General History of the World, from the earliest times until the year 1831. Translated from the German, and continued to 1840, by F. Jones. First American edition

Preface

TO THE ENGLISH EDITION. Rotteck's General History stands pre-eminent in the historical literature of Germany, and its acknowledged merit and increasing popularity have induced the translator to present it to the English reader. By critics it has been pronounced to rank amongst the greatest of historical productions, and their judgment has been justified by its immense success upon the continent. In Germany alone above 100,000 copies have been sold within the last few years, and it has now arrived at its fifteenth edition in that country. From its intimate connection with the principles on which our institutions are all founded, it is more particu larly interesting to the British public, and it cannot fail to meet with a reception in England as flattering as that with which it has been greeted in the fatherland of its respected author.

From the size and contents of this work, many would be inclined to call it a universal history j but there is an important distinction between " General history" and " Universal history." The latter resembles a magazine

PREFACE.

. IV of materials for building, but General history the edifice itself. Most of our histories, that claim to be histories of the world, are termed " universal histories," or com pendiums of universal histories ; but they are by no means general histories. In Rotteck's General History, the materials have not only been selected with due care, but skilfully arranged on principles of unity, and the originality of their construction renders them peculiarly interesting to all thinking men, whatever be their spheres of action. As a storehouse of political instruction, this important his tory is invaluable to the inhabitants of a country like our own, which broadly recognizes their capacity for self-government, imposing upon all the moral duty of investigating the nature, causes, and effects of the grand political movements of other ages and other countries, — to qualify themselves for judging between principles of truth and specious sophistry, when public questions of importance are discussed as in the present day.

To give the author's ideas in the plainest language, accurately, has been the sole endeavour of the translator, and if his labours be successful in diffusing the profound and accurate information on the all-important subjects of General History, he will be amply compensated.