of Richard III.,"
though not precisely an original authority, set a seal upon the
name of that monarch which no subsequent investigation has
been able to break. Fenn's “Paston Letters” are among the
most interesting relics of this age. These letters passed between
members of a family of some note, and treat of all subjects. The
prefaces in Gairdner's edition are especially interesting and val-
uable. Sir John Fortescue's “De Laudibus Legum Angliae” is
of great importance as showing the manner in which the king's
chancellor regarded the limitations of the king's power. Chap-
ters xvii.-xix. are of especial value. The popular feeling of Eng-
land during this period is best shown, perhaps, in Wright's “ Po-
litical Songs, from Edward III. to Richard III.” The other au-
thorities are named in “Student's Hume," p. 240, and in Green;
vol. i., p. 375, and in Gardiner and Mullinger’s “ Introduction,"
part ii., chapters v. and vi.
VI. THE RELATIONS OF MONARCHI AND PEOPLE DURING THE
REIGN OF THE TUDORS.—The great authority of Stubbs now
fails us, but we are not without some compensation in the supe-
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
513
riority of Hallam’s “Constitutional History" over his "Middle
Ages." The judicious student will always retain some measure
of fondness for this author, on account of his unswerving impar-
tiality. The various questions involved in this subject are com-
prehensively treated in the first five chapters of vol. i. And
no part of this treatment can safely be omitted. The subtle dis-
tinctions and contrary influences embodied in the statute of fines,
the exaction of benevolences, the statutes of treason, the creation
of boroughs, the force of royal proclamations, are all worthy of
the most thoughtful attention.
Hume, in appendix iii. of vol. v., labors to show that England
was in a state of serfdom under the reign of Elizabeth, giving as
the basis of his authority some instances of ancient royal prerog-
atives exercised by the queen. Having read this account, with a
fitting reserve of confidence in Hume, the student should turn to
Brodie's "Constitutional History," vol. i., chapter ii., and witness
the flagellation of the more famous historian at the hands of his
brother Scot.
Brougham, in chapter xiv., sets forth with great power the sub-
serviency of Parliament to the first of the Tudors; also the some-
what progressive attitude of liberty under Elizabeth. Russell, in
his "English Government and Constitution,” points out with
great clearness and force, in chapter i., the elements of freedom
under the Tudors, and in chapter v, the elements of Elizabeth's
success.
Froude shows the temper of Parliament in its relation to the
power of the crown, in vol. i., p. 209; vol. iv., p. 150. The anxi-
ety of the crown in regard to general elections, and the signifi-
cance of that anxiety, may be gathered from vol. iii., p. 374. The
monarch's fear of Parliament is well shown in vols. x. and xi.
Forster, in his “Biographical and Historical Essays,” vol. i., pp.
212–227, has given a very able analysis of the character of par-
liamentary action under the Tudors. The most potent cause of
the peculiar despotism that prevailed-namely, the faintness of
leaders—is pointed out with proper emphasis.
Freeman, in his “English Constitution,” pp. 98-105, draws an
interesting comparison between William I. and Henry VIII. The
second volume of Green treats chiefly of the Tudor government.
The influence of Thomas Cromwell in the development of Parlia-
33
514
IIISTORICAL LITERATURE.
ment is shown at p. 197; and the movement towards liberty in
the reign of Elizabeth at p. 354.
. On the condition of political, religious, and social affairs during
the period of the Reformation, Blunt's “Reformation in Eng-
land,” Dixon's “History of the Church of England," and Ha-
weis's “Sketches of the Reformation” are of much value.
In volume ii. of the “ Pictorial History” is to be found an
eminently legal discussion of the constitution and laws under the
Tudors. The argument is founded on the statutes of the period. .
Stephens's De Lolme, vol. i., p. 151 et seq., shows the degrada-
tion and servility of parliaments during the wliole of this period.
The significance of Mary's interference with elections is pointed
out. The concluding words of Guizot’s “Representative Govern-
ment” are of importance. Lingard takes the same general posi-
tions as Hume. In the first chapter of Macaulay's “History” some
twenty pages are devoted to a description of the canny tempera-
ment of the Tudors, their confidence in discretion, and their will-
ingness to yield when surrender was necessary. The same au-
thor's essay on Nares's “Life of Burleigh" is a very interesting
discussion of certain phases of the question.
Lists of the original authorities, with brief characterizations,
may be found in “Student's Hume," pp. 240 and 367; Green,
vol. ii., p. 195; and Bright, vol. ii., p. iii. From this period the
authorities become so numerous that it is not easy to indicate the
most important without extending the list beyond proper limits.
They may readily be found in the authors named, or, better still,
in Gardiner and Mullinger's "Introduction to the Study of Eng-
lish History.”
VII. THE GOVERNMENT FROM THE ACCESSION OF JAMES I.
TO THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR.--Forster's “Biography of Sir
John Eliot" is perhaps the most useful book on the carly years
of this period. The work is so arranged as to afford easy access
to what the reader wants. The celebrated speeches of the patriot
will be read with great interest and advantage.
On the personal characteristics of James, and his relations with
his ministers, Dalrymple's “Memorials” is of importance. In
Harris's “ Lives of the Stuarts,” curious information on the same
subject may also be found.
Another work of supreme importance on this period is Mack.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
515
intosh, Courtenay, and Forster's “British Statesmen." In vol. ii.
is a valuable life of Wentworth, and a good account of that min-
ister's policy of “Thorough” in Ireland. The sketches in the
same volume of Pym and Hampden are also important. Note
especially Pym's speeches.
In Forster's “ Historical and Biographical Essays," vol. i., pp.
228-239, is a strong portrait of the weak character of James I..
Bisset's “Struggle for Parliamentary Government” is one of
the latest and best authorities. The first chapter shows the real
nature of the attempt to reduce the people to slavery. The four
chapters which immediately follow cover the period of the first
four parliaments of Charles I., and explain the inconstitutionality
of the government of Laud and Strafford.
Gardiner's great work on this period is the latest and most
trustworthy of all general authorities, and on every phase of the
great struggle should, if possible, be consulted. The two volumes
on “Prince Charles and the Spanish Marriage” are not so impor-
tant as those which follow; but in vol. i., pp. 176–209, the condi-
tion of James's finances is well explained. Other passages of im-
portance will be found by consulting the table of contents. Es-
pecially worthy of note is the account of the Parliament of 1621,
given on the first pages of the second volume. In the first chap-
ters of this author's “England under the Duke of Buckingham
and Charles” is a judicious account of the connection between
parliamentary difficulties in the last years of James and the early
difficulties of Charles. The description of the several parliaments
given in these volumes is of great importance. The volumes on
the “Personal Government of Charles” bear particularly on the
later years embraced in this question. It is not easy to designate
the most important chapters. In vol. ii., chapter x., Wentworth's
Irish policy is described. Note that this author differs from
Forster in regard to some of the facts of this administration.
Ranke's “History” is of great value on this subject; not so
mnch for the new facts he brings to light as for the fairness
of his judgment, the scholarly nature of his deductions, and the
unrivalled general knowledge of this century which he brings
to bear on all English questions. As a good illustration of the
author's methods, see book vi., chapters ii., iv., and v., on the criti-
cal relations of Scotland and France.
516
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
In the first volume of Masson's "Life of Milton” is a good
account of the Short Parliament and of the events just before the
Long Parliament.
Guizot's “ History of the English Revolution” will not fail to
be found agreeable. The account which he gives at the opening of
the work of the two opposing revolutions is very suggestire and
of great importance. The sketches of events in the parliaments
of Charles are also very excellent in their way.
Disraeli, in his “Commentaries on the Life and Reign of
Charles I.," is the most valorous champion history has ever fur-
nished the unlucky king. The beauty of his style and the fervor
of his passion are such that the reader's judgment is in some dan-
ger of being carried by storm. The chapters most worthy of
note are chapters xxxii. in vol. i., on the queen's influence over
the king's conduct, and chapters ix. and x. of vol. ii., on the influ-
ence of Richelieu over Charles I. For the rest, the book is a
warm vindication of the royal claims to sympathy.
Of the essays on this period, those of Bayne, in his “ Chief
Actors of the Puritan Revolution,” are among the most worthy
of note. Chapter ii. is a very bright account of James I. The
pictures of the Anglo-Catholic reaction, of Henrietta Maria, and
of Charles are full of the keenest thought and most genial
humor.
Macaulay's essays on Hallam and Hampden are of the utmost
interest. Professor Goldwin Smith's essay on Pym, in his “Three
English Statesmen,” is excellent. In J. B. Mozley's “Essays”
(2 vols., 1878) are to be found very important papers on Straf-
ford, Land, and Cromwell, written from the royalist point of view.
Bisset's “Essays on Historical Truth" contains several papers of
value from a firm advocate of the Revolutionary party.
On the later years embraced in the question, Carlyle's “ Crom-
well,” Forster's “Arrest of the Five Members" and "Grand Re-
monstrance,” the latter in vol. i. of “Historical and Biographical
Essays,” are of the greatest importance.
In vol. i. of “Milton's Prose Works,” Bohn's edition, are to be
found three powerful replies to the defenders of the king. His
reply to Salmasius is bitter and coarse, and his “Eikonoclastes”
is a singular combination of Puritanic disdain and sarcasm, aimed
at the unreasoning worshippers of "Eikon Basilikē," because it
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
517
finess which havent of this poureat poet's politihan that afford
was supposed to be a king's Look. There is no more suggestive
commentary on the spirit that generally prevailed than that afford-
ed by the brutal ferocity of this great poet's political writings.
Hallam’s treatment of this period is marked by the judicious
fairness which he always observes, though he wrote before the
fruitful investigations of the last twenty-five years had been made.
Of the accounts in the general histories, that of Green is the
best; that of Knight is next in importance. Lingard's fondness
for royal methods and hatred of fanaticism incline him to the
side of despotism, though evidently, in his opinion, James and
Charles were despots of a bad kind. Hume, as an authority on
this period, is worthless. Clarendon is the great original source
of information for the later years included in the question; but
if he is made use of, he should be read in connection with Bayne's
essay, or, better still, the inasterly analysis of his qualities in vol.
vi. of Ranke's “ History."
The debates in Parlianient during this period are of the first
importance; but they have nowhere been collected in a single
work. Some of the speeches may be found in volume i. of the
“Parliamentary History;" others in the collections by Rushworth,
Whitelock, and May. Several volumes of original notes on the
debates between 1610 and 1629 have been collected and edited
by S. R. Gardiner, and published by the Camden Society. May's
“History of the Long Parliament" is a standard authority, and
contains reports of many of the speeches; but many of them are
more fully given in the “Notes” of Sir Ralph Verney, edited by
John Bruce, and published by the Camden Society.
The other authorities on the period are generally less impor-
tant, though they are very numerous, and some on. special points
are of great consequence. The student who would pursue the
subject into a more thorough examination of original sources will
find an ample account of the materials in chapter vii. of Gardiner
and Mullinger's “Introduction.”
VIII. ENGLAND UNDER THE RULE OF CROMWELL.-Carlyle's
“Cromwell” was written on the principle that every man is en-
titled to be heard before he is condemned. The work, therefore,
is made up chiefly of the Protector's letters and speeches. These
are tacked together by Carlyle in his inimitable manner, but in
such a way as to make a continuous narrative. It is scarcely too
518
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
much to say that this book revolutionized public opinion concern-
ing Oliver Cromwell. Certainly it is the most important of all
authorities on this subject, and should be studied at every point,
whether its opinions and conclusions are adopted or not.
Of especial importance are the accounts of the Irish campaign
in the first volume, and of the Protector's policy in England in
the second. See also the speechies on the second parliament and
on the kingship.
Forster, in vol. vi. of “British Statesmen,” gives another and a
very different view of Cromwell's character and statesmanship. At
p. 148 this same author gives bis views on the origin of Cromwell's
greatness ; at p. 190, on his statesmanship; and at p. 236, on his
opinions concerning the establishment of a republic. The same
author's essays on the“ Civil Wars and Oliver Cromwell,” in “His-
torical and Biographical Essays," vol. i., is another presentation of
essentially the same views. The aspects of Cromwell's character as
presented by Guizot and Carlyle are well discussed, pp. 280–287.
Guizot's "History of the Revolution,” followed by the “His-
tory of England under Cromwell," will be found generally one of
the most judicious and useful anthorities. The history is admira-
bly impartial, but at times the author's information was not com-
plete. As an example, compare his account of the Irish massa-
cre with that of Carlyle and Prendergast.
On the complications and difficulties in Ireland, the best ac-
counts are to be found in Graham's “ Annals,” covering the period
from 1641 to 1653; in Cox's "Hibernia Anglicana;" and in War-
ner's "History of the Rebellion of 1641.". The Roman Catholic
view may be obtained from Lingard, and from the “ History of
Ireland" by MacGeoghegan. The American edition of O'Hallo-
ran's “History” also contains a continuation that embraces this
period. Temple, Borlace, and Clarendon are entirely untrust-
worthy. On the Cromwellian settlement, Prendergast is the latest
and best authority.
Ranke's opinions are entitled to great weight. In vol. iii. are
to be found the author's views of the dissolution of the Long
Parliament and the formation of the Rump. Note that, in vol.
V., p. 517, Ranke gives another version of the April speech of 1657
which so staggered Carlyle. Ranke understands the speech as a
positive refusal of the kingship.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.: .
519
Brodie, in vol. iii. of his “ History," gives an elaborate account
of the early commonwealth and of the Irish difficulties. The
work, however, was written too early to contain the results of re-
cent researches. On the earlier periods his authority is more im-
portant. In chapters iii. and iv. of vol. ii., the fearful state of Eng-
land and Ireland is well set forth. The first four chapters of vol.
iii. contain one of the most satisfactory accounts of the Solemn
League and Covenant (p. 80); of the Self-denying Ordinance (p.
151); of Naseby and the capture of the king's letters (p. 181);
and of the king's last days (chapter iv.).
Bisset's." Commonwealth” is one of the latest and most care-
fully written books on the subject. By consulting the contents,
the grounds of the author's unfavorable estimate of Cromwell
may be casily ascertained. The same author's “Struggle for
Parliamentary Government” is an able presentation of the justice
of parliamentary dealings, and is one of the inost valuable books
on this whole subject.
Bayne's “ Chief Actors” shows admirably the casuistry, the
double-dealing, and the folly of the king in his relations with the
Long Parliament and the Grand Remonstrance.
As on the previous period, the great champion of the royal
party is Isaac Disraeli. On p. 205 of vol. i. is a valuable exam-
ination of various statements concerning the Army Plot. The
author uses with great force the Scotch letter to Louis XIII., vol.
i., p. 254. Chapter xxv., “Who Began the Wars," and chapter
xxxvi., on the letter intercepted by Cromwell and Ireton, are am-
ply worth examination.
Hallam's treatment of the subject is vitiated by the erroneous
notion with which the author was haunted, that constitutional
forms and methods must be observed even after the outbreak of
the Civil War; whereas the Civil War was a confession that con-
stitutional forms were inadequate.
Smith's “ Three English Statesmen” gives an admiring ac-
count of Cromwell. Godwin's “ Commonwealth” is a very elabo-
rate and intemperate defence of Cromwell's methods and policy.
The closing chapter of vol. iv. gives an analysis of the period and
of the career of the Protector.
Prendergast's “ Cromwellian Settlement in Ireland” is a useful
book on a dismal subject. The whole of the work may be read
520
. HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
with profit. The latest contribution to the literature of this sub-
ject is“A Contemporary History of Affairs in Ireland from 1641 to
1652;" edited by J. T. Gilbert, and published by the Irish Archæo-
logical and Celtic Society, 1879–80. The new evidence tends to
convict Charles I. of complicity with the Irish Catholics, in order to
secure their assistance against his own Parliament. Bisset's“Com-
monwealth " should be consulted on the same subject. Froude's
“Ireland in the Eighteenth Century” deals with this period in
his first four chapters with the author's characteristic brilliancy.
Lingard adopts certain erroneous reports concerning the massa-
cres, which are corrected by Carlyle and Prendergast. Macaulay's
“Speeches,” vol. ii., p. 176, gives the author's views on the state
of Ireland. On the same subject see also the same author's es-
say on “ Sir William Temple.”
Of the general histories, Green and Knight will be found most
serviceable. In Knight, vol. v., chapter xiv., the general fruits of
the Civil War are pointed out. Neal's “ History of the Puritans,"
vol. ii., part iv., chapters i.-iii., and May's “Democracy in Eu-
rope," vol. ii., pp. 438–451, and the last three volumes of Masson's
“Life and Times of Milton,” may be consulted with profit.
IX. THE REVOLUTION OF 1688.-A proper consideration of
this event must include a survey of the reaction under Charles II.
and James II.
Guizot's “Life of Monk” gives the most interesting and most
valuable account of the conditions which led to the Restoration.
The anarchy of the protectorate of Richard Cromwell is well por-
trayed in vol. v., þook iii., of Masson's “ Life and Times of Mil-
ton."
Consult also Ranke, vol. iii., book xiv., chapter i.; also the in-
troduction to book xiii. These passages are valuable not only as
a description of the antagonistic elements which convulsed the
nation at Cromwell's death, but also as indicating the grounds of
Lambert's failure, of Monk's success, and of the king's recall.
The tone of public opinion at the time of the Restoration is
best described in Vaughan's “Stuart Dynasty,” vol. ii., pp. 266–
296, and in the “Diaries” of Evelyn and Pepys. The political
and social condition of affairs under Charles II. may be gathered
from chapter ii. of Macaulay's “History," and from his essay
on "The Comic Dramatists of the Restoration.”
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
521
This same eloquent writer is the great authority on the reign
of James II. and the Revolution. His famous third chapter may
well be read for a knowledge of the condition of the country. In
vol. ii., chapter x., may be found a description of the necessity of
the Revolution. The remarkable nature of the movement is made
clear, and the quiet but mighty change in public sentiment is de-
lineated with masterly skill. The Bill of Rights, the Corporation
Bill, the origin of the land-tax, the prevalence of parliamentary
corruption, projects of parliamentary reform, the bill on high-
treason, the Mutiny Act, and the origin of the public debt, all re-
ceive the studied attention of his magic pen.
But the most important of all the great changes resulting from
the Revolution was the introduction of a true ministerial govern-
ment, the real nature of which is explained in vol. iv., chapter xx.
Ranke brings his judicial methods to a careful consideration of
the reforms attempted by William in vol. iv., book xix., chapter
iii. The position of parties (vol. v., book xx., chapter v.) and
the financial condition of the country (book xx., chapter vi.) are
discussed in a manner worthy of note. In the study of Macau-
lay the student will find some advantage in consulting W. E. For-
ster's “William Penn and Thomas B. Macaulay;" and the “New
Examen into Passages of Lord Macaulay's History," a later and
more extended criticism by John Paget.
In the first pages of Stanhope's "Reign of Queen Anne” is a
brief but well-drawn sketch of the relation of William to his par-
liaments during the last years of his reign. Stanhope was a Tory
in sympathy, and his account, therefore, was less favorable to
William.
Mackintosh's fragment on the Revolution gives a good account
of the causes of the uprising; and in the rather bad continuation
of it there is a good review of parties in 1688. Macaulay's essay
on “Mackintosh's History" names concisely the benefits spring-
ing from the Revolution, and explains the secret of the seventy
years of Whiggism that ensued.
Cooke's “History of Party" contains a very valuable account
of the Whigs and Tories during the Revolutionary period. Chap-
ter ii. and chapters xvi.-xix. delineate the party views in the Con-
vention Parliament, and the history of changes in the methods of
administration.
522
כומין
HISTORICAL AIS
ITT
.
LITERATUREDisraeli’s “ Vindication of the English Constitution” was writ-
ten two years before the author entered Parliament, and aims to
show that the tendency of Whiggism, from William III. to George
III., was towards oligarchical government. Consult pp. 168–188
for the gist of the work. The author stoutly maintains that the
Whigs were “odious to the people;" that the Tories were re-
formed, under the happy influence of Bolingbroke, so as to be
the real defenders of the popular interests.
Bolingbroke's works, though they relate chiefly to the period
which follows, may be consulted with profit. The most impor-
tant are the letters on “Parties” and the political “Tracts."
In Canning's “Speeches," vol. iv., pp. 363-373, is to be found
a curious and interesting passage on the monarch's right to inter-
fere with elections. The notes especially are exceedingly curious.
Burke's famous " Appeal from the New Whigs to the Old”
(“Works,” vol. iv., pp. 120–151) contains a very valuable series
of extracts from the Whigs of 1688, and throws much light on
the doctrincs held.
May's “ Constitutional History," vol. ii., chapters vii.-ix., gives
a clear account of the rise of parliamentary control over the reve-
nue; of the development and influence of parties; of the growth
of the freedom of the press after the Revolution; and of the con-
nection between religion and politics during the struggle for re-
ligious liberty. Hallam, in chapter xvi., describes the features of
Whig and Tory principles. Creasy, pp. 280-309, has given a
good outline of the constitutional fruits of the Revolution. Green's
account in vol. iv. is very able, though it seems to have been more
hastily prepared than the earlier portions of his work. That of
Knight, in yols. iv. and v., though less valuable, will, if read with
judicious omissions, give some insight into the character of the
struggle.
: Of the contemporaneous writings the most worthy of note are,
Burnet's “History of His Own Time;" the “Memoirs" by Sir
William Temple; the “ Diaries” of Evelyn, Pepys, Luttrell, and
Burton; the “ Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland” by Sir
John Dalrymple; and the “Autobiography” of Richard Baxter.
Descriptions of other works of greater or less importance may
be found in chapter viii. of Gardiner and Mullinger's “Introduc-
tion."
.
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
523
X. THE STRUGGLES OF PARTY GOVERNMENT IN THE EIGH-
TEENTH CENTURY.—The great apostle of Toryism is Bolingbroke,
and his works are the arsenal from which all the later Tories have
drawn the best of their ammunition. The letters on the “Spirit
of Patriotism," the “Idea of a Patriot King," and the “ State of
Parties on the Accession of King George I.” are the most famous
and the most important. In addition to these, the series of nine-
teen letters on “Parties," and the volume of “Tracts," all deal on
this general subject. The student will do well not to read these
works until he has made himself familiar with the most impor-
tant political events of the reigns of Aune and the first two
Georges. But after the reading of Bright or Green, or, better
still, Stanhope and Mahon, Bolingbroke may be studied with the
greatest profit. Probably the “Idea of a Patriot King” is the
ablest exposition of the principles of Toryism ever produced.
Somewhat inferior in importance, but even more interesting as
illustrative of the spirit of the times, are the works of Swift.
The " Journal to Stella,” the “ History of the Four Last Years of
Queen Anne's Reign," and the pamphlet “On the Conduct of
the Allies” are especially worthy of note. The imputations he
casts on his political enemies are of the darkest kind; his descrip-
tions of his friends are equally extravagant in their praise. The
criticisms on Clarendon and Burnet are of especial interest.
The same general views as those of Bolingbroke are advocated
in the political works of Disraeli. The most noteworthy of these
are the “ Vindication of the English Constitution" and the politi-
cal “Memoir of Lord Bentinck.” These works, however, will be
found interesting only to those who are familiar with the leading
facts of which they treat. In “Coningsby” and “Sybil” the au-
thor has developed the same ideas in the political talk of his
leading characters.
The doctrines of the Whigs, on the other hand, are best ex-
pounded by Burke, Macaulay, and Cooke. Burke's “ Appeal"
(" Works,” vol. iv., p. 120) is perhaps the most concise exposition
of the doctrines of the Whigs at different periods of their bis-
tory. Macaulay's works abound in discussions that will throw
light on the subject. These, too numerous for reference here,
may be found by consulting the index of his works.:
Cooke's “History of Party,” though written from an avowed
524
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Whig point of view, will be found of great service. That portion
of the work which treats of the period from the death of William
III. to the accession to power of the younger Pitt should be care-
fully studied.
Lord Holland's “Memoirs of the Whig Party," with some rub-
bish, contains much that is at least suggestive. In vol. ii., pp. 84-91,
he explains how business used to be done in the British cabinet.
On the old methods of cabinet-making light is also thrown by
Buckingham's “ Memoirs,” vol. i., p. 215.
Lecky's “England in the Eighteenth Century,” vol. i., chapter ii.,
gives a somewhat critical account of the Whig party, and of legis-
lation under it, before its overthrow on the accession of George
III. Lecky's pages should be carefully studied.
The most important of the histories of England during the
period of this struggle is that of Mahon. In the first pages of
his work he gives an account of the state of parties, comparing
the Whigs and Tories; and again, in vol. v., chapter xliv., he
passes the same parties under review. The positions here taken
have been examined and opposed by Macaulay in his essay on
“Stanhope's War of the Spanish Succession.”
Hallam, at the beginning of chapter xvi., has given a statement
of the essential doctrines of Whigs and Tories and of the changes
in each of the parties.
May's “Constitutional History” is of great importance in the
study of this question. In the first pages of the work is a sketch
of the influence of the sovereign since the Revolution, of minis-
terial responsibility, and of the strong government of the Whigs.
In chapter viii. is an admirable account of the growth and develop-
ment of parties, both before and after the Revolution.
The change from the old methods to the new is portrayed in a
masterly manner by Trevclyan in chapters ii.-iv. of his “Early
History of Charles James Fox.” Nowhere else are the corrup-
tions of the old methods, and the follies of the policy of George
III., so graphically and powerfully described. As a picture of the
English government just after the middle of the last century, the
first half of this work probably has no equal.
Russell's “Life of Fox,” though much less suggestive and less
skilfully written than Trevelyan's, is fuller and not without impor-
tance. Chapters xix. and xx. describe the great contest of 1784,
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
525
when many of the principles which now control the conduct of
cabinet and Parliament were established.
To one who is familiar with the principal events of that period
the "Letters of Junius” will be of much value; to all others, un-
interesting and pointless. The meaning and character of the ex-
cited contest over Wilkes are best given by Trevelyan.
Walpole’s “ Letters ” will afford unfailing entertainment to the
reader; and will leave a very singular impression on the mind
concerning the political practices of the time. Macaulay's essay
on Walpole is considered one of his most successful. The essays
on Chatham are also valuable contributions to the literature of
the period. Hunt's “ History of Religious Thought,” vol. iii.,
and Leslie Stephen's "History of English Thought in the Eigh-
teenth Century," have to do especially with religious opinions, and
the growth of that element of scepticism which came at last to
appear so prominent.
XI. THE ESTABLISHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF CABINET Gov-
ERNMENT. — Todd's “Parliamentary Government in England” is
very exhaustive in its methods of treatment; and, on the whole,
in spite of some diffuseness, will probably be found the most sat-
isfactory authority. In vol. i., chapter iii., is a sketch of the ser-
eral administrations from 1782 to 1866. Ministerial responsi-
bility is well explained, pp. 169–174; the selection of ministers,
pp. 210–233. In chapters i.-iv. is to be found a somewhat compre-
hensive consideration of the whole subject; but the student must
guard against losing himself in the discussion of the early coun-
cils in chapter i.
Hearn's “Government of England” will be found useful; chap-
ters vii.-ix. are especially to be commended. The works to which
Hearn refers, especially Peel's speeches, may well be consulted.
May's “ Constitutional History” is, in fact, a history of England
under cabinet government. The only American edition contain-
ing the author's supplementary chapter is that of 1880. The
whole of the work is so important that it is difficult to discrimi-
nate between the merits of the several chapters; but probably
chapters vii. and viii. will be found the most useful.
Taswell-Langmead's“ Constitutional History," chapters xvi. and
xvii., gives an account somewhat more condensed and more
conveniently arranged than that of May, though the work reveals
less ability.
526
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Trerelyan's “Early History of Fox,” chapters ii.-iv., gives a
wonderfully interesting account of the government under the old
Whig régime. The ensuing pages of the same work give the
best view of the transfer from the old methods to the new.
Bagehot's “English Constitution” is invaluable for its ingen-
ious suggestions and brilliant generalizations. The author makes
one or two mistakes in his introduction, touching American affairs,
with which, of course, he was less thoroughly informed; but the
work, in general, may be relied upon as most trustworthy. It is a
book of principles and discussions rather than of facts ; but it is
one of the most valuable, as it is certainly the most interesting, of
all works on the nature of the English government.
A book of a very different nature is Cox's "Institutions of the
English Government.” It is the work of an eminent barrister
rather than of a brilliant essayist. On the councils of the crown,
chapter x. of book i., p. 222, will be found one of the best ac-
counts, and one which will yield to careful study the best results.
In Freeman's " Essays,” first series, p. 383, is to be found an in-
teresting description of the essential differences between cabinet
government and presidential government. The same author, in
“Comparative Politics,” p. 183, shows the importance of distin-
guishing between kingly dignity and kingly power.
Burke, in vol. v., pp. 1-63, Las discoursed on the subject of the
essential nature of party government with great learning and
power; and, though the strength of the paper is marred by its
intense controversial spirit, it will be found suggestive and valua-
ble. See, especially at p. 57, the author's views of the princi-
ples that should govern the minority in Parliament.
Doubleday's “Political Life of Peel,” vol. ii., pp. 411-430, gives
an admirable example of the manner in which a skilful parliamen-
tary leader may control Parliament. The same characteristics are
revealed in chapters xiii. and xiv. of Guizot's "Memoirs of Peel,"
where the changing spirit of English politics under Peel's influ-
ence is forcibly brought out.
Macaulay, "Speeches," vol. i., pp. 176-186, treats with his char-
acteristic ability, of the resignation of ministers, and of the cir-
cumstances under which they are expected to retire.
Sir George C. Lewis's “Essays on the Administrations of
Great Britain from 1783 to 1830” are among the most profitable
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
527
sources of information. The author was one of the wisest as well
as one of the inost learned men of the last generation. At p.
95 is to be found a striking comparison of the old Whig and
Tory parties, and at p. 290 a neat showing of how far a cabinet
is responsible, and how far it is not.
Brougham's “Autobiography," vol. iii., pp. 49–149, gives inter-
esting details of cabinet-making from 1830 to 1833. Note espe-
cially what the author says of the methods by which it was pro-
posed to overcome the opposition of the House of Lords.
Eaton's "Civil Service in England” traces the method by
which the old corrupt practices have been replaced by the ad-
mirable service of the present day. Chapters may be selected
at will, though the whole volume would be a useful revelation to
every American student.
The colonial governments subordinate to Great Britain are
best described in Creasy's “Constitutions of the Britannic Empire."
Todd's “ Colonial Governments” is a later, though scarcely a more
useful, work.
If the student desires brief and elementary descriptive accounts
of the English government, he will be well served by Ewald's
“Crown and its Advisers,” Fonblanque's “How We Are Governed,"
Smith's “ History of English Institutions,” and Palgrave's "House
of Commons.". In the Contemporary Review, vol. xxiii., pp. 1
and 165, are to be found two very important essays by Sir James
Fitzjames Stephen on certain embarrassments that have grown
out of the present methods of carrying on parliamentary work.
The same subject has also been discussed at considerable length
in the various English reviews of 1881 apropos of legislative de-
lays in the passage of the Irish Reform Bill.
XII. REFORMS IN THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT DURING THE
PRESENT CENTURY.-On this subject May's "Constitutional His-
tory” is the most important single authority. There is scarcely
a page of the work that is irrelevant to the question, and that may
not be read with profit. The great parliamentary reform of
1832 is described in chapter vi. ; that of 1867 in the supplemen-
tary chapter added to the work by the author in 1871, and first
incorporated into the American edition in 1880. Reforms in
liberty of opinion are treated in chapters ix. and x.; liberty of
the subject in chapter xi. ; religious liberty in chapters xii.-xiv.;
528
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
local government in chapter xv. ; Ireland in chapter xyi.; colonial
governments in chapter xvii.; and general legislation in chapter
xviii.
Russell's “English Government,” at pp. 168 and 210, contains
very instructive words on the reform of 1832 by one who was
among the foremost of its promoters. The speeches of Macaulay
on the reform, in vol. i. of his “Speeches,” and especially the
great speech of Brougham, in vol. ii., are of interest and impor-
tance, as revealing the spirit of the discussion. Brougham has
also treated the subject in his “British Constitution,” p. 268.
For the best view of the old system of general corruption, see
chapters ii:-iv. of Trevelyan's “Life of Fox," already, referred to.
A brief but admirable summary of the old methods is given in
chapter. ii. of Walpole's "History of England since the Great
War.” The passage of the Reform Bill itself is described in vol.
ii., pp. 638–680.
On the excitement which prevailed in Parliament while the bill
was pending, see two very spirited and graphic letters in Trevel-
yan's “Life of Macaulay,” vol. i., pp. 186 and 212.
McCarthy's" History of Our Own Times” may be consulted with
interest on the reforms that have taken place since the accession
of Queen Victoria.
Martineau's “History of England during the Peace” is of es-
pecial importance on financial and economical subjects. Miss
Martineau was a good hater, but she hated with considerable dis-
crimination, and most Americans will probably think that she
hated wisely. Her work is so ill arranged that it should be stud-
ied with the constant use of the index and tables of contents.
The best parts of the book are those which give an account of the
Corn Laws and of their repcal, and of the financial and social con-
ditions of the country. Prentice's “History of the Repeal of the
Corn Laws" may also be consulted with profit. On all financial
questions Tooke's “History of Prices" is invaluable. Moleswortli's
history describes the reforms since 1830. Of especial value are
the accounts of the “ Corporation Reform,” vol. i., chapter vi. ; the
“Corn Law Reform,” vol. ii., chapters iii.-V.; and the “Reform
of 1867," vol. iii., chapter v.
The reform in the English civil service is best described in the
work of Eaton. Though his treatment of the subject is at times
HISTORIES OF ENGLAND.
529
S
somewhat diffuse, yet the book, and the reports to which the au-
thor refers, may be studied with great profit.
Disraeli, in his Life of Lord George Bentinck," has portray-
ed the purposes of the nondescript party known as Young Eng-
land, of which Disraeli himself was at one time a prominent
member. The novels of “Coningsby,” and “Sybil” also describe
the views and purposes of the same party. On this subject see
also the bright pages of McCarthy's “ History of Our Own
Times."
Nicholls's “History of the Poor Laws" gives the best account of
reformatory legislation on this important subject, though the mat-
ter is treated in a very striking manner by Miss Martineau in her
“ History.” On the condition of the poor before the reforms, see
some very striking passages in Lecky's “ Eighteenth Century," vol.
i., pp. 516–529; and vol. ii., pp. 24-44. On reforms in methods
of legal procedure, see Brougbam's speech on the subject in vol.
ii. of his “Speeches."
34
530
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
CHAPTER XIV.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
1. GENERAL HISTORIES.
Bancroft, George.- History of the United States, from the Dis-
covery of the American Continent to the Close of the Revolu-
tionary War. 10 vols., 8vo, Boston, 1834-74; and 6 vols.,
12mo, Boston, 1876. The duodecimo edition has a complete
index, and contains the author's careful revisions of the text;
but the notes are, for the most part, omitted. The index of the
octavo edition is published in a separate pamphlet.
The work of Bancroft is by far the most elaborate and the
most carefully prepared listory of the Colonial and Revolutionary
periods yet published. Six volumes of the octavo edition are de-
voted to the Colonial age, and four to the Revolutionary.
To the preparation of the work the autbor has brought unusual
advantages. His diligent and long - continued devotion to the
subject has awakened such respect and admiration that the libra-
ries of Europe as well as of America have placed at his disposal
whatever they have that would contribute to the success of bis
undertaking. His sources of information, therefore, have been
far more numerous and more important than those enjoyed by
any previous historian of America. To the study of these ma-
terials, and the preparation of his history, he has devoted nearly
fifty years of untiring and almost uninterrupted labor. This con-
scientious devotion to a single lofty purpose has perhaps been un-
surpassed in the history of literature.
The fruits of these advantages and labors are a production that
must always take high rank as a history. It is not simply a nar-
ration of events, but is also a philosophical discussion of the va-
rious principles and ideas that have entered into the structure of
our governinent and society.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
.531
The work has two striking peculiarities. The first is a certain
stateliness of style, that is a little out of harmony with the easy
methods of every-day life. The author's ideas are habitually
clothed in court dress, and therefore often appear to be deficient
in simplicity and energy. The other peculiarity is a more or less
obvious tendency to discursiveness. There are several chapters
that scem to have only a remote bearing on the subject in hand;
and, although they show great learning and ingenuity, they ob-
struct the general current of the narration. To many of those
using the work, these discursions will doubtless appear necessary
to the adequate presentation of the author's idea or argument, but
to others they are likely to indicate a lack of harmonious con-
struction.
To these peculiarities different readers will attach different
measures of importance; but they ought not to be regarded as
detracting from the fundamental merits of the work. The tablo
of contents, which is very complete, will enable every student to
select such portions as he needs.
The eleventh and twelfth volumes, announced as in press, are
devoted to the period of the Confederation and the formation of
the Constitution.
Bryant, William Cullen, and Gay, Sydney Howard.—-A Popular
History of the United States, from the First Discovery of the
Western Hemisphere by the Northmen to the End of the First
Century of the Union of the States. Preceded by a Sketch of
the Prehistoric Period and the Age of the Mound-builders. 4
vols., large 8vo, New York, 1879.
The four sumptuous volumes which go to make up this history
present to the reader the attractions of a great name and a
great literary reputation. The part of Mr. Bryant in the prepara-
tion of the work appears, however, to have been confined to the
devising of its plan, the selection of the writers, the furnishing of
the preface, and the correction of the proof-shcets of the first two
volumes. Mr. Bryant's death occurred before the publication of
the second volume; but all of the volumes bear upon their cover
the somewhat misleading title, “ Bryant's Popular History of the
United States."
532
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
In spite, however, of the questionable propriety of the methods
of its production, the volumes are not without numerous merits.
They present an affluence of paper and illustrations calculated to
conciliate the buyer and attract the reader. The style is good, and
the account of the prehistoric period is more satisfactory than
that to be found in any of the other general histories.
In view of the plan of the work, it is not singular that in the
course of its preparation the writers have found it convenient to
modify the original purpose of the designer. In his preface, Mr.
Bryant assures his readers that the book is to occupy an inter-
mediate place between the larger and the smaller histories, and
that to the period subsequent to the Declaration of Indepen-
dence“ a large space has been allotted.” The reader is led to
suppose that the volumes are chiefly devoted to the history of
the present century. But in the execution, nearly three fourths
of the whole work are occupied with an account of the colonial
period. The subsequent events are, consequently, very inade-
quately described.
It is due to Mr. Gay and the other writers engaged on the vol-
umes to say that their work has generally been creditably done;
but to compare the merits of the book for the purposes of a stu-
dent with those of Hildreth and Bancroft would be doing great
injustice to the patient investigations of those eminent scholars.
Doyle, J. A.—History of the United States. With Maps Illus-
trative of the Acquisition of Territory and the Increase of Pop-
ulation, by Francis A. Walker. 16mo, New York, 1876.
Of the small books on the history of the United States, this is
one of the best. It forms a part of the historical course for
schools edited by E. A. Freeman.
Its characteristics are that it is carefully prepared, is very accu-
rate, and is free from those factitious allurements which some-
times constitute the chief merit of a school history. Its only
illustrations are its few maps, and therefore it appeals to those
whose desire for useful and accurate knowledge predominates
over their desire for entertainment..
·
533
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES,
Eliot, Samuel.- Manual of United States History from 1492 to
1850. 12mo, Boston. In late editions the History is contin-
ued to the close of the Civil War.
One of the best of the inanuals, written, not for children, but
for youth and adults. Its inerits, however, are exceedingly vari-
able. At times it shows a very appreciative regard for historical
perspective; at others, events of minor importance are thrust into
the foreground, quite to the confusion of a proper discrimination
between the important and the unimportant. The book, there-
fore, though it has conspicuous merits, is likely to annoy and dis-
appoint the student. The author's political bias is that of op-
position to Federalism.
covery of America to the End of the Sixteenth Congress. 6
vols., 8vo, New York, new edition, 1879.
These volumes, completed as early as 1850, still probably form
the most valuable single work on American history.
But, though they have genuine merits, they also are not with-
out somewhat serious defects. They have the advantage of de-
scribing a longer period than does the work of Bancroft, the only
history with which Hildreth's may properly be compared. The
author's style is free from irrelevant discursiveness, is direct, is
devoid of imagination and fancy, is often so bald in its methods
as to be dry, and sometimes is even so careless as to be ungram-
matical. It never rises to anything like fervor, nor does it exhibit
the slightest capacity for the graphic or picturesque. A still fur-
ther defect is the absence of foot-notes and references to authori-
ties, though for this deficiency the author has made partial atone-
ment by publishing a long list of works used in the preparation
of the volumes.
But these somewhat grave defects are more than counterbal-
anced by the general accuracy and sterling qualities of the au-
thor's judgment. The peculiarities named make the work less a
favorite with the general reader than with the serious student.
The second series, or second half of the work, will be of the
greatest service to a majority of students. Of this series, the first
534
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
volume is devoted to the presidency of Washington. It traces the
growth and conflicts of the Federal and Anti-federal parties,
showing a strong bias in favor of the Federalists. The second
volume gives an account of the downfall of this party under John
Adams, and of the accession to power of the Republicans under
Jefferson. It also traces the rule of Jefferson from his efforts to
diminish the Federal authority to the measures of embargo' and
non-intercourse. The third volume exhibits the theories of the
two political parties brought to the test of an experience by which
each was led to occupy, in great measure, the very position of its
political opponent. The author then shows how this change of
ground wrought a substantial extinction of old party lines during
the first administration of President Monroc.
Laboulaye, Édouard.--Histoire des États-Unis. 3 vols., 12mo,
Paris, 1862–66.
The first of these volumes is devoted to the colonial period,
the second to the Revolutionary War, the third to the formation
of the Constitution. The volumes were not written as a narra-
tive of events, but were three courses of lectures delivered by the
author at the Collége de France, in Paris.
· Laboulaye had long been an ardent admirer of America; and
when, in 1849, he was appointed professor of history, he con-
ceived it to be his duty to do what he could to make America
known to France: “de faire connaître l'Amérique à la France, et
lui demander des exemples et des secours pour l'orage qui appro-
chait.” :
· In carrying out the design thus expressed, the author has pro-
duced not so much a history as a study of comparative politics,
with the United States as the central point about which his ob-
servations have been grouped. The book is founded upon a
reading of materials generally familiar to Americans, and not
upon what may properly be called original research. The value
of the work, therefore, is chiefly in its shrewd comments on our
institutions, and in the comparisons which the author draws be-
tween our government and the governments of Europe.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
535
The third volume is of greater importance than either of the
others. It presents a striking view of the men who framed the
Constitution, and of the ideas which they respectively contributed
to that instrument. It also discusses in admirable spirit the pow-
ers and privileges of the different branches of the new govern-
ment, comparing these powers very frequently with those of the
governments of Europe..
The work was published just after the outbreak of our Civil
War. The author sympathized ardently with the cause of the
Union, and therefore he threw into his book the fire of a glowing
admiration for American institutions. Unquestionably his design
was to teach his hearers at once what they had to learn from
American institutions, and what their sympathies ought to be in
regard to American affairs. But while this purpose adds to the
spirit of the work, it detracts somewhat from its permanent value.
It is not without an unwholesomė tendency to magnify our polit-
ical merits and obscure our political defects.
The author's sympathies were strongly Federal, Hamilton being
his favorite among American statesmen. In style the book is ex-
ceedingly vivacious.
