one who shows the influence of Ranke in a marked way is
Henry Adams. ^ In his work we find the criticism, preci-
sion, and penetration in a remarkable degree, the character-
istic and most successful use of diplomatic relations, the
same comprehensive outlook.
Ranke crowned his unexampled labors ^ with his History of the World, Like the aged Humboldt, ^ as the end approached, he felt the impulse to leave the world a general view of the field of his labors — a sort of testament. The undertakingr was truly wonderful, but not so wonderful as has been sup- posed. Ranke in his lectures had been accustomed to treat long periods in a general way, sometimes covering the whole of mediaeval history, and his seminary work was mainly in that field. Occasionally ancient history was the subject of his public courses. Given, then, the preservation of his powers, the rapidity with which he turned off the volumes seems less miraculous. The labor was largely that of sift- ing and arranging accumulated material and of composition. This is clearly true of the volume on ancient histor}\ In it were utilized the results of his Frankfort studies.* The highly interesting chapters on literature are in substance the Frankfort lectures on classical literature. The critics have remarked the freshness of delineation without explaining it. The chapters on Israel come from one whose critical study
History of the Commorncealth, the remark that Gardiner is following " den Spuren Ranke'scher Objectivitat," Hist. Zeits., LXXVI, 335.
1 It mav occnr to some that George Bancroft should be mentioned as a fol- lower of Ranke's methods. This is of coarse true as regards the extensive use of diplomatic material. In other respects Bancroft shows more distinctly the infliience of Heeren, under whom he studied, and some of whose works he trans- lated. The stvle of his early work similarly betrays the influence of Gibbon.
2 The international character and cosmopolitan significance of Ranke's work is impressively shown in the valuable Bibliography prepared by William Price and published in the Report ay the American Historical Association, 1896.
' Alexander von Humboldt wrote most of his Cosmos after he was seventy- five.
- Ranke wrote Alfred von Reumont, April 15, 1879, when he was at work on
the earlier part of the Weltgeschichte : "Ich benutze Biicher, die ich mir noch in der Schulpforte angeschafft und kleine Arbeiten, die ich in Frankfort a. O. ent- worfen habe, so dass Alter und Jugend unmittelbar zusammengehen," 546.
