The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-04-23

In the two compact volumes which DR.. Pafrey
now puts forth rs "llistory Of New England from
the Discovery by Europeans to the Revolution Of
the Seventeenth Century" he has treated his for.
mer large work somewhat as in that he treated the
mass Of published and unpublished materials for
the history. He was the first to produce a schol.
arly and comprehensive work, which should exam
ine critically all the sources Of New England life
and present clear, full statement Of results, cert.
fed to by abundant notes and original documents
Such q work was essential to the small class of
students Of history. He has now, however, had
the courage and the generosity to take his own
work, which he had labored over with afeotionAte
care, and revising It sentence by sentence, to make
II popular narrative Of the same events addressed
to the very large audience Of intelligent readers
While the larger treatise must remain as the
scholars edition this fairly claims to DO the peo-
pies edition. The larger work has become an e5.
tablished authority, tho smaller will excite wider
interest. There several points in which this
new edition has m advantage over the former.
MI. There Ia greater economy in the volumes.
The multitudinous references to authorities are
omitted unessential to ordinary readers. So
also there Is LETT out the critical comparison Of diff
ferent statements in relation to some point, a com.
parson which the student would properly call for,
while the result reached by the author remains in
corporated in the tOxt Those portions too, Of the
larger history which reoted contemporaneous
events in England are wisely omitted or largely
condensed. They were valuable as giving com.
pleteness to treatise on New England history, but
are cumbersome in a narrative Of the same history.
The text also is abbreviated frequently upon the
same principle. By these means, instead Of three
heavy octayOs, warning off timid readers, we have
two compact and easily managed duodecimos.
2. There is a gain In further accuracy. The
previous work has now been long enough before
students and before the author himself in its com.
potod FORM to test the correctness both Of isolated
facts and dates and Of general views and estimates
to bring to light further authorities, and to permit
| a judgment upon the history as a whole. OF all
this the author has awaited himself and the result
Is a revision well an Rbridgment, although tho
| points corrected Of minor Significance, since
the larger work had already received the author s
severe scrutny and the aid Of learned friends be-
fore its publication.
g. The manner and style Of the narrative are i'm.
proved in 4 very marked dogroc. 1t was natural
that In tho former case the author should be more
DESTROYS of being full and accurate, than particu.
larly readablei here, however, the tLoroughness
remains, and there Is added q quick and lively man
ner Of presenting the subject. DR.. Palrey, by his
constant manipulation Of. his material, has 1t now
so completely under his control that he has been
able to 1t in this latest form with great freedom
and yigor. The result is a style forcible and pos.
sessod Of animation. Tho history gains greatly in
| readableness and the public have now an account
of the beginning Of New England life in the form Of
a hrstclass history, reliable and entertaining.
1t is unnecessary to dwell on the value Of DR..
Palfroys work. II has been tried and proved worthy,
nor is there any thoughtful reader who needs
to be told that the subject Is worthy Of the best
| treatment. These volumes, should form part of
every general and educational library they are
especially adapted to the libraries of schools and
they will prove Of permanent interest to every
who makes himself their owner.