The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-07-11
Death of George CrOte.

occurred June Goth is felt as loss not
only through his own country, England,
but wherever his histories have been pub.
Ished all over the world He was lit
erary man, an indefatigble worker,
business man, engaged in politics and had
something to do with all the grander en-
terprises Of his time. But since 1912 he
devoted himself so exclusively to litera.
ture that his powers in action were little
known to younger men. Only a few now
remember what he was as a banker and
what he was as politician. But for
many years he has been Vice.C Chancellor
Of the University of London aud Vice
President and President of University
College, and those who have seen him in
those capacities well know that he had all
the faculties of great administrator and
many of the faculties Of great ruler.
Almost all the important measures Of
these bodies wear the almost personal
mark Of his wide knowledge and strenu.
Gus decision, and it was difficult in both
to carry much in opposition to them.
The Spectator Of June oath speaks of
his histories as lOllOWS:
The style of the History Of Greece
shows the practical taste of its author in
its most marked quality-its reality. As
it is twelve thick volumes long it cannot
be called q short book, but there is not a
word added for the sake Of effect. Every
word was written because it was wanted
to express the full meaning Of the writer,
and because the writer would be content
with nothing less than his full meaning.
Most writer's on ancient subjects leave
their readers to suppose something--re-
quire of them to fill in some links in the
chain of reasoning. But Mr.. Grote ar.
CUES everything out He tries historical
questions as if he were judge expound-
ing them to jury. Ho states every
probability, weighs each witness; discusses
every reason. 1t never strikes him that
his readers may not wish to 60 through
these processes, that they may not have
as much interest in the subject as he has
himself. He evidently thinks they ought
TO wish to know it all, even if they dc
not. They are impaneled to try the is
sue, and they are bound in conscience moi
to relax their attention till they have
heard all which can be said about it
The conscientious historian will not lei
them of single reason or permit then
to omit the minutest authority. The
whole style says, from the author to the
reader, "Now | want to explain this te
you, and | know you want to have it ex
planned TO you, therefore let us all g
through it." How different this is from
most historians we all know. Most o
them never give their readers credit for
sustained interest in the matter in hand
they think that their style must be orna
mental or no one will read them; tina
they must hurry on quick or no one will
have patience with them, Probably a
times Mr.. Grote is needlessly full, AM
certainly on many occasions he argue
the same point too often; the case Of tn
"Sophists' is argued in his "Plato" q
least hundred times still. on the whole
reader wanting to understand Gree
history will be refreshed by writer "wh
has no STYLE" who at least does not thin
Of his style, who pours all his ideas plain
~ forth, who assumes his readers to b
30 really Interested in the events as
they were his own money matters.
That the political part Of Grote's his
tory is much better than most of the 9th
er parts every one will admit. Scarcel
any one will now think the treatment c
the mythology sufficient. prehistoric
speculation. as we now call it, might b
made to elucidate the opening part {
Greek history. But comparative myth
ology and prehistoric speculation are sui
jects which have been quite elaborate
afresh since Mr.. Grote dealt with tn
earliest Greece. Ifthey had been know
IN 1864, we should have had an amp
dissertation on them probably man
dissertations. There are defects of omi
sion and there are other las most poop
will think defects Of commission. I
estimate Grote's great work, the create
philosophical problems and the deepel
religious questions must be discussed
on almost every one Of them he has e,
pressly given his opinion, or not obscur,
~ limited it.