New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-09-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
RANKE's UNIVERSAL HISTORY.

of Mr. Prothero aud the rest undcr his supervision
bas bcen cnrr;cl IN the original as far Che end of
the skin century OF our era. The present volume
extends onlc 70 the third century H. c.. comprising
not moro than quarter of the portion already pun
lshed In German aud we are informed that IL
must dcpC on the reception OF this ns'almeht IVY
Tho public whether the translation viii he con
tinucd" THAT point, we presume viii not long DO
le(t in doubt The work itself is 50 important and
The translation is 5, gooi that English ANA AGei
can readers will not rest satisfied with an cNpcu
mental fragment Herr Won Raukc's principle OF
composition is we'll set forth in short preface lie
does not treat universal history as a collection OF IN
dopendent records of different empires, but as a
connected story Of the general progress OF the
human race IL is only upon this broad philoSo-
phioa plan that great history would he attempted
i'm our day and il is only in day thatts achieve
ment so far as ancient history is concerned mas
bcen made possible The discovery OF buried cities
and their monuments, the progress OF Archaeological
intel pretaton and the scientific study OF phologS
have thrown flood of light upon the remote past
carried back the era at which genuine history can
De said to begn illustrated the significance o. many
celebrated events, and obliged US to revise many
time.honorcd opinions Herr Won Ranke. making
thorough use of all the results of modern nvestiea
tiop aims to show the rise and development OF great
nations the political contests which have affected
their career their material and social advances the
growth and influence especially Of their religious
ideas ana their action and reaction upon one an
other in the history of humanity at large Ills
scheme embraces, therefore. n difficult combination
of the particular and the general and the most re-
markable characteristic Of his work is the success
with which this has been accomplished. In ex-
planning why he has undertaken Il history on such
large and exacting plan. he says: My point OF
view throughout has been the following IN the
course of ages tine human race has won for itself a
sort of heirloom in the material and social advance
which il has made but still more in Its religions de
velopment One portion ofsthis heritage, the most
precious jewel lthe whole. consists Of those i'm
mortal works of genius in poetry and literature, IN
science and art which while modified by the local
conditions under which they were produced vet
represent what is common to all lhanknd. Nlth
this possession are inseparably combined tle
memories of events, of ancient institutions ana OF
great men who have passed away one generation
hands on this tradition to another and II may ilom
time 10 time he revived and recalled 20 the minds OF
men. This is the thought which gives lne courage
and confidence tO undertake the task la these
sentences we have not only m expression OF the in
spration of his work but an indication Of some of
its most striking features.
Leaving the question of the origin of society and
culture ~ ono with which it is not the function of
history 10 deal he begins with the first country of
which we have any documentary rccOtd-nainclv
'Tptpt-and presents an admirable survey of Che IN
ltiinata connection hotween tho Egyptian religion
aud the Egyptian staip. Tho Worship oi ANON and
ehe Other di,inilos of tho Nile was carly n conflict
with the Eaal worship which had spread westward
ffunl tho valley of thn lurhtntrsl mad ilr rimi.
Awe record oi tho Woishir OF Jehovah the cos
inngdhy ut Unuosia nn .oNpos1 couniri--i1ie
inent opposed 60 tho conceptions of lsirt hud "i
1ahVi0n. Almost at Tho dawn oi history No thus
laye three great forms OF Religions worship appear
ana side by side-the local loiiuon OF the L4yp-
tians, practically a british idot,try but covering
nnder the alteration Of animals a pantheisIio con-
,eption; the uniN orsal natureWorship of Haai and
The intellectual godheld ot jehovah Herr Won
Ranke makes an impressive statement Of the radical
and enormous contrast between the religion Dl the
Hebrews, as it appeared thus complete, consistent
and aggressive and the idolarIcs with which IT was
Immediately in conflict; and without directly
arguing for divine revelation lie leaves no doubt OF
his profound conviction that the absolute lGea O.!
the pure godhead expressed on Sinai could not have
been evolved from any religious conceptions then
existing:
With the Egyptians and Babyioni3ns everything
is developed from the innate powers Of the sun the
stars and the earth itself. Jehovah, the other
hand appears as the Creator OF heaven ana caljl
rs both tie originator ana the ortcltI Oh inc NollN
j wOuid almost seem rs II the assumption OF
chaos. or, as il is given III mOIe modern version
primeval flood, was not completely excluded; but
this conception itself rested on the ldca OF PREV
Gus creation. The creation of man IS the point IN
(which all centres With the Egyptians man Is not
distinguished in kind from the sun from which he
ISSUES rather as product than as d creature, and
rthe same is true of the BabylOnian cOsmogony.
'wheTe the divine element IN man IS only revealed
Through the blood of q God CHANGING 10 fall down
10 earth All creatures are sehcIlcdly the eaiio
with man. In the Mosaic cOsmOgOny, on the other
1and the elements, plants and animals are called
into beng by u supreme lnjeIligenG VIII, when
creates IN the last place man alter ms own image
The divergence is ImmeaSurable God appears
prominently as a Being independent of the created
world He appears tothe prophet in theltTe but yet
is not the fire; He in the Word which is heard out
of the fire. Speech is bestowed upon man, who gives
each created thing its name. In this his pre-
'ominence consists for he alone, as Locke has rc
dnarked, possesses an innate faculty of framing an
abstract idea of species, whereas other creatures
can grasp nothing beyond the Individual. Whlle
the descent of some from the sun and others from
The stars establishes difference between man and
man. creation 10y the breath of God makes all men
equal Under the GOdhcad as independent of tho
created world the dignity thus implanted III men
appears, 1t might almost be said, as principle OF
equality.
In a passage which criticism asserts 20 belong TO
the oldest form of the original account to man is
assigned l0rdshp over the fishes OF tho sea, the
fowls of the air and all beasts which move upon the
earth. This is conception distinct from that prey
0lsnt i'm Egypt, where the bull is wOrshpped with |
divine honors as symbolHing the creative power Of
nature. The idea of Jehovah. far from having |
arisen from nature worship, is set up in opposition
O. It. The Mosaic history of the creation is a mani
festo against the idoatTy which predominant in |
the world II is this opposition which gives 10 the |
national tradition of the Hebrews. beyond doubt an
Inestimable relic from times of remOCst antiquity,
liz principal value.
Hebrew history IL the narrative of the formation
Of people under the dominance of religions idea,
which IN turn found in them what humanity speak
Ing IL seemed in that stage Of the world 20 require.
4 ma fafin huuf L. 1ot 10 a
The twelve tribes Herr Won Ranke compares the
Biblical narrative with recently discovered inscrip
Hons and discusses the Scrlpturol text with great
respect for ats historical value. although he "a I'M
willing 10 admit Che miraculous element and freely
adopts tho leaendnrY thoorY In tho ntnrnreiatlnn Of