Mediaeval and Modern History

From the Preface: To the American pupil the history of Europe is important because it is also the early history of his own people. In the older Europe lie the beginnings of American civilization, institutions as well as religious customs, literature, and habits of thought. But it is difficult to explain the development of Europe since the downfall of the Roman Empire within the somewhat rigorous limits assigned to a textbook. A brief text-book has the advantage of making possible a larger use of books for supplementary reading, which are constantly increasing in numbers and utility. One of the conditions of brevity is the omission of many facts which are ordinarily explained or at least mentioned. The principle of selection adopted in the preparation of this book has been the value of the fact in explaining the Europe of the present day and in showing the course of its development. Emphasis has also been laid upon geographical facts in order that the geography of Europe already studied in the elementary school may be reviewed and explained, as it must necessarily be in the study of the historical facts which lie behind the present frontier lines or the condition of modern nations. The attempt has been made to narrate the history of the more important countries together in chronological order, instead of giving to each a separate treatment, and so obliging the reader to move forward and backward along the chronological series and, by an unusual effort of attention, make the necessary correlation of events, or fail to gain an adequate conception of the progress of Europe as a whole.