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The Cambridge Histories.
3
Work on the
3tudents throughout the world will learn with interest and
pleasure that another important stage in the great enter rise of
the University of Cambridge Histories, started fortythree years ago,
has now been reached. It began in 1896 with the Modern History, of
which the twelfth and last volume appeared in 1910.
Medis val History was delayed by the Great War and other untoward
events, and the eighth and final volume did not appear until 1936.
Now it is announced that, after sixteen years steady work upon it,
the twelfth and final volume of the Ancient History has been
published.
For the first time the continuous narrative of the entire body
of knowledge in all countries, from the dawn of history to the
year 1910, is available. Lord Acton, the Regius Professor of
History at Cambric.ge, initiated the scheme for the Histories in
1896. He planned a European epic, to be reared by an internation-
al band of scholars.. "Our Waterloo", he said, "must be one which
satisfies French and English, German and Lutch alike"; and in the
Cambridge Histories the international character of the contributions
has been steadily maintained.
In the last volume of the Ancient
History, which has just made its appearance, twelve of the twenty
chapters are written by foreign co.itributors, and six of the twelve
are written by Germans.
Lord Acton sought to provice "an illumination of the soul"
and a "chart and compass for the coming century". Whether mankind
will be wise enough to use the chart and compass which has been
provided, or ignore these lessons and plunge into catastrophe, we
may learn from events in the immediate future.