A manual of historical literature : comprising brief descriptions of the most important histories in English, French and German : together with practical suggestions as to methods and courses of historical study : for the use of students, general readers, and collectors of books

Front matter

QfarneU Hnitterattj} Slihratg

Cornell University Library Z6201 .A21

Manual of historical literature ,: .compri olln

Preface

What histories shall I read with most profit? What historical 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 scarcity ; but in all the twenty thousand volumes which a distinguished librarian recently declared to be necessary for the proper bibliographical 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 descriptions and characterizations ; not only information whether a given book approached an ideal standard of excellence, but also whether it was the best authority accessible on the subject vi PEEFACE.

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 successful 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 preparation of this work, to accomplish two more or less distinct purposes. 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 students 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 without value to those for whom they are designed. To prevent the necessity on the part of the student of frequently turnino' 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 devoted to the historical literature of England and of the United

PEEFACE. vii

States have been made more comprehensive in scope than any others. In the thirteenth and fourtee-nth chapters, under the head of " Suggestions to Students and Readers,'' I have given a much more extended account of sources of information than was elsewhere 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 thorough 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 literature 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 efEort has been simply to select from the almost 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 predominant. 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. Occasionally, 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 diflScult to procure, or one that is without some characteristics of marked excellence.

In dealing with books in French and German, I have sometimes viii PKEFACE.

given the title in tlie 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 translation has been made, the title has been given in English. Where the translation is not conspicuous, either for its merits or its defects, 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 alphabetical 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 diflBculty 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 seeking 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. ix

been to indicate the best ; and, in general, wtere 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 determined by the twofold consideration of the inherent merits of the work under review, and of the extent to which the historical student is likely to use it in the course of his investigations. Von Hammer -Purgstall's great work on Turkey is even more important, 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-comprehensive 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 acknowledgment.

This volume owes its origin to the suggestion of President White, of Cornell University, who, some five years ago, did me

X PREFACE.

the honor to propose to share with me the labors and the responsibilities 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 together 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 defects of the work.

For access to many of the books described I am indebted to the unstinted courtesy of the Superintendent and of the librarians 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 Library of the University of Michigan for the hearty generosity and tbe 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 university, and from my colleagues Professors Isaac N. Demmon, Martin L. D'Ooge, Albert H. Pattengill, Elisha Jones, Richard Hudson, 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 ray attention.

Univjsksity of Michigan, Ann Akboe, December 15, 1881.

Introduction

ON THE STUDY OP HISTOET.

FAGR

Increasing Prevalence of Historical Studies 1

The Rational Nature of this Tendency 2

Limitations of History as a Disciplinary Study 3

Why History cannot Become an Exact Science 4

The Impossibility of an Exact Knowledge of Causes i

The Element of Individuality 5

The Fundamental Error of Comte and his School 5

Some of the Inconsistencies of Buckle 6

Difficulties in the Way of Exact Truth 7

Untrustworthiness of Government Documents 8

Examples of Carelessness in the Writing of History 8

Importance of some Accidental Discoveries 9

The De Quadra Letter and the Dalrymple Memorials 9

Inadequate Evidence even of Judicial Decisions 10

The Journal of Dr. Manasseh Cutler r. 11

Iconoclastic Tendencies of Modern Criticism 12

Conclusion to be Adopted and Conclusion to be Rejected 13

Similarity of Historical Evidence to Evidence in Common Life 14

Why History is especially Improving to the Judgment 15

Why History is the Best School for Statesmanship 16

Certain Special Advantages "in Historical Study 16

Effect of an Understanding of the Unity of the Race 17

Necessity of Greater Historical Knowledge in America 18

The Relations of States to the Problem of Education 18

Problems of Economy and Finance 21

Growing Power of Corporations 22

Condition of our Municipal Governments 23

The Flexibility of our Institutions 24

How shall History be Studied ? 24

The Place of the Study of General History 25 xii CONTENTS.

