1

ог

CHRONOLOGY,

ANCIENT AND MODERN;

BEING AN

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF

HISTORY.

ON THE PLAN OF THE

REV. DAVID BLAIK.

By San

FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS..

ACCOMPANIED BY A CHART.

BOSTON.

RICHARDSON, LORD & HOLBROOK,

No. 131 Washington Street.

1832.

DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, to wit:
District Clerk's Office.

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty-third day of June, A. D. 1828, in the fifty-second year of the Independence of the United States of America, Samuel G. Goodrich, of the said district, has deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit:

"Outlines of Chronology, Ancient and Modern; being an Introduction to the Study of History. On the Plan of the Rev. David Blair. For the Use of Schools. Accompanied by a Chart."

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned ;" and also to an act, entitled, "An Act supplementary to an act, entitled, An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned; and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints."

AOKK

JNO. W. DAVIS,

Clerk of the District of Massachusetts.

ADVERTISEMENT.

This work is introductory to a series of Histories on the plan of the excellent School Books which have appeared as the works of the Rev. David Blair. The series, which is now nearly completed, will comprise the following:—,

These works will be illustrated by engravings, and will be found much superior to the common works on the same subjects.

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PREFACE.

Ir is a fact that has probably fallen within the observation of most persons, that few individuals, of those even who have made History a careful study, ever obtain a clear and distinct general view of the subject. Many, indeed, understand well a few separate points, but with most, if its whole details are not speedily rejected from the memory as a load too burdensome to be supported, they lie in the mind in a state of obscurity and confusion. In such cases the recollection of events is difficult and uncertain; the separation of even reading events, from the tangled mass, can scarcely be effected; and the formation of analogous facts into classes, for the purposes of reasoning and inference, is a thing not thought of.

The reason of this is, donbtless, that the field of General History is too large its details to multifarious, they are presented also in a shape too mazy and complex to be distinctly comprehended even ;-much less to be treasured in the memory. In order to be effectually understood and preserved, they must be arranged into classes, or grouped into periods under some general characteristics, which may tie them together by association, and preserve them for the call of recollection.

In the present work an attempt has been made to make such a classification as is needed. The subject is divided into twenty periods; each being characterized in such a way as to distinguish it from the others, and at the same time, by associating a large number of facts under a general characteristic, to assist in settling their dates. Thus for example our 6th period of ancient history being characterized as the age of Roman Kings, the learner who has fixed our classification in

his mind, will know that any event relating to the Roman Kings, or that happened in their age, lies be tween 752 and 490 years B. C.

That some system is necessary in the study of history, and that it should be adopted very early, if not at the beginning of the study, before the mind is lost in the wilderness of events, even though that system may be comprehended with some difficulty by the juvenile mind, and may need explanation from the teacher, and after all may be a task to the learner, cannot be doubted. That the system now offered is the best that may be devised, is not pretended that it is decidedly preferable to any which the author has met with, is believed; and that it may be useful in the highest degree, has been tested by experiment.

Remarks on using the work

1. It is designed that the General Divisions be committed strongly to memory, so that the pupil may never forget them.

2. It is proposed, in general, only to require the pupil to recite what is in larger type the teacher will extend the examination farther as he chooses.

3. It is suggested that the pupil be required to read the book once or twice through, before he is examined by the questions, and that he be called upon frequently to repeat the General Division, as he proceeds.

4. It is recommended to the pupil, to review this work at intervals, after he has left it for the study of more extensive treatises on history, so that he may preserve this outline of the subject during life.

5. The Chart that accompanies the work is designed to assist the memory by associations derived from visible impressions. It will be at once comprehended by the pupil, after he has read the book through, and should be before him constantly while he is committing this outline to memory.