The history of the life of every individual who
has, for any reason, attracted extensively the attention
of mankind, has been written in a great variety of ways
by a multitude of authors, and persons sometimes wonder
why we should have so many different accounts of the
same thing. The reason is, that each one of these
accounts is intended for a different set of readers, who
read with ideas and purposes widely dissimilar from each
other. Among the twenty millions of people in the United
States, there are perhaps two millions, between the ages
of fifteen and twenty-five, who wish to become
acquainted, in general, with the leading events in the
history of the Old World, and of ancient times, but who,
coming upon the stage in this land and at this period,
have ideas and conceptions so widely different from
those of other nations and of other times, that a mere
republication of existing accounts is not what they
require. The story must be told expressly to them. The
things that are to be explained, the points that are to
be brought out, the comparative degree of prominence to
be given to the various particulars, will all be
different, on account of the difference in the
situation, the ideas, and the objects of these new
readers, compared with those of the various other
classes of readers which former authors have had in
view. It is for this reason, and with this view, that
the present series of historical narratives is presented
to the public. The author, having had some opportunity
to become acquainted with the position, the ideas, and
the intellectual wants of those whom he addresses,
presents the result of his labors to them, with the hope
that it may be found successful in accomplishing its
design.
|
|