Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-04-20

II Is the most popular, history in the
English language. AS an eminent au-
tnorlty has expressed 1t, "Macaulay Is
more universally read than any other
history in English literature
Macaulay's history, it will be remem-
Dered, covered only seventeen years.
lie had intended otherwise" I pur-
pose, were his words, ito write the
history OF England from the accession
OF James IL. down to time which is
within the memory Of men still living"
1hat he did not live TO execute this
purpose, or at any rate to complete his
work so FAR as to include the reign Of
Anne. the AuSustan age of England"
as 1t has been called-the age of Swift,
Pope. Addison, Steele and ArbL thnot,
and OF Harley and st. Johns one OF
the most reSrettable things In the his
tory of literature.
The most famous. the most popular,
the most interesting great work on
Froudes. Froude's, of course. is a more
recent work. completed in 1870. Like
Macoulay's. 1T deals with but q single
period-that from the fall of Wolsey
tl529) to the defeat Of the Spanish ar
mazda Q5SS). No history can be more
interesting than Froude's. His style is
perhaps the clearest and easiest of all
recent English writer's. He knows how
To paint Il historical picture or to por-
ttay historical character so that the
perhaps no historical writer OF equal
eminencc has ever been subjected to
such severe animadversions. His ten
dency TO pervert fact and his one
sioedness OF view are q constant Of
Tense.
Macaulay's and Froude's are UNI
doubtly the histories of England that
hold the highest places as literature
Macaulay's, moreover. holds a place
,hat is of the highest rank Simply as
history. The histories of q third great
linglish-Writer hold place in literature
equally commanding with those of Mac
aulay or Froudc: but they are not in
the main English histories. Carlyle's
Cromwell. however. had the merit of
changing the current OF the worlds adj
verse opinion Of n great man wholly
round and toward him. But Carlyle as
a historian is seen in his most charac-
teriStic moods In his History of the
French Revolution" and in his History
of Frederick the Great" In these works
we have two rarely united charactcris-
ties of the MISUNDERSTANDING
painstakin5ncss and skill In the getting
at facts. and consummatc power OF
artistry In the portraiturc of character
ana the painting OF historical scenes
CariIlc'S statements as 10 details are
rarely Sainsaid His faculty for max
ing historical events real and vivid be-
fore ones eyes has never been sur
passed. But When we have saiG this
there remains much left to be said
Some would deny TO his work the merit
Of being history at all. Even The most
absolute dcNotcc to Carlylc's genius
would acknowledge that to understand
| he French revolution Alright. or even
the life ana work of Frederick OF Prus-
sia Alright. other accounts than those Of
Carlyle must he read.
Returning to the field OF English his
tory. work that calls for mention here
by reason Of it's great and well-de-
served Succcss-a success universal
throughout the whole English speaking
worlds McCarthy's History of Our
own Times The historical critic will
say that this work is merely Il series
of personal impressions. and is there
fore, strictly speaking. not history at
all. Scientific history. it will be said,