But though his Modesty extorted this Complaint from him the Reader will scarce find it in this Oration In the year 1625 he first published this Piece in Latin which he reviewed and enlarged in the years 1635 and 1636 and Reprinted again in the year 1637. He was admitted Principal of Glocester-Hall in the same University the fourth of April 1626 where he continued till the day of his death which was the first of August 1647 and he was buried in the Chapel of that House So many years he managed this place whereas his Successour Mr. Robert Waring was chosen the 11th of August of that year and turn'd out for his Loyalty the 14th of September 1648 by the Parliamentary Visitors Besides this Piece he writ in the year 1623 a Funeral Oration containing an Historical Account of the Life and Death of Mr. Camden and a Dedication of the Statue of that Great Man in the History Schools there And also a Collection of Gratulatory Epistles Which three last Pieces were Printed together at Oxford in the year 1628. The Character given him by the Authour of the said History of Oxford is this Vir fuit Urbanus doctus Pius He was a Pleasant Learned and Pious Man To which give me leave to add that he was a Man of great Industry and Modesty as the Reader will see when he comes to read this Piece Nor is his Gratitude to the great Camden less vsible both in his Oration which he made when he entered upon the Reader 's place and also in the two others which were made and published after the death of his Benefactor Though it was his great calamity to live in times of Trouble and Confusion yet God was pleased to let him depart in peace before the execrable Murther of his Sovereign and before the Rebels had purged that University of whatever was Loyal and Constant. For though the Parliament had attempted this the June before he died yet they could not then effect their Ill Designs As to the Version I have done the best I could to make it true and smooth which was not so easie as at first I thought it would have been by reason of the great number of Quotations out of other Authours many of which are so very short and dark in their expressions that I could scarce if at all tell how to find English words that would represent their notions truely And besides this it is uneasie for a Man to accommodate himself so suddenly to such a variety of Styles as here occur in almost every Page and therefore it is not improbable I may have committed many errours and mistakes I have also presumed in some places to make Additions too when I thought it necessary but then I have given the Reader notice of them that he may know what is Added and what is the Authours A SHORT REPRESENTATION Of the several Lectures The Enterance THe Occasion of repeating these Lectures and Examples The scope of them and publick use Which yet is not to be rashly published The excessive confidence of the Writers of this Age. Modesty is recommended by the example of Pliny Secundus The Ancient Custome of reciting very usefull To be desired in this Age. No Argument of Ostentation but rather of Modesty The convenience of a living voice In what Hearing excell Reading The definition end division and several sorts of History Part the First The Heads of the SECTIONS SECT I. THree things are required to the Advantagious Reading of History Upon occasion of which the three parts of this Discourse are propos'd SECT II. What Order of Historians is to be observed And how to be entered upon Three Intervals of time to be observed What an Epocha is and of how many sorts The several Flouds In what times they happened The Unwritten Interval The Fabulous The Olympiads The Historical Interval SECT III. The Series of the Great Monarchies and their fatal Succession That there was four Eminent Monarchies That the Empire of the Medes and Persians was but one That these Empires were foretold by the Prophets The Name of Great Monarchies in vain quarrell'd by Bodinus That that of the Romans was the Greatest SECT IV. The Rise and Duration of the Assyrio-Chaldaean Empire and also of the Medio Persian then of the Grecian The beginning of the Roman Empire before Julius Caesar. How many years interven'd betwixt him and Charles the Great and betwixt the Latter and Charles the Fifth SECT V. Why these Four Empires were by way of Eminence call'd the Four Monarchies SECT VI. How the Reading of History is to be entered upon Good Epitomes are not to be condemn'd Synopsis of Histories Chronologies Some Compendiums are by name recommended What Authours concerning the Universal History are to be consulted Rauleigh is especially to be esteem'd The History of the Bible is the most Ancient and first to be Read SECT VII From whence the History of the Assyrio-Caldean Empire is to be derived Of Berosus Ctesias Megasthenes and their Counterfeited Writings That in the defect of them we must have recourse to Josephus The great loss of Diodorus Siculus to be supplied from others Especially from Josephus and the Prophetick Story Diogenes Laertius commended SECT VIII Herodotus where he began his History and where he ended His Commendation In what time he flourisht The beginning of the Second General Monarchy The Arguments of the several Books of Herodotus Why the Names of the Muses were put before the several Books In which Herodotus is excused against Lodovicus Vives From what Authours this History may be enlarg'd and illustrated SECT IX Thucydides His Elogie From whence and how far he deduces his History which he contain'd in eight Books Their Arguments shortly and distinctly laid down And what Authours writ of the same Times and Wars with him SECT X. Xenophon His Commendation and Elogie When and in what order he is to be Read That he writ the History of 48 years Which again may be enlarged out of Plutarch Justin and Diodorus Siculus SECT XI Diodorus Siculus his beautifull Elogie He travelled over several Countries before he writ his History He continues Xenophon's Story in the end of his 15th Book And in the 16th gives an Account of the Actions of Philip of Macedon And so goes on to Alexander the Great and describes the Rise of the Third general Monarchy SECT XII Divers Authours have written the Action of Alexander the Great Arrianus Q. Curtius Their Elogies In what times they lived Diodorus Siculus prosecutes the History of the Successours of Alexander the Great Other Authours afford usefull Additions SECT XIII Polybius when to be read Of what times he writ How he applied his mind to History How great a Man he was How much admired The greatest part of his History lost or reduced to fragments The Contents of the Existing Books SECT XIV Of the Fourth Monarchy the Roman A Transition to its Story The Praise of both and the loss of its Historians
deplored SECT XV. Where the Course of the Roman Story is to be begun Lucius A. Florus commended The Judgments of Learned Men concerning him That he is not the same with the Epitomizer of Livy His Mistakes excused his Method of Writing By what means in probability Errours crept in The Consulary Fasts of Sigonius and Onuphrius Pighius his Annals commended SECT XVI In what order the Roman History is to be continued Dionysius Halycarnassaeus commended How many years his History contains the Reason given why he is Recommended in the first place and confirm'd from J. Bodinus SECT XVII T. Livius is much and de servedly admir'd in what time he lived How many Books he writ by whom divided into Decads In what order to be Read How the History may be enlarged or supplied The Praise and Elogy of Plutarch SECT XVIII The second Decad of T. Livy that is from the X th to the XXI th Book is lost How and whence that loss may be supplied Appianus Alexandrinus What opinion Learned Men have of him SECT XIX When the remaining XXV Books of Livy are to be read What other Authours may confirm or illustrate the History of the same times The Nine last Decads and half the Tenth are lost From whence they may be supply'd The History of Salustius commended and also Caesar's Commentaries both by the Learned Men of the present and Ancient times SECT XX. Of Dion Cassius and his History How many Books he writ How many perished and how great the loss Vellejus Paterculus to be worthily ranked amongst the best Historians and yet his faults are not dissembled A Transition to the Writers of the Lives of the Caesars SECT XXI Suetonius and Tacitus are first to be read The famous testimonies of the most Learned Men concerning them The Judgments of the most eminent of the Criticks differ that I may not say contest each with other concerning Tacitus Light may be derived both to Suetonius and Tacitus from Dion Cassius SECT XXII How to pass on to the other Writers of the Augustan Story viz. Spartianus Capitolinus Volcatius and the other Authours which are not to be lightly esteemed The Judgment of Justus Lipsius and Casaubon concerning them Herodian is to be read in his place with the rest How far these go in the History And that amongst them Aurelius Victor and Pomponius Laetus deserve to be admitted SECT XXIII After Constantius Chlorus and a little before the History is a little perplex'd especially in the Latin Writers Eusebius Zozimus and Zonaras will render it more easie Of Zozimus and Zonaras and their Writings ' and also of Jornandes Ammianus Marcellinus has his place here The opinion of Lipsius and Balduinus the Civil Lawyer concerning the latter SECT XXIV Diaconus his Miscellane History and that of Jornandes concerning the Goths and of Procopius and Agathias who may be placed here or if you please the Third Tome of Zonaras who is followed by Nicetas Choniates and then Nicephorus Gregoras or if this seems too Prolix after Zozimus Blondius Forolivienfis may be read or else after Vopiscus Sigonius his History of the Western Empire may be admitted and from thence the Reader may pass to the Seventh or Eighth Book of the first Decad of Blondius SECT XXV Johannes Cuspinianus Paulus Jovius and Augustus Thuanus will furnish the Reader with a shorter view of the History of the Roman Emperours from the beginning of the Caesars to our own times SECT XXVI Some Writers of particular Histories that best deserve to be read are enumerated Guicciardine Paulus Aemilius Philippus Commines whose noble Elogies are remembred Meteranus Chromerus and Bembus SECT XXVII A Transition to the British Story How the Reader should prepare himself for the Reading of it In what order he should go on Camden's Britannia and Selden's Analecta are first to be Read and then George Lillies Chronicon The Compendium of the British History SECT XXVIII Gulielmus Malmesburiensis Sir Henry Savil's and Camden's Judgment of him Where he began and ended his History Galfredus Monumethensis why to be omitted The Censures of Neubrigensis John of Withamsted Bales and Jo. Twin upon his History from all which Virunnius dissents H. Huntingdonensis follows Malmesburiensis and Hoveden him SECT XXIX The History of Asser Menivensis is commended in what order to be read with the former as also Eadmerus Matheus Parisiensis Baronius his judgment of him Thomas Walsingham his History The Actions of King Stephen by an unknown Pen. The Life of Edw. II. by Sir Thomas de la Moor is to be taken in in due time SECT XXX Walsingham's Hypodigma Neustria or History of Normandy and the other Writers not to be neglected and amongst them Odoricus Vitalis of Principal note Polidore Virgil has writ the History from Henry the IV th to Richard the IIId concerning whom the Censure of the most noble Sir H. Savil is observable Richard thee IIId was written by Sir Tho. Moor Kt. and Lord Chancellour of England Henry the VII th by the Earl of St. Albans Henry the VIII th Edward the VI th Queen Mary by Francis Godwin Bishop of Landaff by way of Annals As also that of Queen Elizabeth by William Camden SECT XXXI Though we have no intire body of our history in Latin written according to the dignity of the subject yet in English John Speed has writ an excellent Theatre of the British Empire to be in the first place contemplated by the youth of this Nation and especially of those who design to travell The Addition concerning the Histories of Particular Nations ARTICLE I. The design and order of this Appendix In what order we should proceed in the Particular histories The principal historians of the several Nations are to be selected and the historians of the latter times compared with the more ancient ARTICLE II. The historians of the Germans and of all the People from the Alpes to the Baltick Sea and from the Rhine to the Vistula to which the history of the Goths Vandals Huns Heruls Switzers Longobards Polonians Muschovites Danes and Swedes are to be added ARTICLE III. The Austrian historians ARTICLE IV. The historians of the Huns and Hungarians ARTICLE V. The historians of the Goths Danes Sclavonians and Swedes ARTICLE VI. The historians of the Longobards ARTICLE VII The historians of the Borussians and Poles ARTICLE VIII The historians of the Bohemians Switzars and Saxons ARTICLE IX The historians of Celts or Galls and French under which name we include all which are enclosed by the Rhine Pyrenaean Hills the Alpes and the Ocean ARTICLE X. The historians of the Netherlands Dutch and Flandrians ARTICLE XI The Spanish historians ARTICLE XII The historians of the Turks and Arabians who heretofore had the Dominions of Syria Persia Africa and Spain and were commonly call'd Saracens ARTICLE XIII The historians of Aethiopia India almost all Africa and of the New World or America ARTICLE XV. The historians of some great Cities SECT XXXII A Transition
Countries The fifth Book contains the Persian Embassy to Amyntas King of Macedonia and also the just Punishment of Sisamnis an unjust Judge the Sedition of Aristagoras the Milesian and his end and then he shews what was the State of the Cities of Athens Lacedemonium and Corinth in the time of Darius Histaspis The sixth Book describes the Ruine of the Seditious Histiaeus and then shews the Origine of the Kings of Sparta and the preparations of War made by Darius against the Grecians and the Fight at Marathon in which Miltiades bravely defeated the Persians The seventh contains a most excellent Consultation concerning the War with Greece held by Xerxes and then represents his famous Expedition into Greece and the Battel of Thermopilas The eighth describes the Sea Fight at the Island of Salamine The ninth besides the punishment of one Lycidas gives an account of two great Battels fought in one day the one at Plateas in the dawn of the Morning and the other at Mycalen a Promontory of Asia in the Evening in both which the Persians were beaten and at last totally Expell'd out of Greece And in these Nine Books you will find besides the History of the Medes and Persians the Histories also of the Lydians Jonians Lycians Aegyptians Mynians Grecians and Macedonians and of some other Nations their Manners and Religions are also intermixt and delivered with that Purity Elegance and sweetness of Style that the Muses were by the Ancients feigned to have spoken by the mouth of Herodotus and for this cause the Names of the Muses were put before these Books not by the Authour but by some other persons as some think But the Learned Vossius which I think fit to remark here is of another opinion and says that he inscribed the Names of the IX Muses before his Books upon the same account that the three Orations of Eschines were call'd the Graces with relation both to their Number and the Delicateness of the Language and the same Oratours IX Epistles were also call'd by the Names of the Muses as Photius saith Sect. LXI But the same Learned man Vossius goes on and asserts that it is apparent that the Books of Herodotus were not so call'd by way of Apology for the falsehoods contained in them as Lodovicus Vivis thought as if by these Names the Reader were in the very entrance to be admonished that some things in them were related with too much Liberty to delight the mind which is allowed the Muses For though Herodotus inserts some Narratives that are not much unlike Fables yet the body of his History is compil'd with a rare Fidelity and a diligent care of Truth Concerning his other Narratives he for the most part premiseth that he recites them not because he thought them true but as he had receiv'd them from others I ought saith he to unfold in my History what I have heard from others but there is not the same necessity I should believe all relations alike which I desire the Reader would once for all take notice of and remember throughout my History And we may enlarge and confirm the History of these times of which Herodotus writ by reading the 2 3 and 7 th Books of Justin and by reading the Lives of those famous Generals Aristides Themistocles Cimon Miltiades and Pausanias written both by Plutarch and Cornelius Nepos and to these may be added the Lives of the Philosophers of those times written by Laertins viz. Anaximander Zenon Empedocles Heraclitus Democritus and others of that Age. SECT IX Of Thucydides his Elogies from whence and how far be deduceth his History which he compil'd in VIII Books the Arguments of those Books briefly and distinctly unfolded and lastly is shewn what Authours besides he have written of the same Wars and Times THucydides follows Herodotus a celebrated Historian in relation both to his Eloquence and Fidelity He flourished 460 years before Christ in the LXXXVII Olympiad and because the Elogies Learned men have made for him may perhaps accend the Reader to a more serious study of his History I shall not decline the repeating them here M. T. Cicero speaks thus of him In my opinion Thucydides excells all others in the art of Speaking he almost equals the number of his words with the number of his Sentences his expressions are so fit and short that no man can determine whether he has most illustrated his Subject by his Oratory or his Oratory by his wise reflexions Fabius Quintilianus thus expresseth his Esteem of him Thucydides is always saith he close and short and ever present to his Business Herodotus sweet candid and diffus'd Thucydides is the best representer of moved affections Herodotus of calm Herodotus is the best at a long Thucydides at a short Oration this forceth and that wins a man's consent Let us now hear the judgment of Modern Writers and in the first place that of Justus Lipsius Thucydides saith he writ an History in which he relates neither many nor great affairs and yet perhaps he has won the Garland from all those who have represented many and great occurrences his discourse is always close and short his Sentences are frequent and his Judgment sound giving every where excellent but conceal'd Advice directing thereby Mens Lives and Actions his Orations and Excursions are almost Divine the oftner you reade him the more you will gain by him and yet he will never dismiss you without a thirst of reading him again Isaac Casaubon speaks thus Thucydides is a great man and a great Historian who when he had for some time been conversant with and employed in great Transactions retired to describe them with his Pen and gave Posterity an example of an History so written for the use of Men that it will ever be the Subject of their wonder rather than imitation Christopherus Colerus speaks thus Thucydides perfected the art of Writing Histories which Herodotus just before had Adorn'd turn over and over and carry in your bosome that great treasure he has described the Peloponnesian War which he saw and in which he bore his part you will not seem to reade but see it in him and you will find as many wise instructions as Sentences he explains his Business prudently severely and gravely by which it is apparent how usefull he may be to a Politician and as to those that are to consult about War or Peace they ought to keep him ever close to them as their best Counsellour thus has Thucydides hit every point To proceed Thucydides writ an History of almost LXX years in eight Books beginning at the departure of Xerxes out of Greece where Herodotus ends and bringing it down to the XXI year of the Peloponnesian War for although his main design was to write the War betwixt the Athenians and the Peloponnesians a great part of which he was yet in his first Book in the very entrance of it he
good Commander the truth is he left the Profession of Philosophy and wrote his History when he was a Commander I shall omit that Elegant piece of his concerning the Institution of Cyrus because it belongs to the foregoing times of which Herodotus wrote nor is it as is supposed penned as a true History but as a representation of a just Empire or Government yet Scipio Africanus that admired Personage had so great an Esteem for this Piece that he never went without it about him but to return he Composed the History of his own times in seven Books the two first of which are to be read immediately after Thucydides because they contain the residue of the Peloponnesian War and where Thucydides ends there Xenophon as it were carrying on the Web begins and relates what passed betwixt the Athenians and Lacedemonians after that Naval Victory that was obtained at Abidus by Thrasybulus against Mindarus in the 2 year of the 92 Olympiad of which we have spoken before to the taking of Athens by Lysander in the 4 th year of the 93 Olympiad and in these Books here and there he represents some of the Medio-Persian affairs as how the Medes rebell'd against Darius King of Persia and afterwards submitted again to his Empire how Cyrus the younger Son of Darius went to his Father who was then sick in the Higher Asia having first sent money to Lysander for the use of the War against the Athenians how Darius Nothus Died and Artaxerxes Mnemon his Elder Son became his Successour In the end of the second Book he gives an account of the suppressing the XXX Tyrants who had raged for two years at Athens by Thrasybulus and also the Peace and Act of Oblivion which was confirmed by the Athenians amongst themselves by an Oath by which an end was put to the Peloponnesian War which Thucydides calls the most memorable War that had ever happened and the longest and so in truth it was for it was prolonged to the XXVII th or XXVIII th year as is manifested by Xenophon these things are contained as I said in the two first Books of the Grecian History of Xenophon which being read the Reader may pass to his seven Books of the Expedition of Cyrus the younger against Artaxerxes Mnemon his Elder Brother written by Xenophon also in which we have an account how Cyrus gathered Grecian Forces and went up with them against his Brother How he fought and was Slain then how the Grecian Captains were Massacred after the Fight contrary to the Faith given and how Xenophon who followed Cyrus in this Expedition after his Death was chosen General by the Grecian Souldiers and had the felicity to conduct them from the very heart of Persia though continually assaulted by the Barbarians and harassed with other miseries and inconveniencies into their own Countrey in the first year of the 95 Olympiad When the Reader has finished these he may then proceed to the rest of the Grecian History in which the affairs both of the Grecians and Persians are continued to the Mantinensian Battel in which the Thebans beat the Lacedemonians under the Conduct of Epaminondas who whilst he perform'd the parts not onely of a Commander but private Souldier being grievously wounded died soon after and with him the Glory and power of the Theban Common-wealth Expired in the second year of the 104 Olympiad So that the Son of Gryllus will furnish the Reader with an Elegant and rich History of the affairs of XLVIII years but this the Reader may enlarge and enrich too if as in reading Thucydides he took in Plutarch's Pericles Nicias and Alcibiades so here he take in the Lives of Lysander Agesilaus Artaxerxes Thrasybulus Chabrias Conon and Datames written by Plutarch and Nepos for all these flourished in that interval of time which is represented by Thucydides and Xenophon and afford a considerable addition to the Histories of those times the IV th V th and VI th Books of Justin and the XIII th XIV th and XV th Books of Diodorus Siculus belong to the same times and as to Diodorus he is the next Authour I shall commend to the Reader SECT XI The fair Elogie of Diodorus Siculus that he travelled over several Countries before he writ his History He continues the History of Xenophon about the end of his XV th Book then he gives an account of the actions of Philip King of Macedonia in his XVI th and from thence passeth to Alexander the Great and describes the Rise of the third Monarchy FOr though Diodorus Siculus is some centuries of years younger than Xenophon as who flourished in the times of Julius Caesar and Augustus about the CLXXXIII Olympiad yet in this our Series of Authours I desire he may immediately follow Xenophon being not one of the many but a celebrated Writer and so expert in Antiquities that Greece can scarce shew another that is his Equal which Judgment may be confirm'd by the Elogie which a Learned Divine of our Countrey a Reverend Bishop and excellently versed in this and all other sorts of Learning is pleased to bestow upon this Authour Diodorus Siculus saith he is an excellent Authour who with great Fidelity Immense Labour and a rare both diligence and ingenuity has collected an Historical Library as Justin Martyr calls it in which he has represented his own and the Studies of other men being the great reporter of humane Actions but as Diodorus himself stiles it the Common Treasury of things and an harmless or safe Mistress or Teacher of what is Usefull and Good Our Reverend Bishop might well call it an Immense Labour for he spent XXX years as he himself confesseth in writing this History travelling in the mean time over several Countries to inform himself running through many Dangers as usually happens Diodorus also does rightly stile it a Common Treasury of things for we have in his first five Books the Antiquities and Transactions of the Egyptians Assyrians Libyans Persians Grecians and other Nations before the Trojan War as we have noted above the five following Books that is from the V th to the XI th are lost but from the beginning of the XI th to the XVI th we have the History of the times written by Thucydides and Xenophon as I have already said written in a continued thread but then in the end of the XV th Book he seems to design a Continuation of Xenophon's History for he speaks expresly thus in the end of the second year of the 104 Olympiad In this year saith he Xenophon the Athenian concludes his Grecian History with the death of Epimanondas and so the Sicilian passeth to the III year of the same Olympiad in which he briefly unfolds the Story of the War of Artaxerxes with the Rebel Persians and Egyptians and the rest of the great Atchievements of Agesilaus together with the Deaths both of Agesilaus and Artaxerxes to whom Ochus succeeded in the Kingdom
