History of civilization in England I-V.

Előszó

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER I.
statement op the eesources for investigating history, and proofs of the regularity op human actions. these actions are governed by mental and physical laws: therefore both sets of laws must be studied, and there can be no history without the natural sciences.
Op all the great branches of human knowledge, history is that upon which most has been written, and which has always been most popular. And it seems to be the general opinion that the success of historians has, on the whole, been equal to their industry; and that if on this subject much has been studied, much also is understood.
This confidence in the value of history is very widely diffused, as we see in the extent to which it is read, and in the share it occupies in all plans of, education. Nor can it be denied that, in a certain point of view, such confidence is perfectly justifiable. It cannot be denied that materials have been collected which, when looked at in the aggregate, have a rich and imposing appearance. The political and military annals of all the great countries in Europe, and of most of those out of Europe, have been carefully compiled, put together in a convenient form, and the evidence on which they rest has been tolerably well sifted. Great attention has been paid to the history of legislation; also to that of religion: while considerable, though inferior, labour has been employed in tracing the progress of science, of literature, of the fine arts, of useful
Buckle. i. Vissza