Page:Livingstone in Africa.djvu/19

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PREFACE.
xv

zation of the races. Not Wilberforce, Clarkson, Buxton, Lincoln, or "Uncle Tom's Cabin," have done more for the slave than David Livingstone. He seems to have possessed also an extraordinary power of sympathizing with and personally influencing the natives, with whom he came in contact.

This is a man of the old heroic type: a grand personality, like those of Xavier, Mazzini, Garibaldi, Bellot, Boss, Parry, Franklin, Stephenson, Watt, Mungo Park; who exhibits, in a peculiarly fascinating phase of modern life, the heroic energy, and skilful perseverance in combating gigantic difficulties; partly from ideal and humane ends—to serve God and Man—partly for the mere sake of combating those difficulties themselves. God is not tired of choosing and providing such natures, when He has a great work for them to do: indeed He provides also many obscurer workers, with natures as noble, whom He in His own way rewards. Are not men like Henry Martyn, and Bishop Patteson; with other men and women,