461 year after the building of Rome and yet before our Reader proceeds though perhaps he has attain'd a rich History of the first times of the Romans out of Dionysius Halicarnassaeus and the aforesaid Books of Livy yet in this place Plutarchs Romulus Numa Pompilius Valerius Poplicola Coriolanus and Camillus may not unprofitably be read not unprofitably did I say what is there in that Authour that can be read without great advantage and reward especially if he falls into the hands of a serious Reader that is apprehensive and of an experienced Judgment Treasures of Learning Wisedom and History may be found in Plutarch yea there are some that assert that his Monuments I mean his Parallel Lives and Morals are the Libraries or Collections of all the ancient Historians or rather Writers and of all that have either spoken or done any thing honourably rightly or wisely whether they were Grecians or Romans so that Theodorus Gaza answered not imprudently when being once asked what Authour he would chuse if he were to be deprived of all others he replied onely Plutarch and therefore we so often already have and hereafter shall recommend him to the Reader to be read by parts every part in its proper place By parts I say because as Lipsius saith he did not so properly write an History as certain Particles of History and appropriated to himself the Lives of Illustrious men and yet here if we may Acquiesce in the judgment of Colerius he observes all the Laws of History more than Suetonius or any other of those that have written Lives however in the opinion of Lipsius he truly deserves above all others to be styled the Prince of Writers who doth wonderfully form the judgment and in a diffused and plain way of Writing leads a man every where to Vertue and Prudence SECT XVIII The second Decade of T. Livy that is from the X th to the XXI Book is lost how and from whence the History may be supplied Appianus Alexandrinus what Learned men think of him BUt to proceed where we should have gone on in T. Livius the whole second Decade from his tenth Book to his XXI th is lost to wit the History of LXX years from the year of the City 461 to the year 531 in which space of time besides other very remarkable things the War with Pyrrhus King of Epirus call'd the Tarentine War the first Punick War and the Ligustick Illyrick and Gallican Wars are said to have happened for the supplying therefore this defect the arguments of these Books drawn by the Epitomizer of our Authour may be usefull and for the filling up and enlarging the story Plutarch's Pyrrhus and the XVII th XVIII th and XXII and XXIII Books of Justin to these may be added 14 Chapters of the IV th Book of Orosius who flourished 415 years after Christ and the IV first Chapters of the third Book of Paulus Diaconus his Historia Miscella who lived about 787 years after Christ and especially the first and second Books of Polybius in which though we have not a full History of the first Punick War yet we shall there find more of it than in all the Latine Historians that are now Extant and we may judge the same of the Wars the Romans made with the Galls inhabiting in Italy And here Plutarch's M. Marcellus and Fabius Maximus may be taken in who fought most Valiantly and succesfully against the Ligurians and Cisalpine Galls and as they afterwards did in the second Punick War against the Carthagineans for Fabius first broke Hannibal with delays and then Marcellus taught the World it was possible to beat him as the Authour de Viris Illustribus writes Chap. 45. Lastly Joannes Zonaras may perhaps afford some assistence for filling up this Gap in the Roman History who in the second Tome of his Annals has given a short account of the affairs of the Romans from the building of the City to the Reign of Constantine the Great and also Appianus Alexandrinus will afford some help in his Punic's and Illyric's A writer according to the censure of Photius studious of delivering the truth as far as possible a Discoverer of the Military Discipline above most others and he is one of those who hath as in a Table represented to us the Provinces Revenues Armies and in general the description of the whole Roman Empire as Johannes Bodinus hath observed And Josephus Scaliger in his Animadversions upon Eusebius supposeth him to have been a mere Child in History or else that many things had been tack'd to his Syriac's by others and the Learned Vossius affirms he took many things from Polybius and useth to transcribe Plutarch word for word and in truth Franc. Balduinus acknowledgeth that some passages of Plutarch in his Crassus concerning the Parthian War are repeated in the Books of Appianus but this is supposed to be done not by Appian who was contemporary with Plutarch but by some of his Transcribers that they might fill up some Chasme in his Commentaries This Authour flourished in the year of Christ 123. SECT XIX Where the remaining XXV Books of Livy are to be read what other Authours may confirm or illustrate that History the nine last Decades and an half are intirely lost whence that loss may be supply'd the History of Salust commended and also Caesar's Commentaries by the Learned of the more ancient and of the later times OUr Reader having thus furnished himself as well as he can is now to proceed to the XXI th Book of T. Livius that is to the third Decade and let him go on and diligently reade all that remain and are still Extant in order that is two Decades and an half in which he will find an uninterrupted History of LVI years to the year of Rome 587 but together with those XXV Books of Livy for just so many besides the first Decade have escaped this common Shipwreck and besides Plutarch's Fabius and Marcellus already mentioned let the Reader also peruse his Hannibal Scipio Africanus T. Quinctius Flaminianus Paullus Aemylius and his Cato Major or Censorius because every one of these flourished in that interval of time and Plutarch hath written their Lives very largely and clearly and in them the success of the Roman affairs From the XLV th Book of Livy nine Decades and an half for he writ XIV Decades that is 95 Books are perished in that common and deplorable Shipwreck that is the History of 157 years to the Death of Drusius Nero the Son-in-Law of Augustus Caesar who died whilst he was General in an Expedition against the Germans beyond the Rhine Anno V. C. 744. The Contents of these Books are yet Extant collected by the before mentioned Epitomizer for the improvement of which after Plutarch's Cato Major follow his two Gracchi's Marius Scylla Cato Minor or Uticensis Sertorius Lucullus Pompejus Magnus and Marcus
Brutus to be read every one in his time and with them let the Reader take in Salustius his Jugurthine War and add to them also the Catilinarian Conspiracy and Caesar's Commentaries which Authours Antiquity accounted amongst the principal Historians Salustius was famous about 44 years before Christ Anno V. C. 707. And Quintilianus hath compared him with Thucydides Tacitus calls him the most florid writer of the Roman History he is call'd by Martial the Epigrammatist Crispus the first of all the Roman Historians whereupon Colerus writeth thus to Stanislaus Zelenius Consider saith he that by the testimony of the Ancients themselves there was in Salust all those Endowments that make a perfect Historian and afterwards you can repeat the Catilinarian Conspiracy by heart but to no purpose if you do not well consider that man's profound knowledge in publick affairs which he hath discovered even in that very small Book and he wrote the Jugurthine War with no less Art and his two Epistles to Caesar concerning the setling the publick affairs do they not even seem to have fallen from Heaven and Justus Lipsius saith thus of him If it were left to me I should in this Catalogue not doubt to chuse Salustius for president of the Senate of Historians and as to Caesar's Commentaries who ever thought they did not deserve the highest Commendation and to be read by young men with the utmost care Cicero averr'd that they were very much to be approved Aulus Hertius saith they were to be admir'd they are saith he so much approved by the judgment of all that they rather seem to have prevented the need of another writer than to have afforded him an assistence or occasion and yet as he goes on my wonder here exceeds that of all others for they onely know how well and Correctly he hath written them but I know with what facility and quickness he did it But what say the Criticks of our Age they do not much less esteem it The famous Vossius thus expresseth himself he is a pure and Elegant Writer and most accurate in the structure of his words and glides along like a pleasant quiet River and is politick and grave in his Sentences in which he excelleth Xenophon though in the rest he is not much unlike him and a little after In truth here is a great plenty of great and usefull things which he that neglects to please himself in the interim with the Elegance of the words is less wise than Children who do not so delight themselves with the Leaves of Trees as to despise their excellent Fruit. The piece of the African War whether it be Caesar's or Oppius or Hirtius that writ it is preferr'd by Colerus before all the rest that work saith he surpasseth the rest not onely in Bloud and Colour but in strength also and Nerves Princes and Souldiers have in it what they may reade and practise or rather admire for who can imitate Caesar Justus Lipsius differs somewhat from these two concerning Caesar's Commentaries and thus he writes of those Historians that are Extant C. Caesar is most praised if as an Elegant Narratour I willingly assent for the Style of that man is truly pure adorned but without Paint or force and worthy either the Attick or Roman Muse but if as a perfect Historian I say I doubt because in his Civil History some doubt of his Fidelity and the third requisite in a good Historian the Moral and Politick part is altogether wanting in him and therefore Caesar who was no undervaluer of himself gave them the Title of Commentaries and not of Histories and even for this he deserved true praise because he despised the false SECT XX. Of Dion Cassius and his History how many Books he wrote how many of them have perished and how great the loss is how deservedly Vellejus Paterculus is reputed one of the best Writers his Vertues are shewn and his faults not dissembled A transition to the Writers of the times of the Caesars AFter Plutarch's Lucullus the remainders of Dion Cassius or Coccejus may be taken in also who is deservedly reputed one of the best Historians they begin with the actions of Quintus Metellus in Creet Anno V. C. 686 then they express the great enterprises of Pompey beginning with the Pyratick War and so continue down the Roman History to the Death of Claudius Caesar Anno V. C. 806. In truth Dion wrote LXXX Books of History beginning with the Arrival of Aeneas in Italy and the building of Alba and Rome and so went on without any interruption ending in the Slaughter of Heliogabalus Anno V. C. 973 Christi 221 but the first XXXIV Books are lost the next following XXV are Extant and those that succeeded these again are lost how great the loss of these LV Books is will easily appear to any man from what is spoken of him by John Bodinus considering saith he that Dion spent his whole life in managing publick affairs and by all the inferiour degrees of Honours arose to that height as to be twice made Consul and after that being Proconsul Governed some Provinces to his great honour joyning a great knowledge and experience together who can doubt whether he is to be placed amongst the best writers of History in truth he gathered together very accurately the order of the Assemblies of State and the Rights of the Roman Magistrates he is the onely person who hath given an account of the Consecration or Deifying of their Princes and Divulged their Arcana imperii secrets of State as Tacitus calls them for he was a diligent searcher into the publick Councils Or if our Reader desireth to go a shorter way and to reade the rest of the History where Livy fails twisted in one thread as it were Vellejus Paterculus may very well be admitted who flourished under Tiberius Caesar as he himself testifieth Anno Christi 27. Aclear explainer of the ancient History close and of a great efficacy and Aldus Minutius speaks thus of him he is honest and true till thou comest to the Caesars where he is not every where faithfull for through flattery he conceals or covers many things yea and plainly tells them otherwise than they were yet he expresseth himself every where with a certain facil and flowing Eloquence Justus Lipsius thus speaks of him nothing can flow with greater purity and sweetness than his Style he comprehends the Antiquities of the Romans with so much brevity and perspicuity that if he were extant intire there is no other that is equal to him and he does commend the illustrious Persons he names with a certain exalted Oratory and worthy of so great a man as Johannes Bodinus saith it is commonly conceived and agreed that his Compendium of the Roman History is contained in two Books but we have onely some shreds of his first Book as Rhenanus calls them but if the Reader begins with the IX th
of but a short space of time yet it gives a great light to the most intricate part of that History and is of great credit as being Written by a Person of great fidelity who was an Eye-witness of all those Transactions and a very Elegant Writer Zosimus Writ the declension of the Empire in VI. Books beginning with Octavianus Caesar and ending in the taking of Rome by the Goths under Alaricus In the first Book he runs through all the first Emperours to Dioclesian with great brevity but in the other V. Books he gives a larger and fuller account He lived in the time of Theodosius the younger who began his Reign Anno Christi 407. and ended it Anno 449. his Style is short and clear pure and sweet as Photius represents it He was a Pagan and therefore reflects very often upon the Christian Princes and yet Leunclavius a Learned German doth not think it is fit for all that to call his fidelity too easily in question and he adds moreover That if any Man Reade him without prejudice he will find that his History which is almost totally made up of those things that were passed by and not taken notice of by the rest of the Historians is very pleasant and usefull to all Men who are employed in State Affairs Henry Stephens was of opinion That he industriously sought into the truth of Conceal'd things and carefully discover'd it This History is for the most part of it an Epitome of Eunapius who Wrote an History of the Caesars beginning where Herodian ends and continuing it to his own times he lived under Valentinian Valens and Gratian about the year of Christ 370. His History though said to be extant at Venice was never Printed But Photius saith Zosimus did almost Transcribe Eunapius as differing from him onely in this that he doth not reproach Stilicon as Eunapius did and that his style is shorter and more easie and that he rarely makes use of any Rhetorical Figures but Zosimus begins his History much Higher and continues it down much Lower Johannes Zonaras Wrote a General History from the beginning of the World to the death of the Emperour Alexius Comnenus Anno Christi 1118. in whose time he lived he divided it into Three Tomes in the First Tome he briefly Writes the History of the World from the Creation to the destruction of Jerusalem In the Second Tome he Writes the Roman History from the building of Rome to Constantine the Great but with great brevity The Third Tome gives an account of the Actions of all the Christian Emperours from Constantine the Great to the death of Alexius Comnenus From some or all of these therefore the History of the foresaid Emperours may be made more full and clear especially if to those things which are related by Zosimus as done by the Goths under Gallienus and the succeeding Emperours of Rome Jornandes may be called in as a Witness who will assure us That all which Zosimus hath related is true For as Leunclavius assures us What both these Historians have Written concerning the Goths do most exactly agree nor is there any other difference betwixt them but this that Jornandes is a little more full as not omitting the circumstances of things nor is it to be wondred at that these were not so well known to Zosimus as they were to Jornandes for the latter was a Goth or an Alan which Nation was nearly related to the Goths and understood the affairs of the Goths who were his own Countreymen much better than the Grecians did and joined the Gothick Historians with the Greek and Latin Writers as he himself confesseth Jornandes flourished about the year of Christ 540. and here let the Reader proceed immediately to the reading of Ammianus Marcellinus a Man of a clear Fidelity and Judgment in the esteem of the most rigid Censors By his own confession his Language is Military and Unpolished he was very famous about the year of Christ 375. He diligently prosecutes as a Souldier the account of Military Affairs and doth often digress in Relations and doth not seldom intermix Sentences as Justus Lipsius acquaints us And Balduinus goes on thus He is indeed a Souldier but a very Learned Souldier and so studious of Antiquities that there is scarce any thing which he hath not searched out To speak in one word he is a most diligent Writer his Latin indeed is rough for he was a Constantinopolitan but he is full of Learning and has included in his History a various manifold and uncommon Literature and has largely Wrote an History of those times that are not so well Written by any other thus and much more Balduinus relates of him Marcellinus Wrote XXXI Books from the beginning of Nerva to the death of Valens in whose Court he lived but of these the first XIII have perished in the common Shipwreck in those which are extant he begins with Gallus Caesar about the year of Christ 353. and largely describes the Actions and Lives of Constantius Caesar Julian Jovian Valentinian and Valens an Eye-witness of a great part of which things he was and he will bring down the Reader to the year of Rome 1128. which is the 378th year of Christ. His History was Translated into English by one Philemon Holland a Dr. of Physick and Printed at London in Folio in 1609. who before had Translated Livy Suetonius and L. Florus but this Authour was not then so well understood as he is now by the indefatigable industry of Henry and Hadrian Valesius and therefore 't is fit there should be a second and a more pleasant Version made of this excellent Authour SECT XXIV Paulus Diaconus his Miscellan History Jornandes his History of the Goths and Agathias may be here read or if the Reader please the III. Tome of Zonaras whom Nicetas Choniates follows and after him Nicephorus Gregoras or if this seems too long then the Reader may immediately after Zosimus begin Blondus Fortiniensis or after Vopiscus Carolus Sigonius his History of the Western Empire and from thence pass on to the VIIth or VIIIth Book of the first Decade of Blondus IF after Ammianus the Reader proceeds to Paulus Diaconus his Miscellan History and joins as companion with him Jornandes whom I just now mention'd his History of the Succession of Kingdoms and Times and also his History of the Goths he will observe from these not onely the Declining of the Roman Empire which Zosimus undertook to shew him but also the intire Ruine and Destruction of it And lest the repetition of what he was well acquainted with before should prove tedious and troublesome to him he may if he please begin with the XIIth Book and so go thorough with the rest in which he shall have a perfect History from Valentinian to the Deposition of Michael Curopolates that is to the year of Christ 812. and may also take in Jornandes when the times
pass by the opinion of Johannes Gerundensis in the History of Spain Trogus Pompejus Orosius and Isidorus Hispalensis are worthy of great esteem Roder of Toledo is tolerable the rest are mere Dreams The last cited Authour Johannes Margarinus Bishop of Girona wrote an History of Spain in X Books from the Arrival of Hercules to the Reigns of Arcadius and Honorius the Children of Theodosius the Elder in the times of which Princes the Goths entred Spain he styles it the omitted History of Spain because in it he relates what had been omitted by the Writers of the latter Ages Johannes Mariana has writ the History of Spain from the first times of it to the Ruine of the Moors in XX Books which in X Books more is continued to the Death of King Ferdinand that is to the year 1516. Franciscus Tarapha brings down an History of Spain to Charles the V th Rodericus Sanctius Palentinus who was Chaplain and Counsellour to Henry the IV th King of Castile and Leon hath consigned to paper in a very great Volume an uninterrupted History of Spain down to his own times that is to the year 1467 concerning whom and two other more ancient Historians of that Nation Luca Tudiensis and Rod. Ximenius Alph. Garsias a Rhetorician of Alcala an University in Spain gives this judgment because they did not seek to please the Ears of men but to inrich the memories and judgments of Posterity as they sought not after pleasing Language so neither have they entertained their Readers with trifles and falsehoods Marineus Siculus wrote an History of the memorable affairs of Spain in XXII Books which ends in Charles the 5 th Laurentius Valla wrote the Reign of Ferdinand King of Aragon in III Books but as P. Jovius justly thought he wrote this work in such a style as no man can conceive that it was penn'd by him who gave the precepts of Latine Elegance to others and you may there find several other things concerning this Historian Carolus Verardus who flourished under Innocent the VIII th about the year 1484 wrote the History of the Conquest of the Kingdom of Granada and the History of Andaluzia Hieronymus Conestagius wrote the History of the Union of Portugal to the Kingdom of Castile in X Books in which he gives an account of the State of that Nation from the time in which Sebastian the first passed with a vast Fleet into Africa to fight against the Moors to the times when it was by the Conduct of Philip the second united to the rest of the Spanish Provinces Damianus à Goes has writ the actions of the Portuges in the Indies Aelius Antonius Nebrissensis hath written the History of the affairs under Ferdinando and Elizabeth in XX Books and he hath also writ the War of NAVAR in II Books Vasaeus in his Chronicle of Spain Chap. 4 th saith it is an History worthy of so great a man and he is commended by Erasmus as a man of various Learning and that deservedly there is also an high Commendation given him by Alphonsus Garsia in the Book which he wrote of the Learned men and Universities of Spain to these may be added Hieronymus Osorius a Polite Writer of the memorable things of Spain Johannes Brucellus of the Spanish War in V Books and Florianus Ocampus who by the Command of Charles the V th published a general Chronicle of Spain the rest I omit ARTICLE XII The Historians of the Turks and Arabians who heretofore were possessed of the Dominions of Africa Syria Persia and Spain and are commonly call'd Saracens THe History of the Saracens is to be sought in Harmannus Dalmata Leo Africus Robert the Monk William of Tyre and Benedictus de Accoltis a famous Elogie upon whom is Extant in Lilius Gyraldus his second Dialogue of the Poets of his time and in those other Authours which we have mentioned above when we discoursed of those Historians who had given an account of the affairs of the French in the East Caelius Aug. Curio wrote also an History of the Saracens in III Books and he also wrote a particular History of the Kingdom of Morocho Erected by the Saracens in Barbary There are several who have given accounts of the Origine of the Turks for there it is fit to begin the reading of their History as Baptista Egnatius Theodorus Gaza and Andrea Combinus Martinus Barletius in his Chronicle has excellently described the Origine of the Turks their Princes Emperours Wars Victories Military Discipline c. And he hath also writ the Life and Actions of George Castriot who by Amurath for the greatness of his actions was Sirnamed Scanderbeg very elegantly in XIII Books whose fidelity will appear from that passage in his Preface I have saith he committed to writing what hath been related to me by my Ancestours and by some others who were present and saw what passed Laonicus Chalcocondylas an Athenian wrote an History of the Turks in X Books he is the onely Grecian Historian who wrote since the barbarous Turks possessed themselves of Constantinople with any applause he flourished in the end of the fourteenth Century about the year of Christ 1490 he begins from Ottoman the Son of Orthogul who began his Reign about the year of Christ 1300 and he ends in the year 1363 in which Mahomet the II stoutly repell'd the invasion made upon him by Mathias King of Hungaria and the Venetians Johannes Leunclavius also hath collected and published an History of the Musulmen out of their own Monuments with great industry in XVIII Books about the year 1560. Paulus Jovius ought here to be taken in too who has accurately and elegantly represented their affairs especially from the XII th to the XVII th Book and again from the XXXII to the XXXVII th Book of whom the Authour writes above Sect. 25. Henricus Pantaleon has collected an History of all the memorable Expeditions both by Sea and Land which have been undertaken for 600 years by the Christians in Asia Africa and Europe against the barbarous Saracens Arabians and Turks to the year 1581 to which you may add Reinerus Reineccius his Oriental History Martinus Stella hath written concerning the Wars of the Turks in Hungaria Petrus Bizarus hath written of the War made by Solyman against Maximilian the Emperour Melchior Soiterus hath writ the War made upon the Turks by Charles the V th and Ferdinand his Brother Nicholaus Honnigerus hath writ of Solyman the XII th and Selym the XIII th Emperour of the Turks against the Christians Ubertus Folietta hath writ the Siege of Malta and of several Expeditions into Africa and also of the War in Cyprus betwixt the Turks and the Venetians Ubio Esinus and Caelius Cec. Curio have also both of them writ of the Cyprian War and the latter of them of the Siege of Maltha too the taking and Sacking of Constantinople
Works which is the most winning way of engaging a Reader to undertake that task such Planes being a kind of Pictures or Landsckapes to shew the Reader what pleasing objects he may expect to meet with if he have the courage to proceed And if the Reader please but to peruse the 8th Section of the First Part where he gives an account of Herodotus his History he will then be able to judge for himself without taking my word for it Secondly By informing his Reader where every History begins and where it ends which has been done by few others and by no body with more exactness This too is a great invitation to a Reader to know in what Age of the World he is and how far his Authour will conduct him before he reads one word in him Thirdly He has acquainted his Reader with how much remains now extant and how much is lost of any History which hath not come down perfect and intire to us as very few of the more Ancient have done Fourthly He has told us when each Historian Wrote or Lived of what Countrey and Interest he was which are things of great use as to the advancing or abating the Credit of any Writer Fifthly He has represented the Styles Characters Virtues and Vices of each Historian which are notices of the greatest use and advantage to a Reader that is possible and of the greatest pleasure and delight Lastly He has not given us his own thoughts in all these onely but has taken the pains to search out and transcribe the very Words and Censures of the more ancient and latter Criticks of greatest fame and reputation which was a Work of great labour and difficulty So that upon the whole matter I am very much tempted to alter his Title and to call this Piece The History of the Greek and Latin Historians For so the first part of it does well deserve to be call'd The Addition in the middle of the First Part concerning the Historians of particular Nations and Places is a thing of great use and Learning though not equal to the exact care and diligence of this Authour as any Man that shall please to compare them together will soon find which I suppose was owing rather to the Authour 's great desire to be short than his want of industry or ability In the Latin Copy there is onely the two first Letters of his Name N. H. but I have been informed by a person of great worth who knew him that his Name was Nicholas Horseman and therefore I have put it so that his Memory may be preserved to Posterity The Authour of this Piece has not onely taken great care and pains to direct and encourage his Reader to that noble and usefull study of History by the best Method that ever was proposed in his First Part but he hath also in the Second and Third Parts taken an equal pains to fit and direct him how to reap the utmost advantage from his Readings both as to himself and as to others Which two Parts as he has handled them are not less usefull or delightfull than the First but they being both very short the Reader may much better satisfie himself by a perusal of the whole or of the Contents onely of the Chapters than be here troubled with a long discourse of mine upon them As this Piece was thus drawn with a mighty care and labour so it hath accordingly been valued in the World for besides the first impression of it which preceded this latter Twelve years as he tells us in his Preliminary Oration this has been Printed since the year 1637 three times and if I be not misinformed four times and yet now it is a scarce Book Nor is this any great wonder if we consider that besides the usefulness of the Subject the great Learning Candor Modesty and Industry of the Authour he spent almost two whole years in improving this small Discourse after a whole Impression of it had been sold off For his Preliminary Oration was made the 17th day of October 1635. and his Epistle Dedicatory to the University of Oxford bears date the first of July 1637. I should have been much pleased if I could have given the Reader the Life of this Great Man but that I cannot doe it having never been written by any Man to my knowledge and he being utterly unknown to me any otherwise than by this his Learned Work which I have had a great esteem for ever since I first read it which made me the willinger to run through the labour of Translating it which was no very easie task and also of adding some things to it as necessity required In the History of the University of Oxford p. lib. 2. p. 98. and in other places I find this short account given of him Degoreus Whear was born at Jacobstow in the County of Cornwall He was call'd from Broadgate Hall to Exon College in the same University to be made a Fellow there where he was afterwards examiner of the Lads in the year MDCII at which time he was Master of Arts. About six years after desiring to Travel he took his leave of the College and spending some time beyond the Seas returned into England with the Lord Chandois and lived with him in great esteem that Lord dying he came with his Wife to Oxford and took some Chambers in Glocester Hall which were not then employed for want of Students There he was not long before he became acquainted with one Mr. Thomas Allen By whose Recommendation the famous Mr. Camden designing then to settle a Reader of History in that University chose him the first Reader To this purpose this great Man gave to the University of Oxford out of the Manor of Bexley in the County of Kent One hundred and Forty pounds per Annum And after a certain term of years the Rents of that whole Manor which when it comes it will be worth about Four hundred pounds a year The Charter of this noble Grant bears date the Fifth of March 1621. The 17th of May 1622 this Donation was published in the Convocation-House of that University And the 16th of October of the same year our Learned Authour was declared Reader by the Founder And Brian Twyn a very Learned Man was declared his Successour if he survived him being then a Batchellor of Divinity but he died before Mr. Wheare It was a great Honour to him to be chosen by so great a Man as Mr. Camden and preferred before Brian Twyn And he soon made it appear that he well deserved the Honour that was done him in a very ingenuius Oration which he made in Latin in the Schools when he entered upon his Lectureship which is Printed in the end of this Piece in which he complains much That his long disuse of the Latin Tongue during his Sixteen years absence from the University had rendred him unable or at least very unapt to Discourse or Write that Language
who is a competent or well qualified Reader It is at least requisite that the Reader have a taste of Moral Philosophy And also of Chronology and Geography which are the two Eyes of History And some knowledge of other Arts is also necessary Part the Third SECT I. The last Head of what is to be handled proposed The Council of Ludovicus Vivis concerning those things that are to be Noted in the Reading of Histories The Custome of Augustus Caesar in his Reading Histories What things are found in Histories worth Noting and of what Use they are SECT II. Two sorts of Excerpts or Collections Philologick and Philosophick what species are contain'd under each of them how each of them are to be disposed of or ordered What advantage accrues thereby Many have written the formes of Common-place Books SECT III. A various Method of chusing and reserving for use the best things shewn out of Annaeus Seneca SECT IV. The manner of Excerping illustrated by Examples And first as to Philological observations out of Vell. Paterculus The Births and Deaths of Great Men to be observed A three-fold Elogie of Cato the Elder His Death A disagreement concerning his Age. His batred against Carthage The building of Corinth its duration and an Age fatal to Great Cities The Reasons of Ancient Sir-names The differences of the Roman Citizens That critical observations ought to be entered under the Philological That Scipio may be call'd not onely a favourer but an encreaser of Learning against the opinion of Lipsius in that point His Praise A two-fold Leisure What Dispungere signifies and whence it is derived and what things are said to be Expuncta An example out of Tacitus Primores Civitates What. That the Optimates were the best of the Nobility Who were call'd Principes Consules Exconsules Expraetores c. The distinction of the Senatours into Patricians Conscripti and Pedarii Whence they were so call'd SECT V. What Method is to be observed in Philosophical Observations shewn out of Herodotus Polybius and other Historians A twofold use of Examples Justus Lipsius Jo. Ã chokier and R. Dallington our Countreyman have excellently shewn the Uses of Histories and Examples An Instance or two of which is here givn by us out of L. Florus Justin and Herodotus St. Augustine supposeth that the History of Romulus and Remus is true What use may be made of it The faith of Camillus and Fabricius and the Axioms which spring from it What the Prodigious Preparations of Xerxes and the Event of his Expedition may teach us which is again confirm'd by the Example of the last Darius By the Examples of Caligula Nero and Valentinian the Malignity of self-love envy and spite and malice are shewn Polybius frequently shews the Use of Histories SECT VI. That Christians may receive usefull instructions from the Examples of the Heathens and thereby improve themselves not onely in Moral Vertues but also in the Acts of Piety and a Holy life The same thing taught by St. Augustine S. Hierome and others The Precepts of such imitations fulfilled by the Heathens which St. Ambrose elegantly expressed SECT VII That the Ecclesiastical History affords more and better fruits That the good works of the Heathens were nothing but splendid Sins The Ethnick History illustrates onely the second Table of the Decalogue but the Church-History the whole Law In the Prophane History there is nothing but counterfeit shapes of Vertues but in this the true Vertues are shewn In the first there are many things that are pleasant and usefull to be known but in the second there are more things which are necessary Upon which the Discourse is concluded with an Exhortation to a diligent reading of the Church-history THE METHOD and ORDER OF Reading Histories The Antelogium or The Introductory Oration made by the Authour the 17 th of October 1635. The occasion of Repeating these Lectures and Examples The Scope publick Advantage yet not to be rashly published The Excessive Confidence of the Scriblers of this Age Reprehended Modesty recommended by the Example of Pliny Secundus The Ancient Custome of Repeating before publication very usefull How much desireable in this Age most acceptable to Wise men Rather an Argument of Modesty than of Ostentation A living Voice In what Hearing has the advantage of Reading The definition of History It s End division and various sorts or Species IT is now about ten years and some Months if my Calculation deceive me not Most Honourable Academicks since I made some Discourses in this very place in the Presence of a great Assembly concerning the Order and Method of Reading Histories Whereupon some of my then Hearers prevail'd upon me by their importunity so far as to Publish from the Press and bring into the Light those Meditations such as they were Of late some of my Learned Friends have solicited me with the same vigour and irresistible Earnestness that I would bring these Lectures the second time to the Anvil and still insist urge and inculcate these reasons for it that they may surmount my reluctance The former Impression is many years since sold off and yet most eagerly sought after by many that therefore a new Edition would be very acceptable and very usefull too to the younger Students without doubt And there are some also of my present Hearers whom I have heard wish very passionately that I would reade again upon that Subject and afterwards if I thought fit Communicate my Lectures to the Learned and publish them to the World At length I yielded to the desires of both as far as I am Capable though at the same time I cannot with the same facility satisfie my own private humour by it and much less my Judgment My design then is with the favourable assistence of God to represent to you my Hearers those former Meditations with Additions and Amendments in some places in my next Lectures and that so carefully improved and Corrected as none of you may justly retort upon me the Satyrist's Proverb Occidit miseros crambe repetita Magistros The oft repeated Crambe kills the wretched Master 2. And yet whilst I well Consider you what if I should onely repeat my former thoughts for how few of you is there who now fill those Seats who have either from my Mouth heard or in Print read those former Discourses it may be in truth none or two or three at most and even those amongst you as I conjecture who have ever heard of them are not much more Numerous In short I will grant they were heretofore Printed so I may obtain that at some times in some places they were in some Esteem and read by some with some advantage and not thought unworthy of a light Commendation why then should I be blam'd for repeating and retouching the same Readings to my New Hearers who are for the most part now to begin the Study of Histories to these they will seem new though onely renew'd to others Nor would I
great both Love and Reverence Nor was the great Oratour M. Tully of another opinion for in his Perfect Oratour he thus plainly delivers himself Books saith he seem to want that spirit and Life which makes things seem greater when they are spoken than when the same things are onely read and from hence came that saying in reading Demosthenes the greatest thing is wanting the Oratour himself being read and not heard and with this that of Horace agrees where with great facetiousness and pleasantry he Ridicules the Epicurean who had improved Catius in the Kitchin Arts. Learn'd Catius by the Gods I ask this Boon Where e'er you go Sir I must have it done Pray bring me to this Copious Spring of Truth That I may hear it drop from his own mouth For though you talk as if you understood His Precepts well and knew the rules for Food Yet from your Lips I 'm sure they can't be known So well as if I heard them from his own Besides to see the figure of the man Would please me much pray shew me if you can A Sweet with which blest you are almost Cloy'd And do not value cause so oft enjoy'd But eager I to unknown Fountains press To draw from thence the Rules of Happiness 10. Things standing thus my Hearers what hinderance remains that we may not chearfully prepare ourselves for the designed Work which having thus bespoke your affections we will begin forthwith in the next Lecture and in the mean time lest whilst we are to discourse concerning the Order and Method of Reading Histories we should break the rules of Method if our younger Hearers for whose sake this Task is undertaken be not told what Histories we mean we think it now worth our while to premise first the Definition and then the Division of Histories and then briefly to explain them that by this means we may open a more clear passage to the bringing our designed undertaking to its End The Definition then which we formerly made and which I will still stand by is this History is the Register and Explication of particular affairs undertaken to the end that the memory of them may be preserved and so Universals may be the more evidently Confirm'd by which we may be instructed how to live well and Happily I say first then that it is a Register and Explication because we are to discourse of it as it may be read so that Recording and explaining are the Genus for the Object or matter I put particular affairs that is publick or private Actions worthy of the memory of men I assign a manifold End that the memory of particular Actions may be preserved and also that out of Particulars general Precepts may be deduced and Confirm'd and lastly that by these we may be the more instructed how to live well and happily for this was the reason why M. Tully styl'd History the Mistress of Life and to this relate those excellent words of Livy in the Preface to his History This is the most Healthfull and Profitable attendant of the knowledge of History that you may Contemplate the instructions of variety of Examples united in one illustrious Monument and from thence take out such things as are usefull to thee or to they Countrey and that thou mayst wisely consider that what has an ill beginning will have an ill end and so avoid it 11. According to this our Definition we subjoyn our Divisions which are not subtile and exquisite for such would be of no use here but popular and common I know that History has been divided both by the Ancients and some of the Modern Writers into Divine which treats of God and Divine things Natural which treats of Naturals and their causes and Humane History which relates the Actions of Man as living in Society and our definition has respect onely to the latter and this again we subdivide into Political or Civil and Ecclesiastical History and again both these into General and Particular Histories The Political or Civil History is that which explains the Rise or beginning Constitutions Increases Changes and Affairs of Empires Common-wealths and Cities Ecclesiastical History is that which principally describes the affairs of the Church though at the same time the Transactions of Monarchs and Kingdoms are also inserted Universal either Civil or Ecclesiastical History is that which contains the Actions of all or at least many and those the most considerable People Common-wealths or Churches for many ages the Particular History is that which comprehends the affairs of any one People City or Common-wealth or of one particular Church This our Method is intended to describe the distinct and regular way of Reading all these in their due Order There is another division of History which offers it self to our Consideration and is especially worth the observation of Youths which is taken from the Circumstances and Modes of Relating or Explaining things as of Histories some are call'd Chronicles which are those that chiefly take notice of the times in which Actions are done others are call'd Lives which describe the Persons of particular men and their Actions and Manners others are call'd Relations or Narratives whose chief business is to relate faithfully and clearly the memorable Actions of particular men or any particular affairs of Communities As to the first of these heads all Histories do or at least ought to note the times in which Actions happen for every Relation is obscure and like a Fable without the Addition of the time in which it falls and yet all do not observe the same intervals of time nor keep the same Order in Relating and this produces variety of Chronicles from whence has sprung the various denominations of Annals Fasts Ephemerides or Diaries Menologies Bimestrias Trimestrias Semestrias Decads and Centuries of all which we have largely discoursed in our Preliminaries of History The Writers of that sort of History we call Chronicles are Herodotus Diodorus Siculus Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Justinus T. Livius Sabellicus and the like The Writers of Lives as is said propose to themselves the representation of the persons of single Men and which is worth your reflexion to this sort belong mixt Actions publick private domestick and Civil c. in this Classis are Suetonius Plutarch Cor. Tacitus Dion Cassius Aemilius Probus and others to be placed The Writers of Relations or Narratives are Historians who endeavour to give full and Continued Accounts of memorable Transactions and affairs such as Xenophon's Expedition of Cyrus Salustius his Conspiracy of Catilin Halicarnassaeus his Embassies and the like Concerning the reading of all which you shall be farther informed with God's assistence in the Ensuing discourse THE METHOD and ORDER OF Reading Histories Part the First SECT I. Three things are required to the profitable reading Histories whereupon the three parts of this discourse are propounded THat the Reading of History may be attended with the most Advantageous Consequences and afford the Student a
following Books we deliver the History of what passed throughout the World to the Death of Alexander the Great Thus far the Sicilian But alas the five Books which follow his fifth Book which he stiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Book of Isles because in it he treats of the Islands are to the deplorable injury of ancient History perished For in them was contain'd all the Oriental Antiquities which might have afforded much light to the Old Testament as the Learned Josephus Scaliger observes We should think this great Loss the less if Theopompus Euphorus Callisthenes Timaeus and the rest from whom Diodorus had with incredible industry compiled those five Books were still Extant Concerning which you may Consult Vossius his piece of the Greek Historians We cannot deny but some have blamed the Sicilian for those five Books that are Extant which we have recommended as first to be read and amongst them Lodovicus Vivis who admires how Pliny could say that Diodorus was the first of the Grecians who left off Trifling when saith he there is nothing more Idle But we reply that Learned Censor did not well consider that Diodorus himself owns that the History of those times was mixt with many Fables and delivered very variously by the Ancients but he was content to relate what seem'd most agreeable to Truth and yet at last he did not desire they should be taken for solid Truths but that he thought it was better to have the best knowledge we could of those Ancient times than to be altogether ignorant of them as Gerardus Joh. Vossius a man of a peircing judgment has well observed in his second Book of the Greek Historians chap. the second In the defect therefore of those Authours we have mentioned and to repair as well as we may the loss sustain'd in the former Books of the Sicilian helps are to be fetched in from Eusebius his Chronicon where we shall find many Antiquities pointed at from Plutarch's Theseus Licurgus and Solon from Pausanius his description of ancient Greece from the first Book of Orosius and especially from the Prophetick History in which onely are all those things that happened after the Death of Sardanapalus which are of certain and undoubted Faith to be found concerning the Assyrians and Chaldeans even to the beginning of the Medio-Persian Empire and a little farther and no where else amongst the Ancients if you except Josephus his Antiquities is there any thing to be found concerning these times and the Jewish State then for he indeed there treats of their State too from the times in which the Scriptures end to the XIII th year of the Reign of Domitius Caesar and LVI th year of his own Life But of Josephus we shall discourse more at large in his proper place there may also be many things worth the taking notice of observed in Diogenes Laertius his Lives of the Philosophers which will Embelish the History of the first Monarchy Especially the History of the last Century of it in which the VII wise men of Greece flourished and that famous man Pythagoras and many others whose Lives Laertius wrote in that Golden Book as H. Stephen in that most usefull Book and more valuable than Gold as the most Learned Vossius doubts not to call it SECT VIII Where Herodotus began his History and where he Ended it his Commendation in what time he flourished the Rise of the Second Monarchy the Contents of the several Books of Herodotus why the Names of the IX Muses were given them from what Authours his History may be inriched or illustrated HErodotus the Father of the Heathen History begins where the Prophetick History ends which is owing to the Goodness and Providence of God that as it were in the self same moment where the History of the Bible Concludes Herodotus Halicarnassensis should begin his For when the Prophets in the Holy Scriptures had related what seemed more worthy of the care of the Holy Ghost from the beginning of the World to Cyrus Herodotus beginning with Gyges King of Lydia Contemporary with Hezechias and Manassa Kings of Judah about the year of the World 3238 about CL years before Cyrus his Reign in Persia immediately descends to CYRUS the Great Founder of the Medio-Persian Empire and so deduceth the History of the Medes and Persians in a smooth Style which flowes like a quiet and pleasant River as Cicero in his Orator expresses it well to the time of the wretched flight of Xerxes out of Greece Which happened in the Second year of the LXXV Olympiad in the year of the World 3471. in which time Herodotus flourished and lived to the beginning of the Peloponnesian War Which Dionysius his Countrey-man relates in these words Herodotus Halicarnassaeus being born a little before the Persian Expedition lived till the Peloponnesian War That is from the first year of the LXXIV Olympiad to the Second year of the LXXXVII Olympiad for so the Great Scaliger computes his Age making him to have Lived precisely the space of XIII Olympiads that is LII years For so long Lived the sweetest Muse of Jonica as he calls him and then goes on thus He is the most ancient Writer in Prose who is now Extant the Treasury of the Grecian and Barbarian Antiquities an Authour never to be out of the hands of the Learned nor to be touched by the half Learned the Pedagogues and the Apes of Learning But however Herodotus might live somewhat longer yet it is sure he brought not his History beyond the times of Xerxes He has contained in Nine Books which he distinguished by the Names of the Nine Muses a continued History of CCXXXIV years Will you have the Contents of his several Books I will give you them shortly In his first Book besides what he relates of Gyges and the succeeding Kings of Lydia to Croesus of the ancient Jonia of the manners of the Persians Babylonians and some others he gives an Elegant account of the Birth of Cyrus the Authour of the Medio-Persian Monarchy and then of his Miraculous Preservation of his Education and Actions In his Second Book he describes all Egypt to the Life declares the Customs of the Egyptians and Commemorates the Succession of their Kings In his third Book he weaves the History of Cambyses and of Smerdis the Mage which simulated Cyrus and so Reigned VII Months and Explicates the fraud and the Discovery Then he subjoyns the Election of Darius Histaspis and then enumerates the Provinces of the Persian Empire and gives an account of the taking of Babylon by the faithfull industry of Zopirus in the praises of whom he ends it In his fourth Book he presents us with an exact Description of Scythia to which he adds the unfortunate Expedition of Darius against the Scythians and there we reade the History of the Mynians and the City of Cyrene built by them in Libya and the Description of the People of those