PAGE

Methods of Instruction ^°

Lesson from the Unity of History ^"

Discrimination between the Important and the Unimportant 27

The Place of Artificial Helps 28

The Best Method of Studying General History 29

The Study of a Single National Life 29

The Last Step in the Student's Course 29

Necessity of Exactness in All our Work 30

Ohaptee II.

UNIVERSAL HISTORIES.

I. NAEEATIVE HISTOKIES.

. Assmann's Handbuch der allgemeinen Geschichte 31

Becker's Weltgeschichte. 32

Bossuet's L'Histoire Universelle 32

Cantu's Histoire Unirerselle 33

Daunou's Cours d'fitudes Historiques 34

Dew's Ancient and Modern Nations 34

•Freeman's General Sketch of History , 35

Oger's Cours d'Histoire Gfinerale 35

• Oncken's Allgemeine Geschichte 36

Prevost-Paradol's Histoire Universelle 37

Kotteck's History of the World 37

Sohlosser's Weltgeschichte 38

«Swinton's Outlines of the World's History. 38

"Thalheimer's Manual of Ancient and Modern History 39

Tytler and Nares's Universal History 39

■ Weber's Allgemeine Geschichte 40

Weber's Lehrbuch der Weltgeschichte 40

Weber's Outlines of Universal History 41

II. HISTOKIES OF CIVILIZATION AJSTD PEOGEESS.

Blakey's History of Political Literature 42

^ Blanqui's History of Political Economy 42

' Botta's Hand-book of Universal Literature 43

• Carrifere'6 Culturentwickelung. 43

- Draper's Intellectual Development of Europe 44

-Fergusson's History of Architecture 44

•Freeman's Historical Geography of Europe , 45

Gaume's Histoire de la Soei6t6 Domeatique '. 46

■ Guizot's History of Civilization in Europe. -.f, 46

Henry's Histoire de I'Eloquence 417

Janet's Histoire de la Philosophie Morale et Politique 47

• Kugler's Hand-book of Painting 48

CONTENTS. xiii

La Harpe's Coiir3 de-Litt^rature 49

- Laurent's Histoire de 1' Humanity 49

^Liibke's History of Art 5I

-May's History of Democracy in Europe 51

• Paroz's Histoire de la P6dagogie 61

• Schlegel's Dramatic Art and Literature g2

■ Schlegel's History of Literature 53

-Schnaase's Geschichte der bildenden Kiinste 64

-Schmidt's Geschichte der Padagogik 64

-Ueberweg's History of Philosophy 65

Whewell's History of the Inductive Sciences 55

<Woltmann and Woermann's History of Painting 66

III. WORKS ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF HISTOET.

•Bisset's Essays on Historical Truth 57

■Buckle's Histoiy of Civilization 57

• Comte's Positive Philosophy 60

-Droysen's Grundriss der Historik 61

•Flint's Philosophy of History 61

•Hegel's Philosophy of History 62

■Montesquieu's Spirit of Laws 63

.Schlegel's Philosophy of History CB

IT. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND EEADEES.

1. A Short Course of Study 66

2. A Longer Course of Study 66

3. Illustrative Materials 6T

Chaptee III.

HISTORIES OP ANTIQUITY.

I. GENEEAL HISTOEIES.

Duncker's History of Antiquity 71

. Heeren's Historical Researches into Principal Nations of Antiquity 71

. Lenormant and Chevalier's Ancient History 72

Niebuhr'a Ancient History 72

• Rawlinson's Manual 73

•RoUin's Ancient History 73

Smith's Ancient History of the East 74

Smith's History of the World 74

II. SPECIAL HISTOEIES.

•Birch's Records of the Past ." 75

■Brugsch Bey's History of Egypt 75 xiv CONTENTS.

PAGE

•Ewald's History of Israel "^

• Josephus, Works of '"

'Milman's History of tlie Jews " '

•Bawlinson's Five Great Monarchies '^^

JKawlinson's Sixth Great Monarchy ''^

/•Bawlinson's Seventh Great Monarchy ^9

•Stanley's Lectures on the Jewish Church 79

•Wilkinson's Ancient Egyptians 80

ni. HISTOEIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PEOGEBSS.

