New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-08-14
NETWORK TRIBUNE.

J.
Esacd by Daniel Adee, lU7 Fu!ton-st y YORK
These volumes have been FOR long time on our
ya1le uncxam.ned Oh account Of their bulk For
~ belong TO that small minority among the re
viewers who vii! no. consent 10 pen ine about
book, without some real knowledge OF ITS contents
and the prodigious influx Of books ove1asks our
power Of attention 50 that 1t IS often ioig 'lne
before VIC can really examine large WORK on an
important -lbiect. This reason alone has prevent
ed Our taking notice Of the historical works Of Dr.
Arnold. rspubished here by the Appletons. be
onnse though we have reed enough in them 70
prize the lie. vigor and generosity shown in the
method Of treatment, have not paid the degree
Of attention necessary fit for fall and detailed
=. tcism. such as alone can do justice to work Of
at class
The present work we have looked with
s5ne care We findit comparatively free from the
usual defects Of outline histories being content
with simple clear, we!lananged statement oi
received versions OF facts avoiding these false aud
hi.nsy comments aud portraitures which make
books ofthe Peter Farley class positively injurious
by presenting information so adultcrated that it is
very difficult get it rnsed clean by alter years
Of more serious study and companionship We con
iers' Treasures and other abrldgements, yalua
G merely as reference books. OF convenient
,ize. What $50 want Of the Past is living nc
quantancc instruction to what has been IN the
very hearts and minds of men. This is the only
use OF history TO give real and sincere acquanlt-
ance with the experiences OF other men, differently
placed and taught from Such can only be gained
by full and contemporary records III the shape Of
memoirs aud letters. The finest phiosophic h'sto-
~ of events is far less valuable than those which
impart to us directly the spirit that animated those
events Even the great phi,osophic historian must
give us hiS version o.thc events, instead and what
we gain by the pleasure OF companionsmp with his
mind scarcely makes up Tor having the facts at
secondhand Still lower in value are Treasures,
abridgcmcuts and outlines of all sorts. We want
not merely the facts or some persons comments on
the facts but the spirit which animated them and
made them once full and green Of sweet corn,
instead of the husks now set before us.
Still. though we cannot gain in positive life and
knowledge by use of such aids, they have be-
come in some measure, necessary as scaiiold by
which we may ascend to something better The
field is now so very large tha in order more easily
to find what has grown III parts 1t Is needu to have
chart OF it us whole. especially IN the country
or III schools which have not access to large libra
res il is needui to make nso OF such books IN or
der 10 r,ndcrstsud the grouping ami succession ct
characters and events. ., the sort, we think this
will be found good and very useful to those
who keep in view that they must not be satisfied
with it alone or think that it is OF any conse-
quence to know who reigned or what events took
place in certain year or age, unless such know
edge leads to something real essential, to Il
thought idea We must quarrel with this
book, however for making no reference to its au-
thorities Those who mako use Of such com.
pend ought to have the means at command of rec
tifying its statements whenever it is necessary
desirable so 10 do. X