represents the ancient State of Greece from the times of the Expedition of the Argonauts and the Trojan War and comparing the greatness of the Peloponnesian War with all those that had preceded it and explaining the causes pretences and occasions of it he Premiseth the History of those fifty years which interven'd betwixt the flight of Xerxes and the beginning of this War without ever going on that account from his intended Subject But if the Reader desires a full and perfect History of these fifty years before he goes any farther in Thucydides let him in this place take in the Lives of Themistocles Aristides Pausanias and Cimon written by Platarch or Cornelius Nepos And the XI th and XII th Books of Diodorus Siculus and the second and third Books of Justin which all belong to this place and then let him proceed in Thucydides who in his second Book enters upon the description of that War in the first place telling us the time when it began and unfolding the method of the whole work and shewing who were the incendiaries and who began the War then follows the Oration made by the Laconian King to his Souldiers his commendation both of the Authority and Eloquence of Pericles and his Description of the dreadfull Plague at Athens then he Celebrates the worth of Phormion the Athenian General and their Naval Victories and commorates the Surrender of Potidea the Siege of the Plutenses and the ineffectual Expedition of the Thracians against Perdicca King of Macedonia and so entertains us with the History of the three first years of the War In the III Book are contained the affairs of the three next years of that War that is the defection of the Mitylenaeans and the other Lesbians to the Lacedemonians which being again reduced by the Athenian Forces there follows an illustrious Consultation concerning the punishing of them and the cruelty of Pachetis the Athenian Commander is observed the City of Platea taken and raced to the Ground the Sedition of the Cortyreans described the Seeds of the Sicilian War disclos'd the improsperous Battel of Demosthenes against the Aetolians and his more prosperous Engagement with the Ambracians In the IV th Book are read the fortifying the Pylus the Siege and the taking it and the manner of the defence the Victory against and taking the Spartan Nobility the fortunate actions of Brasida a famous Lacedemonian Commander in Thrace and these make up the History of the next three years The V th Book comprehends the History of almost seven years that is the Battel betwixt Brasida the Spartan Commander and Cleon the Athenian at Amphipolis a City of Thrace wherein both the Generals were Slain and paid for their restless disturbances then the various Leagues and Combinations of the two parties all weak and uncertain the foolish and mad stubbornness of the great men the sad effect of which follows In the beginning of the VI th Book the Authour makes a description of the ancient Sicily and gives an account of some part of their former Story Then the pretences of the Sicilian War and some Noble Consultations about it are propos'd Nicia opposing and Alcibiades promoting and perswading to it then he remembers some Prodigies which preceded that War the defection of Alcibiades to the Lacedemonians and some things which happened in Sicilia soon after the Arrival of the Athenian Fleet which things happened in the XVII th year of this War In the VII th Book Michalessus a City of Boeotia is taken by the Thracians who exercise there great Cruelties then the Authour prosecutes the Sicilian War which fell out very unfortunately for the Athenians and brought a grievous loss upon them the Commanders Demosthenes and Nicias being both taken and slain against the will of Gylippus to whom they rendred themselves These things were acted in the XVIII th and XIX th years of the Peloponnesian War In the VIII th Book he gives an account of the defection of the Athenian Confederates to the Lacedemonians their Enemies upon the News of this Overthrow and the League betwixt the Spartans and the Persian Governours of the Asian Provinces after this the Democracy of the Athenians is changed into an Olygarchy of forty men which is again soon after dissolved Lastly Thrasybulus and Thrasylus two Athenian Captains after a dubious Sea Fight at Abidus beat the Lacedemonian Fleet and their Leader Mindarus this Victory was obtain'd in the II year of the XCII Olympiad in the XXI year of this War in the Summer time where Thucydides his History ends Anno Mundi 3539. With Thucydides are the Lives of Pericles Alcibiades Chabrias Thrasybulus and Nicias written by Plutarch and C. Nepos to be read and the XIII th Book of Diodorus Siculus the IV th and V th of Justin and the first Book of Orosius Chapters the XIV th and XV th by all which the History may be somewhat enlarged and inriched SECT X. Of Xenophon his Praise and Elogies when and in what order he is to be read he gives us the History of XLVIII years which may be enlarged from Plutarch Justin and Diodorus Siculus THe thread of Thucydides his Story is continued by Xenophon who for the sweetness of his Style is call'd the Attick Muse and the Attick Bee by whose mouth also the Muses are said to have spoken as Cicero informs us in his Oratour He was famous about 410 years before the Birth of our Saviour there is an High encomium of Xenophon extant in Dion Chrysostome in his Oration concerning the Exercise of the Art of Speaking where with great ingenuity he recommends the reading of him averring amongst other things that the reading of him alone was sufficient to make a man a Politician nor is that which is related of him by Diogenes Laertius in the end of his Life the least part of his praise that Thucydides his Books being then unknown falling into his hands when he might with facility have supprest them he took care to publish them by which Act of his every man may know what Honour he deserved from those who have an esteem for the Grecian Eloquence or History and the Modern Criticks have not fail'd to give him equal Commendations Xenophon saith Lipsius in his History is a pleasant and faithfull or at least a cautious prudent Writer from which yet you may rather draw civil Prudence than that he seems to have intended it And yet Christoph. Colerus saith Civil Prudence is certainly the principal Vertue in the writings of Xenophon it sparkles strangely in his Institution of Cyrus and the Relation of his Expedition against Artaxerxes in which Xenophon discovers how great a Commander he himself was therefore let Xenophon be the Looking-glass of Kings and Princes the Viaticum as Homer was to Alexander the Great of Emperours The Glory saith Vossius of Xenophon was threefold for I will take no notice of his Eloquence he was a Philosopher an Historian and a
of Persia Anno Mundi 3588. In his XVI th Book he gives an account of the actions of Philip of Macedonia the Son of Amyntas from his entrance into his Kingdom to the end of his Life And in the same Book takes notice of other things which happened then in other parts of the known World The History of this XVI th Book may be made much more clear and large by reading the Lives of Chabrias Dion Iphicrates Timotheus Phocion and Timoleon written by Cor. Nepos The actions of these great Commanders made these times very famous from the CV th to the CXI th Olympiad from the second year of which Olympiad the XVI th Book begins to shew the Noble actions of Alexander the Great and to teach us how he gave a beginning to the third great Monarchy in the 112 th Olympiad SECT XII Many Historians have written of the Actions of Alexander the Great Arrianus and Quintus Curtius their Elogies in what time they flourished Diodorus prosecutes the History of the Successours of Alexander to which usefull Additions may be made from other Authours BUt others both Grecians and Romans have written the History of that great Monarch more at large viz. Plutarch in the Life of Alexander and in two other Books which he writ concerning the Fortune of Alexander and Arrianus the Nicomedian in VII Books written in an Elegant and Xenophontean Style I say in VII Books because the VIII th which is usually added to them concerning the Indian Expedition of Alexander is a piece by it self as appears both in Photius and in the end of the VII th Book as the Learned Vossius observes these two writ in Greek And in Latine Justin in his X and XI th Book and Q. Curtius Rufus an excellent and a subtile Writer but his History has lost its beginning by the injury of men or times or both Both Arrian and Q. Curtius are florid Writers saith Colerus but Curtius is the brighter and sweeter than any Honey he does rather weary than satiate his Reader he abounds with direct and oblique Sentences by which the Life of man is strangely illustrated Justus Lipsius gives the same judgment of Q. Curtius he is saith he in my opinion an honest and true Historian if any such there have been there is a strange felicity in his Style and a pleasantness in his Relations he is contracted and fluent subtile and clear careless and yet accurate true in his Judgments subtile in his Sentences and in his Orations Eloquent above what I can express Accidalius thus speaks of him Q. Curtius a Latine writer of the actions of Alexander the Great is more diligent than any of the Grecians a true candid and most upright Writer if we have any writer of Integrity The Learned Vossius in a prolix discourse has made it very probable that Curtius Lived and Published his History under Vespasian about LXXX years after Christ. Nor is Arrian to be defrauded of his deserved Commendation who is reported amongst the Grecian Writers to have been a man of so great Integrity in Writing that he was styled the Lover of Truth and even still honoured with that Sirname by Coelius Rhodoginus He was a Philosopher born at Nicomedia and famous at Rome in the Reigns of Adrian and Antoninus and was commonly call'd the new Xenophon as Cataenus testifies in his Commentary upon the Epistles of Pliny these I say have written more largely of Alexander the Great The same Diodorus Siculus prosecutes the History of his Successours in his XVIII th XIX th and XX th Books from the second year of the CXIV Olympiad to the end of the CXIX th Olympiad A. M. 3650 which interval may yet be made much more clear if the Reader please to take in the XIII th XIV th and XV th Books of Justin and the Lives of Demetrius and Eumenes written by Plutarch and because the last XX Books of the Sicilian in which he had continued the Universal History to the Expedition of Julius Caesar into Britain that is to the CLXXX th Olympiad are lost I would advise the Reader not to dismiss Justin here but to go through with the following Books to the XXIX th to which he may subjoyn Plutarch's Pyrrhus Aratus Aegides Cleomenes and Philopoemenes and also the Eclogs or Excerptions out of those Books of Diodorus which follow the XX th which are published in the Edition of Laurentius Rhodomannus the Reader will find many things there concerning Agathocles the Sicilian Tyrant and his Actions in Sicily and of Pyrrhus his War in that Island and also of the first Punick War which are well worth his Notice nor do I think he should deviate from the right method of Reading Histories if he should even then proceed in Justin till he hath read all but the two last Books SECT XIII Polybius where to be read what times he wrote the History of how he came to apply his mind to Writing how great a man he was with what Elogies he has been Celebrated the greatest part of his History is lost or dissipated into fragments the Contents of the Books that are still Extant BUt if the Reader thinks otherwise he may after Diodorus Siculus pass to Polybius a prudent Writer if any be who flourished 220 years before Christ in the 140 th Olympiad he propos'd to himself the representing those times and transactions which gave beginning and perfection to the Growing greatness of the Roman Empire and that he might effect this with the greater certainty and felicity he undertook long Journies with much hazard travelling over Africa Spain Gall now France and the Alpes and then Composed his General History of LIII years We may conjecture at the worth and greatness of this Person by the number of Statues which the Grecians Erected to him in Palantium Mantinoea Tegoea Megalopolis and other Cities of Arcadia the Inscriptions of one of which testifies saith Pausanias that he travelled over all Seas and Lands was a Friend and Allie to the Romans and reconcil'd them being then incensed against the Grecians and another Inscription thus If Greece had at first pursued the Council of Polybius it had not offended but being now miserably afflicted he is her onely Comfort or Support Nor is it less observable which Pausanias testifies of him that he was so great a States-man that whatever the Roman General did by his advice prospered and whatever he acted against it had ill success yea he was so great a man that all those Cities which United with the Achaeans made him their Stateholder and Law-giver therefore we doubt not but the great Elogies which have been given to his History by Learned men were well deserved as for Example that of John Bodinus Polybius is not onely every where Equal and like himself but also wise and grave sparing in his Commendations sharp and severe in his Reprehensions
and like a prudent Law-giver and a good Commander he disputes many things concerning the Military and Civil Discipline and the duty of an Historian nor does Justus Lipsius differ from Bodinus but is rather more large in his Commendation Polybius saith he In Judgment and Prudence is not unlike Thucydides but in his Care and Style more loose and free he flies out breaks off and dilates his Discourse and in many places does not so much relate as professedly teach but then his advices are every where right and Salutary and I should therefore the rather commend him to Princes because there is no need of an Anxious inquiry into his thoughts but he himself opens and reveals his Sense c. But the most Learned Casaubon in his Preface to Polybius has most clearly and at large demonstrated the excellence of this Authour and wherein he is to be preferr'd before the other Historians He wrote XL Books of which we have onely the first five now Extant conspicuous in their Integrity and the Fragments of the rest and some Excerpts collected together and as far as was possible restored to their former Splendour by the great Labour and rare Industry of the said famous Casaubon In his two first Books to which he gives the name of an Apparatus or preparative he shortly touches the times of the Roman Common-wealth from the taking of Rome by the Gauls under Brennus to the Romans first Expedition by Sea with a Fleet out of Italy and then treats a little more largely of the times that succeeded the first passage into Sicily by which a beginning was given to the first Punick War to the first year of the second Punick War In which two preparative Books he compares the Roman affairs with the Grecian and those of other People who were then their Contemporaries in which saith the Learned Casaubon the Studious will find many things which are not so well described any where else and some that are no where else to be found neither in any Grecian nor Latine History The III following Books do well deserve to be frequently and diligently read by all great Commanders and States-men by reason of the greatness of the Subject of them the vast Variety accurate handling and strange abundance both of Civil and Military Literature that is in them The other Books of which we have now Extant onely some broken parcels were Composed with the same exactness and continued the History to the end of the second Macedonian War with Perseus when that Kingdom had an end put to it So that it appears I have shewn the way by this disposition and Order of Reading to those that are Students in History to that period which was pointed at by the to me unknown Aemilius Sura that is to that Age in which the Roman power had increased to that greatness that the supreme Empire of almost the whole World may not improperly be said to be in their possession and this I suppose came to pass in that year in which Macedonia was reduced into the form of a Roman Province as I have above proved viz. V. C. 587. A. M. 3784. SECT XIV Of the IV th Monarchy that of the Romans a transition to their History the praise of both them and their History the fates of the Roman Historians deplored WHerefore seeing amongst those four great Monarchies which we have mentioned of the World that of the Romans apparently excell'd all the rest and seeing also their Common-wealth as the Learned Casaubon prudently observes out of Polybius if ever any did Experienced all the diversities of times according to the common Laws of Nature it will here become our Reader of Histories to look back a while and contemplate the Rise and Infancy of the Roman State which began under the first Monarchy and to descend to its Growth and increase and afterwards to consider its declination towards its fall and Ruine observing a right order both in the times and Authours till he arrives at the Period of that Interval which Censorinus out of Varro hath in the third place defin'd to us and that our Student may apply himself to this with the more ready and intent mind let him hear Justus Lipsius a man deservedly great amongst the Philologers or Antiquaries and who has deserved very much of the Roman History thus seriously inviting him to it In the Roman History saith he there is a plenty both of great things and strange Events which many Writers have illustrated O Great and most Glorious Empire and I add of long Continuance and therefore it is no wonder if it transcended both in men and Actions that short and fleeting Monarchy of the Grecians the Grecians said one excell in Precepts the Romans in Examples and in truth so it is there never was a Nation nor I believe ever will be which affords more Commendable and vertuous Examples both for Peace and War and therefore my young man come to this Harvest gather the sheaves of Corn and lay them up for thy use Deservedly O Justus Lipsius for that is true which was said so long since by T. Livius Either the love of the business I have taken up deceives me or there was never any Common-wealth neither Greater nor more Venerable nor Richer in good Examples and that of M. T. Cicero Where was there ever in any other People so much Gravity Constancy Greatness of Mind Probity Fidelity where is there else that Excellence in every vertue that may be compared with our Ancestours and Valerius Maximus confirms all Our City hath replenished the whole world with all sorts of wonderfull Example And from hence we may now derive but too great an occasion of Lamenting the hard fates of the Roman Historians for as Parents do more deplore the Deaths than the want of Children so perhaps if we had never heard of the Writings of those Princes of History we had not grieved But now when we see the broken fragments and reade the Titles of most beautifull Works we are vexed with desire and tortured to the very Soul to think that a great part of them have perished and that what remains is either corrupted with Age or by the Envy of time wretchedly Maimed or by the hands of a parcel of half witted Fellows interpolated bombasted stuft out with additions or otherwise very ill handled which cannot be unknown to any man who is acquainted with Antiquity Trogus an excellent Authour whom Vopiscus in the Life of Probus numbers amongst the most Eloquent is totally lost onely we have an Elegant Epitome by which yet whosoever should pretend to judge of the intire work of Trogus should be mad in the opinion of the Learned Bongarsius The excellent History of Salust is totally lost we have but a small part of T. Livy not much of Tacitus not above half Ammianus Marcellinus and the Greek Writers of the Roman Story have suffered the same injury of time as Polybius as
I have noted already Diodorus Dionysius and Dion Cassius who if they were now Extant intire we should then have a perfect memory of the Roman affairs from the building of that City to the thousandth year of its Age. But let us be content with what is left the Divine Providence has so ordered it that out of the Reliques of what remains the body of the Roman History may yet be beautifully built up the Picture of which in Little is most Artfully drawn by our L. Annaeus Florus SECT XV. From whence the course of the Roman Story is to be begun L. Annaeus Florus commended the judgments of Learned men concerning him he is not the same with the Epitomizer of Livy his Errours or mistakes excused how these Errours in probability crept in the Consular fasts of Sigonius and Onuphrius and also Pighius his Annals commended VEry Learned men and well acquainted with the Roman History exhort the Students of it with an intent eye and mind to run through look into and contemplate this curious Representation and not without good cause it being in the Judgment of Lipsius a Compendium of the Roman History written finely plainly and Eloquently Nor does he stop here but adds his Censure the accurateness and brevity of it are very often wonderfull and there are many shining Sentences like Jewels inserted here and there both with good Judgment and truth Nor does the Learned C. Colerus whom I have so often cited before decline from this opinion his words are these believe me you will with no less pleasure reade that terse piece than that with which you could see one of Apellis his Pictures it is so well compos'd and so Elegant I admire that Judgment which could insert SENTENCES with so great prudence and brevity in such a heap and variety of things The great and Learned Censor of Books in his Piece of teaching the Arts and Sciences led the way to both these where he affirms there can nothing of that kind be fansied more accurate and pleasant but in this Vivis and other Learned men are much deceived who think this our Florus the same with the Epitomizer of Livy and much more those who conceive he designed in this work to give us a Compendium of the Livian History whereas he neither observes the Livian method nor always agrees with him And others that they may abate his esteem accuse him of a great fault his confounding times and relating that first which ought to have been placed in the second place often also perturbing and confounding the Names and Employments of their Generals so that he who follows him must often be led out of his way I will not deny that there are many such Errours in this Authour nor can I say whether they happened through ignorance or negligence or want of care but my opinion is that in some he may be excused for as to the confusion of times objected they might have known that he digests his Relations by Heads and Species rather than times separating things of a like Nature from those of a different separating for Example Wars from Conspiracies and civil Discords from Military Expeditions in short what a great Antiquary has said for Paulus Diaconus I should willingly offer in the behalf of Annaeus Florus no man can be supposed so ignorant in Chronology as that he can expect to find in Florus an exact Series of the Fasts as if he were a sworn Accountant and as to what concerns the confounding Names and Offices who knows not that such failings happen frequently by the carelesness of Transcribers and the ignorance of the ancient Notes especially in the names of the Roman Generals and Magistrates and in transcribing the numbers of years nor am I unacquainted with the complaint of that very learned Man Andraeas Scotus It is not possible to express what darkness and confusions the affinity of Names and the great similitude of words have cast upon the History of the Roman Common-wealth and upon their Families and what an infinite trouble has from thence been given to the Students in Antiquities and the Interpreters of Books And therefore the Reader may in this if he please and I do most earnestly perswade him to it call in to his Assistence the Consulary and Triumphant Fasts of Carolus Sigonius or Onuphrius which are much more certain Guides than Florus for there he will find the Roman Story shortly and regularly Adumbrated Or the Annals of the Magistrates and Provinces of the Senate and People of Rome written by Stephanus Vinandus Pighius than which it is impossible to conceive a better Commentary can be made or wished not onely upon our Florus but also upon Livy Dionsius Halicarnassaeus Dion Cassius and upon all the other Writers of the Roman History as the before named Learned Jesuite Schotus affirms To conclude as the small imperfections which appear in the greatest beauties are easily pardon'd or obscured by the great perfections which attend them so I see no reason why we should not readily pardon the few Errours we meet in so usefull and delicate a piece as Florus is SECT XVI In what order the Reader should proceed in his Reading of the Roman History Dionysius Halicarnassaeus commended how many years his History contains the reason given why we assign him the first place and confirmed out of Bodinus WHen the Reader has attentively considered the shadow and Picture of the Roman History let him proceed to consider the body of it in all its parts in the following method and order of Authours if he is pleased to make use of my advice Dionysius Halicarnassaeus who flourished about 26 years before Christ Anno V. C. 725 is by the confession of all a grave Authour and a most accurate searcher into and describer of the Roman Antiquities and therefore I desire he may lead the way He in order to a clear Notice who the Romans were having given an account of what he had learned concerning the People call'd the Aborigines or the most ancient inhabitants of Italy not onely from Fables and the reports spread among the many but from the Books of Portius Cato Fabius Maximus and Valerius Anciatis and of many others then he continues a History in XX Books to the first Punick War which began the third or fourth year of the 128 Olympiad A. V. C. 488 but of those twenty Books which Photius tells us he left onely XI have been brought down to us in which we have the History of CCCXII years described with great fidelity and care nor have we rashly assigned the first place to Dionysius in this our Chain of Authours because he will be instead of a bright Torch to our lover of Histories who without him must often stick and blink and walk in a dark Night whilst he read onely Latine Historians Will you have the reason of this Joannes Bodinus will give you many and will also
