THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 



THE FIELD OF HISTORY. 



Read before the Hamilton Association, March 24th, i8gS. 

 BY REV. HORATIO S. BEAVIS, D. D. 



Having the fear of scientific gentlemen before mine eyes, 

 I will not presume to enter upon the discussion of my subject 

 without first presenting a definition To speak more accurately, 

 I will attempt the said definition, for what seems almost child- 

 ish in its simplicity has oft times floored the profound philoso- 

 pher. The tyro's endeavor to find the appropriate phrase must 

 result in unmistakable criticism, but when masters present their 

 answers are we always satisfied ? When the historian Freeman 

 lays down the proposition, "History is past politics, and politics 

 is present history," we first applaud, then turn to soine search- 

 ing analyst who sets the fine epigram in his crucible, and shows 

 its fallibility Does history deal with politics alone ? and is the 

 present life of society concerned with state affairs alone ? 

 Besides, says our critic, he defines one thing by another thing 

 which requires definition, and coolly walks off, leaving us to 

 wrestle with a quandary. Dr. Arnold's " History is the bio- 

 graphy of a society," strikes us more favorably, and Carlyle's 

 " History is the essence of innumerable biographies," inspires 

 one with the thought of the dignity of each human life. The 

 remark of the Sage of Chelsea that " Histor}' is philosophy 

 teaching by experience," seems to be a simple modification of 

 the aphorism of Dionysius of Halicarnassus, quoted by Boling- 

 broke, " History is philosophy teaching by example." Vet these 

 pithy utterances are fitter to express the value of historical study 

 than to really define it. The great Humboldt contents himself 

 with saying that history is the " narration of events." Unpar- 

 donably presumptuous as it may appear, I must dissent from a 

 view of history which narrows it to events. I am sure that 



