280 A Century of Science 



that stimulated his philosophic mind to undertake 

 comprehensive studies. The contact between the 

 Aryan and Semitic civilizations along the coasts of 

 the Mediterranean is surely the most interesting 

 topic in the history of mankind, as the reader will at 

 once admit when he reflects that it involves the ori- 

 gin and rise of Christianity. But, restricting our- 

 selves to the political aspects of the subject, how full 

 of dramatic grandeur it is ! How stirring were the 

 scenes of which Sicily has been the theatre ! There 

 struggled Carthage, first against Greek, and then 

 against Roman ; and in later times the conflict was 

 renewed between Arabic-speaking Mussulmans and 

 Greek-speaking Christians, until the Norman came 

 to assert his sway over both, and to loosen the 

 clutch of the Saracen upon the centre of the Medi- 

 terranean world. The theme, in its manifold bear- 

 ings, was worthy of Freeman, and he was worthy 

 of it. His design was to start with the earliest 

 times in which Sicily is known to history, and to 

 carry on the narrative as far as the death of the 

 Emperor Frederick II. and the final overthrow of 

 the Hohenstaufen dynasty. The scheme lay ripen- 

 ing in his mind for nearly half a century, and its 

 consummation was begun with characteristic swift- 

 ness and vigour. Two noble volumes were pub- 

 lished in 1891, and the third was out of the author's 



