New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE poNANZA HISTORY.


cisco: A. L. Bancroft q Co.
The typical Californian farmer measures nis
wheat field by the square mile, and prepares 'iie
soil by sending in thirty gang-plows 10 turn iul-
rovys a davis Journey long The typical Californian
historian works upon an equally granu so'lo' o
too appropriates a magnificent domain; he mar
..os his literary panc-plows and sets up ms nter-
orv tbreshinp machines. Mr. Bancroft sees no
reason why the alliance between capital ana oreah
,zad labor. which has fastened the development Oh
Pacific Coast farming by century or So sho'iu hoV
hiring about similarly rapid and prohtaole result
In the cultivation of letters, He tells MS that tie
task ne has undertaken If executed on the OLD piah
of historical composition followed by Glbbon, koo-
ertson Prescott Maeaulay, Grote and other mui-
yldual laborers would fill the time OF one man lor
two hundred years. He proposes to compete tne
whole lob oif-hand by employing corps OF assist
ants. making himself responsible for the drec'lou
of their researches and the marketing of their pro-
dnct Some discussion has been provoked OF late
NV charge that these unpretendng ladies ard gen.
tIenen are writing much more of the history IMAM
MIR. Bancroft is willing to admit. The matter does
not seem 10 require public attention. Ihat tue
work is produced by the aid of a considerable mum
her of literary employees has been acknowledged
and whether the credit openly given them ny INC
author shall be call him, or contractor lis Ample
enough is a question between them ana MI Dan
croft with which outsiders need not medde' bu'
with the theory of composition which underies MI
Baneroft's method the critic cannot help concerning
himself. Is 1t possible 10 culINa'e n'''' W
wheatY
Studlous Investigation is only the beginning OF
the historians task. He has TO ransack BOOKS anu
documents 10 hunt for testimony IN uheXpio1eu
places to confront contradictory witnesses 10 pa'-
ance probabilities to interpret obscure references
10 estimate authorities and it often happens ina.
the accumulation of fresh materials. lnstead Oh
facilitating his work, only increases the delhanu
upon his patience ingenuity and discernlnent.
When LIE has discovered the facts he has 10 rate
their relative importance, and to Judge of their
hearing upon his general theme. From the maze OF
details he must rise to the comprehension OF the
broad course of events: from the examination Oh
partlcular incidents he must draw those phloSo-
phical conclusions which distinguish the province
of the historian from that of the antlqnay Ana
finally his labor needs the vialzng tOnch OF Inter-
ary art that the vigorous and animated narrative
the vivid picture of distant tunes ana strange
scenes the lively protTature OF famous persons the
clear. Identified and comprehensive survey of a
great subject. may interest, convince, and instruct
To define the scope of true historical composition Is
to answer the question whether it is possible TO
compose a true history by collecting splendid
library and employing fifteen or twenty PERSONS
of differing capacities and dispositions o digest lis
contents INTO forty octave volumes Nh Bancroft,
1t is true revlses the manuscripts and rewIl'eS
whatever does not please him; but 10 care IN re-
vision can take the place of creative mind. phoso-
rhic outlook and unity of design. Even Ia the pre-
minary labor of investigation, II is not clear that
bismetbod will answer. For example, in the front
of the volume on our table he prints list OF
the "authorities quoted" mot merely consulted,
IN IN, t,a Sfar of
include the authorities already used in connection
with Central America, nor those to be used In the
volumes on Northern Mexico nor great mul tltude
of pamphlets and other minor sources of lnforma-
ton; yet 1t fills ninety pages of small PRINT EN-
braces about 800 titles, and ranges from Bernal
DiaZ to the Pictorial History of Remarkable
Events" from the letters of Cortes to the speeches
of S. S. Cox. Obviously it requires high order OF
esagacity to make proper of such vast and ncon
gruous heap to separate the treasure from the rub
blsh and to present passages which are decisive or
at least fairly illustrative of disputed points 1t ~
not every scholar who has mastered the art of cla
ton and there are striking instances IN contenpo-
rary literature of the facility with which qnota'lons
can be made to sustain any position the preludlced
historian pleases Mr.. Bancroft cannot verify all
the work of his assistants without dong IL over
after them. He must take most of 1t on trust. lie
expects rs TO take it on trust without know
fes him ought to satisfy all the world In the pres
emf volume ex extending from the first descent of the
Spanards upon the coast of Yucatan to the capture
of the City of Mexico by Cortes, Mr.. Bancroft re-
peats story made familiar to us by one OF the most
illusrious of modern historians; aud If he claims
any superiority Prescott it is i'll the use OF au-
thorities which were not at PrescOtts command, by
whose means he hopes to correct certain mistakes
of detail and to amplfy certain parts OF the nara
tive The volumnous foot notes are devoted
largely to these objects They traverse many OF
PIescott's statements minor points, and often
express different conclusion from his respecting
matters on which the authorities differ; but we do
not recall an instance in which Prescott is con-
yicted of what may Justly be termed a material
error-that is, an error affecting our Judgment OF
the conquest or of any notable Incident of it, or of
the character of any Of the actors IN it. If an eab-
crate examination of the lesser particulars is com
mendable it is only because 1t is worth while to lie
exact even in trhes. But before he sure
that the anonymous cOrrectOr is himself correct
we want some guarantee of his fitness for precise
and thorough examination of the great historical
stoIe-house which Mr.. Bancrofts enterprise has
created. And yet while we cannot but hesitate to
accept these pages as final authority until we
know more about their composition, we far
from DENYING their great value to the student.
They form an incompatible book of reference on
the subject of the conquest, and later volumes
which are to cover fields where no Prescott has
ever toiled. will have a still more signal import
ance. If Mr. Bancroft is not destined to renown as
great historian, he will at least be entitled TO last
ing remembrance and honor for his extraordinary
exartions collecting the materials for great his
tory, and spreading them before the world in con-
venient and Ineligible shape.
We have referred to Mr. Banerofts criticism Of
II 10 INN nssif ia IN qhuto IN
great blemish of the book. Even had the his
toIian discovered any serious mistake in the work
of his distinguished predecessor, propriety good
feeling and the spirit of literary amenlty might