The voice of history

Martin Samuel Sommer

Sujets

• World History

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 13
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

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LL-^V ,TheVoice of History
MARTIN S. SOMMERBy
ST. MO.LOUIS,
CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE
1913PREFACE
Examination of this even it be notvolume, though
will soon reveal its It is avery thorough, general scope.
collection of from some of the chiefinteresting chapters
historians of our the of the matterlanguage, importance
and the of the the choice. If thosequality style deciding
who imbibe not valuable and in-read it only stimulating
but also a taste for historicalformation, acquire good
stillliterature and a desire to further theinvestigate story
ofof the lives and deeds nations in the the book i$past,
itsaccomplishing purpose.
inThe editor and the while apublishers, agreeing
with the matter here do notgeneral way presented,
assume for statement of the differentresponsibility every
historians. One has been in view :guiding principle kept
to to the of for lib-give prominence struggle humanity
and for true andenlightenment against tyrannyerty
In extracts which describe thesuperstition. presenting
of minds 'and of ourtrend the we ac-spirits ancestors,
to have been influenced the soby opinionknowledge
one of the his-expressed by greatest Englishforcibly
in onThomas his Boswett'storians, Carlyle, essay Life
where he saith:Johnson,of
"
in is it to behold what the business calledMournful, truth,
'
in these so and illuminated stillhistory/ enlightened times,
continues to be. Can from read tillyou gather it, your eyes go
dimmest shadow of an answer to that :out, any great question
How men lived and had their were it butbeing; economically,
what and what with these? Un-as, wages they got, they bought
can not. will throw no on suchhappily History light anyyou
matter. At the where it is all dark-point living memory fails,IV PREFACE.
Mr. Senior and Mr. Sadler must still debate thisness; simplest
of bet-of all elements in the condition the whether men werepast,
in and than now !ter off their larders or were worse offpantries,
in shadeas it stands all bound is but aHistory up gilt volumes,
more instructive than the wooden volumes of a backgammon
minister of momentboard. How was is lessmy prime appointed
to me than how house-servant was hired. In these tenmy days,
andhistorians of courtiers were wellTdinary kings exchanged
the tenth of one of booksellers.against part good history
"
fain knowFor I would the of Scotlandexample, history ;
who can tell it me? innumerable'Robertson,' say voices;
'
Robertson the world.' I and findagainst open Robertson, there,
too confused for and fit to bethrough long ages narrative, only
in the of and distilled aepitome essence, cunningpresented way
answer and not to this andquestion. By whom, byhypothesis,
what when and was this broad withmeans, how, fair, Scotland,
its arts and temples, schools,manufacturers, institutions, poetry,
national created and madecharacter, arable, verdant,spirit,
here as I can see some fair section of itpeculiar, great, lying,
kind and some Bacchus-tamed from thelion),strong (like
of ! But to this other : How didCastle-hill questionEdinburgh
himself alive in those old and restrain sothe ;king keep days
and ravenous henchmen from extir-butcher-baronsmany utterly
that went on in some ofone so sortating another, killing
In one letter of .(Eneas from oldmoderation? the little Sylvius,
in allthere is more of than this. AtScotland, history length,
we come to a luminous to thehowever, age, interesting enough,
Allof the Scotland is Scotland isage Reformation. awakened,
to itself forth anew. Toconvulsed, fermenting, struggling, body
the his cattle in remote to the crafts-herdsman, among woods;
man in his heath-thatched his ruderude, workshop, among guild-
brethren to the and to the a new has arisen :
; great little, light
in town and hamlet are with andgroups gathered, eloquent looks,
or We with breathlessgoverned ungovernable tongues. ask,
: How was it how went it on ? Let us understandeagerness ; it,
let us see and know it ! In is handed us ait, reply, grace-really
ful and most little Scandalous Chronicle for somedainty (as
of of two a butJournal Fashion) persons: Mary Stuart, beauty,
over and a who had finelight-headed; Darnley,Henry booby
How these first and tolegs. courted, billed, cooed, According
then an"3 blewTjTTe*nature; pouted, fretted, grew enraged,utterly