252 A Century of Science 



pie in gaining a correct historical perspective that 

 within the last ten years the mighty world strug- 

 gle in which Pitt and Frederick were allied is 

 treated in a book entitled " Minor Wars of the 

 United States " ! In 1851 the soil was not yet 

 ready for the seed sown by Parkman, and he did 

 not quickly or suddenly become popular. But 

 after the publication of the " Pioneers of France " 

 in 1865 his fame grew rapidly. In those days I 

 took especial pleasure in praising his books, from 

 the feeling that they were not so generally known 

 as they ought to be, particularly in England, 

 where he has since come to be recognized as fore- 

 most among American writers of history. In 1879 

 I had been giving a course of lectures at Univer- 

 sity College, London, on " America's Place in His- 

 tory," and shortly afterwards repeated this course 

 at the little Hawthorne Hall, on Park Street, in 

 Boston. One evening, having occasion to allude 

 briefly to Pontiac and his conspiracy, I said, among 

 other things, that it was memorable as " the theme 

 of one of the most brilliant and fascinating books 

 that have ever been written by any historian since 

 the days of Herodotus." The words were scarcely 

 out of my mouth when I happened to catch sight 

 of Mr. Parkman in my audience. I had not ob- 

 served him before, though he was seated quite 



