The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-24

precedented for a book of this substan-
tial character, and a new edition has
been called for since Christmas.
Such a success emphasizes the fact
that history study is intellectually more
popular now than At any previous time
There was never before such a market
for American historical books of au-
thOrity, and there never was a time
when so many of value were put forth.
1t is an easy prediction to say that in
a little while it will be true that no
people ever SO thoroughly knew its own
history as the American people, The
significance of such a fact is immense.
During the past year Fiske, Eggleston
Woodrow Wilson, McMaster, Schouler,
Rhodes, among our leading general his
torians, have put forth volumes or new
editions, and there have appeared hard
lyleSs~than one hundred volur1s-s bout
some special phase -6f-American his
tory. The new year will witness the
publication Of F'iske's volumes on ''Vir-
g1nia and the Neighboring Colonies" a
new volume, [ believe, of James Ford
Rhodes History of the United States
from 1850 to 1884" and a new complete
edition Of Parkman
Few literary workshops are more i'm
pressive, and none is more simple than
Mr.. Fiske's. All his writing is done
in his spacious library in his home on
one Of the quietest streets of old Cam
bridge hardly more than a stones
throw from the historic Craigie house,
which was Washington's Headquarters
and the home of LOngfellow 1t is here
that most of his great histories have
been written, and here he is continuing
the series. He works constantly. but
not hastily. 1t is an impressive fact
that while he is perhaps the man Of
most marvellous acQuisitve powers of
whom we have record, his production
is not rapid; he knows too much to be
In hurry. Here is a man who has
mastered all languages that have a lit
erature, all literature and all science
by the time he reched middle age, and
had already achieved distinction as a
great evolutionary philosopher before
he turned his attention to the writing
of history. When his first volume of
history was published. an old friend
who had known him as a student of
philosophy, asked him if he was not
going out Of his chosen field. 81 am
just going into it." he said Philosophy
he regards as a preparation for the
proper presentation of American his
tory; and the world point of view
could be had only by a f1rst-hand in
vestigatOr's knowledge of all history
and of all literature.
This estimate Of the value of Amer
lean history is itself something new in
the world-the realization that it is not
a mere catalogue of political events,
but that it is the human experience to
which the ages climb. America and de-
mocracy are the hope of the world. If
these fail us, the race will fall back,
not grow. Coming out of such a con-
seriousness of the Importance of the
subject, it is no wonder that his books
have the distinctly epic quality.
In the winter Mr.. Fiske who is more
in demand than any other lecturer of
solid qualities, goes to New York, Chi
cago and st. Louis and often to other
cities to deliver historical lectures. On
the platform it is simply the majestic
movement of his narrative that carries
the audience along.
[ made the chance acquaintance a
little while ago of a man on a boat from
Boston to New York who fell to talk
ing about books. "Since 1 read Ffske' s
Discovery Of America" he said, 81
have taken with me on all my JOURNEYS
one of his books instead of the novels
that l used to put in my satchel ]
am now reading the fifth Of six vol
umeS, and four of them 1 have read
twice. When I have read the sixth
what shall I do?" I told him that the
seventh would be published before long,
and he seemed as grateful to me as if
I had really done him a service.
With two more volumes after the one
now ready for the press, Mr.. Fiske will
have gone over the same period of
4 erican history that was covered by
Bancroft-from the discovery of Amer
lea to the adoption of the constitution,
and there has never been an American
historical work that has met with so
quick and so large sale.
oMr!fFiske is one Of the largest men
ofIffs time in avoirdupois, as well as in
Other. respects. The story is told that q
student at Washington university in
r.qssll