The fundamental conception, in history, from this point of view, is that of passing upon the facts of history with the critical discrimination of a judge, rather than with the partisan ardor of an advocate. It is, in brief, the "judicial" view of history. Its aim is to state "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." Its spirit has been well expressed in these words of the German historian, Ranke, already quoted:-"Ich will nur sagen wie es eigentlich gewesen ist." Its desire for the truth is well embodied also in these words of Professor H. Morse Stephens: "The aim of the historian is to discover the truth with regard to the past, as far as his limitations allow, and having so far discovered it to narrate the truth without obtruding his own personality or his own ideas more than his weak humanity makes inevitable." "It is a hard enough and a difficult enough task that the modern historian sets before himself. Truth is a very unapproachable mistress". *** "It is disheartening and heartbreaking to the historical student to know how little the most accomplished and hard-working historian can do towards building a palace in which Truth may live."

The scientific point of view will of course operate to put the writer on his guard against the subjective treatment of history, as opposed to the purely objective treatment. To Ranke, the great German master of historical writing in the last century,-even though such writers as Lamprecht are now succeeding to his supremacy,—we owe some of the most emphatic statements of this doctrine; and they are embodied especially in a noteworthy address on Ranke by his pupil, Dr. von Sybel, published in the Historische Zeitschrift in 1886.

"A subjective element," says Dr. von Sybel, "always tends to mingle itself with the historian's conception, after every narrative; and it is the problem of historical investigation, by eliminating this, to hold up the true picture of the thing itself." ("In diese seine Auffassung mischt sich

"In "Counsel upon the reading of books," p. 92-93.
Ibid., p. 93.

therefore, of entering on his study of this tangled subject with an open mind,'-a peculiarly necessary condition when religious questions are concerned, he carried an unyielding prejudice with him from the start. It was thus, (says his biographer, Mr. Paul), that, "in his zeal to justify the penal laws against the Catholics, Froude accepted without sufficient inquiry evidence which could only have satisfied one willing to believe the worst."

It was Mr. Froude's fortune, during his lifetime, to have as an antagonist another well known English historian, Edward A. Freeman; and, considering the decidedly vulnerable nature of Mr. Freeman's historical work and procedure, it may be considered to be Mr. Froude's great good fortune, that he is even now brought into comparison3 with that writer, now that both are dead. The "Tu quoque" argument is an effective one for the time being. Time, however, sifts all things, and sooner or later each historian will stand on his own merits.

FAVORABLE ASPECTS OF THE "SCIENTIFIC SIDE."

Having examined both the favorable and unfavorable aspects of the "literary" point of view, it is now in order to interrogate the "scientific" point of view in the same

way.

Science, as has already been stated, is concerned with the ascertainment of facts, by systematic processes, accompanied by rigid verification.

1An open mind has not always been sufficiently valued in religious discussion. "As regards religious questions," says President Faunce, of Brown University, "there are various specific subjects, on which men may differ, but the really fundamental difference is that between the man with the open mind and the man with the closed mind."

"Paul's "Froude," p. 229.

3See chapter 5 of Paul's volume, ("Froude and Freeman); also Andrew Lang's article, "Freeman versus Froude," already cited, (Cornhill Magazine, Feb., 1906, v. 92, p. 251-63.) This example has been very generally followed by the writers of the more or less critical notices of Mr. Paul's book, in England and in this country, so much so that one would almost suppose that it is Mr. Freeman whose life and writings were in question. A somewhat different point of view is taken by Goldwin Smith, in his article on "Froude" in the Atlantic Monthly, May, 1906, v. 97, p. 680-87.

The fundamental conception, in history, from this point of view, is that of passing upon the facts of history with the critical discrimination of a judge, rather than with the partisan ardor of an advocate. It is, in brief, the "judicial" view of history. Its aim is to state "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." Its spirit has been well expressed in these words of the German historian, Ranke, already quoted:-"Ich will nur sagen wie es eigentlich gewesen ist." Its desire for the truth is well embodied also in these words of Professor H. Morse Stephens: "The aim of the historian is to discover the truth with regard to the past, as far as his limitations allow, and having so far discovered it to narrate the truth without obtruding his own personality or his own ideas more than his weak humanity makes inevitable." "It is a hard enough and a difficult enough task that the modern historian sets before himself. Truth is a very unapproachable mistress". *** "It is disheartening and heartbreaking to the historical student to know how little the most accomplished and hard-working historian can do towards building a palace in which Truth may live."

The scientific point of view will of course operate to put the writer on his guard against the subjective treatment of history, as opposed to the purely objective treatment. To Ranke, the great German master of historical writing in the last century, -even though such writers as Lamprecht are now succeeding to his supremacy,—we owe some of the most emphatic statements of this doctrine; and they are embodied especially in a noteworthy address on Ranke by his pupil, Dr. von Sybel, published in the Historische Zeitschrift in 1886.

