The Indianapolis journal., 1886-01-05
Ridpath,s History of the World.

Ridpath's History of the World.
The January number of the Methodist Review,
edited by Rev. Daniel Curry, has the following
highly complimentary notice of the last work of
one of Indianas authors:
Professor Ridpath had abundantly justified
his claim to be regarded a master in writing his
tory, before he issued these superbfvolumes, by
his History of the United States, which has be-
come a household companion in many tens of
thousands of American homes. The expeeta-
tions that are warranted by the character of the
earlier work:in respect to this later and greater
one will be more than sustained by the work
itself, wherever it shall be allowed to plead it's
own cause through an examination of it's merits.
The literary qualities, by virsue of which the
earlier and smaller work has achieved such re-
markable success, are found without any dimi-
mutton of excellence in this Not only is the Ian
guage pure idiomatic English, and the style at
once strong and sprightly. there is also the
dramatic grouping that gives vivacity to the
narrative, while the arrangement of the matter
indicates large constructive abilities; and, most
difficult of ALL the selection of matter to be used
is eminentlv judicions.
'"To arrange into a composite unity the vast
amount Of matter with which the writer had to
deal was work not only of very large proper
tions, but such as required no small share of
constructive and organizing genius. A plan and
method had to be adopted extending over the
whole subject, and within this the multiplied
details were to be disposed, and to each its proper
place and proportionate space assigned. The
first volume embraces the whole of what is
usually termed ancient history, coming down
with the Eastern Empire to the fall of Constan-
tinople, devoting book each to Egypt Chaldea,
Assyria, Media, Babylonia, Persia, Greece,
Macedonia, Rome. The second volume begins
with the incursiont of the northern barbarians
into southern Europe, overrunning the Western
Empire. followed by the rise of Mohammedan-
ism and the Empire of the Caliphs After this
comes the age of challenging then in success
sion, the age of Feudalism, the Crusades, and the
period of free cities. and after these the begin
nings of modern history, with the discovery of
America, the invention of printing, and the
Reformation. After these come the abundant
matters of modern history.
''In the authors conception, history is much
more than register of political affairs, of wars
aud revolutions, and of kings and dynasties
Norris it confined to what is sometimes called the
philosophy of history of which governmental
affairs, civil and military, are the sole basis
Among the most, valuable, and also the most in
teresting, chapters in these volumes are those
devoted to the social life of their peoples; their
manner of living, the nature of their civiliza-
ton. their industries, learning and arts, and,
indeed, all that enters into the lifeof the tribe
nation. The attention devoted to these, things
forms marked excellence of the work
"The value of such work does not depend at
all upon original research, the bringing out Of
matter not before understood, but in the orderly
and felicitous presentation of what was already
well known. Accordingly, the writer appears
not to have forgotten at any time that his Office
was that OF an instructor, the wel-instr1cted
scribe. bringing forth things new and old in ap-
propriate order. And his work, as here pre-
sented, speaks well of his skill in the accomplish
ment of his great undertaking He has accord
lingly given us a. complete 'cyclop9dia of his
tory at once full and. concise-a work that
cannot fail to prove most valuable educating
agency, especially adapted to- family use and
private reading