Neumann, Karl Friedrich.---Geschichte der Vereinigten Staaten
von Amerika. 3 vols., Svo, Berlin, 1866.
The first volume is devoted to the period previous to the presi-
dency of Jefferson, the second to that extending from Jefferson
to Van Buren, the third to that from the accession of Van Buren
to the inauguration of Lincoln.
This work, like that of Laboulaye, was written during the
years of our Civil War, and is pervaded by a spirit of warm,
and at times even fervid, sympathy for the country and the pres:
ervation of the Union. It is founded on considerable research,
and has the rare excellence among German books of being writ-
ten in a graceful and picturesque style. It has the further ad-
vantage of covering the whole period of American history down
to the outbreak of the Civil War. It is fuller, shows more re-
search, and has probably fewer defects than any other work de-
voted to the whole period.
536
HISTORICAL LITERATURE:
But, with these good qualities to recommend it, it still cannot
take rank as a great book. The author did not always under-
stand the relations of cause and effect, and he did not always pre-
serve a strictly judicial spirit. A tendency to enthusiasm is the
weakness of the work. Many positions are taken which will
scarcely resist the assaults of a searching criticism.
Patton, J. H.-The History of the United States of America,
from the Discovery of the Continent to the Close of the First
Session of the Thirty-fifth Congress, in 1858. Svo, New York,
1866.
A work designed to fill a niche midway between the school-
books and the larger histories of Bancroft and Hildreth. Two
thirds of the volume is devoted to the Colonial and Revolutionary
periods; and consequently the history of the country under the
Constitution has received but ineagre and unsatisfactory treat-
ment. As an easily flowing narrative of events, the book has
some merit; though it is written without much vigor of expres-
sion, and the author shows no very deep insight or clear discrimi-
nation.
Ridpath, John Clark.--A Popular History of the United States
of America, from the Aboriginal Times to the Present Day.
Illustrated with Maps, Charts, Portraits, and Diagrams. Svo,
Cincinnati, 1881.
Intended, not for the student, but, as the author says, “ for the
average American; for the man of business; for the practical man
of the shop, the counter, and the plough. The work is dedicated
to the household and the library of the poor.”
In point of style, maps, and illustrations, the volume is admi-
rably adapted to the purpose thus set forth by the author. The
portraits are good, the maps excellent, and the other illustrations
have been judiciously selected.
It is, however, but just to say that while it is written in a style
that is free froin serious defects, in point of historical accuracy
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
537
and completeness of information it leaves something to be de-
sired. By the painstaking student, therefore, it can hardly be ac-
cepted as authority.
· The pages of the volume glow with a fervor of patriotism
which by some will be deemed a substantial merit, by others
a somewhat undiscriminating laudation of American institutions
and methods.
Tucker, George.—The History of the United States from their
Colonization to the End of the Twenty-sixth Congress, in 1841.
4 vols., Svo, Philadelphia, 1860.
A book that may well be read in connection with Hildreth's,
as it is written from an opposite point of view. It is a political
history, and is devoted chiefly to the period subsequent to the
adoption of the Federal Constitution.
In a single chapter of a hundred pages the author traces the
political history of the colonies down to the Declaration of Inde-
pendence. He presents with unusual fulness such questions and
subjects as have a sectional bearing and have furnished the
grounds of sectional controversy. The author writes from a
Southern point of view. But, though he avows himself a friend
of Southern institutions, he acknowledges the right of dissent, and
concedes that there are prima-facie reasons for a different view
on the part of those whose political training has been different
from his own. Completing the work just before the outbreak of
the Civil War, he declared himself a friend of union and an advo-
cate of mutual concessions.
The greatest value of the work is in the fact that it is the most
able and candid historical presentation from a Southern point of
view of the various political and constitutional questions that agi-
tated the country from the adoption of the Constitution to the
triumph of the Whigs under General Harrison.
538
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
II. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PERIODS.
Count of Paris.—History of the Civil War in America. Trans-
lated with the Approval of the Author by Louis F. Tasistro.
Edited by Henry Coppee. 2 vols., 8vo, Philadelphia, 1875–76.
The work of the Count of Paris is essentially a inilitary his-
tory, and is the first successful attempt to give a full and careful
account of the stupendous conflict to which it is devoted. But
while it deals especially with military affairs, it intersperses such
accounts of civil transactions as are necessary to throw light on
the military movements.
The author, besides having had the advantage of participating
in the conflict, has had access to the most valuable materials both
North and South.
The purely political portion of the work is confined to a brief
but very clear account of the origin of the war. The author's
theory may be stated in this way. The South, in view of the in-
creasing prosperity of the North, saw that it was losing the pre-
ponderance it had enjoyed ever since the adoption of the Consti-
tution. It was determined, therefore, to force slavery into the
Territories and into the new States. Failing in this attempt, there
was nothing left but to abandon the political field and give up the
cause as lost, or to force a contest and a satisfactory peace from
the North. This latter expedient was determined upon.
The style of the narrative is clear and easy. The maps of
battle-fields are taken from the official records of the Coast Sur-
vey and the War Department, and leave nothing to be desired.
The second volume concludes with an admirable survey of the
situation at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation of Janu-
ary 1, 1863. When completed, the work can hardly fail to be
accepted as a history of the war of great and permanent value.
Draper, John William.- History of the American Civil War. 3
vols., 8vo, New York, 1867.
This book is pervaded with Dr. Draper's peculiar views of the
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 539
causes of national development. It is introduced by a long dis-
sertation, which occupies nearly the whole of the first volume, and
in which the author elaborates his peculiar theories. His beliefs
are essentially those of Buckle. At bottom, he has no faith in
other causes than those which can be traced directly to Nature.
Climate is the great controlling force. He attaches his faith
principally to the January isothermal of forty-one degrees. More-
over, Nature gave the United States a concave surface, while the
surface of Europe is convex; therefore the United States should
be one nation, while Europe should be many.
As an attempt to build a history on a philosophical foundation,
the work cannot be called a very signal success. Until it can be
shown that an isothermal has something to do with such blunders
as those at Fredericksburg and Chickamauga, most men will regard
Dr. Draper's theories as not proved.
Doyle, John Andrew.—The American Colonies Previous to the
Declaration of Independence. Svo, London, 1869.
The Arnold Prize Essay, read at Oxford in 1869. It aims to
show the early characteristics of the colonics and of colonial life.
The author has made constant use of the best published au-
thorities, and has produced a work which, as a condensed account,
is well worthy of the student's notice. There are four chapters
one on the “Discoveries,” one on the “Formation of the Thir-
teen Colonies," one on the “General Characteristics of the Colo-
nies from 1688 to 1760,” and one on “ The Contest for Inde-
pendence.” The last chapter consists of a hundred pages, and is
the most valuable.
Greeley, Horace.--The American Conflict. A History of the
Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860–64; its
Causes, Incidents, and Results; intended to exhibit especially
its Moral and Political Phases, with the Drift and Progress of
American Opinion respecting Human Slavery from 1776 to the
Close of the War for the Union. 2 vols., royal 8vo, Hartford,
1864-67.
Distinctively a political rather than a military history of the
540
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
war. It is one of the most valuable, as it is quite the most inter-
esting, of the numerous accounts of our great civil contest. .
The first half of the first volume is perhaps the best existing
portrayal of the causes that led gradually up to the conflict. No
man was more familiar with American politics from 1830 to
1860 than Mr. Greeley; and of the vast stores of his knowledge
he made good use in the volume before us. The part of slavery
is especially well portrayed, and the cumulative power of the
story carries the reader forward with irresistible force.
The military portion of the history is less fortunate. Mr.
Greeley held his opinions with great tenacity, and he sometimes
appeared to think that if he, sitting in his editorial room in New
York, could have directed the armies, military affairs would have
sooner reached a happy. conclusion. Aside from this not alto-
gether praiseworthy eccentricity, the book is to be recommended.
Grahame, James.--The History of the Rise and Progress of the
United States of North America from their Colonization till
the Declaration of Independence. 4 vols., Svo, Philadelphia,
1845.
One of the very best histories of our colonial period. Since
Grahame wrote, investigation has thrown new light on many
questions previously obscure; but the author spared no pains in
the investigation of such sources as were then at his command,
and he always conducted his researches with great discrimination
as well as praiseworthy candor. His work is justly quoted with
great respect by all later writers on our early history.
In point of style, the work is clear, correct, and agreeable.
Greene, George Washington.--Historical View of the American
Revolution. 12mo, New York, 4th ed., 1876.
Twelve lectures, originally delivered before the Lowell Institute
in Boston, and designed to present in popular form the most im-
portant phases of the Revolution.
It is a good book to read in connection with one of the stand-
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
541
ard histories of the war. Its especial merit is the fact that it
presents in striking light the salient points of the Revolution, un-
encumbered with the details of unimportant affairs.
Hamilton, J.C.—History of the Republic of the United States
of America as Traced in the Writings of Alexander Hamilton
and bis Contemporaries. 7 vols., Svo, Philadelphia, 3d cd.,
1868.
In addition to much that was old, these volumes contain a
small amount of new material brought together from the editor's
explorations in the archives at Washington. This would have
made a valuable appendix to Hamilton's works. But there was
no sufficient reason for inflating so small an amount of new mat-
ter into seven large octavos. Though the book may be used by
means of its index with advantage, it is for a student one of the
most unsatisfactory works published in our country.
Holmes, Abiel.-The Annals of America, from the Discovery by
Columbus in the Year 1492 to the Year 1826. 2 vols., 8vo,
Cambridge, 2d ed., much improved, 1829.
A book to which workers in American history owe a great debt
of gratitude. It is quoted by some historians, with almost the
same confidence as an original authority.
Dr. Holmes was a most careful and laborious investigator; and
his object in this work was to bring together such information as
could be drawn from the most unquestionable sources. His in-
vestigations ranged through a vast field, and his selections were
made with the utmost care. For many years this book was the
best repository of all desirable knowledge of American history.
Unfortunately, the work has long been out of print, and is not
casy to procure.
Ingersoll, Charles J.-Historical Sketch of the Second War
between the United States of America and Great Britain,
542
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
1812–15. 2 vols., 8vo, Philadelphia, 1845–49. Second Series,
2 vols., 1852.
The first volume covers the period of mismanagement and dis-
aster during the first year and a half of the war; the second con-
tinues the narration to the close of the actual contest. The
supplementary series is devoted to the Treaty of Ghent and the
foreign relations of the United States.
The work has always been looked upon by historians as one
possessing substantial merit; but certain unfortunate peculiari-
ties of its literary workmanship have prevented it from becom-
ing popular with the reading public. It is not destitute of happy
and vivid expressions; but the style as a whole is rough and
uncouth. The author even shows real contempt for some of the
commonest rules of English composition. It also abounds in ex-
travagances of expression and in words that have not yet received
the hospitality of good usage.
But the author gave both talent and industry to the prepara-
tion of his work, and, with all its faults, it is probably the best
history of the War of 1812 yet produced.
Jay, William.-A Review of the Causes and Consequences of the
Mexican War. 16mo, Boston, 1849.
This little book, prepared by a prominent antislavery agitator,
was published for the purpose of showing “the wickedness, the
baseness, and the calamitous consequences” of that war.
It is written with great energy of expression; and the author's
positions are strongly fortified by citations of authorities.
As a presentation of the view of those opposed to the war it is
one of great strength.
Jones, Thomas.—History of New York during the Revolutionary
War; and of the Leading Events of the other Colonies during
that Period. Edited by Floyd de Lancey, with Notes, Contem-
porary Documents, Maps, and Portraits. 2 vols., 8vo, New
York, 1879.
This may be called an account of the Revolutionary War by
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
543
one of the most conspicuous of the Tories. The author was not
only Chief-justice of the Supreme Court of New York, but was
a persistent adherent of the crown. During the war he endured
many distresses; but he lived through it, to tell his story from the
Loyalist point of view. The history is an interesting one; but it
abounds in inaccuracies, and it may be doubted whether it con-
tributes anything to our knowledge of the struggle.
Livermore, A. A.—The War with Mexico Reviewed. 16mo, Bos-
ton, 1850.
A prize essay written in the interest of universal peace. It is
of very little consequence save as it presents in very strong light
some of the causes of the war. The value of the book is in chap-
ters iii.-viii., where is clearly presented, from extracts of writings
and speeches, the desire of the South to acquire new territory in
the interests of slavery.
Neill, Edward D.-The English Colonization of America during
the Seventeenth Century. 8vo, London, 1871.
The importance of this work is largely in the fact that it was
prepared after a careful study of the MS. transactions of the Lon-
don Trading Company.
The author's search was rewarded by the discovery of many
new facts, some of which must modify the judgments of previous
history. For example, the most elaborate of our colonial histories
represents John Rolfe as a kind of pious enthusiast who heard a
spiritual voice exhorting him froin day to day to marry Pocahon-
tas in order to make a Christian of her; but Mr. Neill finds that
the records of the London Company reveal the unpleasant fact
that when John Rolfe died lie left a white widow and children as
well as the Indian widow and son.
The book is of especial importance on the settlements of the
Middle States.
Parkman, Francis.—The Pioneers of North America; The Dis-
covery of the Great West; The Jesuits in North America in
544
· HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
the Seventeenth Century; The Old Régime in Canada; History
of the Conspiracy of Pontiac, and the War of the North Ameri-
can Tribes against the English Colonies after the Conquest of
Canada. 8 vols., 8vo, Boston, various dates; new ed., 1880.
The conspicuous merits of these works were at once recognized
both in Europe and in America as from time to time the individ-
ual volumes appeared.
The object of the author has been to present a view of the
early French explorers of the continent, and to give a represen-
tation of the Indian difficulties which so disturbed the colonial
peace. His effort has been eminently successful. In a series of
graphic pictures, he has placed before us the self-denials and ad-
rentures of the explorers of the Great West, as well as the forti-
tude and the failures of the early Jesuit missionaries. “The Old
Régime in Canada” is the best description ever given of the
peculiar government existing in that country before the fall of
Quebec. In the “Conspiracy of Pontiac” we bave a more vivid
picture of Indian life and warfare a hundred years ago than is to
be found in any other book.
The work, as a whole, is not only written in a spirited and
picturesque style, but is the result of thorough research as well
as of careful thought and study.
Ramsay, David.—History of the American Revolution; Continued
to the Treaty of Ghent by S. G. Smith and other Literary
Gentlemen. 3 vols., Svo, Philadelphia, 1816–17.
Of this edition, the first two volumes, and the first nine chap-
ters of the third volume, were written by Dr. Ramsay. Many
earlier editions had appeared, and the work bad already been
translated into several European languages when the continuation
was added.
It is one of the most substantial and worthy accounts of our
Revolutionary period. In the light of more modern investigation,
it is not difficult to criticise some of the details of the work, but
it is more easy to commend it.
Perhaps the author dwells with too much minuteness on mili-
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
545
tary affairs, and has somewhat too little to say of the great causes
of the events which he describes. There is also a tendency to
tone down the proper energy of expression, as, for example, when
he characterizes an outrage that excited universal horror as “a
signal violation of the peace.” At times, moreover, especially in
the continuation, the work is disfigured with violations of that
purity of style which should prevail in such a history.
Ripley, R. S.-The War with Mexico. 2 vols., Svo, New York,
1849.
This is the fullest history of the Mexican War we yet have.
The author had the advantages of a thorough military education
and of having participated in the struggle. The work is a mili-
tary history. Until the Mexican sources are explored, a good
history of the war cannot be written ; but at present Ripley's is
probably the best book on the subject.
Winsor, Justin.--The Reader's Hand-book of the American Rer-
olution, 1761-1783. 16mo, Boston, 1880.
An admirable little guide-book for the use of students of the
Revolutionary period of our history.
Beginning at the time of the first discontents with British rule,
the author indicates where the best information on each point is
to be gathered. The book will be found of great value to all
students, but more especially to such as have free access to large
libraries, and are striving for a very thorough knowledge of the
subject.
III. LOCAL IIISTORIES, AND IIISTORIES OF INDIVIDUAL STATES.
Bradford, William.--History of Plymouth Plantation. Now First
Presented from the Original Manuscript, for the Massachusetts
Historical Society. Edited, with Notes, by Charles Deane.
8vo, Boston, 1856.
The manuscript of this invaluable history was long believed to
be lost. It was consulted by Morton in preparing his "Memo-
35
546
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
rial,” published in 1669, and also by Prince and Hutchinson just
before the middle of the last century. The manuscript was in
the tower of the Old South Church when that edifice was occu-
pied during the Revolutionary War as a riding-school for British
soldiers. The papers were taken away; but whether they were
destroyed or merely concealed was not definitely known until they
were discovered in 1855 in the library of the Bishop of London
at Fulham.
' As the work describes the struggles of the colonists from 1602
to 1647, it is of the utmost importance. Indecd, as an original
authority it is only second in value to that of Governor Winthrop.
The publication is an exact transcript of the MS. even in mat-
ters of minute detail. The work of the editor, Mr. Deane, bas
been done with conspicuous good judgment and good taste.
Elliot, Charles W.—The New England History, from the Discov-
ery of the Continent by the Northmen, A.D. 986, to the Period
when the Colonies Declared their Independence. 2 vols., 8vo,
New York, 1857.
This work is not without real merits; but its scope is much
less comprehensive than that of Palfrey, and it is written with
much less ability. The chapters on the discovery of the conti-
nent by the Northmen give a good view of the foundations on
which a belief in the discovery rested at the time the work was
written.
Oliver, Peter.—The Puritan Commonwealth. An Historical Re-
view of Puritan Government in Massachusetts in its Civil and
Ecclesiastical Relation, from its Rise to the Abrogation of its
First Charter; together with some General Reflections on the
English Colonial Policy and on the Character of Puritanism.
8vo, Boston, 1856. .
A work of importance, inasmuch as it is the ablest presentation
of wliat may be called the “other side” of Puritanism. It is not
simply an unfriendly, but also an exceedingly severe, criticism
of the Puritan polity. The motives, the principles, and the con-
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
547
duct of the carly settlers of New England are subjected to a most
searching examination. The author has made exhaustive use of
the original sources of information as well as of the more accessi-
ble materials.
The work is written with rare grace and beauty of style; and
it abounds in terse and emphatic passages which go far to com-
pel our admiration.
Though the author saw but one side, and that the most repul-
sive side, of Puritanism, he is entitled to our thanks for having
presented it with so much grace and force. Thornton's volume
in review of the work points out its weak spots.
Palfrey, John Gordon.-History of New England. 4 vols., 8vo,
Boston, 1858–78.
Not only the most satisfactory history of New England we have,
but one of the most admirable historical works ever produced in
America. It shows great learning, industrious research, compre-
hensive views, critical acumen, and sound judgment. In addition
to these great qualities, it possesses the charm of having been writ-
ten in a graceful and agreeable style.
The first three volumes deal with the period of the Stuart
dynasty, and the fourth brings the work to the year 1740. The
author expressed the hope of completing the history to the out-
break of the Revolutionary War.
follit hope of War
Thornton, J. W.-Peter Oliver's “Puritan Commonwealth” Re-
viewed. 8vo, Boston, 1857.
This work, by one of the most accomplished antiquaries of New
England, shows great learning and ingenuity. It thrusts a keen
lance into the joints of Oliver's harness, and should be read in
connection with the work it reviews. As a defence of the Puri-
tans against the most damaging charges made against them, it is
one of the most successful.
Winthrop, John.—The History of New England from 1630 to
548
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
1649, with Notes to Illustrate the Civil and Ecclesiastical Con-
cerns, the Geography, Settlement, and Institutions of the
Country, and the Lives and Manners of the Principal Planters.
By James Savage, President of the Massachusetts Historical
Society. A new edition, 2 vols., Svo, Boston, 1853.
This work, by the first governor of the Colony of Massachu-
setts Bay, is perhaps the most important storehouse of informa-
tion concerning the early history of New England. The edition
of 1853 contains a vast amount of material added by the labori-
ous and learned researches of Mr. Savage—rescarches which have
greatly enriched as well as enlarged the original work. In addi-
tion to his invaluable notes, the editor has also added an appen-
dix containing a large number of Governor Winthrop's letters
not previously published.
As a description, not only of the early life, but also of the
character and methods, of the Puritan fathers, this work has no
superior, if, indeed, it has an equal.
Young, Alexander.-Chronicles of the First Planters of the Col-
ony of Massachusetts Bay, from 1623 to 1636. Now first Col-
lected from Original Records and Contemporaneous Manil-
This work is an effort to collect within the covers of one large
volume every authentic document relating to the planting of the
Colony of Massachusetts Bay. These documents cover the period
from the first faint dawnings in 1623 to the full sunrise in 1636,
with the single exception of Winthrop's “ History, to which, in-
deed, they may be regarded as a kind of introduction. To the stu-
dent of that period, the collection is of the utmost importance.
Williamson, William D.-The History of the State of Maine,
from its Discovery, A.D. 1602, to the Separation, A.D. 1820,
inclusive. New impression, 2 vols., 8vo, Hallowell, 1839.
A work of standard value, though it is not skilfully or con-
veniently arranged. The author's style is uninteresting and in-
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
549
clegant. Though, for these reasons, it does not rise to the rank
of a finished and philosophical work, it is a vast collection of
valuable facts, and could not well be spared from our list of local
histories.
The faulty arrangement is somewhat relieved by a very full
index.
.
Belknap, Jeremy.--The History of New Hampshire. 3 vols., Svo,
Boston, 1784-92.
Unquestionably one of the most admirable local histories ever
published in our country.
The first and second volumes are historical; the third is de-
voted to an account of the resources and productions of the State.
The author was free in his methods of inquiry, resolute in
research, accurate in statement, sound in judgment, patriotic in
feeling, candid and liberal in all his ways of thinking and writ-
ing.' In point of style the work is easy and flowing. Of the
three volumes, the third is least satisfactory.
Williams, Samuel.—The Natural and Civil History of Vermont.
2 vols., 8vo, Burlington, Vt., 1809.
The author of these volumes was a graduate and professor of
Harvard College, as well as an industrious and careful student.
The book is to be commended for its research, though it is not
worthy of a place by the side of Trumbull and Belknap. It has
to do, of course, only with the early history of a state that was
still. very young when the book was written.
Hutchinson, Thomas.—The History of the Province of Massa-
chusetts Bay from 1628 to 1774. Also a Collection of Origi-
nal Papers relating to the History of the Colony of Massachu-
setts Bay. 4 vols., 8vo, Boston, 1764–74.
No other work produced during our colonial period rises so
ncarly to the standard of modern historical composition. The
550
SLI
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
author not only wrote like an historian, but he labored diligently
in the field of colonial antiquities, and his work must ever be con-
sidered a mine of wealth to all future students of our early politi-
cal institutions. It has not quite the value of a strictly original
authority, as the author was removed by a short period from the
events he describes.
Hutchinson's position as governor of the province gave him
access to all needed materials; and what imparts an additional
value to the work is the fact that a large number of papers used
by him in the preparation of his “ History” were irrecoverably lost
at the time of the Stamp-Act riots in 1765.
The work is written with a lively and critical spirit as well as
with fidelity and minuteness of detail; but, with its many excel-
lences, it lacks somewhat of that literary quality necessary to
secure for it a general and permanent interest. It ought also to
be added that the author was a thoroughgoing royalist, and had
no appreciation whatever of the great truths and theories which
lay at the bottom of the Revolutionary upheaval.
Minot, George Richard.—Continuation of the History of the
Province of Massachusetts Bay from the Year 1748. 2 vols.,
8vo, Boston, 1798-1803.
A continuation of Hutchinson's “History." Judge Minot was an
ardent patriot. He presents the cause of the colonists with great
cogency. The various considerations which led to the alienation
of the colonies are perhaps nowhere more successfully given.
The work is written in terse, pure, and elegant English, and
everywhere shows good judgment. The facts are treated with
fidelity and impartiality.'
The second volume, which was published posthumously, closes
with an account of the great excitement in Boston over the Stamp
Act.
Barry, John Stetson.—The History of Massachusetts. Vol. i.,
Colonial Period. Vol. ii., Provincial Period. Vol. ïi., Com-
monwealth Period. 3 vols., 8vo, Boston, 1855–57.
As a continuous account of the history of Massachusetts down
TIISTORIES OF TIIE UNITED STATES.
551
to recent times, this is the most valuable yet produced. It lacks
none of the characteristics of a finished and scholarly production.
The best authorities have been uniformly consulted ; conflicting
testimonies have been carefully weighed; and the judgment of the
author is so steady as to commend itself constantly to the confi-
dence of the reader. If the style is lacking a little in force, on
the other hand it has the advantage of being chaste and free froin
offensive mannerisms. The author is somewhat inclined to fall
into moralizing, and he has a fondness for poetical quotation...
But, with these slight drawbacks, the work is one of genuine
merit. The third volume will be found most valuable. The ac-
counts of Shays's Rebellion and of the Hartford Convention are
especially satisfactory.
Bradford, Alden.--History of Massachusetts from 1764 to 1789.
3 vols., 8vo, Boston, 1822–25.
The author of this work was secretary of the commonwealth
from 1812 to 1824. His production, however, has not very much
historical ralue. A far better view of Massachusetts in the tur-
bulent period of the Revolutionary War can be obtained in the
biographies of the more prominent men of the time.
Dexter, Henry Martyn.--As to Roger Williams and his “Banish-
ment” from Massachusetts Plantation, with a Few further Words
concerning the Baptists, the Quakers, and Religious Liberty.
A Monograph. 4to, Boston, 1876.
In this monograph of one hundred and forty-six quarto pages
the object of the author is to justify the original act of exclusion.
His argument is twofold. First, the Governor and Company of
Massachusetts Bay did not at this time compose a state, nor even
a colony, but simply a plantation. Thus it was really a private
corporation, chartered by the government for purposes of fishing,
real-estate improvement, and general commerce. This planta-
tion had a strong religious idea behind it, and it was on its
way to become a colony and a state. But when it excluded
Roger Williams it was merely a private corporation; and so long
552
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
as it remained such it had an undoubted right to exclude from its
privileges any person, eren a inember, who interfered with its
privileges. But Roger Williams was not even a member, never
having been admitted as a “freeman.”
The second position is that the grounds of exclusion were
mainly political, and not religious, and that the doctrines of toler-
ation had very little to do with it. Williams denied the validity
of the grant by which they held the lands, and also resisted the
Residents' Oath, on the ground that "it was not lawful to call a
wicked person to swear or pray.” These doctrines were subver-
sive of public authority at the moment when the plantation was
in great peril of its existence.
Dr. Dexter is the first in modern years to establish the date of
the vote of exclusion, October 9 (19), 1635.
The book has awakened the most emphatic approval as well as
the most violent dissent; but its historical accuracy has not been
successfully impeached. As to whether the facts as established
justify the exclusion, there will doubtless continue to be differ-
cnces of opinion.
Arnold, Samuel Greene.--History of the State of Rhode Island
and Providence Plantations. 2 vols., 8vo, New York, 1859-60.
A work prepared after long and careful research. Probably no
student has ever made himself more familiar with the history of
Rhode Island than did Arnold. This volume abounds, therefore,
in valuable information. As a presentation of what may be called
the Rhode Island view of the early contest between the settlers of
Massachusetts and Roger Williams, it is probably superior to all
other works.
The book has some limitations in point of style, and for this
reason can never be a favorite with the general reader.
Trumbull, Benjamin.—A Complete History of Connecticut, Civil
and Ecclesiastical, from the Emigration of the First Planters in
the Year 1630 to the Year 1764; and to the Close of the In-
dian Wars. 2 vols., 8vo, New Haven, 1818.
The author lived in the midst of many of the scenes he de-
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
553
scribes, picked up and examined all sorts of traditions, was an adept
in theology, knew the name of every minister that had preached
a good sermon, and every soldier that had done a brave deed.
He was ignorant of European history, and made many mistakes
in his book concerning it; but he knew the history of Connecti-
cut better than any other man has ever known it, and he carc-
fully wrote it out.
The fault of the work is its diffuseness, especially in giving the
history of churches and villages. The reader will find in it
accounts of many ridiculous acts and laws; but in spite of
these, he will probably be compelled to adınit that in the Consti-
tution and laws of Connecticut, as much as in those of any other
State, the wisdom and tolerance of the day found expression.
Trumbull, J. Hammond.—The True Blue Laws of Connecticut
and New Haven, and the False Blue Laws Forged by Peters;
to which are ad led Specimens of the Laws and Judicial Pro-
ceedings of other Colonies, and some Blue Laws of England in
the Reign of James I. 12mo, New York, 1870.
The author has successfully attempted two things—first, to
show what the so-called Blue Lairs were; and, secondly, to show
their importance by comparing them with the habits and methods
of other states and countries in the seventeenth century,
In carrying out his purpose, Dr. Trumbull has brought together
whatever throws light on the real nature of the early Puritanical
laws.
The famous Blue Laws forged by Peters are given, and numer-
ous laws of other states and nations are presented to afford the
reader opportunity of comparison.
Brodhead, John Romeyn.- History of the State of New York,
1609–91. 2 vols., 8vo, New York, 1853–71.
A book abounding in solid qualities, but possessing no popular
merit. The author never acquired the art of effective expression,
and consequently his readers are likely to be few and select. The
554
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
work is of real value to the historical student; but those who
read for the mere pleasure of the hour will scarcely advance fur-
ther than the first few chapters. A continuation of the work was
conditionally promised in the second volume, but it has not yet
been published.
Hammond, J. D.-The History of the Political Parties in the
State of New York from the Ratification of the Federal Consti-
tution to December, 1840. 4th ed., corrected and enlarged,
to which are added Notes by General Root. 2 vols., Svo,
Buffalo, 1850. Also Life of Silas Wright, sometimes classed
as vol. iii. of the Political History of New York.
This work deserves and has received the commendation of po-
litical students of all parties. The author wrote from a Demo-
cratic point of view, but he wrote with a fairness generally wor-
thy of entire confidence. It is one of the most valuable political
histories in our possession.
O'Callaghan, E. B.—History of New Netherlands; or, New York
under the Dutch. 2d ed., 2 vols., 8vo, New York, 1855.
A work constantly used by the historians. It is the product
of an investigator rather than of a literary artist, and therefore is
to be classed with the solid rather than the entertaining works of
our literature. It is worthy of a place in the library of every
student of our early history.
Mulford, Isaac S.-A Civil and Political History of New Jersey;
embracing a Compendious History of the State from its Early
Discovery and Settlement by Europeans, brought down to the
Present Time. Svo, Philadelphia, 1851.
The most obvious fault of this book is that it does not fulfil
the promise of its title. The history closes with an account of
the war and the establishment of the Federal government.
It possesses not much literary merit; but it is honest, and, for
the most part, accurate.
HISTORIES OF TIIE UNITED STATES. 555
Proud, Robert.—The History of Pennsylvania, in North America,
from the Original Institution and Settlement of that Province
under the First Proprietor and Governor, William Penn, in 1651,
till after the Year 1742. 2 vols., 8vo, Philadelphia, 1797.
This work," written principally between 1776 and 1780," is
the fruit of long and patient research. It contains a vast amount
of valuable material, not only in the form of original documents,
but in that of miscellaneous information. To the investigator it
is invaluable; but it is awkwardly arranged, and therefore, to
the mere reader, it is a confusing and tedious jumble, not long
to be endured.
Bozman, J. L.-History of Maryland, 1633–1660; with a Prelim-
inary Sketch, 1492 to 1638. 2 vols., 8vo, Baltimore, 1837.
The Preliminary Sketch was published as a separate volume in
1811, and is especially devoted to the first three years of the
Maryland Plantation. When the subsequent work was published,
the two were put together.
Bozman has long been considered the standard authority on
the early history of Maryland. His production abounds in useful
information; but it was not written with great skill, and there-
fore it has not found a large number of readers.
Scharf, J. Thomas.--History of Maryland from the Earliest Pe-
riod to the Present Day. 3 vols., Svo, Baltimore, 1879.
This is the only work that, up to the present time, has endeav-
ored to portray the history of Maryland as a whole. The author
has had the advantage of much material that, until very recently,
has been quite inaccessible; of these the most noteworthy are the
abstracts from the English State-paper Office, made and presented
by Mr. George Peabody to the Maryland Historical Society.
The first volume of Mr. Scharf's work will generally be thought
the most valuable. In it the author portrays the real character of
the province under the proprietary governments of the Lords Bal-
556
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
timore, and gives some curious information concerning the rela-
tions of Maryland and Pennsylvania. He takes the view that the
religious toleration which was characteristic of the early history
of Maryland was not owing to the letter of the charter, or the
views of Catholics or Protestants as such, but rather to the mag-
nanimous policy of the first proprietary, who endeavored to make
his province an asylum for the oppressed of every faith.
The history of Maryland during the Revolutionary period pre-
sents no very striking peculiarities. Coming down to more mod-
ern times, the author takes extreme state-sovereignty views, and
accordingly this portion of the work is strongly tinged with
Southern ideas.
The book is a valuable one for reference, but it is too much en-
cumbered with long extracts to be inviting to the general reader.
This peculiarity, however, adds to its value for the purposes of a
student.
Beverley, Robert.—The History of Virginia, in Four Parts. Re-
printed from the author's second edition, London, 1722; with
an Introduction by Charles Campbell. 8vo, Richmond, 1855.
A history much prized, but one so very concise that it is, on
the whole, quite unsatisfactory.
But it has the great advantage of having been written by a
man living in the seventeenth century, and by one who observed
much of what he so briefly describes. The most important parts
of the work are perhaps those which relate to the Indian tribes,
and the natural products and resources of the state.
The account of the founding of William and Mary College is
also important.
LI
Burk, John.-The History of Virginia, from its First Settlement
to the Present Day. 3 vols., 8vo, Petersburg, 1804-5. With
a Continuation to 1781 by Skelton Jones and Louis Hue Gi-
rardin; in all 4 vols., 1816.
This book has not the advantage of being an original author-
ity, nor of having been written in the light of modern research.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
557
Faithful use of the materials at hand, however, was made; and
the work is a useful one in bringing together, under a single title,
an acceptable account of Virginia down to the adoption of the
Articles of Confederation.
The fourth volume is very rare, all but about fifty copies hai-
ing been accidentally destroyed.
Campbell, Charles. History of the Colony and Ancient Domin-
ion of Virginia. 8vo, Philadelphia, 1860.
On the whole, this volume will probably be generally accepted
as the most satisfactory presentation of early Virginian history
we have.
The author's skill as a writer is conspicuous, especially in nar-
ration. His account of the early life of Captain John Smith is
an admirable example of terse and vivid description. In matters
requiring the exercise of critical judgment the author is less suc-
cessful. He seems to take his authorities as he finds them, with-
out questioning their trustworthiness. He believed implicitly even
so doubtful an authority as Captain Smith himself.
Stith, William.—The History of the First Discovery and Settle-
ment of Virginia. New edition, with Bibliographical Notes by
J. Sabin. Svo, New York, 1866.
The very counterpart of Beverley; for the work is as prolix as
that of Beverley is concise. The author was one of the presi-
dents of William and Mary College, but he was not possessed of
the gift of literary skill. The style is inelegant as well as diffuse.
The book, therefore, was condemned by its author to be used only
by those who can work the material over into another forin.
By all the later historians the work is cited as a high authority.
Howison, Robert R.-A History of Virginia, from its Discovery
and Settlement by Europeans to the Present Time. Vol. i.,
8vo, Philadelphia, 1846; Vol. ii., 8vo, Richmond, 1848.
558
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Of this latest history of Virginia, the first volume relates to the
period before the Treaty of Paris, in 1763; the second, to that in-
tervening between 1763 and 1847.
The work rests upon the solid basis of original research, and is
entitled to the credit of general fidelity and judicial impartiality.
It is not only the latest, but also the most comprehensive and the
most satisfactory, account of the state wlose history it describes.
Hawks, Francis L.-History of North Carolina. With Maps and
Illustrations. 2 vols., 8vo, Fayetteville, 1857–58.
This work is largely documentary, but it was prepared with the
well-known skill of one of the most eloquent writers and orators
of his day, as well as one of the foremost of antiquarians.
The first volume covers only the years from 1584 to 1591, be-
ing devoted exclusively to the five voyages made under the char-
ter to Sir Walter Raleigh. Volume ii. covers the second period in
the history of the state--viz., from 1663 to 1729, the time during
which the colony was under proprietary dominion.
Williamson, Hugh.-History of North Carolina. 2 vols., 8vo,
Philadelphia, 1812.
Though this work, in amplitude of margins and generosity of
type, presents an attractive appearance, it is exceedingly unsatis-
factory to the reader. The author apparently cared nothing for
historical perspective; for lie selected his topics with the most
astounding disregard of their importance. But for the position,
and even fame, of the author the work would be quite unworthy
of notice.
:
Wheeler, John H.-Historical Sketches of North Carolina from
1586 to 1851. 2 vols., 8vo, Philadelphia, 1851.
A work compiled from original records and official documents.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES1
. 559
It is a jumble of ill-digested material; indeed, is rather a collec-
tion of tables, lists, and facts than a history. To the investigator
it is not without value; but to the general reader it will be dry
and uninteresting.
Simms, W.G.–The History of South Carolina from its First Eu-
ropean Discovery to its Erection into a State; with a Supple-
mentary Book bringing the Narration down to the Present
Time. New and revised edition. 12mo, New York, 1860.
This work has several distinctive merits above other histories
of South Carolina. It covers the whole period down to our Civil
War. It has all the beauties of the author's characteristic style.
It shows an intense local patriotism, and, consequently, on all sec-
tional questions it is ardently South Carolinian.
From beginning to end the narration is spirited and graphic,
· but the sketch is too brief for details even on the most important
points.
Ramsay, David.-History of South Carolina, from its Settlement
in 1670 to the Ycar 1808. 2 vols., 8vo. Charleston, 1809.
One of the most important of this author's numerous histories.
Dr. Ramsay gave himself up to zealous and unwcaried research ;
and several of his works have contributed generously to the his-
torical literature of the country. His style is neat, his opinions
are judicious, his statements generally accurate. To the period at
which these volumes close, they are still probably the most ac-
ceptable history of South Carolina.
Stevens, William Bacon.--A History of Georgia, from its First
Discovery by Europeans to the Adoption of the Present Con-
stitution in 1798. 2 vols., Svo, New York, 1847.
The autlior of this work was for inany years professor of belles-
lettres in the University of Georgia, and subsequently was still
inore widely known as Bishop of Pennsylvania.
560
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
For thoroughness of research, for .grace of style, and for con-
venience of method, it is entitled to rank with the very best of
our state histories. It is a genuine contribution to our knowledge
of the bistory of the South as well as to the literature of the
country.
Picket, Albert James.--History of Alabama, and incidentally of
Georgia and Mississippi, from the Earliest Period. 2 vols., 2d
ed., 12mo, Charleston, 1851.
One of the most spirited and interesting of the local histories.
Its descriptions throw inuch light on the character and habit of
carly Southern and Southwestern life.
Picket's account of the Seininole War is of especial interest
and value. The work is largely quoted, and duly praised by Par-
ton, in his “Life of Jackson.”
French, B.F.-Historical Collections of Louisiana. 5 vols., Svo,
1846–53.
An exceedingly interesting and valuable collection of papers on
the early history of the Lower Mississippi Valley. The accounts
of the Jesuit discoveries are of great interest and importance.
Many of them are journals kept by the fathers themselves; and
therefore may be regarded as authentic accounts of the earliest
explorations.
The editing by Mr. French has been commendably done, the
notes in explanation being ample and judicious.
Gayarré, Charles.--Louisiana : its Colonial History and Romance.
8vo, New York, 1851.
A series of spirited lectures, delivered while the author was en-
gaged on the more serious work of preparing his "History."
The lectures abound in anecdote, and to many readers will be
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
561
found very entertaining, and also of some value as a picture of
early Southern life.
Gayarré, Charles.—History of Louisiapa. 5 vols., 8vo, New York,
1851-54.
These volumes, though published as separate works, cover the
whole of the history of Louisiana during the dominion of the
Spanish and the French. They are the fruit of arduous and lov-
ing study, not only in Louisiana, but also in the archives of France
and of other European states.
The work has a standard value, and is a reservoir from which
every student of French and Spanish occupation may draw sup-
plies. The author's style is spirited, and, though he does not rise
into the highest realın of historical merit, his discriminations are,
for the most part, just, and his conclusions such as will be ap-
proved.
Yoakum, H.-History of Texas, from its First Settlement in 1685
to its Annexation to the United States in 1846. 2 vols., 8vo,
New York, 1856.
The product of earnest and conscientious research. At the
time the book was written, lowever, the important sources of in-
formation concerning early Texan history contained in the Fran-
ciscan records had not been made accessible. Until these are
opened, and the Spanish MSS. consulted, no history of Texas dur-
ing the eighteenth century can be regarded as conclusive.
But of the materials at hand this author has made good use.
His style as a writer is careless; but the work is not without con-.
siderable value.
Ramsey, J. G. M.-The Annals of Tennessee to the End of the
Eighteenth Century. Svo, Philadelphia, 1860.
Not so much a history as a parcel of documents and statistics
for history. The work, however, gives numerous glimpses of the
36
562
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
It is a
people who first established homes in the Southwest.
book not to be read, but to be consulted.
Collins, Luther.--Historical Sketches of Kentucky, embracing its
History, Antiquities, and Natural Curiosities; Geographical, Sta-
tistical, and Geological Descriptions; with Anecdotes of Pioneer
Life, and more than One Hundred Biographical Sketches of
Distinguished Pioneers, Soldiers, Statesmen, Jurists, Lawyers,
Divines, etc. Illustrated by Forty Engravings. 8vo, Cincin-
nati, 1847.
A series of curious and interesting sketches, and therefore not
without its value. The first hundred pages only are strictly bịs-
torical. The remaining pages-several hundred in number—are
descriptive and biographical.
Drake, Charles D.—Pioneer Life in Kentucky. A Series of Re-
miniscential Letters from David Drake to his Children. 8vo,
Cincinnati, 1870.
A book illustrative of history, rather than a history itself. It is
a series of letters by a physician who had been forty years in
Kentucky, written for the purpose of describing to his children
the characteristics of early life on the frontier.
Marshall, Humphrey.—The History of Kentucky, exhibiting an
Account of the Modern Discovery, Settlement, Progressive Im-
provement, Civil and Military Transactions, and the Present
State of the Country. 2 vols., 8vo, Frankfurt, 1824.
Uncouth in style, but the original fountain from which the
early history of Kentucky is usually drawn. It may generally be
relied upon as accurate.
-
-
-
Hildreth, S. P.-Pioneer History, being an Account of the First
Examination of the Ohio Valley, and the Early Settlement of
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
563
the Northwest Territory, chiefly from Original MSS. 8vo, Cin-
cinnati, 1848.
The work of a man who had lived in the Ohio Valley more
than forty years, and who was personally acquainted with a large
portion of the early settlers.
The chief interest of the volume clusters about the work of the
Ohio Company, which made its first settlement at Marietta, and
which soon extended its influence over the whole State. But Mr.
Hildreth was not simply a pioneer; he enjoyed much reputa-
tion, especially as a magazine writer on affairs of local interest.
Howe, Henry.—Historical Collections of Ohio, containing a Col-
lection of the most Interesting Facts, Traditions, Biographical
Sketches, Anecdotes, etc., relating to its General Local History;
with Descriptions of Counties, Principal Towns, and Villages.
