The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-03
JOHN S, HITTELL'S BOOK
"The Mental Growth of Man.
kind" Disturbs a New
York Critic.
JUST A QUESTION OF WISDOM
The Gothamlte Suggests That the
q. Californian Had Better En-
tighten Himself.

Some very severe things concerning John
IS. Hittelrs ability as historian and critic
are said by a recent reviewer in the Critic,
New York's literary journal. Mr.. Hittell
is well and favorably known in San Fran
cisco, but apparently his friends must go
from home TO learn all the news. In the
issue of September II the reviewer indi-
tates that he has learned of the publica-
ton two years ago of Mr.. HittelPs four
volumes on THE Mental Growth of Man
kind" and he proceeds to tell about these
books from his point of judgment. The
summary of his conclusions is that the au-
thor knew not that of which he wrote, but
the critic gives his opinion in language
much more vigorous than that. While the
mental growth of mankind is something
that the average citizen prefers to let some
one like Josiah Royce or DR.. lie Conte talk
about yet the prominence given by the
Critic to this grilling of Californian old
in letters as we'll as years is such that it is
made matter OF public concern. This
New Y ork young person not only says that
Mr.. Hittell does not know an umlaut when
he sees one, but he suggests that our au-
thor ought to get down to studying French
grammars and to rehearsing his hic, h9c,
hoe.
When his attention was called during
the past week to this Christening Mr.. Hit
tell was disposed to meet the charges with
unruffied dignity. 81 don't know the
Critic" said he with smile of genial
Indifference that would have made Miss
Glider weep, land feel that its criticisms
are scarcely worth answering. If its other
work is on par with this about my book
l have very poor opinion of the journal.
1t looks to me as though some preiudiced
person had given my work a superficial
glance, and certainly not a fair judgment.
When 1 write l say something; am
aggressive, and this aggressiveness is apt
10 hurt some ones feelings. l said some
thing in my Mental Growth of Mankind
and l said enough in my last book, The
Spirit of Papacy,' to induce the Catholic
Monitor to devote six columns TO replying
TO my first chapter"
The Critic man starts out thus:
In undertaking to prepare history of the
mental development of the human race down
10 the medieval period, Mr. Hittell set before
himself a large but worthy task, which might
well engage The attention OF trained and
competent scholar. There are good histories
of the ancient nations, there are also treaties
on those branches of Rnthropology which make
the study OF physical man in q physical en-
vironment Introductory to the presentation of
the higher phenomena of social ORGANIZATION
and Development; but thus far no one work
has attempted to set forth in single narrative
the IHISG Ol lACLS anu conclusions covered by
the plan here adopted The author well says,
in the preface: F." good record of the mental
growth OF mankind would comprehend all the
highly important lessons of human expert
enee, and would be the most valuable of his
tories"
Here Mr.. Hittell meets the reviewer
half way and admits that the book covers
a field entirely untraversed before. Amos
Deans History of Civilization" work
almost obsolete, is the only English book
that makes any sort of pretense. Buckle
began in this line, but died before his
work was complete.
The reviewer continues:
OF the four volumes the first treats of saw
egery, chiefly in the phases of industry, social
life, intellectual life, polity, military system
and religion; there is an Introduction on the
physical nature OF man, followed by con-
fused outline OF the distribution of races. Vol.
II, entitled Heather Bsrbarism," discusses
briefly the early uses of bronze and iron. aud
deals with the civilizations of the Aztecs, the
Quichuaps, the Chinese, the ancient Egyp-
tians, hindoos and ancient Persians. The
Phenicians and Assyrlans are treated to-
gether with the Babylonians, the term Baby
lonia being used as an exact synonym OF Chal-
dea; while the Celts and, oddly enough, the
Etruscans. share q chapter with the Teutons.
That volume on savagery Mr.. Hittell
considers the most comprehensive work
on the subject ever published. Each chap
ter formed special study, and before he
began his text the author felt himself the
master of the knowledge OF every writer
on the special subject. After this sort of
discipline his respect for the caustic re-
viewer IS naturally not large.
The article proceeds:
About one-quarter of Volume III is devoted
TO the ancient Jews; the Greeks have the rest,
with sketches OF the polity OF Athens, Thebes,
Macedon and Boeotia lin the order namedl and
chapters on Greek religion, literature and art,
Greek industry and Creek society A review
of Roman history and the Roman pivilizatfO
fills the greater part of the fourth volume; a
hundred and odd pages at the end are allotted
to 8 discussion OF the claims and character of
early Christianity. Each volume contains an
appendix with references TO authorities and
list of books cited.
The value of work of this kind is deter
mined by four conditions the authors mas
terry or the sources of information his critical
judgment in the use OF materials, his accuracy
in the statement of facts and his power of gen
eralization. If the writer has not irst-htnd
acquaintance with the best sources of informa-
uon(which for this subject include works in
several languages), ii he lacks the training and
ability requisite to the proper handling of the
subj ect-matter, or il he fails in the precise use
OF terms and the exact presentation of data,
his work will be faulty from the scientific
point OF view. A summing up OF the evidence,
clear enunciatlon of principles or conclusions
aimed at IS as essential to philosophical as it
is 10 popular treatment Books, TO be really
useful, must meet all four OF these conditions.
" II we apply this standard to the treatise
under consideration we are at once confronted
by the abundant internal evidence that the
author understands no one of the ancient Ian
kuages and that his knowledge of the modern
languages is defective.
Abuse is something you cannot an
swer," remarked Mr.. Hittell. "If he had
given my book a really critical review l
might say something, but 1 certainly do
not feel inclined to meet any such attacks
as this. l know that in my knowledge of
the modern languages ana literature 1 am
the equal of any one in this City, If not in
the United States. I'll confess that nv
knowledge of Greek and Latin is not what
it should be. Although I'm a graduate,
much has passed from memory. But [
purposely avoided making quotations of
any sort. abstained from quoting foreign
words of any sort because designed my
book for general reading and quotations
are for the scholar. My plan is always to
give the modern writer who cites an an
cient author and to give his full citation.
My purpose is to enable the reader TO thus
go to the best authority on the subject un-
der discussion"
The critic proceeds:
For the matter of the last two volumes, and
fol much of that in the second, he has relied
on various handbooks, mainly such as are in
English, and on a few translations. Every
page of those devoted to Greece and Rome
vacti 10 ha 81 81