Branz Mayers' Mexico [pp. 117-141]

1852.] Brantz Ai[ct~er's i3iexico. 117
ART. VI.-M~xico: Aztec, Spanish and Repu~lican. By
BRANTz ThIAvER. 2 vols. S. Drake & Co. llartford.
1851.
BY the common consent of the world, the writing of
history has been assigned a foremost place among the
literary labours 9f mankind. Not only with reference to
its influences and results, which vindicate the importance
of his task, but in view of the variety and character of
his materials, the nice discrimination, the critical analysis,
and the philosophical inductions which are required to
blend these materials into striking and consistent unity,
the historian must find much in his task to charm, while
it occupies the highest powers of his mind.
The survey, from some elevated point, of a wide expanse of natural scenery, combining the magnificence of
mountain ranges, the sparkling conrse of noble rivers, the
majestic stretch of old forests, and the quiet beauty of
cultivated fields, ministers an intense gratification to him
who is alive to the glories of the material world. More
nobly interesting must be the prospect that opens before
the mental vision of one who, from the heights of an
impartial and intelligent observation, overlooks the course
of a nation, and addresses himself to the task of recording the mighty features of its progress. Amid the thronging incidents, it may be, of centuries of national exist
ence, the fierce antagonism of variant influences, the confused admixture of causes, the conflict of passions and
the rivalry of leaders, it is his oflice, with discriminating
vision, to detect the points of salience, and, through the
mazes of incertitude, stedfastly to trace out the truth.
N\7ell-balanced, indeed, must be the mind that, amid such
difficulties, can fitly discharge such a task, and, unswerved
by this dazzling character, and not unduly influenced by
Otat striking event, keeps ever the feelings of the man in
subsidence to the ju~licial impartiality of the historian.
The illustration of a particular passion in the flowing
verse of the poet, or the development of character and
events in the fancied narrative of the novelist, is of comparatively easy execution; but the evisceration of truth
from the mixed materials of national life, and the edification of a faithful and philosophical history, taxes nobler