Illustrated by 130 Engravings. 8vo, Cincinnati, 1850.
A huge book, stuffed with curious information. The volume
has a catchpenny appearance, but it is really better than it looks.
The counties are taken up in alphabetical order, and are histor-
ically described.
Taylor, James W.--History of the State of Ohio. First Period,
1650–1787. 12mo, Cincinnati, 1854.
Although this first volume gave grcat promise, it has had no
successor. The author's original purpose of writing a complete
history of the State in four volumes seems to have been perma-
nently abandoned. The fragment we have, however, is the most
satisfactory account yet written of the ante-territorial period.
Brown, Henry.—The History of Illinois from its First Discovery
Of value on the early history of the State, but on the later por-
564
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
tion of much less general interest than the work of Ford. The
chapter on the earliest history of Chicago is the one of most im-
portance.
Edwards, Ninian W.-History of Illinois from 1778 to 1833,
and Life and Times of Ninian Edwards. 8vo, Springfield, 1870.
An attempt to convey an impression as to the condition of Il-
linois during the years of its territorial life and the first years of
its existence as a State. The effort was not very successful. The
book contains a discouraging multitude of public documents;
and, what adds to the disheartenment of the explorer, it is fur-
nished with neither table of contents nor index. The document-
ary nature of the book would give it value as a work of reference
if the student could find conveniently what it contains.
Ford, Thomas.--A History of Illinois from its Commencement as
a State in 1818 to 1847. Containing a Full Account of the
Black Hawk War; the Rise, Progress, and Fall of Mormonism;
the Alton and Lovejoy Riots; and other Important and Inter-
esting Events. Svo, Chicago, 1854.
This book has enjoyed great popularity. The author, as jus-
tice of the Supreme Court and governor of the State, had ample
opportunities of observing the course of events. He was a man
of strong feelings, ardent admirations, and intense hatreds. On
this account the book is not entitled to the credit of impartiality;
but it has one advantage over most works of its class, that of be-
ing spirited and interesting.
Monette, J. W.-History of the Discovery and Settlement of the
Valley of the Mississippi until the Year 1846. 2 vols., 8vo,
New York, 1846.
.
A work embodying the result of careful researches carried on
through many years. It is of much value to the historical and
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED T
565
STATES.
political student; indeed, no other single history contains so much
information of importance concerning the vast region included
within the scope of the author's purpose.
Campbell, James V.-Outlines of the Political History of Michi-
gan. Svo, Detroit, 1876.
Under this modest title Judge Campbell has published one of
the best of our State histories. It is not so much the result of
special research conducted for the purpose of producing a book,
as the ripe fruit of inany years of familiarity with the men and
erents that have made the State what it is.
The author has not only known Michigan intimately ever since
it became a State, but his industrious researches in the history of
the period of French occupation bave filled his mind with curious
and rare knowledge. The book is written with the well-known
literary skill and good judgment of the author.
Lanman, James H.-History of Michigan, Civil and Topographi-
cal, in a Compendious Forin, with a view of the Surrounding
States. 8vo, New York, 1839.
A work prepared for the purpose of revealing to the people of
the country the real condition and resources of the State. It is
written with more than usual discrimination and care.
The author divides the history of Michigan into three portions
--the romantic period, the military period, and the period of de-
velopment. The first extends to the surrender of the French to
the English in 1760; the second, to the death of Tecumseh ; and
the third, to the end. Among our State historics, it is entitled to
a high rank.
Neill, Edward Duffield.-The History of Minnesota from the
Earliest French Explorations to the Present Time. 8vo, Phila-
delphia, 1858.
A very complete and creditable history. It contains not only
566
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
.
an ample description of the natural characteristics and resources
of the State, but it also gives a judicious account of the early
history of the Territory. The author has consulted the works of
the early French explorers, and has used liis material with judi-
cious discrimination.
IV. SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORIES.
Adams, Henry.—Documents relating to New England Federal-
ism, 1815. Svo, Boston, 1876.
The papers. brought together in this volume by Mr. Adams
throw a much-needed light on the first fifteen years of American
history in this century.
The attitude of New England Federalism towards the War of
1812 has been an object of much dispute; and the presentation
of these papers does much to settle the questions in doubt. The
most important of the documents presented is the “Reply to the
Appeal of the Massachusetts Federalists, by John Q. Adams”-
a paper more than two hundred pages in length, but full of infor-
mation of the utmost value.
Bancroft, Hubert H.-The Native Races of the Pacific States of
North America. 5 vols., large Svo, New York, 1875–76.
The author had access to a vast number of early Spanish works
relating to the condition of the carly inhabitants of Mexico and
the Pacific slopes; and he has not only used these with inde-
fatigable industry, but he has also availed himself of such results
as could come from recent observation of the native races. The
production shows learning and good judgment, as well as un-
wearied research.
The first volume is devoted to “ The Wild Tribes;" the second
to “Civilized Nations;" the third to “Myths and Languages ;"'
the fourth to “Antiquities ;" and the fifth to “Primitive His-
tory."
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
567
Benton, Thomas H.—Thirty Years' View; or, A History of the
Working of the American Government for Thirty Years, 1820
to 1850. 2 vols., 8vo, New York, 1854–56.
A book of the greatest consequence to the student of American
history. The author was a shrewd observer, and during all the
period of which he wrote he was in the United States Senate.
His account is remarkable for its simplicity of style, and for
the adınirable spirit with which he treats political foes as well as
political friends. In no other work can be obtained so good an
account of passing political events during those important years
which extended from 1820 to 1850.
Brownson, 0. A.-—The American Republic; its Constitution,
Tendencies, and Destiny. Svo, New York, 1866.
This is not so much a history as a political study; but its au-
thor was so vigorous a thinker and writer that it is well worthy
of the historical student's attention. Dr. Brownson was essen-
tially a reviewer of books, and not a maker of them; but in the
volume before us he has embodied the best part of his writings.
The author accepts universal suffrage as a principle, and defends
American democracy, defining it as territorial democracy. He
carefully distinguishes between individualism and socialism. He
rejects State sovereignty, though he maintains that the sovereign-
ty of the general government rests in the States collectively. He
holds Madison to have been our most philosophical statesman, and
follows him in very many of his doctrines. He writes as an
ardent Roman Catholic, though he does not obtrude his religious
tenets. He holds to the constant superintendence of divine
power, and that the organization of the American government
was strictly providential.
The reader will probably dissent from the writer quite as often
as he agrees with him; but, in spite of this fact, he will find the
vigor and originality of the work exceedingly suggestive.
568
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Carlier, Auguste.-Histoire du Peuple Américain. États-Unis
et ses Rapports avec les Indiens depuis la Fondation des Co-
lonies Anglaises jusqu'à la Révolution de 1776. 2. vols., 8vo,
Paris, 1864.
An account of our colonial period, prepared after long obser-
vation and study in the United States. The author, at the be-
ginning of his work, condemns the hasty but brilliant generaliza-
tions of De Tocqueville, declaring them to have been made on
the basis of too superficial an examination. M. Carlier himself
endeavors to keep his feet on the solid basis of reality and per-
sonal observation. His judginents are severe, but not intemperate
in tone. He has little admiration for the early New England
character, and believes that historians generally have been in error
in estimating its peculiarities and its influence. Each of the early
colonies be has subjected to examination, pointing out what he
believes to be its elements of strength as well as its elements of
weakness.
Foster, J. W.-Prehistoric Races of the United States of Amer-
ica. Svo, Chicago, 3d ed., 1874.
i
The author of this work, in the course of a professional life de-
voted largely to geological and mineralogical explorations, has
personally examined very many of the most interesting evidences
of prehistoric society.
This volume, therefore, is to be regarded as the contribution of
an eminent ethnologist and archæologist to our knowledge of the
carliest history of the human race on this continent. Its numer-
ous illustrations reveal the character of the evidence in support of
the positions held and the theories advanced.
Frothingham, Richard.—The Rise of the Republic of the United
States. 8vo, Boston, 1872.
This is likely to be a favorite volume with all thoughtful sto-
dents of American colonial history. It is clear in style, thorough
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
569
in research, and inethodical in arrangement. As a hand-book for
the study of our early political life it has no superior.
The author's purpose was to point out the gradual derelop-
ment of our national life out of the marked individualism of the
colonial days. He has very little, therefore, to say of civil and
military transactions, excepting so far as they are necessary to the
development of the subject more immediately in hand. The book
presupposes some knowledge of our history, and proceeds at once
to trace the growth of the national sentiment until its partial in-
corporation into the Articles of Confederation, and, finally, its full
embodiment in the Constitution. It is an excellent book, and one
with which no student is likely to become too familiar.
Goodell, William.-Slavery and Antislavery: a History of the
Great Struggle in both Hemispheres; with a view of the Slav-
ery Question in the United States. Svo, New York, 3d ed.,
1855.
By far the most judicial of the numerous books on the growth
of the antislavery movement in the United States.
The author looks upon the subject as a social phenomenon to
be studied and accounted for, rather than as a cause to be advo-
cated or opposed. Accordingly, the volume is made up very
largely of extracts brought from numerous sources and presented
for the purpose of showing the attitude of public opinion. The
growth of antislavery doctrines is thus traced from the beginning
until near the end of the volume, where the inherent merits of
the struggle are judiciously considered.
Gordon, William.-The History of the Rise, Progress, and Estab-
lishment of the Independence of the United States of America;
including an Account of the Late War, and of the Thirteen
Colonies from their Origin to the Present. 4 vols., 8vo, Lon-
don, 1788.
The production of an Englishman who came to America just
before the beginning of the war, and, settling near Boston, began
570
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
the collection of materials, which be finally wrought into the form
here published. He appears to have made a strict effort to be
impartial. His history, therefore, is not without value as the
record of a contemporaneous witness. But it contains many
statcinents that subsequent investigations have shown to be incor-
rect. In spite of this serious defect, however, it gives us much
information not to be found in any other work; and, therefore,
it may often be consulted with advantage.
Hennepin, Father Louis.—A Description of Louisiana. Trans-
lated from the edition of 1683, and compared with the Nouvelle
Découverte, the La Salle Documents, and other Contemporane-
ous Papers. Svo, New York, 1880.
The most valuable as well as the most graphic of the original
accounts of La Salle's course of exploration as far as Illinois, and
the only detailed narrative of Hennepin's voyage up the Missis-
sippi as far as to the Falls of St. Anthony.
Though some of the writings attributed to Hennepin at a later
period of his life are of doubtful authenticity, the genuineness of
the description here republished is supported by a remarkable
amount of contemporaneous and subsequent authority. Accord-
ingly, it is a most valuable addition to the knowledge of our ear-
liest history. Accompanying the volume is a fac-simile of a very
curious map made by Hennepin in 1683, and dedicated to the
King of France.
Hock, Dr. Carl Freiherr von.-Die Finanzen und die Finanzge-
schichte der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika. Svo, Stutt-
gart, 1867.
A description of American finances from an historical but not
from a chronological point of view.
The “Powers and Methods of Congress,” the “Duties of the
President and Secretary of State,” the “Systems of Taxation,"
the “Organization and Powers of the Treasury Department,” and
the “System of Currency and Banking” are treated analytically
and historically in such a way as to show the course of the gov-
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
571
ernment on cach of these subjects. The voluine has more es-
pecially to do with the period since the outbreak of the Civil
War.
The purpose of the author was not to give an elementary de-
scription, but rather a full and critical discussion. His ability is
quite adequate to the task; for lie has acquired distinction as
Professor of Political Economy in the University of Vienna, and
has brought to bear upon this subject the well-known characteris-
tics of German methods. The most obvious criticism to be made
on the work is that it rests somewhat too exclusively on the stat-
utes as the sources of his information.
The use of the book is made casy by a full table of contents :
and a very complete index.
Holst, Dr. H. von.--The Constitutional and Political History of
the United States. Translated from the German by Jolin J.
Lalor, Alfred B. Mason, and Paul Shorey. 3 vols., Svo, Chi-
cago, 1876–81.
Unquestionably the ablest work that has yet been written on
our constitutional and political history. It begins with the period
of the adoption of the Constitution, and ends with an account of
the Compromise of 1850. The first volume closes with the elec-
tion of Jackson to the presidency; the second with the election
of Polk; the third with the agitation on the question of slavery
which ended in the famous Compromise.
The author's method combines the narrative with the argument-
ative. His purpose, evidently, is not to give a history of events,
but a searching review of them. He presupposes a familiarity
with the principal facts of our political life. The ability he
shows in the processes of analysis and criticism appeals to the
highest powers of the reader's judgment and intelligence. The
student of lofty purpose will find his thoughts constantly stimu-
lated by its perusal.
The point of view from which the volumes are written may be
said to be that of a political pessimist. It would be difficult to
find a passage in the course of the whole work that shows an ad-
miration of any one feature of our institutions; but it would be
572
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
easy to point out many that seem to indicate a hearty contempt
for our political theories and methods. If the generous pecuniary
support given to the author for the prosecution of his investiga-
tions by the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences, and alluded to
in the preface of the third volume, had been granted for the ex-
press purpose of subsidizing a systematic attempt to undermine
the foundations of republican institutions, and throw ridicule
upon them in the eyes of royalists, the Academy would have had
abundant reasons to be satisfied with the result.
Aside from the general spirit pervading the volumes, they are
not free from faults of a more specific nature. The author shows
• a singular, almost an eccentric, disregard for what would appear
to be a proper perspective. In illustration, attention may be
called to the fact that he devotes some two hundred and fifty
pages to a description of the “ political trickerics” of Van Buren's
administration, while of the great constitutional contest in which
Webster was so long engaged he gives almost absolutely no ac-
count whatever. In point of style, also, the work leaves much to
be desired. The sentences are often long and awkwardly in-
volved. Sometimes the heavy monotony is relieved by the use
of a grotesque comparison or metaphor. In fact, it is not too
much to say that the pages reveal no appreciation whatever of the
merits of a good literary style. Everything seems to have been
sacrificed to vigor and emphasis.
Thus, while the work is written with conspicuous ability, it
shows numerous and great defects. It is not injurious to know
the worst that can be said of us; and, therefore, every student of
robust intelligence may receive advantage from the stimulus it
will afford. 'Indeed, as a counterpoise to any spirit of undiscrim-
inating and too optimistic patriotism that may exist, the volumes
may be heartily recommended. The translation is not felicitous
in style, and is not free from serious errors.
Lamphere, George N.- The United States Government: its Or-
ganization and Practical Workings. Including the Declaration
of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and a
Description of the Three Grand Divisions of the Government.
8vo, Philadelphia, 1880.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES:
573
most authentic a branches of the gover persons employed in facts
A very useful book of reference. It contains the fullest and
most authentic accounts we have of the organization of the several
departments and branches of the government. This includes the
number, title, and compensation of all persons employed in each
department. The volume also contains many interesting facts
and histories not casily accessible elsewhere. In short, it is a
mine of information in regard to all branches of the public ser-
vice. .
· Lodge, Henry Cabot.--A Short History of the English Colonies
in America. 8vo, New York, 1881.
The purpose of the author, in this volume, was to describe the
social condition of the English colonies in America at the time
of the meeting of the Stamp Act Congress in 1765. The life,
the thought, the manners, and the habits of the people were the
subjects that he investigated and has well described. In the ac-
complishment of his task he has made use of an enormous mass
of materials, much of which is not easily accessible. Full refer-
ences to authorities are given in the notes.
The arrangement of the materials is somewhat peculiar and not
altogether felicitous. Each of the descriptive chapters is preceded
by an outline of the political history of the particular colony de-
scribed. Thus we have “ Virginia from 1606 to 1765;" and
then “ Virginia in 1765," and so on with the other colonies.
The chapters are arranged in couplets, the first in cach case form-
ing simply an historical sketch introductory to the second and
much more important of the two.
The disadvantages of this method of arrangement are in the
fact that each colony is made to stand out with something like
an isolated distinctness from the others, whereas, in fact, the inter-
ests and the methods of the colonists were intimately interwoven.
. With this not very important qualification, the volume may be
commended as a scholarly production, in every way worthy of the
student's attention.
Mather, Cotton.--- Magnalia Christi Americana; or, The Ecclesi-
astical History of New England from its First Planting, in the
574
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Year 1620, until the Year of our Lord 1698. 2 vols., 8vo,
Hartford, 1855.
One of the most singular books ever written. The author was
a man of almost unexampled industry and of astonishing attain-
ments. But interspersed with a vast amount of knowledge is at
least an equal amount of pedantry and folly: The earlier editions
overflowed with quotations from the almost countless languages
at Mather's disposal ; and the whole was interspersed with a juni-
ble of puns and poems, of sermons and anagrams. Though writ-
ten in a brisk and genial style, the book is so encumbered with
irrelevant matter that nobody at the present day will waste his
time by reading it as a whole. Probably very few persons in the
nineteenth century have had the patience to go through it from
beginning to end.
So far as it is used even as an original anthority, its statements
must be accepted with great caution. Mather, with all his learn- ·
ing, was the most inaccurate of men. The investigator must be
constantly on his guard against the author's stipendous conceits
and violent prejudices. As if to add to the already sufficient con-
fusion of the student, even the best edition is without an index.
But, with all its faults, it is still quite indispensable to the his-
torian of New England. As a picture of certain phases of New
England life it is unrivalled.
Pitkin, Timothy.—A Political and Civil History of the United
States of America from their commencement to the Close of
the Administration of Washington, including a Sammary of
the Political and Civil State of the New England Colonies
prior to that Period. 2 vols., Svo, New Haven, 1828.
A magazine of carefully collected and important information.
It is information, however, still in a crude form. The book is ex-
ceedingly valuable to investigators; but it will be sure to repel
those who are readers merely for pleasure. It is a dry record of
facts, unrelieved by any spirited narrative, or any attempt at de-
lineation of character. The style is not pure, nor is the manner
clevated. The author's knowledge was unquestionably extensive;
IIISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
575
and his judgment was impartial; but he showed utter lack of
skill in the art of putting his materials together into attractive
form, and consequently the book has met with but limited use.
Its value, however, will be appreciated by the inost thorough stu-
dents.
Schoolcraft, H. R.--History, Condition, and Prospects of the In-
dian Tribes of the United States. 6 vols., large 4to, Washing-
ton, 1851-55.
The great thesaurus of information concerning the Indian races
cast of the Rocky Mountains. The author was an enthusiast in
the study of the habits and character of the Indian; and his huge
volumes will be a permanent monument to his name. The labor's
of the author were carried on under the patronage of the govern-
ment; and, although the work is more picturesque than scientific,
it can never cease to have considerable value.
Seybert, Adam.-Statistical Annals, Embracing Views of the
Population, Commerce, Navigation, Fisheries, Public Lands,
Post-office Establishment, Revenues, Mint, Military and Naval
Establishment Expenditures, Public Debt, and Sinking Fund of
the United States, founded on Official Docunents, commencing
with March 4, 1789, and ending with April 20, 1818. 4to,
Philadelphia, 1818.
A vast fund of somewhat ill-arranged information of a valuable
nature. It is of especial importance on the early financial history
of the country.
Short, John T.-The North Americans of Antiquity. Their Orig-
inal Migrations and Type of Civilization Considered. Svo,
New York, 1880.
This valuable work, unlike that of Foster, has not been drawn
so much from personal explorations in the field as from the ex-
plorations and writings of others. The material has been gathered
576
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
chiefly from the Smithsonian reports and the monographs of
specialists. The Spanish and Mexican sources are especially rich
on the subject; and the author has made use of these with great
advantage.
Stedman, C.—The History of the Origin, Progress, and Termina-
tion of the American War. 2 vols., 4to, London, 1794.
The production of an English officer who served under Sir
William Howe, Sir Henry Clinton, and Lord Cornwallis. The
work, therefore, is of value as being the record of an intelligent
eye-witness from an English point of view. He seems to have
had no very great respect for the military capacity and skill of
his commanders. As Stedman's opportunities were limited to
those of a military nature, his history is of no importance except
on military affairs.
--
Stephens, Alexander H.-A Constitutional View of the War be-
tween the States. Its Causes, Oharacter, Conduct, and Results,
Presented in a Series of Colloquies at Liberty Hall. 2 vols.,
Svo, Philadelphia, 1868.
These volumes, by one of the ablest as well as one of the most
conspicuous champions of the South, might very properly have
been called a history of the doctrines of nullification and seces-
sion. But they are not simply a history, they are an argument.
The whole of the first volume and a half of the second are
taken up with a presentation of the case historically and consti-
tutionally, from the Southern point of view. There has probably
been no abler presentation of the argument of the South.
Tocqueville, Alexis de.-Democracy in America. Translated by
Henry Reeve, Esq. Edited with Notes, the translation revised
and in great part rewritten, and the Additions made to the
recent Paris editions now first translated. By Francis Bowen.
2 vols., 8vo, Cambridge, 3d ed., 1863.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
577
This famous book is a work of undoubted genius.' It contains
here and there an error in statement of fact, and the author has
occasionally allowed himself to draw inferences from insufficient
observations. But, in spite of a few defects of this nature, it still
remains perhaps the most valuable book ever written on American
institutions. Every student of our national history would do well
to study its pages with thoughtful care.
It may be described as a book of comments and speculations
on our political and social characteristics. Intermingled with
these comments the reader finds an abundance of interesting gen-
eralization on the characteristics of democratic as distinguished
froin aristocratic institutions.
The author's view, as a whole, is a sympathetic one, though by
no means one of indiscriminate praise.
Washington, George, and Crawford, William.—Correspondence
concerning Western Lands, 1767-81. Arranged and Anno-
tated by Č. W. Butterfield. 8vo, Cincinnati, 1877.
A collection of much importance for the study of the relations
of the Northwest to the Union. The letters of Washington show
that he had a clear vision of the great future in store for the
region north of the Ohio, and that he did not fail to see the op-
portunities for successful investment.
Wilson, Henry.-History of the Rise and Fall of the Slave Power
in America. 4th edition, 3 vols., large 8vo, Boston, 1875.
The author took a prominent part in the antislavery struggle,
and was in many respects well fitted to perform the task he under-
took. He was intimately acquainted with the subject, and he
spent upon it years of unstinted labor.
But the production has two limitations of some importance.
In the first place, the author gives the student no references to
authorities; and, in the second, he uses with too great freedom
the language of denunciation. It is a subjective history, written
37
578 : IIISTORICAL LITERATUREMER
.
with much intensity of feeling. The volumes are made easy of
lise by tables of contents and a good index,
Young, Andrew W.—The American Statesman: a Political His-
tory Exhibiting the Origin, Nature, and Practical Operation of
Constitutional Government in the United States; the Rise and
Progress of Parties; and the Views of Distinguished States-
men on Questions of Foreign and Domestic Policy. Large
Svo, New York, 1861.
Not a book of great original merits, but one that has been, and
still may be, useful to a large number of persons. It passes lightly
over the period before the adoption of the Constitution, reserving
its strength for the political struggles of the past century.
The inost noteworthy characteristic of the volume is the fact
that the author does not obtrude his own opinions, but introduces
very largely the opinions of those who, at the time he is discuss-
ing, were prominent in affairs. This is the conspicuous merit of
the book. While it detracts from the historical symmetry of the
work, it brings before the reader many opinions which it may be
profitable for him to know. It might with some propriety have
been called a history of public opinion on political questions.
The author has been very successful in his effort to preserve
what he deems a commendable impartiality.
V. IMPORTANT BIOGRAPHIES AND COLLECTED WRITINGS.
Adams, Henry.—The Life of Albert Gallatin. 8vo, Philadelphia,
1879.
A volume designed to supply historians with some of the ma-
terials for the history of a period as yet only imperfectly under-
stood.
The principal sources from which the author has drawn his
materials are the rich collection left by Gallatin, and the papers
still lying in the archives of the government at Washington. For
C
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
579
the financial history of the years between 1801 and 1829 the vol-
ume is of importance only second to that of Gallatin's “ Works."
It is not a biography written for popular use, but rather a narra-
tive designed to assist the most thoughtful student.
Austin, James T.-The Life of Elbridge Gerry, with Contempo-
rary Letters to the Close of the Revolution. 2 vols., 8vo, Bos-
ton, 1828–29.
Of these volumes, the second is the most important; for it
embraces the period during which Gerry was at the head of the
Antifederalist party in New England. The book is not one of
great inherent merits; but a sympathetic view of Gerry's life
while he was governor of Massachusetts and Vice-President of
the United States, as well as the acknowledged leader of the op-
position to New England Federalism, is not without considerable
importance.
Bigelow, John.—The Life of Benjamin Franklin, Written by Him-
self; now first edited from Original Manuscripts, and from his
Printed Correspondence and other Writings. 3 vols., 8vo,
Philadelphia, 1875.
Probably no public man ever left more ample materials in his
own writings for his own life than did Franklin. During the
twenty years of his residence in Europe as a representative of his
State and his country, he was in constant correspondence with his
government and his friends. The result was the gradual accumu-
lation of a mass of invaluable materials.
Besides all these writings, he left an autobiography of his early
years, prepared at the special request of a friend in Paris. This
autobiography, for a considerable time held in MS., was finally
translated into French and published. This French version was
converted back into English, and thus the translation of a trans-
lation was the only form in which the work was accessible to
English readers until the appearance of the edition published by
Mr. Bigelow.
580
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
The later portions are derived almost exclusively from Frank-
lin's published writings. The importance of the volumes grows
not simply or even chiefly out of their descriptions of contempo-
raneous events, but rather from the revelation they give of Frank-
lin's methods of viewing the political affairs of his times.
Curtis, George Ticknor.—Life of Daniel Webster. 2 vols., 8vo
and 12mo, New York, 1869.
The author of these volumes for many years knew Webster in-
timately, and by his own studies of the history of the Constitu-
tion was well qualified for the task of describing Webster's public
career. The especial value of the work is in the light it throws
on the development of Webster's ideas concerning the proper in-
terpretation of the Constitution. It may always be read with
profit in connection with a study of Webster's positions in the
great constitutional struggles between the North and the South.
Garland, Hugh H.-The Life of John Randolph of Roanoke.
2 vols., 8vo, New York, 1860.
For many years Randolph was not simply one of the most
eccentric, but was also one of the most influential, members of
Congress. To the details of his life, therefore, there has always
attached a curious interest. Garland's work is not entirely worthy
of the subject; but it is the best biography of Randolph we have,
and, therefore, is not without some interest and value.
Greene, George Washington. — The Life of Nathaniel Greene,
Major-general in the Army of the Revolution. 3 vols., sro,
New York, 1868.
. As the most important biography of the ablest subordinate to
Washington in the Revolutionary War, these volumes are not
without considerable historical value. They throw much light
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
581
A
on the military history of the war, especially that portion of it
which was under General Greene's immediate direction. The bi-
ographer differs in some important particulars from Bancroft;
and, therefore, the two works may well be used in common.
Irving, Washington. -- Life of George Washington. 5 vols.,
12mo, New York, 1856–60.
This work was regarded by the author as the most important
of his productions, and as, in some sense, the crown of his literary.
career. It partakes of his well-known characteristics as a writer;
and will probably acquire a permanent place in our literature as
the standard life of Washington.
For the purposes of an historical student, the last two volumes
will probably be found the most important. The phases of polit-
ical life which Irving saw, however, were not always the phases
which the student will now desire to see; and, therefore, too high
expectations must not be raised. Recourse must constantly be
had to other sources of information.
Johnson, Oliver.-William Lloyd Garrison and his Times; or,
Sketches of the Antislavery Movement in America, and of the
Man who was its Founder and Moral Leader. 12mo, Boston,
1880.
As a description of the antislavery movement, this volume has
the merit of having been prepared by one who was familiar with
all the details of its progress from its beginning. Though it is
not written in a very animated style, it is still one of the most
valuable contributions yet made to the history of that long agita-
tion.
Lodge, Henry Cabot.—Life and Letters of George Cabot. 8vo,
Boston, 1877.
The importance of this work is in the light it throws on the
582
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
attitude of the Federalists of New England at the period of the
War of 1812.
The part of Cabot before and during the Hartford Convention
was so conspicuous that the publication of his letters alone would
have been a genuine contribution to our means of understanding
the period. For a proper understanding of the war, therefore,
the volume is an authority of much consequence. It leaves the
attitude of the Federalists of New England no longer in doubt.
Marshall, John.-The Life of George Washington. To which is
prefixed an Introduction containing a Comprehensive View of
the Colonies Planted by the English on the Continent of North
America. 5 vols., 8vo, London and Philadelphia, 1804–7;
2d ed. revised, 2 vols., 8vo, Philadelphia, 1832.
This author had not so large advantages in the way of materials
as some of the later writers, but his political acumen and his ju-
dicial equipoise were such as to give his work a great and a per-
manent importance. The first volume is devoted to a description
of the colonial period, and it still remains one of the most satis-
factory works we have on the subject. The last volume is also
of great importance as a view of Washington's administration.
Morse, John T.—The Life of Alexander Hamilton. 2 vols., 12mo,
Boston, 1876. . .
The author is a hearty admirer of Hamilton; but he has suc-
ceeded in being fairly impartial in his work. The volumes are
designed for popular uses rather than for the use of the historical
investigator. By all students of the Constitutional period, how-
ever, they may be read with profit. The influence of Hamilton
in the framing of the Constitution, and in the securing of its
adoption, is nowhere better presented.
Parton, James. Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. 2 vols.,
8vo, New York, 1864.
Like all of Párton's books, this work is especially adapted to
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
583
those who need to be tempted to the pursuit of truth. Its style
is the most spirited, and its subject is the most interesting. Even
the dullest reader will not fail to have his attention excited by the
story; for it is a remarkable story told in a remarkable way.
Perhaps the most valuable portion is that which gives in detail
the part of Beaumarchais in securing the assistance of France to
the struggling colonies of America. The most noteworthy weak-
ness of the volumes is a tendency to eccentric and extravagant
forms of statement.
Parton, James.—Life of Thomas Jefferson. 8vo, Boston, 1874.
The least valuable of the author's biographical productions,
with the possible exception of the “Life of Burr.” From begin-
ning to end the writer seems to have been moved by two im-
pulses equally strong-adıniration of Jefferson and aversion to
Hamilton. As he seldom lets an opportunity pass without deal-
ing a blow at the one, so he is always inclined to praise and ex-
cuse the other. The narrative is fascinating, but the historical
value of the work is very slight. The intense spirit of partisan-
ship pervading its pages robs it of judicial candor.
Parton, James. - Life of Andrew Jackson. 3 vols., 8vo and ·
12mo, New York, 1860.
Unquestionably one of the best of Parton's biographies. Jack-
son's weaknesses are not concealed; on the contrary, he is shown
to have bad serious faults, but, at the same time, to have been
honest and interesting, though not at all times wise. The author
regards Jackson as a specimen to study rather than as a model to
copy. Though the book contains much that a severe judgment
would exclude, yet from beginning to end it is a narrative of ab-
sorbing interest.
The most important part of the work is that which describes
the violent change introduced into the civil service on the acces-
sion of Jackson to the presidency. The circumstances and the
significance of the change are clearly and fairly presented.
584
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Pickering, Octavius, and Upham, C. W.-Life of Timothy Pick-
ering. 4 vols., Svo, Boston, 1867.
Of these volumes only the first was written by the son of Colo-
nel Pickering; the second, third, and fourth are by Mr. UpLam.
The especial value of the work is in the nature of the materials
used in the course of its preparation, and in the description of the
part played by Colonel Pickering during the administrations of
John Adams, Jefferson, and Madison. As leader of the New Eng.
land Federalists, Pickering's importance was everywhere acknowl.
edged; and, at the time of his death, he left a vast number of
manuscripts of value. These have formed the basis of this bio-
graphical history.
John Federalists, Pickering's imp death, he left a vast nunne bio-
Quincy, Edmund.—Life of Josiah Quincy. 8vo, Boston, 1869.
The part of Josiah Quincy in Congress during the years before
the War of 1812 was of great importance. As a representative
of a certain phase of New England ideas, Quincy is entitled to be
studied. Of this work, chapters iv.-xi. are of most importance.
Randall, Henry S.-The Life of Thomas Jefferson. 3 vols., 8vo,
New York, 1858.
By far the most valuable of the biographies of Jefferson. It
is a very elaborate effort to place the third President before the
people of the country in a favorable light.
The author is a great admirer of the statesman he describes ;
and he has brought together a large amount of valuable material
in the interests of his purpose. It is chiefly in this material that
the real importance of the volumes consists. The narrative is so
dispassionate as to be somewhat dry; and the work is so volu-
minous as to be somewhat discouraging to such as inay desire to
read it from beginning to end; but with the help of the index
every student may use it with profit.
HISTORI
HE UNITED S'
AD
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 585
Reed, William B.-Life and Correspondence of Joseph Reed. 2
vols., 8vo, Philadelphia, 1842.
President Reed was military secretary of Washington, Adju-
tant-general of the Continental Army, Member of Congress, and
President of the Executive Council of the State of Pennsylvania.
· The confidential relations of the commander-in-chief and his
military secretary give to these letters great value. They have
been much used by the historians; and, although there has been
some controversy concerning them, their importance is universally
conceded. They throw light not only on the Revolutionary, but
also on the Constitutional, period.
Rives, William C.--History of the Life and Times of Jaines
Madison. 3 vols., 8vo, Boston, 1860–68.
The author of these volumes, in the course of his duties as edi-
tor of Madison's Works, came into possession of valuable materials
for the illustration of the lives and character of many of the
founders of the government and the Constitution. These vol-
umes, therefore, belong to the domain of history more than to
that of biography. They are founded on original and, in some
instances, unpublic, They are folomain of bi
Unfortunately, the author did not live to complete the work.
The third volume ends with the election of John Adams to the
presidency. The value of the production, therefore, is in the
light it throws on the formation of the Constitution and the presi-
dency of Washington.
Sabine, Lorenzo. — The American Loyalists; or, Biographical
Sketches of the Adherents of the British Crown in the War of
the Revolution. 8vo, Boston, 1847.
The principal value of this volume is to show that a very con-
siderable number of persons considered it their duty to dissent
from the action of the Revolutionary party, and, at the expense
perhaps of their property and their lives, maintain a loyalty to
586
HISTORICAL LITERATURE,
the crown. The sketches are very short and very numerous, but
here and there glimpses are given showing that even the Revolu-
tionary fathers were not all worthy of canonization.
The work is introduced by an essay of more than a hundred
pages on the nature of the legislation which brought on the war.
The ground is taken that the causes for grievance were not so
much the forms of objectionable taxation as the repeated interfer-
ence with the natural industries of the country.
Sargent, Nathan.-Public Men and Events from the Commence-
ment of Mr. Monroe's Administration, in 1817, to the Close of
Mr. Fillmore's Administration, in 1853. 2 vols., 8vo, Phila-
delphia, 1875.
A volume of interesting reminiscences by one who was many
years in the public service at a time when great questions were
under discussion..
The famous debate between Webster and Hayne, as well as
those on the tariffs of 1828 and 1852; on the bill to recharter
the United States Bank; on the remioval of the public deposits;
on the annexation of Texas ; on the Compromise of 1850; and
on the Fugitive Slave Law; took place under the writer's obser-
vation. His personal acquaintanceship seems to have extended
to all members of Congress.
Shea, George.-The Life and Epoch of Alexander Hamilton. An
Historical Study. 2d ed., revised and corrected, 8vo, Boston,
1880.
As the title indicates, this is not in any strict sense a biography.
It is the author's aim not so much to portray the events of Hamil-
ton's early life as to show the influence of his life and character
on the times in which he lived. The period studied embraces
only the early years of Hamilton's career, and closes with the
events of 1776. The volume shows unquestionable ability, and
is of considerable importance.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
587
Sparks, Jared.—Library of American Biography. 10 vols., 16mo,
New York, 1853.
A series of biographies of prominent persons, forty-eight in
number, prepared by writers selected for the purpose by the edi-
tor. Though the collection was designed for the general public,
the papers are to be regarded as biographical essays rather than
as biographical sketches, and are therefore not without consider-
able value in the study of our early history. The series contains
a number of studies of persons, an account of whose lives is not
elsewhere easily accessible. A list of the biographies may be
found in the catalogues of the Brooklyn Mercantile Library, and
of the Boston Athenæum.
Tudor, James.-Life of James Otis, of Massachusetts. Contain-
ing, also, Notices of some Contemporary Characters and Events
from the year 1760 to 1775. Svo, Boston, 1823.
Of some value as a sketch of the circumstances which called
out the great work of Otis in arousing Revolutionary opinions.
The speeches and papers of Otis that did so much to shape
public opinion are not given in full. These must be sought else-
where. They may be found in vol. i. of the 4th series of Force's
“ Archives.”
Tyler, Samuel.--Memoir of Roger Brook Taney, Chief-justice of
the Supreme Court of the United States. Svo, Baltimore, 1872.
Judge Taney seemed to be going into history simply as the
author of the famous Dred Scott Decision. This book is an effort
to show in a favorable light the character of the chief-justice as a
statesman and a jurist. The poition of the volume of greatest
interest to the historical student is that which reveals Taney's
private views on the fugitive-slave question, and the process by
which he brought himself to the positions taken in the famous
decision. The Dred Scott Decision is given in full in an appen-
dix.
588
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Wells, William V. - The Life and Public Services of Samuel
Adams, being a Narrative of his Acts and Opinions and of his
Agency in Procuring and Forwarding the American Revolu-
tion. With Extracts from his Correspondence, State-papers,
and Political Essays. 3 vols., Svo, Boston, 1865.
One of the most valuable contributions to our knowledge of
the Revolutionary period. It was not written so much for the
purpose of constructing a fascinating narrative as to give a sober
account of the great events in which Samuel Adams took so con-
spicuous a part. The early years of his life are therefore rapidly
passed over, and the principal part of the work is devoted to his
Revolutionary services.
Wirt, William.-Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick
Henry. 15th ed., New York, 1860.
A work that has long been regarded a classic among American
biographies. It is highly laudatory, and has probably done more
than any other book to form the halo which rests on the head of
the Revolutionary patriot.
Patrick Henry exerted a powerful influence at two periods in
his life: first, when he aroused the State against the mother
country; and, second, when he made herculean efforts to prevent
Virginia from ratifying the Constitution and becoming a part of
the Union. In other respects the life of Henry is a picturesque
one, but not one of very great importance. Wirt's book should
be used by the student with great caution.
Adams, John-The Works of, with a Life of the Author. Notes
and Illustrations by his grandson, Charles Francis Adams. 10
vols., Svo, Boston, 1856.
The first volume is devoted to the life of the author; vols. ii.
and iii. to the autobiography, the debates in the Constitutional
Convention, a dissertation on canon and feudal law, and the inde-
pendence of the judiciary; vols. iv., V., and vi. to a defence of the
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
589
Constitution, the discourses on Davila, and letters on government;
vols. vii., viii., and ix, to official letters, messages, and public pa-
pers; and vol. x. to correspondence.
In vol. v. is to be found a history of the dispute between Eng-
land and America from 1754. The works close with a very com-
plete index.
Adams, John Quincy-Memoirs of. Comprising Portions of his
Diary from 1795 to 1848. 12 vols., 8vo, Philadelphia, 1874–77.
Volumes of surpassing interest on the personal and political
life of one of the noblest and most accomplished of our public
men.
The most striking and interesting peculiarity of the diary. is
the fulness of the author's reflections and comments on the men
and on the events among which he lived. It was his constant
habit to jot down his thoughts on what was taking place about
him. Accordingly, there is scarcely an event of importance dur-
ing the long years of his public career on which he has not ex-
pressed an opinion. The very full index at the end gives an easy
clew to what is contained in the volumes.
Calhoun, John C.-The Works of. Edited by Richard K. Cralle.
6 vols., 8vo, New York, 1854-56.
These works are of the utmost importance to the student who
would learn the views of our government generally entertained at
the South.
In the first volume are to be found the “Disquisition on Gor-
ernment" and the papers on the Constitution and government of
the United States. The speeches on various political subjects are
in vols. ii.-iv. Volume v. is devoted to reports while in Congress
and while Secretary of War; and vol. vi. to reports and public
letters. The first half of the sixth volume contains the most im-
portant papers of the author on the relations of the State to the
general government.
590
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Clay, Henry—The Works of, edited by Calvin Colton. 6 vols.,
8vo, New York, 1855.
The first three volumes are devoted to the life of the orator;
though the third is largely composed of material designed to illus-
trate Clay's influence on the various subjects with which he es-
pecially had to deal. The fourth volume contains the correspond-
ence; while the fifth and sixth are made up of the orator's
speeches in Congress. Unfortunately, the volumes contain no
general index; but the tables of contents will generally give a
clew to what the author had to say on any given subject.
Everett, Edward.—Orations and Speeches on Various Occasions.
4 vols., 8vo, Boston, 1850–68.
The orations and addresses here collected are, for the most part,
arranged in the chronological order of their delivery: vol. i. covers
the period from 1824 to 1835; vol. ii., 1829 to 1850; vol. iii.,
1850 to 1858; vol. iv., 1858 to 1865. The subjects of the ad-
dresses may be found under the head of “Everett" in the Brook-
lyn Mercantile Library Catalogue and in the Catalogue of the
Boston Athenæum Library.
Franklin, Benjamin-The Works of, containing Several Political
Tracts not included in any former edition, and many Letters,
Official and Private, not hitherto published. With Notes and
Life of the Author by Jared Sparks. 10 vols., 8vo, Philadel-
phia, 1840.
The first volume contains Franklin's autobiography, with a con-
tinuation by Sparks ; vol. ii., essays on religious and moral sub-
jects, politics, commerce, and political economy; vols. iii. and iv.,
essays and tracts, historical and political, before the American
Revolution; vol. v., political papers during and after the Revolu-
tion; vol. vi., letters and papers on philosophical and scientific
subjects; vols. vii. and viii., correspondence, and fragment of
Polybius; vol. ix., correspondence and journal of negotiations for
peace; vol. x., private letters.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
591
Gallatin, Albert-The Writings of, edited by Henry Adams. 3
vols., 8vo, Philadelphia, 1879.
Of these volumes, the first two are made up of Gallatin's cor-
respondence. The third embraces the more valuable of his larger
writings. The most important of these are the “Sketch of the
Finances of the United States,” pp. 69–207; “Considerations on
the Currency and Banking System of the United States," pp.
231-365; and “Suggestions on the Banks and Currency of the
United States in reference principally to the Suspension of Specie
Payments,” pp. 365-489.
The works are of the utmost iinportance to the student of the
financial history of the country. Their use is made easy by a
good index.
Jefferson, Thomas-The Writings of. Published by order of
the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library from the Orig-
inal Manuscripts deposited in the Department of State, with
Explanatory Notes, Tables of Contents, and a Copious Index
to each volume, as well as a General Index to the whole. 9
vols., 8vo, Washington, 1853.
Of this collection, vol. i. consists of autobiography and letters,
1773–1790; vols. ii. and iii., of letters from 1784 to 1790; vols.
iv.-vi., of letters from 1790 to 1826; vol. vii., of reports and
opinions while Secretary of State ; vol. viii., of inaugural addresses,
messages, replies, and notes on Virginia ; vol. ix., Parliamentary
Manual, the anas, and miscellaneous papers.
As Jefferson's political ideas are very fully given in his letters,
the student should make free use of the index.
Madison, James-Letters and other Writings of. Published by
order of Congress. 4 vols., 8vo, Philadelphia, 1865.
