New-York tribune., 1895-06-23
bioh we have to be very grateful to MI Leslie

which we have to be very grateful to Mr. Leslie
Stephen.
The other event Of which have spoken IS the
nublic appearance Of Lord Acton as Regius Pro-
fessor Of Modern History in the University oi
Cambridge Now Lord Acton IS not Cambridge
man nor indeed. is he a graduate OF any thenSh
University: he has written very little; ana ne - d
Roman Catholic; yet. strange 10 say W''''' '''
the death Of Sir John Seeley, Lord Roseper! ap
pointed him Regius Professor, not a voice was
raised in protest. nor was there any ie"nhS any
ubera except one Of satisfaction and Interested
cur,osty To the world at large Lord Acton
name has been chiefly known as that OF very
trusted friend Of Mr.. Gladstone. while those "ho
knew a little more have been aware OF MI" do
Of a mine OF historical learning. having as i''
leading lode profound acquaintance WIN ''e
history Of the Catholic Church. but branching out
,,,o aIl directions in veins Of knowledge as to the
history of the modern world at large Inc ~"
articles and essays which Lord Acton has con-
,rjbuted to THE English Historical Review. ana
notably his article on Or. D0llinger. gave the I'M
,ression os n mind almost too richly stored with
details. they seemed to show that there was no
hoo. mr. nannhlet that the author had not read.
and at tho same time that he had n very prpt!
mower Of beating down his knowledge into Keen
edged cDIgrama From time to time he has prom
,sed book. but 1t has never appeared; for he IL
ne fastidious as the late Mark Pattison ana mas
til now maintained the heretcal, put. as s"'"c
would think very tenabe OPINION 'ha' d man
rn.v road and think without beinG compelled TO
spoil paper and to add new books TO world 'ha'
IS alrendy too full OF them. At last, however al
over sixty wears of age the call has come to MIN
TO sit in the professors chair; and, since n'ouerh
professorships are by no means sinecures' 10 give
some four and twenty lectures year. ana III Sell
defence TO publish many of them. For MS iha"-
gural lecture delivered yesterday at Campruse
IN the presence Of very distinguished auu'e"'c,
ho tool, for his nominal subject THE Unity Of
History" first remarking with curious sa'S'
,o, that the university which nve-and-forty
vears ago had refused To admit him as an under
graduate-since in those days Catholic disabilities
s,iu eurviycd-nOw received him as the accredl'cn
instructor Of its youth 1t may be remarked by
mo vav that. though Lord Acton Is a Roman
Catholic and very religious man. ne Is not oi 'he
dorgerous or narrow type to which In these days
oeicia, Catholicism incnes. He IS far nearer II
Du,l,rpor than 10 Newman: and In point OF fac''
~. q curious Daradox, his lecture was panogyrl'
unon mental freedom and frank acknowieds-
ment Of the triumph in modern times oi 'hc f'o'
estant races Making little reference by name -
any modern historian. espcciaily To eminent '''N
Nshmen who have lately died, he yet c"h''N'u !"
mark sharply off his own differences from free-
man Sceley Froude. ana even our '"o hiS''''""-
Bshops. Stubbs and Creighton. He dif'red ir'f"
r-~eo,pan I'm giving modern history "A definite pc
Ginning IN those world movements which took
,,aoo ,our centuries ago-thc almost simultaneous
discoveries Of printing Of the American continent
and of the doctrines which the Italian ana Ter
man Uumanists found In the classical "ri'''S
and taught 70 a world that was SICK ol n'enia'N'"-
ism From Seeley he differed In regard 70 '"e
,ro,,ca, identity Of politics and history. pointing
out that politics and history are n'er"oVe'' p"'
oro M, commen.ura,c." From the historian who
glori,ied Henry VIII. and from him VINO ms
,udrcd 60 leniently the Popcs II the Renaissance
no showed his difference by some hnIfeSF'N'
words At the end Of the lecture, warming US
oco,ns, confusing critical Understanding of IN"
mast with moral tolerance for all that the past
,o,, bovc done As the lecture has Mt YET been
,,hlIshed ai length and as by the Kindness - the
au,hor I am in = secession II III" pi''lsh""'s'
cannot do better than ask You TO quote the loi-
lowing passage which seems to m" quite ah''r"-
h,e nc a collection Il maxms. ending WIN "a "a'"-
ing which may almost be called solemn against
a tendency visible in even the mos, ennsh'e"cu
OF modern historians:
shall never again enjoy the privilege 81 si'''N-
ing nv thoughts t. such an audience aS 'l'S,
an1 an ca valued an occasion a lecturer may wei
he ternpted t. beihink himself whether ne Kn1"s
~ any neglected truth. any cardinal pr'i"S''''i'
ma, might serve as his selected epigidph as "a
last signal perhaps even as target. am nov
thinking Of those shining pr"ceits Whlch arr 'n'
registered property # every school; thht ~ -
say-learn as much by writing as by reauins' w
moi he content with the best book seek slne"sh'3
from the others: have no faVnrit"s keep mon ar.
things apart: beware Of the pTestig" q! s,'n'
Names: trust only authorities you nave t's'en.
nn moro severe TO ideas than To- actions; 90 ho'
overlook the strength Of the bad cause OF w
weakness If the good: never be surprsea ny '!'e
crunhling Of an idol or the disclosure 81 sh'Io-
ron. Judge talent by hish-water marx ana cndI
acter bv low: expect Generalization more ii"4
nowcr Than from cupdfv: problems are "i.e"
moro instructive than periods; for instance "'r
derivation of Luther. the scientific inhurh1e 90
Dacon the predecessors Of Adam smith. 'ne con
eiStencv Of burke the first Whig. the meh'aeNhI
masters Of Rousseau Most Of ms snppvS' -
undisputed But the weight ~ authority u aeH''Irt
mo when imilOre YOU never 10 u"pdse the '"' -
currency or lower the standard or recutua,, l"
eucfcr no man ana no Gauge u escape the u'iu!,ns
nemaltv which history has the nssiOh IT, '%hIl!c' INIT
on wrong. but 10 try others Oy me mn, M J, ''
that governs our lives. NJ MIIlI'' '''-