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

XXVIII.

A Judgment of Historians.

HErodotus is the first that gave a rational Form to History, and it is his Elogy that he chalk'd out the way to others. His Style* 1.1 is pure and elegant.† 1.2 Athenaeus cele∣brates him for the Charms of his Discourse. His subject is of a vast extent, for it compre∣hends Nations, Kingdoms, Empires, the Af∣fairs of Europe and Asia. He is not very exact in what he says, because he grasps at too much matter; but I find him of a more than ordinary sincerity, inasmuch as he treats the Greeks and the Barbarians, those of his own Countrey and Foreiners, without any discovery of Partiality.* 1.3 I find also that Plu∣tarch treats him with too much rigour, when he would have him accounted a person of an evil intention in most of his Conjectures; but that he is not favourable to him proceeds from pure Animosity, and merely because he had ill treated his Countrey Boe••tia in his Hi∣story.

Thucydides is exact in his manner of wri∣ting, * 1.4 faithful in the things he relates, sin∣cere, unsway'd by Interest. He has Gran∣deur, Excellency, and Majesty in his Style. He is always austere, but of an austerity which has nothing but what is great; and his subject is indeed not so large, and more limited than that of Herodotus. 'Tis merely out of a spirit of Partiality, that Dionysius Haelicarnassaeus prefers Herodotus before Thu∣cydides, because the former was of Halicar∣nassus: but for my part, I find him the most accomplish'd of all the Gre••k Historians.

Xenophon is pure in his Language, natu∣ral and pleasant in his Composition. He has a freedom and facility of Spirit, a Mind fer∣tile and full of many learned Discoveries; his Imagination is clear, and his Periods are of a just Intertexture. The decorum of Mora∣lity is not always exactly observ'd in his Hi∣story, wherein he makes ignorant persons and Barbarians speak like Philosophers. Cicero tells us, that Scipio could not give over read∣ing him, when he had once got him into his hands. Longinus gives him a Character of Spirit, by which he makes him a fortunate Reflecter on things. He is, all consider'd, a very accomplish'd Historian; and 'twas by

the reading of his History that Scipio and Lu∣cullus became such great Chieftains.

Polybius is an excellent Discourser; he has a fair stock of good and noble things, but that stock is not so well husbanded as that of the others before mentioned. He is however esteemable by the Idea which Brutus had of him, who in the greatest perplexity of his Affairs pass'd away whole nights in the read∣ing and study of him. His design was not so much to write a History, as an Instruction for the good Government of a State, as he declares himself at the end of his first Book: and so he recedes somewhat from the Character of an Historian; which obliges him at the beginning of the ninth Book to make a kind of Apology for his way of wri∣ting History. His Style is chargeable with somewhat of negligence.

Dionysius Halicarnassaus in his Book of Roman Antiquities, discovers a great Sence fulness of Expression, much Science and Ratio∣cination, which is not common. He is exact, diligent, judicious, of greater Veracity than Livy, and very ponderous.

Diodorus Siculus is a great Character, but one that comprehends too much matter, being

consider'd as a Compilator out of Philistus, Timaeus, Calisthenes, Theopompus, and others.

Philo and Josephus have some Touches of a very extraordinary Eloquence. They are two Jews, who were over-desirous to please and humour the Pagans, by servilely accom∣modating themselves to their gust and senti∣ments.

Arrian is but a Copyer of Xenophon, and an affected Imitator of his ways. He has made seven Books of the Conquests of Ale∣xander, as Xenophon had done of the Con∣quests of Cyrus.

Appian sponges upon all the Greeks; and out of that intermixture he has fram'd to him∣self a Style which does not resemble any of the others.* 1.5 Scaliger calls him, The thievish Drone of other Historians. He has taken out of Plutarch what was excellent in him; but after all, he is a great Magazine or Stock of Matters.

Dion Cassius has lost credit with many, by the extraordinary things which he relates, without any discerning Precaution; for he is so far from keeping close to the truth, that he is at a distance from the likelyhood of it, as

in that passage of the sixty sixth Book of his History, where he affirms, that Vespas•••• heal∣ed a blind man by spitting upon his eyes.

