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Report on General Literature. 



with popularity ; but which, in its comprehensive history 

 of the limits and progress of past races, will always remain 

 a valuable source of reference, and by its production has 

 greatly added to the reputation of its author for deep and 

 accurate cultivation. And lastly, we have Darwin's Descent 

 of Man, with St. George Mivart's auswer to it, in the 

 Genesis of Species. These last two treatises being pro- 

 fessedly of a scientific character, as such should find no 

 mention in this paper, but be left more properly to the re- 

 port of the scientific committee; but, inasmuch as they 

 are partially of a controversial character, and bid fair to 

 give rise to still more extended debate, they compose, in 

 some respects, a part of the general literature of the day, 

 and thereby may justly claim a fugitive mention. 



And now, at length, in conclusion, we come to what 

 usually forms the larger portion of general literature, 

 the domain of history. There is never, in any year, a lack 

 of histories. The reputation to be acquired by a really 

 able historian is a great temptation to seek that branch of 

 literature ; and, when facts are already furnished to hand, 

 the task of shaping them may seem an easy one. Yet 

 there are few histories ever written which are of much 

 value ; and the fact that Hume and Gibbon still hold their 

 places, shows how large and skillful a combination of 

 qualities is necessary for the attainment of success. That 

 only is a valuable history which either sets forth well 

 known facts in a pleasant and more agreeable style than 

 any which have gone before, or which searches diligently 

 into forgotten and hidden documents and thus brings fresh 

 truths to light, or which instructs the world by developing 

 new theories from facts already known. 



Judged upon this platform, the past year has brought to 

 us three noticeable historical works. There is first the 

 History of Paraguay by Minister Washburn, a voluminous 

 and somewhat heavy work, too comprehensive in detai 



