to write History insomuch that whom we here rank among the Historians Diogenes Laertius who writ his Life places among the Philosophers Xenophon's History in what relates to the Affairs of the Greeks includes the space of 48 Years It begins where Thucydides ended for Xenophon brings Alcibiades home again when Thucydides left him just as he was thinking of his Retreat This Author also writes the History of the Ten thousand Greeks who were before suppos'd to have been lost in Persia but which he brings back again in safety to their own Country Xenophon herein was boâ—h their Historian and General for he commanded those Troops and therefore relates nothing but what he had either seen or was done by his order He made them likewise to o'ercome whatever was oppos'd to them in their Expedition His Life of Cyrus is a Book abounding every where with excellent Morality and surprizing Politicks but still it is thought he had drawn that Prince not as he was really but rather as he ought to have been Xenophon has all along writ with a great deal of Art His Style is Attick which occasion'd him to have the Name of the Bee or the Athenian Muse. Quintilian says that it seems to him that the Graces were very lavish of their Favours throughout Xenophon's whole Works Father Rapin says that Xenophon had the Skill to make that Pleasant which had few or no Charms in it self Also that nothing is more Coherent Sweet and Flourishing than his manner of Writing Hermoneges takes notice of an admirable Model for a tender kind and passionate Narration in the Death of Penthea Queen of Susa related in the Seventh Book of Xenophon's Cyrus This says Rapin is one of the most engaging Passages in all Xenophon Every thing there is related after an engaging Manner He adds elsewhere That the Picture ought to be according to the Original in which Xenophon has been extreamly wanting for in his Delineation of Cyrus he has given you only a Hero in Imagination when he ought to resemble the Natural one in all respects Xenophon endeavours to imitate Thucydides who keeps within the bounds of his Subject and who is more Methodical than Herodotus If Xenophon wanders never so little as he has done in the Fifth Book of his History of Cyrus in the Adventure of Penthea yet this very wandering has some sort of Connection with the Body of his History Penthea having been taken by Cyrus in his defeat of the Assyrians and Abradates her Husband thereby brought over to Cyrus's Party and became one of the Commanders of his Army In truth I should not care for being responsible for several others of this Author's Digressions which have not always much relation to the Subject he treats of It must be out of Respect to Religion and the Gods who are so frequently brought in throughout Xenophon's Works that what he says is credited Xenophon is pure in his Language and natural and pleasing in his Composition He has a ready Wit a copious Fancy a sound Judgment a clear Imagination and a neat way of turning his Thoughts but yet he has little or nothing of Great or Sublime in him A just Decorum is not always rightly observ'd in his History where he sometimes makes Blockheads and Barbarians talk lâ—ke Phâ—losâ—phâ—rs Cicero says that Scipio could never lay him aside after he had once taken him in hand Longinus calls him a Degree of Wiâ— that was capable either of conceiving or dictating any thing After all he is a compleat Historian and it is to him chiefly that Scipio and Lucullus were beholdâ—â—â—or their having been so great Generals IV. Polybius was of Megalopolis a City of Arcadia and Son to Licartas Head of the Achaians that is of the most powerful Republick in all Greece His History comprehends XL Books of which we have only the Five first remaining together with the Epitome of the Twelve others that follow Marcus Brutus is suspected to have been Author of this Abridgment who was so great a stickler for the Roman Liberty Brutus who had no kindness for Cicero's Works was yet a Passionate Admirer of Polybius's History which might probably occasion him to Abridge it for his private use to instruct and comfort him especially towards his latter Days when he had so great need of it This History contain'd all that was remarkable in the World from the beginning of the Punick War to the end of that which determin'd all Differences between Rome and the Kings of Macedon by the entire Name of the Monarchy of the latter This includes the space of 53 Years Polybius gives his History the Title of Vniversal because he did not only treat of the Affairs of the Romans who were then concern'd one way or other almost with all Nations but also writ concerning different Interests of the Kings of Sicily Egypt Pontus Cappadocia Macedon Persia c. To Polybius's Credit be it spoken no Historian ever took more care or better measures than he not to relate Matters unfaithfully He Travell'd on purpose to survey those Countries he was to write of and pass'd over the Alps with some part of France by reason that he intended to give an Account of Hanibal's Expedition into Italy Let us see what Monsieur Rapin says of him Polybius says he is more Grave than Thucydides he does not so often introduce Scipio speaking altho' he had a kind of right to do it having all along waited upon him in his Wars Polybius has frequent Digressions upon Politicks the Art of War and the Laws of History which do not seem very necessary Polybius is a greater Libertine than Xenophon He treats of the Opinions the People of those Days had of their Gods and Hell as Fables and did all he could to Explode them In short it is not to be doubted but that Polybius was an Atheist having little or no kindness even for that very Religion which he profess'd Observe how he talks at the latter end of his Sixth Book If says he a Republick were to consist only of Wise and Vertuous Men what would become of those fabulous Notions of Gods and Devils But as there is no State without bad Government and ill Actions Religion must necessarily be made use of to instill a Panick fear of another World and consequently to deter by pronouncing imaginary Punishments This the Antients have so prudently Establish'd that it is now look'd upon as Impious and Rash to question it Causabon undertakes this Author's Defence and endeavours to prove that he was not the Man he was reported to have been But after what we have just related to him no Body can imagine that Causabon succeeded in his Design Polybius flourish'd about the Year of the World 3828. V. Diodorus Siculus was Native of Agyrium He wrote his History at Rome in the time of Iulius Caesar and of the Emperor Augustus And because he would be sure to Pen it with the greater exactness before he set about it he Travell'd
History If they are both of the same Author Procopius deserves to be branded with the Character of a base contemptible Wretch since he could blow Hot and Cold as we say in the same Breath People have been very hot upon this account and Mr. le Vayer after having arraigned him with his uâ—ual Abiliâ—y concludes however with saying That after all those Anecdotes were perhaps never written by Procopius because according to the Opinion of the Learned the Greek of that Work differs very much from that of the VIII Books of his History This deserves some Consideration and teaches us not to be too rash in condemning any Body There is still another Work of Procopius which is a Treatise or rather a History of the Edifices which Iustinian raised with a royal Magnificence Evagrius tells us That he had made it his business to repair and build up again anew 150 Towns Rapin says Procopius in his secret History is very exact in things of no importance and forgets to give us the particulars of what is most material Iosephus Appian Dion Cassius Procopius are great Speakers as well as Thucidides and Xenophon who had taken this humour of haranguing out of Homer Procopius draws the Picture of Theodora by her Amours Procopius discontented with the Emperor Iustinian and the Empress Theodora follows his Passion and corrupts Truth Procopius is exact in his Accounts because he accompanied Belisarius in the Wars and was a witness of his great Actions but he is too dry in his History of Persia which looks more like a Journal than a History He gratified his Passion by writing his secret History but he hearkned to his Moderation by suppressing it for they Publish'd after his Death what he had taken care to conceal during his Life wherein he is not altogether inexcusable XVI Agathias tells us himself in his Preface that he was of Murina a Town in Asia which he distinguishes from another of the same name in Thrace and followed the Law at Smirna His History which contains five Books was undertaken by the Advice of a certain Eutichianus first Secretary of State who without doubt furnished him with curious Pieces and important Memoirs without which he could not have so well succeeded in it as he has done He begins his History where that of Procopius ends that is at the Death of the Emperor Iustinian or under the Empire of Iustin II. Mr. de la Mothe le Vayer says That among several very remarkable things which are found in the five Books of Agathias's History we must take a particular notice not only of what he says concerning the succession of the Oriental Monarchies towards the end of the Second but principally what he adds in the Fourth about the succession of the Kings of Persia from that Artaxerxes who wrested the Empire from the hands of the Parthians who had usurp'd it For besides the exactness and industry of Agathias in handling this Subject the authority of one Sergius who procured from the Annalists and Library-keepers of the Kings of Persia what this Author reports carries a great weight along with it Having now survey'd the most considerable Greek Historians or at least the chief of what are still extant we shall proceed to the Latin §. 2. Latin Historians I. Iulius Caesar was as great a Man by his Pen as by his Sword which makes Quintilian say of him that he wrote and spoke and fought with the same superiority of Spirit Eodem animo dixit quo bellavit Caesar had almost an universal Knowledge and Pliny speaks of him as of a Prodigy of Learning and Wit He learnt Astronomy in Egypt and Published afterwards a Tract concerning the motion of the Stars which was the more curious in that he foretold his own Death upon the Ides of March. If what Pliny says be true we must own that Caesar has had a more active and vigorous Mind than all the rest of Men. He reports that he used sometimes to Read Write Dictate and hearken to other People at once that he made nothing of Dictating four Letters of Importance at the same time and that he has often kept seven Amanuenses employ'd Caesar has compos'd a great many Works but I confine my self to those which relate to History His Commentaries which contain VII Books have always been in great Esteem They are so naked says Cicero and so destitute of those Ornaments that he was able to give them that one may plainly see he never design'd to write a compleat History These VII Books of the Gallick Wars are for the most part an Account of Caesar's Actions and he seldom mentions any thing but what he hath been an Eye-witness of We may say the same of the three Books of the Civil War against Pompey which are certainly Caesar's notwithstanding what some have said to the contrary The Learned do remark That his Books are full of excellent Things and such as are able to Form both great Captains and wise Politicians which gives Vossius occasion to exclaim against those Masters of the Latin Tongue who put Caesar's Works into the Hands of their Disciples only for the sake of the Elegancy and Propriety of the Language This says he is to admire Leaves while we neglect the most excellent Fruit in the World Vossius's Advice upon this Matter is too important to be omitted in this place these are his very Words Sane ex eo haurire est maximaâ—um utilissimarum rerum copiam quam verborum elegantia contenti negligunt minus etiam Pueris sapiunt qui nunquam ita se arboris frondibus oblectabunt ut egregios ejus fructus contemnant De Hist. Lat. lâ—b 1. cap. 13. Monsieur Rapin says Xenophon has a soft delicate way of Writing His Discourse which is like a pure and clear Stream has no Parallel in all the Writings of the Ancients except Caesar's Stile than which nothing was ever writ with greater Purity in Latin The Observation of a modern Critick who finds a difference of Stile in the Books of the Civil War which he pretends not to be written with the same Purity as the Wars in Gallia is a squeamish Niceness which I cannot but wonder at for my part I must freely own that my Taste is too gross to be sensible of it and therefore I am of Suetonius's Opinion who puts no difference between them I am charm'd with the Elegancy and Simplicity of that Author and find no Body that ever writ with so much clearness Thus Caesar as plain as he is has something more noble in the plainness and simplicity of his Discourse than Tacitus in all the Pomp and Stateliness of his Expressions And we meet sometimes with a Negligence in the Ancients better than all the Accuracy and Exactness of the Moderns Caesar's Narrative is admirable by its Purity and Eloquence but it is not lively enough and wants a little of that Force which he used to desire in Terence One cannot be said to
not certainly known who compil'd this Book tho' some ascribe it to Samuel It represents the Republick of the Iews under the Dominion of Iudges counting from the death of Ioshua to that of Sampson It contains a Series of History of it may be 317 Years that is to say from the Year of the World 2570 to 2887. Therein the Israelites are to be found groaning under very severe Hardships God having delivered them over to the Power of their Enemies for the Punishment of their Idolatries VIII Ruth This Book whose Author is not known contains an Example of uncommon Piety and of the singular Providence of God Ruth a Moabitish Woman being not willing to forsake her Mother-in-Law follows her till she comes into her own Country where God so employs his Providence for the Welfare of Ruth that she marries for her second Husband Boas a very rich Man of that Country and becomes Mother of Obed Grand-father of David from whom our Saviour Iesus Christ descended according to the Flesh. There is no doubt but this History of Ruth hapned in the time of the Iudges 'T is said to be during the Administration of Samgar about 28 Years after the death of Ioshua IX The first Book of Samuel contains all that passed under the Governments of Heli and Samuel as likewise under the Reign of Saul for about the space of 101 Years that is from the Year of the World 2848 to 2949. X. The second Book of Samuel comprehends all the Reign of David during 40 Years XI The First Book of Kings contains the History of Solomon's Reign as likewise how his Kingdom was divided after his Death Afterwards it treats of Four Kigns of Iuda There is in this Book a Series of History for the space of 126 Years XII The Second Book of Kings contains the several Reigns of 12 Kings of Israel to the Destruction of that Kingdom and of 16 Kings of Iuda to the Captivity of Babylon This Book also relates wonderful Things of Elijah and Elisha his Companion It contains in all the History of 308 Years The Author of the First and Second Books of Kings is unknown but all together include the space of 597 Years XIII The First Book of the Paralipomenes or Chronicles XIV The Second Book of the Paralipomenes or Chronicles These two Books are so nam'd because they contain the Acts and other Circumstances which had been omitted in the foregoing Historical Books This Second ends at the Year of the World 3468. where ended likewise the 70 Years of Captivity when Cyrus gave Liberty to the People of Iuda to return into their own Country to build their Temple and the Walls of Ierusalem 'T is commonly thought that Esdras was Author of these two Books XV. The First Book of Esdras according to the common Opinion was written by the Person whose Name it bears It contains the History of the Captivity of the Iews with their Deliverance and Re-establishment in Iudea from the first Year of Cyrus his Reign to the 20th of Artaxerxes sirnam'd the Long-handed All which comprehends the space of 28 Years computing from the Year of the World 3468 to 3550. XVI The Second Book of Esdras was compil'd by Nehemiah It begins at the 20th Year of Artaxerxes and continues even to the beginning of the Reign of Darius his Son sirnam'd the Bastard which comprehends the History of the Iews during 31 Years and extends to the Year of the World 3581. XVII Tobit There are those that are of Opinion that Tobit the Father and the Son were the Compilers of their own History but this carries no Authority along with it Tobit was one of those Israelites that was transported out of Samaria by King Senacherib This Book includes several great Examples of Virtue and excellent Principles of Morality You may there observe Tobit faithful to God even under strange Trials His Charity the Care he had to bury the Dead his Patience after he had lost his Sight and finally his admirable Instructions of Piety to his Son Tobit the Son informs us with what Dispositions we are to engage in Marriage In a word the Providence of God towards all those that put their Trust in him shines throughout the whole course of this Book XVIII Iudith The Author of this Book is by no means known Huetius was of Opinion That it was writ during the Captivity in Babylon tho' the History of Iudith related in this Book hapned according to the Opinion of the Learned before this Captivity Thus it is thought that this wonderful Expeditâ—on of that Pious Widow who was 64 Years old when she cut off Holofernes's Head was transacted after King Manasses was Re-establish'd Iudith liv'd 41 Years after this bold Action that is to say to the Year of the World 3389. when she was 109 Years of Age. XIX Esther The History of Esther hapen'd under the Reign of Darius Son of Histaspes It is Ahasuerus who is all along mention'd in this Book The Composure of it is attributed to Mordecai but it appears to me that Esther might also have had a hand in it XX. Iob. It is thought that this Book was first written in Arabick and afterwards Translated into Hebrew by Moses The History of Iob can by no means be a Fiction the Persons and Nations therein mention'd by their proper Names the several Testimonies of Tobit Ezekiel and S. Iames together with the Sentiments of the ancient Fathers ought to convince us that this Story is true Iob was either before Moses or else at the same time with him and this History probably hapned during the Israelites being in the Desert because there is no mention made in it of the written Law XXI The Psalms These are commonly ascrib'd to David altho' there be many that are none of his and which have been written a long time after his Death as well by Esdras as other Prophets XXII The Proverbs of Solomon This Book was Compos'd by him whose Name it bears and contains excellent Precepts of Life as well in what relates to the Service of God as our duty towards our Neighbour XXIII Ecclesiastes also belongs to Solomon This Book decries perfectly the Vanity of the greatest Enjoyments in this World XXIV The Canticles or Song of Songs is also of Solomon This Book is altogether Mystical It describes in a very lively manner the incomprehensible Love of Christ towards the Church his Spouse as likewise the Churches return to Christ. S. Ierom observes that among the Iews none were suffer'd to read this Book till they had attain'd the Age of 30 Years so that we may say with this Father That Solomon writ his Proverbs for those that were just entred in the Paths of Piety his Ecclesiastes for such as were somewhat advanc'd But for his Canticles they requir'd a Mind altogether elevated and disengag'd from the Clogs of this World XXV The Book of Wisdom This Book contains the Spirit and many other Things of Solomon altho' in all