Procopius is exact in what he advances, be∣cause he accompanied B••lizarius in his Wars, and was a Witness of his noble Actions; but he is somewhat too dry in his History of Per∣sia, which has the Air rather of a Journal than of a History. He satisfied his passion in the writing of his Secret History, but he hearkned to his Moderation in suppressing it; for after his death some took occasion to pub∣lish what he had carefully conceal'd during his life, wherein he is not wholly in excu∣sable.

Most of those who have written the By∣zantine History, have either copied one out of another, as Agathias, Cedrenus, Joannes Cu••opalates, or are not very exact; and they have nothing that approaches the Dignity, the Excellency, the Discernment, and the Fi∣delity of the ancient Greek••.

Amongst the Latines Salust is conspicuous for the Grandeur of his Air,* 1.6 the Steddiness

of his Thoughts, and his admirable Sence. No man has better express'd the senceful, ac∣curate, and austere Style of Thucydides. He is sometimes harsh in his Expressions, but yet he is not faint or flat.* 1.7 His Conciseness takes off somewhat of his Perspicuity. He has no∣thing that is counterfeit in his Procedure, and he gives weight to whatever he says. His Sentiments are always excellent, though his Morality was not good; for he perpetually rails against Vice, and always speaks well of Vertue. I find him ever dissatisfied with his Countrey, and one that is apt to think ill of his Neighbour: All else consider'd he is a very great person.

Julius Caesar had the noblest talent of ex∣pressing himself of any man. The Pedants have reason to admire him, for the inimita∣ble purity of his Style; but I admire him much more for the exact comprehensiveness of his Sence, for no man ever writ more pru∣dently. He is the onely Author amongst them all who does not speak any Impertinen∣cies. He speaks of himself but as of an in∣different person, and there is nothing but what is suitable to the wise he has taken upon himself. 'Tis true, he is not absolutely an Historian; but it is true withall, that he is a great Model for the writing of History.

'Tis a great repute to that admirable Author, that Henry IV, and Lewis XIV of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 implove•• themselves in the ••ranslation of his History of the Gaulish War.

Livy is the most accomplish'd of all, for he has a••l the great parts and perfe••••ions of an Historian; the Imagination excellent, the Expression noble, the Sence exact, the Elo∣quence admirable. His Mind will not admit of any but great Idea's, he fills the Imagina∣tion of his Reader by what he says: 'tis by that he makes his way to the Heart, and moves the very Soul. And he is the greatest Genius for History, and one of the greatest Masters of Eloquence that ever was.* 1.8 I do not comprehend what Asinius Pollio means, when he attributes to him a Provincial Air, and such as hath a little smack of Lombardy. His great talent lies in making what he says to be felt, by making those who ••ead him to participate of his own Sentiments, by inspi∣ring them with his Fears and Hopes, and by communicating to them all his Passions, by the Art he has to put all the most secret re••••or•••• of mens hearts into motion.

Tacitus describes things after a way differ∣ent from all others, but he confines himself too much to great Affairs, that he may avoid

condefcending to small ones, which yet ought not to be neglected. He thinks well, but he is not always happy in expressing himself clearly. He plays too much the Philosopher. His Decisions of things are high and daring; had he the Destinies of men in his hands, he would not speak otherwise; and he always moralizes on the Extravagances of others, sparing none, and speaking ill of all Mankind. How many Minds has he spoil'd by the fancy of studying Politicks, which he inspires into so many people, and which is the vainest Stu∣dy of all? 'Tis upon this rock that so many Spaniards, as Antonio Perez; and so many Italians, as Ma••hiavel and Ammirato have split themselves. 'Tis onely by the Lustre of his Style that this last so much pleases the higher sort of Wits, and so little those that affect what is Natural; for by the subtil∣ty of his Ratiocinations and Reflections he tires them. He is so obscure in his Expressi∣ons, that a man must be well exercised in his Style, ere he shall be able to unravel his thoughts. His way of Criticizing is delicate of it self, but it becomes Rustical by the de∣sire he has to criticize upon every thing.* 1.9 His perpetual assuming of great Sentiments must

introduce somewhat that is sublime; 'tis by this onely that he imposes, and 'tis not so much to please and to instruct that he writes, as to raise Admiration. There is in him some. what that is great and extraordinary, which excuses most of his De••ects. But there are so many things to be said upon this Author, as well to his advantage as disadvantage, that there would be no end of them. 'Tis a kind of humour that is of no use but onely for Ostentation; and it contributes but little to the ordinary Conversation of men.

