270 A Century of Science 



which attention is thus unwisely concentrated. 

 Freeman understood that in some respects, if not 

 in others, the history of Greece is just as impor- 

 tant after the battle of Chaeronea as before ; and 

 he became especially interested in the history of 

 the Achaian League and other Greek attempts 

 at federation. Thence grew the idea of studying 

 the development of federal union as the highest 

 form of nation-building, beginning with its germs 

 in the leagues among Greek autonomous cities. 

 The enterprise was arduous, involving as it did the 

 determination of obscure points in the history of 

 many ages and countries, more particularly Greece, 

 Switzerland, and America. The first volume, con- 

 taining the general introduction and the history of 

 the Greek federations, was published in 1863, a stal- 

 wart octavo of 721 pages. It bore upon the title- 

 page a motto from " The Federalist," No. xvin., 

 " Could the interior structure and regular operation 

 of the Achaian League be ascertained, it is proba- 

 ble that more light might be thrown by it on the 

 science of federal government than by any of the 

 like experiments with which we are acquainted." 

 This book is of priceless value, and if Freeman 

 had never published anything more, it would have 

 entitled him to a place in the foremost rank of 

 historians. It deals thoroughly with a very im- 