into the Church and particularly mentions what relates to the Iews He there describes the several Persecutions of the Martyrs their Contests and Disputes concerning Ecclesiastical Discipline and in a Word whatever else relates to the Affairs of the Church Without this History we could never have had the least knowledge of the first Ages of the Church for those who have writ after him have only began where he ended Du Pin after having affirm'd that this History of Eusebius was not so compleat as could have been Wish'd Adds moreover That his Defects have not been sufficient to obscure his Merit The Learned Henricus Valesius has translated him into Latin which he has join'd to the Greek Text. And some Learn'd Gentlemen of the University of Cambridge have made a Translation of him into English for the benefit of such as understand neither Latin nor Greek IV. St. Epiphanius was born in the Year of Christ 332. in a Village of Palestine He spent his Youth under the Monastick Tutelage of St. Hilarion and several other Monks of Palestine About the Year 366. He was elected Bishop of Salamis Metropolis of the Island of Cyprus The Book he wrote is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being against Heresy is to be look'd upon as a Treatise belonging to Ecclesiastical History This Tract is divided into three Parts The First contains the Heresies that have been before Jesus Christ which St. Epiphanius has reckon'd up to be 46. The Second consists of 23. and the Third of 11. So that thus this Book comprehends in all 80 Sects or Heresies This St. Epiphanius was an Implacable Enemy of the followers of Origin V. Rufinus a Priest of Aquilea flourish'd at the same time with St. Ierom to whom after having been a great Friend he became an inveterate Enemy He had a more than ordinary Esteem for Origin He set himself to read and translate his Books and undertook his defence against all those that Accus'd him This Zeal of his towards Origin was the chief cause of his Disagreeing with St. Ierom who had taken the contrary side Amongst all the Books of his Composing we shall only take notice of those two of Ecclesiastical History which he has added to the Translation of Eusebius He there continues the History of the Church to the Death of the Emperor Theodosius These Books were Dedicated to Chromacius of Aquilea and were writ about the time that Alaric King of the Goths ravag'd Italy They are indifferently well Penn'd yet there are considerable Faults to be found in the History VI. St. Ierom was born in the City of Strigna or Stridon situate upon the Confines of Pannonia and Dalmatia in the Year of Christ 345. His Father Eusebius sent him to Study at Rome under the celebrated Donatus where he soon made a considerable progress in Letters He receiv'd the Orders of Priesthood at Antioch from the Hands of Paulinus then Bishop of that City He has writ a great number of Books amongst which is to be found A Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers from the time of Iesus Christ down to his own when he wrote He compos'd this Tract at the request of Dexter Prefect of the Pretorium and in imitation of Suetonius and other Prophane Authors who have compil'd the Lives of the Philosophers and other famous Men. We have also his Chronicle which we must not look upon as a bare Translation of Eusebius St. Ierom having therein alter'd and added many Things Nay he has moreover continu'd this Chronicle from the 20th Year of Constantin to the sixth Consulate of Valens and second of Valentinian that is down to the Year 378. VII Sulpicius Severus a Priest of Agen equally famous for his Birth Genius and Piety who flourish'd about the same time with St. Ierom and Rufinus He was a Disciple of St. Martin whose life he wrote The chief of his Works is his sacred History consisting of two Books both which contain a well penn'd Epitome of the most remarkable Occcurrences in the Jewish and Christian Churches from the Creation of the World to the Consulship of Stilicon and Aurelian that is to say to the Year of Christ 400. He has all along imitated Salust for Brevity but infinitely surpasses him in clearness and beauty of Expression We have not any Abridgment of History says Mounsiuer Du Pin so well Digested and elegantly writ as this Epitome yet its Author is not always exact for he has committed several Errors in the History especially in that of the Church This Author has enlarg'd very much upon the Priscillianists and of all Writers gives us the best Account of them VIII St. Austin was born in Tagasta a City of Numidia under the Empire of Constantius the thirteenth of November in the Year of Christ 354. He became a Convert in the 32d Year of his Age and was ordain'd Bishop of Hippo in 395. and afterwards Dy'd as piously as he had Liv'd the 20th of August in the Year 430. being about 76 Years old Altho' there be a great many things throughout his whole Works that relate to Ecclesiastical History Yet we shall here mention only his small Treatise of Heresies written in the Year 428. at the request of the Deacon Quovult Deus to whom also it is Dedicated This Tract is no more than a brief Account of the several Sects of Hereticks and their principal Errors He begins with the Sinonians and ends with the Pelagians there being in all 88 Heresies You shall scarce meet with any thing in this whole Book but what is taken either from St. Epiphanius or Philaster Monsieur Du Pin speaking of this last who has reckon'd up 20 different Heresies before the Incarnation of Christ and 120 since his Birth to the Year 380. says That his Stile is Mean and Groveling that he had little or no Learning that he has made several considerable Mistakes in this small Treatise which is written with no manner of exactness and wherein are abundance of Errors The same Opinion Cardinal Bellarmin has of him in his Book De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis Father Labbe would have this Author's Works read with a great deal of Caution and St. Austin says That St. Epiphanius had writ better than Philaster but that nevertheless he was a Person of singular Piety and good Morals IX Pallades a Native of Galatia left his Country about 20 Years old to retire among the Hermits of Egypt He was ordain'd Bishop of Hellenopolis in the Year 401. and afterwards chosen Bishop of Aspon a City of Galatia and dependent on the Metropolitan See of Ancira He was a great Friend of Rufinus a Defender of Origin an Allie with Pelagius and Enemy to St. Ierom. In the Year 421. He writ a History of the Lives Actions Miracles and Sayings of the most Holy Monks that he had met with in Egypt Lybia Thebais and Palestine This History was Addrest to one Lausus which gave occasion afterwards for Naming it The Lausian History In this
Relation there are many surprizing Stories of wonderful Austerities and Examples which would be dangerous to imitate Several learned Men are of Opinion that this Palladius was likewise Author of the Life of St. Chrysostome X. Paul Orosius a Spanish Priest of the City of Tarragon and Disciple of St. Austin flourish'd under the Emperors Arcadius and Honorius The City of Rome having been taken in the Year 410. by Alaric King of the Goths the Pagans had a mind to render the Christians Odious by accusing them of being the cause thereof as likewise of all the other Calamities which befel the Roman Empire It was upon occasion of this Reproach that Paul Orosius at the Request of St. Austin undertook their Defence by shewing that all Ages have produc'd the like Misfortunes and that the Empire of Rome has never been more free from 'em than since the Birth of Christ. This Work says Du Pin is a kind of Vniversal History divided into VII Books which is not ill writ and yet not over-exact for there are many gross Faults to be met with both in the History and Chronology XI Theodoret Bishop of Cyrus a City of Syria was born in Antioch The Greek Church never had a Prelate more Learn'd and of a better Judgment He was elected into this See about the Year 423. And in 431. he assisted at the Council of Ephesus He wonderfully refuted the Heresies of his time both with Tongue and Pen. Those Works we have of his sufficiently convince us of his deep Learning and great Parts He wrote V Books of Ecclesiastical History which begun with the Heresy of Arius and proceeded on to the time of Theodosius the Younger which likewise Gennadius says he continu'd to the reign of Leo in V other Books but which however are now lost Vtinam quis tantum Thesaurum eruat e Tenebris sicubi adhue delitescunt says Father Labbe the Jesuit Among the other Works of Theodoret there is his Monastical History containing the Lives of the most famous Anchorets of his Time This Book is entituled Philotheus that is as Nicephorus explains it The History of the Beloved of God Herein are related great and wonderful Examples of Virtue XII Socrates say the Schools learnt Grammar at Constantinople under the care of Ammonius and Helladius both Natives of Alexandria He has written an Ecclesiastical History in VII Books which either begins or ends that of Eusebius that is from Constantin and continues to the 17th Consulship of Theodosius the Younger which begins with Festus in the Year 439. so that this History of Socrates comprehends the space of 140. Years Photius says it is very Uncorrect as to its Stile and less Authentick in expounding the Doctrin of the Church He gives us a great deal of reason to believe that he was byass'd to the Errors of the Novatians in that he extreamly commends the Bishops of that Persuasion and blames the Catholicks with a great deal of Vehemence XIII Sozomen Native of Salamis in the Island of Cyprus frequented the Bar for some time at Constantinople He has written IX Books of Ecclesiastical History from the third Consulship of Crispus and Constantin Junior both Sons of Constantin the Great and both Emperors to the seventeenth Consulship of Theodosius Junior that is to say from the Year 324. to the Year 429. We have lost a Continuation of this History for near 20 Years It is somewhat strange that Theodoret Socrates and Sozomenes should all Three undertake the same Work at the same time The reason I suppose must be that they did not like each others Works For it is certain says Nicephorus Writing upon this Subject that the Readers and Writers are often of different Opinions Also these Historians might well be presum'd to favour the Party they Adher'd to XIV Victor of Vtica a Bishop of Africa in the fifth Century of the Church has written an Account of the African Persecution by the Vandals in III Books the beginning whereof shews that it was compos'd in the Year 487. under the Reign of the Emperor Zeno about 60 Years after the Vandals had pass'd from Spain to Africk over the Streights of Gibraltar You shall there meet with a List of the African Bishops which were then involv'd in that Persecution among which Victor himself was not spar'd by the Tyrant Huneric XV. Cassiodorus was Chancellor and chief Minister to Theodoric the Goth and several other Kings of Italy From the Age of 20 Years he was rais'd to all the great Employments in the State all which he acquitted with that Address that he might well serve for a Model to the most refin'd Politicians that succeeded him Under the Reign of Vitigius perceiving the Power of the Goths begin to decrease in Italy he retir'd from the World to his Monastery of Viviers which he had caus'd to be Built on the Extremities of Calabria Amidst his most Burthensom Employments he did not omit Writing several excellent Books of which we shall only mention those that relate to History His Chronicle dedicated to King Theodoric was compos'd while he was a Minister of State says Father St. Marthe in his Life of Cassiodorus It is very much Abridg'd containing only the Names of the Consuls and their principal Actions Vossius after Ioseph Scaliger calls this Chronicle Farrago Cassiodori Chronicon tantum farrago est Which Injury against so great a Man the learned Benedictin that was Author of his Life could not endure They find Fault with him says He for not being exact in Chronology in a work which was purely Chronological It is therefore that they fall upon this great Person with so much Gall and Fury They particularly accuse him of being deceiv'd in counting the Consuls from the Emperor Tiberius to Dioclesian but they might be answer'd that he was not deceiv'd only by depending on the Authority of Eusebius he reckon'd the Consulship of Junius Brutus an Olympiad sooner than he ought That the multitude of Consuls amounting to 25. made in one Day caus'd a great Confusion among Historians and that in a Word the Faults of Cassiodorus are for the most part to be imputed to his Copyers c. He has also written a History consisting of three Parts and drawn out of three Authors viz. Socrates Sozomenes and Theodoret all which he has reduc'd into XII Books All these three Historians he got his Friend Epiphanius the School-Divine to Translate and out of them he afterwards compos'd a Body of History selecting out of each what he found most Excellent and Proper for his Purpose He likewise writ a History of the Goths in XII Books of which we have reason to regret the Loss and whereof we have now remaining only what Iournandez Bishop of Ravenna has preserv'd and which is to be found among the Works of Cassiodorus King Athalaric own'd that this Work was of a profound Reach that its Author had therein rescu'd from Oblivion several ancient Gothish Monarchs which were quite forgot
begins with the time of Nembroth and ends with the Year of Christ 1348. This Author was a Florentine XLVIII Flavius Blondus a Native of Forli in Romania was Secretary to Eugenius IV. and divers other Popes He compos'd several Historical Works whereof there are X Books Romae Triumphantis III Romae Restauratae VIII Italiae Illustratae III Decads of the Roman History and a Treatise of the Origin and Actions of the Venetians This Author was a Philosopher who regarded Worldly-acquisitions but little insomuch that Fortune which seldom takes care of those sort of People suffer'd him so far to support his Character as to die Poor the Fourth of Iune in the Year of Christ 1463. Romae Pauper at Philosophum decuit Obiit says Father Labbe XLIX St. Antoninus Arch-bishop of Florence and a Fryer of the Order of St. Dominic liv'd in the Fifteenth Century with all the Reputation and Respect that his great Piety and Learning could procure him Amongst the rest of his Works there is one call'd Summa Historica an Historical Abridgment which consists of three Parts The First is from the beginning of the World to the Reign of Constantin The Second contains all remarkable Passages from Constantin to the Year 1198. being the time of the Pontificat of Innocent III. And the Third begins from thence and ends with the Year 1459. which was the time when he dy'd under the Pontificat of Pius II. and the Empire of Frederic III. L. Aeneas Sylvius who was Pope by the Name of Pius II. He was Born at Corsignano a Village of the Territory of Siena the 18th of October in 1405. After having been employ'd in several important Negotiations wherein he sufficiently demonstrated his great Abilities he was first made Bishop of Siena and then Cardinal by Calistus III. in the Year 1456. and afterwards that Pope being dead he succeeded him under the Name of Pius II. He has compos'd several Works all which denote his great Learning and Judgment but we shall only take notice of those that relate to History He has compil'd the History of the Council of Basile in II Books He also Abridg'd the History of Flavius Blondas There is also a Cosmography of his or the History of the whole World There is likewise his Europaean History which contains several remarkable Transactions in his time 'T is also believ'd that he wrote his own Life tho' it goes under the Name of Iohn Gobelin his Secretary He dy'd the 14th of August in the Year 1464. when about 58 Years Old LI. Laonicus Chalcocondylas an Athenian who liv'd in the Fifteenth Century He has written in Greek an History of the Turks in X Books which he begins with Othoman Son of Orthogulus who liv'd in the Year 1300. and carries it on to the Year 1463. When Mahomet II. was in War with the Venetians and Mathias King of Hungary It has moreover an Appendix which reaches down to 1565. LII B. Platina Native of Cremona according to Father Labbe and of Verona if we may believe Moreri was born in the Fifteenth Century His Name was not Baptist as some have thought but Bartholomew His quick Parts occasion'd him to be universally Esteem'd especially at Rome whither he went under the Pontificat of Pope Calistus II. and was very Munificently receiv'd by Cardinal Bessarion But Pope Paul II. became very much his Enemy and kept him four Months in Prison after which his Successor Sixtus IV. who knew him better bestow'd on him the Care of his Library in the Vatican He wrote the Lives of the Popes down to Paul II. which Work Onuphrius Panvinius a Fryar of the Order of St. Austin at Verona who liv'd in the Sixteenth Century continu'd to his time which was about the Year 1568. when he dy'd at Salermo Platina dy'd at Rome of the Plague in the Year 1481. LIII Anthony Bonfinius a Native of Ascoli liv'd towards the Year 1495. He was a very honest and laborious Man and had learnt almost all Languages It was at the request of Mathias Corvinus King of Hungary and Bohemia that he undertook the History of Hungary which he carry'd on to the Year 1495. It consists of IV Decads and half that is XLV Books LIV. Robertus Gaguinus Head of the Order of the Trinity was very much in favour with Charles VIII and Lewis XII of France where he had the keeping of the Royal Library He has compos'd several Works but the most considerable is his History of France in XII Books which reach down to the Reign of Charles VIII LV. Marcus Antonius Sabellicus Son to a Poor Farrier in Italy was a great Lover of Learning in which he made a considerable progress in a very short time We have a History of his from the beginning of the World to the Year of Christ 1504. And a History of the Affairs of Venice Paulus Iovius says that he dy'd at Venice in the Year 1506. LVI Iames Phillip of Bergamos of the Order of the Hermits of St. Austin was a Person of singular Merit and whom Pope Innocent VIII honour'd with a particular Esteem He compos'd a Chronicle which began at the Creation of the World and ended with the Year 1503. which was the Seventieth Year of the Age of this Author He liv'd afterwards Fifteen Years and dy'd about Eighty five Years Old in the Year 1518. LVII Iohannes Rauclerus a Noble-Man of Germany Son to Iohn Vergehau was Provost of the Church of Subingen and afterwards Professor of the Canon-Law in the University of that City This University was Founded by Count Everard afterwards First Duke of Wirtemberg in his return from Ierusalem in the Year 1477. Nauclerus was made Vice-Chancellor of it He has written a Chronicle from the beginning of the World to the Year 1500. which Nicolas Baselius continu'd down to the Year 1514. and which Surius likewise carry'd on farther to the Year 1574. The time of this Nauclerus his Death is Unknown LVIII Albert Krantz Doctor of Divinity and Dean of the Church of Hambourg liv'd towards the beginning of the Sixteenth Century He was a Man of great Learning join'd with admirable Piety The chiefest of his Works is an Ecclesiastical History entituled Metropolis wherein he treats of the Churches Founded and Restor'd by Charlemagne He has also compil'd an History of the Saxons in XIII Books Another of the Vandals in XIV and a Chronicle of Sweden Denmark and Norway which begins with Charlemagne and is carry'd on to the Year 1504. This Author dy'd the 7th of December 1517. which was the Year that Martin Luther first publish'd his Doctrin LIX Iames Wimphelinge a Priest of the Church of Spire and Professor in the University of Heidelberg liv'd in the beginning of the Sixteenth Century He was both Divine Orator Philosopher Poet and Historian He compos'd these Books viz. Epitome Imperatorum Rerum in Germania Gestarum De Episcopis Argentirensibus c. I could never meet with the time of his Death only