In vol. i., which is devoted to the period between 1769 and
1793, are to be found a large number of very important papers,
including the “Declaration of Rights,” reported by the Select
592
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Committee of the Virginia Convention in 1776. Vol. ii. covers
the period from 1794 to 1815; vol. iii., that from 1816 to 1828;
and vol. iv., that from 1829 to 1836.
In the last volume are to be found important letters on the
Virginia resolutions of 1798, pp. 61-66 ; and also the author's
maturer views on the subject of nullification, pp. 95–105. There
is an unusually copious general index.
Seward, William H. - The Works of. Edited by George E.
Baker. 4 vols., Svo, New York, 1853–62.
The first volume contains a biographical memoir, speeches and
debates in the United States Senate, and forensic arguments;
vol. ii., the writings of the author as Governor of New York;
vol. iii., orations and occasional addresses, executive speeches, and
general correspondence; vol. iv., speeches in the United States
Senate.
As the last volume contains the record of the author's work
during the important years between 1852 and 1862, it is of more
consequence to the student than all of the others. The promi-
nent part of Seward in shaping the early policy of the Republi-
can party is here clearly revealed.
Sumner, Charles-Works of. 12 vols., 12mo, Boston, 1875.
The contents of these volumes are arranged in chronological
order. As yet no general index of the works has been published.
Each volume contains a table of contents; but if the student de-
sires a view of the contents of the whole series of volumes, he
must resort to the catalogues, the best of which are the Brooklyn
Mercantile Library Catalogue and the Catalogue of the Boston
Athenæum. The pre-eminence of Sumner in the antislavery
struggle gives to the volumes great importance.
Vol. i. is devoted to addresses and papers written and delivered
between 1845 and 1847; vol. ii., 1847-51 ; vol. iii., 1851-55; vol.
iv., 1855–60 ; vol. v., 1860–61 ; vol. vi., 1861-62; vol. vii., 1862-
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
593
63; vol. viii., 1863–64; vol. ix., 1864-65; vol. x., 1865-66; vol.
xi., 1866–67; vol. xii., 1867–68.
Washington, George—The Writings of. Being his Correspond-
cnce, Addresses, Messages, and other Papers, Official and Pri-
vate, Selected and Published from the Original Manuscripts.
With a Life of the Author, and Notes and Illustrations. By
Jared Sparks. 12 vols., Svo, New York, 1852.
Of these writings, vol. i. consists of the life of Washington by
Sparks; vol. ii., of official letters on the French war, and private
letters before the Revolution; vols. iii.--viii., letters and miscella-
neous papers relating to the American Revolution; vol. ix., cor-
respondence from 1783 to 1789, with illustrative documents; vols.
X.-xi., correspondence from the beginning of his presidency to
the end of his life; vol. xii., speeches, messages, proclamations,
and addresses.
Webster, Daniel—The Works of. 6 vols., 8vo, Boston, 1853–56.
The first and second volumes are devoted to a biographical
memoir of the author, and to speeches and addresses on various
public occasions. Vols. iii.-V. contain his political speeches in
Congress ; vol. vi., bis legal arguments, bis addresses to a jury,
and his diplomatic and official papers.
To the student of our political and constitutional history the
works of Webster are invaluable. He exerted a powerful influ-
ence in shaping public opinion on almost every question of im-
portance that came up in the course of his public career. A
good index makes the volumes easy of use.
VI. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND READERS.
1. Hildreth's, though its style is apt to discourage, is the most
satisfactory single work for the use of a thoughtful student.
Lodge's “Short History of the English Colonies" is the best
38
594
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
general account of the condition of the people during the colonial
period. Frothinghain's “Rise of the Republic” is admirable for
its representation of the causes and tendencies leading to union.
If the reader desires entertainment as well as instruction, he will
receive unfailing satisfaction in the works of Parkman. The dis-
coveries by the Northmen are, perhaps, best described in the work
of Bryant and Gay. Ridpath's is one of the inost satisfactory
single volumes on the entire history of the country.
2. The work of Pitkin, though too dry to be read for pleasure,
has great intrinsic value. Palfrey's "History of New England”
is a work of the highest mcrit. If the reader desires to know
what is to be said on the unfavorable side of the Puritan charac-
ter, he should read Oliver's “Puritan Commonwealth," and then
Thornton's volume in review of it. Bancroft's “History” gives the
best account of the Revolution, and of the events leading to the
failure of the confederation and the adoption of thie Constitution.
In a systematic study of the Revolutionary period, grcat assistance
will be gained from Winsor's “Hand-book.” Volume i. of Cur-
tis's “History of the Constitution” may be read with advantage.
The difficulties of the early history under the Constitution are
best described in Gibbs's “Administrations of Washington and
Adams.” On the War of 1812 perhaps the most light is thrown
by Adams's “New England Federalismo.” The great Constitu-
tional struggle extending from 1920 to 1832 is best studied in
the works of Calhoun and Webster. Tucker's "General History”
gives the Southern view in a spirit of moderation. The leading
facts of the struggle between the forces of slavery and antislavery
are best presented in Goodell's “Slavery and Antislavery,” and
in vol. i. of Greeley's “ American Conflict.” A much fuller, but
not more satisfactory, account is the one in Wilson's “Rise and
Fall of the Slave Power." On Constitutional questions Von
Holst ought not to be ignored, though his book is a history of
political parties rather than a history of Constitutional develop-
ment. Of the liistories of the Civil War, that of the Count of
Paris is justly in the highest repute. In the study of the present
century of our political history great dependence must be placed
on the biographies of our most prominent public men.
3. Among the materials for a thorough study of our history the
publications of several learned societies are especially worthy of note.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
595
Foremost among these are the “ Collections” of the Massa-
chusetts Historical Society. This organization was incorporated
during the last century, and its first volume was published as early
as 1792. The earlier issues have been republished, and the series
at present consists of forty-six octavo volumes—a storehouse of
the most valuable materials, many of which have never elsewhere
been printed. They are indispensable to a thorough study of
colonial history. A general index is to be found at the end of
each tenth volume. The table of contents occupies four and a
half closely printed pages of the Catalogue of the Library of the
Boston Athenæum, in which also may be found lists of the
papers included in the “ Collections” of the societies hercafter
mentioned. The “Proceedings ” of the same society down to
1878 occupy fifteen octavo volumes, and, though of somewhat
less importance, are not without much value.
The “Collections” of the New York Historical Society are em-
braced in seven octavo volumes, and were published at different
periods between the years 1811 and 1857. Many of the papers
here, also, are of the first importance.
The “ Collections” of the Maine Historical Society down to
1877 make up nine volumes; those of the New Hampshire His-
torical Society, eight; those of Rhode Island, six: but all these
pertain chiefly to affairs of local rather than of general impor-
tance. The “ Collections” of the New Jersey Historical Society,
in seven octavo volumes, are of much greater general interest, as
they describe very fully the constitution and government of the
colony from its earliest settlement down to the adoption of the
State constitution. The “Proceedings,” in nine volumes, are also
of importance. The “Memoirs" of the Pennsylvania Historical
Society, in 12 vols., Svo, 1826–76, give much information on the
character of the early government. The “Ohio Valley Historical
Series,” 6 vols., 8vo, Cincinnati, 1868–71, relates to the early
settlement and history of Southern Ohio. Of especial value is
the second volume, in which an important account of the Ohio
Land Company is given.
The collection made by Dr. E. B. O'Callaghan, under the direc-
tion of the New York Legislature, and entitled “Documents rela-
tive to the Colonial History of the State of New York,” forms
ten large quarto volumes, besides an index volume and a supple-
596
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
mentary volume on the “History of the Dutch and Swedish
Settlements on the Delaware River.” The papers here brought
together relate to the entire period from 1603 to 1778. The
“Documentary History of the State of New York” was compiled
by the same editor, and consists of four quarto volumes. The
two series taken together form one of the most important collec-
tions accessible to the student of the colonial period.
The “Publications” of the Narragansett Club, 6 vols., 4to,
Providence, 1866–74, are of great importance on the controverted
questions involved in the life of Roger Williams. .
One of the most valuable series of papers on the early history
of the country is that of Peter Force, entitled “Collection of
· Tracts and Papers relative to the Origin, Settlement, and Progress
of the Colonies of North America,” 4 vols., 8vo, Washington,
1836. There is scarcely a subject relating to the condition of
the colonies in the seventeenth century that is not treated by one
who speaks as a contemporaneous observer.
Of similar importance is the volume collected by Alexander
Young, entitled “Chronicles of the First Planters of the Colony
of Massachusetts Bay, from 1623 to 1636," 8vo, Boston, 1846.
It is the belief of the editor that, with the single exception of
Winthrop's “ History," the volume contains every authentic doc-
ument relating to the Colony of Massachusetts during the years
indicated in the title. The editing has been judiciously done;
and the notes are abundant as well as learned.
On the early settlement of the French in this country, the au-
thority of greatest importance is that entitled “Relations des
Jésuites, contenant ce qui s'est passé de plus remarquable dans les
missions des pères de la Compagnie de Jésus dans la Nouvelle-
France. Ouvrage publié sous les auspices du gouvernement Ca-
nadien,” 3 vols., royal 8vo, Quebec, 1858. While the Jesuit mis-
sionaries of France were carrying on their work in North America
they were in the habit of sending back annually to the Old World
elaborate reports of what they had seen and done. These writ-
ings, annually published in duodecimo volumes, are here brought
together in collected form. The "Relations” are of very unequal
value, but the best critics are of the opinion that they were writ-
ten in perfect good faith, and that they are entitled to be regarded
as quite authentic and trustworthy documents. The first volume is
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
597
nal authort Boston), upell Institiety, on Su
devoted to the period from 1611 to 1626, and to that from 1632
to 1641; the second, from 1642 to 1655; and the third, from
1656 to 1672. The series ends with a very complete index.
A volume of great general interest, though, not of the nature of
ohne other than to mohlich musha Moschetta ei
an original authority, is one published by the Massachusetts His-
torical Society, at Boston, in 1869, entitled "Lectures Delivered
in a Course before the Lowell Institute, in Boston, by Members
of the Massachusetts Historical Society, on Subjects relating to
the Early History of Massachusetts." The course consisted of
thirteen lectures, of the most scholarly character. The importance
of the work may be inferred from the titles—“Treatment of In-
truders and Dissenters by the Founders of Massachusetts,” “Slav-
ery as it once Prevailed in Massachusetts," "Puritan Politics of
England and New England," and "Education in Massachusetts:
Early Legislation and History." Each of these subjects is treated
with good judgment and great learning.
On the period just before the outbreak of the Revolutionary
War, the most valuable of all collections is that of Peter Force,
entitled " American Archives,” 9 vols., folio, Washington, 1833–
37. The author designed a documentary history of America
from 1492 to the adoption of the Constitution in 1789. It was
his purpose to embody the results of his labors in six series of
volumes. In 1833, Congress provided for the publication of the
fourth and fifth series; but when the third volume of the fifth
series was printed the appropriation was exhausted. Though the
publication has not been continued, the papers and materials left
by the author were purchased for the Library of Congress in
1867. According to the report of the Librarian, the MSS. left
by the author amount to not less than about 230,000 pages of
foolscap, or enough for thirty volumes of the size of those already
given to the public.
The published collection is made up of contemporary materials,
in part manuscript and in part previously printed. The first two
volumes of the fourth series are invaluable for the study of the
alienation of the colonies. They contain copies of the “Quebec
Act" and the “Boston Port Bill," as well as numerous speeches
and letters on these and other inatters of importance. The vol-
umes printed cover only the period from the beginning of colonial
discontents to December, 1776. The papers were not very judi-
598
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
ciously edited, even obvious errors in the originals having been
literally copied.
Pertaining to a later period, and of a more comprehensive
nature, are tlıc thirty-eight folio volumes (published in Washing-
ton, 1832–61) known as “American State - papers : Documents,
Legislative and Executive, from 1789.” The collection is invalu-
able, indeed indispensable, to one who would make a thorough
study of the early history and development of our country from
original sources. The volumes are divided into ten groups, each
group appertaining to a distinct class of affairs. The papers in
each series are arranged in chronological order; and each volume
is preceded by a very complete table of contents. The respective
groups cover periods indicated by the following figures : Foreign
Relations, 6 vols., 1789 to 1827; Indian Affairs, 2 vols., 1789 to
1827; Finance, 5 vols., 1789 to 1828; Commerce and Naviga-
tion, 2 vols., 1789 to 1825; Military Affairs, 7 vols., 1789 to
1828; Naval Affairs, 4 vols., 1789 to 1836; Post-office, 1 vol.,
1789 to 1832; Public Lands, 8 vols., 1789 to 1837; Claims, 1
vol., 1789 to 1825; Miscellaneous, 2 vols., 1789 to 1825. Those
on “Foreign Relations,” “Finance,” and “Public Lands,” and
the two volumes entitled “Miscellaneous” are especially worthy
of note.
“The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution”
is the title of a series of twelve octavo volumes edited by Jared
Sparks, and published at Boston in 1829–30. The collection
embraces not only the letters of our ministers and others concern-
ing the foreign relations of the country during the Revolution,
but also the letters in reply from the Secret Committee of Con-
gress and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. The correspondence
is arranged in chronological order, so that whatever is wanted, if
embraced in the collection, can easily be found.
Another series of twelve octavo volumes was published at Bos-
ton, 1813–19, entitled “State-papers and Public Documents of
the United States, from the Accession of George Washington to
the Presidency.” The importance of the collection is in the fact
that it contains documents, both public and confidential, designed
to give a coinplete view of the foreign relations of the country
from the adoption of the Constitution down to the publication of
the last volume.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
599
“The Journals of Congress from 1774 to 1788" were first
published at Philadelphia in 13 vols., 8vo, 1777–88; but they
were reprinted at Washington in 4 vols., Svo, 1823. For the
study of political and constitutional affairs under the Confeder-
ation they are indispensable.
On the proceedings of the convention which framed the Con-
stitution, a volume published at Boston, 1819, entitled “Journal,
Acts, and Proceedings of the Convention Assembled at Philadel-
phia which Framed the Constitution of the United States," indi-
cates with sufficient clearness the daily progress of the conven-
tion. Another work, published in 4 vols., Boston, 1821, entitled
“Secret Journals of the Acts and Proceedings of Congress from
the First Meeting thereof to the Dissolution of the Confederation
by the Adoption of the Constitution of the United States," is not
without importance.
But the authority of transcendent value on the period of the
adoption of the Constitution is Jonathan Elliot's collection, en-
titled “The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the
Adoption of the Federal Constitution, as Recommended by the
General Convention at Philadelphia in 1787, together with the
Journal of the Federal Convention, Luther Martin's Letter, Yates's
Minutes, Congressional Opinions, Virginia and Kentucky Resolu-
tions of '98 and '99, and other Illustrations,” 5 vols., Svo, Phila-
delphia, 1861. Vol. i. contains a journal of the Federal Conven-
tion, Martin's letter, and Yates's minutes; vol. ii., an account of the
debates on the Constitution in the conventions of Massachusetts,
New Hainpshire, Pennsylvania, and Maryland; vol. iii., the debates
in Virginia ; and vol. iv., the debates in North Carolina and South
Carolina. The fourth volume also contains important opinions
from Congressional debates between 1789 and 1836; the “Vir-
ginia Resolutions” of 1798; the answers to them by the several
states, and Madison's rejoinder thereto; the “Kentucky Resolu-
tions;" the South Carolina “ Ordinance of Nullification,” and
President Jackson's proclamation thereon; and several papers ºf
importance on the bank and tariff, as well as a digest of impor-
tant judicial decisions. The fifth volume of the series is made up of
Madison's journal of the convention that framed the Constitution.
Its importance is in the fact that it reveals how each principle
embodied in the Constitution took root and grew up into its final
600
HIISTORICAL LITERATURE.
shape. The work is a necessary and a favorite authority with all
investigators of the period with which it deals.
The record of Congressional proceedings from the adoption of
the Constitution down to the present time is comprised in no one
series of volumes under a single title. From the assembling of
the first Congress down to May, 1824, the record is to be found
in Gales and Seaton's “Annals of Congress," 42 vols., Svo, 1834-
56. Not only are the proceedings and debates given, but also the
most important state-papers, public documents, and the laws of a
public nature. The volumes are made easy of use by a copious
index. "The Register of Debates,” in 29 vols., continues the
record from December, 1824, to October, 1837, when it is taken
up by the “Congressional Globe," and continued in 108 quarto
volumes down to 1872. The “Globe" contains not only a ver-
batim report of proceedings, but also all laws passed within the
period of its scope. Since 1872 its place has been taken by the
“Congressional Record.”
Besides the record of proceedings in Congress, sereral collec-
tions are worthy of note. Among these Benton's “ Abridgment
of the Debates of Congress from 1789 to 1856," 15 vols., large
8vo, New York, 1956, is one of the most noteworthy and valu-
able. The condensations were made by Mr. Benton with so much
fidelity and skill that they may generally be relied upon as giving
a true representation of the speeches as they were delivered. An-
other collection of not less importance is Niles's “ Weekly Regis-
ter,” in 50 vols., 8vo, Baltimore, 1811–36. It is an invaluable
collection of facts and opinions, not simply on political affairs,
but also on all the activities of our national life. The material
was generally well selected, and many important papers, not on
political subjects, are given in unabridged form. Each volume is
accompanied by an index; but there is no general index, except of
the first twelve volumes.
A very convenient collection for the use of a student is that of
Ben: Perley Poore, entitled “The Federal and State Constitutions,
Colonial Charters, and other Organic Laws of the United States,"
2 vols., 4to, Washington, 1877; second edition, 1878. The Fed-
eral constitutions and organic laws are arranged in chronological
order, and these are followed by similar documents pertaining to
cach of the states. The states are arranged in alphabetical order;
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
601
York, 1861.78 Civil War ticed, it cont
and under each state, in the order of their occurrence, stand all
the grants, charters, constitutions, and amnendments down to the
date of publication.
"The Rebellion Record,” by Frank Moore, 11 vols., 8vo, New
York, 1861–69, gives an important diary of events from the out-
break of the Civil War to its close. In addition to the more
formal documents introduced, it contains many maps and por-
traits, as well as a vast number of newspaper scraps, songs, bio-
graphical sketches, military orders, and proclamations.
A very convenient work, and one much used, is “ The States-
man's Manual.” Besides other important documents, it contains
all the Presidential messages down to the date of publication.
The compilation was made by Edwin Williams and Benson J.
Lossing. 4 vols. in 8, New York, 1858.
“The Political Register and Congressional Directory,” by Ben :
Perley Poore, contains, in one large octavo volume (Boston, 1878),
a statistical record of the Federal officials, legislative, executive,
and judicial, from 1776 to 1878. It is so arranged as to enable
the reader easily to ascertain the personnel of the government in
all its branches at any given moment. It has, in addition, short
biographical or statistical sketches of all members of Congress,
Federal judges, and heads of departments.
M. W. Cluskey's “Political Text-book, or Encyclopædia” was
intended to contain "everything nccessary for the reference of
the politicians of the United States.” First published in 1857, it
passed through twelve editions in less than four years. The thir-
teenth edition, large Svo, Philadelphia, 1860, was the last. As
the subjects treated are arranged in alphabetical order, the volume
is casy of use. The student will often find explanations of terms
that otherwise might be perplexing.
On the literature of America, there are three works that are
conspicuous for one excellence or another. Professor Moses Coit
Tyler's "History of American Literature" is the only one of the
three that will probably hold the reader to a continuous perusal.
It is not only written in a style of exceptional grace, but it is the
fruit of most thorough research, and consequently it throws light
into a great number of corners that bitherto bave been very ob-
scure. The first two volumes (8vo, New York, 1879) bring the
history down to 1765. A work which it is impossible to read
.
602
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
continuously, but which is invaluable for the purposes of refer-
ence, is that of Evert Augustus and George Long Duyckinck, en-
titled “Cyclopædia of American Literature, embracing Personal
and Critical Notices of Authors, and Selections from their Writ-
ings, from the Earliest Period to the Present Day; with Portraits,
Autographs, and other Illustrations,” 2 vols., large 8vo, New York,
1855. A new and enlarged edition, edited by M. L. Simons, was
published in 1875. A production of similar but more limited
purpose is that of Rufus Wilinot Griswold on “The Poets and
Poetry of America.” The volume was carefully revised for the
edition of 1873; and important additions were made by R. H.
Stoddard.
The eight octavo volumes (New York, 1859–65) entitled “An-
nals of the American Pulpit,” by William B. Sprague, are of value
for the light they throw on certain phases of social life, especially
in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They are intended
to commemorate the most distinguished clergymen of all denomi-
nations, from the settlement of the country to the year 1855.
The first two volumes are descriptive of eminent Trinitarian Con-
gregationalists; the third and fourth of Presbyterians; the fifth
of Episcopalians; the sixth of Baptists; the seventh of Metho-
dists; and the eighth of Unitarians. The volumes abound in
anecdotes illustrative of social usages, and are exempt from de-
nominational partiality.
Of the magazines and reviews, the most important for the
study of our political history are “The American Review: a
Whig Journal of Politics, Literature, and Science,” 16 vols., 1844–
52; “The United States Magazine and Democratic Review,” 31
vols., 1838–52 ; "The Historical Magazine and Notes and Queries
concerning the Antiquities, History, and Biography of America,''
18 vols., 4to, 1857–73; and “The North American Review," 132
vols., extending from 1815 to the present time. An index to the
“North American Review” was published in 1878.
4. For a systematic and somewhat thorough study of American
history, the following topics and references are suggested :.
I. THE POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
COLONIAL GOVERNMENTS.—Among the most valuable authorities
on this subject will be found the series of “Tracts” published by
Peter Force. They make up four volumes of original documents
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
603
ent, antinted
somne of Iract inble as slal out.be
wrtant il
illustrative of the early history of the thirteen colonies. They
not only describe the resources of the different parts of the coun-
try, but they also throw much ligbt on the different methods of
government, and the spirit of the people. Several of them were
never before printed.
Some of the most important illustrate the early history of New
England. Tract iii. of vol. ii. gives us “The Planter's Plea,” a
paper chiefly valuable as showing, by way of contrast, the inducc-
ments to immigration held out by different portions of the coun-
lry. Part iii. of tract v., vol. ii., is “New England Canaan," in
which the people and the practices of the Church are described.
Tract ix, of vol. iii. contains an abstract of the laws of New Eng-
land as they were in 1641. In vol. iv., Nos. iii., iv., vi., and x.,
much information may be obtained concerning the intolerance of
the times and the causes of the Revolution of 1690.
On the same subject, several of the “Reprints" by J. Sabin
are of the greatest value. Especially noteworthy are “New Eng-
land's First Fruits,” “Further Queries on the Present State of
New English Affairs,” and “The Late Revolution in New England
(1689–90).” In the “ Massachusetts Historical Collections,” 2d
series, vol. vii., p. 189 et seq., is to be found the account of the Gen-
eral Court given in “Prince's Annals,”.p. 5. In vol. viii. of series
iii., pp. 191-237, is one of the most complete and satisfactory ac-
counts of the early laws of Massachusetts Bay. Upham's “ Salem
Witchcraft” is the inost satisfactory account of that delusion.
The arguments for and against the treatment of Roger Williams
by the people of Massachusetts will be found in Dexter's “Con-
cerning Roger Williams” and in Arnold's “History of Rhode
island.” The subject may also be examined at length in the
papers of the “Narragansett Club.” The general attitude of
Massachusetts towards Dissenters is admirably discussed in the
Lowell Lectures for 1869, on "The Early History of Massachu-
setts.” Trumbull's “True Blue Laws and False Blue Laws of
*Connecticut” is a useful book, not only for the facts it gives, but
also for the comparisons it contains of the statutes and customs
of the different colonies. Of the more general authorities, the
most important are Winthrop's “New England,” Palfrey's “New
England,” Hutchinson's “Massachusetts," Mather's "Magnalia,”
Barry's “Massachusetts," Trumbull's “Connecticut,” Oliver's
11
III
604
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
“Puritan Commonwealth," and Thornton's review of it. It may
be well to remember that Oliver was a good hater of the Puri-
tans.
The early government of Maryland is described in “White's
Relation," printed in Force's “Tracts,” vol. iv., No. xii. The
paper is a reprint of a report made by Father Andrew White to
the General of the Jesuits, and is especially interesting for its ac-
count of the relations of the settlers and the Indians. But the
most valuable early document we have on this State is that en-
titled "A Relation of Maryland,” printed in 1635, and reprinted
by Sabin in 1865. This pamphlet, of more than a hundred pages,
is probably the earliest account in existence of Lord Baltimore's
colony. In Force; vol. ii., tract ix., is a furious Protestant pam-
phlet entitled “Virginia and Maryland; or, Lord Baltimore's
Printed Case Uncased and Answered.” Tract xiv. of vol. iii. is
an attempt " to relieve the two faithful sisters—Virginia and
Maryland—from the imputations scandalously cast upon them.”
Scharf's “ History of Maryland," and chaps. xi.-xviii. of Neill's
"English Colonization of America,” also Lodge's “Short His-
tory,” are modern authorities of value.
An early description of Virginia, including an account of the
organization of the Court, is to be found in the “Massachusetts
Historical Collections," ist series, vol. v., pp. 146–166. In the last
section of this paper is a description of the early organization and
government of William and Mary College. The works of Captain
John Smith should be read in connection with the “ North Amer-
ican Review," vol. xvi., p. 270, and vol. civ., p. l; and Neill's ac-
count of the same transactions, derired from the company's original
papers in England. In Force's "Tracts," vol. i., Nos. viii., ix., X.,
and xi., are three original accounts of Bacon's Rebellion. These
are the basis of our knowledge of that event, for, before their
publication in 1804 and 1814, the causes of Bacon's Rebellion had
been but imperfectly explained by any authentic document. The
MS. of tract viii. was found in England by Jefferson, and copied,
even to spelling and punctuation, by his own hand. Of the more
formal histories of early Virginia, Stith and Beverley are the most
important, but Howison is the latest..
The Southern colonies are described in Force. Tract i. of vol.
i. is exceedingly curious as an evidence of the way in which colo-
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
605
nists were persuaded to go to Georgia. See, also, in tract iv. of
the same volume, a poetical extract from the celebrated perform-
ance of the Rev. Samuel Wesly; also the results of certain at-
tempts at prohibition pointed out on p. 21. On the difference
between the inducements offered to colonists in the South and
those offered to colonists in the North, see vol. ii., tract iii. In
the same volume, tract x. gives the causes and motives that led
the people of South Carolina to renounce their allegiance to the
Lords Proprietors and put themselves under the immediate gov-
ernment of the crown.
Of the general histories, Lodge's “Short History of the Eng-
lish Colonies,” Marshall's “American Colonies,” Doyle's “ British
Colonies in America,” Grahame's “United States," Pitkin's “Po-
litical History,” Bancroft, Hildreth, and Palfrey are the most im-
portant.
On the early political and constitutional questions, the first
book of Story's “Commentaries” will be found very convenient.
The especial political and constitutional characteristics of each of
the colonies are described and discussed in the author's character-
istic methods. The first volume of Laboulaye's “ États-Unis” is
also devoted to the colonies, and is arranged in such a manner
that it may be easily used in the study of this question. Carlier
is more critical in his judgments. Among modern authorities,
Lodge's volume will probably be found the most suggestive and
useful.
II. THE ALIENATION OF THE COLONIES FROM THE MOTHER
COUNTRY.-The great source of information on this subject will
be found to be Force's “American Archives,” 4th series, vols. i.
and ii. Copies of original papers and speeches of importance
will be found given in full. All of the larger histories may well
be consulted. Specific references to Bancroft, Hildreth, and other
standard works are unnecessary. Much assistance may be gained
by the use of Winsor's “Hand-book of the Revolution.” The
references in Bancroft, so far as they are to accessible authorities,
may also be used with profit. One of the brief accounts of the
causes of alienation is chap. iv. of Doyle's “ British Colonies.”
Marshall's “ American Colonies,” chaps. xiii. and xiv., discusses
not only the facts, but the legal aspects, of the question. In
Story's “ Commentaries" (Cooley's edition), vol. i., pp. 100–156,
606
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
Blackstone's theory of the relation of the colonies to the mother
country is examined, and the legal grounds of the alienation and
separation considered.
A very convenient work for the student of this subject is
Niles's “Principles and Acts of the Revolution.” By consulting
the table of contents, very much of value may be found. Be-
tween pp. 17 and 140 are printed the most important accounts of
proceedings in Massachusetts; and between pp. 410 and 460, the
proceedings of the British Parliament, including the most impor-
tant speeches on the subject.
Among the works wbich had great influence on the colonists,
the letters of John Dickinson, known as the “ Letters of a Farm-
er,” were among the most important. The different phases of
the subject were placed before the reader with great skill. Not
less important at the time, perhaps, was the “ Common Sense." of
Thomas Paine.
The part of Samuel Adams in arousing the people of Massa-
chusetts is best described in Wells's “Life” of that patriot. By
the use of the table of contents and index the work may casily
be made useful. The work of the Committee of Correspondence
is of especial importance. Adams's “Circular Letter" is given
in vol. ii., p. 158; and the whole of the correspondence may be
studied in “ Massachusetts Historical Collections,” 4th series,
vol. iv.
The resolutions of the New York Convention of 1765 are given
in Pitkin, vol. i., note 8, p. 446, and should be noted as the inost
formal declaration of the rights of the colonists. The works of
Otis and Patrick Henry should be consulted, as well as those of
Jefferson, John Adams, and Franklin.
Minot's “ History of Massachusetts Bay" is, perhaps, the best
of the local histories on this subject; though Palfrey's “New
England” should never be neglected. On the positions and views
of the Tories, the introductory chapter of Sabine's “ Loyalists,"
and selected portions of Judge Jones's “ History of New York,"
are of importance.
English views of the subject are to be learned in the general
histories of Mahon, Masson, and Adolphus, and the first volume
of Stedman's “ History of the American War.” The general
character of the English government at this period is vividly por-
IIISTORIES OF TIIE UNITED STATES. 607
trayed in Trevelyan's “Early Life of Charles James Fox,” and in
the letters of Horace Walpole and of Junius.
III. THE UNION OF THE COLONIES INTO ONE GOVERNMENT.--
Frothingham's "Rise of the Republic” is the best single work
on this subject, and is written with general fairness and good
judgment. Though nearly every step in the history of consoli-
dation is touched upon in this work, yet for full accounts of the
individual events recourse must be had to other authorities, many
of which are referred to by Frothingham in his notes.
The New England Confederation is best described by Hubbard
in “Massachusetts Historical Collections," 2d series, vol. v. The
text of the articles is to be found on pp. 467–474. In the 3d
series, vol. ix., p. 189, is given the Memorial Discourse on the
Confederacy of 1643 by John Quincy Adams. This is probably
the most important document yet published on the history of that
first effort to unite the colonies.
The next efforts at union are best described by Frotbingham
and by the works to which he refers. The Convention of 1684 is
treated at p. 86; and the effort made by Penn in 1690 is de-
scribed at p. 111.
The most important of the colonial efforts at union was that
made by the Albany Convention in 1754. The Journal of the
Convention is printed in “ Massachusetts Historical Collections,"
3d series, vol. v., pp. 5–75. Franklin's plan of union is given
on pp. 70–75 of the same volume. For the best account of
Franklin's part and influence at this period, see Sparks's “Life of
Franklin," vol. iii., pp. 22–55, where not only the proposed articles
are given, but also some important comments on them by Frank-
lin himself. On the same subject Frothingham, pp. 137–150,
should be consulted.
On the Congresses of 1765 and 1775, Frothingham is the best
guide, pp. 167–189 and 329–360. The Massachusetts Circular
Letter is given on p. 212.
On the period which immediately followed 1765 there is prob-
ably no better authority than Wells's “Life of Samuel Adams."
In vol. ii., p. 158, is given Adams's Circular Letter. The whole
of this part of the work may well be read for the light it throws
on the labors of the Committee of Correspondence. The letters
themselves, throbbing with the spirit of liberty and good sense,
608
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
may be found in“ Massachusetts Historical Collections," 4th series,
vol. iv. This correspondence is the most valuable commentary
on the spirit of the time.
The first volume of Elliot's “Debates” contains a brief account
of the first Congress, together with Jefferson's notes on the pro-
ceedings. The whole of the account, extending from p. 42 to
p. 124, should be examined. The “Declaration of Rights,” the
ablest formal presentation of the cause of the colonists, is given
in Pitkin, vol. i., note 8, p. 446. In the same volume, p. 433, is
to be found the “Stamp Act.” The chapters in book iii. of
Story's “Commentaries on the Constitution, and part ii. of Kent's
“Commentaries on American Law," will be found of great value.
The table of contents in each of these distinguished works will
afford a clew to what is desired.
IV. THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE CONFEDERATION. — A
general survey of this subject may be found in selected chapters
of the last volumes of Bancroft, and in-vol. iii. of Hildreth, chaps.
xliv.-xlvii. ; Curtis's “ History of the Constitution,” vol. i.; and
“The Federalist," consulted by means of its index, will be found
among the best authorities.
The “Madison Papers,” forming vol. v. of Elliot's “Debates,"
are of the first importance in showing the spirit of the father's
just before the adoption of the Constitution. The first 105 pages
are devoted to the debates in Congress from November, 1782, to
February, 1783. Following this account are a few pages of ex-
tracts from letters showing the condition of affairs just prior to
1787. The later portion of the volume is devoted to an account
of the proceedings in the convention which framed the Constitu-
tion, and is the most important authority we have on the subject.
In the “Works” of John Adams, vol. i., p. 23, is an interesting
letter on the future prospects of the country, written as early as
1755. On pp. 67-69 and on p. 156 are given some early passages
on the necessity of union. The attitude of the colonies on the
subject is commented on at p. 440. In vol. ii., pp. 387 et seq., is
Galloway's plan of union; and at p. 492 an interesting account
of the debate on the confederation. On the arts that were used
to divide the people, see p. 196 of vol. x.
Pitkin's “Political and Civil History” is a difficult book to
use, owing to the dryness of the style, and the absence of an in-
HISTORIES OF TIIE. UNITED STATES.
609
dex, as well as of all dates and catch-words on the pages. But
the table of contents is full, and the material contained in the vol-
umes will amply reward the explorations of the student. : Almost
the whole of the first volume will be found useful in the study of
this subject. ....
. .... ....
Curtis's “ History of the Constitution” contains a very full de-
scription of affairs from the Congress of 1774 to the meeting of
the Philadelphia Convention. The table of contents, which is
unusually full, will enable the student to find readily whatever the
voluine contains. See a very interesting note on pp. 41-48 of
vol. i., on the appointment of Washington. The financial diffi-
culties of the confederation are well described in book ii., chap.
ii.; and in chap. iii: the most glaring defects of the confederation
are pointed out. The utter failure of the government to give
security to the individual states is pointed out on pp. 260–274 of
vol. i.; and the necessity of a greater power to regulate commerce
in the same volume at pp. 276–290. For the author's account of
the decay and failure of the confederation, scé pp. 328–379.
One of the most interesting chapters in the volume is that on the
“Northwestern Territory," pp. 291-327... :::.:;"
Laboulaye's“ États-Unis," vol.iii., pp. 118 and 136, has a char-
acteristically bright account of the defects of the confederation.
Of great interest; also, are the same author's pictures of the indi-
vidual inen who had most to do in framing tlie Constitution,
Freeman's “ History of Federal Government,” chap. v., pp. 237
-322, in giving an account of the Achaian League, affords an ad-
mirable opportunity for comparing the characteristics of our con-
federation with those of the government which, in somc. l'espects, it
most closely resembled. Note especially this author's comments on
Hamilton's views, as expressed in No. xviii. of “The Federalist.”.
Story on the Constitution, vol. i., pp. 158–187; Bancroft, vol.
ix. (8vó ed.), and Webster, in his “Works,” vol. iii., p. 454 et seq.,
have each pointed out the defects of the confederation. The
chapter in Story on "The Decline and Fall of the Confederation,”
$S 243-271, is one of the most satisfactory presentations of the
subject. The references in the foot-notes may be used with es-
pecial advantage. .
For a very satisfactory account of Shays's Rebellion, see Barry's
“Massachusetts," vol. iii., pp. 218–260.. in .. ........
39
010.
: HISTORICAL LITERATURE. ."
For the study of the process by whicli the Constitution itself
was adopted, Elliot's "Debates" is by far the most important
authority. For the consideration of specific clauses of the Con-
stitution the index must be used. Of the speeches on the Con-
stitution as a whole, one of the most important is that of Judge
Wilson (Elliot, vol. ii., pp. 418-434), and quoted at length in Cur-
tis's “History of the Constitution," vol. i., pp. 465–479. The
arguments by which the people generally were induced to accept
of the Constitution are given in “The Federalist.”.
V. THE POLITICAL DOCTRINES OF FEDERALISTS AND OF ANTI-
FEDERALISTS IN THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE GOVERNMENT:—.
These are best studied in the lives and works of the great rep-
resentatives of the opposite parties — Hamilton and Jefferson.
The authorities may profitably be used in the following order:
Morse's “Life of Hamilton," vol. i., chap. vi., gives an account
of the work and influence of Hamilton in the formation and
adoption of the Constitution. The political principles of Hamil-
ton and Jefferson are compared at p. 386 of the same volume. In
vol. ii., pp. 1, 83, and 220, may be found accounts of the opposi-
tion and the cabinet quarrel of the two leaders. Morse loves
Hamilton and hates Jefferson, but he generally succeeds in attain-
ing to a reasonable impartiality. In chap. iii. of Shea's “Life of
Hamilton” is an excellent account of the influences tending tow-
ards the closer union of the states.
In Randall's “Life of Jefferson,” vol. i., pp. 451–461, is dis-
cussed the origin and extent of Jefferson's democracy. In chap.
xii, of the same volume are to be found valuable suggestions as
to the influence of Jefferson's European observations on his politi-
cal ideas. In chaps. xiv. and xv. Jefferson's ideas of Hamilton
and of what he called the monarchical party are expressed. Ran-
dall's work will be found very valuable, though the busy student
will have to omit many portions. Parton's brilliant, but very one-
sided, “Life of Jefferson,” especially pp. 318-419, may be read
with some profit as well as much pleasure. The review of it. in
“North American Review” for April, 1874, has a much higher
esteem for the author's brilliancy than for his impartiality.
In Hamilton's Works, vol i., p. 150, is a letter, written as early
as 1780, to Duane, giving Hamilton's views of the defects of the
confederation, and recommending a revising convention. In vol.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
611
ii., pp. 393-471, is Hamilton's plan of a constitution, as laid before
the Philadelphia Convention; and in vol. iv., pp. 280, 293, and
303, may be seen extracts from his letters in and after the conven-
tion. The correspondence of Washington, Hamilton, and Jeffer-
son relative to the differences between the two secretaries is to be
found in vol. iv., pp. 280, 293, 303. In the first part of vol. vii.
are reprinted the newspaper articles written by Hamilton in the
controversy between him and Jefferson.
The "Works” of Jefferson furnish abundant opportunity for the
study of that author's political opinions. His views of the Con-
stitution are expressed in vol. ii., pp. 318, 324, 328, 355, 358, 397,
also in rol. iv., p. 441. His general views on what he deemed the
correct principles of government may be gathered from vol. iv.,
p. 268; vol. vi., p. 45; vol. vii., p. 319; and from his Inaugural
Address in vol. viii., pp. 1-6. The desirability of periodical
changes in the Constitution, vol. vii., p. 15, and vol. iii., p. 102.
The proper construction to be put upon the Constitution is dis-
cussed in vol. vii., pp. 296, 336, and 358. His fears of the Feder-
alists, vol. iv., pp. 111, 139, 197, and vol. v., p. 559. His views of
the judiciary, vol. vii., pp. 134, 216, 256, 278. On the same sub-
ject see Hildreth, second series, vol. ii., pp. 400 and 440. The
Kentucky Resolutions are given in Jefferson's “Works,” vol. ix.,
p. 464, and are authenticated in vol. iv., pp. 258 and 305. On
the early influence of these resolutions, see the speech of Hayne
in the debate between him and Webster, in which the orator
quotes Jefferson as his “high and imposing authority in support
of the Carolina doctrine."
In Webster's “Works," vol. iii., p. 449, and especially on pp.
457 and 479, is to be found the author's construction of the
Constitution on the question at issue between the two parties.
Mr. J. C. Hamilton, in his “ History of the Republic," vol. vii.,
pp. 771–788, has given the views of his grandfather on the ques-
tion of states' rights and a possible separation. In vol. iv., pp.
443–499, Jefferson's views are also collated.
Elliot's “ Debates” is the great authority on the proceedings
in all the Constitutional Conventions. In vol. v., pp. 126–129, is
to be found “The Virginia Plan;" at pp. 176–193 “The New
Jersey Plan;" and at pp. 198–205 “Hamilton's Plan."
The introduction to J. C. Hamilton's edition of “The Federal-
612
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
.
e Paludatome of Greicial work cition
ist " gives an elaborate account of Hamilton's share in the forma-
tion and adoption of the Constitution, though the reader should
remember that it is the work of partisanship rather than of care-
ful historical judgment. The papers in “The Federalist” having
most bearing on the subject are Nos. XV., xvii., xlv., xlvi., which
give the reasons for the author's belief that there is more danger
from anarchy in the members than from tyranny at the head of
the government. In contrast with Jefferson's views, No. lxxx., on
the powers of the Federal judiciary, may well be read. . .
Calhoun, in vol. i. of his “Works,” has given a “Disquisition
on Government,” in which his general views are elaborated; also,
in the same vol., pp. 174-187, are given some interesting pages
on “The Constitution and Government of the United States."
These will be found good specimens of Calhoun's subtlety of
reasoning.
In Laboulaye's "États-Unis,” vol. iii., chap. ix., p. 210, is to be
found a highly laudatory estimate of Hamilton. In Brougham's
“Statesmen of the Time of George III.,” vol. iii., p. 280, is a pa-
per on Jefferson and his political work. Macaulay's estimate of
Jefferson's work, and of our Constitution as a whole, may be
learned from his letters to Randall, published in the appendix to
vol. ii., p. 407; of Trevelyan's “ Life of Macaulay.” In the first
volume of De Tocqueville's “Democracy in America," chaps. viii.,
xiii., and xviii. have some bearing on this question, and are of
great interest. In Sullivan's “ Public Men of the Revolution,”.
pp. 171-240, is an indictment of Jefferson and of his administra-
tion by an ardent Federalist, supported by striking quotations
from Jefferson's words. Lieber's “Civil Liberty," chaps. xxxiv.
and xxxv., as well as the papers in the appendix, may well be
read, as they throw much light on questions of centralization and
anarchy.
• VI. NEW ENGLAND FEDERALISM AND ITS ATTITUDE TOWARDS
THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT. --The most valuable authority on
this subject is the volume on "New England Federalism” edited
by Henry Adams. It consists of a collection of papers relating
to matters of a national character between the years 1800 and
1815. These papers furnish the best opportunity for studying
the question whether the Federalists were, as is sometimes charged,
practically disunionists. The most important of the documents
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 613
are the "Appeal,” given on p. 63, and the "Reply" by John
Quincy Adams, which begins on p. 107. In connection with this
response should also be read the letters published in the appendix,
some of which it will be found difficult to reconcilc with the
statements of President Adams. By using the index the views
of Federalists on the subjects of Embargo, Impressment, Northern
Confederacy, Union, and Hartford Convention may be profitably
learned.
