92 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
1. Upon THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A Goop Locaz Hrsrory. 
In the preparation of a local, or indeed any, history there are two 
main factors; first, its character, that is, its objects, ideals, and spirit, 
and, secondly, the events which are its theme. The principles of the 
former will be the same for all local histories ; the latter must vary with 
the locality. 
For the existence of local histories there are many reasons, of which 
by far the most important is, to enable us to know objectively our social 
and political environment, and present conditions can be thoroughly 
understood only when viewed in light of their origin; second, they pro- 
vide to writers and to readers an intellectual occupation, the healthiest 
and purest of pleasures, radiant of good influence; third, men having been 
psychologically alike since the beginning of historic time have caused his- 
tory to repeat itself, and if we would but mark and heed the rhythm of 
events, they would form «a useful guide to the present, and even a key to 
the future ; fourth, they nurse patriotism ; fifth, we have a natural interest 
in the doings of our fathers; sixth, history takes hold on our imagina- 
tion and pleasurably appeals to the romantic and the poctic in us, for 
truth is always stranger than fiction, which is but its satellite, and 
glimpses through the mists which surround the past, charm us in con- 
trast with the glare of the ever commonplace present. 
The qualities which a local history should possess in order best to 
cultivate these uses are in ideal the following : 
It should be accurate and complete. The details of the story 
must harmonize with the truth and be approved by the stern eye 
of science. The writer must go direct to every original source of infor- 
mation, must weigh, sift, judge, and distinguish clearly what is certain 
from what is probable and that from what is possible. The highest 
attributes of scientific investigation are required here. 
It should be impartial, that is to say, objective. A good local history 
cannot be written by one too deeply concerned in it ; it must be the work 
of a man of travel and culture, of cosmopolitan sympathies, a psycholo- 
gist who can analyse the motives of men, one who can write not only 
from a distance but also from a height. He alone can view his field in 
proper perspective. Impartial, scientific, psychological history is very 
modern, but its day is dawning and it is even already with us. The 
older kind worshipped that “idol” of our minds which makes us the 
chosen people, all in the right, the martyrs or the justly triamphant, 
and our enemies all bad, all in the wrong, the persecutors, the Gen- 
tiles. The new history recognizes that men and nations average much 
alike, and under the same conditions act much alike; that the relations 
of victor and vanquished, oppressor and oppressed, loyal refugee and 
persecuting colonist are matter less of inherent right and wrong, than of 