through the greatest part of Asia and Europe with incredible Hazards and Fatigue He gives his History the Title of Bibliotheca Historica by reason that he had therein collected according to the Order of Time all that the other Historians as Berosus Theopompus Ephorus Philistes Callisthenes Timeus and several more great Authors had written before him but the Misfortune is that not only these famous Historians Writings are lost but all the greater part of Diodorus Siculus for of 40 Books whereof his History consisted there are only 15 now remaining What a prodigious Loss is this All the Gold of Potosi would not be sufficient to reward the Person that should recover these admirable Writings Vtinam says Vossius nobile adeo opus integrum nobis pervenisset Monsieur de la Mothe le Vayer upon this occasion has these Words I declare I would willingly go to the end of the World were I but certain of finding this great Treasure and I cannot but envy Posterity the bare probability of recovering those precious Works This is what Diodorus's History contain'd according to what he says himself of it in his Preface Our Six first Books says he comprehend all that hapned before the War of Troy together with many fabulous Matters here and there interspers'd Of these the three former relate the Antiquity of the Barbarians and the three latter contain those of the Greeks The eleven others which follow these include all that hapned remarkable in the World from the Destruction of Troy to the Death of Alexander the Great Lastly the other Twenty three extend to the Conquests of Julius Caesar over the Gauls when he made the Brittish Ocean the Northern Borders of the Roman Empire The Stile of Diodorus is that which we term Indifferent and Photius is of the same Opinion when he says that Diodorus's manner of Writing is very clear and not in the least affected That it is not too much after the Attick fashion nor too full of Old Words and that in a word it is very consistent with History Father Rapin says Diodorus Sicuâ—us is a great Man but that he is too much beholden to Philistes Timeus Callisthenes Theopompus and others Eusebius of Caesarea set a great value on the History of Diodorus He frequently Quotes it with great Praises or to say better he has borrow'd most of his Evangelical Preparation from it Pliny says of Diodorus that he is the first among the Greek Authors that laid aside telling of idle Stories Primus apud Graecos desiit Nugari Diodorus VI. Dionysius usually stil'd Halicarnassaeus because a Native of that City as Strabo in the XIV Book of his Geography observes He came to Rome a little while after Augustus had ended the Civil Wars where he lived for 22 Years during which time he collected all he thought necessary to assist him in his design of writing a History He owns that over and above the Memoirs which the most famous Romans then furnish'd him with he was not a little beholden to the Conversation he had with the meaner Citizens His History contain'd in all 22 Books to which he gave the Title of The Roman Antiquities but whereof we have now only the Eleven first remaining which end when the Consuls first began to Govern which happen'd in the Year after the Founding of Rome 312. The whole Work extended to the beginning of the Punick War in the Year of the Founding of Rome 488. Dionysius Halicarnassaeus himself made an Abridgment of his own History but which Epitome never reach'd down to us yet we should have no reason to regret the loss of the Abridgment were we but in possession of the Original The loss of this great Work is so much the greater in that this Author was reputed the most exact in his Chronology of all other Historians Scaliger observes That we have no Author remaining who kept good Order in the placing of his Years And what is more to be admir'd is that Dionysius of Halicarnassaeus altho' he was a Stranger at Rome yet has writ better of the Roman Antiquities than any of the Latin Historians Le Vayer cannot forgive this Author for his Credulity in believing all the frivolous Stories he relates which have not the least resemblance of truth in them It plainly appears says he that he was impos'd upon by all the Old Women of his time whose Chimney-corner Tales he reported for Miracles Few Historians can escape sometimes telling Rhodomontades which nevertheless have an Air of greatness in them which envigorates their Writings but this Author suffer'd himself to be so wholly carry'd away by them that he never car'd to distinguish between Probable and Improbable Thus he makes Clelia that illustrious Roman Maid who had been given in Hostage to King Porsenna to escape and to swim through the Tyber to Rome where she had only ask'd leave to Bath in it But Valerius Maximus mounts her on Horseback and makes her escape that way which is the more probable of the two for can it be believ'd that a timerous Girl who was apprehensive of the least danger would undertake to swim through a River when there was no occasion for it the Peace being then almost Concluded But yet it must be acknowledg'd that there is something Great Heroick and Wonderful in a Roman Lady's throwing her self into a River like a Mad body Monsieur Rapin says That the Exhortation Dionysius Halicarnassaeus puts into the mouth of Brutus to stir up the Roman People to revenge the Death of Lucretia and the Harangue which he makes for Valerius about the most proper form of Government are both too long and tedious That Photius extremely commends his Digression in his VII Book where he describes the Tyranny of Aristodemus That Dionysius Halicarnassaeus in his Roman Antiquities shews a great deal of Sense Knowledge and Reasoning Moreover that he is very Exact Diligent Judicious and much more sincere than Titus Livius Also that he is more to be valu'd yet at the bottom that he is a very Prolix Orator VII Plutarch was of Cheronea a City in Baeotia His Works shew us that he was a Philosopher Historian and Orator all at a time He first studied under Ammonius and afterwards Travell'd into Greece and Egypt to consult the Learned there then he return'd to Rome and was greatly esteem'd by the Emperor Trojan who honour'd him with the Dignity of Consul He has writ several Treatises but what we set most by is his Lives of the most illustrious Men both Greeks and Romans He has always met with great Commendation whereof Vossius gives an extraordinary Instance He says That Theodorus Gaza being one day ask'd If all Books were to be cast into the Sea which should be thrown last Gaza answer'd that it should be Plutarch This Gaza was a Person of great Merit and who retir'd into Italy much about the time that the City of Constantinople was taken by the Turks There Cardinal Bessariâ—n honour'd him with
and keep up his great Credit in Rome under the Reigns of Commodus Caracalla Macrinus and Heliogabalus who took a particular delight in putting to Death the best of Men. However if what he related in his 72d Book about his Familiar be false yet we must acknowledge the admirable Prudence and wise Conduct of that great Man in the most difficult Times for Merit and Virtue There 's one thing very unaccountable in Dion Cassius's History which is his Satyrical Invectives against Cicero Brutus and Seneca whom he charges with the most enormous Crimes I shall not mention any of them because they rather deserve to be blotted out of his Writings than any stress to be laid upon them And 't is upon that score that Vossius charges this Historian with Malice or want of Judgment Omnino haec aut insignem judicij defectum aut malam mentem arguunt At last Dion Cassius through the inspiration of his Genius left Rome and returned to his Birth-place to avoid the ambush that the Pretorian Soldiers had laid for him He retired to Nice says Mr. de la Mothe le Vayer towards the latter end of his Life to pass there in quiet the remaining part of it in which he did like those Animals which are said always to come and die in their Form Father Rapin gives us this Judgment upon him Thus the long Discourse which Dion makes in the 56th Book of his History in Commendation of Marriage and Celibacy is not very much to the purpose The Speeches of Agrippa and Moecenas to Augustus the first of which advises him to quit the Empire and the others to keep it are both admirable in Dion Cassius but they are so long that they make up the whole 52d Book Dion Cassius has lost his Credit with most Men by the extraordinary Things he relates without Judgment For instead of following the Truth he runs into improbabilities as when in the 66th Book of his History he tells you That Vespasian restored a Blind Man to his Sight by Spitting on his Eyes XII Herodian was originally a Grammarian of Alexandria as well as his Father Apollonius sirnamed Discolos or difficult He spent the best part of his Life at Rome in the Court of the Emperors where he had an opportunity to inform himself with the curious Nicety observable in his Books of a thousand fine things not to be met with any where else His History is divided into VIII Books and contains a Series of Seventy Years that is the Government of all the Emperors that have succeeded one another from Marcus Aurelius Antoninus the Philosopher to the Young Gordianus Son to the first Dion Cassius and Herodian are the first that have acquainted us with the Pagan Ceremonies which the Romans us'd in the Funeral Honours paid to the Ashes of the Emperors and all that was practis'd at their Consecration and Apotheosis that is as their being rank'd amongst the Gods Dion Cassius gives us a very curious Description of the Funeral Pomp of the Emperor Augustus which is one of the finest Pieces in all his Works and he does not forget to tell us with what dexterity they made the Eagle fly from the top of the Funeral Pile from whence that Iupiter's Bird seem'd to carry up to Heaven the Emperor's Soul Herodian in imitation of Dion Cassius describes very finely the Funeral Rites perform'd to the Ashes of the Emperor Severus which his Sons had brought from England to Rome in a Vessel of Alabaster He acquaints us how they were received with Adoration by the Senate and all the People and carried in an Urn by the Consuls to the Temple where the Sacred Monuments of the Emperors were deposited c. These things deserve to be seen in the Original to which therefore we refer the Reader Photius speaking of the Merit of Herodian's History does not stick to say that if we attend to all the Parts requisite in an Historian there are few Authors that ought to be preferr'd before him XIV Zozimus who flourish'd under the Reign of the Young Theodosius has compos'd a History divided into VI Books The 1st gives a summary Account of the Lives of the Emperors from Augustus to Dioclesian but we want something of it Photius pretends that Zozimus made bold with the History of the Cesar's written by Eunapius how far this Charge is true we cannot well determine because we want Eunapius's Work Vossius relates that there was a Report in his Time that the Manuscript of Eunapius's History was in the Library of Venice However the Five other Books of Zozimus are much larger and more exact particularly when he comes to the Times of Theodosius the Great and his two Sons Arcadius and Honorius because he then speaks of what he has seen himself He descends as far as the second Siege which Alaric laid to Rome and speaks of the occasion of his falling out with Honorius Photius says That Zozimus snarls and barks like a Dog at Christians and it cannot be denied but that this Pagan Author had an implacable hatred against the professors of Christianity which has made him guilty of Injustice upon some occasions For altho ' Constantine and the other Christian Emperors were not altogether free from great Crimes and upon that score ought not to be spared by an Historian especially that does not forget their Virtues yet it is certain that the hatred he had for Religion has given him a singular Complacency in inveighing against the Vices of Constantine and other Christian Emperors 'T is also out of the same Spirit that he charges the Christian Religion with all the Miseries that befell the Romans and ascribes the decline of their Empire to the Contempt they had for the old Religion and the Worship of those Gods under whose protection Rome had flourished for 1200 Years Leunclavius a Learned German Apologizes for Zozimus and says That it is no wonder for a Pagan to speak ill of the Christian Religion However there is an excess of Heat and Animosity in his Writings which transgresses the Laws of History and therefore can never be justified XV. Procopius was of Caesaria in Palestine from whence he came to Constantinople in the time of the Emperor Anastasius He was both a Rhetorician and Lawyer and came afterwards to be Secretary to Belisarius whose Actions he has celebrated His History contains VIII Books the two first which treat of the Persian War have been Abridged by Photius in his Bibliotheca The two following speak of the War of the Vandals and the four last describe the Wars of the Goths Besides these VIII Books there 's still a Ninth which has made a great deal of Noise in the World it is Entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Inedita Things not Published This is a most bitter and abusive Satyr against the Emperor Iustinian and the Empress Theodora and these August Persons are no less defamed in these Anecdotes than they are commended in Procopius's
more noble without doubt but on the other side he has strain'd them too far and has given us Reason to question Whether he has left us a Romance or a History Quintus Curtius might very well have spar'd to make Alexander so infamous as he does in some Places There are some priviledged Persons whom we ought to treat with Civility and Respect we may indeed relate their personal Faults but we must never offend their Dignity or debase their Greatness Quintus Curtius deserves to be commended for his Sincerity for he speaks the good and the bad of Alexander without being prepossess'd for the Merit of his Hero If one can find Fault with his History it is for being too Polite But nevertheless he has excelled in a pleasant and natural way of describing Manners That Character of Perfection which is conspicuous in those great Men is not to be found any more in the succeeding Ages VII Cornelius Tacitus was born of a Noble Family of Roman Knights and was raised to the highest Dignities in the Common-wealth He liv'd under the Empire of Vespasian and the succeeding Emperors with all the Reputation and Honour due to his Birth and personal Merit He was in Years when he set himself to Write and 't was under the Empire of Trajan that he composed his History of which we have but V Books left Afterwards he wrote his Annals great part of which have also been lost Besides those two Works he publish'd a Treatise of the Manners of the several Nations who in his Time inhabited Germany and the Life of Agricola his Father-in-law The Learned seem to be divided as to the Judgment that ought to be made of his Style yet the Truth is that Tacitus is an incomparable Writer The corruption of his Text occasion'd by the Ignorance of the Transcribers does perhaps make him more obscure than he would be of himself and this is the Opinion of Monsieur de la Mothe le Vayer But let some People say what they please the best way is to side with Vossius who finds so much Eloquence so much Correctness and so many Beauties in Tacitus that he does not stick to say that he is be best and wisest of Writers Quis enim non videt Dictio Taciti quam sit elegans quam tersa limata Et tamen major est laus ista quod nihil eo Scriptore vel cogitari possit prudentius The Emperor Tacitus Two hundred Years after the Death of Tacitus the Historian valued himself upon bearing the same Name with him and being descended from him He caus'd his Sâ—atue to be placed in all Libraries and to preserve his Works to Posterity he caused them to be Transcribed Ten times a Year But all the Care that Emperor used hath been in vain since of One and twenty Years of his History we have only the account of one left and V Books of about Thirty according to St. Ierom's Opinion The Great Duke Come de Medicis made choice of Tacitus among all other Historians as one from whom he expected more sound Precepts and Instructions for his Conduct and more solid Satisfaction to alleviate the Cares which are inseparable from the Government of a State when a Prince endeavours to merit the Title of Father of his Country Casaubon is quite of another Opinion and maintains in his Preface to Polibius that the Reading of Tacitus is most dangerous for Princes by reason of the many ill