The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02

by current events passing
into the recorded page, but
III IL the process also goes on by
means OF the recent re-
cent researches by which modern ad-
Nances in all sciences contribute to
throw mere light on old history and so
make il, in a measure ever new for
our reading and rereading. Both these
processes have entered into the MAX
ing Of the new History of All Ma
tions" a stupendous work, in twenty
four profusely illustrated volumes, un-
der the general editorship of John
Henry Wright, professor of Greek in
Harvard University.
The first five volumes, covering the
period of antiquity and the countries
Of Egypt, Asia, Greece and Rome, are
now out, and all are most impressive
In the thorOughness Of their picturing
and mapping, and very interesting in
the pleasing style in which the great
events Of historic antiquity are lu-
minOusly focused for us into a few con-
densed but broadly enlightening vol
umes.
AS for the worth Of the work in the
matter Of accuracy ii takes a thorough
scholarship to pass judgment upon it,
and we have such a judgment from the
president Of Columbia University,
Nicholas Murray Butler, as to his i'm
preston that the work so far as he had
been able TO examine it is not only his
torically accurate, but one which pre-
sented a very skillful marshaling of
an immense array Of facts" This ac-
cUracy is also guaranteed by the schol-
arship of the writer's and the high po-
sitiOns they hold in the educational
world The pleasing and attention
fastening way in which this array Of
facts is presented to the reader is a
feature existent in the work which the
average learner can appreciate and
which viii bring II much favor.
Merely to state a bare outline of
what the work is will make US COM
prehend the comment made upon it
by Daniel Colt Gilman. president of
Carnegie Institute. Washington, name
ly, Il am appalled, by its magnitude. -
II devOtes five volumes to antiquity,
covering first ancient Egypt and West
ern Asia, being the beginnings of hu-
man civilization, the social life, litera-
ture, art and mythology Of the great
nations of antiquity. Central and East
ern Asia in antiquity take in the early
history Of Israel and the Assyro- Baby
lOnian empires, the Bible and recent
archaeological discoveries. Anent an
cient Greece we are reminded: From
Judea we received our religion, from
Greece our art, our literature and our
philosophy" Then in republican Rome
we have the marvellous story of the
little city by the Tiber which became
mistress of the world" This story,
which is told in volume ", will prob
ably prove most interesting to the gen
erality of readers of all the FIVE on an
tiquity. In the volume on imperial
Rome we have the glories of the age Of
Augustus, who found Rome brick and
left il marble"
Five volumes are devoted TO the
Middle Ages and tell us Of the races
which swept over Europe from Asia
and from which we are descended; I;
about the Franks and Lombards. and
In the Age of Charlemagne" of the
achievements of the first and greatest
Of the Emperors who ruled over the
holy Roman empire; the fascinating
story Of the crusades, and. last of that
SERIES comes the Age of the Renais-
sance,' an age Of great wars and great
intellectual progress.
Modern history takes up ten volumes,
the first Of which tells of the establish
nent Of Professionalism and ''the new
birth Of Roman Catholicism" The
French revolution is in volume XVI
and is written by Theodore Flathe, pro-
fessor of history of st. Afra, Saxony.
Last Of that series is Contemporary
Europe, Asia and Africa" which is
written by Charles Mclean Andrews,
professor Of history at Bryn Mawr Col
lege. and william K. Lingelbach, as
sistant professor Of modern European
history at the University Of Pennsylva-
MIA. Three volumes tell the story of
America-colonizatio by John Fiske;
independence Of the New World, by
Fiske. and the modern development OF
the New World, by John Fiske and our
own Henry Morse Stephens, professor
of history in the University Of Califor-
MIA. in which there is a narrative Of
the Civil War devoid Of sectionalism.
Some Of the especial and some Of the
unique merits claimed by this big work
are that the plan Of II is TO take up
the history Of the world period by pc
riod," and not nation by nation; that
il is an absolutely original work, not
collection of extracts pieced together by
editorial laborers; that it is modern
history, and that great civilized ma
tions have been vying with each other
in the diligent publication OF state
papers and documents and in throwing
open to students the Libraries and
archives which hitherto they had jeal-
ously guarded: that this work meets
the need that the entire history Of the