Lodge's “Life of Cabot" is also a book of importance on this
subject. The great prominence of Cabot at the Hartford Con-
vention gives interest as well as value to the new light thrown
upon his opinions.. Chaps. xi. and xii. are devoted to the general
subject of New England Federalism, and chap. xiii. to the Corre-
spondence relating to the Hartford Convention.
Morse's “Life of Hamilton” relates. inore especially to an ear-
lier period than that now under consideration, but the later por-
tion of the work throws much light on the general policy of the
Federal leaders. The position of the party towards England be-
fore the Jay Treaty is described on p. 72 of vol. ii., the “Alien
and Sedition Acts,' p. 253. The change of position of President
Adams towards France, and the great importance of that change,
are pointed out in vol. ii., pp. 270–283. Chap. vii. of vol. ii. ex-
plains the action of the Federalists in the election of 1801, and in
their relations to the candidacy of Burr.
Sullivan's “Men of the Revolution” is a very interesting and
instructive work, though it is tinged with a strong bias of Feder-
alism.
• Dwight's “ History of the Hartford Convention ? not only con-
tains a very satisfactory account of that famous ineeting, but also
a very useful "Review of the Policy of the United States Gov-
ernment which led to the War of 1812." The early part of this
review gives an account of the several lines of policy pursued by
the Federal party while charged with the management of the
government. The attitude of the party. towards the Embargo is
also explained. Beginning on p. 383 is the Secret Journal of the
Convention. In vol. iv. of Upham's “Life of Timothy Pickering"
will be found many valuable letters and papers on this subject.
Pickering was one of the most prominent and one of the most
influential Federalists of his day.. On p. 53 of vol. iv. his views
614
* HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
are given maintaining that the general government not only had
no constitutional right to purchase Louisiana, but that, even after
the purchase, it could not be incorporated into the Union without
the assent of each individual state. The author's estimation of
the general government may be profitably consulted on pp. 107–
111, and 121-123. Perhaps the most important part of the vol-
ume is that giving Pickering's speech in the Senate (December,
1808) on the Embargo, vol. iv., p. 138. It reveals very clearly
and forcibly the attitude of the Federalists towards England and
towards France. For a view of the animosities provoked by the
speech, see the newspaper headings copied opposite pp. 159 and
162 of the same volume. Three of the most important letters of
Pickering may also be seen in Niles's “Register," vol. ii., pp. 155,
185, 201. In the same volume, on pp. 309–315, is the address by
a minority of Congress to their constituents on the uselessness of
the war. This may be regarded as a formal and authoritative
declaration by the Federalists of their attitude in 1812.
· In Calhoun's “ Works," vol. ii., p. 117, is to be seen the speech
in which the views of the Antifederalists are best enunciated.
The works of Jefferson may also be consulted on the same sub-
ject with profit.
Of the accounts given in the general histories, that of Hildreth
is by far the best. In the 2d series, vol. i., p. 300 et seq., is to be
found a description of the Republican party and of Jefferson's
charges against the Federalists. The loss to the Federalists in
the death of Washington, and the general causes of the fall of the
party, are discussed in vol. ii. of the same series, pp. 338–418. In
vol. iii., p. 117, the alleged plot of the Federalists is considered ;
and in pp. 142, 143, the change in the relative positions of the two
parties. From the 404th page to the close of the volume, almost
the whole of the author's space is devoted to the attitude of New
England. Throughout the work Hildreth's views are in strong
sympathy with the Federalists, but it will be found that not very
many of his positions have been shaken by subsequent criticism.
Von Holst's “Constitutional History” will be studied on this
question with great advantage. Unfortunately the work, as yet,
has no index, and the first two volumes have only a very unsatis-
factory table of contents. But passages of great importance on
the present question will be found by consulting the following
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 615.
references: The position of the early Federalists, vol. i., p. 72;
the fall of the Federalists, i., 181-191; Federalist plans of seces-
sion, i., 193, 194; their intrigues with Burr, i., 195, 196; the Em-
bargo, and the attitude of the parties towards it, i., 203–217; the
opposition of New England to the war, i., 235–272; the death of
the Federal party, i., 273–276.
VII. THE EARLY FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES.
-The first approaches to France through the efforts of Silas
Deane are described in Bancroft (8vo ed.), vol. ix., chap. iii., pp.
61–75. Chaps. xvi. and xvii. relate to the continued attitude of
France and Spain; and chap. xxix. to France and the Commis-
sioners, at the head of whom was Franklin. In vol. x., chaps. ii.,
of the several nations of Europe and the colonies up to the time
of the open alliance. .
A more graphic, and in some respects more satisfactory, account
of the way in which the alliance was brought about is given by
Parton in his “Life of Franklin,” vol. ii., part v., chap. vii. The
“Life of Beaumarchais," by Loménie, of which there are several
editions, may be consulted with profit for a further account of the
service of that singular man in the interests of alliance. . .
The circumstances which led to Jay's Treaty, the causes of
complaint against the English government, and the character of
the treaty itself, may well be studied in Jay's “Works," vol. i.,
pp. 302–384. The subject is also treated at some length in
Gibbs's “Administrations of Washington and Adams," vol. i.,
pp. 191, 319 et seg. In Hildreth, 2d series, vol. i., chaps. vi. and
viii., the causes of the treaty, as well as its provisions, are
described. In chap. viii. is also to be found an analysis of the
debates in Congress on the treaty.
The full importance of the subject, however, can only be under-
stood by one who studies the literature of the time. The ques-
tion occupied nearly the sole attention of Congress for a month.
The debates on the subject may be found in “ Annals of Con-
gress,” 4th Congress, 1st Session, 1795–96, pp. 426–783 and pp.
975–1298. The same, in a somewhat condensed and more satis-
factory forin, will be found in Benton's “ Abridgment," vol. i.,
pp. 639–710. See especially the note on p. 754.
The most elaborate defence of the treaty was that by Hamil-
616 1. HISTORICAL LITERATURE :
ton, King, and Jay in the letters signed “ Camillus,” Hamilton's
“Works,” vol. vii., pp. 172–528. Concerning the authorship of
these letters, see “Life of Jolin Adams," vol. ii., p. 195, and J.C.
Hamilton's "History of the Republic,” vol. vi., p. 273. Hamil-
ton's views of the particular phases of the treaty nay. be ascer-,
tained by consulting the index. .
On the other side, the most important writer was Madison. In
Jefferson's “Works,” vol. iv., p. 121, is a letter in which Jefferson
expresses himself very freely to Madison. In the course of the
correspondence he says, “ For God's sake, take up your pen and
give a fundamental reply to ! Curtius' and 'Camillus.' Hamilton
is really a colossus; and wlien he comes forward, there is nobody
but yourself who can meet him.” He also referred to Washing-
ton as "the only honest man who has assented to it.” Madison's
objections to the treaty are to be found in the first liundred pages
of vol. ij. of his “ Works.”
The relations with France involved in Monroe's mission and
recall, and the appointment of a special mission, are described in
Hildrcth, 2d series, vol. i., chap. ix., and vol. ii., chaps. x. and xi.
YIII. THE ACQUISITION OF THE TERRITORIES AND TĦEIR PO-
LITICAL ORGANIZATION AND SỰGNIFICANCE. The territory of the
Northwest is only to be studied successfully in a series of mono-
graphs. The nature of the conflicting claims is best indicated in
H. B. Adams's painphlet, read before the Maryland Historical
Society, on“ Maryland's Influence in Founding a National Com-
monwealth ; or, The History of the Accession of Public Lands."
The paper of J. A. Garfield on “The Discovery and Ownership of
the Northwestern Territory, and Settlement of the Western Re-
serve," published in the collections of the Western Reserve and
Northern Ohio Historical Society for 1874, points out the earliest :
phases of this question. Franklin's paper entitled “The. Ohio
Settlement, in Franklin's “Works,” vol. iv., pp. 324-379, is of
great interest and importance. Butterfield's “ Washington-Craw-
ford Letters," concerning Western lands, show the interest and
the foresight of Washington in regard to the importance of
the Northwest. The influence of the Quebec Act of 1774 is
pointed out in Burke's letter on the subject, published in New
York Historical Society's Collections, 2d series, vol. i., pp. 219–
225. Thomas Paine's essays “Public Good” and “Plain Facts,"
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
617
written respectively in 1780 and 1781, pertain to the nurture and
management of our Western domains.. For an account of the
manner of bringing the territories of the Northwest under the
control of the general governinent, see the admirable monograph
of H.B. Adams above referred to. .....
The circumstances leading to the Ordinance of 1787 were for
the first time made clear by W. F. Poole, in “North American
Review” for April, 1876. The paper is of great importance for
the light it throws on the clauses of the ordinance relating to
slavery and education. The Ordinance of 1787 itself is to be
found in Poore's “ Federal and State Constitutions,” vol. i., pp.
429-432.
The.“ Louisiana Purchase” is treated with characteristic ability
and acumen by Von Holst, vol. i., pp. 183-199. This may be
considered one of the most satisfactory portions of the work,
though there is occasionally an error, as, for example, in note i.,
p. 186. The notes in Von Holst will furnish ample clew to the
more important sources of information. Webster, in his.“Works,”
vol..i., p. 355, justifies the acquisition of Louisiana and Florida,
though he does so exclusively on the ground of necessity. In
vol. ii., p. 551, be further declares that the purchase was not
within the scope of the Constitution, but was purely a work of
necessity. The nature of the necessity is explained in Adams's
“Life of Gallatin,” p. 307, and in Tucker's “History," vol. ii., pp.
171-180..
The Seminole War and the cession of Florida are treated in
Hildreth, 2d series, vol. iii., p. 658, but more fully and satisfac-
torily in Parton's " Life of Jackson,” vol. ii., pp. 397, 407, 421,
583, and 601. · By tracing these references, the necessity of ac-
quiring the territory will be made obvious.
* The turbulence in Texas, which led to a desire to be annexed;
may be studied in the last chapters of Yoakum's “History" of
that. state. The circumstances which made the United States
willing to receive the state can be traced in Benton's "Debates,”
rol. xii., pp. 762—778, and in vol. xiii., pp. 325–331. The manner
in which the annexation was brought about is considered in the
last part of vol. ii. of Von Holst. On the same subject sce, also,
Tucker's “History," vol. iv., pp. 232-267 and 329.-341; and
Wilson's “Rise and Fall of the Slave Power," vol. i., pp. 587 et
TT
618
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
seq. The spirit of Wilson is in the title of his chapter “ Plot for
the Annexation of Texas.". In Webster's “ Works” the Constitu-
tional objections are urged. In vol. i., p. 354, the objections are
briefly stated; in vol. ii., p. 437, the author declares by. whom
annexation is promoted; and in vol. v., pp. 55–60, he makes a
brief but pointed protest.
The inost important political results of these acquisitions were
those which led to the Missouri Compromise, and still later to
the repeal of the Compromise and the great struggle for freedom
in Kansas. On this phase of the subject, the speeches of Clay,
Webster, and Calhoun are of the first importance. See Calhoun's
“Works," vol. iv., pp. 542-573, and vol. v., pp. 322-461; Clay's
“Works," vol. iii., pp. 302–345; Webster's “Works,” vol. v., pp.
324-368. On the significance and effect of this speech of Web-
ster, see Curtis's “Life of Webster," vol. ii., pp. 402 and 431; also,
Theodore Parker's “Eulogy on Webster.” The debates on this
great question are to be studied in Benton's “Debates," vol. vi.
A survey of the whole question is given in Von Holst, vol. ii., pp.
340–382. The Southern view of the question is presented by
Tucker, vol. iii., pp. 226–315.
IX. THE FINANCIAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY FROM THE BE-
GINNING OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR TO THE CLOSE OF THE
War of 1812.-The first sixty-eight pages of Sumner's “History
of American Currency” will serve as a good introduction to the
study of the subject. Bolles?s "Financial History of the United
States" covers the period from 1774 to 1789, and will be found
both readable and valuable. After an outline of the facts has
been mastered, the student will profit by a reading of the clap-
ters on “How Paper Money was Received,” “Limitation of
Prices," " Legal Tender Laws of the Revolution," "Taxation,"
“Speculation,” and “Corruption and Repudiation."
The nature of the exigencies demanding financial attention
may best be reviewed in Bancroft. See especially vol. vi., p. 166
(12mo ed.), for the way in which the value of paper was reduced;
and p. 334 for the purchasing power of paper. The most impor-
tant authority on this subject, however, is Phillips's “Sketches of
Paper Currency in the American Colonics.” But so few copies
of the book were printed that it is not easy of access.
The manner in which the colonics secured the first material
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
619
assistance from France is best given in vol. ii., part v., chaps. vi.
and vii. of Parton's "Life of Franklin.” A still fuller account is
to be found in Loménie's “Life of Beaumarchais." An excellent
sựmmary is given by Pitkin, vol. i., pp. 401–422..
The general financial weakness of the government under the
confederation is discussed by Story, vol. i., SS 246, 254, 255, 286.
The weakness of the general government under the confederation
is also described in vol. ii. of Morse's “Life of Alexander Hamil-
ton.”. On the same subject, see also Pitkin, vol. ii., chaps. xvi. and
xvii.
Pitkin also (vol. ii., pp. 341-350) gives a very fair presentation
of the arguments used on both sides of the proposition to fund
the debt. Giles's first attack on the Treasury, and the report of
his committee, are described in the same vol., pp. 353–417.
On the years immediately following the adoption of the Con-
stitution, vol. v. of Marshall's “Life of Washington” is one of the
most important authorities. Imposts and tonnage are discussed,
pp. 219–228; the duties of the Secretary of the Treasury, pp.
232–239; the first report of the Treasurer, and its various recom-
mendations, pp. 272-279; arguments for and against a National
Bank, pp. 341-346; the division of parties on financial questions,
pp. 297–299, 346–351, 362-366, 386–387, 550–557. Notes iii.,
iv., and v. are of importance. Sce especially note iii., which gives
an outline of Hamilton's argument on the constitutionality and
expediency of a bank.
The saine subjects are discussed in Morse's “Life of Hamil-
ton.” On the reasons of Hamilton for an assumption of the
debts, and the debates thereon, see vol. i., pp. 301-332 ; on the
constitutionality of a bank, pp. 333–348; on the success of
Hamilton's measures, vol. ii., pp. 20–30. On the finances of this
period the following chapters may all be read with profit: Vol. i.,
chaps. iv., vii., viii., ix., X., xii., and vol. ii., chaps. ii. and iv.
Gibbs's “ Administrations of ashington and Adams” is es-
pecially strong on financial questions. The writer was familiar
with all the financial projects brought before the government.
The index and table of contents should be freely used. The or-
ganization of the Treasury Department is described, vol. i., pp.
28–31. Light is thrown on the accounts of the individual states
with the general government, vol. i., p. 54, and vol. ii., p. 48 et
620
HISTORICAL . LITERATURE. .
seq. The index should be consulted on the subjects of “Bank,"?:
"Funding System,” and “Assumption of Debts.". Many letters
of Hamilton and Wolcott are given which comment on the finan-
cial condition of affairs. The two ways of calculating the debt,
vol. i., p. 171, and the Report of the Committee on Wolcott's
management, vol. ii., p. 469, are especially worthy of notice.
Adams's “ Life of Gallatin” and the “Works” of Gallatin are
the most important authorities on the next period. The change
froin the system of Hamilton to the systein of Gallatin is.de-
scribed by Adams on pp. 167–180 of the former work; and a
comparison between the systems of Federalists and Republicans
is drawn on. pp. 267–274. Some vigorous comments on Jeffer-
son's policy and influence are to be seen on pp. 310, 334, 351-
356, 367–372, 376–383, 391-401, 411-417, 419-425, 443-455,
491-492. The financial bearing of the Louisiana purchase is dis-
cussed, pp. 317–321 and 334-338. The condition of the debt in
1805-6 is indicated at p. 348; and, the characteristics of the
Bank Charter, pp. 426-433.
On this whole subject, the "American State-papers on Finance"
is an inexliaustible mine of most valuable material. Here can
be found all the state-documents bearing on the subject—reports
of secretaries and committees as well as messages of Presidents.
The plans and arguments of Hamilton are given in full; and on
pp. 424, 425. of vol. ii. are very interesting tables showing the
state of the debt in each year from 1789 to 1810. These tables
may well be carefully studied for the light they throw.on the two
systems—the steady decrease of internal revenue from 1801, the
increase of the sale of public lands, the gradual increase of cus-
toms duties, and, finally, after the crash, their entire disappear-
ance. These papers will be of little value to the student before
he has made himself familiar with the general policies of the time;
but when he has once gained an insight into the subject so as to
appreciate their drift, they will be found invaluable.
Important original papers are also to be found in the appendix
to the “Report of the International Monetary Congress.of 1878,"
pp. 417–486. Especially noteworthy are the “Coinage Scheme
of Robert Morris,” p. 425, “ Jefferson on a Monetary Unit,”: p.
437, and "Hamilton on the Establishment of a Mint," p. 445.
The debates in Congress on the various subjects may be con-
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
621
sulted with profit in the appropriate volumes of "Annals of Con-
gress.” The views of Hamilton, Jefferson, Gallatin, Madison, and
Adams on any of the points under examination may generally be
found by consulting the indexes of their respective works.
X. THE FINANCIAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY SINCE THE
CLOSE OF THE WAR OF 1812.–For anything more than a very
superficial study, this question will require constant recourse to
original documents. A bird's-eye view of the subject may be ob-
tained from the following works : Sumner's “ History of Ameri-
can Currency," pp. 70 et seq. Walker's “Treatise on Money,"
pp. 479–517. Gouge's “ History of. Paper Money and Banking
in the United States” was published as early as 1832, but it is
still in high esteem by economists. Sumner's lectures on the
"History of Protection” are designed to show historically the
evil results of the protective policy. Carey's “ Harmony of Inter-
ests ” is, perhaps, the strongest presentation of the opposite view.
Perry's “Elements of Political Economy," pp. 459-483, reviews
the several Tariff Laws from the Hamilton Tariff of 1789 to the
Morrill Tariff of 1861, and its modification in 1871. A still more
elaborate description is given in Young's “Tariff Legislation.”
The most systematic and thorough study of our finances is Von
Hock's “Die Finanzen und die Finanzgeschichte der Vereinigten
Staaten von Amerika.” The work has to do chiefly, though not
exclusively, with the period since 1860. The best presentation
of the subject in any of the general histories is in Young's
“American Statesman, or Political History."
For a careful study of the subject, two works are worthy of
mention as especially helpful. The first is McPherson's “Index
of Bills Presented in the House of Representatives relating to
Banks, Currency, Public Debt, Tariff, and Direct Taxes.” This
valuable index was published as “No. 92, House Miscellaneous
Documents of 2d Session, 43d Congress,” and is so arranged as
to show at a glance the history of each bill from its introduction
to its disappearance. The second document referred to is “The
Laws of the United States relating to Loans and the Currency,
including the Coinage Acts.” This work was compiled by the
Treasury Departınent in 1878, and contains all the laws passed
since 1860, and the most important ones of the previous years. ·
It is easily used by means of a very complete index. Elliot's
622 : HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
“Funding System” is a very rare but a very valuable authority.
The details of the organization of the Treasury Department are
well given in Lamphere's “ United States Government,” pp. 44-
141.
· The "American State-papers on Finance” furnish all the ma-
terial, excepting the debates, from 1789 to 1828. Vol. i. is
devoted to the years 1789-1801; vol. ii., 1801-1815; vol. iii.,
1815–1821; vol. iv., 1821-1824; vol. V., 1824-1828. Since
1828 no corresponding collection has been made. The debates
may be found in a somewhat abridged but very satisfactory form
in Benton's “Abridgment," which, however, ends with 1850.
The 50 vols. of Niles's “Register" cover the ground from 1811
to 1836, and will at times be found useful, though generally less
satisfactory.than Benton.
The report of Secretary Crawford, made in February, 1820, is
of much value for the light it throws on the events which led to
the financial disasters of 1818. The report of Secretary Rush, of
December, 1828, also is worthy of note for its review of financial
affairs since the charter of the Second Bank had been granted.
In President Jackson's message of December 8, 1829, the first
note of war on the bank was sounded. On the questions involved
in the recharter of the bank, the best authorities are the speeches
in Congress. Especially notewortly are the speeches of Calhoun,
“Works,” vol. ii., pp. 344-376 ; vol. iii., pp. 36–134; of Clay,
“Works," vol. v., pp. 22–33, 74-80, and 575–623; and of Web-
ster, “ Works,” vol. iii., pp. 195–416; also, on the veto of the Bank
Bill, pp. 416-447, and on the removal of the deposits, pp. 506-551.
The part of Secretary Taney in this bank war may be observed in
Tyler's “Life of Taney," pp. 155–248. Parton's account in his
“Life of Jackson," vol. iii., chaps. xx., xxix., XXX., xxxvi., xxxvii.-
xxxix. is an interesting narrative, though it will give little insight
into the financial merits of the case. Royal's “Andrew Jackson
and the Bank of the United States, including a History of Paper
Money,” No. xix. of "Economic Monographs," New York, 1880,
is the most recent review of the subject.
On the various tariffs the speeches of Calhoun, Clay, and Web-
ster are also of great importance. Especially worthy of note are
the following: On the tariff of 1816, Calhoun,“ Works,” vol. ii.,
pp. 163–173 and 197–262; on the tariff of 1824, Webster, vol.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
623
iii., pp. 94-150; on the tariff of 1828, vol. iii., pp. 228–247; on
the Tariff Bill of 1842, Calhoun,“ Works,” vol. iv., pp. 164-212;
on the tariff of 1846, Clay, “Works,” vol. ii., pp. 234-264; vol.
V., pp. 536–549, and vol. vi., pp. 320–351; Webster, “Works,”
vol. v., pp. 160-243.
The results of the tariffs are surveyed from opposite points of
view in Carey's “IIarmony of Interests” and in Sumner's "His-
tory of Protection.”
The report of Secretary Guthrie for December, 1856, is of con-
siderable historical and financial value. Especially worthy of note
is his account of the losses to which the government was sub-
jected through the private use of public moneys.
Of the more recent reports, that of Secretary McCulloch for
1865 is one of the ablest and most notable. Secretary Sherman's
“Speeches and Reports on Finance and Taxation from 1859 to
1878" form a valuable collection, covering the whole of the war
and resumption periods. The present banking system is reviewed
with great ability by Comptroller J. J. Knox in his report for
1875–76. Spaulding's “ History of the Legal - tender Paper
Money” is a narrative that may be found useful. An appendix
contains a brief but valuable paper by George S. Coe on "The
Financial History of the War.”
The collection of " Economic Monographs” recently published
in New York treat of a variety of subjects of present interest, al-
ways in an interesting and often in an able manner.
XI. HISTORY OF THE DOCTRINE OF NULLIFICATION AND SECES-
SION BEFORE THE PRESIDENCY OF GENERAL JACKSON.-Perhaps
the most comprehensive general presentation of this subject, from
the Southern point of view, is that contained in the first volume
of A. H. Stephens's “War between the States." The author
holds that the Union is a compact between sovereign states, and
that secession was inexpedient, though constitutionally justifiable.
In support of his position, he not only argues at great length, but
le quotes from numerous writers in the North as well as in the
South. A book of somewhat different nature is that of President
Buchanan entitled “Mr. Buchanan's Administration on the Eve
of the Rebellion.” The object of this work was to show that the
war bad its origin in the intense, antagonisms begotten by the
mutual recriminations of abolitionists and fire-eaters. His belief
624
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
appears to have been that the war was to be prevented, if at all,
by the soothing process of reconciling the antagonistic factions.
The principal value of the book is in the collection of views of
different men brought together. The claim is made that the doc-
trine of secession did not originate in the South, but in the North.
In support of this position Mr. Buchanan quotes from numerous
authors, among others Josiah Quincy, as reported in "Annals of
Congress," 1810–11, 3d Session, pp. 524 and 577. In chapter iv:
of Buchanan's work are to be found numerous expressions of
opinion tending to show that the right to secede was admitted
by a large number of persons. The question may well be studied
by following these references so far as possible to their original
sources. Mr. Randall, in his “Life of Jefferson,” has made a
similar collection of opinions, though a much less extended one.
In vol. iii., pp. 295, 363, 634 many of these views are brought to-
gether, and should be carefully studied. In Fowler's " Sectional
Controversy," chap. vi., are also to be found many extracts de-
signed to show the temper of both North and South during
Madison's administration. The views of Gouverneur Morris are
of especial interest on the question. '.
For the more particular study of special periods, works of a
less general nature must be consulted. The fourth volume of Up-
ham's " Life of Pickering,” Lodge's “ Life of Cabot," "Dwight's
“History of the Hartford Convention,” and, perhaps most impor-
tant of all, Adams's “New England Federalism,” will be sufficient
to reveal the spirit of New England. The early views of the
people of the South are formulated in the Kentucky Resolu-
tions, written by Jefferson, and the Virginia Resolutions, by
Madison. The former are to be found in Jefferson's “Works,”
vol. ix., p. 464'; the latter in Elliot's “ Debates," vol. iv., p. 528.
The answers of the several states to these resolutions are also to
be found in Elliot, vol. iv., pp. 532-545. These answers were re-
ferred to a committee, at the head of which was Madison, and his
report on them is given in extenso in vol. iv., pp. 546-580. These
documents are of the utmost importance as revcaling the views of
the leading men at the close of the last century. The study of
Madison's writings by means of the index to his works will show
that his views were somewhat modified before the end of his life.
The meaning and importance of the Virginia and Kentucky Reso-
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
625
lutions should be studied in the light of Von Holst's chapter on
them, vol. i., pp. 138–167. .
XII. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SLAVE POWER AND OF THE
ANTISLAVERY MOVEMENT TO THE ADOPTION OF THE MISSOURI
COMPROMISE.—The groupth of slavery is nowhere traced with
more vigor than in Von Holst. “The History of the Slavery
Question from 1789 until the Missouri Compromise of 1820,"
“The Economic Contrast between the Free and the Slave States,"
“The Abolitionists and the Slavery Question in Congress," are
the titles of the most important chapters in which this great ques-
tion is considered. The foot-notes and references given by Von
Holst will afford a clew to very many of the authorities of impor-
tance. These should be studied with great care.
The status of slavery during the colonial period may be studied
in Goodell’s “Slavery and Antislavery," in W. Jay's “Miscellane-
ous. Writings on Slavery,” in Bancroft, 8vo ed., vol. vi., p. 413 et
seq. These references are of value for the purpose of showing
the attitude of England as well as of the colonies on the subject.
In the first part of Helper's “Impending Crisis” are also brought
together a considerable number of opinions of the fathers on the
subject. For an account of the first movement of the Quakers
on the subject, see Clarkson on “The Slave-trade," p. 110. The
views generally held at the time of the Revolution may be seen
in the prohibition of further importation, adopted October 20,
1774, and the way in which the prohibition was looked upon by
the public. The papers are in “ American Archives,” 4th series,
vol. i., p. 914. For the way in which the prohibition of April 6,
1776, was passed, see Elliot, “Debates," vol. i., p. 54, and Adams's
“Works,” vol. iii., p. 39. The way in which opposition to pro-
hibition was first shown is indicated by the striking-out of the
Declaration of Independence Jefferson's complaint against George
III. that he had forbidden all attempts “to prohibit or restrain
this execrable commerce.” See Jefferson's “Works,” vol. i., p.
175; Elliot's “Debates,” vol. v., p. 459; Bancroft, 8vo ed., vol. iii.,
pp. 413–417; and Goodell, pp. 109–117.
The first attempt made to organize the territories was that
which resulted in the plan of 1784. The antislavery clause in-
serted in the paper drawn up by Jefferson was voted down in a
manner which Von Holst does not make clear. How completely
40
626
IIISTORICAL LITERATURE.
this acute author failed to apprehend the significance of the ques-
tion may be seen by comparing his account, vol. i., pp. 286–288,
with the account in Randall's “Life of Jefferson,” vol. i., pp.
397–399. The nature of the vote to strike out the antislavery
clause is also clearly explained by Randall, though completely
mystified by Von Holst. The official proceedings may be studied
· in “Journals of Congress," vol. iv., p. 373. Jefferson's views on
the subject of slavery are summed up by Randall, vol. iii., pp.
643–645.
The history and the importance of the antislavery clause in
the ordinance of 1787 are given in the valuable paper by W. F.
Poole in “The North American Review” for April, 1876. The
same subject is discussed in similar spirit in a paper in “Pro-
ceedings of New Jersey Historical Society," 2d series, vol. iii.,
p. 76. By comparing these with the account of Von Holst, the
conclusions of the German author will be seen to be somewhat
erroneous.
The famous three-fifths compromise can best be studied in
Elliot's “Debates.” Its history may be traced by consulting vol.
V., pp. 79, 81, 181, 190, 301, 304, 305, 379, 459, 460; also in vol.
iv., pp. 272, 273, 283, 284, 296. The importance and significance
of this compromise can only be understood after a study of the
proceedings of the convention. The student who has not access
to Elliot inay find an interesting sketch in Curtis's “History of
the Constitution,” vol. ii.
The history of slavery froin this time forward is casily to be
traced, though it is to be found only in a multitude of authorities.
To these the notes in Von Holst give the most ample clew. The
period which this author calls “The Thirty Ycars? War," extend-
ing from 1789 to the Missouri Compromise of 1820, may be
casily traced in chap. viii. of vol. i., though the student is cautioned
against the author's lack of judicial fairness. The economic con-
trast between the free and the slave states is ably presented in
chap. ix.; and the events which led to the adoption of the Com-
promise of 1820 may be traced through the authorities to which
he refers. The first part of Greeley's “American Conflict” and
- vol. i. of Draper's “Civil War" will present outlines of the sub-
ject from different points of view. Tucker's “History” presents
the Southern view of the subject in moderate language, while the
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 627
last pages of Hildreth give the opposite side. For the speeches
on the Compromise, see Benton's “ Debates,” vol. vi.
XIII. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SLAVE POWER AND OF THE
ANTISLAVERY MOVEMENT FROM THE ADOPTION OF THE MISSOURI
COMPROMISE TO THE OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR.—The best
outline of events is that in the first volume of Greeley's “Ameri-
can Conflict." The Southern view of the case may be studied
in Tucker. The controversy over Nullification, extending from
1829 to 1833, has an important though an indirect bearing on
the question, inasmuch as the control of the territories for the
admission or exclusion of slavery was at issue. The speeches
of Calhoun, Webster, and Hayne may be. rcad with profit,
though they have a more direct bearing on the subject of seces-
sion.
Succeeding events may be traced in Wilson's “Rise and Fall
of the Slave Power,” vol. i.; in Greeley's “American Conflict,”
vol. i.; and in Goodell’s “Slavery and Antislavery.”
The importance of the Clay Compromise of 1850 can only be
fully understood after reading at least the most important speeches
on the subject. That of Clay is given in Clay's “Works," vol.
iii., pp. 302–352; that of Calhoun in Calhoun's “Works,” vol.
iv., p. 542; and that of Webster in Webster's “ Works," vol. v.,
pp. 324–367. On the way in which Webster's speech was re-
ceived, see Theodore Parker's" Addresses,” vol. iii., pp. 1-38, and
Curtis's “Life of Webster," vol. ii., pp. 387–415. Calhoun's
views on the slavery question are also given in a speech in his
“Works," vol. iv., pp. 339–382, and vol. iii., pp. 140–202. The
views of Clay on abolition are to be found in his “ Works," vol.
vi., pp. 139 and 419. Webster's position on the slavery ques-
tion can be more fully studied by the use of the index to his
“Works.”
The antislavery agitation gave expression to a very copious
literature, but only the most conspicuous and influential works
need now to be studied. Of these the writings of Channing arc
among the most important. His paper on “Slavery” in his
“Works," vol. ii., pp. 7–180; on the “Annexation of Texas," vol.
ii, pp. 183–200; on “Emancipation,” vol. v., pp. 7–106, may be
studied as among the most influential expressions of the anti-
slavery sentiment. Theodore Parker's “Addresses” had less
628
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
eriod, those wendell Phillips, t"antislavery speepeal of the
permanent influence, though more immediate power. See several
speeches before the Antislavery Society, in “Speeches,” vols. ii.
and iii. That on the Nebraska Question, pp. 297–380, vol. i. of
“Additional Speeches,” is especially noteworthy. Of the writings
of the period, those of William Lloyd Garrison, and of popular
addresses those of Wendell Phillips, are most noteworthy.
In Congress, the most important antislavery speeches were
those of Charles Sumner. The one entitled “No Repeal of the
Missouri Compromise" is given in his “Works,” vol. iii., p. 280;
“The Crime against Kansas,” vol. iv., p. 127; “The Barbarism
of Slavery,” vol. v., p. 1; "Universal Emancipation," vol. viii., p.
347; “Equal Rights of All,” vol. X., p. 114; “Are We a Na-
tion?” vol. xii., p. 187. Several of these speeches formed almost
epochs in the history of the antislavery movement, and not only
the speeches themselves, but the notes and extracts by which they
are followed, may well be consulted, if not read in extenso. They
give a good idea of the magnitude of the contest.
The Southern view can only be correctly learned through the
study of the “Congressional Globe" for the years extending from
1850, where Benton's useful “ Abridgment” leaves us, to the out-
break of the war. Something, however, may be learned from the
works of Stephens, Pollard, Tucker, and Davis. As important
elements of the antislavery agitation should be mentioned Hel-
per's “Impending Crisis” and Mrs. Stowe's “Uncle Tom's Cab-
in.” The periodical literature of the time may be profitably con-
sulted, though its mass is too voluminous to justify references
to it, unless, perhaps, to the Democratic Review and the Whig
Review.
XIV. NULLIFICATION AND SECESSION FROM THE ELECTION OF
PRESIDENT JACKSON TO THE OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR.-
The best bird's-eye view of the whole subject is to be obtained
from the first volume of Greeley's “American Conflict” and from
Tucker's “History.” Wilson's “Rise and Fall of the Slave
Power” is written from so ardent antislavery convictions that it
is utterly wanting in the judicial impartiality necessary for an his-
torical authority. Fowler's “Sectional Controversy," Goodell's
“Slavery and Antislavery," and T. S. Goodwin's “Natural His-
tory of Secession" 12mo, New York, 1864, may be used with
greater profit.
HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
629
The manner in which the question of secession came forward
in Jackson's administration is described with characteristic spirit
by Parton in his “Life of Jackson," vol. iii., chaps. xxxii.-xxxiv.
The action of South Carolina and the proclamation of Jackson
are given in Elliot's “Debates," vol. iv., pp. 580-592. Concern-
ing the writing of Jackson's. proclamation, see Hunt's “Life of
Livingston,” pp. 371-381. The “Address of the Nullifiers," in
answer to the President's proclamation, is given in Niles's "Regis-
ter," vol. xliii., pp. 231-234. Note also the claim of Barnwell
Smith in the same vol., p. 288.
The course of the debate on secession is pointed out in Von
Holst, vol. i., pp. 459-505. It may be traced chronologically in
Benton's “ Debates,” vols. xi. and xii.; in Niles's “Register," vols.
xliv.-xlvi. The speeches, in abridged form, are given in Elliot's
“Debates," vol. iv., pp. 494-522. The great sources of infor-
mation, however, on this period are the speeches of Calhoun
and Webster, as found in the works of those authors. These
may well be studied with great care. Calhoun's views of the re-
lations of the states to the general government are given in the
first volume of his “Works.” His speeches of greatest impor-
tance are that on “The Force Bill,” vol. ii., p. 197.; that in sup-
port of “States Rights," vol. ii., p. 262; that on the same subject
in vol. iii., p. 140; and that on the "Inevitable Tendency of the
Slavery Question to Disunion,” vol. iv., p. 542. The most impor-
tant of these are the two last mentioned. That in vol. iv. was
delivered on the 4th of March, 1850, only three days before the
more famous 7th of March speech by Webster.
The positions taken by Webster may be well studied by reading
his speeches on the relations of the states to the general govern-
ment in the following order: The three speeches on Foote's Res-
olution, the second of which is commonly known as the Reply to
Hayne, are in Webster's “Works,” vol. iii., pp. 248–355. The
circumstances of the delivery of these speeches are well explained
in the “ Biographical Memoir" in vol. i., chap. vi. The effect may
also be inferred from the banquet in New York and the speech
given on p. 191 of vol. i. The speech in vol. iii., p. 448, on "The
Constitution not a Compact between Sovereign States ” is of great
importance. The famous speech on “The Constitution and the
Union," of the 7th of March, 1850, is in vol. v., pp. 324-367.
630 .
HISTORICAL LITERATURE.
The speeches on the Sub-treasury, given in vol. iv., are scarcely less
important, as they were delivered in reply to Calhoun, and apper-
tain directly to the powers of the general government. The man-
ner in which Webster's services were esteemed may be inferred
from his reception at Pittsburg, vol. i., p. 291, and at Boston, vol.
i., p. 413, and the speeches delivered on those occasions. The
speech of Everett in introducing Webster at Faneuil Hall is es-
pecially noteworthy.
The Compromise measures of 1850 should be studied in the
debates of Congress while the measures were pending. These
may be found either in the “Congressional Globe," or quite as
satisfactorily in Benton's "Abridgment of the Debates.” Ben-
ton's "Thirty Years in the Senate” is important for the light it
throws on the spirit and method of the times. The famous
speech of Clay on the Compromise is to be found in Clay's
“Works," vol. iii., pp. 302–351. His views of Nullification are
expressed in vol. v., pp. 392–416.
The events on the eve of the war are best to be studied in Wil-
son's “Rise and Fall of the Slave Power," Greeley's “American
Conflict," and in the first hundred pages of Pollard's “Lost
Cause.” The first few chapters of Pollard's “Secret History of
the Confederacy” throw light into several dark places of the
secession movement. The debates of Congress as given in the
volumes of the “Globe” for the autumn of 1860 are also of
primary importance. The speech of Stephens of November 14,
1860, and the comments on it in the first pages of his “ War be-
tween the States," are worthy of note.
The Dred Scott Decision will be found in 19 Howard, p. 393.
For interesting facts in relation to that famous decision, sec
Tyler's “Life of Taney,” pp. 358 and 382–385. The decision
itself is of great interest, not only on account of the conclusions
of the court, but also on account of the very elaborate review it
contains of the way in which negroes liad long been regarded
when the Constitution was framed.
INDE X.
Abbott, J. S. C., History of Napoleon Bonaparte, 340.
About, Edmond, The Roman Question, 234.
Achaian League, Freeman's History of, 102.
Adams, C. K., Democracy and Monarchy in France, 347.
Adams, Henry, Anglo-Saxon Courts of Law, 474; Documents relating to New
England Federalism, 566, 613; Life of Albert Gallatin, 578.
Adams, John, The Life and Works of, 589, 609.
Acams, John Quincy, Memoirs of, 589; Reply to Appeal, 613.
Adams, Samuel, Wells's Life of, 588, 606.
Administration in France, Dareste's History of, 355; Haas's History and Mech-
anism of, 367.
Adolphus, John, History of England under George III., 468.
Agricultural Classes in France, Dareste's History of, 357.
Agricultural Community in the Middle Ages, 175.
Agriculture in England, Rogers's History of, 492.
Alabama, Picket's History of, 560.
Albany Convention, Journal of the, 607.
Alexander I. of Russia, Metternich on, 258.
Alexander II., Condition of Russia under, 399.
Alexander the Great, Droysen's History of, 100.
Alexandrian Greeks, Kingsley's description of, 113.
Alien and Sedition Acts, Consideration of, 613.
Alienation of America from England, 597, 005–607.
Alison, Archibalu, History of Europe, 204, 217, 293; History of the French Revo-
lution, 330; Account of Poland, 397.
Alzog, John, Manual of Universal Church History, 159.
American Almanac, Spofford's, 217.
American State-papers, 598.
Amicis, Edmondo de, Holland and its People, 417.
Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman History of, 137.
Amos, Sheldon, Great Over of Poisoning, 10; Fifty Years of the English Consti-
tution, 489.
Ampère, J. J., Histoire Romaine à Rome, 114, 14.9 ; Histoire Littéraire de la France,
avant Charlemagne, 350; sous Charlemagne et durant les Xº ct XIC Siècles,
351.
Amy Robsart, Uncertainties concerning, 9.
Ancient History, Authorities on, 71-87.
Ancient Institutions, McLennan on, 82; Maine's studies in, 83; Morgan's studies
in, 81; Tylor's studies in, 84, Wallon's studies in, 85; Coulanges's studies in,
87.
632
INDEX.
Anderson, R. B., Norse Mythology, 422.
Anecdotical History of Parliament, 487.
Anglo-Saxons, Histories of the, 443-446, 474-477, 502-504.
Annals of Congress, 600.
Annals of the American Pulpit, 602.
Anne, Histories of the Reign of Queen, 465–467.
Annual Register, 209, 217.
Antiquity, Histories of, 71-87; of Man, 86; Travelling in, 105; Police in, 105;
Physicians in, 105; Social Position of Women in, 105; of Greece, 109; of
Rome, 141, 144.
Antislavery, Goodell’s History of, 569.
Appletons' Annual Cyclopædia, 217.
Arabs, Condition of the, in the Middle Ages, 185; in Spain, 401.
Archæology of Rome, by J. H. Parker, 149.
Architecture, Fergusson's History of, 44.
Argyle, Bayne's Essay on the Duke of, 460.
Argyll, The Duke of, Primeval Man, 87; Eastern Question, 413, 490.
Arneth, Alf. von, Geschichte Maria Theresia's, 266.
Arnold, Matthew, Higher Schools and Universities in Germany, 296.
Arnold, Samuel G., History of Rhode Island, 552.
Arnold, Thomas, History of Rome, 127, 148; History of the Later Commonwealth.
131, 1419; Lectures on Modern History, 187, 216.
Arnold, Wilhelm, Ansiedelungen und Wanderungen deutscher Stämme, 276;
Deutsche Urzeit, 276, 293.
Arnold, W. T., Roman System of Provincial Administration, 140.
Arrivabene, Count C., Italy under Victor Emmanuel, 235.
Art, Lübke's Outlines of the History of, 51.; Winckelmann's History of Ancient,
110, 150; at the time of the Renaissance, 218, 226, 230.
Arts, Schnaase's History of the Plastic, 51; in the Middle Ages, 169, 179.
Asseline, Louis, Histoire de l'Autriche, 265.
Assmann, Dr. W., Handbuch der allgemeinen Geschichte, 31.
Assyria, Birch's Translations of Inscriptions of, 75; Rawlinson's History of, 78.
Athens in the Time of Pericles, 99; Constitutional History of, 110.
Atlases, The best, 68.
Aubé, M., Histoire des l'ersécutions de l'Église, 160, 185.
Audin's Liſe of Luther, 218.
Austin, James T., Life of Elbridge Gerry, 579.
Austria, Historics of, 263-268.
Avé-Lallemant, F.C. B., Das deutsche Gaunerthum, 281.
Babylon, Rawlinson's History of, 78.
Bacon, Lord, History of Henry VII., 8.
Bacon's Rebellion in Virginia, 605.
Bagehot, Walter, The English Constitution, 489, 497, 526.
Bähr, J. C.F., Geschichte der römischen Literatur, 140.
