Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-01-31
DEATH OF WILLIAM H. PRESCOTT.

Another OF our most distinguished men mas
been suddenly taken away. William Hick-
ling Prescott, the great historian, died sudden
ly Of apoplexy, at his residence, in Boston, on
Friday last He arose in the morning appar-
emily in his usual health and spirits, and so con-
| tinued till between twelve and one O'Clock,
when, with hardly moments warning, he was
struck with apoplexy, and so remained, entire
y unconscious, till death took place. in less than
two hours after the attack. Thus suddenly
has posed away one of the celebrities, not
of this country only, but of the age;
man whose name is stamped indeliby on
English literature, there to remain so long
as the master spirits that have enriched it by
their contributions are held III remembrance.
His works possess charm that belongs to but
few historical works that ever were written
the charm that is given by genius, and that
high genius, alone, can give. Of his death,
the Boston Post says:
"The grief which this melancholy event
will inspire, it does not become us to dwell
upon. His works have gained him large
class of admirers, here and in Europe; but
those who were permitted the favor of his in
remembrance of his easy, polished kindly de-
meanor, the grace of his conversation, and the
courtly tone which invariably characterized his
| bearing, in connection with other more famil-
| lar gifts His fame as historian was in its
zenith. Throughout the country he will be
mourned-nowhere so deeply as in his own
city, where we are sure he ranked an entire
community as his friends for admirers he has
| nation.
Up to the last day of his life, Mr. Prescott
was engaged upon, perhaps, his finest work
the History of Philip H., portions of which
have been published. The glowing pages, al
ready written, will nowSbe invested with pc
culiar interest, as the last efforts of pure and
noble spirit
Mr.. Prescott was born in Salem, in the year
1896, and was, consequently, sixty three years
of age at the time of his death. He entered
Harvard College in 1871 and graduated with
high honors in 1914. His father, William
Prescott, was the gallant revolutionary officer
who took such prominent post in maintain
ing the position of Breeds Hill against the at
tack of the British troops, one Of the most spir-
tied contests on record"
The Boston journal says: He had intended
to enter the profession of the law but Sc
rious accident destroyed for a time all his am
bilious hopes. Previous to leaving College he
had lost the sight of one eye from an acciden-
tai blow and the other weakened by over-ex-
ertion, began to fail him, so that when he re-
covered from a severe illness into which his
situation had. thrown him, he found himself
nearly blind.
His. father desparing of seeing him cured by
our physicians, sent him to Europe. During
his two years residence abroad he visited
England, France and Italy, and consulted the
most eminent occulists in London and Paris,
but was obliged to return home without obtain
ing relief His European tour was so far ben
efcal to him, that it entirely restored his shat
tered physical health and, by freeing him
from bodily pains, enabled him to turn his at
tention to that quiet but engrossing depart
ment of knowledge which had so early attract
ed his mind Singular to say, if we look at
his bodily infirmites alone, he determined to
be historian. He knew, too, what that title
meant, and with proud consciousness of his
powers as well as just appreciation of the aim
he had set before him, he gave himself up to
ten years preparatory course of reading.
Then, selecting his subject he worked upon it
another ten years, and is 1888, at the age of
forty-two he gave to the world his 'History of
Ferdinand and Isabella" publishing it stimuli
taneously in London and Boston.
If the fruit was long ripening, it was perfect
when it fell. The history was received on
both sides of the Atlantic, with unhesitating
applause, and took its permanent place among
the classics of our tongue. 1t has since run
through many edition, and has been translated
into German, Italian, French and Spanish.
In 1913, appeared his second work, "The
Conquest of Mexico" While this was receiv-
ed with increased honor in Europe-causing
its author to be chosen a member of the French
Academy of Sciences, and procuring him
many similar honors-its reception at home
was still more gratifying; and it probably re-
mains to the present time, the favorite of all
Mr.. Prescott's works, with American readers
In 1047 appeared the Conquest of Peru"
marked throughout by the same high qualities
which distinguished its predecessors. A vol.
ume Of miscellanies followed, containing many
papers of great interest. He also supplied
new edition of Robertson's Charles V. with
an interesting appendix, compiled from lately
discovered materials, relating to the cloister
life of the Emperor In 1850 Mr.. Prescott
visited England a second time, where he was
received in very fatIering manner, the Uni
versity Of Oxford comforting upon him the
degree Of LII. d. Since then he has been at
work upon "History of Philip IL, of which
the first three volumes have been published.
His fame has gone out to the ends of the
earth. 1t has been won by no artifce, and is,
therefore, capable of no reversal. His death is
a national loss, for he was one of the few, the
very few, who have put our claims to nation
al literature incontestably before the civilized
world But he set most precious example,
while achieving great work, and both now
remain to us. Both, we trust, will live in Amer
lean recollection, and prove lasting fund of
good to the American people,"