LEOPOLD VON RANKE 255
It is unnecessary in this place to enlarge upon the results of this work. A large proportion of the German historians for the next two generations were thus trained by Ranke or his pupils. Waitz, in particular, at Gottingen conducted a seminary with brilliant results, and "proved himself, next to Ranke, the most successful founder and leader of a his- torical school." 1
As a writer of history Ranke faithfully exemplified the principles which he laid down at the beginning. One of the best statements of them is that in the English History — " All hangs together — critical study of genuine sources, impartial view, objective description; the end to be arr ived a t is the represe ntation of the whole trut b> I am here set- ting up an ideal, respecting which 1 shall be told that it can never be realized. Well, the conditions of the case are these: The idea is immeasurable, the realization of it is from its nature limited. Happy is he who has entered upon the right path and attained the results which can stand fur- ther investigation and criticism." ^
To realize, even approximately, this ideal requires the con- stant exercise of the criticism, precision, and penetration, which he enjoined upon his pupils. Among the many ex- amples of his penetration that could be given, the following is perhaps the most remarkable. One of the most striking results of modern historical criticism is the demonstration that the Levitical Law as we have it in the Pentateuch is a late and largely ideal product of Jewish priestly thought, which assumed its present shape during or after the exile, or perhaps a thousand years later than its apparent date. This
ischen Hause, 1837, reprinted in the Werke, LII, 479-81 ; in the entry in his diary for April 6, 1884, 649; in Von Sybel's Geddchtnissrede, Hist. Zeits., LVI, 474; and in Waltz's Die Historischen Uebungen zu Gdttingen, 1867, 4, 5. For a fuller treatment of this phase of Kanke's work, see below pp. 263-74.
1 Von Sybel, " Georg Waitz," Hist. Zeits., LVI, 485. Cf. also Waitz, Die historische Uebungen zu GSttingen. Dr. Stuckenberg in his article on Ranke in the Andover Review, February, 1887, asserts that over one hundred of Banke's students gained distinction.
2 History of England, V, 428.
