Historiography 189

century antiquary.1190 Dissertations have to seek their sub-
jects where they may, but Schiitt's seemingly far-fetched study
of the attitude adopted by eighteenth-century Englishmen to
the ancient Teutons actually contributes something to the
understanding of a period which, despite its insistence on the
rational, could be extraordinarily naive and romantic.1191
Some true romantics - who very nearly were also true his-
torians-appear in a book published in Germany by an
American student of English, which deserve its place for its
rarity value.1192

However, eighteenth-century historiography means mainly
Gibbon. In gloomy Norway, Fuglum extracts from his view of
history the conviction that everything always gets worse;1193
in courteous Italy, Giarizzo accords him the leading position
in European culture which he always wanted to fill;1184 in
America, they write his life (one wishes one could read the
great man's review of this superficial book);11*5 in England,
they study his style.1196 It is also in England, quite properly,
that the only attempt is made to treat him in the round and no
more solemnly than he would have approved.1197 Since Gib-
bon, the legitimate succession has never been interrupted.
Among the historians of the early nineteenth century, one

1190 Stuart Piggott, William Stvkelty, an eighteenth-centwy antiquary. O:
Clarendon: 1950. Pp. xvi, 228,

1191 Marie Schiitt, Das Germanenproblem in der englischen Gexkichts-
sckreibimg des i& Jakfhunderts. Hamburg: de Gruyter: 1960. Pp* 70.

1192 Robert Preycr, Benth&m, Coleridge and the Science of History.
Bochum-Langendreer: Poppinghans: 1958, Pp. ix, 105. Rev:
EHR 75, 3W.

im per Fuglum, Edward Gibbon: his view of life and conception of history.
Oslo: Akademisk Forlag: 1953. Pp. 176. Rev: EHR 71, 335^

1194 G. Giarizzo, Edward Gibbon e la adtora europea del settecento. Naples:
Istituto Italianoper glistudi storici: 1954. Pp. 534. Rev: EHRji,

6558".

1195 Joseph Ward Swain, Edward Gibbon the Historian. L: Maonillan:

1966. Pp. xii, 161, Rev: History & Theory 7, I44ff.
im Harold K. Bond, The Literary Art of Edward Gibbon. O: Qaresidon:

1960. Pp. 167.
1197 Gavin de Beer, Gibbon and Ms World. L: Thames & Hudboti:

1968.Pp.