Quintus Curtius is commendable for his sincerity; he tells the good and ill of Ale∣xander, without suffering himself to be pre∣occupated by the Merit of his Hero. If there be any exception to be made against his History, 'tis onely that of its being too polite; but yet he has excell'd in this particular, that he describes mens manners with a delightful and natural Air.

This Character of Perfection, which is re∣markable in these great men, was not to be found in the subsequent Ages. Justin, who becomes a Compiler, out of a desire to raise himself to an Historian, gives but a transi∣ent account of matters. He knows much; he delivers things sencefully enough, and he

has amass'd many Occurrences, which with∣out him might have been lost.

Most of the Authors of the History of Augustus have confin'd themselves to the writing of Lives, as Plutarc•• an•• Herodian did amongst the Gre••ks, and Suetonius and Cor••elius Nepos amongst the La••••••e, and by that means have degenerated from the Cha∣racter of Historians. Who came after them were but simple Chronicle••s, Copiers, Ab∣breviators, and Compilers, who had no Re∣putation but what they deriv'd from the gross knowledge they gave of their Age, wherein the Star of History was not ••orunate, as ha∣ving nothing that's delicate or in••eed ra∣tional.

Nor was there much Sincerity found amongst the modern Greeks, who must needs introduce Visions and extraordinary Adven∣tures to satisfie their Genius. The love of Learning, which has reflourish'd in the last Ages, hath raised up, together with the re∣vival of senceful writing, a flight of Historians, who by the Study of the Ancients, whom they took for their Models, made a greater noise than their Predecessors.

Amongst those who have most signalized themselves may come in Com••es, and what is singular in him is, that he writes sencefully and is sincere. Paulus Amilius speaks pure∣ly, but he is superficial. Paulus Jovius fol∣lows onely his own Passion and his Interest.

Machiavel is exact enough in his History of Florence; in the rest his Wit has the pre∣dominancy over his Judgment. He does not absolutely do justice to Cas••ruccio Castrucci, whom he treats as an Enemy to his Countrey.

Mariana in his History of Spain has not been surpass'd by any modern Author, either as to the Grandeur of his Design, or the Ex∣cellency of the Style.

Buchanan is too servile an Imitator of Livy; whatere is good in him he has filch'd from the Ancients. He writes sencefully, but has no great Elevation in his Sentiments. His long Citations of the third Book do not generally please, no more than do the Parti∣cularities he brings in, in the second Book of the notion of the Country whereof he speaks.

The Germans have vast Projects upon their History; but nothing reduc'd within the na∣tural order, which an exact Design would re∣quire.

We find is most of the Spaniards a Spirit of Partiality for their Countrey, which ren∣ders them very suspicious.

The Italians are well furnish'd with parti∣cular Histories of the different States where∣of Italy consists; but they have no complete Body of History. There begin now to ap∣pear amongst us some rays of hope, that some accomplish'd Historian will rise up, by the Approbation which the Publick gives those who write at this time.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Dul••••••, candid••••. ••usus He∣rodotus. Fab. l. 10. c. 1.
• † 1.2

  Lib. 3.
• * 1.3

  In Hero∣doto.
• * 1.4

  Laudatur ab omnibus act rerum explicator sinceras & gravis—Hujus ne∣mo neque verborum neque sen∣tentiarum gravitatem imitatur. Cic. de opt. orat.
• * 1.5

  Alienorum laborum fucus. Ani∣mad. ad Euseb.
• * 1.6

  Subtilissi∣mus brevi∣tatis artifex Salustius, proprietatum in verbis re••inentissimus. Gellius.
• * 1.7

  Salustius homo ne∣quam, sed gravissimus alienae lu∣xuri••e ob∣jurgator. Lact. de falsa relig. l. 2.
• * 1.8

  In T••o Li∣vio putat inesse Pol∣lio quan∣dam Pata∣vi••ita••em. F••b. l. 8. c. 1.
• * 1.9

  Evenit nonnun∣quam ut aliquid grande ••uvenlat, qui semper quari•• quod nimium est. Fab. ••. ••. c. 13.