The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-31

WILLIAM HICKLING PRESCOTT


WILLIAM HICKLyNG PRESCOTT
Us not often that We are called upon W record the
death VI man after whose there 10 necessity 10
append title word signify the specia services he
hss rendered TO art literature science The world or
~ least that portion 1t which s called Chrstendou'
knows Mr. Prescott rs American not as a Bos
toDian but the historian Of Ferdinand and Isabella So
hong AZ the English language spoken biz MANS will be
enriched With the laurels Of Clio.
The announcement that William HckliDg Prescott died
at bis residence Friday the 2Sth, after very brief ILL
nees, caused by attack Of apopexy will be received
with profound regret by the literary world la view of his
high position it seems eminently proper that should
devote some space 10 review Of bis life and services
Mr. Prescott was born in salem, Massachusetts, In May
1895 His grandfather was the Hon. William Prescott,
compatrot OF Warren, Adams and Hancock IN the carly
Revolutionary strueges. Washington called him "Pres
colt the brave" At the battle Of Bunkers Hill Colonel
Prescott In command Of the Continental forces when
Warren appeared In the trenches private soldier, al
though Congress had appointed him a Major General
Prescott offered tn resign the command, but Warren re-
fused TO supersede him At the time that the grand
father Of the historian commanded the hill, another
near relative the representative OF the English branch
the amiy, and bearing commission in the
royal navy, served on board zone Of the
British vessels Of which, from tho river, kept up
steady fire upon the patriot lines The study Of the his
toran was enriched with weapons by each of
these officers, which among his most valued posses
sions is indeed, singular coincidence that the hstO
rian Of the Discovery Of America should represent his
own person both parties engaged in the struggle for
premacy the country.
Thackeray opens his last work, the "virgnians," with
the following ausion to the above mentioned uophes-
On the library wall Of Of the writer's Of
the crest ar OF Independence. lbe
weapon honored republican soldier pos.
Ma bonod H. hs ancestors connirv sd hun h
genius such as Ills has always peaceful welcome.
The father Of Mr.. Prescott born at Pepperel in
1852, and married Catherine Hckng daughter of Thorn
Hokpg Of the Island Of Saint Mchaes, aud for many
years Consul Of the United States the The
torian the first issue of this marriage.
The second con, Ed ward eminent lawyer after.
wards entered the church, and died some fteen years
ago The elder Prescott for many years a leader Of
the Suffolk bar the family having removed to Boston in
1908. He member Of the State Senate, of the Gov
ernors Council. and Judge Of the Common Pleas lie
caused both of his to be educated for the bar WI
liam entered Harvard College in 1871 at the age OF az
teen, and graduated in 1914 While in college an ac
cdenta blow from comrade deprived him the use Of
eye and the constant literary application which he
always noted deprived him of the OF the other
He then obliged to orego the study the law and
One would see no slight difficulty in carrying out this
resolution the of poor scholar working for
his daily bread In Mr. Prescotts spur of neces
sty wanting. His fathers fortune was ample, and
he embraced letters from pure love ofthem After soourn
of several years in Europe where he consulted the
eminent occuss without receiving any material benefits,
he returned to the United States and proceeded resouey
10 work out the scheme Of his life. Firmness sereli
ance and perseverance were family characteristics of
which he possessed full share. He all dis
couraged by the difficulties which beset him. We cannot
better explain the nature Of those obstacles and the
in which they were overcome, than by quoting the
historians pleasant letter written to friend years
ago =
injury which deprived Of the of for reading
burden CT studies was Wholly
which entirely
d The s
%as 70 IL Te %s
my sight might enable me To accomplish
se Ses nS he @ Sopea 10 so%ena
a nh sd pss S I ss w ysnT sa i.
.ns S asys ten Of ny @ to n
sS MS 4
History isabella given public
RnT w pss%Hsr s sSss as ss e
essays public Journals chiefly in the North 4mrion from
peaaT But
these materials arrived my eye had 50
years indeed fully 4. strength
sana despair which @ when
ms fs The pPs Of
aed zee wha, could be done vi the eyes Of snotar
poet his projected history Of Eng
r eSs SsoSs
ties he ms me ba attempt no
but bis own taught him pronounce the castilian
imam 70 's s of suRss l'h and move we Sa
wesrisome Journey through Narianas noble history.
hours S
o
from which The light dimy struggling through
seven oaaros found could the
about two thirds ordinary English MY readers office
now felt that the great difficulty could be overcome; and
modern tongues supplied far could be sup
& nj Ra s
my % r. 90 @
sopious notes az went along and when had read
lepsh-ih mass 81 memoranda IL ny own Language;
easily ms ct one s.r 4ead
me; and while my recent studies were, fresh p my
Ssspsr mind Repeated at
dSzen 20 nat when finally put my pen 70 paper ran
creation This method had the advantage Of saving from
e.
my mind which usually made in the manuscript and
which with my mode of wring-as shall expain-would
have much embarrassed Yet must admit that this method
decomposition, when the chapter long, some
what heavy strain the memory to be altogether
mended.
wiring presented diaculty even greater reading
Thrry the famous blind historian Of the Norman Conquest
advised me TO cultivate dcaon but have usually preteret
substitute that found writing mAdo for the blind
which procured in London forty year. since Il. smpl.
whose vision imperfect consists Of frame of the
sheet Of paper, aversed by brass wires lne
paper such Is used for getting duplicates pasted
| the reverse side. With ivory agate stylus the
| writer traces his characters between the wires or
me caroonated sneeL makng indenne marks which ne
has its defects and have repeatedly supposed had
plshed good page, and proceeding In all the glow
composition to ahead when found had forgotten nser
sheet Of my writing paper beow that my labor had been al
Notwithstanding these ana other whimsical dsresses Of thu
with written Ali that