Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-02-25
MISCEIL ANY.
From the Boston Transcript
Mr.. Presc0tt's Method of Literary La
hnF

Everything that relates TO the historical
labors Of the late William II. Prescott is of
general interest. We have, therefore, pre-
pared a somewhat minute sketch or the
method ofpreparation and composition adopt
ed by the deceased, by which he was ena-
bled to overcome his impaired vision. and to
place his name among historians OF the very
first rank Mr.. Prescott, it is well known.
though not blind, was affected with diSor-
der of the nerve of the eye. so that he was
wholly incapacitated for reading and writing
in the ordinary ways. He was exceedingly
systematic in his mode of life, and devoted
five hours out of the twenty-four to his his
torical labors. After breakfast he listened
for an hour to some light reading, a novel,
poem, or other entertaining book. He then
walked for an hour. At half-past ten O'Clock
his secretary came to his study, and remain
ed till twelve o'clock. Another walk of an
hour was then taken, after which he went
to his study and remained another hour and
half with his secretary After dinner
light reading was again resorted to, and at
six o'clock the secretary returned and re-
manned until eight. This routine Of work
and leisure was very rigidly observed
throughout the season, during the years de-
voted to the preparation of his elaborate
volumes.
Mr.. Prescott's mode of writing history
was this: we will take, for example, his
last work, "Phihp the Second" He arrang-
ed in his study all the books and manuscripts
relating to that monarch, which he had been
years in collecting, at an expense of many
thousand dollars. They numbered three
or four hundred printed volumes OF all
sizes. There were also some twenty thick
folios of manuscripts, richly bound, which
probably cost more than all the rest of the
collection, though some of the printed works
are exceedingly rare and valuable-the Ii
brares and bookstores Of all Western Eu-
rope, from Cadiz to Amsterdam, having
been ransacked by agents in search of every
thing that could throw light on the history
of Philip the Second. Except dictionaries
and other works of reference, books not
specially relating to the subject in hand
were excluded from the study.
With his materials thus gathered about
him, the Historian commenced his work.
The secretary first read the only English
utStOlt vi ttlC mug MS ANOlts
and observations were dictated as they were
suggested by the book. Having freshened
his recollections by hearing this volume
read, Mr.. Prescott proceeded to examine
( the treasures he had collected. Each book
was taken from the shelf in turns by the
secretary, who read aloud its title, its table
of contents, and few pages by way of
specimen of its style and character. Notes
were taken while this examination was GO
ing on, which were preserved for future ref
erence. OF the three or four hundred vol
umes, great majority of course proved
worthless, being either merely repetitions,
or compilations or translations of preceding
authors. or else, if original, without author
/ ity. The number of books of real valne
would be reduced down perhaps to hun
dred.
The huge folios of MSS. were next at
tackled. These had been examined by a
competent person, who prepared careful
digest and table of contents. The secreia-
nv read this, and notes were dictated as he
proceeded. Having thus, as it were, taken
an account Of stock. and ascertained the
general character of his materials, they
were next inspected in detail in the follow.