"A subjective element," says Dr. von Sybel, "always tends to mingle itself with the historian's conception, after every narrative; and it is the problem of historical investigation, by eliminating this, to hold up the true picture of the thing itself." ("In diese seine Auffassung mischt sich

'In "Counsel upon the reading of books," p. 92-93. Ibid., p. 93.

aber nach aller Erfahrung stets ein subjektives Element, und durch dessen Ausscheidung des wirkliche Bild des Thatbestandes zu erhalten ist die Ausgabe der historischen Kritik.")'

With the action of every-day life there is inextricably mingled a large share of "likes and dislikes." There are few, however, who would wish to see these reproduced in the printed volumes which form our libraries of history. Hasty and impulsive utterances therefore will be carefully eliminated from his narrative by the judicious writer, however naturally they may occur to his mind. It is a great art to obtain the proper position of unbiased judgment in these cases,-of complete "detachment", to use the phrase of the late Lord Acton, who was himself an admirable embodiment of this ideal, in his historical work.

The question of prejudice is occasionally of far-reaching importance, particularly when its existence is unsuspected or, possibly, "subliminal." "Know thyself" is an injunction which all of us would gladly comply with, if possible. And yet, who of us can be sure that, even in the matter of underlying prejudices, one can really know himself? The man of today lives in an atmosphere, so far as likes and dislikes, or thoughts and beliefs are concerned,-which is partly created by the general level of public opinion in the person's own community; partly by the person's own

"Gedachtnisrede auf Leopold v. Ranke," by Heinrich von Sybel, in Historische Zeitschrift, v. 56, (1886), p. 474.

'And yet it is not an unprecedented occurrence for utterances like these to get into print under the guise of history, as in the case of the bulky volume of more than 750 pages, by the late Gen. John A. Logan, published under the title of "The great conspiracy," in 1885. Of this work, a reviewer in the Nation, (June 3, 1886, v. 42, p. 475), writes: "It is not a history, although it purports to be one. It is rather what might be called a narrative stump speech, with no limitation as to time of delivery, except the orator's good pleasure or fatigue." In his excited peroration, the author passes from Italics to small capitals, and from these to capitals, under the influence of the strong feeling,-not to say "prejudice, "-which animates the book, as follows: "Like the Old Man of the Sea, they are now on top, and they MEAN TO KEEP THERE IF THEY CAN." ("The great conspiracy," by John A. Logan, New York: A. R. Hart & Co., 1885, p. 674.)

"See Lord Acton's "Lecture on the study of history," (inaugural lecture at the University of Cambridge, 1895), p. 4. Elsewhere in the same lecture, he commends in Ranke what Michelet calls "le désinteressement des morts," p. (51).

immediate environment; more by tradition, perhaps; but even more by heredity.

The work of one other eminent German authority is partially accessible to English readers, namely, that of Johann Gustav Droysen, whose "Grundriss der Historik," (1868), was translated into English by Dr. E. Benjamin Andrews, under the title of "Outline of the principles of history", Boston; Ginn & Co., 1893. The translator cites, (p. VIII), as one of the reasons why, in his judgment, such a treatise is needed, in English, as follows:

"In most directions one finds a stronger zeal for the knowledge of history than for the understanding of history. We are so busy at gathering facts that no time is left us to reflect upon their deeper meanings. Too many who wish to be considered historians seem hardly less enthusiastic over the history of some town pump, provided it is 'fresh' and 'written from the sources,' than over that of the rise of a constitution."

In 1889 appeared a comprehensive treatise by Ernst Bernheim, entitled "Lehrbuch der historischen Methode, mit Nachweis der wichtigsten Quellen und Hülfsmittel zum Studium der Geschichte," published at Leipzig, by Duncker, (2d edition in 1894). An equally noteworthy volume, in another language, appeared in 1898, namely, "Introduction aux études historiques," by C. V. Langlois and C. Seignobos, Paris; Hachette et Cie. In the same year appeared the English translation, "Introduction to the study of history," (by Langlois and Seignobos), translated by G. G. Berry, and containing a preface by the late Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford, Frederick York-Powell. New York; H. Holt & Co. The subjects are treated with great acuteness, (as in the chapter on "The negative internal criticism of the good faith and accuracy of authors", (p. 155-90), and with characteristic French lucidity.

One of the latest of these admirably comprehensive European studies appeared in 1903, namely "Die Wertschätzung in der Geschichte; eine kritische Untersuchung," by Arvid Grotenfelt, Leipzig: Veit & Co.