The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-11
THE LATE DR.. PARKMAN.

Forty years ago three Americans won
the highest rank as historians, and proved
that in that branch of letters this country
could hold its own with foreign nations.
or these the eldest was William Hickling
Prescott. who was born in 1896 and pub
lished his Ferdinand and Isabella :"
in 1888 and his Conquest of Peru"
ten years later; the second was John
Lothrop Motley, born in 1914, who pub
lished his history of the Netherlands in
1860; and the third was Francis Parkman,
who was born in 1923 and issued his his
tories of the French in North America
between 1866 and 1877. All these wrote
for posterity as we'll as for their own
times. Doubts have been raised touching
the accuracy of Prescott's descriptions of
the AZtecs and the ancient Peruvians. 1t
seems that IN some matters he allowed
himself to be imposed upon, but il is un-
likely that the story of Ferdinand and
Isabella will ever become obsolete. or that
any new historian will fifty complete the
picture of Philip the Second which
the author unhappily did not live to finish.
MI. Motley also established monopoly of
his period. No one can ever hope to tell
and the trampled Netherlands more WV
idly or more truthfully than he has told it
What these great men did for periods
which were in themselves dramatic Park
man performed for chapter of American
history which was intrinsicaly dull, but
he clothed it with such color and painted
it with such picturesque viyacity that he
made his tale one of the most interesting
historical works in the language. He mar
rates the story of the French from the
landing of Champlain to the English con-
quest of Canada. The story was not
dramatic. 1t contained few exciting cpl
sodes. The habitants were humdrnm and
commonplace The priests were mostly
men OF small caliber. The civil admins
traitors we're stupid and often crapulous.
But Parkman grouped them in such glow
ing lights that every page Of their history
reads like a novel. He depicts La Sale
and Alloney. Jacques and Marquette. From
tenac and Pontiac in such bold outlines
that they stand out from the page and
command our admiration. in spite of the
gray dullness of background on which they
rest. He possessed the rare gift OF select
Jag out of his material that which WAS
tie reader, and of using il to the exclusion
OF the matter which made no appeal TO
artistic perceptions. TIE history of Can
ada is normally unattractive. 1t has been
written by many and read by few. Park
man alone knew how to dress ii in garb
which was fascinating.
He who reads his series of volumes. and
having set them down with sigh OF re-
gIet that SO pleasant a task has come to
an end, may appreciate his Indebtedness
to the gifted author If he contrasts them
with another series Of historical narratives
which have had some vogue. but which
make 10 appeal TO the fancy, and ignore
the charm of pathos and allnrement of the
picturesque. The author of these took
great pains with his work. He was an in
defatigable compiler. He exhausted the
materials which he could reach. His
statements of fact are generally TO be re-
lied on. But he was not gifted with the
capac ity TO put life into his narrative; he
has given US the dry bones OF history, de-
nuded of sinew and flesh. and with moth
ing that palpitates under the eye. He has
rendered useful service in collecting ma
teral for the future historian. but he can
uul llho L W VIC du uiolOIldu
himself. And he is one of many. In the
circulating libraries Of the day many
shelves groan under collections Of histo-
ries. But how few volumes invite sec
ond perusal? We read them as duty,
which is often irksome; and having
reached the last page. we lay them down
with sense of relief, and proceed to for
get all that they contain.