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history should likewise be interesting; and this is the quality, which chiefly distinguishes a writer of genius and eloquence.

To be interesting, a hiftorian must preserve a medium between rapid recital and prolix detail. He should know, when to be concife, and when to enlarge. He should make a proper selection of circumstances. These give life, body, and coloring to his narration. They constitute, what is termed historical painting.

In all these virtues of narration, particularly in picturefque defcription, the antients eminently excel. Hence the pleasure of reading Thucydides, Livy, Salluft, and Tacitus. In hiftorical painting there are great varieties. Livy and Tacitus paint in very different ways. The defcriptions of Livy are full, plain, and natural; thofe of Tacitus are fhort and bold.

One embellishment, which the moderns have laid afide, was employed by the antients. They put orations into the mouths of celebrated perfonages. By these they diversified their history, and conveyed both moral and political inftruction. Thucydides was the firft, who adopted this method; and the orations, with which his history abounds, are valuable remains of antiquity. It it doubtful however, whether this embellishment fhould be allowed to the hiftorian; for they form a mixture, unnatural to history, of truth and fiction. The moderns are more chafte, when on great occafions

the hiftorian delivers in his own perfon the fentiments and reasonings of oppofite parties.

Another fplendid embellishment of hiftory is the delineation of characters. These are confidered, as exhibitions of fine writing; and hence the difficulty of excelling in this province. For characters may be too fhining and labored. The accomplished hiftorian a

voids here to dazzle too much. He is folicitous to give the resemblance in a style equally removed from meannefs and affectation. He studies the grandeur of fimplicity.

Sound morality should always reign in history. A hiftorian fhould ever fhow himself on the fide of virtue. It is not however his province, to deliver moral inftructions in a formal manner. He fhould excite indignation against the defigning and the vicious; and by appeals to the paffions he will not only improve his reader, but take away from the natural coolness of hif torical narration.

In modern times historical genius has fhone most in Italy. Acuteness, political fagacity, and wisdom are all confpicuous in Machiavel, Guicciardin, Davila, Bentivoglio, and Father Paul. In Great Britain hiftory has been fashionable only a few years. For, though Clarendon and Burnet are confiderable hiftorians, they are inferior to Hume, Robertson, and Gibbon.

The inferior kinds of historical compofition are an

nals, memoirs, and lives. Annals are a collection of facts in Chronological order; and the properties of an annalist are fidelity and distinctness. / Memoirs are a fpecies of compofition, in which an author pretends not to give a complete detail of facts, but only to record, what he himself knew, or was concerned in, or what il-luftrates the conduct of fome perfon, or fome tranfaction, which he choofes for his fubject. It is not there-fore expected of such a writer, that he poffefs the fame profound research, and thofe fuperior talents, which are requifite in a hiftorian. It is chiefly required of him, that he be sprightly and interefting. The French dur-ing two centuries have poured forth a flood of me-moirs; the most of which are little more, than agreeable trifles. We must however except from this cenfure the memoirs of the Cardinal de Retz, and those of the Duke of Sully. The former join to a lively narrative great knowledge of human nature. The latter deferve very particular praife. They approach to the useful-nefs and dignity of legitimate hiftory. They are full : of virtue and good fenfe; and are well calculated to form both the heads and hearts of thofe, who are de figned for public bufinefs and high ftations in the

world.

Biography is a very ufeful kind of compofition; lefs ftately, than hiftory; but perhaps not lefs inftructive. It affords full opportunity of displaying the characters of eminent men, and of entering into a thorough acquaint-

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His judgment and

ance with them. In this kind of writing Plutarch exeels; but his matter is better, than his manner; he has no peculiar beauty, nor elegance. accuracy also are sometimes taxed. But he is a very humane writer, and fond of displaying great men in the gentle lights of retirement..

Before we conclude this fubject, it is proper to ob ferve, that of late years a great improvement has been introduced into hiftorical compofition. More particu lar attention, than formerly, has been given to laws, cuftoms, commerce, religion, literature, and to every thing, that shows the spirit and genius of nations. It is now conceived, that a historian ought to illuftrate manners as well, as facts and events. Whatever dis plays the state of mankind in different periods.; what ever illustrates the progress of the human mind; is more useful, than details of fieges and battles.

PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING AND DIA

LOGUE.

F Philofophy the profeffed defign is inftruction.. With the philofopher therefore style, form, and dress are inferior objects. But they must not be wholly neg. lected. The fame truths and reasonings, delivered with elegance, will strike more, than in a dull and dry

manner.

Beyond mere perfpicuity the ftricteft precifion and accuracy are required in a philofophical writer; and these qualities may be poffeffed without drynefs. Philofophical writing admits a polished, neat, and elegant style. It admits the calm figures of fpeech; but rejects, whatever is florid and tumid. Plato and Cicero have left philofophical treatifes, compofed with much elegance and beauty. Seneca is too fond of an affected, brilliant, fparkling manner. Locke's Treatife on Human Understanding is a model of a clear and diftinct philofophical ftyle. In the writings of Shaftsbury on the other hand philosophy is dressed up with too much ornament and finery.

Among the antients philofophical writing often af fumed the form of dialogue. Plato is eminent for the beauty of his dialogues. In richness of imagination no philofophic writer, antient or modern, is equal to him.. His only fault is the exceffive fertility of his imagina. tion, which fometimes obfcures his judgment, and frequently carries him into allegory, fiction, enthusiasm, and the airy regions of myftical theology. Cicero's dialogues are not fo fpirited and characteristical, as thofe of Plato. They are however agreeable, and well fupported; and fhow us converfation, carried on among fome principal perfons of antient Rome with freedom, good breeding, and dignity. Of the light and humorous dialogue Lucian is a model; and he has been imitated by feveral modern writers. Fontenelle has writ-

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