Of the art both of writing & judging of history with reflections upon ancient as well as modern historians, shewing through what defects there are so few good, and that it is impossible there should be many so much as tolerable / by the Jesuit Father Le-Moyne.

CHAP. IX. Of the Wit, Judgment and Dispo∣sition required for the reading of History: Whether Young People are capable?

AFter so many things of the Merit of History, and Qua∣lities of an Historian; something must be said of the Disposition re∣quired in the Readers. And some would have them of a Maturity above the Flower of their Age, founded upon what Aristotle says, Not to admit Youth to the Study of Civil Sciences: But either they

take him in a wrong Sence, or place his words where they don't belong.

'Tis true that Civil Science and History tend both equally to Pru∣dence, which is the common In∣tention of one and the other: But the ways to arrive at this end are very different; The one goes through Definitions, Divisions, ex∣alted Discourses, universal Axioms, and Syllogisms in form, which are every way abstracted from Sight, and far from the Paths open to Sense and Imagination. The other, without rising to Universals and Ideas, without leaving Singulars and Sensibles, proceed plainly by Examples that lead straight and without by-ways to Use and Pra∣ctice. I confess, Youth accustom'd to things address'd to their Sense and Imagination, enter but with Difficulty into the ways of Science; and if some enter through strength of Wit, they find themselves imme∣diately as it were lost in the Country.

The Lines, the Circles, the Tri∣angles, that sustains and guides them in Geometry fail them there, they know not where to go, what way to take: But I know nothing can hinder their following the Me∣thod of History, where all is Sensible and Solid; where, without ama∣zing themselves in the Labyrinth of Speculation, and Chaos of Idea's, they may learn by what has been done, what to avoid; in which consists the principal Function of Prudence.

This in answer to those who do Violence to old Aristotle, and force him to their side against his Will. What he has said of Dogmatical Methods that are long oblique and embarrassed, cannot be affirmed of Examples that are short, straight and clear. And although we grant History may not be so good a Mi∣stress of Prudence to Young People in general; and that they are not capable of making so good Profit in addressing her as to Philosophy;

Polybius and Livy would teach them more and lead them further in one day, than the Expositors of Plato and Aristotle, and all the Disciples of Zeno and Cleanthes are able to do in a Month. And three or four such Examples as Joseph in Prison, Victorious Scipio, and disfigured Spurina, would perswade them more of the Merit and Value of Continence, than what has ever been said of it in the Academy or Lyceum.

We may see then Youth prevents not the Advantages may be made by History, if the Maturity of the Judgment supplies the Defect of Years. But the most part of those that apply themselves to this kind of reading, either want the Judgment she requires, or make not use of it as they ought; and that in de∣fault of knowing what is the end of History, why she is made pu∣blick, and of what use in a Civil Life; from whence arrives that in lieu of regarding her as a School of

Vertue, and Academy of Wisdom, where there are disinterested Ma∣sters that teach without Wages, without Sallary, who give Lessons night and day to all that under∣stand to read: The one regards her as a Theatre, where she repre∣sents sometimes Comical sometimes Tragical Actions: Others as a Cirque, where is seen the Coursing of Horses and Clashing of Gladiators: Others as a Fair, where all sorts of Antick Statues and Pictures are exposed. And upon the false Judgment all these People make of her, one searches Sleep in a quarter of an hours Dis∣course with Xenophon; another pleases himself with seeing the Ro∣mans bleed in the Battel of Canae, or that of Trasymene; a third, curi∣ous of Rarities esteem'd by Pedants, finds wherewithall to fill his Me∣mory with Observations upon the Serpent-Father of Alexander, the Wolf-nourisher of Romulus, the Eter∣nal Fire of the Kings of Persia, and that of the Vestal Virgins; upon the

Head-Dressings of the Grecian Dames, and the Feet of the Romans; upon the Doves that fed Semiramis, and the Viper that stung Cleopatra; and a hundred such things that are of no use. And amongst so many that have Libraries full of Histo∣rians, there is scarce one endeavours to improve his Honour, or render himself more Vertuous.

Let them know then, that Hi∣story demands another Disposition than such People bring with them. And since she is (as the Wise say) the Directeress of Manners, and Mi∣stress of Life, they must be per∣swaded not to lose time with her, to bring another Spirit, other re∣gards, and give another sort of Attention than to a Comedian. The first and principle Intention of those that present themselves, must be to be govern'd and conducted by the Examples she proposeth. All the great Men have made this use of her, they regarded her, accor∣ding to Plutarch, as a Looking-glass

before which they adjusted and em∣bellish'd their Lives by the Vertues of others. And Cicero confesses he studied in History the Portraitures of Wise Men who had been before him, to imprint in himself their Resemblance as much as 'twas possible.