The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-02-15


He has the Coast Pilot and SO on by heart,
Yet he spends his whole life, like the 1naa in the
In learning to swim on his library table,
Reading History.
One of our teachers in hist Dry submits the
following excellent rules as a guide to readers
OF history By following these rules great ad-
vantages are gained, as more thorough
knowledge of the different historical periods is
attained:
COURSE OF HISTORICAL READING.
As basis for the course take any of the fol-
lowing histories:-1. Charles Dickens's ''Child's
History of England" 2. DR.. Charles knight 8
"Hstory of England" in several volumes:
Hume's History of England from time OF
Julius Caesar to James III. after Hume's death
the history as taken up by Macaulay. 4,
Eroude,s History. Commencing with any of
L. Through the time of King John. Then
read in connection:
/. Ivanhoe (Scott) 2 The Talismau. (scott :,
8. King John (Shakespeare.) Wow"
H. Rssuming history read through Edward
III. In connection.
Il, In Scots .Tales Of Grandfather read as
nockburn; 2. Lord of the Isles, (Scott.)
III. Through time Of Richard II. Then
read:
1. Sbakespeare's King Richard II.
~. Through time of Henry V. Then
read:
1. Shakespeare's Henry V.
V. Through time of Henry W. The read:
l. Anne Of Geierstein. !scott,; q Life of Margare,
Of Anjou, in Strickland's English Queens; s, DE
Quincey's essay on Joan dare.
vi. Through Richard III. Then read:
/. Richard III, (Shakespeere): 2, Stricklapd's
Life Of Elizabeth OF WoodviDe.
VII Read through Henry VII. Then read
!; Tales OF Grand father, read the part relating
VIII. Read Henry VIII. Then read:
i. Henry VIII, (Shakespeare); 2. Lady of The
Lake. twiIL notes3 3. Strickland's life of Henryl
Tx. Through the time Of Elizabeth. Then
i. Read Froude's History of time Of Elizabeth; Q
In Tales of Grandfather read the part relating tx
Mary, Queen Of SCOTS; 8. Kenilworth (Scott; 4
Ihe abbot; 5. The Monastery; 6. Westward 10
(Charies Kingsley
K. Through the reign of James I. Then
read:
1. In Tales Of Grandfather the part relating tc
James l.; 2. Fortunes Of Nigel, (ScoJt)
XII. Through Cromwell. Then read:
1. Woodstock, Gcott)
XII. Through time of Charles IL. Then
read:
/. Peveril Of the Peak, scott)
XIII. Through William and Mary. Then
read:
!. Siege ofDery, Charlotte Eizabeth.)
XIV. Through George T. and II. Then
read:
i. Rob Roy, lscottD 2. waverly, do; 8. Red
torical Sketches of Reign of George H., (Mrs OH
phant0 Essay on Madame D. Arbay, (Macaulay !;
Z. Essay on Warren Hastings, (Macaulay)
XIV. Through George iii. and ". Then
read:
l. Book on the Four Georges, (Thackeray;) 2. ftal-
ian History and Life; 8. Ranke's History OF the
hnes; 4. Milmans Latin Christianity, vol. VI.
in-is good in many respects. But would it
nos % mo. 70 substitute for the voluminous
nume ana Aa1ht, the excellent Short Histo-
~ OF the English oAople by Green?-a work
incomparabiy more ente-.aining, quite as &C.
curate, and sufficiently fts, for anv stnsent
who does not intend to make che studv Of
English: history a speciality. If the .tndent
has that intention, Green longer history will
-. -,S wants Wep,a :,
NOT Dc well to dispense with Froude until -, ~
questions OF veracity between him and F,eoro :
are settled? One wonders too, why a oourso of
onaucer is not recommended Wbv not too
az an earlier stage read Tennyssn,s Sow
drama and Bulwer's Saxon novel. From ~
novel, certainly, we get more vivid ideas q, ,ho
time than from any history.
In the Tudor time Tennyson NAV Ia .n,;n
consulted, and Charles Kingsley's es,,vs o,o
most entertaining as we'll as ipst,oc.;r. H..
reading. Macaulay's essay on Bacon and .ss
new learning should also be oonsnItod w.
when we get down to Queen Anns and ,hs
House OF Brunswick, surely Henry Esmona
sno Inc Vifginians should not be missed n
may Do objected that the course will be ton sonv
But the substitution of Green for The
longer histories will do away with ,ba,
objection. One would like to see tbs
poets more frequent. consulted. W. ~.
learn in many ways moi, from the ,os,s a~s
the novelists and the essayhts sbont En~,s aus
than we can from the hisorians. Wha.
Hood Of light Carlyle poRrs upo, the cb.ra..o.
OF Cromwell! How real ShaftesDrv :. 80.
to us by the genius of Dryden! Th.1;st nins.
% indefinitely extended. 1t would NJ. -
quite the thing to recommend Tom JONI h.
many other books, bearing on English life,n
manners can be read with positive benefit -
one. soou