The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-17

OuAooA company New York, the pub
fishers in America of this international
work The complete work. the re-
naming volumes now being in pro-
cess of manufacture, will consist of
twenty-five volumes
The publication OF this work is an
event in the literary world, since it is
not only important, but is a new de-
parture in history writing.
In importance 1.-The Historians His
tory" takes rank with such publica-
tons as the Encyclopedia Britain
Mica the Pathological Society's Die
tionary,' and the Jewish Encyclo-
pedia-"
The sum of ss50.Ooo has been ex-
pended in its preparation The
twenty-five volumes contain on an
average $50 pages each, of $50 words
Gin small pica) to the page. making
a total Of about 1000. 900 words. The
twenty-fifth volume is occupied en-
contain about 100000 entries More
than 5000 of the $500 pages have
been translated The work was begun
six years ago.
The new departure in history writ
Ing consists in the fact that the work
is a mosaic. put together from bits of
extant historical works links. The
text consists in the main of passages
from the great historians OF all ages
combined into a harmonious whole,
every event being described by the
writer VINO Is considered the best
and most interesting authority upon
It Wherever necessary, OF course, the
editors have supplied matter TO con-
meet passages and to make the nara
tive continuous Introductory and ex-
planatOry essays by the greatest living
historical writers are added.
IT is claimed for this work that il
will bring order into a field OF knowl-
edge where something like anarchy
has hitherto reigned, for the vast num-
Der OF histories. the conflict Of author
tiles. and the minute specialization of
recent historical research have left the
general reader in a sort OF labyrinth
through which he has had no cIew to
guide him If he attempts TO study
world history in the thousand and one
separate works. he loses himself hope
lessly- He does not know where to
begin or which way to turn At any
rate. il is impossible for one man.
however learned and industrious. to
cover by himself this whole vast field
of world history Much less is il pos
sible for the general reader to gain a
complete knowledge of the subject
from separate works Who, in order
to acquire q fairly comprehensive &C
quaintancs with English history. can
AFFORD the time to read Froude's His
tory OF England" covering only fifty
years. in twelve volumes; Freeman's
History of the Norman Conquest,
fve volumes: Macaulay's History OF
England Creigns of James II and
William ND, four volumes; Green's
History of the English People" six
volumes; Gardeners History of the
Stuart Period" seventeen volumes;
Knights History of England" eight
volumes, ''Stubb's constitutional His
tory of England three voIumes2
One gains only an outline of French
history from Guizot's History of
France Told to Ny Grandchildren in
six volumes, while his Memoirs for
the History of France" in thirty-one
volumes. is a work for specialists. No
study of French history is complete
without a knowledge of such works as
Michelet's "Histoire de France" nine
teen volumes; Dareste's ''Histoire de
France" eight volumes; Jomfni's
Campaigns of Napoleon" fifteen VOL
umes: Theirs ''Histoire du Consulat ct
same authors ''Histoire de la RevoIu-
ton Franchise" ten volumes, and the
writings Of Lamartine. Quinet. La
cretelle. Lavellee. Henri Martin, Victor
Duray, and host of others. In the
Bfbnotheque Rationale in Paris there
are over 100000 volumes devoted to
French history alone
Grote's History of Greece consists
of ten volumes; Gibbons Decline and
Fail of the Roman Empire" is in six
volumes. and contains no Roman his
tory before the time of Christ;
Mommsen'S History of Rome (tO the
reign of Augustus) is in four vol
umes: Alison's History of Europe"
(from 1915 to 1850 is in ten vol
STA" is in nine volumes; Carlyle's
Frederick the Great" is in six vol
umeS- This list might be extended in
definitely. SO as to embrace every ma
ton of civilization
The ground covered so voluminous-
ly by this vast collection is covered by
The Historians History" in much
more convenient and accessible form
and at much less expenditure of time
and money. The plan of the present
work IS to utilize the best parts OF
these and thousands of other works
and to weave them together with the
aid of original editorial matter and the
best modern research. to make a core
lated. well proportioned narrative. the
bulk OF which IS told in the words of
the historians themselves.
1t would be impossible for any his
torian of today 10 write a more read
able and auth eutic account of the trial
OF Joan Of Arc than that Of Quicheret-
written originally in French and spe-
ciaIIy translated for the present work,
or of the scenes at her execution than
that of Isambert de Ia Pierre, the
priest who accompanied her to the
stake Efnhard's own story of the life
of Charlemagne. whose private secre-
tary he was. although written in Latin.
must remain forever the basis OF all
that can be known OF this historic per
sonage. and is here translated in full /
Ilorente. secretary-general of the In
QUESTION. exposes the horrors of that
dreadful tribunal, to which thirty-six
pages are devoted The Due de Saint |
Simon tells of the personal life. scan /
dals. and corruption of Louis XIV's /
reign Joinville, who accompanied St I
Louis to the Crusades. describes his /
Eages of historical literature which 4
form part of the general narrative of
world history one may mention Ma
cauiay's wonderful chapter on social !
life in England in the seventeenth cen 4
fury, Froude's account of the marriage
OF Anne Boleyn. Justin Mccarthy /
thrilling story OF the Cawnpore mas /
sacre, and Bancroft's story Of how the