Short Studies on Great Subjects ... Third edition

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1 I ■ I * I I SHOKT STUDIES ON GREAT SUBJECTS. LONDON: PRINTED BY SrOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE AND PARLIAMENT STiCEET SHORT STUDIES ON GREAT SUBJECTS. r,\ JAMES ANTHONY FROUDE, M.A. LATE FELLOW OF EXETER COLLEGE, OXFORD. THIRD EDITION. LONDON : LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 1868. CONTENTS. PAGE The Science of History 1 Times of Erasmus and Luther Lecture I. 2(3 Lecture II. .......... 50 Lecture III 75 The Influence of the Reformation on the Scottish Character 102 The Philosophy of Catholicism ]24 A Plea for the Free Discussion of Theological Difficulties 133 Criticism and the Gospel History 159 The Book of Job 185 Spinoza . 223 The Dissolution of the Monasteries 265 England's Forgotten Worthies 294 Homer 334 The Lives of the Saints 363 Representative Men Contents. vi PAGE Reynard the Fox 401 The Cat's Pilgrimage: Part 1 419 Part II 422 Part III 427 Part IV 430 Fables : I. The Lions and the Oxen 433 II.

The Farmer and the Fox 434 Parable of the Bread-Fruit Tree 436 Compensation THE SCIENCE OF HISTOET: A LECTURE DELIVERED AT THE ROYAL INSTITUTION, February o, 1861. Ladies and Gentlemen, — I have undertaken to speak to you this evening on what is called the Science of History. I fear it is a dry subject ; and there seems, indeed, something incongruous in the very connection of such words as Science and History. It is as if we were to talk of the colour of sound, or the longitude of the rule-of-three. Where it is so difficult to make out the truth on the commonest disputed fact in matters passing under our very eyes, how can we talk of a science in things long past, which come to us only through books ? It often seems to me as if History was like a child's box of letters, with which we can spell any word we please.

We have only to pick out such letters as we want, arrange them as we like, and say nothing about those which do not suit our purpose. I will try to make the thing intelligible, and I will try not to weary you ; but I am doubtful of my success either way. First, however, I wish to say a word or two about the eminent person whose name is connected with this way of looking at History, and whose premature death struck us all with such a sudden sorrow. Many of you, perhaps, recollect Mr. Buckle as he stood not so long ago in this place. He spoke for more than an hour without a note — never repeating himself, never wasting words ; laying out his matter as easily and as pleasantly as if he had been talking to us at his own fireside. We might think what we pleased of Mr. Buckle's views, but it was plain enough that he was a man of un common power ; and he had qualities also — qualities to which r> n he, perhaps, himself attached little value, as rare as they were admirable.