Biography is an admirable channel for the learning of history. Herodotus, the “Father of history,” showed us that history is really only a series of stories about people, and if any reader can glance at Rawlinson’s translation, she will become aware of this. Unfortunately history is so long that these “stories” have, as a rule, to be compressed, and so lose their living interest. Perhaps the present generation cannot recall the charm of the _First History of Rome_, and the _First History of Greece_, by the author of _Amy Herbert_, used as school-books, in contrast to the ordinary English history. The present writer used to wonder why Roman history was so delightful, English history so dull, and why the former could always be remembered—the latter, never! It was just because those elementary manuals of Greek and Roman history—as to whose intrinsic value we are expressing no opinion whatever—used the “story” method of dealing with their subject. Plutarch’s _Lives_ have already been mentioned. Dean Farrar’s _Seekers after God_ should not be omitted. It tells the story of some of the greatest men who lived just before and after the Christian era. When we turn to English history we may learn much from the series of _Twelve English Statesmen_, published at 2s. 6d. a volume by Macmillan. An excellent specimen of these is Mrs. J. R. Green’s _Henry II._, a delightful book from which the history of the twelfth century may be better understood. For the fifteenth century, read the _Life of Savonarola_, by Pasquale Villari; an essay on _Joan of Arc_, by De Quincey. For the sixteenth century consult “The Great Artists Series” for lives of Michael Angelo, Raphael, Titian, and others, and read some Life of Martin Luther, or Froude’s essay on Erasmus and Luther, in his _Short Studies_. Also read Sidney Lee’s _Life of Shakespeare_. For the seventeenth century Lord Macaulay’s essays on John Milton and John Bunyan will be interesting. For the eighteenth century again Lord Macaulay has an essay on Frederick the Great, which is valuable, and Boswell’s _Life of Johnson_ is a delightful book for all times. Lord Macaulay’s _Critical and Historical Essays_ from which the above are selected are published at 2s. 6d. Sarah Tytler’s _Life of Marie Antoinette_, published at 2s. 6d. (“New Plutarch Series”), may be useful. Emerson’s book _Representative Men_ is published in many editions from 6d. upwards. For the nineteenth century, there are many biographies of interest; every great man has his life written and published, and many men who are not great, so that it requires discretion to choose among them. Read the _Life of Mazzini_, by E. A. V., whatever else you omit. The _Eulogy of Richard Jeffries_, by Walter Besant, is a charming and suggestive book for lovers of nature, though it has nothing to do with “history” so called.