enough remains to make something of the picture of a hero, both of
science and of action.

Our subject, then, has been strictly historical, but a history in which
a certain life, a certain biographical centre, becomes more and more
important, till from its completed achievement we get our best outlook
upon the past progress of a thousand years, on this side, and upon the
future progress of those generations which realised the next great
victories of geographical advance.

The series of maps which illustrate this account, give the same
continuous view of the geographical development of Europe and
Christendom down to the end of Prince Henry's age. These are, it is
believed, the first English reproductions in any accessible form of
several of the great charts of the Middle Ages, and taken together they
will give, it is hoped, the best view of Western or Christian map-making
before the time of Columbus that is to be found in any English book,
outside the great historical atlases.

In the same way the text of this volume, especially in the earlier
chapters, tries to supply a want--which is believed to exist--of a
connected account from the originals known to us, of the expansion of
Europe through geographical enterprise, from the conversion of the
Empire to the period of those discoveries which mark most clearly the
transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern World.

* * * * *

The chief authorities have been: