JOHN FISKE. G73 



Institute of Edinburgh and again in London. He was, indeed, invited 

 to deliver them at the Sorbonne, but the invitation came too late. 



His historical publications appeared in the following chronological 

 order. The first was "American Political Ideas," in 1865; he was one 

 of the editors of "Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography, 1887- 

 1889" (his selection being in part due, undoubtedly, to his reputation as 

 an historical student) ; '• The Critical Period of American History," in 

 1888; "Washington and His Country," a book for the young, in 1889 ; 

 *' The War of Independence," a book of the same character, in 1889 ; 

 ''Beginnings of New England," in 1889; "Civil Government in tlie 

 United States," a school book, in 1890; ''American Revolution," in 

 two volumes, in 1891 ; " Discovery of America," also in two volumes, 

 in 1892; "History of the United States," for schools, 1894; "Old Vir- 

 ginia and Her Neighbors," in two volumes, in 1897 ; " Dutch and 

 Quaker Colonies in America," in two volumes, in 1899. 



Throwing out school books and volumes for the young, we have in 

 the above series ten volumes, written as monographs, and published 

 entirely without regard to their chronological succession, yet each intended 

 as a contribution towards a complete history. Concerning this method 

 of treatment he himself said : " I found myself dwelling upon special 

 points, and insensibly without any volition on my part, it [the history] 

 has been rather taking the shape of separate monographs. But I hope 

 to go on that way until I cover the ground with these separate books." 

 It is not unlikely that Parkman's example may have influenced him in 

 this respect. His enthusiastic admiration for that great and popular 

 writer of history shines forth from every page of the charming essay 

 which he wrote on Parkman's life and works. The condensed form of 

 " Beginnings of New England," containing as it does only the essentials 

 for the development of the theme, suggests the process of digestion and 

 careful elimination which characterizes Parkman's works. Besides the 

 ten historical volumes mentioned, Fiske also published in 1900 a mono- 

 graph on the " Mississippi Valley in the Civil War," and it is stated 

 that a " History of the United States" will be issued in three volumes 

 posthumously. 



Mr. Fiske's works naturally divide themselves into two classes, and 

 these divisions are practically chronological, thus representing the sub- 

 jects to which his mind turned at different periods of his life. The brief 

 period between the two, when he first took up lecturing and for a few 

 years published only essays and magazine articles, indicates, in all 

 probability, merely a time of study and preparation for future work. 

 VOL. XXXVII. — 43 