Examples which are scattered up and down his Works The Stile of Tacitus says Monsieur Rapin is not very proper for History for it is full of Starts and when it shines 't is like a Flash of Lightning which dazles more than it gives light Tacitus is a starting Wit that skips from one thing to another His Sense comprehended in few Words is too close for the Readers Capacity which is often pusled with it And because he does not follow Nature in what he relates and generally forgets that he Speaks to Men so he seldom instructs us as he should As for Example when upon the occasion of the Papian Law he relates the Original of Laws or when in another place he describes the Priviledges of Sanctuaries he does not trace things back to their beginnings he never explains things thoroughly nay sometimes he gives a false Account of them as when he takes upon him to describe the Iewish Religion in the fifth Book of his History His Style is also very improper for it which is a great Fault in an Historian whose primary Function is to instruct Tacitus is still more uneven than Sallust His Connexions are generally forced and the Thread of his Discourse very much Broke and Interrupted which is no small discouragement to the Reader who cannot follow him without putting himself out of Breath There can be no better and exacter Description than that which Tacitus makes of the Treat which the Empress Messalina gave to Silius her Favourite Gallant This was a Vintage Feast with all its Ceremonies the Season being then Autumn and favourable for that purpose Mirth Pleasure Effeminacy Wantonness Impudence Lewdness and Debauchery all in short is there described with an exqiusite Elegance and delicacy of Expression The particulars are related succinctly discreetly and withal in a very lively manner And nothing can be more judiciously placed to make by that gay Picture the Death of Messalina which follows soon after the more Tragical and full of Horror In short there are some happy Circumstances which give a particular Grace to every thing when a Man knows how to employ and place them as he should As for Figures Tacitus is not so scrupulous he seems to aim at nothing but to dazzle us The boldness of his Metaphors and other Tropes makes his Expression so high strained and troublesom Tacitus is an ill Husband of his Fire for he uses it every where his Colours are also too strong and glaring and because he is often too expressive in some things and does not Paint them to the Life he therefore seldom affects us A Description ought not to be too minute and particular but such as is the Description of the Isle of Caprea in the fourth Book of the Annals of Tacitus for we find in it the Reasons Tiberius had to retire thither towards his latter Days which makes it necessary and as it is Concise Polite Elegant and has nothing in it either Impertinent or Superfluous it may be said to be a perfect one Nothing can be finer than the Speech which Tacitus makes Tiberius Speak to the Senate upon the Reformation of Luxury in the third Book of his Annals Never did any Historian make a Prince Speak with more Dignity A Picture ought to be true and resembling wherein Tacitus is not very exact for he rather chuses to follow his own Fancy than imitate Nature and endeavours more to make fine Pictures than true ones If his Pictures can but please as that of Sejanus in the
CHRONOLOGY Chap. I. Definitions Page 1. Chap. II. The Grounds of Chronology 9. The Testimony of Authors 9. Reasons of the uncertainty of Chronology 13. Certain means of Computing Times as 9. 1. By the Testimony of Authors 18. 2. By Eclipses and Aspects of the Planets 18. 3. Vndisputed Epochas 21. Chap. III. Of the Uncertainty Chronologers are at concerning the Year wherein our Saviour was Born 23. A Catalogue of Authors disagreeing in this point 25. Chap. IV. The Usefulness of Chronological Tables to Beginners Different Divisions of Times in order to help the Memory 34. § 1. First Division of the Times into two Parts 37. § 2. Second Division into three Parts according to Varro 38. § 3. Third Division into four Parts according to the Poets 40. § 4. Fourth Division according to the several Ages of the World 42. § 5. Fifth Division of Times into thirteen Parts 43. Chap. V. A New Division of Times or the 14 Royal Epocha's of Universal Chronology 44. Epocha 1. Adam or the Creation of the World 45. Epocha 2. Noah or the Vniversal Deluge 47. Epocha 3. The Vocation of Abraham 49. Epocha 4. Moses or the Written Law 51. Epocha 5. The Taking of Troy 53. Epocha 6. Solomon or the Temple finished 54. Epocha 7. Romulus or Rome Founded 56. Epocha 8. Cyrus or the Iews restor'd 58. Epocha 9. Scipio or the Carthaginians Conquer'd 62. Epocha 10. The Birth of IESUS CHRIST 65. Epocha 11. Constantine or the Peace of the Church 69. Epocha 12. Charlemaign or the Establishment of the new Empire 74. Epocha 13. Constantinople taken by the Turks and the Christian Empire of the East terminated 83. Epocha 14. King Charles II. Restor'd the ancient Government and Laws of England re-establish'd and Europe in a profound Peace 91. PART II. Introduction to History and a Character of Historians Chap. I. Of the several Benefits of History 97. Chap. II. Rules to be observ'd in Writing History 107. Chap. III. The manner of Studying History Of the Four ancient Monarchies and of the different kinds of Political Government 112. Chap. IV. Divisions of History 121. Art 1. The Authority of the History of the People of God contain'd in the Books of the Old and New Testament 126. The Order of the Books of the Old and New Testament 131. Art 2. Of Civil History 〈…〉 145. Chap. V. The most Celebrated Authors that have written of Church History 150 An Account of the Qualities Lives and Writings of each particular Author 151 c. Chap. VI. Of the most considerable Greek and Latin Authors of Civil Histoâ—y 175. § 1. Greek writers of History Their Qualities Lives and Writings and the Iudgments of Criticks upon them 177 c. § 2. Latin Writers of ancient History an Account of each Author and his Works with the Opinions of Criticks upon them 197 c. PART III. An Account of the Ancient Monarchies which preceeded the Birth of JESUS CHRIST Chap. I. An Account of the Church of God under the Old Testament 225 Sect. 1. The State of the People of God under the 22 Patriarchs 228. A Remark concerning the Origine of Nations 230. A Remark concerning the Heads of Families of the People of God 235. Sect. 2. The State of the People of God under the 22 Iudges or Leaders 236. Sect. 3. The State of the People of God under 22 Kings 239. The Succession of the Kings of Israel 244. Sect. 4. The State of the People of God in the Time of the 22 Ancestors of Iesus Christ 249. Chap. II. An Account of the Assyrian Monarchy 254. The State of the Assyrian Monarchy from Nimrod it's first Founder down to Sardanapalus which is about 1360 years 2â—â— The State of that part of the Assyrian Monarchy which was under the Babylonians from Belochus the first King to the Death of Belshazzar the last King which lasted 271 Years 260 The State of that part of the Assyrian Monarchy which was Govern'd by the Medes from Arbaces their first King to Cyaxares or Darius the Mede 261 Chap. III. Of the Persian Monarchy 262. The Succession from Cyrus to Alexander's Conquest 262 c. Chap. IV. Of the Grecian Monarchy 267. The History of Alexander's Conquests 267. to 279 The Kingdom of the Syrians under the Successors of one of Alexander's Captains 280 The Kingdom of Pergamos or Asia Minor erected by Antigonus one of Alexander's Captains 288 Chap. V. Of the Empire of China 291 Chap. VI. Of the Kings of Egypt 297 Sect. 1. The State of Egypt under 47 Kings surnam'd Pharaohs which lasted 1220. Years till it was conquer'd by Cambyses 299 Sect. 2. The State of Egypt under 11 Kings of Persia which lasted 193 Years viz. to the time it was subjected to Alexander 305 Sect. 3. The State of Egypt under the Greeks viz. Alexander the Great and the 12 Ptolomy's which lasted 301 Years that is till Augustus made Egypt a Roman Province 308 Chap. VII Of Sicyonia The Succession of its Kings c. 314 Chap. VII Argos The Succession of its Kings from Inachus to Perseus 316 Chap. IX Athens 317 Sect. 1. The State of Athens under 17 Kings for 488. Years 319 Sect. 2. The State of Athens under 13 perpetual Archontes which lasted 316 Years 321 Sect. 3. The State of Athens under 8 Decennial Archontes 322 Sect. 4. The State of Athens under annual Archontes which lasted 751 Years 322 Chap. X. Of the Kings of Troy 330 Chap. XI Of the Spartans or Lacedemonians 332 Sect. 1. The State of Lacedemonia under 14 Kings for 397 Years that is from Lelix to the Heraclides 333 Sect. 2. The State of Lacedemon under the Kings called Heraclides 334 Sect. 3. The State of Sparta under the Kings whose Power were restrain'd by the Gerontes 335 Sect. 4. The State of Sparta under the Kings with the five Ephori 336 Chap. XII Of Corinth The Succession of its Kings c. 343 Chap. XIII Of the Kings of Mycene 346 Chap. XIV The Kings of Thebes 348 Chap. XV. Of the Macedonians 352 Sect. 1. The State of Macedon under 20 Kings from Caranus to Philip the Father of Alexander 352 Sect. 2. The State of Macedon under Alexander 355 Sect. 3. The State of Macedon under 17 Kings after Alexander 355 Chap. XVI Of the Kings of Lydia to Croesus 361 Chap. XVII The Kings of Tyre till it was conquer'd by Alexander 363 Chap. XVIII Of the Italians Latins Romans and of the Fourth or Roman Monarchy 367. Sect. 1. The State of Italy under the Janigenae or Siculi which lasted 557 years 368 Sect. 2. The State of Italy under 15 Kings called Aborigines which lasted 577. from Janus to Romulus 369 Sect. 3. The Regal State of Rome which lasted 245 years 371 Sect. 4. The Consular State of Rome from Brutus the first Consul to the perpetual Dictatorship of Julius Caesar which took up the time of 464 Years divided into fifteen Periods 378 Period 1. From the Banishment of Tarquin to the first Dictator 379
persuade our selves once for all that we cannot have the Antiquity of the World but within a few Years more or less and ought to look upon all the Projects of restoring the Antiquity of Times to a nice Exactness and Precision as foolish and chimerical III. The different Names which the Assyrians Egyptians Persians and Grecians have given to the same Prince have not a 〈◊〉 contributed to confound the ancient Chronology Three or four Princes have born the Name of Assuerus says the Bishop of Meaux in his Discourse upon History altho' they had others besides If a Man was not told that Nabucodonosor Nabucodrosor and Nabocolasser are but the same Name or the Name of the same Man he could hardly believe it Sargon is the same with Sennacherib Ozias with Azarias and Zedechias with Mathanias Joachos was also câ—lled Sellum Asaraddon which is indifferently pronounced Esar haddon or Asor-haddan is called Asenaphar by the Cutheans and through an unaccountable Diversity Sardanapulus is called Tonos Comoleros by the Greeks Those different Names of the same Person differently pronounced by several Nations according to the various Idioms of their Speech must needs cause a great Confusion and Disorder in Things and Persons This Confusion is so great in the Succession of the Kings of Assyria that it is impossible for a Man ever to be truly satisfied about it IV. We have few Memorials left of the first Monarchies of the World an infinite number of Books being quite lost If Herodotus wrote the History of the Assyrians according to his Promise it never was transmitted to us The Greeks have writ very late and those that have did not understand the Hebrew Language and were often miserably ignorant of the Antiquities of Iudea We may say the same of the Latin Historians who being little skill'd in the Greek Tongue and much less perhaps in the Affairs of the Iews and Grecians have undoubtedly writ a great many Things at a venture and very ill digested The generality of them have studied to please by the Politeness and Delicacy of their Writings and curious and strange Stories and have neglected the Times of the Events they speak of which has cast a great Mist upon History V. The Aera's and Years being different almost in every Nation has occasion'd a great Disorder and Confusion in Chronology The Grecians computed the Time from the Olympiads and the Romans from ' the Foundation of their City More than that some Nations had no Epocha at all and have bethought themselves but late of using them and among the rest 't was only about the Year 532. that the Christians began to reckon their Years from the Birth of JESUS CHRIST The same difference is observable in Years as in Aera's In some Countries they made use of the Lunar Year of 354 Days and in others of the Solar of 365 Days and about six hours Altho' we suppose the Historians to have regarded this difference of Years yet they could not avoid to make some Mistakes in Chronology for besides that People were then ignorant of the true Motion of the Sun and Moon with which we are not perhaps throughly acquainted now adays let Posterity be the Judge 't is certain that among the Republicks of Greece tho' never so well governed and regulated they did not agree about the beginning of the Lunar Year One begun it precisely at the Conjunction of the Sun and Moon Another two Days after that is when the New Moon began to be seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And others began their Year at the Full Moon The several Nations of the World have been no less divided about the Season where the Year should began The Hebrews Chaldeans Egyptians and Persians begin it with the Autumn or Fall of the Leaf the Grecians towards the Summer Solstice and the Romans about the Winter's The Mahometans just at the Equinox in the Spring the Indian Gentiles the First Day of March and the Arabians at the time of the Sun 's entering the Sign of Leo. All these Things have thrown Chronology into so great an Obscurity that it is not in the Power of the greatest Skill in the World to pierce through all the dark Mists which that variety of Aera's and Years has cast over the Face of History Therefore Varro most wisely calls uncertain obscure and fabulous the generality of those Events related by Historians to have happen'd before the Olympiads Dionysius Halicarnasseus says positively Lib. 1. That there is nothing certain in all that the History mentions concerning the Transactions before the War of Troy Macrobius assures us That we must not expect any Certainty in Roman Histories when they relate any thing that happen'd 260 Years before the Foundation of Rome and that concerning those Times Writers are rather Tellers of Fables than Historians S. Iustin the Martyr in Paraenetico maintains That there is nothing constantly true in Greek Histories before the Olympiads and that we have no Account left either by the Grecians or Barbarians to inform us of what happen'd in those remote Ages I have dwelt so long upon this Subject in order to shew that in point of ancient Chronology we must depend upon the Accounts we find in the Holy Scripture since we can expect nothing concerning the first Times from Prophane Historians And here we must take notice of the Wisdom of Providence which has so well ordered Things that we have Light enough to make a firm Concatenation of the Succession of Times for where Prophane History fails us in the first three thousand Years of the World we have the Chronology of the Bible to guide us And when afterwards we find the Accounts of Time more obscure in the Holy Scriptures we meet in Requital with more Light in the Writings of Prophane Authors And there begins the Time which Varro calls Historical because since the Olympiads the Truth of Things begins to be conspicuous in History So that before that Time we must enlighten Prophane History by the help of the Sacred and not pretend to correct the Chronology of the Hebrew Bible and our Vulgar by the Antiquities of the Chaldeans Egyptians and Chinese which is a plain and visible overturning of the Order of Things and no better than to give a blind Guide to one that sees well By all I have said I do not mean to confute the Book of The Antiquity of Times restored my only Design is to caution young People for whom particularly I write against a certain Spirit of Curiosity which has been predominant among us for some Years past and whose stirring Character is too apt to remove those Bounds which we ought to preserve with great Veneration As for the rest I both honour and esteem the Merit of the Author and I am very far from having any Thoughts to offend him §. 2. Eclipses and Aspects of the Planets FRom what I have said about the uncertainty of Chronology some perhaps will be apt to think That the Doctrin
