1897.] The Picturesque in History. 313 



WEEKLY EVENING MEETING, 



Friday, February, 5, 1897. 



The Eight Hon. Lord Halsburt, M.A. D.C.L. F.R.S. 



Lord Chancellor, in the Chair. 



The Right Rev. The Lord Bishop of London. 

 Tlie Picturesque in History. 



It is an old controversy whether history is a branch of literature 

 or a branch of science ; but there is no reason why the contro- 

 versy should ever be decided. A book is written ; it must take its 

 chance. It is cast upon the world to exercise such influence as it 

 can, to teach or to attract, to mould thought or to create interest, to 

 solve questions or to suggest them. There is always one consoling 

 reflection for authors, which ought to save them from disappointment. 

 The deeper the impression which a book produces, the smaller is the 

 circle of its readers likely to be. The general public likes to take 

 its journeys by easy stages, and will not be carried too far all at once. 

 Only a select few will be ready to undertake a serious expedition ; 

 but they are the explorers, and through their eflforts knowledge will 

 ultimately grow. When pioneers have entered upon a new field, it 

 takes some time before the communications are made which make 

 travelling easy. Meanwhile, ideas and notions float disjointedly 

 into the general stock of knowledge, and afi'ect public opinion 

 insensibly in various ways. Knowledge of the past is of value as it 

 affords a background against which men view the present. It is of 

 some value, as likely to affect men's judgment of what is going on 

 around them, that ihey should feel that there has been a past at all. 

 Every additional item of knowledge about the process by which 

 human society has slowly reached its present form is of increasing 

 value. From whatever source it comes to them, it is so much to the 

 good. History is to be welcomed, whatever form it assumes. 



There can be no doubt that in late years there has been a very 

 decided increase of general interest in history amongst us. The nature 

 of political questions, and the tendency of thought about social 

 questions, have given a decided impulse in this direction. In small 

 towns and villages historical subjects are amongst the most popular 

 for lectures; and historical allusions are acceptable to all audieoces. 

 It was not so fifteen years ago. At that time I remember an eminent 

 statesman speaking to me sadly of his experience. He had been 

 speaking to a vast audience in the open air, under the shadow of one 



