The modest critick, or, Remarks upon the most eminent historians, antient and modern with useful cautions and instructions as well for writing as reading history : wherein the sense of the greatest men on this subject is faithfully abridged / by one of the Society of the Port-Royal.

XXVII. The Historians Morality.

As every one ought to lay down to himself a Rule of Mo∣rality, according to his Genius, the Historian's Mind is known by his Principles. You must first of all take it for granted, that there are but few who have hearts noble enough, neither to fear nor hope for any thing; and who will value Truth a∣bove Interest, which is the most general Spring of all the wrong Judgments men make in things they speak of. This is what you ought to think upon first, when you take upon you to instruct the Publick; and it is the chiefest Maxim an Historian ought to pro∣pose to himself. That being well establish'd, he ought to think on∣ly to get Credit in People's good Opinion, and to give a Colour of Truth to all he says. It is that chiefly to which all his en∣deavours ought to tend; which

he will never effect, but by esta∣blishing his Reputation: And it is not by Protestations of being sincere, that he shall demonstrate his Integrity: It is by making appear in all his words, the up∣rightness of his heart, and the honesty of his mind. Therefore nothing ought to come from him but what has the stamp of Equi∣ty and Reason. The Love he ought to have for Truth, ought to be the Rules of all his Expres∣sions, and of all his Idea's. Let him always speak like an ho∣nest man; let him never speak any thing that can injure Cha∣stity or Integrity; let him keep close to the Sentiments which the severest Honour can inspire; and let nothing ever appear in his words that may raise a question of his Probity and Truth; let him speak so that People may believe him to speak true as of∣ten as he speaks, through an as∣surance, that he is not capable of imposing. No man can ever err with so good Principles. It

is by so pure a Method that Thu∣cydides did set up the Reputation of his sincerity through all fol∣lowing Ages, and that he has de∣serv'd the Credit of all People. It is his Zeal for Religion, and Respect for the Gods, which ap∣pears in all Xenophon's Books, that engages People not to question what he says, being persuaded, that a man, who has the Love of Piety so deeply engraven in his heart, cannot lye. Polybius takes more liberty: He relates, as Fables, the Sentiments People had of the Gods, and of Hell; thinking, that way, to destroy them. And it is rather by his Honesty that Livy persuades, than by his great Capacity: through all the Intrigues, Interests, Passions, and other Extravagancies of those men he speaks of, there appears a Probity, which shews him as well honest as a good Historian, One may perceive in the most hidden parts of the Hearts of those he describes, the bottom of his own; and amongst the false

lights he discovers in their Con∣duct, he never has any false aims; he judges of all things rightly, his Judgment being as true as his Intentions are just. Tacitus is not of that Character; he is a great shuffler, who hides a very bad Mind under a very great Wit: he mistakes always true Merit, because he hardly knows any other than that of Ability; and it is Policy more than Truth, makes him speak, besides his want of Charity to∣wards his Neighbour: When he speaks of the Gods, he shews nei∣ther Piety nor Religion, as is seen in his Discourse upon Fate against Providence, lib. 6. Annal. and imputes all things to For∣tune, and the Stars, concerning Trasullus, Astrologer to Tyberius, who was become his Secretary at Capraea. So difficult it is for an ill man to be a good Historian; for they are almost the same Principles of the one and of the other. So when an Author takes his Pen, he takes upon himself

the Character of a Publick Man; and he strips himself of that Ho∣nour, whensoever he takes up the Sentiments of a Private Person, to regard himself, and to re∣venge his own quarrels; as Pro∣copius, who being dissatisfied with the Emperour Justinian, and the Empress Theodora, gives way to his own Passion, and corrupts Truth: Or, to follow private prejudices, as Eusebius and Theo∣dorite, which made use of their Histories to establish their own Errors: Or, to flatter those whom you mean to please, as Buchanan, who in his History of Scotland, blemishes the Honour of Mary, to gratifie Queen Elizabeth; and as Fra Paolo, who makes his Hi∣story of the Council of Trent a Sa∣tyr against the Church of Rome, and Religion; where he shews a Chain of Invectives upon Inve∣ctives, to revenge himself upon the Pope, because he had not made him a Cardinal, after the hopes he had given him of it. Paulus Jovius was a man that

pursued his Interests, Pensioner to Charles the Fifth, unjust, ma∣licious, a great Flatterer: The Pictures he made of the most considerable Persons in his Histo∣ry, are Pieces which he pick'd up to compose the Lives of Il∣lustrious Men, on purpose to get Money; they are done according as he was pay'd for them. Gui∣chardin is angry with France; San∣doval makes Charles the Fifth a most Catholick Prince, whilst that Monarch foments Heresie in Germany: all this because Paulus the Third had vex'd him. Ca∣brera praises Philip the Second for his Piety, who favour'd Eliza∣beth against Mary of Scotland, which he hindred from being Queen, because she favour'd the French; and so overthrew the Catholick Religion in England. Herrera is a Fansaroon, and is par∣tial to his Nation. In fine, there are hardly any Historians, but have their own Inclinations and A versions: It goes hard with them to alter their Sentiments,