Ierom 3941. Iohn Carion 3944. Calvisius Helvicus Alstedius 3947. Origanus Argolus 3949. Scaliger Vbbo Emmius 3950. Cornelius a Lapide 3951. Beda Hermannus Herwart 3952. Landsperg 3958. Iohn Picus Count of Mirandola 3959. Luther Scultetus Iohannes Lucidus 3960. Beroaldus 3961. Sixtus of Siena Abbat Vrspergiensis Chrytreus 3962. Tostatus Melancthon Funcius 396â— Gerardus Mercator Opmeir 3966. Butting Santphurdius 396â— Bulingerus 3969. Nigrinus Pantaleon 3970. Brentzhein Bucholzer 3971. Theophilus of Antioch 3974. Bibliander 3979. Father Petavius 3984 Archbishop Vsher Tirinus Capellus Thomas Lydyat 4000. William Langius 4040. Tornelli Salianus Spondanus 405â— Labbe Muller 4053. Rabbi Moses 4058. Ioseph Son to Mattathias 4103. Laurence Codoman 4142. Riccioli according to the Hebrew and the Vulgar Bible 4184. Odiaton or Edwicon an Astronomer 4320. Cassiodorus 4697. Origines 4830. Adon of Vienna 4832. Methrodorus 5000. S. Epiphanius Bishop of Salamina 5029. Paulus Orosius 5049. Philo Iudaeus Sigibertus 5195. Isidorus of Sevil 5196. Philip of Bergama 5198. Eusebius of Cesarea 5200. Iohn Nauclerus 5201. Rabanus 5296. Albumazar an Astronomer 5328. Isidorus of Pelusium 5336. Petrus de Alliaco 5344. S. Augustin 5353. Theophanes 5500. Cedrenus 5506. Isaac Vossius 5590. Suidas 5600. S. Clement of Alexandria 5624. Riccioli according to the Septuagint 5634. Nicephorus of Constantinople 5700. Lactantius 5801. Philastrius 5801. Father Pezon 5868 or 5872. Onuphrius Panvinus 6310. Alphonsus King of Spain 6984. Of all these various Opinions we must of necessity take up with one for 't would be needless if not vain to pretend to a new one different from all the rest since it is not to be imagined but that among so many Systems there is some or other satisfactory and upon which one may depend For my part I have pitch'd upon the Opinion which places the Birth of our Saviour in the Year of the World 4000. The Reasons for this Choice are these 1. This space of Time is sufficient to explain and answer the Successions of the Patriarchs Judges and Kings in a Word all the History of the People of God which is the main thing to be considered in the choice of this Epocha Now some very learned Men have already made it out how those 4000 Years do exactly comprehend all the Series of Sacred History according to the Hebrew and the Vulgar Bible and besides that they fill up the Vacancies which the Silence of the Scripture has left towards the end of the Fourth Millenary the extent of which we cannot perfectly know without the Help of Prophane History or the Iewish History of Iosephus The PROOF Years of the World GENESIS contains the History of 2369 Years from the Creation of the World to Ioseph's death 2369. EXODVS comprehends the History of 145 Years reaching from the Death of Ioseph to the Year 2514. two Years before the going out of Egypt 2514. LEVITICVS takes in the Transactions of one Month and a half 2514 1 m. ½ The Book of NVMBERS contains the History oâ— 38 Years and a half that is from the second Month after the coming out of Egypt down to the Death of Moses or thereabouts 2552 7 m. ½ 'T is thought that JOB liv'd about this Time and that Moses wrote his History DEVTERONOMY contains the History of one Month and a half 2552 9 m. Therefore the Pentateuch or five Books of MOSES contain the History of 2552 Years and about nine Months 2552 9 m. The Book of IOSHVAH contains the History of 17 Years because it begins at the 41st Year after the coming out of Egypt and ends with the Death of Ioshuah 2570. The Book of IVDGES comprehends the History of 317 Years it begins at the Death of Ioshuah and ends at that of Sampson 2887. The History of RUTH happen'd under one of the Judges The First Book of SAMVEL contains the History of 101 Years because it begins with the first Year of the Administration of Heli towards the Year 2848. and ends with the Death of Saul in the Year 2949. However this Book does but add 60 Years to the History of the Book of Iudges because the forty Years of Heli's Government of which the first Chapters of the First Book of Samuel give the Particulars are included in Sampson's Time and therefore contained in the 317 Years of the Book of Iudges 2949. The Second Book of SAMVEL contains the History of David's Reign of about 40 Years 2989. The First Book of KINGS contains the History of Solomon's Reign and some Kings of Israel in all about 126 Years 3115. The Second Book of KINGS comprehends the History of 308 Years during which we see the Wars and Misfortunes of 16 Kings of Iuda and 12 Kings of Israel and the Downfal of those two Kingdoms But because the first Chapter of this Second Book concerning Ochosias and Iosaphat run back towards the Year of the World 3108. by that Reason the 308 Years reach no farther than the Year of the World 3456. The History of TOBIAH happens about this time The First Book of CHRONICLES is an Abridgment of the History of the World from Adam to the return from the Captivity Afterwards the Author resuming the History of David in particular pursues it at large till the time that Solomon was crowned King towards the Year of the World 2990. The Second Book of CHRONICLES contains the Sacred History from the Year of the World 2990. down to the Year 3468. at which time ended the 70 Years of the Captivity So that these two Books do but add 52 Years to the History of the People of God 3468. The First Book of ESDRAS contains the History of 82 Years beginning at the end of the Captivity of Babylon and reaching to the 20th Year of Artaxerxes Longimanus and the Year of the World 3550. The Second Book of ESDRAS contains the History of 31 Years as far as the beginning of the Reign of Darius Nothus in the Year of the World 3581. From the Year 3581. where ends the Second Book of Esdras the Scripture gives us no Account of what has happened during 250 Years This Silence and Vacancy cannot be supply'd otherwise than by the Help of Prophane History which about this time being clear and full of Light we may easily perceive that there are 250 Years from the end of the Second Book of Esdras down to the Maccabees or the Reign of Antiochus Epiphanes This Silence of 250 Years lasts to the Year of the World 3830. The Two Books of MACCABEES contain the History of 40 Years and so they lead us as far as the Year of the World 3870. The Holy Scripture fails us again in this Place where we find a Silence of 130 Years which continues till the Birth of our Saviour in the Year of the World 4000. This 130 Years Silence may be supply'd by the Hiâ—story of the Iews which Iosephus has probably extracted from the Journals of the High Priests 'T is plain by this Chronology of the Historieâ— Books of the Bible that the space of 4000
said That the World was a large Book written by the Hand of God consisting only of three Leaves which were the Heavens Earth and Sea A long time before which David teaches us That the Heavens declare the glory of God Psalm 18. which no doubt made Tertullian observe that God first laid open the Book of Nature to dispose Men for receiving the divine Writ being willing that they should become Disciples of Nature before they were so of Grace Praemisit Deus Naturam Magistram submissurus Prophetiam quo facilius credat Prophetiae Discipulus Naturae Tertul. de Resurrect Carnis St. Bernard who was as famous for his Learning as his Piety declar'd often to his Friends That the Progress which he had made in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures proceeded from Prayer and Meditation to which he apply'd himself in the Fields and Forests and where he had no other guides but Oaks and Beeches Those Philosophers also who were most deeply orewhelm'd with the shades of Paganism have term'd the World A Cabinet of Contemplation wherein were contain'd all the Curiosities and Riches of Nature which had been so prudently rang'd and order'd by the Sovereign Wisdom Naturae Musaeum We need therefore only open our Eyes to discover the Wonders of Nature govern'd by an Almighty Hand and when I affirm that Philosophy is sufficient to convince us that the World is not Eternal I do not mean only that of the Schools but also that of Nature which is the Portion of all Men. This Philosophy wherein we only make use of our common Sense and Reason helps us to comprehend the Truth of the Christian Religion by a serious Reflection on Nature It is that which inspires us when we say to our selves 1. The World cannot be Eternal because it has sensible Proofs of its varying every Day Mountains lessen and Valleys rise and Rivers roul their Dregs into the Sea where they frequently form dry Land The Sea likewise changes its Shores all which would have been no doubt establish'd and fix'd had the World been from all Eternity 2. Whence proceeds the Motion of so many different Parts Who has order'd the Sun to make his alternative Courses through both the Hemispheres and to occasion Seasons by his Declension and Propinquity Certainly this Motion does not proceed from its Matâ—er which cannot be consider'd but as finite divisible mensurable and susceptible only of Motion from an exâ—ernal Impulse 3. Why is this Matter of which the World is compos'd capable of Motion without which it must have tended altogether to a Chaos How comes it to pass that the smaller Bodies of this Matter are rather mov'd to one side than the other Why if all mov'd with an equal Rapidity are they not always follow'd by one another without falling into those infinite Spaces where the Atheist throws them And seeing the greater Bodies do not all follow the same Track nor move with the same Force as for Example the Planets turn from West to East and the other Stars on the contrary from East to West let any Body tell us who it is that hath determin'd and assign'd these different Motions as well as the Quickness or Rapidity of one and the great Slowness of the other The Moon passes through the Zodiack in a Month whereas Mercury takes up 87 Days to perform that Journey and Venus about 224 the Sun or the Earth rather 365 Days Mars twiâ—â— as many and Saturn 30 Years Why are some of these Bodies plac'd above and others beneath And how comes it to pass that thiâ— Motion continues so long This I am sure is what the Atheists connot give a Reason for To say that Chance has been the cause of all these Things is to say nothing For this Chance what is it Something or Nothing Is it Create or Uncreate If Created then it must neâ—cessarily have a Creator and if it be not Created it must be distinct from Matter and consequently Eternal Incorruptible and therefore God If it be said that this Chance is nothing then can it be only an empty Sound without Signification and being nothing it must by consequence be incapable of Action It is after this manner that Philosophy comes 〈◊〉 the assistance of Religion to defend her against hâ—â— Enemies When History triumphs altogether oveâ— Atheism by relating the Origin of Arts and Scienceâ— and of all other Things that serve either for our Necessities Pleasures or Curiosities She also teaches us that not only the World is not Eternal as the Atheisâ— would have it to be but also that it cannot be 〈◊〉 ancient as the fabulous Egyptian Antiquities suppose it 1. Philosophy began not to be cultivated by Persons that made an express Profession of it till of latter date Every body knows its Origin and that among the Greeks it was first taught by Pythagoras The Moderns have brought it to great Perfection which no doubt it would not have had the same occasion for werâ— it true that the World was Eternal 2. Astronomy was first taught the Grecians by Thales who receiv'd it from the Egyptians as Diogenes Laertius says who wrote his Life and moreover that they had it from the Chaldeans We need make no farther enquiries after it among the Ancients since the Word Chaldean signified the same thing with them as Astrologer There has been great progress made in this Art within this 200 Years 3. Physick which is of much greater use was more Modern Herodotus says that heretofore they brought the Sick into their Market Places and enquir'd of all that pass'd by if they had any Receipt which would be of assistance to them Cato the Censor drove the Physicians out of Rome affirming That the Greeks had sent those Butchers among them to Murther them 4. Law was of no greater Date We can only ascend in search after its Origin from Iustinian's Code to that of Theodorus and from thence to the XII Tables which the Romans had from the Greeks viz. Solon and Lycurgus who likewise learnt them from the Egyptians as Plutarch observes If it be objected that at some time or other a Deluge might have happen'd exceeding that of Noah's which carried off the very memory of Arts and Sciences I must answer by a Question How came the Race of Mankind to escape This therefore cannot be and we may conclude that the World is not Eternal For it would be a very strange thing that Men should for an infinity of Ages been Gross Barbarous without Policy without Laws without Government without Morality Physick Astronomy c. without having the Art of Writing down their Thoughts and tho' they saw the Stars continually pass over their Heads never have curiosity enough to observe the Course of them or enquire into the Causes of Comets and Eclipses nay even to live without discovering the first Elements of Physick and Philosophy or making any progress in Architecture Commerce or Navigation 't is strange that none of the Ages of the
which Iesus Christ had founded and Rome became thenceforward Metropolis of the Spiritual Empire Also when the time was come that the Roman Power which had vainly boasted it self of Eternity was to undergo the Fate of other Empires Rome tho' become a Prey to Barbarians yet preserv'd its ancient Grandeur by means of Religion for those Nations who had Conquer'd the Romans having by little and little softned their Manners by the observation of Christian Piety their Kings thought none of their Titles so glorious as that of being Protectors of the Christian Church Thus the Empires of the World have been serviceable to Religion and have preserv'd the People of God wherefore that same God which had caus'd his Prophets to foretel the divers Conditions of his People made them also Prophecy of the Succession of Empires You are acquainted with those places where Nebuchodonosor was mark'd out to Punish the Pride of the People especially of the Jews who approv'd themselves so ungrateful towards their Creator You have also no doubt observ'd Cyrus nam'd 200 Years before his Birth to re-establish the People of God and to chastize the Arrogance of Babylon The destruction of Nineveh likewise was not foretold with less certainty Daniel in his wonderful Visions has briefly but fully represented to us the Babylonish Empire together with that of the Medes Persians and Greeks The Blasphemies and Persecutions of Antiochus were also Prophesied of as well as the miraculous Victories the People of God gain'd over that cruel Tyrant In these Prophets you may find all these famous Monarchies come to nothing by little and little and the new Empire of Iesus Christ to be so expresly Characteriz'd that there is no reason to doubt of its being meant as by Name of the Kingdom of the most High the Kingdom of the Son of Man c. being Pronounc'd to be a Kingdom that should subsist even in the midst of the Ruin of all others and to which alone Eternity was promised God therefore who made use of so many different Nations to Chastize Employ Enlarge or Protect his People having a mind to be known for the Author thereof discover'd the great Secret to his Prophets and caus'd them to foretel it before he put it in Execution Whereupon these Empires being made Partners with the Designs of God their Fate has been foretold by the same Oracles of the Holy Spirit which Prophesied of the Succession of the faithful People Nothing demonstrates better the necessary Relation between Sacred and Profane History than this excellent Discourse of the Bishop of Meaux where we may observe the proceedings of God in the Revolution of Empires and by what means the Almighty Wisdom brings his Ends about even in those Matters where we think either our Prudence or Policy has had the larger share I would gladly have all Youth learn by Heart as much at least of this admirable Discourse as we have just mention'd for thereby they may be able to unravel if I may so say all the Intrigues betwixt God and Man and discover the first Principles of all Affairs which History has handed down to us Profane Historians have always fill'd us with confus'd Ideas but the Bishop of Meaux has demonstrated the Hand of God to have set all the Springs of Causes at work and that for the peculiar end of Preserving and Sanctifying his People Men misguided by their Passions think all must be related in History that contributes to satisfy either their Avarice or Ambition but they are deceiv'd for like Children they only see the Wheels of the Movements without being able to guess at the Mechanism and Causes of them The Sanctification of the Church is the secret Spring of all that has hapned most considerable in the World from its Creation and the Fall and Rise of Empires is the Mechanism of the Almighty Altho' we cannot always discover what share God has had in certain Affairs yet it must never be deny'd that he has had any Who could ever have imagin'd that the Grandeur of the Roman Empire which we commonly look upon as an effect of the great Wisdom and Valour of the Romans should have ever contributed towards the publication of the Gospel and the glory of the Church In a word there might have been only one History which should have been that of the City of God where Empires and Dominions might have been brought in as so many Incidents and Episodes which have only collateral Relation to the History of the Church Nevertheless as the Devil will always have a share in humane Affairs and that S. Austin together with the Holy Scriptures attribute to him a Power over the Kingdoms of the World we divide History into Ecclesiastical for the Affairs of the Church and into Civil for the Affairs of Empires and Republicks We make no use of the Word Profane as being improper for the History of Christian Kingdoms whose Kings are the Protectors and Cherishers of the Church This I presume may be sufficient to justify my preferring this Division of History to that of all others which have treated on the same Subject ARTICLE I. The Authority of the History of The People of God contain'd in the Books of the Old and New Testament THE History of the Iews is contain'd in the Books of the Old Testament which is sufficient to convince any Christian that it is unquestionable and will never admit of any Doubt Yet it is not to my purpose to quote any Fathers hereupon or to shew what they have advanc'd in their Disputes against the Pagans to prove the Truth and Divinity of the Bible those Matters being to be met with in the Books of such Doctors as have writ upon that Subject Nevertheless as it is chiefly at Genesis that the Deists and Atheists level their Criticisms it would not be amiss to say something in vindication of that Holy Book and the rather because the History therein contain'd being once establish'd all the other parts of Religion necessarily follow on course 1. Then it is certain that Moses was Author of the Book of Genesis Nay more positive says du Pin in the first Tome of his History of Ecclesiastical Writers speaking of this Book than that either Homer was Author of the Iliads and Odysses or Herodotus or Thucydides of those Histories that are ascrib'd to them The Holy Bible continues he afterwards teaches me that Moses was Author of the Pentateuch Thus are the Five Books of Moses call'd of which Genesis is the First Iesus Christ proceeds Dupin and the Apostles have assur'd me as much ancient Authors concur in the same Opinion and all other People agree with them c. We may find in the same Book a number of Witnesses to evince this Truth of which some were Iews others Christians and others Pagans all which positively affirm that Moses writ the Book of Genesis and all the rest of the Pentateuch 2. Moses without dispute was a much more ancient Writer