Chapter of the Gruterian Edition he will find the History intire from the Conquest of Perseus King of the Macedonians to the XVI th year of the Reign of Tiberius Caesar and he may all along as he pleases joyn the Lives I have mentioned above in their order with Vellejus to enlarge the History and so he may pass on to the Writers of the Caesarian times The Authour having in the end of the XVIII th Section made onely a short mention of Appianus Alexandrinus I think it not amiss here to give somewhat a larger account of him because there is an excellent Version of his Works in English whereas Dion Cassius to my knowledge was never translated into our Language Henry Stephens in his Dedicatory Epistle before Appianus calls him the Companion of Dion Cassius and saith that these two were of great use to all those who desired to know the flourishing times of the Roman Common-wealth and to understand many passages in Cicero and others concerning the State of the Roman Republick for those Latine Historians who have come down to us cannot so well satisfie their Thirst as Dion and Appianus but if they do not leave their Reader wholly Thirsty yet we cannot deny but he will remain very unsatisfied And a little after saith he I shall mention another thing in which he is the Companion of Dion that is he relates not a few things that concern the change of the Roman State and the institution of their Princes and there is one thing in which he excells Dion and all the other Historians which is his ascribing those miseries which are attributed by all the rest to Fortune to the Providence of God thus far that Learned man speaks of him Vossius saith he writ the Roman History in XXIV Books beginning at Aeneas and the taking of Troy but with great brevity till the times of Romulus and then he wrote more accurately of all the succeeding times till Augustus adding some things here and there to the Reign of Trajan but then the manner of his dividing his Works and the Titles and Arguments of his Books may be best Learned saith he from Photius and from his own Preface of this vast work we have now extant nothing but his Punick Syrian Parthian Mithridatick Iberian and Illyrian Wars and 5 Books of the Civil Wars of the Romans and a fragment of the Celtick or German War Henry Stephens prefers him also before Dion Cassius and all the rest of the Historians because he reduced his History into certain Classes that though the whole was a Roman History yet the variety of the Titles which he placed before each Book seemed to promise the Reader a kind of new Subject and by that hope alured him to proceed not to mention saith he how much more easily any thing sought after may be found in this method of Writing in this Appianus has been very ingeniously imitated by Dr. Howell in his late Learned Universal History Photius gives this account of Appianus his History of the Civil Wars of the Romans these things are saith he contained in them first the Wars betwixt Marius and Sylla then those betwixt Pompey and Julius Caesar who contended against each other and fought many great Battels till fortune favouring Caesar Pompey turn'd his back and fled then the Wars of Antonius and Octavius Caesar who was afterwards call'd Augustus against the Murtherers of the first Caesar in which many of the greatest Romans were contrary to all Laws and Justice proscribed and Murthered then the Wars betwixt Antonius and Augustus themselves who had several sharp Fights to the destruction of great Armies till at last Victory smiling upon Augustus Antonius fled into Egypt having lost his Army and there Murthered himself which being the last Book of the Civil Wars shews also how Augustus took in Egypt and the Common-wealth of Rome became a Monarchy under Augustus He gives us also this account of the Authour Appianus was by Birth an Alexandrian and at first a Pleader of Causes at Rome afterwards he was a Praefect or Governour of some Provinces under the Emperours his Style is moderate and restrain'd but as far as is possible he is a lover of truth and an exact relatour of Military Discipline apt to put Life into the desponding Souldiery and to appease them when enraged and well able to describe and imitate any passion He flourished in the Reigns of Trajan and Adrian thus far Photius speaks of him That which prevailed upon me chiefly to insert this Addition in this place was Appianus his History of the Civil Wars in V Books written with great Clearness Elegance and Accurateness In which beginning with the Gracchian Sedition about the Agrarian Laws A. V. C. 622 or there abouts and continuing it down through all the various Seditions and Civil Wars of the Romans to the Death of Pompey the younger Anno V. C. 718. which was but five years before the fatal Battel of Actium and Augustus his settlement in the Empire a story that is not writ at large and intirely by any other but this Authour and Dion Cassius and is one of the best Supplements that is extant of the last Books in the end of Livy and one of the best Introductions too to the History of the Caesars and is one of the most lively Representations that is to be found in any History of the disorders of Common-wealths and the miseries that attend great changes in Governments and so of great use in this our unsetled Age. It is certain this History has lost its end for Photius gives an account that it reached much lower down in his times than it doth now ☞ There is now in the Press an excellent History of these times written Originally in French but made English wherein all these Greek and Latine Historians which have related the History of this great change in the Roman State are reduced into one Elegant body Intituled the History of the first and second Triumvirate Printed for Charles Brome SECT XXI The History of the Caesars is first to be fetched from Suetonius and Tacitus the great Honour shewn to both of them by the testimonies of very Learned men the judgment of the most famous Criticks concerning Tacitus various or rather contrary Light afforded both to Suetonius and Tacitus by Dion Cassius AS to the Writers of the Caesarian times let the Reader begin with Suetonius Tranquillus a most correct and candid Writer as Vopiscus stiles him He flourished under Trajan and Adrian Anno Christi 127 and was Secretary to Trajan he was an intimate friend to Pliny Secundus and he deserved his esteem being as Pliny saith in a Letter to Trajan an honest sincere Learned man And thence I conclude that the Testimonies of the later Criticks concerning him are true as that of Ludovicus Vivis Suetonius is the most diligent and impartial of all the Greek or Latine Writers he seems to me to have written
delicacy for though that which Sir Henry Savil the great and eternally to be remembred Ornament of our University saith is most certainly true and confirmed not onely by his but by the Testimony also of Mr. John Selden the Lawyer a man not onely excellently versed in History but in all other sorts of ancient Learning that there was never yet any man who hath written an intire body of our History with that fidelity and dignity as became the greatness of the Subject yet the former of these confesseth that we have some particular parts of our History which are not ill written in former Ages and the latter Mr. Selden acknowledgeth and commendeth some others as written exceedingly well in this last Age. But be this as it will I shall with the greatest confidence assert that there are many noble Actions and things that are worthy of our Contemplation and Observation which will occur in the reading of the greatest part of our Histories this then is the order which I should recommend for the reading of our British History to the Studious in it First Let our Student begin with the famous Sir William Camden's Britannia in which besides a most accurate description of the whole Island he will find briefly represented the History of the first Inhabitants and an account given of the Origine of the Name the Manners of the Britains the History of the Romans in Britain and many other things infinitely worth our knowledge collected not out of mere fictions and fables which none but a vain man would write nor any but an ignorant man believe as he expresseth himself but out of the most sincere and uncorrupted Monuments of Antiquity my advice therefore is that this Book or rather treasury should in the very first place be most diligently perused nor will it be amiss here to call in the assistence of Mr. Selden's two Books of Collections of the Antiquities of the Britains and English either of which Books consists of eight Chapters in which he has collected what doth most properly belong to the ancient Civil Administration of that part of Great Britain which is now call'd England and in which he has most excellently described both from Ancient and Modern Writers our publick Transactions both Civil and Sacred and our State Catastrophes to William the Conquerour and then according to the method proposed by us in the beginning of our course of History the Reader may be pleased to reade over George Lilly's Chronicle or short Enumeration of the Kings and Princes who by the changes of Fortune in diverse and succeeding times have been possessed of the Empire of Britain or those Commentaries which J. Theodorus Clain Printed of the affairs of Great Britain in the year MDCIII under the Title of a Compendium of the British History which is Elegantly form'd and written An Addition to the former Section Besides these mentioned by the Authour Daniel Langhorn a Learned Divine now Living in the year 1673 published in Latine a short account of the Antiquities of Albion and the Origine of the Britains Scots Danes and English Saxons to the year 449 in which the English first Arrived in Great Britain with a short Chronicle of the Kings of the Picts in which is an excellent account of those times in which Britain was a part of the Roman Empire The same Authour in the year 1679 Published a Chronicle of the Saxon Kings from Hengist the first King of that Race to the end of the Heptarchy or the year 819 in which he has given an account of all their Actions Wars Civil and Sacred affairs together with a Catalogue of the Kings and their Pedigrees cut in Copper in this History he hath reduced into one body all the ancient Saxon Historians and represented them truly in their own Phrases and then promised also a Continuation of this History which is much desired by Learned men In the year 1670 Robert Sheringham Fellow of Caies College in Cambridge Published an History of the Origine of the English Nation in which their Migrations and various Seats and part also of their Actions are inquired into from the confusion of Tongues and the dispersion of the Nations thereupon till the time of their arrival in Britain in which some things are explain'd also concerning their ancient Religion Sacred Rites and their opinions of the immortality of the Soul after Death with an account of the Origine of the Britains in this piece are many curious Antiquities searched for in the most ancient Saxon German and Danish Authours and an excellent account given of them which will both invite and reward the Reader 's pains Lambertus Silvius a Learned Foreigner in the year 1652 Published in Latine an excellent Compendium of the English History from the arrival of the Saxons to the year 1648 where he ends it with the deplorable Murther of Charles the first he is exceeding short in his accounts of the Saxon Kings but at the Conquest he dilates himself and writes the Lives of our Kings very Elegantly and with great brevity Of more ancient times Gildas Sapiens who is the most ancient Writer of this Island Writ a piece of the Destruction of the Britains by the Saxons which is infinitely worth the reading he Lived in the times of Justinian and he was Born in the year of Christ 493 as Vossius makes it appear from his own Works Mathaeus Westmonasteriensis who flourished about the year of Christ 1376 has left a short Chronicle from the beginning of the World to the year 1037. Florentius Bravonius a Monk of Worcester who Lived about the year of Christ 1119 in the Reign of Henry the first wrote a History from the Creation to the year 1118 which was the year before his Death which is the more to be esteemed because the ancient Anglio Saxon Annals are inserted in it in their proper places as Vossius acquaints us either or both these Authours will very much contribute to the understanding of the History of the Saxon Kings before the Conquest SECT XXVIII Gulielmus Malmesburiensis Savil's judgment of him and also Camden's where he begins and ends his History Galfredus Monumethensis why passed by The censures of William of Newberry John of Withamsted Bales and John Twin Virunnius differs from all these Huntington follows Malmesbury and Hovedaen him BUt if the Reader had rather begin with the more ancient Writers of our History immediately after Camden's Britannia and Selden's Analecta in my judgment William of Malmesbury deserves to be first admitted because the fidelity of his Relations and maturity of his Judgment have set him above all the rest And this is also the Testimony of the Noble and Learned Sir H. Savil concerning him William of Malmesbury saith he was a man exquisitely Learned for the age in which he Lived and hath compiled the History of about seven hundred years with so
as he did of many other written in Latine and Saxon and that he begins where Bede ends as Simeon doth but yet it will appear to any person who shall compare these two together that Hoveden has an innumerable number of things which Simeon hath not and that there are some things again in Simeon which R. Hoveden passed by so that he is not to be esteemed a plagiary in relation to Simeon but rather a very diligent Writer who hath Collected from Simeon and many others who went before him and made out of all a copious single work which is usually done by the best Historians of all Ages When our Authour wrote this method of Reading Histories this Simeon Dunelmensis was not Printed but in the year 1652 this and nine other ancient Historians were first published together and out of Mr. Selden's Prolegomena's to them I have transcribed the passage above which will give the Reader a fuller account of R. Hoveden and at the same time present Simeon Dunelmensis to him as a person worthy of his observation This History begins as the Title tells us after the Death of Bede Anno Domini 732 and it ends Anno Domini 1129 it contains the History of CCCCXXIX years and IV months Joannes Hagustaldensis continued this History XXV years that is from the year 1130 to the year 1154 which was the 19 th and last year of King Stephen's Reign he flourished under Henry the Second and Richard the first he was a very good witness of what he Wrote as Living in or very near those times he represents he was a most excellent and a most diligent Writer as Mr. Selden styles him Richardus Hagustaldensis wrote the IV first years of the Reign of King Stephen which are Printed immediately after the former Ailredus Rievallis Abbas wrote amongst other things a Genealogie of the Kings of England to Henry the Second Radulphus de Diceto Dean of St. Paul's in London wrote an Abbreviation of the Chronicles from the year 589 to the year 1147 where he begins another work which he calls the Images of History which he continues to 1199 or the beginning of King John's Reign Joannes de Brompton wrote a Chronicle from the arrival of Augustine the Monk Anno Christi 588 to the beginning of King John's Reign 1199 which is especially valuable for a Collection and version of the Saxon Laws in Latine made in the time of Edward the third at the least he was an industrious Student as Vossius speaks of him and wrote in the Reign of Edward the third Gervasius Dorobernensis wrote a Chronicle from the year 1112 to the year 1199 which was from the 12 th year of Henry the first to the Death of Richard the first he was made a Monk about the year 1142 he was as Leland saith of him Studious of Antiquities above belief and for that end Collected a vast number of Historians especially of those who accurately handled the British and Saxon affairs till at last he himself entred the Lists and made tryal of his own parts by publishing an excellent Volume in which he deduced the History of the Britains from their Original together with that of the Saxons and the valiant atchievements of the Normans to the Reign of King John thus far Leland of him but whether the beginning of this History is lost I cannot say but we have onely this Printed which I have mentioned of the particular English History Henricus Knighton Leicestrensis wrote a Chronicle of the Events of England as he styles it in his first Book he gives a short account of some Saxon and Norman affairs from the time of Edgar who began his Reign Anno Christi 958 to the Reign of William the Conquerour and then he writes more largely to the year 1395 which was the 19 th year of Richard the Second in whose times this Historian flourished All these Authours were Printed in one body by Cornelius Bee in the year 1652 under the Title of the ten Writers of the English History before which time they were onely Extant in Manuscripts in Libraries and so could not possibly be taken into our Authour's method as I observed before SECT XXIX Asser Menevensis his History commended in what time to be read with the former as also Eadmerus his History Matthew Paris his History Baronius his judgment of him Thomas of Walsingham his Chronicle the actions of King Stephen written by an unknown Authour the Life of Edward the Second by Sir Thomas de la Moore Knight is also to be taken in due time I Must confess those latter Historians do not make any great addition of years to Malmesbury's History yet they will illustrate it and sometimes perhaps make it more full and perfect of this the Reader will have a great Experience if about the year of Christ 849 he take in the Life of Alfred written by Asser Menevensis which History as the famous Camden saith will afford no small pleasure to thy mind nor will it bring less profit than pleasure if whilst the mind is fixed on the Contemplation of those great things you endeavour wholly to conform your self to the imitation and as it were representation of them Asser Menevensis flourished about the year of Christ 910. This great Prince who was the wonder of the age in which he Lived has found many admirers since but none have so well deserved of his Memory as the Learned Sir John Spelman Son of the Great Sir Henry Spelman who wrote the Life of this Alfred King of England in three Books in English which I suppose was never Printed but an Elegant version of it in Latine with very excellent marginal Notes by the Students of Great Hall in Oxon with a great Collection of our Coins and several other great rarities was put out in Folio at the Theatre there in the year 1678 I wish we might yet have the Original English also printed And then if about the year of Christ 1060 the Reader please he may also take in Eadmerus his History which was lately brought to light and illustrated with Notes and excellent Collections by the Learned John Selden a Lawyer of rare Erudition This History contains the Reigns of William the first and second and Henry the first to wit from the year of Christ 1060 to the year 1122 in which time the Authour Lived he was very dear to Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury in those times and died Archbishop of St Andrews in Scotland himself after he had been Abbat of St. Albans in England a preferment in those days of great honour To these the Reader may add that true and faithfull History written by Matthew Paris which beginning with the Coronation of William the Conquerour Anno Christi 1067 is continued by him to the year 1253 and by another as Bale assures us to the year 1273 that is to the Death of Henry
the fourth are contained in this Chronicle which are not in any of our own Latine Historians which have hitherto been printed it begins Anno 1149 and it ends 1486 which was the second year of Henry the 7 th This last Authour belongs to the next Section where the Reader will find our Authour for want of Historians of our own Nation turning his Reader over to Polydore Virgil from the Reign of Henry the 5 th to the Reign of Richard the third much of which chasme this last Authour hath supplied but yet I would not part him from the rest but onely give the Reader this hint to what times he belongs SECT XXX Walsingham's Hypodigma Neustriae or his History of Normandy and the other Writers concerning that Dukedom not to be neglected and amongst them Odoricus Vitalis of principal note the History of England from the Reign of Henry the 5 th to that of Richard the third to be fetched from Polydore Virgil. The opinion of our Noble S. H. Savil concerning him observable Sir Thomas Moor Knight Lord Chancellor of England wrote the Reign of Richard the third F. Lord Bacon Viscount of Verulam that of Henry the 7 th the Reigns of Henry the VIII th Edward the VI th and Queen Mary Francis Goodwin Lord Bishop of Landaff wrote by way of Annals as Will Camden did that of Queen Elizabeth also THe Reader having dispatched the Chronicle of Walsingham may in the next place pursue his Hypodigma Neustriae his History of Normandy which will render the former Histories more clear and complete it containing a perfect account of the Story of that Dukedom from Rollo the first Duke of it to the 4 th year of Henry the 5 th who in the year 1416 forced Normandy after it had been Ravished and Alienated CCXX years from the English to return to its due Allegiance to the English Crown nor let the Reader think I give him this advice rashly for as it is rightly observed by the Learned Mr. Selden the ancient affairs of the Normans are so implicated and twisted with ours that if a man consider seriously of our own he cannot pass by theirs without sloath and ignorance Now Andraeas Duchenius in the year 1619 put out several Writers of the Norman History and amongst them Odericus Vitalis a Countreyman of ours who was born at Attingham in the County of Salop is the principal he wrote 13 Books of Church History the first and second of which contain the Martial Actions of the Normans in France England and Apulia in Italy to the year 1141 which was the 6 th year of the Reign of King Stephen about which time this Authour flourished But to return to our English History after Walsingham's Chronicle which as I said in the last Section ends in Henry the 5 th if our Reader thinks to find any one of our Nation who hath written our History in Latine from this time of Henry the 5 th to the Reign of Richard the third he will be much deceived except perhaps some Manuscript lies concealed in the recesses of some Libraries Consecrated to Antiquities which have not as yet seen the publick Light Therefore I will recommend to my Hearers a History which may be had that is one of the Published Authours and may be come by now here had been a vast Gap of almost LXX years if Polydore Virgil had not prevented it which in so great a scarcity of our own Authours the Studious Historian will not unwillingly take in for although as the noble Sir Henry Savil writes of him he was an Italian and a Stranger to our affairs and which is yet more never employed in any publick Station and of no great natural either Judgment or Ingenuity and although in delivering our History he has often mistaken things and passed over in silence many things worthy to be known yea has too often imbraced things that are false instead of truth and so left us a very faulty History Yet I should conceive this happened for the most part where he describes the times of Henry the VIII th for besides that he was ignorant of our Tongue he must of necessity not know many things that were then Transacted and it is highly probable he writ some things in favour of Queen Mary otherwise than he knew they were but this is not to be suspected of the former times Let our Reader therefore take the History of the two Henrys the V th and the VI th and of the two Edwards the IV th and the V th from Polydore Virgil the Reign of Richard the third who immediately follows these was written by the famous Sir Thomas Moor Knight Lord Chancellour of England who flourished about the year 1533 in the Reign of Henry the 8 th but the Learned Vossius thinks the Work imperfect because as he largely describes by what Villanies he ascended the Throne so he doth not tell us how he afterwards administred the Government and even that part which we have seems to have wanted the Authour's last hand and the Elegance of the Latine of his other Works do much exceed that of this Work Henry VIIth succeeded Richard the third whose Life and Reign was not long since represented to us by the most noble Viscount Verulam so happily and so fully that if he hath not excelled the best Historians he yet at least equall'd them this Work was first written in English but has since been turned into Latine as the preliminary Epistle to the Book call'd Gustavus saith After this let the Reader peruse the Annals of the most Reverend Bishop F. Goodwin in which the Reigns of Henry the VIII th Edward the VI th and Queen Mary are described with a great and commendable brevity Lastly the famous William Camden the Founder of the place I now enjoy and my Patron wrote the Annals of the Actions of Queen Elizabeth in England and Ireland which Queen was the most glorious and prosperous Queen that ever swayed a Sceptre for this Elogy was bestowed long since upon her by Anna Attestina the Mother of the Guises as Thuanus saith Let our Reader in the next place diligently reade this History and then tell me whether it be not comparable to the best of the ancient Annals and that with Justice and truth An ADDITION Another great man of the French Nation speaks thus of Camden although it be very natural to men to speak too advantageously of their Native Countries and that this inclination hath wrap'd some Historians to an offence against the Purity of History yet it cannot be denyed but William Camden has writ that of England with so much fidelity that he may justly claim a place amongst the most sincere Historians of the last Ages and a little after being made King at Arms the XXXIX year of the Queens Reign he made very curious Collections of all those things which he judged worthy of or usefull to an History
disfavour fled to Otton I. and at Franckford Wrote this History as he saith himself lib. 5. cap. 14. Beatus Rhenanus Published III Books of the German affairs excellently Composed Johannes Aventinus Wrote X Books under the Title of Germany illustrated and also the Annals of the Bavarians from the Flood to the year of Christ 1460 in VII Books how ill Baronius thought of this Authour appears To. 9. Ad Annum 772. Georgius Fabricius Chemnicensis Wrote the History of Great Germany and of all Saxony in two Books and to Conclude MAR QU ARDUS FREHERUS first put out in one Volume some very excellent German Historians which before were unknown ARTICLE III. The Historians of Austria FRanciscus Guillimannus Wrote VII Books of the ancient and true Origine of the House of Austria he flourished about the year of Christ 1500. Wolfangus Lazius of Vienna has comprehended the History of Austria in IV Books Gerhardus de Reo and Conradus Decius have Written Annals also of Austria there is Extant too a Chronicle of the Dukes of Bavaria and Suevia written by an uncertain Authour and to these may be added the Austriades of Richardus Bartolinus Perusinus in XII Books which concern the Wars between the Dukes of Bavaria and the Princes of the Palatinate which was illustrated with Notes by Jacobus Spigelius Selestadiensis ARTICLE IV. The Historians of the Hunnes and Hungarians JOhannes de Thwroz or Turocius so call'd from the Province of Thwrocz wrote a Chronicle of the Hungarian affairs from the very rise of that Nation under Attila their first King to the Coronation of Matthias which was in the year of Christ 1464 of this Authour Trithemius Writes thus Johannes Thuroth a Pannonian was a man excellently acquainted with and well exercised in Civil Literature and not ignorant in Divine knowledge of an exalted Ingenuity and a clear Eloquence this Authour lived Anno Christi 1494. Johannes Bonfinius Composed an Elegant History of the Kings of Hungary in four Decades and an half that is in XLV Books which reacheth to the Death of Matthias Hunniades and the beginning of Vladislaus or the year 1495 which he began at the Command of Matthias Bonfinius flourished about the year of Christ 1496. Petrus Ranzanus Wrote Indexes as he calls them of the Hungarian Transactions of which Joh. Sambucus who first rescued them from the Dust and Darkness in which they lay and Published them to the World writes thus It seems the ways of Writing Histories heretofore were very various this Authour having some Indexes of the Kings of Hungary given him at Vienna by Beatrix extracted out of the same Records from which Bonfinius described his he so well deduced and illustrated them that he is in nothing inferiour to the best Writers of the Hungarian History for in this brevity he has Comprehended what ever is required to render an History Elegant and usefull and he is the more valuable also that whereas there are some Gaps and mistakes by the faults of the Transcribers in Bonfinius his History we may here find directions for the rectifying all these Erratas and be assisted at the same time in searching out the sincere and perfect truth thus far Sambucus Philip Callimachus Experiens wrote an History of the Life and Reign of Vladislaus King of Poland and Hungary so elegantly and exactly that Paulus Jovius did not scruple to say of it that in his judgment it excell'd all that had been Written of that kind since Cornelius Tacitus through so many Ages as have since followed this Authour flourished Anno Christi 1490. Melchior Soiterus and Petrus Bizarrus have Written the History of the Hungarian Wars ARTICLE V. The Historians of the Goths Danes Sclavonians and Swedes PRocopius has Written III Books of the Gothick Wars and Agathias the Smyrnean V Books both of them in Greek and in Latine Jornandes the Bishop of the Goths who reduced into II Books the History of Aurelius Casiodorus who was Secretary to Theodoricus King of the Goths and Wrote a Gothick History in XII Books Isidorus Hispalensis Composed an History of the Origine of the Goths and of the Kingdom of the Sueves and Vandals Johannes Magnus a Bishop of Sweden wrote a History also of all the Kings of the Goths and Swedes Leon Aretinus Composed also an History of the Goths but which affords nothing more than what Procopius hath written so that he seems to be no more than his Paraphrast but he is more remarkable for another thing that is that be was the first Person who restored and communicated the Greek Tongue and Learning after it had lain several Ages oppressed and troden down by the tyranny of the insolent Barbarians as P. Jovius writes of him in his Elogies he flourished Anno Christi 1420. Hieronymus Rubeus wrote of the Goths and Lombards Saxo Grammaticus has deduced an History of Denmark from the utmost Antiquity down to his own times that is to Canutus the VI th and Waldemarus his Brother the Grandchildren of Saint Canutus that is almost to the year of Christ 1200. All he hath Written is not to be admitted hand over head without Examination yet neither is he so great a Fabler as some have fansied who have no esteem on that account for him amongst whom is Goropius Becanus which is the less worth our wonder because he himself doth not write so much Paradoxes as impossibilities as to Saxo's style the Elegance of it is so great saith the Learned Vossius that it exceeded the Capacity of the Age he lived in yea it is equal to many of the ancient Writers and to most of ours he flourished about the year of Christ 1220. Idacius his Chronicle of Denmark is from the times of Theodosius the Great to the year of Christ 400. Johannes Boterus and Erpoldus Lindenbruch have written accounts of the Kings of Denmark and in the year 1596 Plantin Printed a Compendious History of the Kings of Denmark to Christian the IV th Gaspar Ens wrote Commentaries concerning the Wars of Denmark both by Sea and Land in the Reign of Frederick the second containing the most memorable Dithmarsick and Swedish War The Learned Johannes Meursius hath comprehended in III Books the Reigns of Christian the first John his Son and Christian the second his Grandchild that is from the year of Christ 1448 to the year 1523. Albertus Crantzius hath Written an History of the Vandals in XIV Books and a Chronicle of the other Northern Nations as the Danes Norwegians Swedes which is call'd Gothia and Scandia he begins at the times of Charles the Great and comes down to the year 1504 he flourished to the year 1517 in which he Died. Gerardus Geldenhaurius writes thus of him He has almost onely seemed to me to deserve the Name of an Historian because he wrote the Transactions of his own times truely freely and for the good