and they make Elogiums by Dire∣ctions, or Satyrs, as their own Minds are disposed. There are but few like Thucydides, who by a Principle of Right and Equity, praises Pericles, as he deserves, thô he had us'd him very ill; and does always Justice to the A∣thenians, who banished him to Thracia, where he died. It is a man without Passions, who pro∣poses to himself only the Judg∣ment of Posterity, for the Mark he aims at, and his Work, and who has no other desire than that of Truth; wherein he is an honester man than all others; for he never renounces his Pro∣bity. Livy favours Pompey more than Caesar, Dio favours Caesar more than Pompey. Ammianus Marcellinus is an everlasting Wor∣shipper of Julian the Apostate, but cries out always against Valenti∣nian, his Successor, because he was a Christian. Eusebius never shews Constantine but on the right side; Zozimus shews him always the other way. Procopius made

his Idol of Bellizary, Egynhart of Charles the Great, Sandoval of Charles the Fifth, Strada of Alex∣ander Farneze: In a word, each Historian makes himself an He∣roe after his own palate, whom he looks upon as his Creature; and that he might make him ap∣pear the better, he studies to make him more admirable. It is this which renders most Histo∣aies suspicious, all Historians be∣ing passionate; and there being hardly any sincere ones, because there are few disinterested. Those that are above Interest, let them∣selves be blinded with the desire of pleasing; and the care they have of their Reputation, leads them into other Extreams. Jo∣sephus in the History of the Jews, suppresses true Miracles, to ma∣nage the Gentiles, who would not have believ'd them; and supposes things less true, because he thought them fitter for the palates, and according to their

apprehension. An Historian ru∣ins himself, if he thinks to be establish'd that way: you must say things as they are; woe to the unbelievers: For nothing is worse in a man who professes to give an account of Truth to the Publick, than to profane it thus. In fine, let nothing slavish ap∣pear, nor of Cowardice, in the Sentiments or Inclinations of the Historian; for nothing gives a worse Opinion of his Probity. But thô I do not approve the Flatterers of Great men, as Eu∣sebius, who shews nothing in Constantine but what deserves prai∣ses, who nevertheless had great failings; my Opinion is, that they ought to be forgiven in some things: For thô one ought to speak nothing but what is true, yet he ought not to say all the Truth. Quintus Curtius might have let alone the Infa∣mies he related of Alexander. There are some priviledg'd Heads which a body ought to respect; let us speak of them handsom∣ly,

and not irreverently: We may expose their Faults, but it must be in a way that does not scandalize their Dignity, nor hurt the Respect due to their Grandeur. Tacitus says so ma∣ny dirty things of Tyberius, that Boccalinus cannot suffer him. That which Lampridius tells of the Emperours Heliogabalus and Caracalla, makes his History con∣temptible; and Platina shews but little judgment in his manner of treating the Popes. All the World will not be of my side, but wise men will; and I am persuaded, that what Merit so∣ever there is in being sincere, a man would render himself ri∣diculous to be so in all things. But, as an Author never praises well, unless he does it nicely, so he that bestows his Commenda∣tion upon meaner Actions, and not upon those which are essen∣tial, and which appear praise∣worthy, shall always find the Publick out of humour, because it will never endure those prai∣ses

which it does not find justly bestow'd: Therefore good Sense advises never to praise, but by a sincere account of praisable A∣ctions. All the World knows the Adventure of Aristobulus, one of the Captains of Alexan∣der, who read to him the Hi∣story of the Battel which that Prince fought against Porus. A∣lexander, who was then in his Barge upon Hydaspus, enrag'd with the Flatteries of that Hi∣storian, snatch'd the Book out of his hands, and threw it into the River; adding, that he de∣serv'd to be serv'd so too, for be∣ing so impudent as to praise him so ill, by attributing to him false Conquests, as if there had been want of true ones. This is very near the Morality I could wish in an Historian; or, at least, it would be my Prin∣ciple, in case I had the Fancy to write History, and that I were of a Genius good enough for it. I would, in fine, be so modest, that there might ap∣pear

Honesty, and never Vani∣ty in my Sentiments; which makes me to have no patience with the Extravagancy of that Historian Photius speaks of, who preparing himself to write the History of Alexander, promises, that his Style shall not be worse than the Actions of his Heroe. After all is done, it makes a man lose almost the Fancy of writing, if he has any Sense, when he sees the judgment Dionysius Halicarnassae∣us made of Thucydides's History; for there is no judicious Author, but that Critick will make him tremble. These are the Notions I got to my self in reading Histories. I am not so vain as to pretend to give them for Maxims: They are only thoughts, and perhaps but ill digested, which may become good by the good use that may be made of them. Here follow the Senti∣ments one may have upon the most considerable Historians.

Notes

• Ne qua sus∣picio gratiae sit, ne qua si∣multatis, Cic. de Orat.
• Marcellin. in ejus Vita.
• Josephus non tam studebat vera scribere, quam credibi∣lia: hac causa fuit cur praete∣rierit miracu∣la, quod apud Infideles fi∣dem non erant habitum, & narravit fabulas, quas putavit iis magis probabiles futuras. Leo Cass. disp. de transl. sacr. leg. c. 36.
• Luc. de Conser. Hist.