Page 3 Advertisements Column 5

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2320, 13 October 1908, Page 3

the mind and exercise of the imagination, and the practical lessons of personal and political conduct. The attraction of history is so great that no other encouragement towards its study is needed than the opportunity of reading it. It is this opportunity that the Historians 5 History offers—and for the first time to English readers of this generation.

For in spite of the fact that history makes at once the most popular and most profitable reading, no branch of literature has been less exploited as far as the general public is concerned, so that a man would feel no embarrassment in acknow-. ledging that Carlyle’s French Revolution and Macaulay’s dazzling account of one generation in English History constituted the extent of his historical reading. Nor indeed need' even the man with a reputation for being well read feel ashamed of his ignorance of history, for the fault is not with him, but with the lack of suitable books. He may add Motley and Prescott "to his list ; but he does, not thereby advance towards any connected and complete view of the world drama.

Most people are agreed that while history might mate a good subject l for school teaching, as a matter of experience it does not, owing to the fact that in their brevity school text books lack the essential,' characteristic of history, which is above all things human, comprehensible, sympathetic. Any history, which comes to the reader, as foreign, dead, a matter of names and dates far off and unlike anything that is happening in our world to-day, is bad history. No matter how different and distant the circumstances and the scene maybe, history at the hands of the; great masters goes home to the reader,- he recognises its truth, finds' its , parallel in events and movements which - are taking place to-day—events which, in - their turn, become the more comprehensible for the light cast upon them from the past.,

In no department of knowledge did the 19th century make more notable advance than in that of history, and while the general reader looked upon any complete knowledge of history,as something beyond his reach, every passage in the record of mankind had been covered again and again by great writers —Ranke, Svbel, Droysen, Curtius in Germany; Freeman, Gardiner, Stubbes in England; Michelet and Guizot in France, to mention a few of the immortal names. But none of these

masters wrote for the general reader, nor could anyone save a professed student read history on such a scale or get for himself a complete view from thousands of disconnected studies. It remained for the Historians’ History to render this priceless knowledge available to all, and to satisfy at last that liking for history which is so natural a taste among all sorts and conditions of men and women.

Special Term.®, for IProssapt 'S*at»®©rillh>©3 o ©. And in order that this opportunity of entering into the common heritage of human experience should literally be open to all, The Times determined to publish and sell the History upon a system which would remove every obstacle from its purchase by anyone who wished to have it. According to this system The Times offers, direct to the individual subscriber, early copies,at a- price which is about one-sixth of the current prices charged for books, and accepts payment in monthly sums of 7/6, delivering the entire work (carriage paid to any .port or railway station in the Dominion or to any address in a. large number of towns) upon receipt of a first payment of this small amount. The system, however, admits of these favourable terms only in respect of orders promptly received. The subscription list, which opened for Hew Zealand on the 10th inst., has already closed in the United Kingdom, where the price of the History has been raised by £3 Bs. 6d. The subscription list will shortly close for Hew Zealand also, and the price of the History will be raised by a corresponding amount. In order that anyone who is'interested in the work may at once form his own individual opinion upon it, The Times has issued an 81 page pamphlet describing the History in detail,, containing a large number of actual specimen pages, plates and illustrations, and giving an account of the contents of each volume. This pamphlet will be sent post free upon request, with the special subscription form by means of which alone the History may be purchased at the present low price and upon the present easy terms. You should write for this pamphlet and subscription form at once. % | INQUIRY FORM. To THE TEMES (London), N. 35. Office: 2, Harris Street, Wellington, Please send me, post free, the Bppage pamphlet describing "The Historians' History of the 'World," and form ofsubscription at present introductory price.