of Posterity and others as Fabricius c. have as much commended his industry Nicholaus Marescalcus wrote of the Heruli and Vandals Helmoldus a Sclavonian Presbyter wrote the History of the Sclavonians Saxons and the adjoyning Nations from the year 800 or thereabouts when they were converted to Christianity by the care of Charles the Great to the year 1168 about which time Helmoldus flourished as he saith himself in his Preface viz. about the times of Barbarossa And there Arnoldus the Abbat of Lubeck begins who begins his Preface with these words Because Helmoldus a Priest of Blessed memory was not able to bring his History of the Vocation and Submission of the Sclavonians and the Lives of those Bishops at whose instance the Churches of these Countries were Founded to such End and Conclusion as he desired and intended we therefore with the assistence of God have resolved to pursue that Work and accordingly he brought his supplement to the times of Otto the IV th under whom he lived the Learned Vossius speaks thus of this Arnoldus in the Sclavonian affairs he deserves Credit but not in what he wrote concerning the French Sicilians and Grecians in whose affairs it is much better to consult others who have made it their business to treat of them ARTICLE VI. The Historians of the Lombards now call'd the Dutchy of Milan PAulus Warnefridus a Deacon of Aquileja wrote VI Books of the affairs of the Lombards he was Chancellour to Desiderius King of the Longobards of whom Sigebertus Chap. 61. writes this He wrote the History of the Vinnuli who were afterwards called Lombards in an excellent and copious Style Raph. Volaterranus is much mistaken who takes this Warnefridus to be a different person from the Deacon of Aquileja he flourished about the year of Christ 780. Hieron Rubeus wrote also of the Goths and Lombards A Monk of Padua whose name is not known has comprehended in III Books the Transactions of his own times in Lombardy and the Marquisate of Tarvisina he begins Anno Christi 1207 in which Azo Marquis of Este was by the Monticuculli cast out of Verona and he comes down to the year 1270 in which the Christian Princes passing into Africa took Carthage and besieged Tunis Flavius Blondus who was privy Counsellour to several Popes and who had the honour to have his Works Epitomized by Pius another of the Popes wrote of the affairs of the Lombards in his VII Books of the illustrating of Italy as almost all other Italian Writers ARTICLE VII The Historians of the Polanders and Borussians MArtinus Chromerus Composed XXX Books of the Origine and Actions of the Polanders and in the first X Books as he saith in his Proem he has described the Rise and Infancy of that Nation under Barbarous and Idolatrous Dukes then the flower of its Youth under Christian Kings and then its diseased and Crazy Constitution which resembles a State Sickness under several and those disagreeing Princes after the Monarchy was destroyed He wrote II Books also of the Situation People Manners Magistrates and Government of the Kingdom of Poland Chromerus flourished Anno Christi 1552. Alexander Gaguinus wrote also an History of Poland from Lechus the first Duke of that Nation to Henry of Voloise Joh. Decius wrote one Book of the Antiquities of Poland and of the Family of the Jagellons and of the Reign of King Sigismund Math. Michovius wrote a Chronicle of the Kingdom of Poland from the first rise of that Nation to the year 1504 in IV Books he is somewhat more Barbarous and Chromerus more Polite Michovius flourished about the year of Christ 1540. Joannes â—uglossus who is sometimes styled Longinus Bishop of Leopold who under Casimirus the third King of Poland was employed in many great Embassages and was also Praeceptor to this Princes Children has wrote a Chronicle of Poland to the year 1480 in which this great man Died Philippus Callimachus hath writ a History of the Wars of the Poles against the Turks he lived Anno Christi 1508. Erasmus Stella a Libanothan writ II Books of the Antiquities of the Borussians which he dedicated to Frederick Duke of Saxony the first of which treats of the old inhabitants thereof and of their Propagation Names and Manners the latter of their ancient Kings and of their Succession he professeth to follow the Annals of Borussia Jornandes his History of the Goths Helmoldus his History of the Sclavonians and Albertus Magnus who travelled over Borussia and others ARTICLE VIII The Historians of the Bohemians Switzars or Helvetians and Saxons COsmus a Deacon of the Church of Prague in his Chronicle of Bohemia which he has written in III Books represents the Origine of that People and the actions of their ancient Dukes to Wartislaus who was created King of Bohemia by the Emperour Henry the IV th Anno Christi 1086. Dubravius also deduceth their History from their first Original to Ferdinand the Emperour in XXXIII Books he comes down to the year 1558 and was a very Learned and ingenious Person The History of Aeneas Sylvius comes down to the year 1458 that is to Frederick the third in which year the Authour was Elected Pope by the name Pius the second he writes the Succession of all their Dukes or Kings to Poigebrach but in the business of the Hussites and what happened under the Emperour Sigismund he is much more large and diffused Charles King of Bohemia who was after Emperour and the IV th of that Name wrote a Commentary of his own Life Franciscus Guillimanus wrote V Books of the Antiquites and Actions of the Switzars Henricus Suizerus in his Chronicle of Switzerland gave an account of their affairs to his own times Josias Simlerus wrote of their League and Commonwealth and also of their affairs from Rudolphus to Charles the Vth. Wernerus Rolevinckius wrote III Books of the ancient Seat of the Saxons that is of Westphalia their Manners Vertues and Commendations Witikindus a Saxon Wrote III Books of the Actions of the Saxons and Albertus Crantzius wrote the History of Saxony in XIII Books to his own times he died in the year 1504 this is continued by an unknown hand David Chytreus in his Chronicle of Saxony and the Northern Nations begins a little higher at the year 1500 and ends with the year 1599 which is continued by Georgius Fabricius in his Saxony illustrated in II Books to the year 1606 Johannes Garzo wrote of the affairs of Saxony Thuringia and Misnia Rein. Reineccius of the Family and actions of the Palatines of Saxony Cyriacus Spangenbergius wrote a Saxon Chronicle and Sebastiau Boisselinterus wrote of the Siege of Magdeburgh ARTICLE IX The Historians of the Celti or Gauls and French under which Name we include all those people who live betwixt the Rhine and both the Seas and the Alpes and
Pyrenean Mountains THe principal Writers of the History of Gallia which the French now possess that I may say nothing of the most ancient Julius Caesar his VII Books of the Gallick War And Hirtius who continues him nor of Appianus his Celirks which belong to this Story are these Gregorius Turonensis Bishop of Tours in his first Book brings down the History from the beginning of the World to the Reign of Theodosius the first in the other nine Books he sets forth the Lives and actions of the Kings of France to his own times and the year of Christ 594 but the XIth Book which is supposed to have been added by Fredegarius ends in the Death of Charles the Great which happened Anno Christi 814. Paulus Aemilius Veronensis a man of a Livian style of whom mention is made above Sect. XXV as Reinerus Reineccius bears witness spent XXX years in the compiling his History of France after the Dissolution of the Roman Dominion and comes down to Philip and Charles his Brother Children of Luis that is from the year 420 to the year 1488 the opinion of J. Lipsius concerning this History is that if a few things were lightly Corrected he would be a person above the Learning of our Age and deserve the Commendations given to ancient Authours and Ludovicus Vivis saith his History is written with more Fidelity and truth than that of Gaguinus who has disclosed and intermixt his own affections in his History Paulus Jovius hath written the Reigns and Lives of Charles the 8th Luis the 12th and Francis the first King of France splendidly and elegantly Arnoldus Ferronius Burdegalensis hath continued the History of Aemilius to Henry the second Philippus Comines of whom mention is made above Sect. the 25th has woven the History of Luis the XIth and Charles the VIIIth his Son in a clear and elegant style and although Jacobus Mejerus avers in many places that he is mistaken yet he is in the judgment of the Learned Vossius a true and a prudent Historian and Johannes Sleidanns gives him this Elogie This Authour is in my judgment the nearest to the ancient Historians of all those that have wrote in or near our times both in prudence and veracity for he lays before us the grave deliberations that passed in the Closets of Princes before they appeared in their Events abroad which very few have attempted to do fewer have been able to do it effectually and even those who could have done it have yet not dared to do it lest they should offend their Princes Johannes Frossardus has splendidly and elegantly written the History of those dreadfull Wars which passed betwixt the English and French from the year 1335 to the year 1400 who deserves the greater faith because he was a follower of the Courts of Kings and Princes especially of Philippa Daughter of the Count of Heynault Queen to Edward the third King of England nor did he relate any thing in his History but what he had seen with his own Eyes or heard from others who had seen them or had the chief Commands in the Wars Johannes Sleidanus hath excerpted the most material passages out of this History and turned them into Latine for it is Originally written in French and Sir John Bouchier Knight translated this intire History into English Enguerus Monstreletus hath continued Frossardus and brought down the French History to the Reign of Luis the XIIth Martinus Longaeus wrote a Commentary in X Books of the actions of Francis I. of Valoise King of France and Stephanus Doletus and Galeacius Capella have written the History of the Wars betwixt Charles the fifth and this Prince for the Dutchy of Milan from the year 1520 to the year 1530 the latter is followed by Gulielmus Paradinus who hath added the story of the succeeding years to the year 1555. A nameless person perhaps Franciscus Hottomanus has written the History of France during the Reigns of Henry the second Francis the second and Charles the IXth Rabutinus hath written the Expedition of Henry the second against Charles the Vth undertaken in the year 1552 on the behalf of the Princes of Germany Eusebius Philadelphus that is Theodorus Beza who by the Cloudiness of this name obscured himself has wrote the History of Charles the IXth and of his Mother Petrus Matthaeus a Lawyer the Royal Historian has writ the History of Henry the IV th King of France and of Navar in VII Books BESIDES these which we have mentioned there are several others which ought to be perused as Carolus Molinaeus who hath writ of the Rise and Progress of the French Kingdom and Monarchy and Hubertus Leonardus of the Origine of the French â—â—tion but then Hunibaldus Francus who has wrote the affairs of the Franks from the Wars of Troy to the times of Clodoneus is to be esteemed of the same nature with Annius his Berosus and the rest of those fabulous Writers in the judgment of the famous Vossius de Hist. lat lib. 2. c. 22. Aimoinus the Monk is to be better thought of who is an excellent Historian as the Authour de Regimine Principatus lib. 3. c. 21. calls him which work is commonly but very falsely ascribed to Aquinas he wrote the actions of the French from the year 420 to the year 826 in V Books for the proof of whose Fidelity these words of his make very much there was another Monk in the same Monastery a Priest and a professed Monk as well as he and his name was Audoaldus he was of the same age and in his Manners and Conversation very like him from whose Mouth we have received what is delivered and much more which we are confident is faithfully related Nor is Joannes Trithemius though a German to be lightly passed by who has writ III Books of the Origine Kings and affairs of France from the year of Christ 433 to the year 1500 which was the III year of Charles the VIII th Nor Nicholaus Gilius who hath Composed the Annals of France Hermannus Comes who writes of their affairs to the year 1525 or Robertus Gaguinus who has deduced their History from the most remote Antiquity to the time of the Expedition of Charles the VIII th into Italy Anno Christi 1493 though he has mixed his own affections with the History as Vivis saith and yet Mejerus is not to be admitted neither who calls him a frivolous Writer which is to be attributed to his disaffection to the French Nation and all their Historians for he saith of them in general the French do not use to relate their actions with more fidelity than they transact them and besides as Mejerus out of his too great affection to his Countrey has delivered many things done in his own times there very partially so in Foreign affairs he is not over much to be Credited Paulus Jovius affirming of
by the Turks in the year 1453 is represented by Leonardus Chiensis Bishop Mitylaen and Godefridus Langus Philippus Callimachus Experiens has writ two elegant Books of the Sack of Varne in Mysia which happened IX years before that of Constantinople Johannes Eutropius wrote the War made by Charles the V th upon Tunis and his Expedition into Africa is written by Christoph. Claudius Stella Henricus Penia hath writ the War betwixt Ismael Sophy of Persia and Selym Anno 1514. Nor is it difficult to learn many things for the clearing and enlarging on the Turkish History from the 14 Books of Epistles concerning the Turks and their affairs collected by Nicholaus Reusnerus and the elegant Epistles of Augerius Busbequius concerning his Ambassage in Turky ARTICLE XIII The Historians of the Tartars Muscovits and Sarmatians HAitonius the Nephew of a King of Armenia and a Souldier many years in his own Countrey became afterwards a Monk in the Island of Cyprus as he tells us himself Chap. 46. and at length came into France where about the year of Christ 1307 by the Command of Clement the V th he describ'd the Empire of the Tartarians in Asia and the other Eastern Kingdoms The first Emperour of the Tartars was Changius Cham about the year 1200 the V th from him was Chobitas as Haiton calls him or Cublai the great Cham. This Princes Court and a very large Empire belonging to him in the Indies and all the Eastern Countries is largely described by Marcus Paulus Venetus in his second and third Book of the Oriental Kingdoms and the Empire of the Tartars who is an Authour worthy of great Credit this Cublai was father of Timuri Lechi who is commonly call'd Tamerlan who shut up Bajazet the Emperour of the Turks in an Iron Cage In the Books which Matthias a Michou wrote of the Asian and European Tartars is contain'd a short History of the Tartars and Muscovites Matinus Proniovius wrote an History of the Tartars and Johannes Leunclavius wrote of the Wars of the Muscovites against their Neighbour Nations Paulus Oderbonius wrote the Life of John Basilides Duke of Muscovy very elegantly Reinoldus Hidenstein wrote a Commentary in VI Books of the War of Muscovy made by Stephen King of Poland Bredenbrachius wrote the War of Livonia in which the Muscovites destroyed and dessolated the whole Province of Torpate Paulus Jovius Novocomensis wrote of the Embassies of the Muscovites and Sigismundus Liberius wrote Commentaries of their affairs ARTICLE XIV The History of Aethiopia India almost all Africa and most of the new World or America THe History of Aethiopia is to be fetch'd from Johannes Bohemus Damianus a Goes Franciscus Alvaresius and Ludovicus Romanus Patritius which last hath writ VII Books of the Navigation of Aethiopia Egypt both the Arabias and the Indies Johannes Maerus Santineus hath wrote an Indian History in III Books Nicholaus Godignus hath also writ an Aethiopick History Ludovicus Vartomannus when he had travell'd Aethiopia Egypt Arabia Persia Syria and the East-Indies wrote all his Travels in VI Books Leo Afer a Moore but born in Spain and first a Mahometan and afterwards a Christian when he had travelled almost all Africa Asia the less and a great part of Europe was taken and given to Leo the X th where he translated into the Italian Tongue what he had with incredible labour and industry collected and written in the Arabian concerning the people of Africa and their Manners Laws Customs and the Description of that Countrey which Johannes Florianus afterwards translated into Latine this Authour will therefore serve instead of all others for the African Story and yet if the Reader be so pleased he may add to him P. Jovius and Alvaresius Grotius Laet Hornius and some others have Learnedly written of the Origine of the People of America but then in order to the attainment of a perfect History of the Americans the Voiages of Christopher Columbus Aloysius Cadamustus Cortesius Novius Benzo Lyrius Gomarus and others are to be perused which have been described by several Writers Gonsalus Ferdinandus Oviedus is so Learned a Writer of the History of the new World that Cardanus thinks him the onely Authour amongst the Historians of our Age who deserves to be compared with the Ancients And in general the Transactions of both the East and West-Indies China Japan Magellan c. may be known from the Navigations of the Portuges Hollanders English Spaniards to whom the Jesuites may be added as Petrus Maffaeus Johannes Acosta Mart. Martinus and others who ought yet to be read with great caution because they are excessively taken up in seting forth the Miracles and Martyrdoms of their new Saints ARTICLE XV. The Historians of some great Cities BEsides those Historians which have given us accounts of particular Nations there are some others who have made it their business to describe the affairs of some particular Cities and our design here is to give you the Names of those that have written the Stories of the most eminent Cities because it is not possible to reckon or reade all VENICE Petrus Bembus has written an History of Venice in XII Books by the order of the Council of Ten as he saith in the beginning of it with the highest degree both of elegance and truth and though Justus Lipsius the Prince of all the Criticks has made a short Invective against his Style yet in another place he excuseth his sharpness as having been transported on that occasion a little too far and the Learned Heinsius saith Bembus was the onely Historian of that Age who wrote pure Latine and which was then the propriety of the Italians his style is unmix'd and genuine neither painted with false Colours nor fantastically adorned The affairs of the Venetians are also comprehended by M. Antonius Sabellicus in XXXIII Books and in a short Chronicle by And. Dandulus a Duke of Venice of whom Petrarcha Blondus and others have made mention with commendations Petrus Justinianus hath deduced the History of this City from the building of it to the year 1575 and to these may be added Johannes Baptista Egnatius Petrus Marcellus a Venetian Janotius the Cardinal Contarenus Blondus and Moccenicus GENOVA Isaacus de Voragine has described the History of Genova to the year 1296 which Georgius Stella hath continued to the year 1422 Johannes Stella to the year 1435 Cephanus begins at the year 1488 and continues it to the year 1514 Parthenopaeus begins 1527 and ends Anno 1541 to which may be added Petrus Bizarus his History of Genova Ubertus Folietta Paulus Interjanus and Jacobus Bracellius PADOVA Gulielmus Cortusius began an History of this City but Albigretus his Kinsman was the finisher of it of whom P. Vergerius speaks thus Cortusius in writing neglected that Elegance which it was not in his power to attain to Bonus Patavinus wrote the History of Padova from its building to the
times of Albertus the Emperour Anno 1334 to which may be added Bernardus Scardaonius Joan. Bap. Ramnusius and others FLORENCE Leon Aretinus wrote an History of Florence in XII Books of whom Aeneas Sylvius presumes to say that no man since Lactantius ever came nearer the style of Cicero Poggius Florentinus employ'd his Pen on the same Subject too but it seems both of them fearing to give offence contrary to that great Law of History which is not to dare to write any thing that is false nor fear to write any thing that is true are mealy mouthed in those things that relate to their intestine Commotions which is the reason Nich. Machiavellus assigns why he began his History from the Foundation of the City and not from the time the Family of the Medices obtain'd the Sovereignty of that State and from thence he has brought the Story down to the year 1493. May I have leave here in passing to consider what may justly be thought of Machiavell what he writes concerning Princes and Politicks is so Infectious that no man can approach this Pest of Mankind safely without the Antidote of an Antimachiavell or some other potent Preservative But then as to his Florentine History he is not in that destïtute of Subtilty and an unusal Prudence and there are many things in it very rare and no less usefull as for instance what he relates Concisely and Elegantly concerning the fall of the Roman Empire the Migration of the Northern Nations and the rise and increase of the Papal Power and yet a man ought not to be secure here neither except he hath the faculty of separating the Ore from the Dross I think it not impertinent to subjoyn here the censure of Possevinus Machiavell saith he was not destitute of subtilty but Piety and Experience which wings being wanting in any man if he attempts to fly he must of necessity fall down headlong but to return to our Subject to Aretinus Poggio and Machiavell you may add Jacobus Nardus Leon Florentinus Ugolinus Verinus and others who have illustrated the Florentine History by their Writings NAPLES Pandulphus Collenutius has Composed an History of this City from the times of Augustus to Charles the V th to whom you may add Jovianus Pontanus his Naples c. but to be short Franciscus Guicciardinus has wrote the History of Italy from the year 1494 to the year 1596 and Michael Tubingensis hath given us an account of the Wars of Italy Of the Affairs of SICILY Fazellus Ritius and Verrerius of the Ferrarian History Jo. B. Pigna of the Brixian Elias Capreolus of the Bononian Car. Sigonius of the Ravennian Hiero. Rubeus of that of Milan Corius and Arlunus of that of Mantua Platina of that of Este Johannes Bonacosta of the Bergamonian M. Antonius Michael of the actions of the Millanois Gaud. Merula and others have written distinct Histories And thus kind Reader I have communicated to you what I have in some spare hours collected and laid together concerning the Historians of particular Nations nor did I design this Appendix should encrease to a larger Bulk THE METHOD and ORDER OF Reading Church Histories SECT XXXII A Transition to the Church History who were better able to have done this two intervals of time especially to be observed the Bible contains the first Period and with it Josephus his Antiquities are to be read The Judgments of Learned men concerning Josephus Hegesippus though ascribed to a wrong Authour not to be rejected in what sense that Authour is usefull and commendable the Sacred History of Sulpitius Severus is deservedly recommended to the Reader WHen I was once got thus far I thought verily I had performed the Work I undertook as the Subject of my first Chapter but some Learned young men who heretofore were my Hearers admonished me that it was much desired that I should in the same manner give an account of the Writers of the Church History Now though I thought this might much more reasonably be desired at the hands of him who is the greatest Divine we have the Regius Professor an excellent Person A plentifull fountain as of all other sorts of Learning so amongst the rest of all sorts of Histories at whose Waters I have very often with the greatest pleasure quench'd my thirst yet because some of my more Learned Acquintance persuaded me to doe it I did not hink it fit wholly to decline the task So at last I resolved to adjoin here a Chain of the Writers of the Church History Whoever therefore desires to understand and in a good Order and Method reade the Ecclesiastical History should propose to himself two Intervals of time that I may pass over the thing with as few words as is possible The first of these is from the Creation of the World to the Incarnation of Christ our Redeemer during which interval of time the Church of the Old Testament call'd the Jewish is storied to have sometimes flourished and at others to have suffered a hard servitude under several Tyrants the other period is from the Incarnation of Jesus Christ to the Age in which we live in which the New Testament or Christian Church performs its warfare The first Interval contains Four thousand years abating Fifty if we may believe Scaliger whom we have all along hitherto followed The second contains One thousand six hundred and so many years over as we commonly count and are still going on And therefore it is the Story of that first interval I say is to be fetched in the first place from the Old Testament which the Reader ought above all others in the first place diligently to turn over and studiously to search into and he will soon see his Labour is well bestowed if together with the Scriptures he take in Josephus his Antiquities of the Jews and those Books he wrote of their Wars For in these Books the Eloquent Son of Matathias has woven the History of the Old-Testament-Church from the Creation of the World to the last destruction of Jerusalem which happened somewhat above Four thousand and thirty years after the Creation of the World and that with so great a fidelity that St. Hierome no dull Censor gave him a place amongst the Ecclesiastick Writers And the great Scaliger thought it more reasonable to believe him than all the Greek and Latin Writers not onely in the Jewish affairs but also in what he relates concerning other Nations That there are saith Baldwin the Civil Lawyer some mistakes in Josephus who can deny But then how many true great and necessary things are there in him for the illustration of the Sacred History besides what others call falsehood Melchior Canus more mildly calls errours they being the deviations of an Ignorant Man not the Lies and Frauds of a Deceiver Some Man would here persuade the Reader to subjoin or rather take in together with Josephus his History of the Wars of the Jews Hegesippus
