Sound morality should always reign in history. A historian should ever show himself on the side of virtue. It is not, however, his province to deliver moral instructions in a formal manner. He should excite indignation against the designing and the vicious; and, by appeals to the passions, he will not only improve his reader, but take away from the natural coolness of historical narration.

In modern times historical genius has shone most in Italy. Acuteness, political sagacity, and wisdom, are all conspicuous in Machiavel, Guicciardin, Davila, Bentivoglio, and Father Paul. In Great Britain, history has been fashionable only a few years. For though Clarendon and Burnet are considerable historians, they are inferior to Hume, Robertson, and Gibbon.

The inferior kinds of historical compositions are annals, memoirs, and lives. Annals are a collection of facts in chronological order; and the properties of an annalist are fidelity and distinctness. Memoirs are a species of composition in which an author pretends not to give a complete detail of facts, but only to record what he himself knew, or was concerned in, or what illustrates the conduct of some person, or some transaction which he chooses for his subject. It is not, therefore, expected of such a writer, that he possess the same profound research, and those superior talents, which are requisite in a historian. It is chiefly required of him, that he be sprightly and interest. ing. The French, during two centuries, have poured forth a flood of memoirs; the most of which are little more than agreeable trifles. We must, however, except from this censure the Memoirs of the Cardinal de Retz, and those of the Duke of Sully. The for mer join to a lively narrative great knowledge of human nature. The latter deserve very particular praise. They approach to the usefulness and digni ty of legitimate history. They are full of virtue and good sense; and are well calculated to form both the heads and hearts of those who are designed for public business, and bigh stations in the world.

160 PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING, AND DIALOGUE.

Biography is a very useful kind of composition ; less stately than history, but perhaps not less instructive. It affords full opportunity of displaying the characters of eminent men, and of entering into a thorough acquaintance with them. In this kind of writing Plutarch excels; but his matter is better than his manner: he has no peculiar beauty nor elegance. His judgment and accuracy also are sometimes taxed. But he is a very humane writer, and fond of displaying great men in the gentle lights of retirement.

Before we conclude this subject, it is proper to observe, that of late years a great improvement has been introduced into historical composition. More particular attention than formerly has been given to laws, customs, commerce, religion, literature, and to every thing that shows the spirit and genius of nations. It is now conceived that a historian ought to illustrate manners as well as facts and events. Whatever displays the state of mankind in different periods; whatever illustrates the progress of the human mind, is more useful than details of sieges and battles.

量

PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING, AND DIALOGUE.

OF Philosophy, the professed design is instruction. With the philosopher, therefore, style, form, and dress are inferior objects. But they must not be wholly neglected. The same truths and reasoning, delivered with elegance, will strike more, than in a dull and dry

manner.

Beyond mere perspicuity, the strictest precision and accuracy are required in a philosophical writer ; and these qualities may be possessed without dryness, Philosophical writing admits a polished, neat, and elegant style. It admits the calm figures of speech, but rejects whatever is florid and tumid. Plato and Cicero have left philosophical treatises, composed with much elegance and beauty. Seneca is too fond

Locke's

of an affected, brilliant, sparkling manner. Treatise on Human Understanding is a model of a clear and distinct philosophical style. In the writings of Shaftesbury, on the other hand, philosophy is dress sed up with too much ornament and finery. 200 sl Among the ancients, philosophical writing often as sumed the form of dialogue. Plato is eminent for the beauty of his dialogues. In richness of imagination no philosophic writer, ancient or modern, is equal to him. His only fault is the excessive fertility of bis imagi. nation, which sometimes obscures his judgment, and frequently carries him into allegory, fiction, enthusi. asm, and the airy regions of mystical theology. Cicero's dialogues are not so spirited and characteristical as those of Plato. They are, however, agreeable, and well supported; and show us conversation carried on among some principal persons of ancient Rome with freedom, good breeding, and dignity....Of the light and humorous dialogue, Lucian is a model; and he has been imitated by several modern writers. Fontenelle has written dialogues which are sprightly and agreeable; but his characters, whoever his personages be, all become Frenchmen. The divine dialogues of Dr. Henry More, amid the academic stiffness of the age, are often remarkable for character and vivacity. Bishop Berkley's dialogues are abstract, yet perspicuous.

EPISTOLARY WRITING.

In epistolary writing we expect ease and familiarity; and much of its charm depends on its introducing us into some acquaintance with the writer. Its fundamental requisites are nature and simplicity, sprightliness and wit. The style of letters, like that of conversation, should flow easily. It ought to be neat and correct, but no more. Cicero's epistles are the most valuable collection of letters extant in any language.

They are composed with purity and elegance, but without the least affectation. Several letters of Lord Bolingbroke and of Bishop Atterbury are masterly. In those of Pope there is generally too much study; and his letters to ladies, in particular, are full of affectation. Those of Swift and Arbuthnot are written with ease and simplicity. Of a familiar correspondence, the most accomplished model are the letters of Madame de Sevigne. They are easy, varied, lively, and beautiful. The letters of Lady Mary Wortly Montague are perhaps, more agreeable to the epistolary style than any in the English language.

to

FICTITIOUS HISTORY.

THIS species of composition includes a very numerous, and in general a very insignificant class of writings, called romances and novels. Of these however, the influence is known to be great, both on the morals and taste of a nation. Notwithstanding the bad ends this mode of writing is applied, it might be employed for very useful purposes. Romances and novels describe human life and manners, and discover the errors into which we are betrayed by the passions. Wise men in all ages have used fables and fictions as vehicles of knowledge; and it is an observation of Lord Bacon, that the common affairs of the world are insufficient to fill the mind of man. He must create worlds of his own, and wander in the regions of imagination.

All nations, whatsoever have discovered a love of fiction, and talents for invention. The Indians, Persians and Arabians, abound in fables and parables. Among the Greeks, we hear of the Ionian and Milesian tales. During the dark ages, fiction assumed an unusual form from the prevalence of chivalry. Romances arose and carried the marvellous to its summit. Their knights were patterns not only of the

most heroic courage, but of religion, generosity, courtesy, and fidelity; and the heroines were no less distinguished for modesty, delicacy, and dignity of manners. Of these romances the most perfect model is the Orlando Furioso. But, as magic and enchantment came to be disbelieved and ridiculed, the chivalerian romances were discontinued, and were succeeded by a new species of fictitious writing.

Of the second stage of romance writing, the Cleopatra of Madame Scuderi, and the Arcadia of Sir Philip Sydney, are good examples. In these, however, there was still too large a proportion of the marvellous; and the books were too voluminous and tedious. Romance writing appeared therefore in a new form; and dwindled down to the familiar novel. Interesting situations in real life are the ground-work of novel writing. Upon this plan the French have produced some works of considerable merit. Such are the Gil Blas of Le Sage, and the Marianne of Mari

vaux.

In this mode of writing, the English are inferior to the French; yet in this kind there are some performances which discover the strength of the British genius. No fiction was ever better supported than the Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. Fielding's novels are highly distinguished for humour and boldness of character. Richardson, the author of Clarissa, is the most moral of all our novel writers; but he possesses the unfortunate talent of spinning out pieces of amusement into an immeasurable length. The trivial per formances which daily appear under the title of lives, adventures, and histories, by anonymous authors, are most insipid; and, it must be be confessed, often tend to deprave the morals, and to encourage dissipation and idleness.