Baird, Henry M., Rise of the Huguenots, 314.
Baker, James, Turkey, 414.
Balcke; Theodor, Bilder aus der Geschichte der deutschen Landwirthschaft, 285, 296.
Baldwin's Prehistoric Nations, 86.
Balmes, Rev. James, Luropean Civilization, 160, 217.:
Bancroft, George, Slavery in Rome, 149; History of the United States, 530.
Bancroft, Hubert H., Races of the Pacific States, 566.
Bærante, A. G. P. de, Histoire des Ducs de Bourgogne, 309; Histoire de la Conven-
tion Nationale, 331.
633
Barbarians, Laurent's History of the, 49; Representation of, in Kingsley's Roman
and Teuton, 154.
Baring-Gould, S., Curious Myths of the Middle Ages, 161; Germany Past and
Present, 288; Iceland, its Scenes and Sagas, 422.
Barni, Jules, Napoléon et son Historien, M. Thiers, 338.
Barrière et De Lescure, Bibliothèque des Mémoires, 307, 309.
Barry, John Stetson, History of Massachusetts, 550.
Barthélemy's Anacharsis, 113.
Bastard, Le Vicomte de, Les Parlements de France, 354.
Batbie, Anselme, Turgot, 326.
Baumgarten, H., Geschichte Spaniens, 400.
Bavélier, Adrien, Essai Historique sur le Droit d'Élection, 354.
Bayne, Peter, Chief Actors of the Puritan Revolution, 460, 516.
Bazin, Antoine, Histoire de France sous Louis XIII., 319.
Beaufort, M., Incertitude des cinque premiers Siècles de Rome, 125.
Beaumont-Vassy, E. F., Histoire des États Européennes, 204.
Becker, K. F., Weltgeschichte, 32.
Becker, W. A., Handbuch der römischen Alterthiimer, 141.
Beer, A., Zehn Jahre österreichischer Politik, 267; Die erste Theilung Polens, 388.
Beesly, E. S., Catiline, Clodius, and Tiberius, 131.
Belgium, Histories of, 417–422.
Belknap), Jeremy, History of New Hampshire, 549.
Bell, Robert, History of Russia, 377.
Benefices, History of, 178; Waitz on, 279.
Benefit of Clergy, History of, 170.
Benjamin, S. G. W., Troy, 93.
Benjamin's The Turk and the Greek, 432.
Benton, Thomas H., Thirty Years' View, 567; Abridgment of Congressional De-
bates, 600.
Bergier's Histoire des Grands Chemins de l'Empire Romain, 150.
Bernhardi, Theodor von, Geschichte Russlands, 377.
Berriat, Saint-Prix, La Justice Révolutionnaire, 363.
Beverley, Robert, History of Virginia, 566.
Biedermann, Karl, Deutschland im achtzehnten Jahrhundert, 284.
Bigelow, John, Life of Benjamin Franklin, 579.
Biographies of Important Americans, 578.
Birch, S., Records of the Past, 75, 87.
Bisset, Andrew, Essays on Historical Truth, 57, 516; History of the Struggle for
Parliamentary Government in England, 456; History of the Commonwealth
of England, 456, 519.
Blackstone, Sir W., Commentaries on the Laws of England; 494; on the Charters,
507.
Blakey, Robert, History of Political Literature, 42.
Blanc, Louis, Histoire de la Révolution Française, 332; History of Ten Years, 342.
Blanqui, Adolphe, History of Political Economy, 42.
Blue Laws of Connecticut, 553.
Bliimner, Hugo, Technologie und Terminologie der Gewerbe und Künste bei
Griechen und Römern, 103.
Blunt's Reformation in England, 514.
Boeckh, Augustus, Public Economy of the Athenians, 103.
Boissier, Gaston, Cicéron et ses Amis, 131; Opposition sous les Césars, 136; La
Religion Romaine, 142.
Bolingbroke, Lord, Letters on the Study of History, 67; Political Doctrines of, 523.
634
INDEX.
Bollaert, William, Wars of Succession in Spain, 67.
Bolles's l'inancial History of the United States, 618.
Bonnemere, E., Histoire des Paysans, 186, 209.
Borough and Municipal Corporations, History of, 490.
Bossuet, Bishop J. B., Histoire Universelle, 32; Laurent's examination of, 50; His-
toire des Variations, 210.
Botta, Anna C. Lynch, Hand-book of Universal Literature, 43.
Botta, C. G. G., Storia d'Italia, 226; History of Italy during the Consulate and
Empire, 232.
Böttiger, C. W., Geschichte des Kurstaates und Königreiches Sachsen, 268.
Boullée, M. A., Histoire des États-Généraux, 355.
Bourbons, Yonge's History of France under the, 325.
Bozman, J. L., History of Maryland, 555.
Bradford, Alden, History of Massachusetts, 551.
Bradford, William, History of Plymouth Plantation, 545.
Brandenburg, Ranke's Memoirs of the House of, 271.
Brentano, L., History of the Development of Gilds, 179.
Bretschneider's Wall Maps, 68.
Brewer, J. S., The Student's Huine, 433, 497.
Bright, Rev. Frank, English History, 433, 496.
British Almanac and Companion, 217.
Brodhead, J. R., History of the State of New York, 553.
Brodie, George, Constitutional History of the British Empire, 483, 519; Revicw
of Hume, 483.
Broglie, The Duc de, The King's Secret, 324.
Brougham, Lori, Demosthenes, 112; The British Constitution, 481, 503, 513; Au-
tobiography, 527; Legal Reform, 529.
Brown, Henry, History of Illinois, 563.
Browning, Oscar, Historical Hanıl-books, 187.
Brownson, 0. A., The American Republic, 567.
Brugsch-Bey, Henry, History of Egypt, 75, 86.
Bryant and Gay's Popular History of the United States, 531.
Bryce, James, Holy Roman Empire, 184, 248, 293. 2016.
Buchanan, President, Administration of, 624.
Buchez et Roux, Histoire Parlementaire de la Révolution Française, 333.
Buchon, J. A., Collection des Chroniques Nationales, 303.
Buckingham, The Duke of, Gardiner's Administration of, 454.
Buckle, H. T., Historical theories of, 5; Laurent on the positivism of, 50; History
of Civilization, 57; Droysen's Review of, 61; on the History of France, 371.
Bulfinch, Thomas, Age of Fable, 112; Age of Chivalry, 161; Legends of Charlc-
magne, 373.
Bulle, C., Geschichte der neuesten Zeit, 205, 217.
Bulwer, Lord, Rise and Fall of Athens, 111; Pompeii, 151; Rienzi, 185.
Burckhardt, Jacob, History of the Renaissance, 184, 216, 227, 243.
Burgundy, Barante's History of the Dukes of, 309.
Burk, John, History of Virginia, 556.
Burke, Edmund, Reflections on the French Revolution, 363; on Party Govern-
ment, 526.
Burn's Rome and the Campagna, 150.
Burnet, Bishop G., History of the Reformation, 450 ; History of His Own Time,
461.
Burton, John Ilill, History of Scotland, 434; History of the Reign of Queen Anne,
466.
Butt, Isaac, History of Italy from the Abdication of Napoleon I., 232.
INDEX.
635.
Cabinet Government, Authorities on the Establishment and Development of, 526.
Cabot, George, Lodge's Life and Letters of, 581.
Cæsar, Julius, Mommsen's estimate of, 120; F'roudc's, 132; Napoleon's Life of, 132.
Caillet, Jules, L'Administration de Richelieu, 319.
Calendars of State-papers, Description of, 499.
Calhoun, J.C., Works of, 589; Political doctrines of, 612, 614, 622.
Camden Society, Publications of, 500.
Campagna, Burn’s Description of, 150.
Campbell, Charles, History of Virginia, 557.
Campbell, James V., Political History of Michigan, 565.
Campbell, Lord John, Lives of the Lord Chancellors and Chief Justices, 434.
Canada, MacMullen's History of, 440; Parkman's Old Régime in, 544.
Cantu, Cesare, Histoire Universelle, 33 ; Les Trente. Dernières Années, 207; His-
toire des Italiens, 220, 243.
Capefigue, Jean, Histoire de la Réſorme, 318.
Capes, W. W., The Early Empire, 135; The Roman Empire of the Second Century,
135, 148.
Capponi, Gino, Geschichte der florentinischen Republik, 238.
Carey, H. C., Harmony of Interests, 621. -
Carlier, Auguste, Histoire du Peuple Américain, 568.
Carlson, F. F., Geschichte Schwedens, 424.
Carlyle, Thomas, History of Frederick II., 272, 293; History of the French Revolu-
tinn, 331; Early Kings of Norway, 423; Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches,
157, 517; Miscellaneous Essays, 294.
Carné, Comte Louis de, Gouverneinent Representatif en France, 314.
Caro, S., Geschichte Polens, 385.
Carrière, Moriz, Die Kunst im Zusammenhang der Culturentwickelung, 43.
Carthage, Government and Trade in, 71,149; Newman's Defence of, 149.
Catalogues, Brooklyn Mercantile Library, 69; Boston Athenæum Library, 69 ;
Harvard University, 69; for general reference, 69.
Catherine II. of Russia, Nemoirs of, 378; Tookc's History of, 384; Authoritics on,
398.
Catholicism, Froude's Essay on the Philosophy of, 218.
Catholicity compared with Protestantism, 160.
Catiline, Beesly on, 131.
Causeries de Limdi, Sainte-Beure's, 376.
Cavalcaselle, G. B., History of Painting in Italy, 230, 231.
Cavour, Le Comte de, Mazade's Essay on, 234, 243.
Cayley, E. S., The European Revolutions of 1848, 207.
Celestin, Fr. J., Russland seit Aufhebung der Leibeigenschaft, 389.
Celibacy, Lea's History of, 169.
Cellini, Benvenuto, Autobiography of, 218, 228.
Chaldæa, Rawlinson's History of, 78.
Channing, W. E., Works on Slavery, 628.
Charlemagnc, Mullinger's Schools of, 174, 373; Bulfinch's Legends of, 373.
Charles, Mrs., Conquering and to Conquer, 151; Schönberg-Cotta Family, 219.
Charles I., Histories of the Reign of, 453–461; Bayne's Essay on, 460.
Charles II., Bayne's Essay on, 460.
Charles V., Robertson's Life of, 251; Van Praet's Essay on, 198.
Charles V. and Francis I., Mignet's estimate of, 313.
Charles the Bold, Kirk's History of, 312.
Chéruel, Adolphe, La Minorité de Louis XIV., 320.
Chevalier, E., Manual of Ancient History, 72.
Chivalry, Bulfinch's Age of, 161; Mills's History of, 173; best authorities on, 185.
I
1
036
INDEX.
Christianity, Laurent's History of, 49; Milman's History of, 173.
Chronicles of France, 305-307 ; Froissart's, 308 ; Monstrelet's, 309.
Church and State, Geffcken's History of, 164; in Germany, 288, 289.
Church History, Alzog's, 159; Aube's, 160; Balmes's, 160; Döllinger's, 163 ; Fish-
er's, 163; Geffcken’s, 164; Gfrörer's, 164; Gieseler's, 165; Gosselin's, 166;
Hardwick's, 166; Lea's, 169 ; Milman's, 173; Neander's, 175; Pressense's, 177;
Stanley's, 79, 180; courses of reading on, 185.
Church, R. W., The Beginnings of the Middle Ages, 162, 183.
Cicero, Trollope's Life of, 130; Forsyth's Liſe of, 130; Buissier's Sketch of, 131;
Froude's Estimate of, 137; importance of letters of, 149.
Cities, of the Roman Empire, 140, 143, 149, 150; of Germany, 278, 280; of the Mid-
dle Ages, 280; of the Hanse, 280.
Civil Service in England, 527,528.
Civil War in America, Histories of, 538.
Civil War of 1640, Authorities on, 514-517.
Civilization, Carrière's History of, 43; Draper's History of Intellectual Develop-
ment, 44; Guizot's History of, in Europe, 46; Buckle's History of, 57; Lub-
bock's Origin of, 82; in Greece, 103-110; in Rome, 140-151; Balmes on, 160,
184; in the Fifth Century, 176; in Modern Times, 209-216; of the Renais-
sance, 227; in Germany, 276; in France, 348-371; in Russia, 389-397; in
Poland, 389-397; in England, 474-496 ; in United States, 545–578.
Clarendon, Lord, Bayne's Essay on, 460, 517; Ranke's review of, 460, 517.
Clarke, J. F., Ten Great Religions, 50, 112.
Clay, Henry, The Works of, 590.
Clodius, Beesly on, 131.
Cluskey, M. W., Political Text-book, 601.
Coate's The Romans in Britain, 504.
Cobbett, William, History of the Reformation in England and Ireland, 218, 451;
Parliamentary History of England, 4:99.
Colletta, Pietro, History of Naples, 242.
Collier, Admiral Sir George, France and Holland a Century Ago, 325.
Collier, J. Payne, History of English Dramatic Poetry, 501.
Collins, Luther, Historical Sketches of Kentucky, 562.
Colonial Period of American History, 538, 603-605. Also sce United States.
Colonization of America, 539, 543, 573, 596.
Commerce of England, Escott's account of, 495.
Commines, Philip dc, The Memoirs of, 311,
Commons, Methods in the House of, 485-487; Escott's account of, 495; Influence
of Hundred Years' War on, 27.
Commonwealth, Bisset's Essay on the Government of, 57.
Communes, of Italy, 224; of France, 383; of Germany, 178, 182, 286, 296 ; in Eng-
land. 179.
Comte, M., historical theories of, 5; positions of, examined by Laurent, 50; Posi-
tire Philosophy, 60.
Condé, D'Aumale's History of the Princes of, 324.
Condé, J. A., History of the Arabs in Spain, 401.
Confederation of the United States, 531.
Congressional Globc, 600.
Congressional Record, 600.
Connecticut, True Blue Laws of, 553.
Connecticut, Trumbull's History of, 552.
Conquering and to Conquer, Mrs. Charles's, 151.
Constitutional History, of Greece, 109-111; of Rome, 144-146; of Germany, 276–
279; Waitz's, 279; Sohin's, 277; Löw's, 289; Isaacsohn's, 290; Lancizolle's,
INDEX.
637
290; Oesſeld's, 291 ; of France, Thierry's Third Estate, 353; Bastard's Les
Parlements de France, 354; Bavélier's Droit d'Election, 354; Picot's Histoire
des États-Généraux, 354; Boullée's Histoire des États-Généraux, 355; Da-
reste’s Histoire de l'Administration, 355 ; Haas's Histoire de l'Administration,
367; Kaiser's Verfassungsgeschichte, 368; general authorities on, 376; of
England, 474-496, 502-527 ; general authorities on, 496; of the United States,
authorities on, 506-578, 596-630.
Constitutions of the several States, 601.
Cooke, G. W., History of Party, 488,521,523.
Co-operation in England, Escott's account of, 495.
Coppée, Henry, History of the Conquest of Spain by the Arabs, 401.
Corn Laws, History of the League against, 528.
Corporations, increasing power of, 22.
Cory, William, Guide to Modern English History, 469.
Cosel, E. von, Geschichte des preussischen Staates, 271.
Coulanges, Fustel dc, Ancient City, 87, 104, 112, 184; Histoire des Institutions Po-
litiques en France, 244, 293, 349,371.
Count of Paris, History of the Civil War in America, 538.
Coup d'Etat, Authorities on the, 375.
Courses of Reading: on universal history, 67-69; on history of antiquity, 86-87; on
history of Greece, 111-114; on history of Rome, 148–15l; on history of the
Middle Ages, 183–186; on general history of modern times, 216–219; on his-
tory of Italy, 242-245; on the history of Germany, 293-296; on the history
of France, 371-376; on the history of Russia, 397–399; on the history of Spain,
4:29–432; on the history of Turkey, 429-432; on the history of Holland, 429-
432; on the history of Scandinavia, 429-432 ; on the history of England,
4:96-529; on the history of the United States, 594-630.
Courts, inefficiency of, before the Revolution of 1640, 10; methods of trial illustrateil,
11; in Germany under feudalism, 279; Wächter's essays on, 282; in media-
val England, 492; in modern England, 495.
Cox, George W., Mythology of the Aryan Nations, 80; General History of Greece,
88,111; History of Greece, 88; The Greeks and the Persians, 94; The Athe-
nian Empire, 94; The Crusades, 162; Romances of the Middle Ages, 162,
183.
Cox, Homersham, History of the Reform Bills of 1866-67,473 ; Antient Parlianien-
tary Elections, 477, 509; The Institutions of the English Government, 485,
526; Whig and Tory Administrations, 1855-68, 489.
Cox's Hibernia Anglicana, 518.
Coxe, William, History of the House of Austria, 263, 293 ; Memoirs of Spain under
the Bourbons, 402.
Craik, George L., History of English Literature, 501.
Crawford, Secretary, Report on financial disasters, 622.
Crawfurd, Oswald, Portugal, Old and New, 402.
Creasy, Sir Edward, History of the Ottoman Turks, 415; Rise and Progress of the
English Constitution, 480.
Crceds of Christendom, 215.
Crimean War, General authorities on, 399.
Criminal Trials, Jardine's, 493; Wächter's, 185; Lea's, 183, 294.
Croker, J. W., Essays on French Revolution, 365, 374.
Cromwell, Oliver, Bisset's History of: 57; Bayne's Essay on, 460 ; general author-
ities on, 457-461,517-520.
Crowe, E. E., History of France, 297.
Crowe, J. A., Art in Italy, 218, 230.
Crowe's The Greek and the Turk, 432.
638
INDEX.
Crusades, Cox's Sketch of, 162; Michaud's History of, 172; Mills's History of, 172;
Sybel's History and Literature of, 180; Heeren's essay on, 189; general au-
thorities on, 184.
Cruttwell, C. T., History of Roman Literature, 142.
Currency in the United States, Gallatin on, 591.
Curteis, A. M., Rise of the Macedonian Empire, 100; Roman Empire, 135, 148.
Curtis, B. T., History of the Constitution of the United States, 608.
Curtis, George T., Liſe of Daniel Webster, 580.
Curtius, Ernst, History of Greece, 89,111; History of the Roman Empire, 136.
Custine, Le Marquis die, La Russie en 1839, 390.
Cutler, Manasseh, and Ordinance of 1787, 12.
Cutter, Dr., Catalogue of the Boston Athenæum, 69.
Daguet, Alexandre, Histoire de la Confédération Suisse, 411.
Dahlmann, H. C., Geschichte von Dänemark, 423.
Dalrymple's Memorials, Importance of, 10,514.
Danes and Northmen in England, 429.
Dangeau, Marquis de, Journal du, 323.
Dareste, C., Histoire de France, 299; Histoire de l'Administration en France, 357;
Histoire des Classes Agricoles, 357.
Daru, P. A., Histoire de la République de Venise, 236.
D'Aubigné, J. H. Merle, History of the Reformation, 194; History of the Reforma-
tion in the Time of Calvin, 195, 217.
D'Aumale, Le Duc, History of the Princes of Condé, 324.
Daunou, P. C.F., Cours d'Etudes Historiques, 34.
Davies, C. M., History of Holland and the Dutch, 417.
Day, W.A., The Russian Government in Poland, 390.
D'Azeglio, Massimo, Recollections of, 234, 243.
Dė Joinville's History of Louis IX., 373.
De Lolme, J. L., Rise and Progress of the English Constitution, 484.
Delord, Taxile, Histoire du Second Empire, 346.
Democracy in Europe, 51; at Athens, 99; in France, 347.
Democratic Review, 603.
Demosthenes, Schäfer's, 99, 111; Brougham on, 112; Legaré on, 112.
Denmark, Histories of, 423-426, 430-432.
Dennis, George, Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria, 149.
De Quadra Letter, importance of, 9.
De Quincey, Thomas, Barbarism of the Roman Empire, 150.
Deux Amis de la Liberté, Histoire de la Révolution Française, 334.
Dew, Thomas, Digest of Ancient and Modern History, 34.
De Witt, John, Geddes's History of, 418.
De Worms, Baron Henry, Austro-Hungarian Empire, 267; England's Policy in the
East, 491.
Dexter, H. M., as to Roger Williams, 551.
Dezobry's Imaginary Journey to Rome, 151.
Dickinson, John, Letters of a Farmer, 606.
Dictionary, of Antiquities, 68; Classical, 69; of Biography, 69; of Dates, 69.
D'Ideville. Journal d'un Diplomate en Italie, 244.
Diman, J. L., Essay on Guizot, 67.
Discovery of the Great West, 543.
Disraeli, B. (Lord Beaconsfield), Vindication of the English Constitution, 488, 522;
Memoir of Lord George Bentinck, 523 ; Political Doctrines of, 523, 529.
Disraeli, Isaac, Sources of Modern History, 217; Commentaries on Life and Reign
of Charles I., 455, 516, 519.
INDEX.
639
Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, 598.
Dixon's History of the Church of England, 514.
Doctrine, Shedd's History of, 215.
Döllinger, J. J., The Gentile and the Jew, 81; First Age of Christianity, 103; Die
Reformation, 195; Reunion of the Churches, 217.
Domestic Society, Gaume's History of, 46.
Donaldson, J. W., Literature of Ancient Greece, 108.
Doniol, Henry, La Révolution et la Féodalite, 327; Histoire des Classes Rurales, 356.
Doric Race, Müller's History of, 93.
Dorner, J. A., History of Protestant Theology, 211.
Doubleday's Political Life of Peel, 526.
Doyle, J. A., History of the United States, 532; Thc English Colonics in Amcr-
ica, 539.
Drake, Charles D., Pioneer Life in Kentucky, 562.
Dramatic Literature, by A. W. Schlegel, 52.
Draper, J. W., History of Intellectual Development, 44; History of the American
Civil War, 538.
Dred Scott Decision, 630.
Droysen, G., Gustav Adolph, 252.
Droysen, Juh. G., Grundriss der Historik, 61, 67; Geschichte des IIellenismus,
100, 111; Das Leben Yorks, 257; Abhandlungen zur neuern Geschichte,
261 ; Geschichte der preussischen Politik, 270.
Drummond's Life of Erasmus, 294.
l'ryden's All for Love, 151.
Duffy, Sir C. G., Young Ireland, 472.
Dumas, Alex., Historical novels of, 219.
Duncker, Max, Geschichte des Alterthums, 71, 80, 111; Aus der Zeit Friedrichs
des Grossen, 253.
Dunham, S. A., History of Europe during the Middle Ages, 152, 183 ; History of
the Germanic Empire, 246; History of Poland, 384; History of Spain and
Portugal, 403 ; History of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, 423.
Dunlap, John, Memoirs of Spain, 403.
Dunnistown, James, Memoirs of the Dukes of Urbino, 242.
Duruy, Victor, Histoire des Romains, 114; Histoire du Moyen Âge, 152, 183,
Histoire des Temps Modernes, 188; Histoire de France, 298.
Dutch Republic, The Rise of the, 420.
Duyckinck, E. A. and G. L., Cyclopaedia of American Literature, 602.
Dwight's History of the Hartford Convention, 614.
Dyer, Thomas H., History of Rome, 115; Sources of Early Roman History, 149 ;
History of Modern Europe, 188, 216.
Early English Text Society, 500.
Early Roman History, 115, 149.
Eastern Question, Authorities on, 399; Argyll 011, 413, 490, 191; De Worms on,
491.
Eaton, Dorman B., Civil Service in England, 527.
Ebers, George, Works on Egypt, 86.
Eberty, Prof. Felix, Geschichte des preussischen Staates, 269.
Eckardt, Julins, Modern Russia, 390 ; Russia before and after the War, 391.
Education, Problems in, 18-21; in Greece and Rome, 105; Histories of, 51,54, 181,
597.
Edwards, N. W., History of Illinois, 564.
Egypt, Brugsch-Bey's History of, 75; Birch's Inscriptions of, 75; Wilkinson's
Manners and Customs of, 80; histories of, in modern times, 413-417.
640
INDEX.
Lighteenth Century, Schlosser's History of the, 203; Biedermann's Germany in
the, 218; Lecky's England in the, 218; Memoirs relative to, in France, 307.
Elections, to English Parliament, 477, 509, 511; monarch's right to interfere
with, 522; in France under the Second Empire, 366.
Eliot, Samuel, Manual of United States History, 533.
Eliot, Sir John, Forster's Biography of, 457, 158.
Elizabeth, Part of, in death of Amy Robsart, 9.
Elliot, Charles W., New England History, 546.
Elliot, Frances, Old Court Life in France, 359.
Elliot, Jonathan, Debates on the Federal Constitution, 599, 60S.
Ellis, Sir Henry, Series of Historical Letters, 498.
Eldquence, Henry's History of, 47.
Emancipation, Sugenheim's History of, 216; in Russia, 399; in United States,
569, 577.
Empire of France, Laurent's History of, 50.
England, General Histories of, 433-443; Histories of Limited Periods, 443-474;
Political, Constitutional, and Social History of, 474-496; courses of reading
on, 4.96-529 ; government of, compared with those on the Continent, 484;
Roman influence in, 504. !
Epidemics in the Middle Ages, 167.
Epochs of History, 66, 148, 192.
Erasmus, Praise of Folly, and Colloquics, 294; Drummond's Life of, 294; Froucle's
Essay on, 294.
Escott, T. H. S., England, her People, etc., 495.
Estates, History of the, in France, 359.
Estates in England, Escott on, 495.
Etruria, Dennis's Cities and Cemeteries of, 149.
Europe, Histories of, during the Middle Ages, 152-183; histories of, in modern
times, 187-216.
Evelyn, John, Diary and Correspondence of, 463, 520.
Everett, Edward, Orations and Speeches of, 590.
Evidence, Uncertainties of, S.
Ewald, A. C., The Crown and its Aurisers, 527.
Ewald, H., History of Israel, 76. .
Excommunication, Lea's History of, 170.
Exodus, Light thrown upon, by Egyptian Inscriptions, 76.
Fabiola, Wiscman's, 151.
Fauriel, C. C., Histoire de la Gaule Méridionale, 307.
Federal Government, Freeman's History of, 102; in Germany, 260.
Federalism in New England, Documents on, 566.
Federalists and Antifederalists, Doctrines of, 610-613, 614–615.
Felton, C. C., Greece, Ancient and Modern, 90, 111.
Fenn, Sir John, Paston Letters, 448, 512.
Ferdinand and Isabella, Prescott's History of the Reign of, 407.
Fergusson, James, History of Architecture, 44.
Ferrand, Le Comte de, Les Trois Démembrements de la Pologne, 387.
Ferry, Jules, La Lutte Électorale en 1863, 366.
Feudalism, Laurent's History of, 49, 184; Secretan's Essay on, 178, 184; Guizot on,
184; Waitz on, 279; Relations of, to the French Rerolution, 327; Vuitry on
the financial methods of, 358. .
Fiction, Catalogue of works of, in English, 69.
Fifteenth Century, Lindner's History of, 251.
l'iguier's Primitive Dlan, 86.
INDEX.
641
Finance, History of, in France, 357, 358; History of, in the United States, 570, 591;
American State-papers on, 598, 622; general authorities on, 618-623.
Finlay, George, History of Greece, 102, 111.
Fischel, Edward, The English Constitution, 479.
Fischer, Karl, Diplomatie im Reformationszeitalter, 196.
Fisher, George P., The Beginnings of Christianity, 163 ; The Reformation, 196.
Five Members, Attempt to Arrest, by Charles I., 458.
Flathe, T., Geschichte des Kurstaates und Königreichs Sachsen, 268.
Fletcher, James, History of Poland, 385.
Flint, Robert, The Philosophy of History, 61, 67.
Florence, Histories of, 237-242.
Fonblanque, Albany de, How we are Governed, 486, 527.
Foncin, P., Essai sur le Ministère de Torgot, 325.
Force, Peter, Tracts and Papers, 596, 603; Archives, 597, 606.
Ford, Thomas, History of Illinois, 564.
Foreign Relations of the United States, 598, 615-616.
Forster, John, Biography of Sir John Eliot, 457, 514; Statesmen of the Common-
wealth, 458, 518; Arrest of the Five Members, 458, 516; Biographical and
Historical Essays, 513.
Forster, W. E., William Penn and Thomas B. Macaulay, 464.
l'orsyth, William, Life of Cicero, 130, 149; History of Trial by Jury, 494, 505.
Foster, J. W., Prehistoric Races, 568.
Foster, Mrs., Handbook of Italian Literature, 245.
Fowler's Sectional Controversy, 628.
Fox, Charles James, Trevelyan's Early History of, 467,524; Russell's Life of, 524.
France, General Histories of, 297–304; Histories of Limited Periods of, 304-349;
Histories of Institutions and Civilization of, 349-371; courses of reading on,
371-376; Guizot's Social and Political Institutions of, 184.
Francis I. and Charles V., Mignet's Rivalry of, 313.
Franco-German War of 1870, Authorities on, 370.
Frank, Constantine, Die Wiederherstellung Deutschlands, 260.
Franklin, Alfred, Les Sources de l'Histoire de France, 304.
Franklin, Benjamin, Bigelow's Life of, 579; Parton's Life of, 583; Works of, 590.
Frederick I., Testa's History of, 224.
Frederick II., Duncker's Essays on, 253; Carlyle's History of, 272; Preuss's His-
tory of, 273; Thiébault's Family, Court, and Government of, 273; Raumer's
Life of, 274; Mirabeau on the Government of, 274; Balcke's estimate of, 285:
Macaulay's Essay on, and Grimm's review of it, 295; Works of, 295; Brougham
on, 295; literary activity of, 295.
Frederick William I., Balcke's estimate of, 285.
Free Cities, of Italy, Testa on, 224; Hegel's History of, 224; History of, in Ger-
many, 178, 280.
Freeman, E. A., General Sketch of Universal History, 35, 66; Historical Geography
of Europe, 45, 68; History of Federal Government, 102, 111, 609; Ottoman
Power in Europe, 415; History of the Norman Conquest, 445, 503, 504; The
Growth of the English Constitution, 481, 513; Essays of, 526; Comparative
Politics, 526.
Freer, Martha W., Henry III. of France and Poland, 315; Henry IV., 316.
French, B. F., Historical Collections of Louisiana, 560.
French Revolution, Authorities on, 50, 326-336; essays and treatises on, 360–365;
courses of reading on, 372.
Freytag: Gustav, Bilder aus der deutschen Vergangenheit, 286; Neue Bilder, 287,
296.
Froissart, Sir John, Chronicles of, 308.
41
642
INDEX.
Frothingham, Richard, Rise of the Republic, 568, 607.
I'roude, J. A., Cæsar, 132, 148; on Luther and Erasmus, 218; History of England,
449; The English in Ireland, 464.
Fryxell, Anders, History of Sweden, 424.
Fuller, Thomas, Church History, 493; Worthies of England, 501:
Fürstenbund, Ranke on the, 254.
Fyffe, A. C., History of Modern Europe, 206, 217,
Gabourd, Amédée, Histoire Contemporaine, 205.
Gairdner, James, Houses of Lancaster and York, 181, 448; Life and Reign of
Richard the Third, 448.
Gallatin, Albert, Adams's Life of, 578; Works of, 591, 620.
Gardiner, S. R., Thirty Years' War, 201, 216, 293 ; History of England under the
Stuarts, 453, 515; Introduction to English History, 497. .
Garfield, J. A., on the Northwestern Territory, 616.
Garland, Hugh H., Life of John Randolph, 580.
Garrison, W. L., Johnson's Liſe of, 581.
Gauls, Thierry's History of the, 307, 372; Coulanges on, 244; Fauriel on, 307; be-
fore the Conquests of Cæsar, 350 ; Arnold's view of, 372; Guizot's view of,
372.
Gaume, L'Abbé, Histoire de la Société Domestique, 46.
Gaunerthum, Das deutsche, by Avé-Lallemant, 281.
Gayarré, Charles, Louisiana, 560, History of Louisiana, 561.
Geddes, James, History of the Administration of John De Witt, 418.
Geddes, W. D., Problem of the Homeric Poems, 104.
Geffcken, H., Church and State, 164, 184.
Geijger, E. J., Geschichte Schwedens, 424.
Geikie, Cunningham, The English Reformation, 451.
Geography of Europe, Freeman on, 45; Koeppen on, 68, 155.
George Eliot's Romola, 217, 219.
George III., History of England under, 468–469.
Georgia, Stevens's History of, 559.
German Empire, Constitution of, 249, 250, 254, 290.
Germans, The History of, before Christianity, 277; Wirth's History of, 282;
Sugenheim's History of, 283; Janssen's History of, 283; Biederinann's His-
tory of, 284; Balcke's Pictures of, 285; Freytag's Pictures of, 286.
Germany, General Histories of, 246-250 ; Histories of Linited Periods, 250-263 ;
Histories of Individual States of, 263-276; Histories of Institutions and
Civilization, 276-293.; suggestions of courses of reading on the history of,
293–296; the Constitutional history of, 277-280; general views of, in the
Middle Ages, 280-287; in the eighteenth century, 284, 296; at the present
time, 288, 296; schools of, 296; social institutions of, 296; literature of, 296.
Gerry, Elbridge, Austin's Life of, 579.
Gervinus, G. G., Geschichte der deutschen Dichtung, 291.
Gesetztafel of the Bishop of Speyers, 295.
Gfrörer, A. F., Pabst Gregorius VII., 164.
Gibbon, Edward, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 138, 149,
184, 243.
Gibbs's Administrations of Washington and Adams, 615, 620.
Giesebrecht, W. von, Geschichte der deutschen Kaiserzeit, 250, 293.
Gieseler, J. C. L., Text-book of Church History, 165.
Gilbert, J. T., Affairs in Ireland from 1641 to 1652, 520.
Gilds. See Guilds.
Gindely, Anton, Geschichte des dreissigjährigen Krieges, 200.
INDEX.
643
Girondists, Lamartine's History of, 334.
Gladstone, W. E., Studies on Homer, 105.
Gneist, Rudolf, Geschichte der Kommunalverfassung Englands, 478; Das eng-
lische Verwaltungsrecht, 479.
Godkin, G. S., Life of Victor Emmanuel II., 236.
Godwin, Parke, History of France, 298.
Godwin, William, History of the Commonwealth of England, 461.
Goethe's Götz von Berlichingen, 294.
Göll, Hermann, Kulturbilder aus Hellas und Rom, 105.
Goodell, William, Slavery and Antislavery, 569, 627.
Gordon, William, History of the Independence of the United States, 369.
Gosch, Charles A., Denmark and Germany since 1815, 425.
Gosselin, J. E. A., Pouvoir du Pape au Moyen Āge, 165.
Goths, Kingsley's Nemesis of the, 154.
Gouge's History of Paper Money and Banking, 621.
Government, of Greece, 109; of Greek Confederations, 102; of Rome, 120; of Ger-
many, 291; of France, 367; of England, 486; of the United States, 572.
Gracchi, Beesly on the, 127, 149; other authorities on, 149.
Graham's Annals of Ireland from 1641 to 1653, 518.
Grahame, James, Rise and Progress of the United States, 540.
Granada, Irving's Conquest of, 403.
Grattan, T. C., History of the Netherlands, 419.
Gray's National Atlas, 68.
Great Charter, Authorities on the, 506-508.
Greece, Geography of, 45; Laurent's History of, 49; Histories of, 88-113; Lan-
guage and Poetry of, 90, 107, 108; Constitutional History of, 90; Trades and
Arts in, 103; Religion of, 104; Life in, 106; Art in, 110; Orators of, 112;
Archæology of, 113; Relations of, with Turkey, 432.
Greeley, Horace, The American Conflict, 539.
Green, J. R., Short History of the English People, 435, 496; History of the Eng-
lish People, 436, 4.96.
Greene, G. W., Historical View of the American Revolution, 540; Life of Nathan-
iel Greene, 590.
Greenland, Rink's History of, 429.
Gregorovius, F., Geschichte der Stadt Rom im Mittelalter, 139, 150, 184, 243.
Gregory VII., Gfrörer's Life of, 164; Villemain's Life of, 182; Giesebrecht's view
of, 250; Raumer's view of, 250.
Grimm, Herman, Life of Michael Angelo, 230; review of Macaulay, 295.
Griswold, R. W., Poets and Poetry of America, 602.
Grote, George, History of Greece, 91, 111; review of, by J. S. Mill, 113.
Grovestins, S. de, Guillaume III. et Louis XIV., 321.
Guest, Dr. E., Early English Settlements in South Britain, 504.
Guhl and Koner's Life among the Greeks and Romans, 106.
Guicciardini, F., History of Italy, 225, 244.
Guilds, Smith and Brentano's History of, 179; Wilda's History of, 182.
Guizot, F., History of Civilization in Europe, 46; theories of, examined by Mill,
Woolsey, and Diman, 67; inaugural lecture of, 67; Origin of Representative
Government, 166, 503; Essays of, 184, 352, 506; Outlines of the History of
France, 299, 371; Popular History of France, 299; Collection des Mémoires, 305;
Mémoires pour servir, etc., 345; History of Civilization in France, 184, 351,
371; History of England, 436,516; Life of Cromwell, 518; Life of Monk, 520.
Gurowski, Count Adam, Russia as It Is, 392.
Gustavus Adolphus, Droysen's Life of, 252.
Guthrie, Secretary, financial report of, 623.
644
INDEX.
Haas, C. P. M., Administration de la France; 367.
Hadley, James, Introduction to Roman Law, 143.
Hallam, Henry, Middle Ages, 153, 183, 303; Literature of Europe, 211; Constitu-
tional History of England, 481, 513; Macaulay's Essay on, 218.
Hamilton, Alexander, Morse's Life of, 582; Shea's Life of, 586; general authorities
on, 611-612; letters of, 616.
Hamilton, J. C., History of the Republic, 541, 612.
Hammer-Purgstall, J., Geschichte des osmanischen Reiches, 414.
Hammond, J. D., History of Political Parties in New York, 554.
Hampden, John, Forster's Life of, 458 ; Nugent's Memorials of, 459.
Hand-book of the American Revolution, 544.
Hand-books of History, Browning's, 187,
Hanseatic League, 178; Sartorius on, 178; Schäfer on, 280.
Hardenberg, Ranke's Life of, 256, 294.
Hardwick, Charles, History of the Christian Church, 166.
Hardy, Sir T. D., Descriptive Catalogue, 498.
Hare, J., Walks about Rome, 151.
Harleian Miscellanies, 500.
Harris's Lives of the Stuarts, 514.
Hartford Convention, Dwight's History of, 614.
Häusser, L., The Period of the Reformation, 197, 216, 293; Deutsche Geschichte
vom Tode Friedrichs des Grossen, 254, 293; Geschichte der französischen
Revolution, 332
Haweis's Sketches of the Reformation, 514.
Hawkins, Bisset, Germany, 287.
Hawthorne, N., Marble Faun, 245.
Haxthausen, Baron de, The Institutions of Russia, 392.
Haydn's Dictionary of Dates, 69.
Hayne and Webster's debate on the Constitution, 629.
Hazlitt, W., Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, 340.
Hazlitt, W. C., History of the Venetian Republic, 237.
Hearn, W. E., The Government of Englanci, 485, 525.
Hecker, J. F. C., Epidemics of the Middle Ages, 167, 186.
Heeren, A. H. L., Historical Researches, 71, 86; Vermischte Schriſten, 189, 190;
Political Systems of Modern Europe, 189; Geschichte der europäischen
Staaten, 190.
Hegel, Dr. Carl, Geschichte der Städteverfassung von Italien, 224.
Hegel, G. W.F., Laurent on, 50; Philosophy of History, 62, 67.
Heinel, Eduard, Geschichte Preussens, 270.
Hellenismus, Droysen's, 100.
Helper's Impending Crisis, 628.
Hennepin, Father, Description of Louisiana, 570.
Henrietta Maria, Bayne's Essay on, 60.
Henry, L'Abbé, Histoire de l'Éloquence, 47.
Henry, Patrick, Wirt's Life of, 588.
Henry III., Freer's History of, 315.
Poirson on, 317; Lacombe on, 318; Perrens on, 318; Capefigue on, 318; best
modern authorities on, 371.
Henry VII., Bacon's History of, 8.
Herbert, Algernon, Britannia after the Romans, 504.
Herder's fatalism examined by Laurent, 50.
Hermann und Strahl, Geschichte des russischen Staates, 383.
INDEX.
645
Hermann's Political Antiquities of Greece, 113.
Herodotus, Rawlinson's translation of, 95.
Hettner, Hermann, Geschichte der deutschen Literatur, 292; Geschichte der
französischen Literatur, 360.
Heyd, Wilhelm von, Geschichte des Levantsbandels, 224.
Hildebrand. See Gregory VII.
Hildreth, Richard, History of the United States, 533.
Hildreth, S. P., Pioneer History of the Ohio Valley, 562.
Hillard, George S., Six Months in Italy, 245.
Hillebrand, K., La Prusse Contemporaine, 275; Geschichte Frankreichs, 342.
Historical knowledge, nature of, 14.
Historical magazines of America, 603.
Historical Societies, publications of, 595–608.
Historical Truth, Bisset on, 57.
Histories of Civilization and Progress, 42-57.
History, on the study of, 1-30; growing popularity of studies in, 1; the study of,
compared with other studies, 3; difficulties of exact knowledge in, 4, 13;
knowledge of, similar to that of every-day life, 14; importance of the study
of, 15; special value of studies in, for Americans, 18, 24; proper methods of
the study of, 24-30; value of charts and tables in studying, 28; ancient as
compared with modern, 29; methods of writing, by Daunou, 34; works on
the
y of, 57–66; general authorities on the methods of, 61-67.
Hobbes, Bisset's Essay on, 57.
Hock, Dr. Carl von, Finanzgeschichte der Vereinigten Staaten, 570, 621.
Hodgkin, Thomas, Italy and her Invaders, 223, 243,
Holland, Histories of, 417-422; courses of reading on the history of, 429-432.
Holland, Lord, Memoirs of the Whig Party, 524.
.
Holmes, Abiel, The Annals of America, 541.
Holst, H. ron, Constitutional History of the United States, 571, 614, 625.
Holy Roman Empire, Bryce's, 246.
Homeric Question, 90; Geddes on the, 104; Gladstone on, 105, 111; Mabaffy on, 111.
Honegger, J. J., Culturgeschichte der neuesten Zeit, 212.
Hosack, John, Mary Queen of Scots and her Accusers, 452.
Howe, Henry, Historical Collections of Ohio, 563.
Howison, R. R., History of Virginia, 557.
Howorth, H. H., History of the Mongols, 378.
Hozier, H. M., The Seven Weeks' War, 261.
Hübner, Baron, Life of Sixtus the Fifth, 197, 217.
Hüffer, Hermann, Oesterreich und Preussen gegenüber der französischen Revolu-
tion, 207.
Hugh of Lincoln, Perry's Life of, 506.
Hugo, Victor, History of a Crime, 347; Hunchback of Notre Dame, 373; Ninety-
three, 375.
Huguenots, Baird's History of the Rise of the, 314, 374; Poole's History of the
Dispersion of, 314, 374.
Hume, Bisset's Essay on, 57; The Student's, 453 ; History of England, 437; Bro-
die's review of, 483, 497.
Hundred Years' War and House of Commons, 27.
Hungary, De Worms on, 294 ; Mailath on, 264.
Hunt, Leigh, on the Italian Poets, 245.
Hunt, William, History of Italy, 220, 242.
