Page:The study of history in Holland and Belgium (IA studyofhistoryin00frrich).pdf/18

 those masters of preparatory schools who, by private study, with the aid of manuals of geography and history, obtain a diploma from the examining commission appointed by the state and sitting every year. Some of these masters of schools have also pursued a one year's course in national or universal history at the universities.

We have followed the same plan, with a few exceptions, in Belgium. We must not forget that it was only in 1880 that M. Van Humbuck created at Liége, and in 1884 at Ghent, the normal sections in history and geography. For the teaching of history and geography in our athenæums we had up to that time contented ourselves with the doctors of philosophy and the fellows in philology from the Normal Classical School, whose preparation in history was absolutely insuffcientinsufficient [sic]. However, the point is not yet gained. Since the change of ministry in June, 1884, it is noticeable that for the chairs in history at our athenæums doctors of philosophy from Louvain are preferred to specialists trained by the normal history section at Liége.

But to return to Holland. From the preceding it appears clear that there is almost no scientific study of history among the students for the doctorate in arts. But, curiously enough, this poor science, reduced to impotence in the Faculty of Arts, has taken refuge in another faculty where one would scarcely expect to see it better received—in the Faculty of Protestant Theology!

Under an impulse from W. Noll, professor of ecclesiastical history at Amsterdam, a school of history has been formed in Holland which has chosen for its field of exploration the religious life of the Netherlands from the time of the first apostles of Christianity down to our own day. Calm impartiality and rigorous scientific method are still the appanage of its two principal pupils, Prof. J. G. R. Acquoy of Leyden and J. G. de Hoop Scheffer of Amsterdam. Prof. Acquoy has in his turn become head of a school at Leyden.