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

XVII.

Passions.

THe Passions are also one of the great Beauties of Narration, when they are seasonably intermingled, and judiciously treated therein. Nor do they indeed require that heat which ought to attend them upon the Theatre: they ought to appear in ano∣ther Air, for they are not represented by way of action, but onely related. An Hi∣storian may give his Discourse a dress of Pas∣sion, but he ought not to be in any himself. Thus does he study Man with all possible dis∣quisition, to discover in his heart the most se∣cret Motions which Passion is capable of ex∣citing therein, to the end he may express the trouble and discomposure of it. This partly and pathetically done, is a great divertise∣ment in a Narration. Thucydides has treat∣ed that part better than Herodotus, for he is more eloquent and more pathetical, accord∣ing to the Sentiment of Dionysius Halicarnas∣saeus; * 1.1 though Herodotus does sometimes be∣tray a greater vivacity. Hermogenes propo∣ses

an admirable Model of a tender, affection∣ate Narration, in the death of Penthea, Queen of Susiana, which is related in the seventh Book of Xenophon's Cyrus. 'Tis one of the most excellent passages of that Author; all is related therein with a great tenderness and insinuation.* 1.2 Quintilian pretends, that of all the Historians Livy has most signallized him∣self, by those tender and delicate ways of Ex∣pression, wherein he has treated of the gentl∣est Motions of the Soul; the violent carrying away of the Sabine Virgins, those Tender∣nesses which they made appear to disarm the Romans their Husbands, and the Sabines who were their Fathers; the death of Lucretia, and her body expos'd to the publick, to stir up the people to a Revolt from the Tarquins; Vetturia at the feet of her Son Cariolanus, who was come to besiege Rome, to appease him; Virginia stabb'd with a Dagger by her own Father; the Consternation of Rome after the Battel at Cannae; and a thousand other passages of that kind, set down in his History with the most delicate Airs, and the most pa∣thetical Expressions that can be imagin'd, are excellent Examples of it. And it is in this Historian that a man ought to study the Air of treating the Passions, as they ought to be treated in History; for he animates him∣self onely in those places, where there is a

necessity of heat and fervour. Tacitus minds not the husbanding of his fire; he is always animated; nay the Colours he makes use of are always too strong: and in regard he is many times too expressive in certain things, and does not make a natural Representation, he moves not the Reader. I say nothing of the other Historians, most of whom under∣stood not the Passions, nor the manner they ought to be treated. 'Tis a singular kind of Rhetorick, which requires a great Senceful∣ness, and a very exact knowledge of Moral Philosophy. But if we would please, let us be sure to avoid those dry Narrations, which do not excite any tenderness by those passio∣nate Airs which Nature requires.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Epist. ad Pomp. & de virt. Serm.
• * 1.2

  Affectus eos praecipue qui dulcio∣res sunt, ne∣mo histori∣corum Li∣vio m••gìs commenda∣vit. Fab. l. 10. c. 1.