The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-21
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all obstacles and made naught Of diffic IL
ties which would have crushed another
man is even more remarkable than the
work itself. Parkman the man is genius
personified; Parkman the historian is only
genius on paper.
1t is said of him that the effort not to
work was far more wearing than the ordi-
nary man would have found the most ar
duous mental eXertion. He was contin-
ually Obliged to hold himself back, to re-
strain his overfiowing energy, to prevent,
by main force, the ardent soul that was
in him from wearing out the physical or
ganism, SO imperfect and badly devei-
oped, in which it was obliged to dwell.
Some of the difficulties under which he
laborcd are recorded in the following
para graphs:
During half century he thus led life of
repressed activity, with spaces of complete idle
ness, at the best allowing himself but a brief
play of his powers. His self-conrol nowhere
more noteworthy than in this restraint of the
mind His ability to work at all depended on
the repression of an impetuous temperament and
surplus Of energy. The reasonableness of his
nature is shown by his success. After actual
illness came upon him, and he saw that the
crushing out policy was a mistake in dealing
with his maladies, he always showed great com
mon sens and dociiity in regulating his habits
according TO medical advice. But in one par
ticular he psrsisiently refused obedience-he
would not give up his literary labor wholly. even
when the doctors forbade it under threats of the
most serious consequences; and when they told
him to prepare for death, he straightway pre-
pared to write books. With this supernormaf
energy continually furnishing high pressure OF
nervous force to his ambition and imagination,
and with good sense controlling and concentrat-
ing his powers on one purpose, he was, IN a
measure, independent of surplus OF health for
creative power.
In beginning volume he had all the docu-
menis concerning it read to him, the first time
for the chief features of the subject. While this
reading was in progress he made, now and then.
a short note, walked over from his shady
corner to where the reader sat in the light, to
mark passage for future reference. The mar
gins Of his volumes Of documents contain almost
no writing-merciy crosses, double crosses, and
vertical lines in red pencil. lie could not lister
TO this reading for more than an hour or two
per day in even his best health, and with the
help of frequent rests, requiring in the reader a
quiet manner, a low voice, and a slow pace.
Having very rarely sight and strength enough to
work at stated times, he seldom kept salaried
amanucnsis. His assistant was generally some
member of his household; at other times he en-
ployed pupil from the public schools. As most
Of his material was in French, Of which the
pupil was ignorant, and in old French at that,
the reading often seemed anything but the accu-
rate and serious information required by hsto-
II.
he noted accessory matters and details of the
story; and sousetimes third examination was
needed of portions Of his great mass OF docu-
ments- BY this slow method he acquired perfect
possession OF the materials needed by volume
lie then set to work at composition, always fin
ishing one volume before touching another.
. One of his letters reveals his pursuit and
careful verifcation Of detail. He wrote to an
eminent astronomer:
Il believe there is a difference between the
way of estimating latitude in the seventeenth
century and now. Can you without much trou-
bic tell me how this is? In 1855 La Sale caicu-
lated certain point in the Gulf of Mexico at
eS degrees Is minutes. What would this CORE
spond TO en- modern map? How can ascer-
tain il comet--a somewhat remarkable one
was yisibl. from the site OF Peoria, Ill, IN Janu-
ary l6Sl? Also, how can / ascertain on what
day of the month Ea ter Monday, 1850, occurred?
wan. the information TO test the accuracy Of
certain journals in my possession"
His pursuit of the truth was shown by his
sagacity and persistence in ferreting out docu-
ments, such the letters of Montcalm to Bour-
lamaque, for which he hunted fifteen years
In character Parkman was a curious
mixture of opposing elements. He was
at once a conservative and a radical. 1t
might be said of him that he was at home
only in his chosen field. That had alb
sorbed his energies to such an extent that
he had little time or strength left for re-
search into general questions. and his
views on these were accordingly deter
mined largely by natural intuition and
personal prejudice rather than by thor
ough knowledge and mature conviction.
His present biographer says of him that
he was fighting, inspiring pessimist."
In religious views he was brought up
Unitarian, but even the broad boundaries
Of that church were too narrow for him.
In the pursuit of his life work he natur-
ally came into direct contact with the
Catholic faith, and with characteristic
love OF thoroughness and accuracy, he
at one time placed himself under the con-
troll of Jesuit fathers, that he might get
their point of view. His Unitarian birth
and training made 1t impossible for him
TO accept their tenets, but he came to
have a great respect for their character
and faith. His sister once said of him
that he was "a reverent agnostic." He
was essentially an aristocrat in many
things. despising the self-made man, and
the judgment Of the masses
On general principles. Yet in personal
contact with wild Indians or frontiers
men, or anybody else with whom the ext
sencies of his work caused him to asso-
.iate, he was the most companionable of
men.
His views on education were naturally
the result of deep thought and sincere
conviction. for this was one of the affairs
Of the outside world in which he took an
interest. He saw the faults of American
and described them unspar-
ngly. His love of accuracy led him to
condemn the pseudo scholarship so large
Iy in vogue during his young manhood,
and for that matter, not entirely extinct
even now. One of the most interesting
in ha hnn ic oil ,rb ;ob
he wrote in 1859 on this subject, and
which is in part as follows:
Not many years ago, CERTAIN traditional
prestige independent OF all considerations 0.
practical utility, attached to the scholastic
character. at least in New England. where the
,lergy long held monopoly of what passed for
earning New England colleges were once little
more than schools for making ministers As the
lergy has lost in influence, so the scholar has
ost in repute, and the reasons not hard TO
ind The really good scholars exceptions,
md very rare ones. In the matter Of theology
ONE notable results produced, but secular
simply exotic, and sickly
me- 1t never recovered from its transportation,
md drew no vital juices from the soil. The eli |
nate hostile to it. All the vigor of the coun.
~ drifted into practical pursuits, and the New |
England man of letters, when he happened not |
o be minister, usually some person whom |
defects, bodily or mental, had un-
uited for politics business. He apt TO |
re recluse, ignorant OF the world, bleached by |
close and iron stove. never breath. |
ny the outer air when he could help It, and re- |
einbling medieval monk in his scorn Of the |
,ody rather in his utter disregard Of il. Some |
lines he was reputed scholar merely because |
re was nothing else. The products of his mind |
we're pallid the hue Of his face, and, like /
heir parent void Of blood, bone, sincw, muscle, |
nd marrow. That he should be provincial was, |
or long time, inevitable but that he was emas- |
ulate was chiefly his own fault As his scholar |
hip not fruitful OF any very valuable re- |
ults as it did not make itself felt in the living
rorld that ranged round il, In short. it showed
10 vital force, it began at length to be regarded |
5 superfiuous excrescence. Nevertheless like |
he monkish learning of the Middle Ages it served |
good purpose in keeping alive the traditions o. |
LIBERAL culture against future renaissance We |
hall he told that we exaggerate, and in, one |