John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana

[158] the best volume of the kind published in the English language. It is to be observed, however, that the compiler's modesty was too great to permit him to include even one of his own poems within its ample limits.

The success which crowned this work from the start soon led to another and far more ambitious undertaking. Dana's indefatigable industry and wide range of reading had stored his mind with an extraordinary variety and amount of learning. Like Diderot, who compiled the first encyclopaedia worthy of the name, he was undoubtedly at that time among the very few men of his country qualified for a work of that character, and this his publishers were not slow to recognize. The time seemed to be favorable, and accordingly his proposal that he and his old associate, George Ripley, should undertake the preparation of The American Cyclopaedia was accepted. It was a work of considerable magnitude, requiring not only much capital, but the co-operation of many brains. It necessarily involved the organization of a staff of associate editors, revisers, and contributors covering the entire range of human knowledge, and especially of history, science, art, and literature. It might properly be said that Dana was already fully employed as managing editor of the Tribune, and, as has been shown, he was also devoted heart and soul to the war against the spread of slavery; but he did not hesitate to take on this new task. With Ripley to give personal attention to the editorial and administrative bureau, he grappled with the work, and by giving to it all the time he could spare from the Tribune, from his family, and from rest, he did his full share to the satisfaction of his associates and the publishers, and with their help carried the undertaking rapidly to a successful conclusion. The first volume was published in 1858, and the rest followed at regular intervals till 1863, when the last was completed. It was, of course, criticised by specialists, but in