illuftration of Quintilian, refemble the ftream that is carried through a channel formed by art for its course, but rather let him imitate the bold river which overflows a whole valley, and where it does not find, can force a paffage by its own natural impetuofity and strength.

CLASS THE THIRD,

HISTORY,

CHAPTER I.

The Study of Hiftory in general,

CURIOSITY is one of the strongest and most active principles of human nature. Throughout the fucceffive stages of life, it feeks with avidity for thofe gratifications, which are congenial with the different faculties of the mind. The child, as foon as the imagination begins to open, eagerly liftens to the tales of his nurfe: the youth, at a time of life, when the love of what is new and uncommon is quickened by fenfibility, is enchanted by the magic of Romances and Novels; the man, whose mature judgment inclines him to the pursuit of truth, applies to genuine Hiftory, which even in old age continues to be a favourite object of his attention; fince his defire to be acquainted with the tranfactions of others has nearly an equal power over his mind, with the propensity to relate what has happened to himself.

The

The love of fame, and a defire to communicate information, have influenced men in almoft every age and every nation, to leave behind them fome memorials of their existence, actions, and discoveries. Thus has the curiofity of mankind secured, by methods at firft very rude and incomplete, and in fucceeding times by records more improved and fatisfactory, its favourite enjoyments,

The method of conveying to pofterity an account of important facts, was in the earlieft ages of the world very vague and uncertain. The most obvious and eafy mode was first resorted to. When Joshua led the twelve tribes of Ifrael over the river Jordan, in a miraculous manner, he fet up twelve ftones for a memorial; but it was neceffary for tradition to explain the circumftances which gave rife to it. Joshua Spake unto the children of Ifrael, faying, when your children shall ask their fathers, in time to come, what mean thefe ftones? Then ye Shall let your children know, faying, Ifrael came over this Jordan on dry land. Songs were the only records among the ancient Germans; and their war-fong, when rufhing to battle, recalled to mind the exploits of fome departed hero. Poets who fung to the harp the praises of deceased warriors at the tables of kings, are mentioned by Homer: the Scandinavians, Gauls, and Germans, had their bards, and the favages of America preferved fimilar records of the paft in the wild poetry

Joshua, c. iv. v. 21.

of

of their country. To fupply the defects of fuch oral tradition as this, founders of ftates, and leaders of colonies, gave their own names to cities and kingdoms. Devices were fixed upon fhields and banners, and national feftivals and games were eftablished to commemorate extraordinary events. From fuch imperfect attempts to refcue the past from the ravages of time and oblivion, the progrefs to infcriptions of various kinds was made foon after the invention of letters. The Babylonians recorded their firft aftronomical obfervations upon bricks; and the moft antient monuments of Chinefe literature, were infcribed upon large tables of very hard ftone. The names of magiftrates, and the recital of the moft remarkable events, which happened during their tranfaction of public bufiness, were preferved. Two very curious monuments of this kind are ftill extant, the names of the confuls registered upon the Capitoline marbles at Rome; and the Arundelian marbles, upon which are infcribed in Greek capital letters, fome records of the early hiftory of Greece, from the time of Cecrops down to the age of Alexander the Great. They were brought from the Island of Paros, and are now preferved in the University of Oxford. Such was the commencement of annals, and of a regular feries of chronology. In fucceeding times, when nations became more civilized, and the various branches of literature were cultivated, private perfons employed themfelves in recording the actions of their contemporaries, or their ancestors, and hiftory by degrees affumed its proper form and character.

character. It was at firft like painting the rude outline of an unfkilful defigner; but after repeated effays, the great mafters of the art arofe, and produced the harmonious light and fhade, the glowing colours and animated groups of a perfect picture.

With a particular view to the works of eminent hiftorians, both ancient and modern, it may be ufeful to confider,

I. The Divifions of Hiftory, and the affiftance which it derives from other ftudies.

II. The Advantages of a knowledge of Hiftory. III. The comparative merits of ancient and modern Hiftorians.

IV. The Qualifications requifite to form an accomplished Hiftorian, in order to establish a standard, by which to measure the merits of Hiftorians in general.

I. Hiftory, in the general fenfe of the word, fignifies a true relation of facts and events; or, confidered in a moral point of view, it is that lively philofophy, which, laying afide the formality of rules, fupplies the place of experience, and teaches us to act with propriety and honour according to the examples of others. The province of hiftory is fo extenfive, that it is connected with every branch of knowledge; and fo various and abundant are its ftores, that all arts, fciences, and profeffions are indebted to it for many of the materials and prin

ciples,