•Clarke's Ten Great Religions 80.

■ Cox's Mythology of the Aryan Nations 80

•Bollinger's The Gentile and the Jew 81

•Lubbock's Prehistoric Times 81

■Lubbock's Origin of Civilization 82

MoLennan's Studies in Ancient History 82

■Maine's Ancient Law — 83

•Maine'a Early History of Institutions 83

•Maine's Village Communities 83

-Morgan's Ancient Society 84

-Tyler's Early History of Mankind 84

.Tylor's Primitive Culture 85

.Wallon's Histoire de I'Esclavage 85

IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND EEADEES.

Chaptee IV.

HISTORIES OP GREECE.

I. GENEEAL HISTOEIES.

Cox's General History 88

•Cox's History of Greece 88

•Curtius's History of Greece 89

•Felton's Greece, Ancient and Modern 90

•Grote's History of Greece 91

•Mitford's History of Greece 91

Smith's History of Greece 92

/Thirlwall's History of Greece 92

II. HISTOEIES OF LIMITED PEEIODS.

-Benjamin's Troy 93

Miiller's Dorians 93

CONTENTS. XV

FAOB

•Cox's Greeks and Persians 94

Cox's Athenian Empire 94

flerodotus's History 96

•Xenophon's Works 96

fl^hnoydides's Peloponnesian War. 97

•Plutaroli's Lives 98

•Lloyd's Age of Pericles 99

Sohafer's Demosthenes und seine Zeit 99

Curteis's Rise of the Macedonian Empire 100

Droysen's Geschichte des Hellenismus 100

•Polybius's General History 101

Freeman's History of Greek Confederacies 102

•Finlay's Greece in the Middle Ages - 102

III. HISTOEIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PEOGEESS.

Bliimner's Technologic und Terminologie 103

Boeckh's Public Economy of the Athenians 103

'Coulanges's The Ancient City 104

Geddes's Problem of the Homeric Poems 104

'Gladstone's Studies on Homer 105

Goll's Kultnrbilder aus Hellas und Rom 105

Guhl and Koner's Life of Greeks and Romans 106

Jannet's Les Institutions k Sparte 106

y's History of Greek Literature 106

y's Social Life in Greece. . . .-. 107

I's Rambles and Studies in Greece 10*7

Miiller and Donaldson's History of Greek Literature 108

Mure's History of the Greek Language and Literature ■. 108

Overbeck's Geschichte der griechischen Plastik 109

•Schoraann's Antiquities of Greece 109

•Schomann's Athenian Constitutional History 110

•Winckelmann's History of Ancient Art 110

IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND EEADEES.

1. A Short Course of Reading Ill

2. A Longer Course of Reading Ill

Chaptee V.

HISTORIES OF ROME.

I. GENEEAL HISTOEIES.

Ampfere's Histoire Romaine k Rome 114

Duruy's Histoire des Romains 114 xvi CONTENTS.

FAGK

Dyer's History of the City of Rome 115

Jhne's History of Kome 115

Leighton's History of Rome 11*7

'Liddell's History of Rome 117

'Livy's History of Rome 118

(Merivale's General History of Rome 119

Michelet's Roman Republic 119

^ilommsen's History of Rome 120

Jfiebuhr's History of Rome 121

-ifiebulir's Lectures on tlie History of Rome 122

Peter's Romische Geschiehte 123

Schwegler's Romische Geschiehte 123

Stoll's Geschiehte der Romer 124

Stoll's Die Helden Roms 124

Taine's Tite Live 124

Wagner's Rom 125

ir. HISTORIES OF LIMITED PEEIODS.

•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 128

'Merivale's Roman Triumvirates 129

TroUope's Life of Cicero 130

•Forsyth's Life of Cicero 130

Boissier's Cicero et ses Amis 131

Beesly's Catiline, Clodius, and Tiberius 131

Arnold's Later Roman Commonwealth 131

Froude's CsBsar 132

Napoleon's Ciesar j32

'Tacitus's Historical Works j33

>• Suetonius's I^ives of the Twelve Csesars 134.