an excellent Authour in the Opinion of Melchior Canus a Man of an approved Faith and a grave Historian But in the esteem of the most Learned Casaubon and Vossius he is a Spurious Pretending and Suppositious and in short an Authour of no Antiquity or at least quite another Man from that Noble Hegesippus who lived near the times of the Apostles and was Contemporary with Justin Martyr and Athenagoras of whom frequent mention is made by Eusebius and St. Hierome and yet after all this there are some who think he is no contemptible or unprofitable Authour in his first Book he has given an Account of the Wars of the Jews from the times of the Maccabees to the Birth of Christ and the death of Herod the Great And in his Second Book he brings down the History to the Expedition of Vespasian into Judaea Anno Christi 69. and then in his IIId IVth and Vth Books he has Consecrated to the memory of Posterity the Story of the total devastation of Judaea and the utter Ruine of Jerusalem by Vespasian and his Son Titus which happened Anno Christi 72. But then saith Bodinus This may be better and more truely Learned from Josephus who was not onely present in these Wars but was a Commander for some time and being made a Captive obtain'd from Vespasian and Titus the Privilege of being made a Citizen of Rome and the Flavian Sir-name which was that of their own Family and also a Statue And then the Princelike Virtues of an Historian an exalted erudition a rare integrity and a great experience shone clearly in that person And it is farther objected against this fictitious Hegesippus that he doth not treat of the Affairs of the Church but onely of those of the Jews from the time of the Maccabees to the ruine of Jerusalem But we may Answer Bodinus in the first place that this Hegesippus has shortly and elegantly comprehended in that Work what Josephus hath more copiously related in his VII Books of the Wars of the Jews and scatteringly in his Antiquities And in the next place that this Authour doth no less religiously than truely set forth some things concerning our Saviour Jesus Christ which are either altogether passed by by Josephus or onely slightly mention'd by him because perhaps he had an aversion for our Religion And he also sets down in a few words the causes of the War doth Learnedly shew the sources of those great Calamities and why that People which alone was chosen by God and beloved very much was thus consum'd why Jerusalem was destroy'd which was not onely the most Celebrated City of all the East as Pliny calls it but if we consider the extraordinary Favours of God of the whole World Why the Temple was rased their Sacred Rites abolished and the Politick Government of that Nation which had subsisted so many Ages was for ever taken away For the serious consideration of these things will yield the pious and prudent Reader a plenty of the most Excellent Fruits which History can afford him Or if our Reader of History is better pleased to pass by this suppositious Authour and will not be discouraged to go back again and after the Reading the Holy Bible and the Antiquities of Josephus and to câ—ntemplate at one view the whole image of the Sacred History from the Creation of the World to the Birth of Christ and so on to the Fourth Centery of the Second Interval then let him here take in Sulpitius Severus his Sacred History which he begins with the Creation of the World and ends with the Synod of Bordeaux Anno Christi 386. He was a Man of much learning and prudence and a most Polite Writer His style is so pure and elegant that Josephus Scaliger calls him The most Pure Writer of the Church History But I cannot forbear confirming the Judgment of this great Man by the more Prolix and yet not less elegant testimony of Victor Giselin a Physician and Antiquary of a most accomplish'd Erudition He writes thus The blessed Sulpitius hath with great brevity compris'd and with an exact distinction of times shortly deduced to the Age in which he lived the Memory of those things which are contained in the Holy Scriptures from the beginning of the World Now whether any Age hath produced Another Work that is more excellent more noble and more usefull to the Christian Church than this small Piece I shall willingly leave to the Judgment of those who have better abilities than I to determine of it But as to the Elegance of it I dare undertake and I think I may safely affirm that it is not inferiour in any thing to the best of all the Church Historians but then as to all other Works which are of the same nature it hath so great advantages over them that they do not deserve to be compared with it That which I have said of it is great and may perhaps seem to most men incredible But yet what I say has so much truth in it that I am confident the veracity of the thing will prevail so much that my testimony may be spared especially as to those who will take the Pains to compare all the parts of this Authour with Orosius Florus Eutropius and the rest of the Writers of Epitomes He seems to me to have obtain'd the Garland onely by the imitation of C. Salustius a florid Writer of the Roman Story For observing that many things in him passed for excellencies which would become no other Man and were scarce possible to be imitated as his abrupt way of speaking which slips insensibly by the Reader or Hearer and doth not stay till a Man comes to it but as Seneca saith his Sentences come pouring in and his words surprize by their unexpected falls these I say be left to Salust as his sole personal excellencies And he studiously avoided his obsolete words which as Augustus said he collected out of Cato ' s Books de Originibus But then as to his spruce brevity tempered with significant Words and adapted in the highest degree to his design he imitated that Great Historian with so much Art that we may well say he rather emulated him and strove to out-doe him For he did not think it sufficient to follow his style and to divide circumscribe and cut it and make just such transitions from one thing to another except he made the same entrances to his Books the other did but with this difference that whereas he as Fabius saith chose such as had no relation to History Sulpitius accommodated his a little better to his subject All which things in History at least appear glorious as any Man may observe at the first Glance For it was written as I have said in the flower of his Age before his passionate love to Eloquence had been mortified by the severe discipline of the Monastery of Tours Thus far Giselinus The Elzivers two Dutch Printers put out this
follow the conduct of their affections or industriously fain many things so that I for my part am very often both weary and ashamed of them because I know they have thereby brought nothing of Advantage to the Church of Christ but very much inconvenience Thus saith Melchior Canus Nor are we to think that it is onely the complaint of the Learned Men of this and the last Age that the Church Writers are thus corrupted and depraved as if these faults had crept into them of late onely or as if none of the most Ancient Writers had been justly to be numbred amongst these depravers of the Church History Above a Thousand and three hundred years agon before the Church was past its youth there were some who basely infected the Monuments of the Church with Lies and made it their business to corrupt them with such impure mixtures And Arnobius in his Books Contra Gentes hath taken this notice of it But neither saith he could all that was done be written or arrive at the Knowledge of all men Many of our great Actions being done by obscure Men and those who had no knowledge of Letters and if some of them are committed to Letters and Writings yet even here by the Malice of the Devils and of men like them whose great design and study it is to intercept and ruine this truth by interpolating or adding some things to them or by changing or taking out Words Syllables or Letters they have put a stop to the Faiths of Wise Men and corrupted the truth of things Thus Arnobius And in truth what could possibly be devised to corrupt and debase the Memory of the Ancient Church which Pagans Jews or Hereticks have not deceitfully imposed upon her What hath not a silly and Credulous Superstition feigned My Hearers I have pursued these things at large that they who are desirous to know the Church History might understand and diligently consider with how much care and caution they are to be read for here a Man is in more danger of being deceived by feign'd stories than in any other sort of Histories whatsoever And yet it is confess'd by all that it is much more mischievous to be involved in errour here than in Civil History Now as it befits us to take great care on the one side that we do not imbrace falsehood for truth rashly so it becomes us to consider attentively that we do not reject what is really true as false without deliberation I confess saith the Learned Lawyer Balduinus where there are so many Ambushes and so many dangers those who remember that credit is not rashly to be given deserve to be commended for their suspitious modesty and jealousie But then the unbelief of some others is too great who will believe nothing but what is written by some one single Authour As for example they will believe nothing that is spoken concerning the Apostles but what is written by St. Luke But then St. Luke did chiefly design to Write the History of St. Paul and as to that too he omitted some things as is apparent by the Epistle to the Galatians St. Luke speaking of Simon Magus does onely tell us That in Samaria his own Town being wrought upon by the Reproof of St. Peter he confessed his Sin But shall we therefore cry out that whatever those very Ancient Writers Justin Martyr Tertullian Arnobius Eusebius Epiphanius and St. Augustine have delivered besides this concerning him is false and therefore in the Reading of Histories let us ever remember to be such as Aristotle saith those men who are betwixt youth and old age commonly are that is neither too prone to believe nor too difficult and distrustive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Neither believing nor disbelieving every thing That of Hesiod is like an Oracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Too much too little Faith has ruin'd Men. But some Man may with great truth say That Facility of Belief and Diffidence are both in their turns of great use and safety For every verisimilitude is not presently true nor is every thing that seems at first sight incredible to be concluded therefore false Truth hath sometimes the resemblance of falsehood and again a Lie is masked with the beautifull Colours of truth at other times as Seneca saith somewhere And therefore that we may proceed where we cannot have such Witnesses as were present at the Actions they record the next care is to hear those who have faithfully delivered what they received from others especially if the Ages in which they lived their Antiquity and Virtue have given them a right to our Faith and made them of good Authority And amongst these it is fit we should prefer the most Ancient and as I may say Classick Authours before the rest What Aristole said of Witnesses is true here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The most Ancient deserve most credit because it is not so easie to corrupt them And for the most part it also comes to pass that by how much the later and newer the Account of any Ancient Transaction is so much the more faulty and corrupt it proves For as Wine by how much the oftner it is poured from one Vessel into another becomes so much the more weak and dispirited and as Fame the further it goes the further it removes from Truth and gathers so much the more of Vanity even so for the most part a History being repeated by many and toss'd to and fro and told every time in other Words is diffused takes aire and at last contaminates and degenerates into a mere Fable Indeed I have made this Discourse much longer than I intended but Prudent Readers will afford me so much the more easily their Pardon if they please to consider that all this has no other scope than the making men extremely cautious in their turning over the Volumes of the Church History And therefore I will now pass on to the Catalogue of those Authours and the Order of them which Learned Men have prescribed to be read after the Books of the New Testament in which I shall be as short as it is fit I should be SECT XXXIV At last in the Third Centery the Church then beginning to flourish Ecclesiastical History began to flourish too Eusebius Pamphili the Prince amongst the Church Historians he emulates Xenophon in his Books of the Life of Constantine Many things which he Wrote are lost His Authority vindicated How far his History reacheth Scaliger's judgment concerning Ruffinus The Tripartite History The Reading of Eusebius his Panegyrick recommended SEeing then those Writers who are said to have lived with the Apostles are to be rejected as is said above as spurious and those that followed them immediately in the two next Centeries are not extant being either swallowed up in that vast shipwreck of Learning or as the opinion of the Learned Casaubon is seeing they rather seem to have begun to think of writing something of this Nature than
seriously to have applied their Minds and Pens to the illustrating this subject Let us cast our eyes upon the third Centery which with the two which follow it may justly in his esteem be call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Flower and Golden Age of the Church As in that Age Theological Studies flourished every where so the Church History which till then was almost totally unknown began to sprought up and grow verdant The first that set out in that Race as far as is known to us was Eusebius Pamphili who took his Sir Name from Pamphilus the Martyr who was his intimate Friend as St. Hierome acquaints us he was Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine in the Reign of Constantine the Great who as Cedrenus tells us was a Great Historian and a general Scholar and without controversie he was then thought the most Learned Man of the Age. He I say as he himself affirmeth in the entrance of his first Book was the first who applied himself to Write an Universal History of the Catholick Church Beginning therefore with the Birth of Our LORD and proceeding accurately through all the times of the Tyrants he describes the Series of the Affairs of the Church the Successions of the Apostles and other Illustrious Doctours in the Church The Doctrine of the Gospel the Persecutions which Tyrants moved against the Church and the Martyrdoms that followed in them and the perverse Doctrines of Hereticks all which he dednced with a mighty industry in Ten Books to his own times Eusebius also Wrote the Life of Constantine in Four Books which are now extant and acknowledged to be genuine by Photius But then as he followed the Example of Xenophon who described the Institution and Encomium of Cyrus more that he he might propose to our Contemplation the Image of a good Prince than that he might give a true History of him so Eusebius did not so much dress up the History of the Life of Constantine as a Panegyrick of the Praises of that Prince and his glorious Actions And therefore Photius call'd that Piece An Encomium in four Books And certainly he has therein represented to our eyes the Lively Picture of an excellent Prince which the most potent Kings and Princes may contemplate to their great advantage as Grynaeus rightly observeth And the Reverend Bishop of Chichester observes also that Eusebius collected the History of the Martyrs out of the Archives or Registers of the Churches and the Commentaries of the Publick Notaries and the common Tables or Catalogues Nor was it saith he onely a Brevary designed for the reciting their Names of the same Nature with the Martyrologie which is now in use in the Church of Rome drawn up by Bede Usuardus or other such like Authours or like the Greeks Menologies but they were Historical Narratives of the things that happened and Commentaries Written at large as the Reverend Prelate proves out of Eusebius himself Where speaking of Apollonius he saith If any person is desirous exactly to know his words spoken before the Judge and what Answer he gave to the Questions of Perennius and his Apologetick Oration which he made before the Senate Let him be pleased to Read the Book which we compos'd of the Actions of the Ancient holy Martyrs But that Work of Eusebius and many others of which St. Hierome makes mention amongst the Ecclesiastical Writers are lost and have not fallen into the hands of the Men of these later Ages But there is not a few who detract what they can from the Authority of Eusebius and say That his Church History was rejected by Pope Gelasius in a Council and pronounced an Apochryphal Book But for the Asserting the Authority of Eusebius it is sufficient that Gelasius himself tells us in the beginning of that Censure that the Chronicle of Eusebius of Caesarea and his Ecclesiastical History are not to be intirely rejected for the rare and excellent Knowledge they afford us Which is aiso said by Volaterranus in the Decretals Eusebius his Chronicle and Church History onely are received But if any body thinks otherwise let the confirmation of Melchior Canus be considered his words are these It is sufficiently apparent that all the rest of Eusebius his Church History pleased Gelasius and the Council in that they are pleased to acquaint us with what displeased them and therefore if you take out the Fable of Abgarus and the Commendations of Origen they say in a manner that all the rest of his History is worthy of our credit and beliefe The Judgment of Scultotus pleaseth me as to this very much which he unfolds in these words Those Books which contain the History of the Church do sufficiently demonstrate that that Story of the Primitive Church is true which is fetched from the Genuine Writings of the Orthodox Fathers for as long as Eusebius in his History follows Justin Irenaeus Origen Tertullian Cyprian Clemens Alexandrinus and such other Fathers of approved faith he is an Historian worthy of our belief and trust But whenever he quotes Tradition and appeals to things that were reported but not written then he mixeth many things that are Fabulous Thus far Scultetus The truth is the Papists do frequently reprehend Eusebius with great bitterness and fiercely fall upon him but above all others Cardinal Baronius as the same Scultetus observes discovers his hatred of Eusebius for which he had no other reason than this viz. He being the Historian who hath prosecuted so largely the Commendations and Donations of Constantine to the Church has not onely not mentioned his Grant to the See of Rome but has plainly intimated it to be false in Writing that Constantine was not baptized by the Pope at Rome but by another at Nichomedia But they pretend too that he was infected with Arianisme and that he ever favoured the Arian Party and therefore he is sometimes accused of Partiality That he was infected with that Heresie before the Council of Nice is in truth too apparent to be denied but then some write that after that time he willingly imbraced the Authority of the Holy Fathers of that Council and lived most holily and piously in the Catholick Doctrine Yea it is reported amongst the Greeks as George Trapezunce bears witness that at the command of the holy Fathers he drew up the Nicene Creed which he composed in such words that he delivered to the Fathers in Writing that Form The Son of God was begotten and not made being of the same Substance with the Father by which words that Heresie was without controversie condemn'd And it is most certain that he did by Letters give a most full and perfect account to his Citizens of what was done in that Convention which Letters are still exstant as Donatus Veronensis writes But to proceed the History of Eusebius reacheth to the year CCCXXV And Ruffinus a Presbyter of Aquileia an Emulatour of St. Hierome translating
this History out of Greek into Latin added two Books of his own and continued the History to the death of Theodosius the Emperour An. Christi CCCC But then in his Translation he took too great a liberty and in his own Addition he borrowed much from Eusebius and therefore Joseph Scaliger in the Appendix of his incomparable Work de Emendatione Temporum calls him a most silly Authour and perhaps no hurt will be done if our Student pass him by for the History of the same times is written more largely and accurately by Socrates Sozomen and Theodoret. These three were translated by Epiphanius Scholasticus into Latin at the request of the Great Aurelius Cassiodorus who made of these three one body of History and put it out under the name of the Tripartite Story But then David Chytraeus a famous Man who hath done great service to the World in relation both to the Civil and Ecclesiastical History doth admonish and exhort all studious Men that they should not onely reade those fragments which are thus patch'd together by Cassiodorus but also the intire Authours which are extant and carefully Printed both in Greek and Latin and that they should begin with Eusebius his Panegyrick on the Life of Constantine in which they will find an uninterrupted History of XXX years and the chief Edicts and Laws of that Prince concerning the Christian Religion carefully expounded in the IId IIId and IV th Books which are the Fountains whence Socrates Theodoret and Sozomen have drawn many things in the beginning of their Histories SECT XXXV In what times Socrates lived from whence and how far he has brought his History and of Theodoret also and what is contain'd in each of his Books The Censure of Photius on him Sozomen the Salamine continues the History to the year of Christ CCCCXXIII A place of St. Gregorie's against Sozomen consider'd and an Answer made to it The Candor of Sozomen the Testimony of Euagrius concerning him Euagrius follows the Tripartite History and continues it to the year DXCVII Theophilactus Simocatus continued it to the year DCI. SOcrates Born at Constantinople under Theodosius Junior the Son of Arcadius beginning his History about the end of that wrote by Eusebius with the Victory obtain'd by Constantine against Maxentius Anno Christi CCCXIII. or rather from that year in which he was first declared Emperour openly in Britain that is from the year of Christ CCCIX he deduced it to the XVII th Consulship of the aforesaid Theodosius Junior that is to the year of Christ CCCCXLI in VII Books written in a style that is not extraordinarily splendid the first of which Books contains the times of Constantine the Emperour the second those of Constantius the third the Reigns of Julian and Jovian the fourth those of Valentinian and Valens the fifth those of Gratian and Theodosius the first the sixth the times of Arcadius the seventh contains XXXII years of the Reign of Theodosius the younger the whole History represents the Church affairs of CXL years as he himself tells us in express words in the last Chapter of the VII th Book This last Boak saith he contains the space of XXXII years but the whole History which is divided into VII Books contains CXL years which begins with the first year of the Two hundereth seventy and first Olympiad in which Constantine was declared Emperour and ends in the second year of the Three hundreth and fifth Olympiad at the XVII th Consulship of Theodosius the Emperour It is clear from several places that he favoured the Faction of the Novatians for which is observed by the most Learned Jacob Billius he is extremely pleased not onely when he meets but when he can but pretend to have found an occasion of speaking much in favour of the Novatians and if any Man had out of a Pious Zeal more sharply treated the Novations Socrates would be sure to find some opportunity or other to traduce his Name and Reputation but so cunningly that to a Reader of an ordinary capacity he will seem rather to have done it out of a desire of speaking truth than out of a compliance with his own Anger and Resentment This I say is the Censure of J. Billius a very Learned Man upon Socrates the Authour of the Church History which I thought fit to insert here that our Lover of History might make use of the greater caution in the reading him Theodoret lived in the same times and was Bishop of Cyrus a City of Mesopotamia or Syria He wrote an Ecclesiastical History from the end of Eusebius his History and the rise of the Arrian Heresie which he hath also brought down to the times of Theodosius Junior wherein he gives somewhat a larger account of the Actions done in the second General Council than any other Historian that is extant In the first Book of his History he gives us the History of the Church under Constantine the Great in the second he expounds what happened under Constantius in the third he tells us the Church affairs under Julian the Apostate the fourth Book he attributed to Jovian Valentinian and Valens the fifth to Gratian Theodosius the Great and Arcadius and in the same Book he toucheth the beginning of the Reign of Theodosius the younger the Censure of Photius concerning the style of Theodoret is this That it is fitter for an History than that used by Socrates or that of Hermias Sozomen or that of Euagrius Ponticus and of the same opinion is that most Learned Man Gerardus Johannes Vossius Hermias Sozomenus was Bishop of Salamine a City of Cyprus and flourished also under Theodosius to whom he dedicated his History beginning at the Consulate of Crispus and Constantinus Anno Christi CCCXXIII he continued it to the death of Honorius An Christ. CCCCXXIII which space of time he comprehends in IX Books the two first of which repeat the things done in the times of Constantine the Great the third and fourth contain the transactions under the Three Children of Constantine the fifth and sixth comprehend the times of Valentinian and Valens the seventh those of Gratian and Theodosius the First the eighth the times of Arcadius the ninth runs through the times of Theodosius the Second as far as the death of Honorius Anno Christi CCCCXXIII which was the XVI year of the Reign of Theodosius Junior But then the See of Rome refuseth to receive this Historian too and these are the words of Gregory the Great that because he tells many Lies and commends Thedorus Mopsuestia too much and saith he was a Great Doctor of the Church to the day of his death I was directed to this place by George Hackwill Professor of Divinity a person of a various erudition and of a singular both piety and prudence But to this Melchior Canus long since replied That there is no such thing to be found in Sozomen concerning Theodorus Mopsuestia And that Gregorie ' s
