Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-02-10
Pre,oott,. rIe,hod 81 Llterary laber.

Few who have read the Histories of Ferdi-
nand and Isabella, the conquests of Mexico and
Peru, and the Reign of Philip the Second, are
aware ofthe patient toll, careful training, rare
scholarship, and heroic devotion of their author,
the late Mr.. Prescott Though not blind, Mr..
Prescott was affected with disorder of the
nerve of the eye, so that he was wholly incaps-
citated for reading and writing in the ordinary
ways And yet his name stands in the very first
rank of historians, the thirteen volumes COM
prising his works being noble monuments to
his life of labor and study.
The Boston Transcript has published an in
teresting and minute sketch of the method of
preparation and composition adopted by the de
ceased, by which he was enabled to overcome
his impaired vision, and when fully prepared to
write, to average daily about seven pages of his
printed volumes. He devoted five hours out of
the twenty-four to his historical labOrs with
great regularity. After breakfast he listenedf for
an hour to some light reading, novel, poem,
or other entertaining book. He then walked
for an hour. At half past ten his Secretary came
to his study and remained till twelve. Another
walk of an hour, after which an hour and half
was spent with his Secretary. After dinner
light reading was again resorted to, and at six
the secretary returned and remained until eight.
This routine of leisure and labor was rigidly
observed throughout the season, during the
years devoted to the preparation of his elaborate
volumes.
We add the transcripts account of Mr. Pres
colts mode of writing history, which is Hota-
BILE instance of what and how much can be ac-
compIished by well directed industry and per-
severance, under the most adverse circumstsn-
ces The Transcript takes for example his last
work, philip the Second" and says;
He arranged 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 libraries and bookstores of all
Western Europe, from Cadiz to Amsterdam,
having been ransacked by agents in search of
everything that could throw light on the history
of Philip the Second. Except dictionaries and
other works of reference, books not specially re-
lating to the subject in hand were excluded from
the study. sIi
With his materials thus gathered about him,
the Historian commenced his work. The Sec
retary first read the only English history of
the King and his Reign. Notes and observa-
tions were dictated as they were suggested by
the book Having freshened his recollections
by hearing this volume read, Mr.. Prescott pro-
ceeded to examine the treasures he had collect
ed Each book was taken from the shelf in
turn by the Secretary, who read aloud its title,
its table ofcontents, and few pages by way of
specimen of its style and character. Notes were
taken while this examination was going on,
which were preserved for future reference. OF
the three or four hundred volumes, a great ma
iority of course proved worthless, being either
merely repetitions, or compilations or transla-
tions of preceding authors, or else, if original,
without authority. The number of books of real
value would be thus reduced down perhaps to
hundred.
The huge folios of MSS. were next attacked.
These had been examined by competent per-
son, who prepared careful digest and table of
contents. The Secretary read this, and notes
were dictated as he proceeded. Having thus as
it were taken an account of stock, and ascertain
ed the general character of his materials, they
were next inspected in detail in the following
manner: The first chapter of Philip the Second
contains an account of the abdication and last
days of his father and predecessor, Charles the
Fifth. The Secretary gathered round him every
volume, printed or MSS, which contained any
thing about the last named monarch. The |
books are in the English, French, Spanish,
Italian and Latin languages. One by one they
were read aloud, and copious notes were dicta-
ted When everything that related to Charles
the Fifth had thus been perused and noted, the |
historian began to compose his work, or, more
speaking, to write it-for the process
of composition had ofcourse been going on in
his mind during these preparatory laboI.
The apparatus used by Mr.. Prescott consisted
of frame the size of a common sheet of letter
paper with brass wires inserted to correspond
with the number of lines marked. Thin carbon
ated paper was used, and instead of pen the
writer employed a stylus with an agate point
The great difficulty in the way of PERSONS
writing in the ordinary manner, whose vision is
impaired, arises from not knowing when the ink
is exhausted, and moreover the lines will be run
INTO one another. Both difficulties are obviated
1y the simple arrangement just described. The
pages thus written by Mr.. Prescott were copied
'y the Secretary, and read, that such interlinea-
ions, alterations and amendments might be
made, as were needed. The materials for the
second chapter, on the early life of Philip, were
lext taken up, and the same process repeated,
Until the volume is ready for the printer. About
Iix years were devoted to the first two volumes
If Philip the Second, including the preparatory
tudies. These volumes appeared in 1855, the
hird of the series was issued within few
weeks, and it is understood that the fourth is
considerably advanced.