XLIII Malachi Prophesied after the re-edifying of the Temple He reproves the several Abuses which were crept into the Iewish Discipline As he is the last of the Prophets and that no more was to be expected till the coming of Iesus Christ he exhorts the People to stick to the Law of Moses till the Messiah should appear in the World XLIV The I. Book of Maccabees XLV The II. Book of Maccabees These two Books contain the State of the Church under the Third Monarchy which was that of the Greeks continuing Forty Years from the Death of Alexander the Great to that of Demetrius Soter The Second Book is an Abridgment of the Book of Iason who was one of the Iews of Cirena The Author of the First Book is not the Author of the Second as it appears to the Learned both from the difference of Style and different manner of counting the Years Secondly The New Testament contains 27 Books I. The Gospel according to St. Matthew was writ about 6 Years after the Death of Christ at the request of those Iews who had imbrac'd the Christian Faith St. Matthew from a Publican became an Apostle He has undertaken in his Gospel to relate the Royal Race of our Saviour and to represent him according to the Life he led in the Flesh wherefore he speaks chieflly as St. Austin remarks of those Actions and Instructions in which the Son of God has in a manner temper'd his Wisdom with his Divine Majesty that he might render the Example of his Life the more Imitable and Agreeable to our Weakness II. The Gospel according to St. Mark was written in the 3d Year of Claudius or the 43d of Christ according to the ordinary way of Reckoning that is 10 Years after our Saviour's Death This Gospel St. Mark writ at Rome at the request of the Christians of that Church and according to the Instructions he had receiv'd from St. Peter whose Disciple he had been He has follow'd St. Matthew in a many Things and in some places only abridg'd him nevertheless there are many Passages he has dwelt longer upon and observ'd many considerable Circumstances which St. Matthew omitted III. The Gospel according to St. Luke was writ by him 23 Years after Christs Ascension This St. Luke was a Physician and as he was very well acquainâ—ed with the Greek Tongue he has writ more elegantly than either St. Mark or St. Iohn He was not of the number of Apostles as was St. Matthew and St. Iohn but one of their Disciples in like manner as Saint Mark. IV. The Gospel according to St. Iohn the Son of Zebedee and Brother of St. Iames sirnam'd Major was written at Ephesus about the Year of Christ 96. and 63 Years after his Passion upon occasion of the Heresy of Cerinthus and Ebion both which maintain'd That Iesus Christ was but a Man whereupon all the Bishops of Asia and several others entreated St. Iohn to treat more largely on the Matter than the Three Apostles his Predecessors had done and to establish Christ's Divinity beyond Contradiction It was hereupon that Saint Austin observ'd That the other Three Evangelists had only trac'd Christ upon the Earth and as it were walk'd along with him in recounting the Actions of his mortal Life but that St. Iohn had soar'd like an Eagle above human Pitch and discover'd the Word even in the Bosom of God without being dazled with the Lustre of his Glory V. The Acts of the Apostles are properly the Birth and Establishment of the Church which was about the time of the Death of Jesus and the Accomplishment of all his Mysteries St. Paul is particularly celebrated in this History it having been writ by St. Luke who was his Disciple This Book contains the History of 29 or 30 Years from the death of Christ to the time St. Paul was carry'd Prisoner to Rome the first time which was in the Year 63. Which makes some believe that St. Luke wrote this Book at Rome at the same time The Epistles of St. Paul VI. His Epistle to the Romans is plac'd first not that it was writ first but according to the Dignity of the Place and the Church where it was writ The Subject of it is to abate the excessive Pride of the Iews and Gentiles and to unite under Jesus Christ as the Corner-stone by the Bonds of Grace and a Spirit of Humility This Epistle was writ from Corinth in the Year of Christ 57. and 24 Years after his Passion VII His First Epistle to the Corinthians he writ from Ephesus about the Year of Christ 57. and 24 Years after Christ's death Therein St. Paul lessens the Pagan Eloquence and Philosophy which the Corinthians so greatly admir'd He teaches 'em moreover how to prepare for the Communion c. VIII His Second Epistle to the Corinthians writ from Macedon near the same time with the First and sent them by Titus and St. Luke St. Paul therein chiefly admonishes the Corinthians to beware of false Apostles whom he attacks severely naming them Deceitful Workers and Ministers of the Devil IX His Epistle to the Galatians was writ to these People from Lesser Asia a little while after they had been converted by him upon account of false Teachers who had seduced them by persuading them that the Gospel would not be sufficient to save them unless they continu'd to Circumcise their Children and to submit to other Ceremonies of the Law He brings many Books out of Scripture to dissuade the Galatians from this Error and to convince them that they ought no longer to be Slaves under the Old Law but to enjoy the Freedom of the New This Epistle was writ from Ephesus in the Year of Christ 56. and 23 Years after his Passion X. His Epistle to the Ephesians writ from Rome when St. Paul was in Bonds there about the Year of Christ 62. and 29 Years after his Passion This great Apostle therein admonishes the Inhabitants of this Metropolis of Asia Minor not to give Ear to the Preachers of Iudaism who would not only have the Law join'd to the Gospel but also intermixt many other Fables with this Error XI His Epistle to the Philippians writ to the Christians of Philippi in Macedonia from Rome where St. Paul was then Prisoner Here this Holy Apostle professes a more than ordinary Affection for that People which he had Converted and who sent him thither considerable Subsistence when he was in want He exhorts them to continue always stedfast in their Faith to decline Disputes to love Prayer to be humble and charitable to each other to be unshaken in Adversity and to be always replenished with Peace and Joy XII His Epistle to the Colossians writ from Rome while he was Prisoner there in the Year of Christ 62. This People being of Phrygia not far from Laodicea having receiv'd the Faith they were afterwards not a little pester'd with ignorant Seducers who would needs intermix Iudaism and Philosophy with the Gospel St.
wiser for they did not allow every Body to compile their Histories The Pontiffs who had the care of Divine Worship and the Ceremonial part of their Religion had likewise the Charge of making their Annals wherein they were to take notice of the most famous Occurrences in their State from Year to Year This Cicero acquaints us with when he says Erat Historia nihil aliud nisi Annalium confectio cui rei Memoriae Publicae causa ab initio rerum humanarum usque ad Publ. Mutium Pontificem Maximum res omnes singulorum Annorum mandabat literis Pontifex Maximus Lib. 2. de Orat. These Annals also were very plain They contain'd no more than a Summary Account of Matters without entring into many Particulars It was the Genius of the antient Romans to affect Plainness They were more intent upon deserving Praise than hearing it and they never complimented one Man with what was only due to the whole Place A Glimpse of this primitive Simplicity may appear in their Fasti Consulares which was scarce any more than a downright Catalogue of the Roman Consuls These Reasons which we have given to doubt of the Truth of History ought not nevertheless to extinguish in us all sort of Belief for what Historians have written There are Rules before prescrib'd to direct us in antient History which are the very Quintescence of Criticism that is whatever good Sense or a sound Judgment could invent to precaution a heedless Reader against either the Ignorance Negligence or Insincerity of a Writer Into how many Errors would a Man fall if he had not some sort of regard to these Rules But since it is absolutely necessary for every body to be acquainted with the worth of an Historian before they read him I shall proceed to draw some faint Sketches of those that have been most famous in the World since it is my Intention here to be exact but not tedious CHAP. V. The most Celebrated Authors that have written of Church-History THE History of the Church under the Law is contain'd among the sacred Writers which we are never to question as we have said before yet whatever Esteem we may have for these Historians we are by no means forbid to make use of our Reason when we read 'em but are allow'd to Condemn or Approve 'em as we think fit Over and above the Books of the Bible which treat of the old Iewish Church we have also the Writings of Philo and Iosephus both which we shall say something of by reason of the excellency of their Works 1. Philo was a Iew of Alexandria who liv'd under the reign of Caius Caligula and who was Head of an Embassy which the Iews dispatch'd to that Emperor Amongst other Things he writ the life of Moses and Ioseph as also a Relation of his Embassy to Rome wherein he did not succeed Caligula being extreamly offended that the Iews had refus'd to have his Statue in their Synagogue This Author is altogether Platonick for he imitates so exactly Plato's Style that he has been term'd by some The Iewish Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut Plato Philonem aut Philo Platonem imitatur In his Book he explains the Bible allegorically He is Eloquent and very Diffusive and his Moral comes very near that of the Christians 2. Iosephus surnam'd Flavius on account of the Emperor Vespatian was a Iew of the sacerdotal Race of the Asmonians He was born in the 37th Year of our Saviour and dy'd in the 93d He has written the History of the Iews from the Creation of the World to the twelfth Year of them This Work he entitles The Iewish Antiquities He has also written an Account of the Iewish Wars with the Romans and of the Sacking of Ierusalem He has likewise written his own life two excellent Tracts against Appion a Pagan and one concerning the Martyrdom of the Maccabees Photius says that Iosephus writ Nicely that he knew how to charm his Readers and that he has all along judiciously embelish'd his History with florid Descriptions and eloquent Harangues St. Ierom calls him the Titus Livius of the Greeks and Erasmus says That his History of the Death of the Maccabees is a Masterpiece of Eloquence Authors of the Church-History I. Hegesippus was a Iew that embrac'd Christianity He came to Rome in the Pontificat of Pope Anicetus and continu'd there till the time of Elutherius that is from the Year of Christ 165 to 180. He is the first Author which has compos'd a Body of Church-History which he divided into V Books and in which he relates the most remarkable Occurrences in the Church from our Saviour's Passion to the time wherein he wrote We have only some Fragments of this Work now remaining which Eusebius has Collected and inserted into his History Under the Name of Hegesippus goes an History of the Iewish Wars and of the Destruction of Ierusalem divided into V Books But says Du Pin it is certain that this Work does not belong to Hegesippus but to an Author who liv'd since Constantin Some attribute this History to St. Ambrose because of a Manuscript of it which the famous Father Mabillon found in the Library given by that Saint at Milan and which was therefore suppos'd to have been a Translation of his II. Iulius Africanus was born in Palestine He was deputed by the Emperor Alexander Son of Mammeus to settle the City of Emmaus which was afterwards call'd Nicopolis He wrote a Chronicle from the beginning of the World to the 3d Year of the Emperor Heliogabalus which he divided into V Books and wherein he briefly relates all the memorable Occurrences down to his Time This Work we have not at present under the Name of Africanus but Eusebius has got it almost all in his Chronicle with some few Additions and Corrections III. Eusebius of Caesarea was born in Iudea towards the end of the Empire of Galienus He was chosen Bishop of Caesarea in the Year of our Lord 313 or 314. He has compos'd several learned Treatises but we shall mention none but those which relate to History 1. His Chronicle which is an Abridgment of Universal History from the Creation of the World to the time when he liv'd which was about the 20th Year of the Reign of the Emperor Constantin This Work contains a great deal of Learning and had no doubt a prodigious deal of Pains and Study bestow'd upon it St. Ierom translated it through tho' we have his first Part but very imperfect 2. His Ecclesiastical History divided into X Books is the chief of all his Works He has there taken notice of all the most memorable Things that have hapned in the Church from the time of our Saviour down to when he wrote He there gives you an exact Account of the several successions of the Bishops in the chieâ—est Cities of the World as likewise of the best Church-Authors and their Books He also reckons up all the Heresies that have crept
that he had re-establish'd the Royal Race of the Amali in their primitive Lustre and given an account of 17 Generations of them from their first swaying the Scepter and finally that he had Collected into one Body what was before scatter'd through many Books Thus Father St. Marthe speaks of this History in his Life of Cassiodorus XVI Evagrius say the Schools was Native of Epiphania a City of Syria and liv'd in the Sixth Century of the Church He writ an Ecclesiastical History which he begins where Socrates and Theodoret ended that is about the Year 431. when the impiety of the Nestorians was Condemn'd by the Council of Ephesus and concluded it about the twelfth Year of the Emperor Maurice which was in the Year 597. Photius says That this History is very plain and exact The Emperors Constantine and Maurice greatly recompens'd this Author for all his Works and of which he speaks himself XVII Gregory de Tours born in Auvergne of noble Parentage He was one of the most pious Bishops and celebrated Writers of his Time His Genius led him so much to Learning and Piety that after Euphronius Arch-bishop of Tours's death he was rais'd to that See in the Year 572. and dy'd in 594. The French are endebted to him for the Knowledge of our first Kings whose History he has written in X Books and continu'd it down to his own Time He wrote also a great many other Books XVIII Bede sirnam'd the Venerable was born in the Year 673. in a small Village upon the River Tine in England He was brought up in a Monastery of St. Benedict where his Parents plac'd him but when Seven Years old He there read Philosophy Divinity Mathematicks and other curious Learning but above all he imbib'd the Practice of Christian and Religious Virtues He dy'd the 26th of May in the Year 735. Amongst several of his Works we have his Ecclesiastical History of England in V Books which begins with Iulius Caesar's Descent upon this Nation and ends with the Year 731. He has also written a Chronicle of VI Centuries and some particular Relations of the Lives and Martyrdom of divers Saints XIX Paul the Deacon was by Birth a Lombard and liv'd in the Eighth and Ninth Centuries He was first Deacon of Aquilea and afterwards Chancellor to Desiderius the last King of the Lombards When as this Prince was Conquer'd by Charlemagne Paul the Deacon was carry'd Prisoner into France where his great Knowledge and Learning procur'd him a great many Friends After various turns of Fortune which he had undergone he became a Monk of Mount-Cassin where he dy'd in the Ninth Century but in what Year is unknown He has written the History of the Lombards in VI Books the Acts of the several Bishops of Mets and the Lives of St. Arnold St. Cyprian and St. Bennet c. XX. Eginard Secretary to Charlemagne had divers considerable Employments in that Prince's Court. He had a great deal of Wit and Merit and renounc'd the World to become a Monk He writ the life of Charlemagne who had honour'd him with so particular Esteem and Affection He compil'd the Annals of France from the Year 741 to 829. There are some other small Tracts of his He dy'd in the Year 844. tho' some say sooner and some later XXI Freculphus Bishop of Lisieux liv'd in the Ninth Century This Prelate who had been Educated under the Order of St. Benedict was greatly commendable for his Doctrin and Piety He compos'd a Chronicle of which the first Part begins at the Creation and reaches down to our Saviour this consists of VII Books The second begins with the Incarnation of Christ and extends to the coming of the Franks and the Lombards about the Year 600. This comprehends V. Books He Addresses this Chronicle to the Empress Iudith Wâ—fe to Lewis the Debonnaire and Mother to Charles the Bald. He dy'd about the Year 852. XXII Luitpraâ—d Sub-deacon of Toledo Deacon of Pavia and at length Bâ—shop of Cremona liv'd in the Tenth Century and was says Cardinal Bellaâ—min in very great Esteem on account of his Learning and Wisdom Berengerius II. King of Italy sent him in quality of an Ambassador to Constantinople in the Year 946. to the Emperor Constantine Porphiriginâ—tes whence he return'd at the Request of the Emperor Otho in the Year 968. who sent him likewise to Nicephorus Phocas Under the Name of this Luitprand we have VI. Books of History which comprehend all the most considerable Transactions in Europe from the Emperor Arnâ—lphus down to his Time The Learned pretend that what follows the Fifth Chapter of the VI. Book does not belong to Luitprand but was written by another Author of the same Time who had a mind to continue his History They also reject his Book concerning the Acts of the Popes from St. Peter down to Formâ—sus Father Labbe is of Opinion That this History was wrote by a Germâ—n Monk towards the Year 895. The Spaniads father upon this Author a Chronicle of a parcel of fabulous Princes which had never been in the World Also Father Labbe would have this Chronicle sent to the Kingdom of Vtopia Generally speaking nothing is more faulty than these Chronological Successions not excepting the Fables of the Poets the Stories of old Women and of Amadis de Gaul XXIII Witikind a Benedictine Monk of the Abbey of Corby in Saxâ—ny liv'd in the Tenth Century the Year of whose death is unknown The moâ—t remarkable of his Works is his History of the Saxâ—ns in III. Books together with that of Henry King of Germany surnam'd the Fowler and of his Son the Emperor Otho This Hisâ—ory extends to the Year 973. when Otho dy'd XXIV Frodoard Abbot of Rheims writ a Chronicle which began at the Year 919. and ended with the Year 966. 'T is thought he dy'd much about the same time XXV Glaber Rudolphe a Fryer of St. Germains of Auxerre flourish'd under the Reigns of King Robert the Good and Henry I. his Son He has written an History which includes the time between the Years 990. and 1045. Neither the time nor place of his Death is known neverthâ—less he is of great Repute and was Author of the Life of St. William Abbot of St. Benigne of Dijon This Person was a great restorer of the Monastical Discipline of his Time He dy'd at Fecamp in Normandy the first of Ianuary in the Year 1051. XXVI Iohn Curopalate so call'd for being an Officer of the Houshold to the Emperor of that Name He is a Greek Author who compos'd a History from the end of the Empire of Michael Curopalate where Theophanes ended his to the beginning of the Reign of Alexis Comnenes Emperor of the Greeks that is from the Year 813. to 1081. George Cedrenus was a Grecian Monk that liv'd towards the middle of the Eleventh Century He has made an Abridgment of History from the beginning of the World to the Reign of Isack Comnenes who in the Year 1057.
