Bancroft's Native Races [pp. 551-560]

BANCROFT'S NA TIVE RACES.
and manuscripts, and particularly many
rare grammars of Indian languages, a
catalogue of which he published in I871.
His principal works are, Histoire des
Nations Civilis&es du Mexigue et de
l'A,4nrique Centrale avant Chr. Co loinzbo, 4 vols.; Collections de documents
dans les langues indig?nes fpour servir
a l'tude de i'histoire et de la hiloloagie
de l'Amizrique ancienne, 3 vols.; Monu ments anciens de Mexique; and others.
In Mexico, SefiorJoaquin Garcia Icaz balceta has a large and very valuable col lection of rare manuscripts and books,
mostly relating to Mexican history, the
principal ones of which he has publish ed at his own expense, adding thereto
copious notes.
Jos6 Fernando Ramirez, Curator of
the National Library of Mexico, also
had a valuable and extensive collection
of rare books and manuscripts. He
published several important works.
In all these instances, the lives and
fortunes of the authors named were
dedicated to the work undertaken; but
in most of them the design was limited
to the illustration of some theory of civilization or period of discovery or conquest.
Without previous literary experience,
with but limited opportunities for the
mental training necessary for such an
undertaking, a citizen of California has
designed, and, so far as he has gone, successfully accomplished, a work which,
in the completeness of its design, the
judicial accuracy of its statements, the
intrinsic value of the data obtained, and
the importance of its bearing upon all
the great questions involved in the progress of the human race, at once places
his name in no unenviable position on
the list of those great and good names
to which the world has already rendered
homage.
Hubert H. Bancroft is a native of
Ohio, descended from a New England
family, and known since I856 in San
VOL. 13. -36.
Francisco as an enterprising business
man, senior partner in a book and pub lishing establishment. That he cherish ed an ambition to be known as a writer
rather than as a publisher and seller of
books was suspected by few. Yet soon
after starting in business his tastes led
him to commence in a small way the
collection of printed matter relating to
his adopted home. The taste once in dulged, gradually assumed strength; in
ten years his library had taken from
commercial pursuits more than half his
attention; during the past five years, it
has monopolized the whole. Exactly
what were his ideas and aims during the
first years of his new work, we know
not; though men were not wanting who
sought his motive in some deep-laid
scheme for pecuniary gain. Thus do
we grow up with a man, meet him habitually in the familiar intercourse of business or acquaintanceship, yet know him
little or not at all. In too many cases,
when some individual among us is of
more than ordinary worth, the community is either utterly indifferent to his
labors and aspirations, or after heartily
repressing, hindering, and baffling his
highest purposes in life, finds out his
merit only when he is dead, and pays a
percentage of its debt of honor and praise
to his memory. Mr. Bancroft followed his favorite path with ever-increasing
ardor, but into his biographical zeal he
seems to have infused a healthy leaven
of business common-sense, for he successfully avoided the shoals of bibliomania. Perfect sets of Hulsius and
DeBry, rare specimens from the press
of celebrated printers, large paper editions and uncut leaves, ever held a secondary place in his affections. Nothing
relating to his specialty was ever rejected; but the main object was always
to secure books containing actual information, to form, as he expressed it, a
"working library." The State of California naturally formed at first the basis
I874.]
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