he has faithfully met all the
conditions external to his own more special qualifications for the
exacting work which he has undertaken, and, so far, so successfully
accomplished.

We have intimated that Mr. Parkman has special qualifications, taste,
and talents for the line of historical studies to which he has devoted
his life, and in which--in spite of most discouraging and embarrassing
impediments of ill-health and physical suffering in eye and limb, and
the sympathetic demands of the brain for rest and inaction except at
long intervals and for short efforts--he has already done enough to give
him place in our foremost literary ranks. We might emphasize our
assertion of these special aptitudes and talents of his even up to a
point which to those who are not familiar with his pages would seem
enthusiastic or exaggerated. The curiosity, or sympathy, or reference to
his own historical purposes,--call it and regard it which of these
motive influences we will,--which has led Mr. Parkman to seek the
closest contact with many of the Indian tribes in our domains,--to share
their life, to be domiciled in their dirty lodges, to partake of their
unappetizing feasts, to listen to their traditionary and tribal lore,
and to endeavor to put himself into communication with the inner
workings of their thought and being,--has accrued most helpfully to the
benefit of his readers. We feel that he is for us a faithful and
competent interpreter and commentator of Indian life, manners,
superstitions, and fortunes. He has a marvellous skill in observing and
describing the phenomena of nature,--the features and scenes of the
wilderness amid which they roved. Those gentle or strong touches for
shading and blending, for bringing into bold relief, or for suggesting
what is alone for the thought and not for the sight, which the skilful
painter uses in his service, are paralleled by Mr. Parkman in the
felicity of his verbal delineations. We know of no writer whose pages
are so real and vivid in qualities harmonizing with his theme as are
his. The abundant material to which we have referred required just that
elucidation and illustration which he has given to it by familiarity
with the scenes and subjects embraced in it. In some very important
points the author, by his thoroughness, candor, and judicial spirit,
corrects some false impressions generally accepted, and substitutes fact
for the fancies of romance.

_Ad majorem Dei gloriam_,--"For t