Produced by Inka Weide and PG Distributed Proofreaders
Selected And Edited With Introductions, Etc.
By Francis W. Halsey
Editor of "Great Epochs in American History" Associate Editor of "TheWorlds Famous Orations and of The Best of the World's Classics" etc.
In Ten Volumes
Illustrated
Vol. I Great Britain And Ireland
A two-fold purpose has been kept in view during the preparation of thesevolumes—on the one-hand, to refresh the memories and, if possible, toenlarge the knowledge, of readers who have already visited Europe; on theother, to provide something in the nature of a substitute for those whohave not yet done so, and to inspire them with new and stronger ambitionsto make the trip.
Readers of the first class will perhaps find matter here which is new tothem—at least some of it; and in any case should not regret anopportunity again to see standard descriptions of world-famed scenes andhistoric monuments. Of the other class, it may be said that, in anyprofitable trip to Europe, an indispensable thing is to go there possestof a large stock of historical knowledge, not to say with some distinctunderstanding of the profound significance to our American civilization,past, present, and future, of the things to be seen there. As has so oftenbeen said, one finds in Europe what one takes there—that is, we recognizethere exactly those things which we have learned to understand at home.Without an equipment of this kind, the trip will mean little more than asea-voyage, good or bad, a few rides on railroads somewhat different fromour own, meals and beds in hotels not quite like ours, and opportunitiesto shop in places where a few real novelties may be found if one searchesfor them long enough.
No sooner has an American tourist found himself on board a ship, bound forEurope, than he is conscious of a social system quite unlike the one inwhich he was born and reared. On French ships he may well think himselfalready in France. The manners of sailors, no less than those of officers,proclaim it, the furniture proclaims it, and so do woodwork, walldecorations, the dinner gong (which seems to have come out of a chateau inold Touraine), and the free wine at every meal. The same is quite as trueof ships bound for English and German ports; on these are splendid order,sober taste, efficiency in servants, and calls for dinner that startreminiscences of hunting horns.
The order and system impress one everywhere on these ships. Things are allin their proper place, employees are at their proper posts, doing theirwork, or alert to do it when the need comes. Here the utmost quietprevails. Each part of the great organization is so well adjusted to otherparts, that the system operates noiselessly, without confusion, and withnever a failure of cooperation at any point. So long as the voyage lasts,impressions of a perfected system drive themselves into one'sconsciousness.
After one goes ashore, and as long as he remains in Europe, that wellordered state will impress, delight and comfort him. Possibly he willcontrast it with his own country's more hurried, less firmly controlledways, but once he reflects on causes, he will perceive that the ways ofEurope are products of a civilization long since settled, and alreadyancient, while the hurried and more thoughtless methods at home areconcomitants of a civilization still too young, too ambitious, and toosuccessful to bear the