memory fail'd him whilst instead of Theodoret he Wrote Sozomen for the words he mentions are Theodoret ' s and Cardinal Baronius supplies us with another Answer by saying That Sozomen the Commender of Theodorus Mopsuestia is not received by the See of Rome as to that particular But in all the rest he speaking the truth how could he be rejected and besides it is apparent that Sozomen was not rejected by Gelasius the Pope whom no man can in the opinion of the Cardinal disown such was his Authority and Learning but rather esteem'd to be of more credit than Eusebius of Caesarea and his History is accordingly more valued by Phocius than that of Socrates And Canus farther answereth That the Testimony of Sozomen was made use of and approved in the Council of Florence in which the Emperour Palaologus was present However we may think candidly of him not onely by reason of the sincerity and veracity which he pretends to in his first Chapter and promiseth throughout for when he was to relate the contentions quarrels and perfidy of many Orthodox Men and many other foul actions done by them he deprecates the opinion of a malevolent humour as is observed by the Learned Casaubon For he saith he does not write these things out of any pleasure he takes in them but whether he would or no because what was done could not be undone but on the other side to be silent as to those things which were done was to betray the truth and break the Laws of a good History 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is fit to take care of truth in order to the preservation of the sincerity of History and again An Historian should esteem truth above all other things But also for the sake of that Judgment Euagrius has given of him whose words are these Eusebius Sozomen Theodoret and Socrates have accurately committed to Writing the coming of our most Mercifull Saviour into the World his Ascension into Heaven the Acts of the holy Apostles the Martyrdoms of the holy Martyrs and whatever else has been done worthy of commendation or blame to the Reign of Theodosius and somewhat farther this I say is the judgment of Euagrius Scholasticus a very famous Historian of those times and the first Orthodox Church Historian that wrote if we will believe Baronius or at least his Epitomizer And here Euagrius himself follows the Writers of the Tripertite History and begins his Story where Socrates and Theodoret end theirs that is from the calling of the Council at Ephesus by the authority of Theodosius the younger about the year of Christ CCCCXXXI in which Nestorius was condemn'd and he continues his History to the XII th year of the Reign of Mauritius which is the DXCVII year of Christ and he flourished mostly under this Emperour and his Successour Tiberius the Second This History of Euagrius consists of VI. Books in the first of which he comprehends the times of Theodosius the younger in the IId those of Martian and Leo the Thracian as he is commonly call'd in the IIId those of Zeno and Anastasius in the IVth those of Justin and Justinian in the Vth those of Justin the Second and Tiberius the Second in the VIth he goes on to the XIIth year of Mauritius who was Son-in-Law to Tiberius the Second and is by some call'd the Cappadocian And this was the year of Christ 597 as I have said above And with the same times that Euagrius hath thus written concur the Histories of Procopius Agathias and Jornandes of the affairs of the Goths and the Miscellane History of Diaconus from the XIIth to the XVIIIth Book and to conclude a great part of C. Sigonius his History of the Western Empire which I thought fit to tell the Reader here that he might know where to find an enlargement of the Histories of those times Theophilactus Simocatus was famous about the year of Christ DCXII. and is a delicate Writer amongst those of the latter Greek Historians he wrote VIII Books of the Actions of Mauritius which the Reader is to begin when he has read Euagrius Nor is it possible he should repent of this small Labour because he brings the History to the year of Christ DCI. to the very Murther of Mauritius and that not perfunctorily but accurately and elaborately so that others have deduced their borrowed streams from him as from a River as Pontanus the Jesuite saith His temper is soft and exceeding honest and his Writings discover and testifie a learning above the ordinary pitch And now if the Reader please let us take a stand a while and look back and see how much of our designed Journey is expedited and let us consider how and by what means we are arrived at the end of the VIth Century after Christ. Eusebius comprehends in his History somewhat above CCC years Socrates Theodoret and Sozomen have added to this CXL years more and then the History is brought down about CXL years farther by Euagrius and Simocatus makes up the rest of the time as is said above to the Six hundred and first year after Christ in which year Mauritius the Emperour with his Wife and Children was Murthered by Phocas who succeeded him in the Empire ADDITION All these Church Historians were a few years since put out in Greek and Latin by Valesius a Frenchman with excellent Notes and a new Version of his own in three Volumes in Folio which were soon after translated into English and put out in one Folio And they are very exactly translated and indeed somewhat the less delightfull to the Reader for being so nicely true and curious SECT XXXVI In the VII th Century and two or three which follow it those Writers of Church History who could treat it as it deserved were very rare The Legends of the Saints Oceans of Miracles and Wonders The times of Rotomantados and Ignorance THe Authours above recited have brought us to the VII th Century which if any Man search diligently with two or three which follow it I believe he will hardly find any one Authour who has handled the History of the Catholick Church according to its dignity There were indeed in those ages some who wrote the Lives and Legends of some of the Saints and the Acts and Passions of the Martyrs but then they swarm with fables and obtrude upon credulous and superstitious Men whole bed-rolls of Miracles And as Bellarmine himself saith of Simeon Metaphrastes who flourished Anno 859. they add many things of their own invention and write them not as they were but as they might have been done in the times of Damascen and German the Constantinopolitan amongst the Greeks saith our Reverend Bishop and in the times of George the Dialogist and the other George of Tours and in the times of our venerable Bede the Ocean of Miracles and Wonders burst in upon the
Sacred and Civil places and actions and the Series of the Monarchies and principal Kingdoms in the World and the Beginnings and Migrations of Families the Rites and Depravations of Religions the Building of Cities and the Leading of Colonies all Magnificent Works vast Treasures immense Powers and stupendious Prodigies yea to this head we reduce all those things in general which the Greeks styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy to be remembred as being read with some degree of wonder Under the other Head that we may speak it briefly viz. that of Philosophy we comprehend all those Words Actions and Counsels or Events of things which History so plentifully supplies its Readers with which may be a sort of Monitors for the governing and regulating the Lives of Men in publick and private in Peace or War In which Observations the Characters of men are not to be neglected for as a clear relation of the Counsels and Events of things encreaseth and confirms Polity and Civil Prudence so good descriptions of Persons are a kind of Monitors and by being frequently imprinted upon our minds cause us to remember who we should be like and who not These things I say in reading are to be observed and excerpted or transcribed and to be disposed in order into certain Common places by reading frequently the titles of which we may as by a kind of Wax-Images as a Learned Writer expresseth it help excite and irritate our cold and languishing Memories From whence we may as occasion requires furnish our selves with salutary counsels and infinite variety of like and unlike equal and unequal Examples and may clearly perceive what is to be done or not done spoken or concealed and may thereby foresee the Events of things perceive their Causes and by remembring those Evils that are past provide Remedies against those which are coming upon us I should be too long if I should here attempt to describe the Form of Common place-Place-books or describe their Methods or give an Index of all those Heads which occur in History and besides this is already done by Bodinus Burerus Glaserus and many others but with great exactness by Bartolomaeus Keckerman in his Apparatus to his Practick Philosophy SECT III. A various Method of chusing and reserving for use the best things shewn out of Annaeus Seneca AND yet possibly the way of chusing and bringing into use those things that are worth the taking notice of may to some seem a thing of great value and use if I propose it shortly and yet I will not do it in my own words but in Seneca's and O how great a Man was He You are not saith he to wonder that all men out of the same matter Collect what is usefull to their several Studies the Oxe seeks for Herbs the Dog for an Hare and the Stork for a Lizard in the same Meadow When a Philologer or Grammarian or a Philosopher takes up the Works of Cicero each man applies himself to that which is his proper study The Philosopher wonders that so much can be said against Justice when a Philologer reades the same passage he observes that two of the Kings of Rome are mentioned there one of which had no Father nor the other any Mother For there is a doubt concerning the Mother of Servius and the Father of Ancus who yet is call'd the Nephew of Numa Presently after he observes that Romulus perished during the time of an Eclipse of the Sun and that there lay an Appeal from the King to the People When a Grammarian opens these Books he enters into his Common Place-book that Reapse is used by Cicero for Reipsa and Sepse for Seipse and so he passeth to those things which the custome of the times hath changed as that Cicero calls that the Calx which was afterwards called the Meta in this Phrase of his Quoniam sumus ab ipsa Calce revocati thus Seneca And much more to the same purpose most elegantly and as to our business which we have now in hand most appositely and pertinently SECT IV. The manner of Excerping illustrated by Examples And first as to Philological observations out of Vell. Paterculus The Births and Deaths of Great Men to be observed A three-fold Elogie of Cato the Elder His Death A disagreement concerning his Age. His hatred against Carthage The building of Corinth its duration and an Age fatal to Great Cities The Reasons of Ancient Sir-names The differences of the Roman Citizens That critical observations ought to be entered under the Philological That Scipio may be call'd not onely a favourer but an encreaser of Learning against the opinion of Lipsius in that point His Praise A two-fold Leisure What Dispungere signifies and whence it is derived and what things are said to be Expuncta An example out of Tacitus Primores Civitates What. That the Optimates were the best of the Nobility Who were call'd Principes Consules Exconsules Expraetores c. The distinction of the Senatours into Patricians Conscripti and Pedarii Whence they were so call'd BUt yet I will add here out of my own stock and observation a few examples that I may teach my Hearers what I would have them doe by what I my self have done and so I may set before them the practice of my Precepts I will therefore in the first place represent to them some Philological Examples the subject of which observations I shall borrow from Vellejus Paterculus and that without scarcity Vellejus lib. 1. c. 13. writes thus Three years before Carthage was Rased M. Cato was a perpetual mover of its Ruine who died that year Lucius Censorinus and Marcus Manlius were Consuls In the same year Carthage was destroyed by Scipio Lucius Mummius totally Rased to the ground Corinth 952 years after it was built by Aletes the Son of Hippotis Both Generals were honoured with the Names of the Nations they had Conquered one of them being call'd Africanus and the other Achaicus Nor did any New-Man before Mummius obtain a Sirname by his Valour The Manners of the two Generals were very different and their Studies contrary for Scipio was so great a Lover and Advancer of Learning and all sorts of Erudition and Elegance that he ever kept with him Polybius and Panaetius two Men of great Ingenuity both at home in times of Peace and abroad in times of War Neither did any Man divide the intervals of his business with greater Art than Scipio for he was always employ'd in the Arts of War or Peace being ever handling his Books or Arms and exercising his Body in Martial dangers or his Mind in Learned Sciences Mummius on the other side was so extremely Ignorant that when he was bargaining for the transportation of the Pictures and Statues which had been made by the best of the Ancient Artificers in both kinds into Italy he caus'd the Sailors to be told That if they suffered them to be lost they should pay for the new making them
And yet O Vinici saith Vellejus I do not doubt but you will think it had been more for the interest of the Commonwealth that we had still remain'd thus ignorant of these Corinthian Works rather than to have overvalued them as now we do and that this folly of his was more consistent with the Publick Good than our skill Thus runs the 13 th Chapter of the first Book of Vellejus Paterculus in which there are many things worthy of a Philologer's observation As first the time when the great Censor Cato died for we should ever think the Births and Deaths of Great Men worthy of our observation But then how great a Man this Cato was may be known from the three-fold Elogie attributed to him by Pliny the Elder for thus he writes of him Cato the first of the Porcian Family is thought to have attain'd three of the greatest things a Man is capable of being an excellent Commander a great Oratour and a wise Senatour And there is a noble Commendation of him in Livy his History which you may see the year of his death also is set down which was the 604 th year of the City of Rome in which L. Marcius Censorinus and M. Manlius were Consuls three years before the Rasing of Carthage which Cato so eagerly desired and which happened in the IIId year of the CLVIII Olympiad if we follow truth and the Assertor of it Eusebius that is according to the computation of Scaliger Anno Mundi 3804. As concerning the Age of Cato there is a small disagreement betwixt Cicero and Titus Livy for the first of these saith he lived to the XC year of his Age and the latter seemeth to say that he did not survive the LXXXV th year of his Life Nor is it to be passed by without regard that he was a perpetual instigator of the Ruine of Carthage as is affirm'd by Vellejus with whom Florus doth agree in this particular Cato saith he ever pronounced with an implacable hatred that Carthage was to be Rased even then when he gave his opinion in any other case whatsoever and Scipio Nasica that it was to be preserved But then this consideration is rather Philosophical or Political and belongs to another place where the causes of these contrary Advices are to be enquired into and which of them was the more prudent In the second place the Philologer will observe the Age and duration of the City of Corinth and the time in which it was built for it continued saith the Historian 952 years And it was destroyed in the same year with Carthage that is in the year of Rome 607. Anno Mundi 3804. therefore it was built Anno Mundi 2852. about 300 years before the Olympiads in which time Samuel the Prophet and Judge of Israel flourished In the third place he will observe not onely when but who was the Builder of this City Vellejus tells us it was Aletes the Son of Hippotis Josephus Scaliger in his Eusebian Animadversions saith that Vellejus trifles here for Apollodorus saith it was first call'd Ephyra and that it was built by one Sisyphus who lived about 60 or 70 years before the times of the Trojane Wars And that consequently the Origine of this City was to be placed much higher But Pausanias saith the Name was changed in honour of Corinthus the Son of Jove And that some Generations after that Aletes the Great Grandchild of Hercules led an Army of the Doricks against the Corinthians and obtain'd that Kingdom which his Posterity as Pausanias saith enjoyed after this five Generations In the Fourth place he will observe that this Age was in a sort fatal to great Cities For to speak nothing of Saguntum Syracuse Numantia and others besides those two Eyes as Cicero calls them of the Sea-shore Carthage and Corinth which were both put out in one year Thebes in Boeotia and Chalcis in Euboea were both taken by the Romans oppress'd subverted and ruin'd Whence the Philosopher concludes that Cities and Commonwealths have their Periods and Determin'd times and much more Men. But then this consideration which this place affords is Moral too as well as the former that is that Periods of VII hundred years have for the most part brought great changes to Kingdoms and Common-wealths Of which you may see more in Bodinus his 4 th Book de Repub. and Peucerus de divinatione lib. VI. Of which Doctrine there was an ill use made in the time of the Holy League in France as Thuanus acquaints us In the V th place whereas he saith the two Generals Mummius and Scipio were honoured with the Names of the two Nations they had Conquered and the latter was call'd Africanus and the former Achaicus from hence I say we may observe the Ancient Custome of giving Sir names and the reason of it both amongst the Grecians and Romans for they took them from their Actions from the shapes of their Bodies from some peculiar Vertue or Vice and from some notable Accident or Fortune So Tarquinius the Second was Sirnamed Superbus the Proud from his Pride and Contempt of others C. Martius from the taking of Coriola was call'd Coriolanus Manlius was call'd Torquatus because he slew a Gall in a Duel who challeng'd him and took a Chain from him and put it about his own neck So the Sir-names of 1. Soteris 2. Callinicus and 3. Gryphus signifie the first to have been a Saviour the second to have obtain'd a glorious Victory and the third to have had a Hooked or Roman Nose as we call it of which you may see Appian Alexandrinus in his Preface Plutarch in his Life of Coriolanus and Alexander ab Alexandro lib. 1. c. 9. And from hence also some Political observations might be raised which I will for the present omit In the VI th place the Philologer will observe from this remark that Mummius was the first of the New Men who merited a Sir-name by his Valour that the Roman Citizens were discriminate into three orders the Nobles the New Men and the Ignobles or Plebeians for those who had the Images of their Ancestours were Nobles those who had onely their own Statues were New Men and they who had neither were call'd Ignobles And now in the remainder of this Chapter is contain'd the comparing of Scipio and Mummius in which is initated both their Manners Tempers and Orders or ways of Living all which together with the observations which spring from thence are to be referred to the other head of Philosophical Observations to which they are here to be left But then as to the Critick Observations if there be any they are not to be omitted for all these and whatever concerns Grammar and Rhetorick and all other observations of the like nature do belong to Philologie and therefore I cannot here forbear shewing that I do wholly dissent from Justus Lipsius the Prince of Criticks who will not allow Scipio to be call'd
St. Ambrose they pass by him with many faults unperceived and as deformed Children are yet dear to their own Parents so undecent Discourses please their Writers This Custome then without Question of Pliny which I am now imitating and not onely idlely Commending would be very acceptable to all Wise men 7. But it may be objected this will look like Ostentation to many and an Affectation of a little vain empty Glory ambitiously Courted I say it is nothing less for it is rather Modesty prudence an humble esteem of a Man's self and the avoiding boldness and boasting as detestable For therefore does a man recite his Writings or submit them to be read by others that he may know their Judgments and hear the truth concerning them that if any thing has slip'd him he may amend it if any thing be obscure he may illustrate and clear it if any thing is not true he may Correct it according to the old Proverb Recitations produce Amendments Will you therefore a while hear Pliny Discoursing at once the Causes and Advantages of Publick recitations in his Epistle to Ariston lib. 5. Ep. 3. I follow saith he these reasons for reciting First He that recites reflects somewhat more sharply upon his own Writings out of Reverence to his Hearers Secondly That he may determine what he doubts of by their Advice and Counsell And though he is not inform'd what they think of him yet he may observe it by their Countenances their Eyes their Nods their Whispers or Murmurs their Silence which by Notices that are not obscure discover Judgment from affection and so it may happen if it be heeded that I have changed some things upon the judgment of some who were present who said nothing to me You see my Hearers what were Pliny's causes for Reciting and it is very apparent thereby that there were many Advantages gain'd by it Now if the Writers of our age would for the same reasons reduce it into use again who could blame them for it who could accuse them of an Ambitious vanity what if M. Cato's cavillers should infest him who will allow nothing to be well done or said by others which they will not presume to dress over again what if they will not fear to spend freely their Conjectures and to guess as readily as injuriously at the meaning of another Wise men will without concern suffer their malignant rash conjectures to run by them and pleasantly acquiesce in the rewards of a good Conscience And I will freely grant that this usage has been taken up heretofore by some Ambitious Vainglorious men who made the Noise of the Rabble the End of their Actions and courted the Popular breath Hunting after the great but indiscreet Acclamations of the Little Folk O Wisly Euge Well! Pleasantly and such like silly Exclamations by their Recitations O silly vain foolish Fellows O the miserable Slaves of Glory I hope our times afford men of more Wit and of more Generous minds they know that it is the least part of a wise Man's care to Sail by the Card of Fame and Opinion A wise man saith a Noble Greek Authour neither Speaks nor Acts any thing for repute onely Our desire then is that he that recites any thing or commits it to another to be perused should propose to himself a better End and a more Noble Design that is that whatever he intends to publish for the Advancement of Learning might by these means come forth the more Correct polite and probable for this was the end of the Great Secundus not that he might hear his Works Applauded while he recited them but that they might then be commended when they came to be read And yet nor will I dissemble it the Reply of the Satyrist does not displease us Non ego dum recito si forte quid Aptius exit Laudari metuam nec enim mihi Cornea fibra est Sed recti finémque extremúm que esse recuso Euge tuum Bellé If whilst I reade some things seem to excell I fear not praise but rather like it well I have no senseless callous heart and yet I can not yield your Acclamations great Enough to be the utmost bounding line Of what is true or my supreme design 8. And now my Hearers as to what concerns my self if I will Administer well the affairs of my own Province if in it I seek to doe the greatest good I can as I profess that is my greatest wish who is there amongst you if he be not a mere Novice and utterly ignorant of these Studies who does not know that there lies upon me an indispensable obligation of reciting and repeating some things over and over again as the occasions of my Auditory require which daily changeth and by new Successions and Vicissitudes is every day renew'd Especially when Hearers come who have great need or rather are under an absolute necessity of having the things I have now in hand taught them 9. Some other may possibly object it is in vain to delay us with a Recitation if at last you intend to publish these Discourses which every man may then reade with more Attention in the Quietness of retirement but I reply as I have said before that I recite them that they may come out the more perfect and Correct And I have also another Reason for it and that of no less moment The Rules of all Arts and Disciplines as all grant are more happily instill'd by the mouth of a Teacher than they are drawn out of Books and why then should not we conceive the same may hold true concerning the Rules of Reading History I am sure this was the opinion of the often cited Pliny for writing to his Nephew thus he tells him You will say I have several not less Elegant discourses which I can reade it may be so But then you will never want an opportunity to reade them but you may for hearing besides as it is commonly said the living Voice does most affect us for though what a man reads he attends more Accurately to yet those things we hear sink deeper which the very Pronunciation Countenance Habit and Carriage or Behaviour of the Speaker Stamps and Prints upon our minds And St. Hierome in an Epistle to Paulina saith The living Voice hath somewhat of a secret energy or power and transfusing it self from the mouth of the Authour penetrates the Ears of the Disciple with a stronger sound And therefore Fabius Quintilianus one of the greatest Masters of the Art of Rhetorick gives this as a rule for the forming a good Oratour Let the Master saith he every day speak himself something yea many things which the Scholars may repeat after him amongst themselves for though he may supply them with examples enough out of Books yet that as it is call'd Living Voice affords more Nourishment and above all others the Masters for whom the Scholars if they be rightly disposed must needs have a