'Capes's Early Roman Empire 135

Capes's i^e of the Antonines I35

Boissier's L'Opposition sous les C^sars 13g

Curteis's Roman Empire j3g

» Merivale's Romans under the Empire ; .., 135

Ammianus Marcelliuus's Roman History 13Y

'Gibbon's Decline and Fall -^ga ;

Gregorovius's Geschiehte der Stadt Rom j39

III. HISTORIES OF CIVILIZATION AND PE06EESS.

'Arnold's Roman Provincial Administration 240

Bahr's 'Geschiehte der romischen Literatur j40

CONTENTS. xvii

FASB

Becker's Handbuch der romischen Alterthiimer 141

Boiasier's La Religion Romaine 142

"Cruttwell's History of Roman Literature 142

■Hadley's Introduction to Roman Law 143

Kuhu's Verfassung der Stadte 143

•Lange's Romische Alterthiimer 144

•Mackenzie's Studies in Roman Law 144"

Marquardt's Romische StaatSTerwaltung 144

Kommsen's Romische Forschungen 145

Mommsen's Roraisches Staatsrecht 146

Pierron's Literature Romaine 146

Sellar's Roman Poets 146

•TeufEcl's History of Roman Literature 147

♦Thierry's Tableau de I'Empire Romain 14V

IV. SUGGESTIONS TO STUDENTS AND EEADEES.

Chapter VI.

HISTORIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

I. GENEEAL HISTOEIES.

Dunham's Europe during the Middle Ages 152

Duruy's Histoire du Moyen Age 152

'Hallam's Europe during the Middle Ages 153

Kingsley's Roman and Teuton 154

Koch's Revolutions de I'Europe 154

Eoeppen's Historical Geography 155

'Potthast's Bibliotheca Historica Medii Aevi 166

•Robertson's Europe in the Middle Ages 156

Savigny's Geschichte des romischen Reohts 157

Sheppard's Fall of Rome 158

Sullivan's Fall of the Roman Empire 158

White's Eighteen Christian Centuries 158

II. HISTOEIES OF LIMITED PEEIODS AND OF INSTITUTIONS.

Alzog's Church History 169

Aub^'s Persecutions de I'Eglise 160

Balmes's European CiviKzation 160

' Baring-Gould's Myths of the Middle Ages 161

•Bulfinch's Age of Chivalry 161

Church's Beginnings of the Middle Ages 162

B xviii CONTENTS.

^ PAQB

Cox's History of the Crusades 162

Cox's Romances of the Middle Ages 162

Dollinger's First Age of Christianity. 163

Fisher's' Beginnings of Christianity 163

Geffcken's Church and State 164

Gfrorer's Pabst Gregorius VII 1 64

Gieseler's Church History 165

Gosselin's Pouvoir du Pape au Moyen Age 165

Guizot's History of Representative Government 166

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 169

Labarte's Histoire des Arts au Moyen Age 169

'Lea's History of Sacerdotal Celibacy 169

•ilea's Studies in Church History 170

•Lea's Superstition and Force 170

^^eoky's European Morals 170

Lecroix's Arts of the Middle Ages 171

Mason's Persecutions of Diocletian 172

'Miehaud's History of the Crusades. 172

Mills's History of the Crusades 172

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 175

•Xeander'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

Pressens^'s Early Years of Christianity I77

Renter's Geschichte der religiosen Auf klarung. 177

Roth's Geschichte des Beneficialwcsens 178

Sartorius's Geschichte des hanseatischen Bundes 178

Secretan's Essai sur la P4odalit6 178

Smith's English Gilds J79

Du Sommerard's Les Arts au Moyen Age I79

Stanley's History of the Eastern Church I80

Sybel's History and Literature of the Crusades 180

Theiner's Histoire des Institutions jgj

Thompson's Papacy and Civil Power jg;^

Villemain's Life of Gregory the Seventh j82

Wilda's Das Gildenwesen im Mittelalter ;^82