succeeded to Michael VI. Emperor of Constantinople This Cedrenus was a great Plagiary having Robb'd Iohn Curopalate of almost all that he says after the death of Michael I. to the Reign of Isack Comnenes It was then customary among the Greeks to rifle the Dead and this ill Example extended also to Letters Eusebius made bold with Africanus George Sincellus a Monk of Constantinople who liv'd in the Eighth Century likewise Pillag'd him in his turn and moreover Criticis'd upon him most unmercifully After him comes George Theophanus a Man in other respects good enough but he could not forbear treading in the Paths of others and enriching himself with the Spâ—ils of such has had gone before him But still herein he was more moderate than George Cedrenus whose Theft was so exceedingly extravagant that Father Labbe the Jesuit in his Book de Script Eccles. expresses himself very much displeas'd when Vossius made it a Question Whether George Cedrenus were more beholden to Iohn Curopalate or Iohn Curopalate to George Cedrenus But the Truth is these modern Greek Peices are of no great Worth for they are generally made up of the Raggs of Antiquity Patch'd and Sow'd unjudiciously together As all these different Greek Works have been generally Stollen I have not thought it convenient to allow 'em any particular Article but imagine I have done sufficient to let the World know how little they ought to be Valu'd XXVII Ingulphus an English-man of London was a Monk in the Abby of Fontenelles in Normandy and afterwards Abbot of Croyland in England He flourish'd between the Years 1050 and 1109. when he dy'd He has written an Account of the Monasteries in England from the Year 664 to 1067. which was the first Year of the Reign of William the Conquerour whose Secretary 't is said Ingulphus was after he became King of England XXVIII Iohn Zonarius a Monk of the Order of St. Basil flourish'd about the Year 1120. He has written an Universal History in III Volumes Whereof the First contains the Affairs of the Jews from the Creation of the World to the Destruction of Ierusalem The Second comprehends an Abridgment of the Roman History from the Foundation of Rome to Constantin the Great The Third contains the Actions of the Eastern Emperors from Constantin to Alexis Comnenes M. Vossius allows this Author a greater share of Genius and Exactness than he seems to have Merited by his Works This Historian before he became a Monk had divers considerable Employments in the Eastern Emperors Courts XXIX Honorius Autunensius so nam'd from his having been Prebendary of the Cathedral Church of Autun in Burgundy He flourish'd under the Reign of the Emperor Henry V. about the Year 1120. There is a very large Chronicle of his which M. Vossius says is a great Honour to its Author being of no common Benefit to the Publick Gloriam sibi publico fâ—uctu quaesivit Volumine quod summa Historiarum vel Magnum Chronicum Opus Nuncupatur Vossius c. We have likewise an Account of the Ecclesiastical Writers from this Author which he entitles De Luminaribus Ecclesiâ—e XXX William of Malmesbury or Somerset a Monk of the Order of St. Benedict in the Monastery of Malmesbury where he was Library-keeper He has Writ Five Books of English History and Two which are call'd Historia Novella It ends with the Year 1142. when it is thought that its Author dy'd He is look'd upon to be one of the best Writers of the History of England XXXI Henry Steronius a Monk of the Abbey of Altaich in Germany liv'd in the 14th Century He has compil'd Annals which begin with the Year 1152. being the First of the Reign of Frederic Barbarossa and proceed on to the Year 1273. when the Emperor Rodolphus I. of the Family of Hapsbourg began his Reign Eberard Arch-deacon of Ratisbonne continues these Annals down to the Year 1305. This Author Steren likewise writ the several Lives of the Emperors Rhodophus of Hapsbourg Adolphus of Nassaw and Albert of Austria down to the Year 1300. Vlriâ— and Conrade Wellirige of Ausbourg two Brothers and Monks of the Order of St. Benedict made an Addition to this Work which extends to the Year 1335. XXXII Henry of Huntingdon Arch-deacon and Canon of Lincoln in England flourish'd about the Year 1153. being the time when Stephen King of England dy'd He has written the History of England in X Books from the Descent of the Angels and Saxons upon Britain to the Year 1153. Polidore Virgil says this was an excellent Historian Historicus Egregius XXXIII Petrus Cemester or Peter the Eâ—ter was Native of Trâ—ies in Champagne He quitted the Benefice which he had in the place of his Birth to become a Member among the Regular Canons of St Victor at Paris where he dy'd in October towards the Year 1198. and his Tomb and Epitaph in the Church of St. Victor have been frequently Visited by the Curious He was a very learn'd Man for the time while he liv'd He compos d the History call'd Scolastick which Sixtus of Siena extreamly commends tho' he says withal that its Author has intermixt with it a great many Apocryphal Actions which have no good Warrant from Antiquity In this History which consists of XVI Books â—he Abridges all the Old and New Testament adding here and there some Notes and Remarks drawn out of the Fathers and some profane Writers XXXIV Otho of Freisingen so nam'd for having been Bishop of that City was Son to Leopold Marquess of Austria equally Illustrious for his Birth Learning and Piety Being Dissatisfied with the Professors of the College of Newbourg which his Father had Founded he went to Study in the University of Paris He afterwards admitted himself of the Order of White-Fryars in the Monastery of Morimond of which in a short time his Virtue advanc'd him to be Abbot Having been chosen Bishop of Freisingen he return'd into Germany in the Year 1148. when he waited on the Emperor Conrade in his Expedition to the Holy-Land But upon his Return being convinc'd more than ever of the Vanity of Things of this World he hasted to his belov'd Retirement of Morimond where he dy'd the 21st of September in the Year 1158. This Otho writ a Chronicle in VII Books from the beginning of the World to the Year 1146. He also compil'd the Life of Frederick Barberossa which Radevic a Canon of Freisingen continu'd XXXV William a French-man tho' some say a German was elected Arch-bishop of Tyre in Phenicia the 30th of May 1175. He has written the History of the Holy-War under Godfrey of Bulloign Which he begins with the Year 1095. and ends with that of 1180. This Work comprehends XXIII Books but the last is not quite finish'd Iohn Harold has hereto added VI Books after a Fashion The Year of William of Tyre's Death is unknown XXXVI Helmodius a Priest of Busoen near Lubec liv'd in the Twelfth Century in the time of the Emperor Frederic
I find that he was 56 Years of Age in the Year 1508. LX. Iohannes Trithemius Abbot of Spanheim and of the Order of St. Bennet had a perfect Knowledge both of divine and humane Sciences which appears by his Works amongst which there are several that appertain to History There is First his Chronicle of the Origin of the French and their Kings which comprehends the space of 1189. Years being from King Marcomire to Pepin Next we have his Chronicle of the Reigns and Succession of the several Dukes of Bavaria and Counts Palatin Then there is his Catalogue or Account of illustrious Personages which have been most famous in Germany with several others which I have omitted only I must take Notice that his Stenographia occasioned him to be Accus'd of Magick by those only who had not sufficiently consider'd the nature of his Work which contain'd some surprizing Methods of writing after an uncommon Manner Those who have given themselves the Trouble to consider of this Book have Laugh'd at the Ignorance of these People who thought it Consisted only of Speeches to raise the Devil LXI Hector Boetius a Scotch Doctor of Aberdeen Study'd at Paris at the same time with Erasmus He has written the History of Scotland in XIX Books which Iohn Ferrier a Piemonteze continu'd Boetius compos'd also an History of the Bishops of Aberdeen 'T is said he was alive in 1526. but the exact time when he dy'd is unknown LXII Centuriae Magdeburgenses In the last Age a certain number of very learned Men being Protestants of the City of Magdeburg in Germany set themselves to work to compile a general Ecclesiastical History Which with unexpressible Labour and Judgment they brought to Effect and beginning at the Apostolick Age shewed the Doctrin and Discipline of the Church in every Age of it as also the Changes that happen'd in every part of it This Work which the learned Bishop Montague calls an Herculean Labour for it was the first of the kind is a very compleat Account of all Ecclesiastical Affairs and has deserv'd a very large Encomium from the abovemention'd judicious Prelate as may be seen in the Preface to his Apparatus But it must however be confess'd that this Work hath a share in humane Frailty and is not entirely free from Faults LXIII Caesar Baronius a Cardinal was born at Sora in the Kingdom of Naples He has been famous both for his Piety and Learning He for twenty Years together held Conferences in the Church of the Oratory at Rome concerning Church-history He compil'd Annals of the Church which we have now Extant in XII Volumes He liv'd in the Thirteenth Century that is to say in the Year 1198. He undertook this great Work to oppose the Centuriators of Magdebourg Pope Clement VIII made him Cardinal in the Year 1596. and he would have been Pope had it not been for the Spanish Faction who always oppos'd him because he had mention'd little or nothing of them in his Ecclesiastical History the Sixth Volume of which they caus'd to be Burnt He dy'd the 30th of Iune in the Year 1607. when about 69 Years Old His History is on all Hands granted to be a very good and useful Work and were it not for his excessive partiality would be the most excellent in it's kind Henry Spondanus has made an Abridgment and Continuation of the Annals of Baronius They have also been continu'd by Father Brovius a Polish Fryar of the Order of St. Dominic as likewise by Father Olderic Riwald a Priest of the Oratory at Rome And Father Bisciola and divers others have also made Abridgments of him LXIV Anthony Godeau Bishop of Erasse and afterwards of Venice has been one of the most famous Prelates of this Age. He has written a History of the Church of which I shall say little because it is in every Bodies Hands only I must Affirm that it is Manag'd with a great deal of Judgment and Candour and worthy of an Author who was a Member and first Encourager of the Royal Academy in France We could not better close this Account of Ecclesiastical Writers than with the illustrious Name of Bishop Godeau who has done so great an Honour to his Country and particularly to the Clergy of France He dy'd the 21st of April in the Year 1672. I do not pretend here to have given an exact Account of Ecclesiastical Writers but I have nevertheless made it my business to follow those Catalogues that have been left us by Cardinal Bellarmin and Father Labbe under the Title of Index Historicorum Ecclesiasticorum Also I may well have fail'd in ranging them in that due Order which true Chronology would require yet I have chiefly follow'd Bellarmin except in Honorius of Autun's Life whom this Cardinal and Vossius make to be famous about the Year 1220. when he flourish'd about the Year 1120. which is an Error of full a hundred Years CHAP. VI. Of the most considerable both Greek and Latin Authors of Civil History BY the little I have said concerning each Ecclesiastical Writer it may sufficiently appear that the major part of Church-Authors have either wanted Ability or Sincerity to relate things as they ought yet at the same time however great their Incapacity or want of Integrity might be it will be as readily own'd that their Faults have been nothing in respect of those of the Civil Historians Among these you shall every where meet with the Violation of these two grand Maxims which an Historian ought chiefly to have regard to which are Never to tell a Lie Nor conceal a Truth If History were to be written only by honest Men it is certain that it would never stray from these essential Rules This Caution was once observ'd at Rome insomuch that the care of History was a publick Employment and entrusted only to great and learned Pens But at length with the Caesars Luxury and Flattery got the upper Hand and then we saw that Function which was look'd upon before as Sacred and August Usurp'd by Persons of neither Birth nor Merit Suetonius after Cornelius Nepos observes that the first mean Person that had the boldness to meddle with History was one Otacilius who from a Porter by means of his great Parts came to be Tutor to Pompey the Great as likewise that before him there were none that offer'd at writing History but those that were most considerable in the Common-wealth If I were allow'd here to Speak my Mind I should affirm that what has contributed most towards the corruption of History is the Complaisance that some particular Writers have had to publish Princes Lives whilst they Liv'd or soon after their Deaths Such Relations are Fruit which ought to ripen a long while before it is serv'd up to the Table For in Truth a Historian neither writes as he would nor he ought of a Prince that is living because there are few Princes that would suffer themselves to be represented as they live Truth
World during the space of 240 Years that is from the beginning of Cyrus's Empire to that of Xerxes being the time when our Historian wrote The Bishop of Meaux in his Universal History terms Herodotus the Great Historian Vossius de Historicis Graecis Lib. 1. Cap. 3. says That Herodotus design'd to have written the History of the Assyrians wherein he was to treat of the Kings of Babylon but that he believ'd that Work was never Publish'd because Herodotus was prevented finishing it by his Death Yet we may read Lib. 8. Hist. Animal Cap. 18. that Aristotle accus'd Herodotus of advancing an Untruth against Natural History when he affirm'd that an Eagle drank at the Siege of Nineveh for it is certain that those Birds which have hook'd Claws never drink Now this Passage which Aristotle reproaches Herodotus for is not to be found in his Work of the Nine Muses and therefore must have been in his History of the Assyrians Nineveh having been the Capital City of Assyria which may give a reasonable conjecture that he had written that History yet nevertheless the Ancients have made no manner of mention of it Vossius does not believe that the Life of Homer found at the end of Herodotus's History belong'd to him as some would have it and the Reason he gives seems to carry Authority along with it For says he Herodotus in his Euterpe places the Birth of Homer above 200 Years more backward than the Author of his Life has done Herodotus dy'd at Thuries whither he had voluntarily banish'd himself to be the more intent on his Studies and the Composing of his History II Thucydides was of illustrious Parentage It is reported That his Grand-father Marry'd the Daughter of a King of Thrace but what is more certain is That he himself was a Citizen of Athens He was a young Student in one of the most famous Colleges of Greece at the same time that Herodotus read his History With this Work he was infinitely Charm'd and could not help shewing so much Jealousie of the Author as if he had despair'd of ever performing the like which Heredotus perceiving immediately Prophesied that he would be a great Man and moreover told his Father That he was happy to have a Son at this Age who had so great a Sense of Fame and Glory His History was design'd to have contain'd all the Peloponesian War being that between the States of Athens and Sparta which lasted full 27 Years but he dy'd while he was about the 21st Year of it Theopompus supply'd the 6 other Years This History of Thucydides is divided into VIII Books Cicero professes a great esteem for Thucydides his manner of Writing when he Styles him Authorem subtilem Acutum Brevem Sententiis magis quam verbis abundantem Lib. 2. de Oratoria Father Rapin likewise in his Instructions for History affords this Author great Commendation for he says the same thing of his Style as Cicero had done before him The Style of Thucydides says he is more Noble and Lofty than that of Herodotus yet at the same time it fails of being so Natural and Easie. In some places it has those harshnesses which render it Obscure and it is every where more Luxuriant than the Style of Herodotus Thucydides says the same Author in another Place has Fire Force and Grandeur every thing in his Writings keeps up its self and nothing Languishes and Grovels It is in this that he excells Herodotus who frequently loses himself and grows too diffusive where he gives too great a loose to his Genius Longinus observes that Thucydides sometimes confounds the most regular Methods the better to surprize by a disorder and to change his Narration the oftner He also sometimes relates Things past as if they had been present and this to have the advantage of describing an Action which moves a Reader more as likewise renders him more Attentive Lucian finds fault with this Author's description of the Plague of Athens in the second Book of his History and this perhaps with reason enough for however Prudent he may be allow'd in other places yet there he has run out a little too much Lucian says also that Thucydides has succeeded better than other Historians in his Harangues for what he puts in the Mouths of the principal Actors in his History viz. Pericles Nicias Alcibiades Archidamus sometimes a whole Nation together are admâ—rable Instructions for Orators and to which Demosthenes was not a little beholden who became so great a Master in that Art Vossius says after Lucian that Demosthenes copy'd Thucydides's History eight times with his own Hand and likewise that the Emperor Charles V. always carry'd a French Translation of him about him where-ever he went Monsieur Rapin says farther That Thucydidâ—s and Livy are both sufficient to acquaint a Man what Genius History requires for that Antiquity has nothing to boast of more perfect than their Works There is nothing almost to be desir'd more in either of them unless it be that the former were more Natural and the latter more Sincere Thucydides has establish'd his Reputation with so pure Ideas that he deserves to be Credited in all Ages It is hard to meet with one of this Author 's excellent Temper who tho' he had been extreamly wrong'd by the Tyrant Pericles yet he always prais'd him as often as he found occasion and did frequent Justice to the Athenians tho' they had Banish'd him their Common-wealth He was a Man not at all guided by Passion and who propos'd only in what he writ to content the Judgment of Posterity by always speaking the Truth In a word Thucydides was exact in all that he writ and faithful and disinteressed in all he said and tho' he sometimes seems Austere and Suâ—ly yet is it ever what consists with Grandeur Photius says that as Herodotus is to be imitated by those that have a mind â—o be perfect in the Ionick Dialect so is Thucydides by such as would excel in the Attick Monsieur Le Vayer says that Thucydides had the Honour to be the first that gave a Soul to History by the several Harangues he made use of in all the three kinds 〈…〉 Whâ—â— before him it was but either a 〈…〉 or dead Body He flourish'd about the 〈…〉 before Christ A. M. 3490. 〈◊〉 Xenophon the Son of Gallus a Native of Athens was all at once a great Philosopher a great General and a great Historian Diogenes Laertius reports one thing of him which sufficiently demonstrates his Honesty He says that the Works of Thucydides having been lost and one Copy remaining only in Xenophon's Hands whereby that Author might have publish'd them for his own he nevertheless gave them to the Publick under the Name of their great Compiler Notwithstanding this the Athenians having afterwards suspected him of adhering to the Lacedemonians their Enemies banish'd him their Country He flourish'd about the Year of the World 3560. He is the first Philosoper that apply'd himself
