ic Series,
XII.)

Some twelve years ago, Dr. Draper published a bulky volume entitled
"A History of the Intellectual Development of Europe," in which his
professed purpose was to show that nations or races pass through certain
definable epochs of development, analogous to the periods of infancy,
childhood, youth, manhood, and old age in individuals. But while
announced with due formality, the carrying out of the argument was left
for the most part to the headings and running-titles of the several
chapters, while in the text the author peacefully meandered along down
the stream of time, giving us a succession of pleasant though somewhat
threadbare anecdotes, as well as a superabundance of detached and
fragmentary opinions on divers historical events, having apparently
quite forgotten that he had started with a thesis to prove. In the
arrangement of his "running heads," some points were sufficiently
curious to require a word of explanation, as, for example, when the
early ages of Christianity were at one time labelled as an epoch
of progress and at another time as an epoch of decrepitude. But the
argument and the contents never got so far en rapport with each other as
to clear up such points as this. On the contrary, each kept on the even
tenour of its way without much regard to the other. From the titles of
the chapters one was led to expect some comprehensive theory of European
civilization continuously expounded. But the text merely showed a
great quantity of superficial and second-hand information, serving
to illustrate the mental idiosyncrasies of the author. Among these
idiosyncrasies might be noted a very inadequate understanding of the
part played by Rome in the work of civilization, a singular lack of
appreciation of the political and philosophical achievements of Greece
under Athenian leadership, a strong hostility to the Catholic Church,
a curious disposition to overrate semi-barbarous, or abortive
civilizations, such as those of the old Asiatic and native
American communities, at the expense of Europe, and, above all, an
undiscriminating admiration for everything, great or small, that has
ever worn the garb of Islam or been associated with the career of the
Saracens. The discovery that in some respects the Mussulmans of
the Middle Ages were more highly cultivated than their Christian
contemporaries, has made such an impression on Dr. Draper's mind that it
seems to be as hard for him to get rid of it as it w