Produced by Al Haines
[Transcriber's note: transliterated Greek is surrounded by plus signs,
e.g. "+agoniai+". Italicized text is surrounded by _underscores_. In
the phrase "_sov[)a]v sov[=e]v_", "[)a]" represents a-breve, "[=e]"
represents e-macron. "[oe]" represents the oe-ligature pair.]
[Frontispiece: J. A. Cramb]
THE
ORIGINS AND DESTINY
OF IMPERIAL BRITAIN
NINETEENTH CENTURY EUROPE
BY THE LATE
J. A. CRAMB, M.A.
PROFESSOR OF MODERN HISTORY, QUEEN'S COLLEGE, LONDON
WITH A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE AND PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.
1915
_All rights reserved_
[Illustration: Greek text]
"For the noveltie and strangenesse of the matter which I determine and
deliberate to entreat upon, is of efficacie and force enough to draw
the mindes both of young and olde to the diligent reading and digesting
of these labours. For what man is there so despising knowledge, or any
so idle and slothfull to be found, which will eschew or avoide by what
policies or by what kinde of government the most part of nations in the
universall world were vanquished, subdued and made subject unto the one
empire of the Romanes, which before that time was never seen or heard?
Or who is there that hath such earnest affection to other discipline or
studie, that he suposeth any kind of knowledge to be of more value or
worthy to be esteemed before this?"
_The Histories of the most famous Chronographer_, POLYBIUS.
(Englished by C. W., and imprinted at London, Anno 1568).
PREFACE
The following pages are a reprint of a course of lectures delivered in
May, June, and July, 1900. Their immediate inspiration was the war in
South Africa (two of the lectures deal directly with that war), but in
these pages, written fifteen years ago, will be found foreshadowed the
ideals and deeds of the present hour. When the book first appeared,
Mr. Cramb wrote that he "had been induced to publish these reflections
by the belief or the hope that at the present grave crisis they might
not be without service to his country." In the same hope his lectures
are now reprinted.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
John Adam Cramb was born at Denny, in Scotland, on the 4th of May,
1862. On leaving school he went to Glasgow University, where he
graduated in 1885, taking 1st Class Honours in Classics. In the same
year he was appointed to the Luke Fellowship in English Literature. He
also studied at Bonn University. He subsequently travelled on the
Continent, and in 1887 married the third daughter of the late Mr.
Edward W. Selby Lowndes of Winslow, and left one son. From 1888 to
1890 he was Lecturer in Modern History at Queen Margaret College,
Glasgow. Settling in London in 1890 he contributed several articles to
the _Dictionary of National Biography_, and also occasional reviews to
periodicals. For many years he was an examiner for the Civil Service
Commission. In 1892 he was appointed Lecturer and in 1893 Professor of
Modern History at Queen's College, London, where he lectured until his
death. He was also an occasional lecturer on military history at the
Staff College, Camberley, and at York, Chatham, and other centres. In
London he gave private courses on history, literature, and philosophy.
His last series of lectures was delivered in February and March, 1913,
the subject being the relations between England and Germany. In
response to many requests he was engaged in preparing these lectures
for publication when, in October, 1913, he died.
CONTENTS
PART I
THE TESTIMONY OF THE PAST
LECTURE I
SECTION
WHAT IS IMPERIALISM?
1. THE UNCONSCIOUS AND THE CONSCIOUS IN HISTORY
2. ANCIENT AND MODERN IMPERIALISM
3. THE MANDATE OF DESTINY
LECTURE II
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE POLITICAL IDEAL
1. OF THE ACTION OF STATES AND OF INDIVIDUALS
2. THE LAW OF TRAGEDY AS APPLIED TO HISTORY
3. THE LAW OF TRAGEDY: ITS SECOND ASPECT
LECTURE III
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RELIGIOUS IDEAL
1. RELIGION AND IMPERIALISM
2. THE PLACE OF RELIGION IN ENGLISH HISTORY
3. DISTINCTION OF THE RELIGION OF THE VIKINGS
4. WORLD-HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ENGLISH REFORMATION
5. THE TESTIMONY OF THE PAST: A FINAL CONSIDERATION