History of the English People,' and he and
I were friends in London, I heard him telling about his scheme. I
thought it would be a very nice thing to do something of the same sort
for American history. But when I took it up I found myself, instead of
carrying it out in that way, dwelling upon special points; and
insensibly, without any volition on my part, I suppose, it has been
rather taking the shape of separate monographs. But I hope to go on in
that way until I cover the ground with these separate books,--that is,
to cover as much ground as possible. But, of course, the scheme has
become much more extensive than it was when I started."

Taken in the order of their subjects, the five works already contributed
to this series are, "The Discovery of America, with some Account of
Ancient America and the Spanish Conquest" (two volumes); "Old Virginia
and her Neighbours" (two volumes); "The Beginnings of New England, or
the Puritan Theocracy in its Relations to Civil and Religious Liberty;"
"The American Revolution" (two volumes); and "The Critical Period of
American History, 1783-1789." Allied with these books, though hardly
taking a place in the series, is "Civil Government in the United States,
Considered with some Reference to its Origins," "The War of
Independence," it will thus be seen, is the least ambitious of all
these historical works. "A History of the United States for Schools" is
addressed to the same audience, and in so far may be considered a
companion volume.

What makes Mr. Fiske's histories just what they are? Another step
backward in the stages of his own development will enable us to see, and
the sub-title, "Viewed from the Standpoint of Universal History," of one
of his earlier books, "American Political Ideas," will help towards an
understanding of his power. It is due to the fact that he brings to his
historical work on special subjects the broad philosophic and general
view of a man who is much more than a specialist,--the scientific habit
of mind which must look for causes when effects are seen, and must point
out the relations between them. There could be no better preparation for
the writing of history than the apparently alien study of the questions
with which the names of Darwin and Spencer are inseparably associated.
When Darwin's "Origin of Species" appeared, Mr. Fiske's own thought had
prepared him to take the place of an ardent apostle of Evolution, and it
is held that no man has done more