Instructions for history with a character of the most considerable historians, ancient and modern / out of the French, by J. Davies of Kidwelly.

XIII.

Transitions.

THe great Art of Narration, and one of its principal Beauties, consists in Trans∣itions. And indeed those delicate and natu∣ral Windings, those happy Devolutions from one subject to another, which make the Pro∣secution of the Discourse engaging; those insinuating Attractions, which conduct the Reader's Mind from object to object, and give him a spacious, yet divertive, Prospect: in fine, all that admirable oeconomy of Trans∣ition, is that which is most delicate and most sprightly in Narration, which looks always as it were forc'd, never easie and natural, with∣out that Art. It is not enough for a man to understand speaking well, in order to the attaining of this; but he must be eloquent, absolute Master of his Subject, and perfectly know the Connexions and Dependencies of it; for the most proper Transitions ought to be rather in the things themselves, than in the words. So that those Excursions out of Kingdoms into Kingdoms, out of Nations

into Nations, out of Ages into Ages, with∣out any method or management, are great Deviations and Sallies, in a History any thing well regulated, wherein every thing ought to be disposed and adjusted, as we find in the Structure of a great Palace, the Propor∣tion and Correspondency of whose parts make one of its greatest Beauties. For History is as 'twere a Body, consisting of its several Members by a natural Connexion. As to which particular the History of the Schism of England, by Sand••r••s, is very defective amongst the Moderns, as that of Florus and Patercu∣lus amongst the Ancients.* 1.1 There is not any thing more connected, or more gently flow∣ing, than the the Discourse of Xenoph••n. Livy has those qualifications in a greater measure; his Narration is an admirable Concatenation, in regard his Transitions are not so much in the words as the things. Salust is not of so even a thread. Tacitus is less even; if he has any Connexions, they are forc'd, and the thread of his Discourse is much interrupted; which startles the Reader, who cannot follow that Author but with loss of breath. The most difficult Transitions are those which are in the most common things; for a man must keep up himself with an Expression that has not any thing mean in it, notwithstanding the meanness of the Matter; nay find out an

Expedient to connect things that have not any mutual dependence. 'Tis also in those places that a man ought to use his greatest art and wit. The Reader's Mind is so deli∣cate, that it is not always turn'd as an Au∣thor pleases. And therefore those Wind∣ings, which it is to be conducted from Ad∣ventures to Adventures, ought to be prepar'd by secret Co••catenations. For in short, it is many times subject to a ridiculous Coyness, and is in so fantastick an humour as renders it intractable. But what artifice is there not requisite to diversifie those Transitions, be∣tween which there should never be any re∣semblance, that so he may always supply the Reader with new Idea's, by not placing the same objects before his eyes? Herein ought the industry of the Historian to be much ex∣ercised; for in this consists that Graceful∣ness of Narration, which alone can make it pleasant and attractive.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Xenophon∣tis fluens, & sine sale∣bris oratio. Cic.