Of Things of the Indies: Essays Old and New in Early Latin American History (review)

This collection of essays by James Lockhart embraces a broader spectrum of subjects than his first, Nahuas and Spaniards. Eight of the twelve pieces are reprinted in somewhat revised versions, while four are published here for the first time. One dates from the late 1960s, and a couple appeared in the 1970s. They have aged well, retaining considerable validity and not just marking the historical perspectives of a certain era. The remainder date from 1985 to recent days.

Most of the selections will be familiar to historians of the colonial period. Half of them relate to Lockhart's acclaimed work in Nahuatl language documents. All the rest, save one, speak to the field of social history, primarily of Mexico and Peru. The exception is an entertaining and enlightening account of Lockhart's early training--mostly in foreign languages and natural philosophy, and finally in history--initially the European medieval period. The essay then turns to what Lockhart has found worthwhile and deficient in the approaches of the other social science and humanistic disciplines as he has moved through his career.

Except for perhaps a couple of the pieces on translating and editing Nahuatl documents, which, though important, are technical and specialized, all of the essays are of breadth and continuing significance. Other scholars may have added new dimensions, but Lockhart's findings endure uneclipsed, with their originality still visible however old they might be. Though he possesses a laudable precision in his use of language, Lockhart uses it to make larger points and demonstrate notable patterns, often where many among us would not think to find them.