The Republican journal., 1901-08-22
John FISKE

JOHN FISKE
| Historian, Teacher, Philosophers. 1S42-19O1.
1t would be the merest commonplace
F., to say that III the death of John FiSke
American historical literature has met
with distinct loss. The event means
far more than that-means so much, in
deed, that words will fail to express it.
| John Fiske, better than any man writ
ing for this generation, held up the
standard so long maintained by Park
mana standard to whichParkman gave
the nobest qualities and permanent lus-
tire. Mr.. Fiske's published tribute to
| Parkman. fine as it is in other ways,
possesses nothing more interesting than
the revelation it affords of his own ideals
of excellence in the historian-ideals to-
ward which he strove with an intelli-
gence and application that have made
each succeedingN book from his hands
seem finer than any that preceded it.
! John Fiske had many qualities that
| will secure for his name long remem-
| brance and a continuous following of
| readers. Above all things, he knew his
| theme and was a perfect master OF his
| material. being never in any way III sub
! lection to it. Conspicuous also was his
style-clear and limpid always, pict-
| uresque where the occasion was tit for
| it. and constantly delightful More than
any man save Parkman has he made it
positive pleasure for ordinary minds
| to read and understand American his
tory. Simply as force in elementary
education, his influence has been far
reaching and will long last. That superb
school history he wrote of this country
| has exerted very wide sway, and is fit
| for still wider In it we have a classic.
John Fiske was not an old man. He
was born in March, 1912. Such vitality
seemed to be in him, with that impos-
ing personality, that ineXhaustible pow
Ell for work, that he surely was thought
destined to live out the Psalmist's
term, or beyond it. The books he
might have written. and of which the
plans must lave been i'll his head, if not
in his books'-What a loss all these
reflections must mean, what additions,
impossible now, to that splendid series
including The Beginnings of New
England" ''The American Revolution"
"Old Virginia and Her Neighbors,"
| and 'The Dutch and Quaker Colonies,
which, taken together, must eventually
have formed complete history of the
lands we call the United States.
But here surely is not the place to es-
innate the work John Fiske has done,
or the extent of our debt to him, a debt
we shall understand all the better now
that he is gone. 1t is rather the place
to record the deepest sorrow at his I'M
timely departure from a world he made
so much wiser and richer. Looking
hOIt II cannot his IllZa
Years must pass ere we can ieven hope
to see that like again. ParBman, Pres
colt, Motley, Bancroft, Fiske-these are
our great writers of history. Greatest
of all these is Parkman, and not the
least is John Fiske.-New York Times.
LIST OF WORKS BY JOHN FIsKE IN OUR
FREE LIBRARY.
American political ideas viewed
from the standpoint of universal
history. MISREPRESENTATION. 321.F5
American Revolution. 1898. 2v.. 1888. F 80
Beginnings OF New England, or
the Puritan theocracy in its re-
lation to civil and religious lib
erty. 1889 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ga
Civil government in the United
states considered with some
reference to its origins. $780,. 342F 5
Critical period of American his
tory 17S3-17S9. 1889. .973.3.F 81
Darwinism and other essays 1855 5O4.F 81
Destiny of man viewed in the
light of his origin. 1S91........ 21O.F 81
Discovery of America. With
some account of ancient Amer
lea and the Spanish conquest
1892. 2v....... ................. 973.1.F 5
Dutch and Quaker colonies in
America. 1899. 2v............. 973.2F 5
Excursions of an evolutonist
1894. Observation-Disclosures, 5O4F so
History of the United States for
schools. Illustrations. 1884,. 973F
Idea of God as affected by mod
ern knowledge. 1898. 231F 5
Mississippi Valley in the Civil
War. Maps. 1900. .............. 973.7.F5
Myths and myth-makers old tales
and approximations interpret
ed by comparative mythology.
1896. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 291.F 5
Old Virginia and her neghbors
1897. 2v........... ............ 975.F
Through Nature to God. 1885,. 21OF so
Unseen World and other essays. 814.F5
War of Independence 1899. .973 IF SO