BUCKLE

Henry Thomas, an eminent historical writer, was bom on 24th November, 1822. He was the son of a wealthy merchant, and received his education partly at home, and partly at Dr. Hallo way's School, Gordon House, Kentish Town. His delicate health prevented his remaining long at school, but his love of learning and indefatigable industry as a student supplied any deficiencies in his training, and he was to a great extent self-educated. At an early age he entered his father's cdtmtinghouse, but he displayed no aptitude for busine ; and when at the age of eighteen his father's death left him an ample fortune, he devoted himself entirely to study. The only thing he allowed to distract him from his more serious pursuits w:«s his favourite game of che , in which he attained such excellence as to be recognized as one of the first English masters of the game; but even this he gave up when he found it encroached too much on his time. He had formed a plan, to which he dedicated his life, of writing the History of Civilization in England in conformity with certain philosophical principles, and with an exhaustive treatment in regard to detaik which he deemed indispensable to historical accuracy, which made the work he had imdertaken one of almost incalculable magnitude. He only succeeded in finishing two volumes; the first, published in 1858, stated with copious illustrations the plan of the work; ^he seo on<^ i ued in 1861, contained a digre ion on the histories of Scotland and Spain, intended further to illustrate his design, and demonstrate the principles on which it was based. These works gave rise to much controversy, but it has been generally agreed that they exhiHt great boldne and originality of design, with profound and accurate scholarship, and po ibly also with a good deal of what was the object of the historian's strongest aversion in others, dogmatism. He died at Damascus on 29th May, 1862, when on a voyage undertaken for the restoration of his health.