The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-09-09
MISCELLANEOUS.
Mr.. Prescott and his Histories.

Wa have in our possession friendly
aud communicative letter from Mr. Pres
cott. into the secrets of which we will
venture to admit our readers. that they
may bcnceforward pursue hls works with
something Of the same sdditiOusl interest
which they derive tn US from the follow.
ing pleasantly related tale of faithful
pursuit Of knowledge under difficulties
suppose you are aware that, when
in college. received au injury in one eye
which DEF rived me of the use of it for
reading aud writing Au iniudcious use
Of the other eve, oil which the burden of
nv studies was now wholly thrown
Brought on rheumatic inflammation
which deprived me entirely of sight FIR
some weeks. When this was restored
the eye remained iu too irritable n state
to be employed in reuding for several
years consequently abandoned the
study Of the law, on which had entered
and as man must fnd something to do
7 determined to devote m myself t o letters.
10 which indeper dent career could reg.
ulate my own hours with reference to
what my sight enable me TO accomplish
i had early conceived n strong pas
sion historical writing. tt which per
haps, the reading OF Gihbon's Autobyop.
raphv contributed not little pro.
posed 20 make myrslf HISTORIAN. in the
best sorse of the term. and hoped TO pro.
duce something that postority would not
! willingly let die In memorandum
book as far hack as the year 1919. find
the desire intimatcd and proposed to
devote ten years nv life to the study
| of ancient and modern litrraturcs. chief
| y he latter.-and to give ten years more
to some historical YORK. have had the
good fortune to accomplish .his design
rretty nearly within the limits assigned.
! In the Chrisimss Of s37, nv first work
tie History Of Ferdinand md Isabella
was given 10 The public.
"Durins nv preliminary studies in the
field of general literature nv ewes grad.
uany sccquired so much strength. tia,
was euabled to use them mauy ours
of the Gay The result of nv studies nj
| this time. I was in the habit of piyinp in
tho form Of essays in the public journals
CHI, fy in the North American. from
which q number quite large enough have
been transferred 20 separate n volume Of
Miscellanies Having settled on sub
iect for q particular history. | lost no
lime in collecting She materials. for which
( mad pcculiar advantages. But ins, he
fore these materials arrived. nv eve had
ernerienced so severe a strain tba, an.
! loved no nse Of it again for reading for
several years. Il has indeed never since
fnlly recovered its stre,uptb. nor have
ever yentnred to usc il again nv candlo.
LIGHT we'll remember the bIank des.
mir which felt when INV litororv troas
nre arrived from Snain and saw the
mine Of W altb lrino around ma which !
was forbidden to expIore de,erminod
to see what could be done with the ewes
of another remembered that Jobo.
sou had said in refersnce n Milton tbot
the great roet had abandoned his nro
iected History of ENGLAND finding il
Scarcely nossiIlc for . man witbort evos
to nursue a historical work reouirino re
ferences to yarious authorities The ro
mark nioucd me 10 mako nm o,,emp,
81 obtained tho services ofa reader who
knew no language hut hisown. Itanoht