History is perhaps one of the most popular of modern studies. It
is more definite in its results than Philosophy, and it widens the
intellectual horizon more than does the pursuit of particular branches
of Science, while it has less tendency than either of these to congeal
into dogma. The methods of historians, also, have undergone a signal
change within the last fifty years. The historical writers of last
century, such as Robertson and Hume, were content to collate the
productions of previous authors, to give a new reading here and a fresh
deduction there, looking more to literary form than to the production
of new facts. Such writers troubled themselves little about the People,
but were intensely interested in the movements of kings, and in the
sinuosities of statecraft generally. Anything else was beneath ‘the
dignity of history.’ But this ‘dignity of history’ has long since been
pushed from its perch, and nobody now regards it. Carlyle, Freeman,
Froude, Macaulay, Green, and Gardiner, have each and all followed the
movements of events as they affected the people, and not alone as
they affected kings and statesmen. The result has been that history
is fuller of teaching than before, is infused with a truer and deeper
interest, appeals in stronger terms to our sense of justice, and lays a
firmer hold upon our sympathy. It has, in short, become more human.
Mr J. R. Seeley, Professor of Modern History in the University of
Cambridge, has just published a series of lectures under the title of
_The Expansion of England_ (London: Macmillan & Co.), which shows in
a striking manner the progress which has been made in our methods of
studying history and estimating its events. It has long, he says, been
a favourite maxim of his, that history, while it should be scientific
in its method, should pursue a practical object. ‘That is, it should
not merely gratify the reader’s curiosity about the past, but modify
his view of the present and his forecast of the future.’ The first
lecture is devoted to an able exposition of this theorem, into which,
however, we cannot here follow the author. He then proceeds to a study
of England in the eighteenth century, discusses its old colonial
system, points out in detail the effect of the New World on the Old,
reviews the history of our conquest of India, and the mutual influence
of India and England, and ends by an estimate of the internal and
external dangers which beset England as the mother of her colonies and
the mistress of her numerous conquests. The lecturer now and again
drives his theory to a false issue, and in general gives too great
weight to logical sequence in historic transactions. History is not
dominated by logic, but by events; and although we may see in these
events, from our distant and external standpoint, a distinct chain of
development and progress, the actors saw no more of the future of them
than we do to-day of the events presently transpiring. Apart, however,
from this tendency on the part of Professor Seeley, the lectures
are full of wise maxims and suggestive thoughts, and cannot fail to
interest and instruct the historical student.
⁂
The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge has added to its series
called ‘The People’s Library’ a most instructive little volume entitled
_A Chapter of Science; or, What is the Law of Nature?_ It consists
of six lectures which were delivered to working-men by Mr J. Stuart,
Professor of Mechanics, Cambridge. The object of the lecturer was to
present an example of inductive reasoning, and to familiarise his
hearers to some extent with the principles of scientific inquiry;
and he has succeeded in his object in a remarkable degree. We do
not know any book of the same extent which so fully places before
the unscientific reader, or before the reader who has gathered many
facts of science without apprehending their bearing upon each other,
the principles which should guide him in the endeavour to estimate
and arrange these facts correctly. He reminds his hearers that what
science itself has to teach us consists not so much in facts, as in
those lessons and deductions which can be drawn from facts, and which
can be justly apprehended only by a knowledge of such facts. ‘Those,’
he aptly says, ‘whose knowledge of science has furnished them with
only an encyclopædia of facts, are like men who try to warm themselves
before coals which have not yet been lighted. Those who are furnished
only with the deductions of science are like men who may have a lighted
match, but have not the material to construct a fire. That match soon
burns away uselessly.’ We cannot conceive of any one reading this book,
even with only an average degree of attention and only a trifling
modicum of scientific knowledge, and not gleaning from it a clearer
apprehension of the facts of science and the inductions to be made from
these facts.
⁂
A beautiful volume comes to us from the pen of an occasional
contributor to this _Journal_, Dr Gordon Stables. It is entitled
_Aileen Aroon_ (London: S. W. Partridge & Co.), and consists of tales
of faithful friends and favourites among the lower animals. The chief
story of the book, and that which gives it its title, is concerning
a noble Newfoundland dog called ‘Aileen Aroon;’ but interwoven with
it are numerous stories of all kinds of domestic pets—dogs, monkeys,
sheep, squirrels, birds of various kinds, and even that much-abused
creature the donkey. Dr Stables, as our readers cannot fail to
have observed, possesses a very happy style of narration; and his
never-failing sympathy with animal-life gives to his several pictures a
depth and truth of colouring such as one but rarely meets with in this
department of anecdotal literature. A better present could not be put
into the hands of a boy or girl who loves animals, than this handsome
volume about _Aileen Aroon_ and her many friends.
⁂
_London Cries_ is the title of one of those unique volumes, with
beautiful and characteristic illustrations, which from time to time
emanate from the publishing-house of Messrs Field and Tuer, London.
The text of this volume is written by Mr Andrew W. Tuer, and gives an
amusing account of the cries, many and various, which have been heard,
or may still be heard, in the streets of London.—Another volume by the
same publishers is _Chap-book Chaplets_, containing a number of ballads
printed in a comically antique fashion, and illustrated by numerous
grotesque imitations of old ballad-woodcuts. These are cleverly drawn
by Mr Joseph Crawhall, and are all coloured by hand.—A third volume
comes from the same source. It is a large folio, entitled _Bygone
Beauties_, being a republication of ten portraits of ladies of rank and
fashion, from paintings by John Hoppner, R.A., and engraved by Charles
Wilkin.
⁂
_Whitaker’s Almanac_ for 1884 exhibits all its former features of
excellence as an annual, and any changes which have been made are in
the direction of further improvement. Besides the usual information
expected in almanacs, _Whitaker’s_ gives very full astronomical notes,
from month to month, as to the position of the planets in the heavens,
and other details which must be of interest to many. Its Supplement of
scientific and other general information contains much that is curious
and worth knowing.