Hunt's History of Religious Thought, 523.
646
INDEX.
Hurst, John T., History of Rationalism, 212.
Hutchinson, Thomas, History of Massachusetts Bay, 549.
Iceland, Histories and Descriptions of, 422, 426, 427.
Ihne, William, History of Rome, 115, 148; Early Rome, 126.
Illinois, Histories of, 563, 564.
India, Mill's History of, 441.
Indian Life by Parkman, 544.
Indians, Bancroft's Races in the Pacific States, 566; Schoolcraft on, 575.
Indulgences, Dunham's account of, 246.
Ingersoll, C. J., The War of 1812, 541.
Inquisition, Balmes on the, 160; Llorente's History of, 214; Rule's History of, 215;
other authorities on, 218.
Ireland, Authorities on the history of, 518-520.
Irving, Washington, Mahomet and his Successors, 168; Conquest of Granada, 403 ;
Life of Washington, 581.
Isaacsohn, S., Geschichte des preussischen Beamtenthums, 290.
Israel, Ewald's History of the House of, 76.
Italian Literature, 245.
Italy, General histories of, 220_223; histories of limited periods of, 223-236; his-
tories of individual states of, 236-242; courses of reading on the history of,
242-245; under the Lombards and Franks, 221; sources of the history of,
243; literature of, 245.
Jackson, Andrew, Parton's Life of, 583; policy of, on finance and secession, 622.
James, G. P. R., The novels of, 219.
James I., Dalrymple's Memorials on, 10; Gardiner's History of, 453 ; Bayne's Essay
on, 460; authorities on, 514-516.
James, William, Naval History of Great Britain, 501.
Jameson, Mrs., Works on Italian Art, 245.
Jamison, D.F., Life of Bertrand du Guesclin, 311.
Janet, Paul, Histoire de la Philosophie Morale et Politique, 47; Philosophie de la
Révolution Française, 362.
Jannet, Claudio, Institutions at Sparta, 106.
Janssen, Joh., Geschichte des deutschen Volkes, 283.
Jardine, Criminal Trials, 8, 493.
Jay, William, Review of the Mexican War, 542.
Jay's Treaty, 613, 615.
Jebb's Attic Orators, 112.
Jefferson, Thomas, Parton's Life of, 583; Randall's Life of, 584; Works of, 591 ;
general political views of, 610-613.
Jennings, George H., Anecdotical History of Parliament, 487.
Jerrold, Blanchard, Life of Napoleon III., 346.
Jervis, W. H., Student's History of France, 300.
Jesuits, Stephen on the Rise of the, 218; Carlyle on, 218; in North America, 543 ;
Relations des, 596.
Jews, Ewald's History of, 76; Josephus's History and Antiquities of, 76; Milman's
History of, 77 ; Stanley's Church History of, 79.
Joan of Arc, Histories of, 310-311, 373.
Jobnson, A. H., The Normans in Europe, 168, 183.
Johnson, Oliver, Life of W.L. Garrison, 581.
Johnston, W. K., Wall maps and atlases, 68.
Jones, E. H., Romances of the Middle Ages, 162.
Jones, Thomas, History of New York, 542.
INDEX.
647
Jones, William, Modern Europe, 193.
Jonson, Ben, Sejanus, 151.
Josephus, Flavius, The Works of, 76.
Journals, of Congress, 599 ; of the House of Commons, 500; of the House of Lords,
500.
Jowett, B., Translation of Thucydides, 97.
Judgment, Importance of the faculty of, 17.
Jung, Thomas, Bonaparte et son Temps, 338.
Junius, The Letters of, 525.
Juries, Servility of, before the Revolution, 11.
Jury, Forsyth's History of Trial by, 494.
Juste, Théodore, Histoire de Belgique, 419; La Révolution Belge de 1830, 419.
Karamsin, N., History of the Empire of Russia, 379.
Kelly, W. K., History of Russia, 379.
Kemble, John M., The Saxons in England, 475.
Kentucky, Histories of, 562.
Kentucky Resolutions, 599, 611.
Kieperi's wall maps, 68.
Kingsley, Charles, The Roman and the Teuton, 154, 184; Hereward, 506.
Kirk, J. F., History of Charles the Bold, 312; Freeman's review of, 373.
Kitchen, G. W., History of France, 301.
Klüpfel, K., Geschichte der deutschen Einheitsbestrebungen, 259, 296.
Knight, Charles, The Popular History of England, 438.
Koch, M., Tableau des Révolutions de l'Europe, 154.
Koeppen, A. L., Historical Atlas, 68; World in the Middle Ages, 155.
Kohlrausch, F., History of Germany, 247.
Kremer, Alfred, Culturgeschichte des Orients, 169.
Kriegk, G. L., Deutsches Bürgerthum im Mittelalter, 281.
Krones, l'ranz, Handbuch der Geschichte Oesterreichs, 264.
Kugler, Franz T., Hand-book of Painting, 48, 248.
Kuhn, Emil, Verfassung der Städte des römischen Reiches, 143.
Labanoff, Prince A., Marie Stuart, 452.
Labarte, Jules, Histoire des Arts Industriels, 169, 185.
Labberton's historical maps, 68.
Laboulaye, Édouard, Histoire des États-Unis, 534, 609.
Lacombe, Charles M. de, Henri IV. et son Politique, 318.
Lacombe, Paul, Short History of the French People, 301, 371.
Lacroix, Paul, Works on the Middle Ages, 171, 186.
La Harpe, J. F., Cours de Littérature, 49.
Lamartine, Alphonse de, Les Girondins, 334; History of the Restoration, 341; His-
tory of the Revolution of 1848, 343; History of Russia, 380.
Lamphere, George, The U. S. Government, 572.
Lancizolle, C. W., Bildung des preussischen Staats, 290.
Land and Capital at Rome, 120.
Landmann, George, Observations on Portugal, 404.
Landor, W. S., Imaginary Conversations, 112.
Lane, Edward W., Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians, 415.
Lanfrey, P., Histoire de Napoléon I., 336.
Lange, Albert, History of Materialism, 213.
Lange, L., Römische Alterthümer, 144.
648
INDEX.
Language, Value of the study of, 4.
Lanman, James H., History of Michigan, 565.
Lanzi's Art in Italy, 244.
Lappenberg, J. M., History of England under the Anglo-Saxon Kings, 443, 505.
Lardner's History of Switzerland, 411.
Laud, Archbishop, Bayne's Issay on, 460.
Laughlin, J. L., Anglo-Saxon Legal Procedure, 474.
Laurent, F., Études sur l'Histoire de l'Humanité, 49, 66.
Law, John, Thiers's History of, 323.
Lays of Ancient Rome, 149.
Lea, Henry C., History of Sacerdotal Celibacy: 169; Studies in Church History,
170; Superstition and Force, 170, 185, 294.
League, Wars of the, 373.
Learning, Revival of, in Italy, 226, 227.
Lecky, W. E. H., History of European Morals from Augustus to Charlemagne, 170,
184, 185 ; History of Rationalism, 213 ; History of England in the Eighteenth
Century, 465, 524.
Lecomte, Ferdinand, Guerre de la Prusse et de l'Italie contre l'Autriche, 260.
Legeay, Urbain, Histoire de Louis XI., 312.
Le Goff, François, Life of Thiers, 348.
Lelevel, Joachim, Histoire de Pologne, 385.
Leighton, R. F., History of Rome, 117, 148.
Lembke, F. W., Geschichte von Spanien, 404.
Le Neve's Fasti Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, 500.
Lenormant, I'r., Manual of Ancient History, 72, 86. .
Leo, H., Geschichte von Italien, 184, 221.
Lévesque, P. C., Histoire de Russie, 380.
Levi's History of British Commerce, 501.
Lewis, Charlton T., History of Germany, 247, 293.
Lewis, Sir George C., Credibility of Early Roman History, 122, 126, 148; Essays on
the Administrations of Great Britain from 1783 to 1830, 526.
Liddell, Henry G., History of Rome, 117.
Lieber, Francis, Civil Liberty, 613.
Lindner, Theodor, Geschichte des deutschen Reiches, 251.
Lingard, John, History of England, 439, 497, 506.
Literature, Botta's Hand-book of Universal, 43 ; La Harpe's Ancient and Modern,
49; Schlegel's History of, 53 ; of Greece, 107; of Rome, 141, 147, 150; of
Europe, 211; of Italy, 226, 227, 245; of Germany, 291-293; of France, 350,
360, 365, 368, 369, 370-376; of Spain, 409; of England, 501-502; of America,
602.
Livermore, A. A., The war with Mexico reviewed, 543.
Livy, T., History of Rome, 118; Taine's Essay on, 124, 602.
Llorente,J. A., History of the Inquisition, 215.
Lloyd, W. W., The Age of Pericles, 99, 111.
Lodge, H. C., Short History of the English Colonies in America, 68, 573; The An-
glo-Saxon Land Law, 474; Life of George Cabot, 581,613.
Lombards, Kingsley on the Laws of the, 154.
Loménie's Life of Beaumarchais, 615.
Long, George, Decline of the Roman Republic, 128, 148.
Longman, William, Life and Times of Edward III., 447; Early History of Eng-
land, 505.
Lord Chancellors, Campbell's Lives of the, 434.
Lord, John, Modern History, 191.
Lords, Escott's description of the House of, 495.
INDEX.
649
Lorenz, Ottokar, Drei Bücher, 288.
Lorenzo de' Medici, Reumont's, 241; Roscoe's, 241.
Lossing, B.J., Statesman's Manual, 601.
Louis Philippe, Hillebrand's History of, 342.
Louis IX., De Joinville's History of, 373.
Louis XI., Willert's Reign of, 313; Condition of France under, 371.
Louis XIII., Bazin's History of, 319.
Louis XIV., Baleful influence of, 218; Cheruel's Minority of, 320; Martin's History
of, 320, 372.
Louis XV., De Tocqueville's Reign of, 323; The King's Secret, 324.
Louisiana, Histories of, 560-561 ; Hennepin's Description of, 570.
Louisiana Purchase, Consideration of, 614, 617.
Löw, L. F. von, Die deutsche Reichs- und Territorial-Verfassung, 289.
Lowell Lectures on Early History of Massachusetts, 603.
Loyola, Sir James Stephen's Essay on, 218.
Luard's Annales Monastici, 508.
Lubbock, Sir John, Prehistoric Times, 81, 86; Origin of Civilization, 82, 86.
Lübke, William, Outlines of the History of Art, 51.
Luther, Martin, Audin's Life of, 213; Froude's Essay on, 218, 294; Carlyle's Essay
on, 218; Table-talk of, 294; Stephen's Essay on, 294.
Macaulay, T, B., Lays of Ancient Rome, 151; Essay on Frederick the Great, 295;
Grimm's Essay on, 295; History of Engiand, 463, 521; estimates of, by
Forster and Paget, 521; estimate of Jefferson, 612.
Macedonian Empire, Curteis's Rise of the, 100.
MacGeoghegan's History of Ireland, 518.
Machiavelli, Niccolò, Villari's Life of, 229; History of Florence, 237; Macaulay's
Essay on, 244.
Mackenzie, Lord, Studies in Roman Law, 144.
Mackenzie, Robert, The Nineteenth Century, 206, 216.
Mackintosh, Courtenay, and Forster's British Statesmen, 515.
Mackintosh, Sir James, Defence of the French Revolution, 364; Fragment on the
Revolution of 1688, 521.
Maclear, G. F., Apostles of Mediaeval Europe, 185.
MacMullen, John, History of Canada, 440.
Macpherson, Annals of Commerce, 501.
Madison, James, Papers, 608; Rives's Life of, 565; power of, as a writer, 616; Brown-
son's estimate of, 567; Works of, 592.
Magna Carta, Authorities on the, 506-508.
Mahaffy, J. P., History of Greek Literature, 106; Social Life in Greece, 106, 111;
Rambles and Studies in Greece, 106.
Mahomet, Irving's History of, 168.
Mailath, J. G., Geschichte Oesterreichs, 264.
Maine, Sir H. S., Ancient Law, 83; Early History of Institutions, 83, 87; Village
Communities, 83, 87, 184.
Maine, Williamson's History of, 548; Historical Society's Publications, 595.
Malcolm, Sir John, Political History of India, 468.
Mallet, M., Northern Antiquities, 426.
Mahon, Lord, History of England under Queen Anne, 465; History of England
from 1713 to 1783, 467-524.
Maps, Freeman's Historical, 145; the best collection of, 68.
Maria Theresa, Arneth's History of, 266.
Mariana, John de, General History of Spain, 404.
Mariotti, L., Italy, Past and Present, 221, 242.
650
INDEX.
Marius, C., Beesly on, 127,
Mark System, Maurer's History of the, 278.
Marlborough, Burton's description of the campaigns of, 466.
Marliani, M. de, Histoire de l'Espagne Moderne, 405.
Marquardt, J., Römische Staatsverwaltung, 144.
Marshall, Humphrey, History of Kentucky, 562.
Marshall, John, Life of George Washington, 582; American Colonies, 606, 619.
Marten, Forster's Life of, 458.
Martin, F. H., Verfassung und Grundgesetze des deutschen Reichs, 290.
Martin, Henri, Histoire de France, 301 ; History of the Age of Louis XIV., 320;
Histoire de France depuis 1789, 348.
Martin, Montgomery, Present State of British India, 491.
Martin, Theodore, The Statesman's Manual, 217.
Martineau, Harriet, England in the Nineteenth Century, 470, 528.
Mary de' Medici, Description of, 374.
Mary Queen of Scots, Authorities on, 452, 453,497.
Maryland, Histories of, 555, 604; influence of, in the Northwest, 616.
Mason, A. J., The Persecutions of Diocletian, 172.
Mass, O'Brien's History of the, 175.
Massachusetts, Histories of, 548-550; Historical Society's Collections, 595, 606;
Customs in Ilarly, 171.
Massey, William, History of England under George III., 469.
Masson, W., Life and Times of Milton, 191.
Materialism, Lange's History of, 213.
Materials relating to History of Great Britain, Hardy's Catalogue of, 498.
Mathematics, The study of, 3.
Mather, Cotton, Magnalia Christi Americana, 573.
Matthew Paris's Historia Major, 508.
Maurer, G. L. von, Geschichte der Markenverfassung, 278; Geschichte der Dorf-
verfassung, 278; Geschichte der Städteverfassung, 278.
Maurer, Konrad, Island von seiner ersten Entdeckung, 426; Isländiscbe Volks-
sagen, 427.
Maurice, F. D., Learning and Working and the Religion of Rome, 150.
Maxwell, J. S., The Czar, his Court and People, 393.
May, Sir T. E., Democracy in Europe, 51, 520; The Constitutional History of
England, 482, 525, 527.
Mazade, Charles de, Le Comte de Cavour, 234, 243; L'Espagne Moderne, 406.
Mazzini, Joseph, Life and Writings of, 233, 244.
McCarthy, Justin, History of Our Own Times, 471, 528.
McCoan, Egypt as It Is; 416.
McCulloch's Russia and Turkey, 432.
McLennan, J. F., Studies in Ancient History, 82, 87.
Media, Rawlinson's History of, 78.
Menzel, W., History of Germany, 248, 293.
Merewether and Stephens, History of Boroughs and Municipal Corporations, 490.
Merivale, Charles, General History of Rome, 119, 148; Fall of the Roman Republic,
128, 148; The Roman Triumvirates, 129; History of the Romans under the
Einpire, 136, 148.
Merovingian Dynasty, Conlanges on, 349.
Metternich, Prince, Memoirs of, 258.
Mexico, Ripley's War with, 545.
Michael Angelo, Grimm's Life of, 230.
Michaud et Poujoulat, Nouvelle Collection de Mémoires, 306.
Michaud, J. F., History of the Crusades, 172, 184.
INDEX.
651
Michelet, J., History of the Roman Republic, 119; Sources of Early Roman Histo-
ry, 149; Modern History, 191; History of France, 302; Histoire de la Révo-
lution Française, 329, 371.
Michigan, Histories of, 565.
Middle Ages, Assmann's Geschichte, 31; General Histories of, 152–159 ; Histories
of Limited Periods and of Institutions in, 159–183; courses of reading in the
history of, 183-186; maps of, 155; authorities on, 156; The Arts in, 171;
Manners and Customs in, 171; Religious Liſe in, 171; Science and Literature
in, 171, 185; Trade in, 224.
Mignet, F. A., Rivalité de François I. et de Charles V., 313; History of the French
Revolution, 328, 371; Histoire de Marie Stuart, 453.
Mill, James, Bisset's Essay on, 57; History of British India, 441.
Mill, John Stuart, Essay on Guizot, 67; review of Grote, 113.
Mills, Charles, History of the Crusades, 172 ; History of Chivalry, 173.
Milman, H. H., History of the Jews, 77; History of Christianity, 173 ; History of
Latin Christianity, 173, 184, 510.
Milton, John, Masson's Life and Times of, 516, 520; Bayne's Essay on, 460 ; Reply
to Salmasius, 516.
Minnesota, Neill's History of, 565.
Minot, G. R., History of Massachusetts Bay, 550, 607: ·
Mirabeau, Le Comte de, De la Monarchie Prussienne, 274; Reeve on, 366; Ma-
caulay's Essay on, 374.
Mississippi Bubble, Thiers's History of the, 323.
Mississippi Valley, Discovery and Settlement of, 564.
Missouri Compromise, Authorities on, 618, 630.
Mitford, William, History of Greece, 91.
Modern European States, Freeman's The Beginning of, 45.
Modern History, General works on, 187–194; works on limited periods of, 194
209; works on institutions and civilization of, 209-216; courses of reading
01, 216-219; Political System of, 189; sources of, 217; essays on, 288.
Molesworth, W. N., History of England from 1830 to 1874, 471.
Mommsen, Theodor, History of Rome, 120, 148; Römische Forschungen, 145;
Römisches Staatsrecht, 146.
Monarchy, Heeren's rise, development, and influence of, 189.
Monasticism, History of, 174, 185, 383.
Monetary Congress of 1878, Report on, 621.
Monette, J. W., History of the Discovery and Settlement of the Mississippi Valley,
564.
Money, Walker's Treatise on, 621.
Mongols, History of the, 378.
Monk, General, Guizot's Life of, 520.
Monks of the West, by Count de Montalembert, 174, 185, 373.
Monopoly, Evil results of, 23.
Monstrelet, E. de, The Chronicles of, 309.
Montalembert, Count de, The Monks of the West, 174, 185, 373.
Monteil, A. A., Histoire des divers États, 186, 359.
Montesquieu, Baron de, Laurent on, 50; Spirit of the Laws, 63, 67; Grandeur and
Decay of the Romans, 150.
Montgaillard, G. H. M., Histoire de la Révolution Française, 335.
Montrose, Bayne's Essay on, 460.
Moore, Frank, Rebellion Record, 601.
More, Sir Thomas, History of Richard III., 512.
Morgan, Lewis H., Ancient Society, 84, 87.
Morin, A., Histoire Politique de la Suisse, 411.
652
INDEX.
Morley and Tyler, Manual of English Literature, 501.
Morley, Henry, English Writers, 501.
Morris, E. A., Epochs of History, 192.
Morris, W.()., French Revolution, 371.
Morse, John T., The Life of Alexander Hamilton, 582, 610, 613.
Moser, J. J., Herr und Diener, 295.
Motley, John Lothrop, Rise of the Dutch Republic, 419; History of the United
Netherlands, 420; Life and Death of John of Barneveld, 421.
Mozley, J. B., Essays on Strafford, Laud, and Cromwell, 516.
Mulford, Isaac S., History of New Jersey, 554.
Müller, C. O., History and Antiquities of the Doric Race, 93, 111; History of the
Literature of Ancient Greece, 108.
Müller, Monnard et Vuillemin, Histoire de la Suisse, 412.
Müller, Wilhelm, Politische Geschichte der neuesten Zeit, 208, 217; Politische
Geschichte der Gegenwart, 209, 217, 293.
Mullinger, J. B., The Schools of Charles the Great, 174; authorities on English
history, 498.
Municipal governments, Condition of our, 23; in the Roman Empire, 140, 352;
in England, 495; in Germany, 278, 280.
Muratori's works on Italian history, 243.
Mure, William, Critical History of the Literature of Ancient Greece, 108.
Music at Athens, 99.
Mycenæ, Schliemann's, 113.
Mythology, of the Aryan Nations, 80; general modern theories of, 81 ; of Greece,
112.
Myths of the Middle Ages, 161.
Napier, Henry E., Florentine History, 239.
Napier, Sir W.F. P., History of the War in the Peninsula, 406.
Naples, Colletta's History of, 242.
Napoleon I., Histories of the Life of, 336-339; other authorities on, 375.
Napoleon III., History of Julius Cæsar, 132, 341; histories of the reign of, 345;
Kinglake's view of, 473.
Nares, Edward, Universal History, 39.
Narragansett Club, Publications of, 596.
Nasse, E., The Agricultural Community of the Middle Ages, 175.
National Convention, Barante's History of the, 334.
National Economy, Advantages of, 21.
Nationalities, Laurent's Establishment of, 50.
Neal's History of the Puritans, 519. .
Neander, A., History of the Christian Religion and Church, 175.
Necker, Rocquain's estimate of, 326.
Neill, E. D., English Colonization in America, 543, 604; History of Minnesota, 565.
Netherlands, Histories of the, 417–422; courses of reading on the history of the,
429-432.
Neumann, Karl Friedrich, Geschichte der Vereinigten Staaten, 535.
New England, Canaan, 603; First Fruits, 603; Federalism, 566, 613-615; General
Histories of, 545-548. '
New Hampshire, Belknap's History of, 549.
New Jersey, Histories of, 554; Historical Society's Publications, 595.
New Netherlands, History of, 554.
New York, Histories of, 553, 554; Historical Society's Publications, 595.
Newmarch, W., History of Prices, 216.
Nicholls, Sir George, History of the English Poor Law, 493.
INDEX.
653
Niebuhr, B. G., Lectures on Ancient History, 72; History of Rome, 121; Lectures
on History of Rome, 122.
Nihilism, Tissot's account of, 383, 398; Eckardt's account of, 390, 398.
Niles, H., Weekly Register, 600, Principles and Acts of the Revolution, 606.
Nisard, D., Histoire de la Littérature Française, 368.
Nobility in the Middle Ages, Hreytag on, 286, 287.
Noorden, Carl von, Europäische Geschichte im achtzehnten Jahrhundert, 202.
Norman Conquest of England, Histories of, 445; authorities on the influence of,
504-506.
Normanby, Marquis of, A Year of Revolution, 344.
Normandy, Palgrave's History of, 372,
Normans, Johnson's History of the, in Europe, 168; Heeren on the influence of
the, 189.
North American Review, 603.
North Carolina, Histories of, 558.
Northmen, Histories of the, 427-429.
Northwestern Territory, Acquisition and Organization of, 616-618.
Norway, Histories of, 423-429.
Nugent, Lord, Memorials of Hampden, 459.
Nullification, Ordinance of, in South Carolina, 600; histories of the doctrines of,
623-625.
O'Brien, John, History of the Mass, 175.
O’Callaghan, E. B., History of New Netherlands, 554; Colonial History of the
State of New York, 596.
Ockley, Simon, History of the Saracens, 176.
Oesfeld, Max von, Preussen in staatsrechtlicher Beziehung, 291.
Oger, Félix, Cours d'Histoire Générale, 35.
O'Halloran's History of Ireland, 518.
Ohio, Histories of, 562; Settlement of, 617.
Ohio Valley Historical Series, 562, 596.
Oliver, Peter, The Puritan Commonwealth, 546, 547.
Oncken, Wilhelm, Allgemeine Geschichte, 36, 67.
Ordeal, Trial by, 170.
Ordinance of 1787, origin of, 11, 617.
Orient, Laurent's History of the, 49; general histories of the, 71-87.
Otis, James, Tudor's Life of, 587.
Ottoman Turks, Histories of the, 415.
Overbeck, J., Geschichte der griechischen Plastik, 109.
Overbury, Sir Thomas, Bisset's Essay on, 57.
Ozanam, A. F., History of Civilization in the Fifth Century, 176; Les Germains
avant le Christianisme, 277, 293.
Pacific States, Native Races of, 566.
Paget, John, New Examen of Macaulay, 464.
Paine, Thomas, Common Sense, 606; Public Good and Plain Facts, 617.
Painting, Kugler's Hand-book or, 48; Woermann and Woltmann's History of, 56;
at Athens, 99; Crowe and Cavalcaselle's History of, in Italy, 230, 231.
Palfrey, J. G., Review of Mahon's History, 467, History of New England, 547.
Palgrave, R. F. D., The House of Commons, 487.
Palgrave, Sir Francis, History of Normandy and England, 372, 444; Rise and Prog-
ress of the English Commonwealth, 444.
Papacy, Laurent's History of, 149; Gosselin's Power of, 165, 181.
Pardoe, Julia, Louis XIV. and the Court of France, 321.
654
INDEX.
Parker, Theodore, Works of, 628.
Parkman, Francis, French in America, 543.
Parliament, Bastard's History of, in France, 354, 373; Bavélier's Right of Election
to, 351, 373; Elections to, in England, 477.
Parliamentary Debates, Hansard's, 499.
Parliamentary Elections, 477.
Parliamentary History of England, 422, 499.
Parliamentary methods, 527.
Paroz, Jules, Histoire Universelle de la Pédagogie, 51.
Parthia, Rawlinson's History of, 79.
Partitions of Poland, Ferrand on the, 387; Beer on the, 388, 397; Von der Brüg-
gen on the, 389; Alison's account 01, 397; Von Sybel's account of, 399.
Parton, James, Life of Franklin, 582, 615; Life of Jefferson, 583; Life of Jackson,
583.
Party, Cooke's History of, in England, 488.
Party government, Burke on the powers of, 526.
Party government in the Eighteenth century, 523-525.
Pasquier, Félix, Histoire de l'Unite Politique et Territoriale de la France, 356.
Patton, J. H., History of the United States, 536.
Paul Sarpi, Council of Trent, 218.
Pauli's Pictures of Old England, 509.
Pausanias, Travels in Greece, 113.
Pearson, Charles H., England during the Early and Middle Ages, 446.
Peasantry, Condition of, in the Middle Ages, 186, 209...
Pedagogy, Paroz's History of, 51; Schmidt's History of, 54.
Peel, Sir Robert, Lives of, 526.
Peloponnesian War, History of, 97.
Peninsular War, Napier's History of, 406.
Pennsylvania, Proud's History of, 555; Historical Society's Publications, 596.
Pepys, Samuel, The Diary and Correspondence of, 462, 520.
Pericles, Lloyd's Age of, 99.
Perrens, F. T., Histoire de Florence, 240; La Démocratie en France au Moyen Age,
357; La France sous le Règne de Henri IV., 318.
Perry's Elements of Political Economy, 621.
Persecutions, Aubé, History of, under Diocletian, 160, 172; of Protestants under
Louis XIV., 219.
Persia, Rawlinson's History of, 78; New Empire of, 79.
Pertz, Monumenta Germaniæ Historica, 294.
Peter, Carl, Römische Geschichte, 123; Zeittafeln, 150.
Peter the Great, Histories of, 377-384, 398; Motley's Essay on, 398.
Petitot et Monmerqué, Collection des Mémoires, 306.
Philip II., Van Praet's Essay on, 198; Prescott's History of the Reign of, 408;
Watson's History of, 410.
Philip III., Watson's History of, 410.
Philip IV., Dunlap's History of, 403.
Phillips's Sketches of Paper Currency, 618.
Philosophy, Janet's History of Moral and Political, 47 ; of the Seventeenth Cen-
tury and Christianity, 50; Ueberweg's History of, 55; of Comte, 60. .
Philosophy of History, General works on the, 57–66; Buckle, 57; Comte, 60;
Droysen, 61; Flint, 61; Hegel, 62; Montesquieu, 63; Schlegel, 65; Kingsley,
67; Guizot, 67; Shedd, 68; Bunsen, 68; Janet, 362.
Pickering, Thomas, Life and Works of, 584, 614.
Picket, A. J., History of Alabama, 560.
Picot, George, Histoire des États-Généraux, 354.
INDEX.
655
Pictorial History of England, 439.
Pierre, Victor, Histoire de la République de 1848, 344.
Pierron, A., Histoire de la Littérature Romaine, 146.
Pierson, William, Preussische Geschichte, 269.
Pioneers of North America, by Parkman, 543.
Pitkin, Timothy, Political and Civil History of the United States, 574.
Pius IX., Trollope's Life of, 235.
Planters of Massachusetts Bay, Young's Chronicles of, 548 ; Planter's Plea, 603.
Plutarch, Translations of, 98, 111.
Plymouth, Bradford's History of, 545.
Pocahontas, New evidence concerning, 13.
Poetry, at Athens, 99; of England, 502.
Poisson, Auguste, Histoire du Règne de Henri IV., 317.
Poland, Histories of, 385-389; civilization and progress in, 389-397; partitions of,
387-389; courses of reading on, 397-399.
Political Economy, Blanqui's History of, 42.
Political Literature, Blakey's History of, 42.
Political Register, Poore's, 601.
Political Songs, Wright's collection of, 476, 508.
Political System of Modern Europe, Heeren's, 189.
Political Text-book, Cluskey's, 601.
Pöllnitz, Memoirs of, 295.
Polybius, Hampton's General History of, 101.
Pontiac, History of the Conspiracy of, 554.
Poole, R. L., History of the Huguenots of the Dispersion, 314.
Poole, W.F., Concerning the Ordinance of 1787, 12. 617.
Poor Law, Nicholls's History of, in England, Scotland, and Ireland, 493, 529.
Poore, Ben: P., Federal and State Constitutions, 601; Political Register and Con-
gressional Directory, 601.
Popes, Ranke's History of the, 199.
Porter, R. G., The Progress of the Nation, 501.
Portugal, Histories of, 410, 411; courses of reading on, 431.
Positive Philosophy, Comte's, 60.
Potthast, A., Bibliotheca Historica Medii Aevi, 156.
Praet, J. Van, Essays of, 198, 217.
Prehistoric Nations, Baldwin's, 86.
Prehistoric Races, 568, 575.
Prendergast's Cromwellian Settlement in Ireland, 519.
Prentice, Archibald, History of Anti-Corn-law League, 474, 528.
Prescott, William H., History of Ferdinand and Isabella, 407; History of Philip
II., 408; Narrative Poetry of Italy, 245.
Pressensé, E. de, The Early Years of Christianity, 177. .
Preuss, J. D. E., Friedrich der Grosse, 273.
Prevost-Paradol, L. A., Essai sur l'Histoire Universelle, 37, 66.
Prices, Tooke and Newmarch's History of, 216, 528; Rogers's History of, 492.
Priestley, Joseph, Lectures on Modern History, 192.
Prince Henry, Bisset's Essay on, 57.
Progress of the English Nation, by R. G. Porter, 501.
Protective Tariffs, Histories of, 621.
Protestant Theology, Dorner's History of, 211.
Protestantism compared with Catholicity, 160.
Proud, Robert, History of Pennsylvania, 555.
Prussia, Duncker's Essays on, 254; Droysen's Essays on, 262; Treitschke's Essays
on, 262; general histories of, 268-275; institutions of, 275, 296; constitutional
histories of, 290, 291, 293.
656
INDEX.
Prussia and Austria, Relations of, at the time of the French Revolution, 267.
Punic Wars, 148.
Puritan Revolution, significance of, 26.
Puritans of New England, 546,547.
Pütter, J. S., Political Constitution of the German Empire, 248.
Pym, Jobn, Forster's Life of, 458, 515; Goldwin Smith's Essay on, 516,
Quicherat, J., Procès et Condamuation de Jeanne d'Arc, 310.
Quincy, Josiab, Life of, 584.
Quinet, Edgar, La Révolution, 362.
Rabault, J. P., Précis Historique de la Révolution Française, 333.
Races, Geographical Distribution of, 45.
Ralston, W. R. S., Early Russian History, 393.
Rambaud, Alfred, The History of Russia, 381.
Ramsay, David, History of American Revolution, 544; History of South Carolina,
559.
Ramsey, J. G. M., The Annals of Tennessee, 561.
Randall, Henry S., Life of Thomas Jefferson, 584.
Randolph, John, Garland's Life of, 580.
Ranke, Leopold von, History of the Popes, 199, 217, 293; Macaulay's Essay
on, 218; Zur Venetianer Geschichte, 237; History of the Reformation in
Germany, 252, 293; Deutsche Geschichte vom Religionsfrieden bis zum dreis-
sigjährigen Krieg, 252; Die deutschen Mächte und der Fürstenbund, 254;
Ansprung und Beginn der Revolutionskriege, 254; Denkwürdigkeiten Har-
denberg's, 256; Memoirs of the House of Brandenburg, 271; Französische
Geschichte, 303; History of Servia, 416; History of England, 459, 515.
Rationalism, in the Middle Ages, 177; Hurst's History of, 212; Lecky's History
of, 213.
Raumer, F. voit, History of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries, 200, 217;
Geschichte der Hohenstaufen, 250; Frederick II., 274, 293 ; Political History
of England during the Sixteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth Centuries,
460.
Rawlinson, George, Manual of Ancient History, 73; Five Great Monarchies, 78,
86; Sixth Great Monarchy, 79; Seventh Great Monarchy, 79; Herodotus,
86, 95.
Reade, Charles, Cloister and the Hearth, 219, 373.
Rebellion Record, 601.
Reed, Joseph, Life and Correspondence of, 585.
Reeve, Henry, Royal and Republican France, 366.
Reform in England during the present century, 327,329.
Reform in Prussia, under Stein, 256 ; under Hardenberg, 257.
Reformation, Laurent's History of, 50; Hardwick's History of, 166; Gieseler's His-
tory of, 165; Heeren on the influence of, 189; general works on, 194–197 ;
list of authorities on, in Fisher's Reformation, 217; Catholic authorities on,
217, 218; Macaulay on, 218; in Italy, see Sarpi and Villari; in Germany,
294; also see Ranke and Häusser; in France, 317, 319, 371; in England, 450–
452, 493, 497.
Régime, the Ancient, Taine's History of, 360; De Tocqueville's History of, 361.
Register of Debates, 600.
Religion of Greece, Rome, Teutonic and Scandinavian nations, of Jews, and of
Islam, 80, 104, 112; of Rome, 142, 150; also, see Clarke's Ten Great Religions,
Cox's Aryan Mythology, Coulanges's Ancient City, Boissier's Réligion Ro-
maine, Maurice's Learning and Working.
INDEX.
657
Religious Wars, Laurent's History of, 50.
Rémusat, Madame de, The Memoirs of, 339.
Renaissance, Symonds on the, 226, 243; general authorities on the, 243.
Renan, Fatalism of, examined by Laurent, 50.
Representative Assemblies in France, 354. See authorities on the establishment
of representative government, 508-512.
Representative Government, Guizot's History of, 166.
Republic, of Venice, Hazlitt's, 237; of Florence, 237–240.
Restoration, Lamartine's History of the, 241; Viel-Castel's History of, 241; gen-
eral authorities on, 377.
Reucblin, Hermann, Geschichte Italiens, 231, 243.
Reumont, Alfred ron, Geschichte Toscana's, 240; Lorenzo de' Medici, 241.
Reuter, Hermann, Geschichte der religiösen aufklärung im Mittelalter, 177.
Revival of Learning, Symonds on, 226.
Revolution, Histories of the American, 544, 545.
Revolution of 1640 in Eugland, Works on, 497.
Revolution of 1688, Authorities on the history of, 520-522.
Revolution of 1789 in France, Beginning of, by Ranke, 254; general histories of,
326-336; essays and treatises on, 360–365; courses of reading on, 372, 374;
Dickens on, 374; Hugo on, 375.
Revolution of 1848, Histories of the, 242–244, 377,
Revue des Deux Mondes, 376.
Revue Historique, 376.
Rhode Island, Arnold's History of, 552; Historical Society's Publications of, 595.
Richard III., Gairdner's Life of, 448.
Richelieu, Van Praet's Essay on, 195; Caillet on, 319; Robeson on, 320; best au-
thorities on, 321; White's article on, 374.
Ridpath, John C., Popular History of the United States, 536.
Riehl, W. H., Geschichte der deutschen Social-Politik, 281, 296.
Rink, Dr. Henry, Danish Greenland, 427.
Ripley, R. S., War with Mexico, 545.
Rise of the Republic, Frothingham's, 568.
Ritter, Karl, Relation of geographical to political peculiarities, 67.
Rives, W. C., Life and Times of James Madison, 355.
Roads of Roman Empire, 150.
Robeson, W., Life of Richelieu, 320.
Robertson, W., Progress of Society during the Middle Ages, 156, 183; Reigu of
Charles V., 251, 293.
Rochholz, E. L., Tell und Gessler in Sage und Geschichte, 412.
Rocquain, Félix, L'Esprit Révolutionnaire avant la Révolution, 326.
Roger Williams, Authorities on, 551, 552, 596.
Rogers, J. Thorold. History of Agriculture and Prices in England, 492.
Rolfe, John, New evidence concerning, 13.
Rollin's Ancient History, 73.
Rolls of Parliament, Description of, 4.99.
Rolls Series, Description of, 498.
Roman Antiquities, Becker on, 141; Lange on, 144.
Roman Empire, Freeman's Formation of, 45; Dismemberment of, 45; Capes 01),
135; Curteis on, 136; Merivale on, 136; Coulanges on, 349.
Roman Influence in Britain, 446, 504; Guest's Early Settlements of Romans in
South Britain, 504; Coate's Romans in Britain, 504.
Roman Law, Hadley's Introduction to, 143; Mackenzie's Studies in, 144; in Middle
Ages, 157.
Roman Question, by E. About, 234.
42
658
INDEX
Rome, uncertainties of the carly history of, 116; Niebuhr's method of treating,
121; Schwegler's method of treating, 123; Beaufort's method of treating, 125;
Lewis's method of treating, 126; history of, by Bossuet, 33; history of, by
Laurent, 49; religion of, 104; popular education in, 105; life in, 106, 181;
general histories of, 114-125; special histories of, 126-139; histories of
civilization and progress, 140–151; general authorities of, 123; development
of, 125; archæology of, 149; under the Empire, 150; institutions of, 150;
municipalities of, 184; courses of reading on, 148.
Romey, Charles, Histoire d'Espagne, 408..
Romola, View of Italy in, 217.
Röpell, R., Geschichte Polens, 385; Polen um die Mitte des 18. Jahrhunderts, 386.
Roscoe, Wm., Life of Lorenzo de' Medici, 241.
Rosières, Raoul, Histoire de la Société Française, 358.
Rosseeuw-Saint-Hilaire, E. F., Histoire d'Espagne, 409.
Roth, Paul, Geschichte des Beneficialwesens, 178.
Rotteck, Charles, History of the World, 37.
Royal's Andrew Jackson and the Bank of the United States, 623.
Royalty, Laurent's History of, 50.
Rule, W. H., History of the Inquisition, 215.
Rulhière, C. C., Histoire de l'Anarchie de Pologne, 387.
Rural Classes in France, Doniol's History of, 356; Dareste’s History of, 357; Per-
rens's History of, 357.
Rush, Secretary, Financial Report of, 622.
Russell, Dr. William, History of Modern Europe, 193.
Russell, Lord John, The English Government and Constitution, 483; Life of C. J.
Fox, 524, 528; History of the Principal States of Europe, 202.
Russia, Histories of, 377–384; Histories of Civilization and Progress in, 389-397;
courses of reading in the history of, 397-399; Nihilism in, 383, 390, 398;
educational systems of, 398; condition of, before the Crimean War, 399;
complications of, in the East, 432..
Rüstow, w., The War for the Rhine Frontier, 262.
Rymer's Foedera, Description of, 49
Sabine, Lorenzo, American Loyalists, 560.
St. Bartholomew, White's Massacre of, 315; different views of, 374.
St. Louis, Wallon's History of, 308.
Saint-Simon, Memoirs of, 322.
Sainte-Beuve, Criticisms of, 376.
Salvandi, M. de, Histoire de Pologne, 387.
Saracens, Ockley's History of the, 176.
Sargent, Nathan, Public Men and Events, 586.
Sarpi, Father Paul, History of the Council of Trent, 228.
Sartorius, Georg, Geschichte des hanseatischen Bundes, 178.
Savigny, F. C., Geschichte des römischen Rechts im Mittelalter, 157.
Saronarola, G., Villari's Liſc of, 217, 230.
Scandinavia, Histories of, 422–429; Courses of Reading in the History of, 431, 432.
Schäfer, Arnold, Demosthenes und seine Zeit, 99, 111; Geschichte des siebenjähr-
igen Krieges, 253.
Schäfer, E. D., Die Hansestädte, 280.
Schäfer, N., Geschichte von Spanien, 404.
Schaff, Philip, Creeds of Christendom, 215.
Scharf, J. Thomas, History of Maryland, 555.
Scheffer-Boichorst, Paul, Florentiner Studien, 239.
Scherer, Edmund, Criticisms of, 376.
INDEX.
659
Schlegel, A. W., Dramatic Art and Literature, 52, 112.
Schlegel, F., History of Literature, 53, Philosophy of History, 65.
Schliemann, Works of, 113.
Schlosser, F. C., Weltgeschichte, 38, 67; History of the Eighteenth Century, 203, 217.
Schmidt, Julien, Geschichte der französischen Literatur, 365.
Schmidt, Karl, Geschichte der Pädagogik, 54.
Schnaase, Karl, Geschichte der bildenden Künste, 54.
Schnitzler, J. H., Russia under Alexander and Nicholas, 382; Les Institutions de
la Russie, 394; L'Empire des Tsars, 394.
Schömann, G. F., Antiquities of Greece, 109, 113; Athenian Constitutional History,
110, 111.
Schoolcraft, H. R., Indian Tribes of the United States, 575.
Schuyler, Eugene, Turkistan, 393.
Schwegler, Albert, Römische Geschichte, 123, 148, 149.
Sciences, Whewell's History of the Inductive, 55.
Scotland, Burton's History of, 434.
Scott, Sir Walter, Bisset's Essay on, 57; Anne of Geierstein, 29-4, 373; Count
Robert of Paris, 373; Quentin Durward, 373; Ivanhoe, 506.
Sculpture, Overbeck's History of Grcek, 109.
Secession, Early History of, 630.
Secretan, Ed., Essai sur la Féodalité, 178.
Seebohm, F., The Era of the Protestant Revolution, 196, 216.
Seeley, J. R., Roman Imperialism, 150; Life and Times of Stein, 255, 293.
Segretain, E. A., Sixte V. et Henri IV., 317.
Ségur, Count de, History of Prussia, 382; Tableau Historique de l'Europe depuis
1786, 255.
Sellar. W.Y., The Roman Poets, 146, 150.
Seminole War, 617.
Senior, N. W., Journals Kept in France and Italy from 1848 to 1852, 366; Conver-
sations with Thiers and others, 367.
Seven Years' War, Schäfer's, 253.
Seward, William H., Works of, 592.
Seybert, Adam, Statistical Annals, 575.
Shaw, Manual of English Literature, 501.
Shays's Rebellion, Authorities on, 610.
Shea, George, Life of Alexander Hamilton, 586.
Shedd, W.G. T., History of Christian Doctrine, 215.
Sheppard, J. G., Fall of Rome and Rise of New Nationalities, 158.
Sherman, Secretary John, Reports and Speeches on Finance, 623.
