PLANS AND PROJECTS-1838-1905 507 



to be written. The material at hand is ample and easily 

 accessible. A multitude of historians have made remark 

 able contributions to it, and among these, in our own 

 country, Irving, Prescott, Motley, Ticknor, and Lea; in 

 England, Froude, Ford, Buckle, and others have given 

 many pregnant suggestions and some increase of know 

 ledge; Germany and France have contributed much in 

 the form of printed books; Spain, much in the publica 

 tion of archives and sundry interesting histories apologiz 

 ing for the worst things in Spanish history; the Nether 

 lands have also contributed documents of great value. 

 There is little need of delving among manuscripts; that 

 has already been done, and the results are easily within 

 reach of any scholar. The &quot;History of Civilization in 

 Spain &quot; is a history of perhaps the finest amalgamation 

 of races which was made at the downfall of the Eoman 

 Empire; of splendid beginnings of liberty and its noble 

 exercise in the middle ages; of high endeavor; 

 of a wonderful growth in art and literature. But it is 

 also a history of the undermining and destruction of all 

 this great growth, so noble, so beautiful, by tyranny in 

 church and state tyranny over body and mind, heart 

 and soul. A simple, thoughtful account of this evolution 

 of the former glory of Spain, and then of the causes of 

 her decline to her present condition, would be full of sug 

 gestions for fruitful thought regarding politics, religion, 

 science, literature, and art. To write such a history was 

 the best of my dreams. Perhaps, had I been sent in 1879 

 as minister to Madrid instead of to Berlin, I might at 

 least have made an effort to begin it, and, whether suc 

 cessful or not, might have led other men to continue it. 

 It is now too late for me, but I still hope that our country 

 will supply some man to undertake it. Whoever shall 

 write such a book in an honest, broad, and impartial 

 spirit will gain not only honor for his country and him 

 self, but will render a great service to mankind. 



In closing this chapter on &quot;Plans and Projects, Exe 

 cuted and Unexecuted, I know well that my confessions 



