for themselves, his full sympathy with the objects of popular aspiration, and the lofty tone of hopefulness for the future which ran through the book, gave it a moral and political value, besides its literary and historical merits. The book was immediately popular; its treatment was new, its tone fresh and vigorous, its style attractive, its arrangement clear; above all, it never halted, but carried on the reader with unabated enthusiasm. Green was in fact not only a scholar, but an artist; he had a passion for fine form, and he never rested till he found it. The book from first to last was the building up of one great conception, ordered in all its parts, and instinct with emotion.
The ' History ' had a success such as few books on a serious subject have had in English literature. The first edition was exhausted immediately; five fresh issues were called for in 1875, and one or two issues have marked every subsequent year. But Green did not rest content with his success. While none acknowledged more cheerfully the excellence of the work of other historians, none clung more firmly to his own method, or defended it more gently, with an admirable and singular mixture of self-confidence and humility. He knew that there were some mistakes in detail in his book, and that some subjects had been passed over briefly so as to keep the volume within its limits. He set to work to expand his book into a fuller form, so that it should contain more facts, and give detailed information in support of general views. This larger work, which appeared in four vols. in 1877-80, did not deviate from the point of view already taken, and kept the title, 'A History of the English People.' Green's health was now decidedly better, and he could form new plans of life and work. In June 1877 he married Alice, daughter of Edward A. Stopford, LL.D., archdeacon of Meath. His wife entered warmly into all his pursuits, acted as his amanuensis, taught him to husband his resources of health and strength, and encouraged him to begin his labours on a still larger and completer scale. Having written the history of England for the people of England, he resolved to write it again for scholars. Beginning with Britain as the Romans left it, he pieced together the history of the English invasion and settlement, infusing life into archæology, and bringing his knowledge of the physical features of the country to the explanation of the scanty records of early times. While he was engaged on this work an unfortunate journey to Egypt again upset his health in the spring of 1881, and The Making of England' was finished under very adverse conditions. This book, published in 1882, brought down English history to the consolidation of the kingdoms under Egbert, and showed Green's qualities as a critical historian. His rare power of dealing with fragmentary evidence, his quick eye for what was essential, his firm hold of the main points, his ripe knowledge of all that could illustrate his subject, above all, his feeling for reality, and his insight into probabilities, enabled him to give life and movement to the earliest period of our national life. Apart from its other merits this book exercised a wide influence, which is still growing, as an example of the methods by which archæology can be turned into history. It gave a stimulus to the pursuit of local archæology, and showed archæologists the full importance of their work. It established Green's title to a high place among critical historians, and showed in a marked degree all the qualities which are required for the best historical work. It proved not merely that the merits of the 'Short History' were those of literary style and brilliancy of presentation, but that the whole book was the fruit of patient research and thorough knowledge, which only needed longer time and a larger scale to establish its conclusions. Time, however, was not granted to him. His health grew worse, but he eagerly used every moment that he could to carry on his work. In the autumn of 1882 he had to leave England for Mentone, where he struggled against increasing weakness of body to finish his next volume on 'The Conquest of England,' which was to carry down the history to the coming of the Normans. He worked on steadfastly till a few days before his death on 7 March 1883. He left behind him materials which enabled Mrs. Green to publish the book at the end of the year.
Besides the books mentioned above Green reprinted in 1876 some of his early papers, under the title of 'Stray Studies in England and Italy,' a book which contains much that illustrates his sympathetic and genial character, as well as his knowledge of men and his interest in places and scenes. In 1879 he issued 'Readings from English History,' a series of selections for the use of teachers who wished to interest their pupils in points of detail. In 1880 he wrote, with Mrs. Green, a 'Short Geography of the British Isles,' which contained the substance of much that he had learned in his rambles in England. In 1881 he edited 'Addison's Select Essays.’
Green possessed in a very marked degree the qualities which make a man attractive in society. He was a brilliant talker, with a command of epigram, a fertility of illustration, a lightness of touch, a ready sympathy,