Shirley's Roval and Historical Letters, 508.
Short, John T., The North Americans of Antiquity, 575.
Sime, James, History of Germany, 249.
Simms, W. G., History of South Carolina, 559.
Simon de Montfort, Authorities on, 509, 510.
Simon, Jules, The Government of Thiers, 349.
Sinding, Paul de, History of Scandinavia, 427.
Sismondi, J. C. L. Simonde de, The Renaissance, 184; Literature of the South of
Europe, 187; Histoire des Républiques Italiennes, 222, 243; Histoire des Fran-
çais, 304.
Sixtus the Fifth, Hübner's Life of, 197, 217.
Slave Power in America, 577.
Slavery and Antislavery, Goodell’s, 569.
Slavery, Wallon's History of, in Antiquity, 85; in Rome, 149; in America, 569; in
Massachusetts, 597; general authorities on, 623–627.
660
INDEX.
Smith, Adam, The Wealth of Nations, 187.
Smith, George, Works of, 86.
Smith, Goldwin, Three English Statesmen, 461,516.
Smith, John, Exploits of, 604.
Smith, Philip V., History of the World, 74, 86; History of English Institutions,
485, 527.
Smith, Thomas, History of Mediæval Missions, 185.
Smith, Tomlin, English Gilds, 179.
Smith, William, Dictionary of Antiquities, 68; Classical Dictionary, 69; History
of Greece, 92, 111.
Smyth, William, Lectures on Modern History, 185, 193.
Society, during the Middle Ages, 156; at the time of the Renaissance, 218, 228;
in Germany, 281; in France, 358, 359, 360; in Russia, 391, 399; in England,
495; in the United States, 596, 597.
Sohm, Rudolph, Die altdeutsche Reichs- und Gerichtsverfassung, 277.
Soldan, W. G., Geschichte der Hexenprocesse, 282.
Sommerard, A. du, Les Arts au Moyen Age, 179, 186.
South Carolina, Histories of, 559.
Spain, Histories of, 400-411; Turbulence of, in the Middle Ages, 404; Courses of
Reading on the History of, 429-432.
Spalding, Archbishop, Miscellanea, 185; History of the Protestant Reformation,
199, 217, 218.
Spalding, William, Italy and the Italian Islands, 222, 243.
Spanish Succession, Best History of the War of, 202; other authorities on, 218,431.
Sparks, Jared, Library of American Biography, 587.
Sparta, Jannet's Institutions at, 106.
Spencer, H., Historical theories of, õ.
Sprague, William B., Annals of the American Pulpit, 602.
Springer, Anton, Geschichte Oesterreichs, 265.
Spruner, Historical Atlas, 68.
Staël, Madame de, Germany, 268; La Révolution Française, 336, 374.
Stanhope, Earl, History of England under Queen Anne, 465, 521; History of Eng-
land from 1713 to 1783, 467; reviewed by Palfrey, 467.
Stanley, A. P., History of Jewish Church, 79; History of the Eastern Church, 180.
State-papers, Calendars of, 499.
State-papers of the United States, 599.
States-General, Picot's History of the, 354; Boullée's History of, 355.
Statesman's Manual, by Lossing and Williams, 601.
Stedman, C., History of the American War, 576.
Stein, Freiherr von, Seeley's Life and Times of, 255; Balcke's estimate of, 285.
Stenzel, G. A. H., Geschichte des preussischen Staates, 268.
Stephen, Leslie, History of English Thought in the Eighteenth Century: 525.
Stephen, Sir James, Ecclesiastical Essays, 195; Lectures on the History of France,
357, 371.
Stephens, A. H., Constitutional View of the War between the States, 576.
Stephens, A. J., Introduction to De Lolme on the English Constitution, 484,506.
Stevens, W. B.. History of Georgia, 559.
Stieler's Modern Atlas, 68.
Stith, William, Settlement of Virginia, 557.
Stoll, H. W., Geschichte der Römer, 124; Die Helden Roms, 124.
Story, Joseph, Commentaries on the Constitution, 605.
Story, W. W., Roba di Roma, 151.
Strahl und Hermann, Geschichte des russischen Staates, 383.
Strickland, Agnes, Lircs of the Queens of England, 441.
INDEX.
661
Stroehlin, Ernest, L'État Moderne et l'Église Catholique en Allemagne, 289, 296.
Stubbs, W., Early Plantagenets, 184, 447; The Constitutional History of England,
477; Select Charters, 478.
Suetonius, C. T., Lives of the Twelve Cæsars, 134..
Sugenheim, S., Geschichte der Aufhebung der Leibeigenschaft, 186, 216; Ge-
schichte des deutschen Volkes, 283, 293.
Suggestions of courses of reading, on general history, 67–69; on the history of an-
tiquity, 86-87; on the history of Greece, 111-114; on the history of Rome,
148-151; on the history of Middle Ages, 183–186; on the history of modern
times, 216-219; on the history of Italy, 242-245; on the history of Germany,
293–296; on the history of France, 371-376; on the history of Russia, 397-
399; on the history of Spain, 429–432; on the history of Turkey, 429-432;
on the history of Holland, 429-432; on the history of Scandinavia, 429-432;
on the history of England, 4:96-529; on the history of the United States,
593-630.
Sulla, L. C., Beesly on, 127.
Sullivan, John, Public Men of the Revolution, 612, 613.
Sullivan, W., The Fall of the Roman Empire, 158.
Sully, Memoirs of the Duke of, 316.
Sumner, Charles, Works of, 592, 628.
Sumner, G. W., History of American Currency, 618; History of Protection, 621.
Superstition and Force, Lea's, 170.
Sweden, Histories of, 423, 424; courses of reading on the history of, 430-432.
Swinton, William, Outlines of the World's History, 38, 66.
Switzerland, Histories of, 411-413; courses of reading on the history of, 429.
Sybel, H. von, History and Literature of the Crusades, 180; History of the French
Revolution, 330.
Symonds, J. A., History of the Renaissance, 184, 216, 243.
Tacitus, C. C., The Works of, 133.
Taine, H., Essai sur Tite Live, 124, 149; Art in Italy, 217, 244; on the French
Revolution, 328; The Ancient Régime, 360; History of English Literature,
502.
Taney, R. B., Tyler's Life of, 587; Dred Scott Decision, 630.
Tariffs, Authorities on luistory of, 621-623.
Taswell-Langmead, Thomas Pitt, English Constitutional History, 480, 497, 525.
Tauroggen, Convention of, 257.
Taxation, Systems of, in the United States, 570.
Taylor, Bayard, History of Germany, 257.
Taylor, James W., History of the State of Ohio, 563.
Tell, William, Story of, considered by Baring-Gould, 161; Rochholz's study of,
412; other accounts of, 431.
Temporal Power, Lea's Rise of, in the Church, 170.
Tennessee, Ramsey's Annals of, 561.
Ternaux, Mortimer, Histoire de la Terreur, 335.
Territories of the Northwest, Acquisition of, 616-618.
Testa, G. B., The War of I'rederick I. against the Communes, 224.
Teuffel, W. S., A History of Roman Literature, 147.
Texas, Yoakum's History of, 561; annexation of, 618.
Thalheimer, M. E., A Manual of Ancient, Mediæval, and Modern History, 39.
Theiner, A., Histoire des Institutions d'Éducation Ecclésiastique, 181.
Thiébault, D., Frédéric-le-Grand, 273.
Thierry, Amédée, Tableau de l'Empire Romain, 147, 150; Histoire des Gaulois,
307, 371, 372.
662
INDEX.
Thierry, Augustin, Letters and Essays of, 185; Lettres sur l'Histoire de France,
352; Dix Ans d'Études Historiques, 353; The Formation and Progress of the
Tiers État, 353; History of the Norman Conquest, 504.
Thiers, A., Fatalism of, examined by Laurent, 50; The Mississippi Bubble, 323;
History of the French Revolution, 329; History of the Consulate and the Em-
pire, 337; Barni's History of, 338; Le Goff's Liſe of, 348; Simon's Govern-
ment of, 349.
Third Estate, Thierry on the, 353.
Thirlwall, Bishop C., History of Greece, 92.
Thirty Years' War, Gindely's, 200; Gardiner's, 201; Schiller's, 201; Dropsen's
Gustav Adolph, 252; Balcke's condition of Germany at the end of, 287;
Freytag's pictures of, 286 ; Motley's introduction to, in the Life of John of
Barneveld, 421, 432.
Thomas's Biographical Dictionary, 69.
Thompson, R. M., The Papacy and the Civil Power, 181.
Thompson's Essay on Magna Charta, 507.
Thornton, J. W., Peter Oliver's Puritan Commonwealth, 5,47.
Thorpe, Benjamin, Northern Mythology, 428; Ancient Laws and Institutes of
England, 474.
Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War, 97.
Tibcrius, Beesly on, 131.
Ticknor, George, History of Spanish Literature, 409.
Tilley, H. A., Eastern Europe and Western Asia, 396.
Tiraboschi's History of Italian Literature, 245.
Tissot, Victor, Russes et Allemands, 383.
Tocqueville, Alexis de, Memoirs, Letters, and Remains of, 345; L'Ancien Régime et
la Révolution, 361; criticism of, 568; Democracy in America, 576.
Tocqueville, 'Le Comte de, Histoire du Règne de Louis XV., 323.
Todd, Alpheus, Parliamentary Government in England, 487, 525; Parliamentary
Government in the British Colonies, 496.
Tolerance in Matters of Religion, Balmes on, 160.
Tooke, Thomas (and Newmarch), History of Prices, 216.
Tooke, William, Russia, 384.
Tories of the Revolution, 586.
Torry, History of New York, 542.
Torture, Lea's Essay on, 170.
Toryism, Authorities on, 523.
Tourgueneff, N., La Russie et les Russes, 396; novels of, 399.
Traces and Arts with the Greeks and Romans, 103.
Treitschke, Heinrich von, Deutsche Geschichte, 259; Zehn Jahre deutscher
Kämpfe, 262.
Trent, Father Paul's History of the Council of, 218.
Trevelyan, George Otto, The Early History of Charles James Fox, 467, 524, 526;
Life of Macaulay, 528.
Triumýirates, The, Merivale on, 129.
Trollope, Adolphus, Life of Pius IX., 235; History of Florence, 241.
Trollope, Anthony, The Life of Cicero, 130, 148, 150.
Troy, its Legends, History, and Literature, by Benjamin, 93; Schliemann's,
113.
Trumbull, Benjamin, History of Connecticut, 552.
Trumbull, J. Hammond, True Blue Laws of Connecticut, 558, 604.
Tucker, George, History of the United States, 537.
Tuckey, Janet, Joan of Arc, 310.
Tudor, James, Life of James Otis, 587.
INDEX.
663
Tudors, Authorities on the nature of governnient under the, 512-514.
Turgot, Guizot on, 300; Foncin's Essay on, 325; Batbie's Essay on, 326; Roc-
quain on, 326.
Turkey, Histories of, 413-417; suggestions for courses of reading in the history of,
429-432.
Turner, Sharon, History of the Anglo-Saxons, 443.
Tuttle, Herbert, German Political Leaders, 276, 296.
Tyler, M. C., History of American Literature, 602.
Tyler, Samuel, Liſe of R. B. Taney, 587.
Tylor, E. B., History of Mankind, 84, 86; Primitive Culture, 85, 86.
Tytler, Alexander Fraser, Universal History: 39, 66.
Tytler, William, Evidence against Mary Queen of Scots, 152.
Ueberweg, F., History of Philosophy, 57.
Ukert, F., Geschichte der europäischen Staaten, 190.
Union of the Colonies into one government, 607, 608.
United States, General histories of, 630-637; histories of limited periods of, 538-
545; local histories and histories of individual States, 545–566 ; social,
political, and constitutional histories, 566-578; important biographies and
collected writings, 578–594; courses of reading on the history of, 591-630.
Unity in France, Pasquier's History of, 356.
Unity in Germany, Klüpfel's History of, 259; Frank's establishment of, 260 ;
Droysen's essay on, 262.
Universal Histories, 31-70.
Valery's Historical, Artistic, and Literary Travels in Italy, 131, 215.
Van Brunt, Henry, Greek Lines, 112.
Van Buren's administration considered, 572.
Van Deventer, M. L., Cinquante Annees de l'Histoire Fédérale de l'Allemagne, 260.
Van Laun, Henry, The French Revolutionary Epoch, 348; History of French Lii-
erature, 370.
Van Praet, J., Essays, 198, 217.
Vane, Sir H., Forster's Life of, 458; Bayne's Essay on), 460.
Vasari's History of Painting, 245.
Vaughan, Robert, Memorials of the Stuart Dynasty, 461.
Vehmgericht, Scott's account of the, 373.
Velse, Dr. E., Memoirs of the Court of Austria, 266.
Venice, Histories of, 236, 237.
Vermont, Williams's History of, 549.
Véron, Eugène, Histoire de l'Allemagne, 261.
Viardot's Wonders of Italian Art, 264.
Vico, Fatalism of, examined by Laurent, 50.
Victor Emmanuel II., Arrivabene's Life of, 235; Godkin's Life of, 236, 243.
Viel-Castel, Louis de, Histoire de la Restauration, 241.
Viensseux, A., History of Switzerland, 412.
Village Communities, Maine's, 83; Maurer's history of the system of, in Germany,
278.
Villages in England, Escott's account of, 495.
Villari, Pasquale, Savonarola, 217, 230; Machiavelli, 229.
Villemain, A. F., Liſe of Gregory VII., 182; Cours de Littérature Française, 367.
Virginia, Histories of, 556–558.
Virginia Resolutions, 599.
Voltaire, Fatalism of, examined by Laurent, 50; philosophy of history, 67.
Von der Brüggen, Ernst, Polens Auflösung, 389.
664
INDEX.
VIT
Wachsmuth's Antiquities of Greece, 113.
Wächter's Judicial Methods in the Middle Ages, 185. ..
Wager of battle, 170; of law, 170.
Wägner, Dr. W., Rom, 125.
Waitz, Georg, Deutsche Verſassungsgeschichte, 279.
Wallace, D. M., Russia, 397.
Wallace, Horace B., Essays on Art, 245.
Wallon, H. A., Histoire de l'Esclavage dans l'Antiquité, 85; St. Louis et son Temps,
308; Jeanne d'Arc, 310.
Walpole, Horace, Letters of, 525.
Walpole, Spencer, History of England since 1815, 471,578.
Wandering Jew, The story of the, 161.
War of the Roses, Gairdner's account of, 448.
War of 1812, Ingersoll's sketch of, 541.
War of 1866, Histories of, 260, 261.
War of 1870, Authorities on, 262, 263.
War with Mexico, 542, 543.
Ward, Thomas H., English Poets, 502.
Ware's Zenobia, 151; Aurelian, 151.
Warner's History of the Irish Rebellion of 1641, 518.
Warton, Thomas, History of Poetry, 501.
Washington, George, Correspondence of, on Western Lands, 577; Irring's Life of,
581; Marshall's Life of, 582; writings of, 593.
Watson, Robert, History of the Reigns of Philip II. and Philip III., 410.
Wealth in the Middle Ages, Rogers on, 492.
Weber, Georg, Allgemeine Geschichte, 40, 66; Lehrbuch der Weltgeschichte, 40 ;
Outlines of Universal History, 41.
Webster, Daniel, Curtis's Life of, 580; Works of, 593, 611.
Wells, William V., Life of Samuel Adams, 588, 606.
Wernicke, C., Die Geschichte der neuesten Zeit, 206.
Western Lands, Washington on, 577.
Wey's Rome, 150.
Whately, Archbishop, Origin of Civilization, 86.
Wheaton, Henry, History of the Northmen, 428.
Wheeler, John H., Historical sketches of North Carolina, 558.
Wheeler, J. T., Life and Travels of Herodotus, 86.
Whewell, William, History of the Inductire Sciences, 55.
Whig Review, 602.
Whiggism, Tendencies of, 522.
White, Andrew, Relation of Maryland, 604.
White, Andrew D., Essay on Richelien, 374.
White, Henry, The Massacre of St. Bartholomew, 315.
White, Rev. James, Lighteen Christian Centuries, 158; History of France, 304,
371; History of England, 442.
Wilda, W. E., Das Gildenwesen im Mittelalter, 182.
Wilhelmina of Baireuth, Memoirs of, 295.
Wilkinson, Sir J. G., Ancient Egyptians, 80, 86.
Willert, P. F., The Reign of Louis XI., 313.
William III., Van Praet's Essay on, 198.
William the Silent, Van Praet's Essay on, 198.
Williams, Roger, Dexter on, 551; Arnold on, 552; Narragansett Club papers on,
596, 604.
Williams, Samuel, Natural and Civil History of Vermont, 549.
Williamson, Hugh, History of North Carolina, 558.
INDEX
665
Williamson, W. D., History of Maine, 548.
Wilson, Henry, Rise and Fall of the Slave-trade, 577, 629.
Winchell, A., Preadanites, 87.
Winckelmann, John, Ancient Art, 110, 111.
Winsor, Justin, Hand-book of the American Revolution, 545.
Winthrop, John, History of New England, 547.
Wirt, William, Life of Patrick Henry, 588.
Wirth, J. G. A., Geschichte der Deutschen, 282.
Wiseman's Fabiola, 151.
Witchcraft, in Salem, Upbam's account of, 603; in Germany, see Soldan's Hesen-
processe, 282.
Woermann, Karl, History of Painting, 56, 112.
Woltmann, Alfred, History of Painting, 56, 112.
Women, Position of, in Greece and Rome, 105.
Wood, Anthony, Athena Oxonienses, 500.
Woodbury, Judge, Essay on Uncertainties of History, 67.
Woolsey, T. D., Essays on Guizot, 67.
Working Classes, in England, see Escott; in Germany, see Sugenheim, Balcke,
Freytag, Riehl; in France, see Bonnemère, Bavélier, Perrens, Monteil.
Worsaae, J. J. A., The Danes and Northmen in England, 429,504.
Wright, Thomas, Essays on the Middle Ages, 185; Caricature History of the
Georges, 469; Biographia Britannica Literaria, 475; History of Domestic
Manners in England, 476; Political Poems and Songs, 476,508; Superstitions
during the Middle Ages, 476.
Wrightson, R. H., History of Modern Italy, 233.
Wyclif, Works of, 512.
Wyon, F. W., History of Great Britain during the Reign of Queen Annie, 466.
Xenophon, Translations of the works of, 96.
>
Yoakum, H., History of Texas, 561.
Yonge, C. D., Three Centuries of Modern History, 19:4, 216; History of France
under the Bourbons, 325.
York von Wartenburg, Feldmarschall, Droysen's Life of, 257.
Young, Alexander, First Planters of Massachusetts Bay, 548, 596.
Young, Andrew W., The American Statesman, 178,621.
Young, Arthur, Travels in France, 327, 374.
Young, Ernest, Anglo-Saxon Family Law, 474.
Young England, Disraeli's account of, 529.
Young's Tariff Legislation, 621.
Zinkeisen, J. W., Geschichte des osmanischen Reiches in Europa, 416.
Zschokke, H., History of Switzerland, 413.
IMPORTANT HISTORICAL WORKS
PUBLISHED BY
HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE, N. Y.
DET HARPER & BROTHERS will send any of the following works by mail, postage pre-
paid, to any part of the United States, on receipt of the price.
Pet For a full list of HISTORICAL Works published by HARPER & BROTHERS, see therr
New and Enlarged Catalogue, which will be sent to any address on receipt of nine
cents.
MACAULAY'S ENGLAND. The History of England from the Acces-
sion of James II. By THOMAS BABINGTON MACAULAY. New and El-
egant Library Edition, from New Electrotype Plates. 8vo, Cloth, Gilt
Tops, Five Volumes in a Box, $10 00 per set. Sold only in Sets.
12mo, Cloth, 5 vols., $2 50; Sheep, $3 75; 8vo, Paper, 5 vols., $1.00;
8vo, Cloth, in 1 vol., $1 25.
MACAULAY'S MISCELLANEOUS WORKS. The Miscellaneous
Works of Lord Macaulay. In Five Volumes, 8vo, Cloth, with Paper
Labels and Uncut Edges, in a box, $10 00.
HUME'S ENGLAND. History of England, from the Invasion of Julius
Cæsar to the Abdication of James II., 1688. By DAVID HUME. New
and Elegant Library Edition, from New Electrotype Plates. Six Vol-
umes in a Box, 8vo, Cloth, with Paper Labels, Uncut Edges and Gilt
Tops, $12 00. Suld only in Sets. 6 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $3 00; Sheep,
$4 50.
MOTLEY'S DUTCH REPUBLIC. The Rise of the Dutch Republic.
A History. By JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY, LL.D., D.C.L. With a Por-
trait of William of Orange. Three Volumes in a Box, 8vo, Cloth, with
Paper Labels, Uncut Edges and Gilt Tops, $600. Sold only in Sets.
MOTLEY'S UNITED NETHERLANDS. History of the United Neth-
erlands, from the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Years'
Truce. With a full View of the English-Dutch Struggle against Spain,
and of the Origin and Destruction of the Spanish Armada. By JOHN
LOTHROP MOTLEY, LL.D., D.C.L. With Portraits. Four Volumes
in a Box, 8vo, Cloth, with Paper Labels, Uncut Edges and Gilt Tops,
$800. Sold only in Sets.
MOTLEY'S JOHN OF BARNEVELD. Life and Death of John of
Barneveld, Advocate of Holland. With a View of the Primary Causes
and Movements of the " Thirty Years' War." By JOHN LOTHROP
MOTLEY, LL.D., D.C.L. Illustrated. Two Volumes in a Box, 8vo,
Cloth, with Paper Labels, Uncut Edges and Gilt Tops, $4 00. Sold
only in Sets.
Important Historical Works.
TT
GIBBON'S ROME. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman
Empire. By EDWARD GIBBON. With Notes by Dean MILMAN, M.
Guizot, and Dr. WILLIAM SMITH. New Edition, from New Electro-
type Plates. Six Volumes in a Box, 8vo, Cloth, with Paper Labels,
Uncut Edges and Gilt Tops, #12 00. Sold only in Sets. 6 vols.,
12mo, Cloth, $3 00; Sheep, $4 50.
HILDRETH'S UNITED STATES. The History of the United States.
First Series.-From the First Settlement of the Country to the Adop-
tion of the Federal Constitution. Second Series. —From the Adoption
of the Federal Constitution to the End of the Sixteenth Congress. By
RICHARD HILDRETH. Six Volumes, 8vo, Cloth, with Paper Labels,
Uncut Edges and Gilt Tops, $12 00. Sold only in Sets.
LODGE'S ENGLISH COLONIES IN AMERICA. English Colonies
in America. A Short History of the English Colonies in America.
By HENRY CABOT LODGE. 8vo, Half Leather, $3 00.
HARPER'S POPULAR CYCLOPÆDIA OF UNITED STATES
HISTORY. From the Aboriginal Period to 1876. Containing Brief
Sketches of Important Events and Conspicuous Actors. By BUNSON
J. LOSSING. Illustrated by Two Steel-plate Portraits and over 1000
Engravings. 2 vols., Royal 8vo, Cloth, $12 00.
PICTORIAL FIELD-BOOK OF THE REVOLUTION; or, Illustra-
tions by Pen and Pencil of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and
Traditions of the War for Independence. By BENSON J. Lossing 2
vols., 8vo, Cloth, $14 00; Sheep, $15 00; Half Calf, $18 00.
PICTORIAL FIELD - BOOK OF THE WAR OF 1812; or, Illustra-
tions by Pen and Pencil of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and
Traditions of the last War for American Independence. By BENSON
J. LOSSING. With 882 Illustrations, engraved on Wood by Lossing &
Barritt, chiefly from Original Sketches by the Author. Complete in
One Volume, 1084 pages, large 8vo. Price, in Cloth, $7 00 ; Sheep,
$8 50; Full Roan, $900; Half Calf or Half Morocco extra, $10 00.
ALISON'S HISTORY OF EUROPE. History of Europe. First Se-
ries. From the Commencement of the French Revolution, in 1789, to
the Restoration of the Bourbons, in 1815. In addition to the Notes on
Chapter LXXVI., which correct the errors of the original work con-
cerning the United States, a copious Analytical Index has been append-
ed to this American Edition. Second Series.—From the Fall of Napo-
leon, in 1815, to the Accession of Louis Napoleon, in 1852. By Sir
ARCHIBALD ALISON. 8 vols., 8vo, Cloth, $16 00; Sheep, $20 00; Half
Calf, $34 00.
KEIGHTLEY'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. The History of England,
from the Earliest Period to 1839. By THOMAS KEIGHTLEY. 5 vols.,
18mo, Cloth, $3 75.
Important Historical Works.
KINGLAKE'S CRIMEAN WAR. The Invasion of the Crimea : its
Origin, and an Account of its Progress down to the Death of Lord Rag-
lan. By A. W. KINGLAKE. Maps and Plans. Four Vols. now ready.
12mo, Cloth, $2 00 per vol.; Half Calf, $3 75.
GREEN'S HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE. History of the
English People. By John RICHARD GREEN, M.A. With Maps. In
GREEN'S SHORT HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE. A
Short History of the English People. By JOHN RICHARD GREEN.
With Maps and Tables. 8vo, Cloth, $1 30.
GREEN'S MAKING OF ENGLAND. The Making of England. 'By
J. R. GREEN. With Maps. Svo, Cloth, $2 50; 4to, Paper, 20 cents.
TS
M'CARTHY'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. A History of Our Own
Times, from the Accession of Queen Victoria to the General Election
of 1880. By JUSTIN M'CARTHY. 2 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $2 50; 4to,
Paper, 40 cents.
DRAPER'S AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. History of the American Civil
War. By JOHN W. DRAPER, M.D., LL.D. In Three Volumes. 8vo,
Cloth, $10 50; Sheep, $12 00; Half Calf, $17 25.
DRAPER'S INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPE. A
History of the Intellectual Development of Europe. By John W. DRA-
PER, M.D., LL.D. New Edition. 2 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $3 00; Half
Calf, $6 50.
CARLYLE'S FREDERICK THE GREAT. History of Friedrich II.,
called Frederick the Great. By THOMAS CARLYLE. Portraits, Maps,
Plans, &c. 6 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $7 50.
CARLYLE'S OLIVER CROMWELL. Letters and Speeches of Oliver
Cromwell, including the Supplement to the First Edition. With Eluci-
dations. By THOMAS CARLYLE. 2 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $2 50.
CARLYLE'S FRENCH REVOLUTION. History of the French Revo-
lution. By THOMAS CARLYLE. 2 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $2 50.
CARLYLE'S EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY. The Early Kings of
Norway; also an Essay on the Portraits of John Knox. By THOMAS
CARLYLE. 12mo, Cloth, $1 25.
STEPHEN'S HISTORY OF FRANCE. Lectures on the History of
France. By Sir JAMES STEPHEN, K.C.B. 8vo, Cloth, $300; Half
Calf, $5 25.
Important Historical Works.
RAWLINSON'S MANUAL OF ANCIENT HISTORY. A Manual of
Ancient History, from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western
Empire. Comprising the History of Chaldæa, Assyria, Media, Babylo-
nia, Lydia, Phænicia, Syria, Judæa, Egypt, Carthage, Persia, Greece,
Macedonia, Parthia, and Rome. By GEORGE RAWLINSON, M.A., Cam-
den Professor of Ancient History in the University of Oxford. 12mo,
Cloth, $1 25.
WILKINSON'S ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. A Popular Account of the
Ancient Egyptians. Revised and Abridged from his larger Work. By
Sir J. GARDNER WILKINSON, D.C.L., F.R.S., &c. With 500 Illustra-
tions. 2 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $3 50.
MACKINTOSH'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. A History of England
to the Seventeenth Century. By Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH. 3 vols.,
12mo, Cloth, $3 00.
PERRY'S ENGLISH CHURCH HISTORY. A History of the Church
of England. From the Accession of Henry VIII. to the Silencing of
Convocation in the 18th Century. By Rev. G. G. PERRY, M.A., Canon
of Lincoln. With an Appendix, containing a Sketch of the History of
the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. By
J. A. SPENCER, S.T.D. Crown 8vo, Cloth, $2 50.
RUSSELL'S MODERN EUROPE. History of Modern Europe; with a
View of the Progress of Society, from the Rise of Modern Kingdoms to
the Peace of Paris in 1763. By W. RUSSELL. With a Continuance
of the History by WILLIAM JONES. Illustrated. 3 vols., Svo, Cloth,
$6 00 ; Sheep, $7 50; Half Calf, $12 75.
AGNES STRICKLAND'S QUEENS OF SCOTLAND. Lives of the
Queens of Scotland and English Princesses connected with the Regal
Succession of Great Britain. By AGNES STRICKLAND. Complete in
8 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $12 00; Half Calf, $26 00.
GROTE'S HISTORY OF GREECE. A History of Greece, from the
Earliest Period to the Close of the Generation Contemporary with Al-
exander the Great. By GEORGE GROTE. 12 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $18 00;
Sheep, $22 80; Half Calf, $39 00.
MOSHEIM'S ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. Ancient and Modern
Ecclesiastical History, in which the Rise, Progress, and Variation of
Church Power are Considered in their Connection with the State of
Learning and Philosophy, and the Political History of Europe during
that Period. Translated, with Notes, &c., by A. MACLAINE, D.D. Con-
tinued to 1826, by C. COOTE, LL.D. 2 vols., 8vo, Cloth, $400 ; Sheep,
$5 00; Half Calf, $8 50.
Important Historical Works.
GIESELER'S ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. A Text-Book of Church
History. By Dr. JOHN C. L. GIESELER. Translated from the Fourth
Revised German Edition. By SAMULL DAVIDSON, LL.D., and Rev.
JOHN WINSTANLEY HULL, M.A. A New American Edition, Revised
and Edited by Rev. HENRY B. SMITH, D.D., Professor in the Union
Theological Seminary, New York. Vols. I,, II., III., and IV., 8vo,
Cloth, $2 25; Sheep, $2 75; Half Calf, $4 50 per volume ; Vol. V.,
8vo, Cloth, $300.
ABBOTT:S FREDERICK THE GREAT. The History of Frederick
the Second, called Frederick the Great By JOHN S. C. ABBOTT.
Illustrated. Svo, Cloth, $500; Half Calf, $7 25.
ABBOTT'S FRENCH REVOLUTION. The French Revolution of
1789, as viewed in the Light of Republican Institutions. By JOHN
S. C. ABBOTT. 100 Illustrations. Svo, Cloth, $5 00; Sheep, $5 50;
Half Calf, $7 25.
ABBOTT'S NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. The History of Napoleon
· Bonaparte. By JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. With Maps, Illustrations, and
Portraits on Steel. 2 vols., 8vo, Cloth, $10 00; Sheep, $11 00; Half
Calf, $14 50.
SCHILLER'S REVOLT OF THE NETHERLANDS. History of the
Revolt of the Netherlands : Trial and Execution of Counts Egmont and
Horn, and the Siege of Antwerp. By FREDERICK SCHILLER. Trans-
lated from the German by the Rev. A. J: W. MORRISON, M.A. 12mo,
Cloth, $1 00.
SCHILLER'S THIRTY YEARS' WAR. History of the Thirty Years'
War. By FREDERICK SCHILLER. Translated from the German by the
Rev. A. J. W. MORRISON, M.A. 12mo, Cloth, $1 00.
HELPS'S SPANISH CONQUEST. The Spanish Conquest in Ameri-
ca, and its Relation to the History of Slavery, and to the Government
of Colonies. By Sir ARTHUR HELPS. 4 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $6 00;
Half Calf, $13 00.
ROLLIN'S ANCIENT HISTORY. Ancient History of the Egyptians,
Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Grecians,
and Macedonians. By CHARLES ROLLIN. Including a History of the
Arts and Sciences of the Ancients, with a Life of the Author, by JAMES
BELL. Ņumerous Maps and Illustrations. In 2 vols., Svo, Cloth,
$4 50; Sheep, $5 50. In 1 vol., Cloth, $3 50; Sheep, $4 00.
DE TOCQUEVILLE'S FRENCH REVOLUTION. The Old Régime
and the Revolution. By ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE, of the Académie
Française, Author of "Democracy in America." Translated by JOHN
BONNER. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50.
Important Historical Works.
SISMONDI'S ITALIAN REPUBLICS. A History of the Italian Re-
publics : being à View of the Rise, Progress, and Fall of Italian Free-
dom. By J.C.L. SISMONDE DE SISMONDI. 12no, Cloth, 75 cents.
SISMONDI'S LITERATURE IN EUROPE. Historical View of the
Literature of the South of Europe. By J. C. L. SISMONDE DE SISMON-
DI. Translated, with Notes, by THOMAS Roscoe. 2 vols., 12mo, Cloth,
$2 75; Half Calf, $6 25.
CUSHING'S TREATY OF WASHINGTON. The Treaty of Washing-
ton : its Negotiation, Execution, and the Discussions relating thereto.
By CALEB CUSHING. Crown 8vo, Cloth, $200.
HALLAM'S LITERATURE OF EUROPE. Introduction to the Lit-
erature of Europe in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Cen-
turies. By HENRY HALLAM, LL.D., F.R.A.S. 2 vols., 8vo, Cloth,
$4 00; Sheep, $500.
HALLAM'S MIDDLE AGES. View of the State of Europe during the
Middle Ages. By Henry HALLAM, LL.D., F.R.A.S. Svo, Cloth,
$2 00; Sheep, $2 50.
a
HALLAM'S CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND. The
Constitutional History of England, from the Accession of Henry VII. to
the Death of George II. By HENRY HALLAM, LL.D., F.R.A.S. 8vo,
Cloth, $2 00; Sheep, $2 50.
YONGE'S CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND. The
Constitutional History of England from 1760 to 1860. By CHARLES
DUKE YONGE, M.A. 4to, Paper, 25 cents. 12mo, Cloth. (Just Ready).
MACKENZIE'S AMERICA. America: a History. I. The United
States.-II. Dominion of Canada. —III. South America, &c. By ROB-
ERT MACKENZIE. 4to, Paper, 20 cents.
MACKENZIE'S NINETEENTH CENTURY. The Nineteenth Century.
A History. By ROBERT MACKENZIE. 4to, Paper, 15 cents.
SMITH'S MOHAMMED AND MOHAMMEDANISM. Lectures de-
livered at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in February and March,
1874. By R. BOSWORTH SMITH, M.A., Assistant Master in Harrow
School; late Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford. With an Appendix
containing Emanuel Deutsch's Article on “Islam." 12mo, Cloth, $1 50.
TAYLOR'S HISTORY OF IRELAND. The History of Ireland. From
the Anglo-Norman Invasion to the Union of the Country with Great
Britain. By W. C. TAILOR. With Additions by WILLIAM SAMPSON.
2 vols., 18mo, Clouh, $1 50.
Important Historical Works.
DO
THE FIRST CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC. A Review of Amer-
ican Progress. Svo, Cloth, $5 00; Sheep, $5 50; Half Morocco, $7 25.
MILMAN'S HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY. A History of Chris-
tianity, from the Birth of Christ to the Abolition of Paganism in the
Roman Empire. By Rev. H. H. MILMAN. With Notes, &c., by JAMES
MURDOCK, D.D. 8vo, Cloth, $2 00; Half Calf, $4 25.
MILMAN'S HISTORY OF THE JEWS. A History of the Jews.
From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. By Rev. H. H. MILMAN.
Maps and Illustrations. 3 vols., 18mo, Cloth, $2 25.
THIRLWALL'S GREECE. History of Greece. By Rev. CONNOP
THIRLWALL, D.D. 2 vols., Svo, Cloth, $400; Sheep, $5 00; Half
Calf, $8 50.
GEDDES'S HISTORY OF JOHN DE WITT. History of the Admin-
istration of John De Witt, Grand Pensionary of Holland. By JAMES
GEDDES. Vol. I.-1623-1654. With a Portrait. 8vo, Cloth, $2 50.
A CENTURY OF DISHONOR. A Sketch of the United States Gov-
ernment's Dealings with some of the Indian Tribes. By H. H., Au-
thor of “ Verses," - Bits of Travel,” &c. With a Preface by Bishop
Whipple and an Introduction by President Seelye. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50.
NORTON'S CHURCH - BUILDING. Historical Studies of Church-
Building in the Middle Ages. Venice, Siena, Florence. By CHARLES
Eliot Norton. Svo, Cloth, $3 00.
PRINCE METTERNICH'S MEMOIRS. Memoirs of Prince Metter-
nich, 1773-1829. Edited by Prince RICHARD METTERNICH. The Pa-
pers Classified and Arranged by M. A. de Klinkowström. Translated
by Mrs. Alexander Napier. Four Parts, 4to, Paper, 20 cents each;
12mo, Cloth, 2 vols., $200.
ENGLISH CORRESPONDENCE. Four Centuries of English Letters.
Selections from the Correspondence of One Hundred and Fifty Writers,
from the Period of the Paston Letters to the Present Day. Edited by
W. BAPTISTE ScOONES. 12mo, Cloth, $200.
PARDOE'S EPISODES OF FRENCH HISTORY. Episodes of French
History during the Consulate and the First: Empire. By Miss JULIA
PARDOE. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50.
PARDOE'S LOUIS THE FOURTEENTH. Louis the Fourteenth and
the Court of France in the Seventeenth Century. By Miss JULIA PAR-
DOE. Illustrated. 2 vols., 12mno, Cloth, $400.
8
Important Historical Works.
THE STUDENT'S SERIES. Maps and Illustrations. 12mo, Cloth.
FRANCE, — GIBBON. —- GREECE. — ROME (by LIDDELL). - OLD TESTA-
MENT History.--NEW TESTAMENT HistorY.-STRICKLAND'S QUEENS
OF ENGLAND (Abridged). -ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE EAST.-HAL-
LAM'S MIDDLE AGES.-HALLAM'S CONSTITUTIONAL History OF ENG-
LAND. — LYELL'S ELEMENTS OF GEOLOGY. — MERIVALL'S GENERAL
HISTORY OF ROME. —Cox's GENERAL HISTORY OF GREECE. —CLAS-
SICAL DICTIONARY. $1 25 per volume.
Lewis's HistORY OF GERMANY. -- ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. —
HUMU'S ENGLAND. $1 50 per volume.
MICHELET'S MODERN HISTORY. Elements of Modern History.
By M. MICHELET. Translated from the French, with an Introduction,
Notes, &c., by Rev. Dr. POTTER. 18mo, Cloth, 75 cents.
HARPER'S PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE REBELLION. Har-
per's Pictorial History of the Great Rebellion in the United States.
With nearly 1000 Illustrations—Maps, Plans, Scenes, and Portraits.
In Two Volumes, 4to, Cloth, $12 00.
CREASY'S FIFTEEN DECISIVE BATTLES. The Fifteen Decisive
Battles of the World; from Marathon to Waterloo. By E. S. CREASY,
A.M. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50.
STEVENS'S MADAME DE STAEL. Madame De Staël : a Study of
her Life and Times. The First Revolution and the First Empire. By
ABEL STEVENS, LL.D. 2 vols., 12mo, Cloth, $300.
ROBERTSON'S AMERICA.. History of the Discovery of America. By
WILLIAM ROBERTSON, LL.D. With an Account of his Life and Writ-
ings. With Questions for the Examination of Students, by JOHN
Frost, A.M. 8vo, Cloth, $2 25; Sheep, $2 75; Half Calf, $4 50.
Abridged, 18mo, Cloth, 75 cents.
ROBERTSON'S CHARLES V. History of the Emperor Charles V.;
With a View of the Progress of Society in Europe to the Beginning of
the Sixteenth Century. By WILLIAM ROBERTSON, LL.D. With Ques-
tions for the Examination of Students, by JOHN FROST, A.M. 8vo,
Cloth, $2 25; Sheep, $2 75; Half Calf, $4 50. Abridged, 18mo,
Cloth, 75 cents.
ROBERTSON'S SCOTLAND AND ANCIENT INDIA. A History
of Scotland during the Reigns of Queen Mary and James VI., till his
Accession to the Crown of England. With a Review of the Scottish
History previous to that period. Included in the same Volume is a
Dissertation concerning Ancient India. By WILLIAM ROBERTSON,
LL.D. 8vo, Cloth, $2 25; Sheer, $2 75; Half Calf, $4 50.

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
IIIIIIIII
11 LUULUI
11
III
1111111
IND
D1
III
11
III
3 9015 05449 6800
USE UILI
DO NOT REMOVE
OR
MUTILATE CARD
بهم
اه

په
=
=
=
:
:
:
.
به
ما را
:
.
لم
و
در .
ة
جال
نم
است که همم ہے. 1
را
اور بارون
دا هه نه
امام
وع
::
:مور
:
}
41
ه
مجمه
ی
.
یار
پی
که
"
ة
و
به
و
ما
و
مم
-
با
ها
مه
'میرا
گی
فرق
6
و
ء
"
ده
-
بود. .
"
ة
.
کے
.
.
وم
*
.
نامه
نم
ة
او
ولی
شد
:
عندما
.
و
عا م
مي
س لام
:
تا +م
اهم
زمزمع
.
-
يوفر
مرد
4
جن
-
و في *
د
مهمون
میهنی
کی
شه
.
1
نه
تی
زه
*
و
ه
اتم
:
ا
م
م
ا
م
مدام
" "
اج
"
.
را
ده
".
{
و
ته
.
مد
:
.
ه مه و ه ء ا
! نامه
ولم
-
ا
ة
او
هی
"
*
همه
و
وم
.
.
.
.
1
..
ده م
ي
*
ر ہی ہے
:
45
مهم
في
"
"
و
و
بهم
ا
.
م *
ود
Y
اميد
به دست
11
هم نمی
يم
:
:
:
به مه ::
عمر
ردم
،
فلم
**
د
:
وينه
ههه
استان دننننننننننننننننننننن
موهة
-
1
که
ها.
F
لام
=
و
دن
واست
ا
-
. **
ما
با
اور
ام الحق
و در
ا
نفهم
و
وووط
اون
ها
نوم
f
. ما
* *
-
5
!
ان
روز
:
2
کیا
اه
}:
*
و
ماها
هم
و
?
ا
.. می
:
"
E
هوای
*
سایه
*
*
و
.گو و
سس
او .
سید
:
:
من د
باب
.
.
همه
س
و ما
یاد
خنزیم
.
.
ا دس من -سسه
فی اپ
و لاعاد يس
:
:
و
".
ا بت
*
}
.
امی
و مع
لم
|
و
-
ذن
،
ماه ,
:
r
ا ا
;
.
طر
.
جن
'
ة
: منه
و
مي
و
مت
برج وهو
اد
د جنت
"
ما
:
:
.
1
ما
سی
بی
.
اور دنیا
و مه
ها
.
*
ا
*
T
* *
ن اس من
مین :
مه
را
4
:.:":.
1
تی
ا
،
"
ر مان
.
او
'
:
له
مه .
۴۹
.
را ..او
:
ر
دو
"
:
"
*
ه **
-
1
-
:ءه
نه ن می جنبننممحمممممنتلمنن
*
*
هما
ا
ا
*
ا
مه
داد
نه
.
.
11
*
1
در خم
را
..
"
.
1
اخر
و هم در
هف
ده ؟
ها و ذهن
دن -
::: :
مرا
به نام
الله
هه
ها به
ا
ههه
و"
.
'
'
*
بات
:م
زم
'
ء
اه