genial with our peculiar habits and manners; and which come more within the reach of our imitation.

I. The Qualifications of an accomplished Hiftorian.

In order to erect a ftandard by which to meafure the merits of hiftorians, let us form to our minds one of the greatest characters which can adorn the literature of a country, and endeavour to point out the qualifications, by which an accomplished hiftorian ought to be diftinguished.

Such a writer choofes a fubject adapted to his talents and fituation. He is moft fortunate, when his ftores of knowledge are fupplied by experience, and his own obfervation; as was the cafe with fome of the beft hiftorians of antiquity, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius, Cofar, and Tacitus; and in modern times Sully and Clarendon. Or if he has not been himself an agent in the tranfactions he records, he has recourfe to the pureft fources of information. Although it is impoffible always to felect fuch a fubject as admits of ftrict unity of defign; yet he is convinced that the argument is moft noble and moft interefting, when he can preferve, without diftracting the attention of the reader by ufelefs digreffions, a clofe connexion of all the parts, and in the detail of which' he can proceed by a regular courfe of events to fome important and grand conclufion. This hiftorical unity of subject may be beft illuftrated by

the retreat of the ten thousand by Xenophon, and the Roman Hiftory of Livy. The action is not from the beginning interrupted by extraneous fubjects, but afcends from one incident to another, till the principal point is reached. Impreffed with a deep fense of his duty, he pays the most facred regard to truth; and his diligence in afcertaining facts is equal to his accuracy in ftating them. As far as the infirmities of human nature will allow, he is divefted of the ftubbornnefs of prejudice, the violence of paffion, and the predilection of party. He is convinced that the ornaments of compofition may properly be employed to embellish truth, but that no ornaments can compenfate for wilful misrepresentation. He guards against the flights and the delufions of imagination, and is therefore careful not to convert hiftory into romance, or merely adorn his fubject with the arguments of philofophical differtation, or the pomp of figurative ftyle. His fondness for his work infufes vigour into his conceptions, and the delicacy of his tafte gives elegance to his ftyle, and purity to his fentiments. He is not fatisfied with taking a fuperficial view of affairs, but with acute penetration examines their proximate and remote causes, separates them from the difguifes under which they are concealed, and defcends to the true motives of conduct'. He breaks through the obstacles that ftop

It will doubtlefs occur to my readers, that when I made these observations, I had Gibbon in view. It would lead me into too prolix a detail, if I were to point out how much he

has

ftop the progrefs of vulgar intellect; and produces those reflections, in which truth, penetration, and novelty are blended with peculiar fkill, and ftrikė with certain effect. He diftinguishes from the furrounding crowds the examples of eminent perfons, and prefents their pictures either completely finished, or marked by a few bold and expreffive outlines. Of their domeftic, as well as public conduct, he felects fuch circumstances as will give the clearest infight into their tempers and manners. In his developement of characters, he regards the MORAL tendency of hiftory, which is its nobleft and moft valuable end. He neither blackens his characters with the afperfions of malevolence, chaftifes them with unjuft fatire, nor heightens their luftre with the varnish of adulation. feel any bias upon his mind, it is that of a true philanthropift; he is inclined to draw a veil over the failings of human nature, and not expose every vice and folly to the public. He divefts himself as much as poffible of local prejudices, confiders himself as a citizen of the world, and weighs all characters of his own or foreign countries in the balance of impartial juftice. Highly conducive

If he

has betrayed his truft, and deserted the province of a good and fair hiftorian. My readers are again referred to Dr. Whitaker's excellent pamphlet, in which his incorrect language, contradictions, digreffions, obfcurities, abfurdities, and violations of decorum are stated with great clearnefs. See likewife a very able letter to Lord Sheffield, 1796; and the Bampton Lectures of 1790, 2d edition; where a violent attack made by Gibbon upon a very important part of the Gospel History is repelled.

may it prove to the reputation of his work, fhould he be as unbiaffed by motives of partiality or averfion, as Tacitus was with refpect to the Emperors, who were the subjects of his annals, when he declared that to him neither Galba, nor Otho, nor Vitellius were known either by benefits or injuries". As it is his main object to teach by example, he either makes his remarks with brevity, or leaves his reader to form his own judgment from the clear and accurate statement of facts, which he prefents to his mind,

Ufelefs however will prove his labour, and ineffectual his fkill, in tracing events and actions to their caufes, or in preferving due order and connexion in his work, unlefs he can infpire his writings with animation, and excite the interest of his readers. For this moft important purpose he difplays the foundness of his judgment, the boldnefs of his genius, and the correctnefs of his tafte. He is cautious in his choice of fuch circumstances as will please and ftrike the mind; and, like a fkilful poet or painter, he studies the effect of felection, combination, and contraft. He perceives that by this road the ancient hiftorians were led to fame: he imitates their powers of lively defcription, and, as often as a proper opportunity will admit, paints the scene of action with a rapid pencil dipped in the moft glowing colours, delineates the lively portraits of the actors, and charms the imagination, and excites the fympathy of every judicious reader.

m Tacit. Hift. lib. i. c. 1.

In fhort, the accomplished hiftorian is awake to the interefts of virtue, and is influenced by fenfibility, and warmed by a proper regard for liberty, and the happinefs of mankind. These principles give energy to his conceptions, and perfeverance to his induftry. He is beft qualified to write with true dignity, when he has worked up his mind to a juft elevation of thought, by reflecting, that it is his noble and important office to addrefs himself to all polished nations through the fucceeding ages of the world. And he will be kept steady to the caufe of juftice, when he confiders himfelf as an impartial witnefs, who is bound by his duty to ftand before the tribunal of pofterity, and is there liable to be arraigned for every offence, against the majelty of truth".

By these laws, which may be confidered as fome of the principal rules of hiftory, every hiftorian may be tried. They furnish an equal ftandard to

n Morn Ευτεον τη αλήθεια, ει τις ίσοριαν γράψων τοι, των δε άλλων άπαντων αμελητεον αυτῷ· και όλως πεχὺς εἰς και μετρον ακριβες, απο βλεπειν μη εις τες νυν ακέοντας, αλλ' εις τις μετα ταυτα συνεσομένες τους ovyypappaow. Lucian, v. ii. p. 53. edit. Hemfterhus.

Many of the requifites which Lucian in this too much neglected Treatise on the Manner of writing History, esteems neceffary to constitute a good hiftorian, are touched upon with great judgment and fpirit. There are fome judicious remarks on this fubject by the Marquis d'Argenfon, who frankly confeffes the failure of the French in this noble branch of compofition. Choix de Memoires de l'Academie, tom. iii. p. 627. See Hayley's Effay on Hiftory, and particularly his Notes; and Cicero de Oratore, lib. ii. fect. 62, 63.