Evening journal., 1891-01-19

at GOttingen were Eichhorn and Blumen-
bach. and the venerable historian Heeron,
whose principal works he subsequently
translated. At Berlin he enjoyed the per
soHal acquaintance Of Schliermacber, vii
helm Won Humboldt, Savigny, Lappenberg
and other eminent scholars and statesmen.
At Jena he met Goethe. Later he went 20
Rome, where he became acquainted with
Byron. Returning TO the United States in
1879 he was for year Greek tutor in Har-
ward college. and published a thin volume
OF poems (ls93l which have long been out
OF print
Asan earnest that he had not quite ahan-
doned his early dedication % the pulpit he
obtained license to preach, and delivered
several sermons, which were highly com
mended; but his educational and historical
impulses proved the stronger, and he has
never since reminded the world that he
was once entitled 10 the prefix reverend. T"
In 1894 he published translation Of his
friend Heeren's Reflections on the Pol
itics Of Ancient Greece, and in the inter
walls OF leisure left him from his profes-
sional duties he found time TO translate
and publish two other OF Heeren's works
the History Of the States Of Antiquity
and the History Of the Political System
of Europe and Its Colonies"
His Great History.
This occupation was avowedly intended
as a preliminary exercise 70 the great
work OF his life-the writing Of a history
OF the Anglo American colonies, now the
United States Of America. For this work
he laid broad and deep foudAtion before
putting pen to paper. His 6rst political
appearance was as the town orator at
Northampton on the Fourth Of July, 1896.
the semi-centennial OF American lnde.
pendeuce, and, by a singular coincidence,
the day Of the death Of John Adams and
Thomas jefferson, OF whose great achieve
ments be was the destined historian. In
this Grafton Bancroft announced the polit-
ical principles Of which he has been an I'M
wavering adherent-namely, Democracy
in its widest sense, as based upon univer-
sal suffrage Mr. Bancroft thenceforth
became prominent in Massachusetts, as a
politician.
About 1890 he withdrew from the Round
Hill academy TO devote himself TO his pro.
jected history, the first volume OF which
was written at Northampton and was pub
lished in handsome octave form az Boston
in 1884. II met a long felt want and was
received with a nearly unanimous chorus
OF applause on both sides OF the ocean.
Edward Everett praised il in The North
American Review.
In Politics.
Mr. Bancroft was at once installed by
common consent in the post Of the recOg-
nized national historian, and his admitted
eminence in this vocation served for
nearly half a century to deter competitors
from undertaking the same task. Mr..
bancroft removed in 1885 TO Springfield
Mass, where he completed the second
volume OF his history QS3O. lie took a
prominent part ia the agitated state poll
tics Of those years. and was rewarded by
President Van Buren in January, 1888
with the important post Of collector of the
port of Boston.
Here he Was enabled 70 do good servic,
70 brother author and Democrat by ap-
pointing Nathaniel Hawthorne TO post
In the Boston custom house. The third
volume Of his work 90 l74Sl appeared in
1910, completing the period Of the COLOMBIA
tion OF the United States. It's publication
afforded occasion TO review the three vol
umes as a whole and the verdict was, in
general, favorable. Having now completed
distinct period Of his work, Mr. Ban