his Protection and for his Maintenance procur'd him a Benefice in Calabria VIII Arrian Native of Nicomedia a City of Bithynia was a Disciple to Epictetus It is reported of him that he was both a Philosopher Geographer Historian and Lawgiver Suidas says He was brought up to the Consular Dignity that he had been in great request among the Romans and that by reason of the softness of his Stile he was term'd a second Xenophon Under the Reign of the Emperor Adrian he had very considerable Employments He has compos'd VII Books of the Conquests of Alexander the Great and one which treats particularly of the Indies Photius says That Arrian has no reason to give place to any Authors whatever tho' they have got the Name of the best Historians Rapin says That Arrian is but a Copyer of Xenophon and an affected Imitator of his Excellencies he having made VII Books of the Conquests of Alexander as Xenophon has of those of Cyrus There is also of the same Author A Description of the Euxin Sea and the several Countries that lie about it As likewise another Of the Red Sea with the Coasts of India and the Persian Gulph But these are only Pieces of Geography which have little or no relation to History M. de la Mothe le Vayer says thus of this Author What I shall further add concerning this Author is of great Consideration for altho' Arrian has often follow'd Maximus Tirius for which Ptolomy so severely blames him yet has he given a much more exact Description of the Oriental Indies than Ptolomy himself has as the modern Relations of the Portugals sufficiently prove Arrian study'd in the Place of his Birth where he became a Priest of Ceres and Prosperpine before he went to Rome as appears by his History of Bithynia quoted by Photius but which is now lost as well as that of the Alani and Parthians IX Appian descended from one of the best Families in Alexandria came to Rome in the time of the Emperor Trajan He there practis'd the Law for some time and pleaded with so great Force and Eloquence that he was soon advanc'd to be one of the Procuratores Caesaris and afterwards carried to greater Dignities in the Empire under Hadrian and Antoninus Pius His History contain'd XXIV Books beginning with the burning of Troy and proceeding through all the Progeny of Aeneas to Romulus and the founding of Rome Afterwards describing the Reigns of the VII Kings c. he comes to the Empire of Augustulus and from him onwards down to Trajan Of all this great number of Books we have at this Day but the least part remaining which are those of the Punick Syriack and Parthian Wars those against Mithridates the Spaniards and Hannibal together with the Civil Wars and those of Illyrium for as to those against the Celtae and Gauls we have only a few Fragments left Photius calls Appian an Impartial Author but which some will not allow accusing him of flattering the Romans to whom he always gives the Advantage in a Battle Scaliger says he is a very Novice in History and that he has stollen what is best in him calling him Alienorum Laborum Fucum Rapin says he was a Copyer of all the Greeks that treated on the same Subject which occasion'd his Stile to be as various as the Books from whence he stole He has taken from Plutarch what he thought Fine Yet after all his Works are not so much to be despis'd for they contain great Matter of Learning X. Diogenes Laertius appears in this Rank on no other account than that he has wrote the Lives and History of the Philosophers for if we should be oblig'd to mention none but such as had compil'd a Body of History we must have retrench'd Plutarch Diogenes Laertius and several others that follow they having written only some particular Histories To tell precisely the time and place of this Author's Birth is difficult There is a great deal of reason to believe he was a Grecian by reason that he commends that Country so extreamly for he says Greece is as well the Mother of Philosophy as of all Mankind Vossius says Laertius liv'd under Antoninus Pius or little after It is that Arria to whom Diogenes Dedicated his Lives of the Philosophers that was mention'd by Gallen in his Treatise de ' Theriaca She was much esteem'd by the Emperors because she lov'd Learning and adher'd to the Philosophy of Plato But for Laertius he sufficiently shews he was of the Sect of Epicurus as may appear by several Passages in his Book He is accus'd of treating oftentimes of Matters he did not understand XI Philostrates was of Lemnos or as some will have it of Tir or Athens so that the place of his Birth is uncertain He liv'd under the Reign of the Emperor Severus and at the Command of the Empress Iulia compos'd the History of Apollonius Thianaeus in VIII Books In the Life of this famous Magician there are a great many incredible things and altho' Philostrates in his Preface has profess'd to have follow'd the best Memoirs yet is he suspected to have had very erroneous Guides He makes his Apollonius work as many Miracles as one Hierocles did who compar'd him to Iesus Christ. But whom Eusebius confutes in a Treatise written on purpose Ludovicus Vives speaking of Philostrates says That he has corrected Homer's Fables with much greater of his own Magna Homeri Mendacia majoribus Mendacijs corrigit There are two or three more Authors of this Name which we must not confound with the Author of Apollonius's Life XII Dion Cassius was of Nice a City of Bithynia His Father Apronianus was Proconsul of Cilicia when as Adrian came to the Roman Empire Dion Cassius also himself had had several considerable Employments in the Roman Empire particularly had twice the honour of the Consulship conferr'd upon him by which it is plain that he had all the necessary Qualifications to write the History of his Time since he spoke of things whereof he had been Eye-witness and as one that had had a share in the Government of the State His History consisted LXXX Books divided into VIII Decads of which we have only the least part transmitted to us The Five and thirtieth Book is the first of those we have left and we have but summary Abstracts of the preceding Thirty four and an Abridgement of the Twenty last made by Xiphilinus a Monk of Constantinople He had begun his History with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy and pursued it down to Heliogabalus and the beginning of the Reign of Alexander Severus his Successor 'T was under this last Emperor that he Published his History which he had undertaken by the Command of Septimius Severus and the impulse of his Genius for Dion Cassius boasts of a Spirit that directed him and who had done him many a good turn And indeed it looks very strange that a Foreigner rich and powerful shou'd live easie
speak when he does it to the purpose Livy perswades more by his sound Morals than great Capacity For through the various Intrigues Interests Passions and other Disorders which he describes he gives a glimpse of an honest Mind which proclaims a better Man than Historian We see in them the inmost recesses of the Heart of those he describes the very bottom of his own and among the false Lights he discovers in their Conduct he is never out himself He judges well of all for his Soul is as Upright as his Wit is True Livy is the most accomplish'd of all Historians for he has all the great Parts requisite to write History a fine clear Imagination a noble Expression a true Judgment an admirable Eloquence He has none but great Ideas in his Mind he fills his Readers Imagination by what he says by that means he affects the Heart and moves the Soul He has the greatest Genius for History and is one of the greatest Masters of Eloquence that ever liv'd I don't understand what Asinius Pollio means by reproaching him with a Country way savouring of Padua which he calls Patavinity His great Talent is to make People feel what he says by ingaging those that read him in his own Sentiments by inspiring them with his Hopes and Fears and giving them all his Passions by his admirable Art of setting the most secret Springs of the Heart a going I hope the Reader will easily excuse me for dwelling so long upon Livy's History He is the great Master of this Art and deserves to be well known and since no Man can give us a better account of him than Monsieur Rapin I thought it proper to give you this long Abstract V. Velleius Paterculus was nobly born as he proves from those of his Name that had born the greatest Employments in the Army And he had himself been in the Wars with great Honour and Reputation He had been Tribune of the Soldiers and had Travell'd through the Provinces of Thracia Macedon Achaia Asia Minor and on both the Banks of the Euxin Sea so that both by his Employments and Travels he had great advantages to write History The two Books that remain of History for the greatest of his Works are lost begin about the Sixth Year of the Reign of Tiberius and are dedicated to Marcus Vinicius Consul who had Marry'd Tiberius's Grand-daughter His Style is pure clear elegant and such as is thought worthy of the best Age of the Roman Empire There are in his History some particulars not to be found any where else Never did any Man know better than he how to blame and how to commend yet in some Peoples Opinion he goes a little too far in the Praises he gives to the House of Caesar Augustus But how can a Man avoid that Fault when he writes his History before the Eyes of the reigning Family Therefore I easily forgive him the excessive Praises he gives to Tiberius but really he is guilty of too gross Flattery when he bestow'd so much Incense upon Sejanus his Favourite whom he endeavours to make pass for the honestest Man that Rome ever saw Velleius Paterculus is very exact in setting down the Times of the Events he speaks of he describes the Original of several Cities he makes the Eulogy of those that have been famous in the Wars in the Government of the State or in the Sciences in short there 's a great deal to be learnt from that Author Father Rapin speaks thus Paterculus and Florus are florid genteel delicate and agreeable in their mean way of Writing Let Paterculus be pretty trim and genteel in the Character he has pitch'd upon but let Livy be great and serious because small Beauties have need of Ornament to shew themselves whereas the great ones need no Addition to their natural Graces We must always speak within bounds let an Historian never diminish or exaggerate Things either as Tacitus who casts his Venom upon every Thing or Paterculus who makes every Thing look gay and pleasant VI. Quintus Curtius was a Roman Knight the Age he liv'd in is not well known but the most common Opinion is That he flourish'd under the Emperor Vespasian Quintilian who mentions all the Historians of Note in the Tenth Book of his Institutions written in Domitian's Time yet says not one Word of Quintus Curtius's History which induces us to believe That his Work might not have been Publish'd at that Time which Opinion is also confirm'd by the silence of the other Ancients Quintus Curtius has written the History of Alexander the Great in X Books but the two First with the end of the Fifth and some little places of the Tenth have been lost There is not a more excellent Author among the Latin Writers than Quintus Curtius He may be said to be among Historians what Alexander is among Conquerors and that the Panegyrist is to the full as great as his Hero So that Alexander would have now no Reason to complain that he had not like Achilles Homer to celebrate his Actions Some are for Livy's Style others for that of Tacitus but all agree upon the Excellence of that of Quintus Curtius which is beyond all dispute worthy of the Age of Augustus as Vossius speaks Imo vel Augustaeo aevo digna est dictio Iustus Lipsius says that he is the Author that Princes should make themselves most familiar with and that they ought to have him continually in their Hands Let us now consult Rapin's Judgment upon this Author Quintus Curtius says that Critick is shining and florid Nothing can be more Polite than Quintus Curtius he has a florid and gay Expression which extreamly pleases the Men of Wit Every thing ought to be grounded upon Reason and therefore Quintus Curtius is not always in the right When he endeavours to make his Hero so admirable he does not make him take the wisest Resolution but on the contrary the most Heroick and Perillous he always finds a Charm in Danger and cares not so much for Conquests as the Honour of Conquering It is in his Power to surprize Darius in the Night and by that means keep him from knowing how weak he was Darius having double the Men But this great Man who is less sollicitous of getting a Victory than making his Valour to be admired attacks the King of Persia in the broad Day being resolv'd rather to die with Honor than Conquer by a Surprise Darius after his defeat offers to divide Asia with him and proposes a Match between him and his Daughter but Alexander rather chuses to arrive at Glory thro' Dangers than become a Master so peaceably he will hear none of these Proposals and aims at nothing but what 's extraordinary His Historian I must confess does him a great deal of Honor but does not all this great Honor want a little probability Does he not make his Hero more Rash than Wise and more Venturesome than Ambitious He thought those Sentiments
Barberossa He has written a Chronicle of the Sclavonians which begins with the Conversion of the Saxons and the Neighbouring Nations under the Empire of Charlemagne and ends at the Year 1168. XXXVII Arnold Abbot of Lubec has continu'd this Work and carry'd it into the time of Otho IV. XXXVIII William the Little or of Newbury so call'd from his being of the College of that Town in England He was a regular Canon of the Order of St. Austin and liv'd in the Twelfth Century He compil'd V Books of the History of England which he begins with the Year 1066. When William the Conqueror got this Kingdom and ends with the Year 1197. What he relates down to the Year 1135. being that of his Birth he touches upon but very slightly but from thence forwards he treats of Matters with more care and more lagrely 'T is thought he might Die in the Year 1208. XXXIX Roger Hoveden born at York liv'd towards the Year 1200. it not being punctually known when he dy'd He descended from a noble Family and was Divinity-Professor in Oxford After he had left the Court of Henry II. he compos'd an History of his Country in two Parts beginning with the Year 731. where the Venerable Bede ended and having gone through to the end of the Reign of Richard I. surnam'd Caeur de Lion he began the Reign of King Iohn but finish'd no more than four Years of it XL. Nicetas Choniates a Greek Historian had considerable Employments in the Courts of the Emperors of Constantinople about the Twelfth Century When this City was taken by the French in 1204. he retir'd with a Daughter which he afterwards Marry'd at Nice a City of Bithynia and where he spent the remainder of his Days He compil'd an History or Annals from the Death of Alexis Comnenes which hapned in 1118. to that of Baudowin who dy'd in 1205. This History is divided into XXI Books and contains the most remarkable Transactions both in Greece and Asia XLI Conrade of Lichtkenaw otherwise known by the Name of the Abbot of Vsperg in the Diocess of Ausbourg liv'd in the Thirteenth Century He has compos'd a Chronicle which begins with Bel King of the Assyrians and reaches down to the Year of Christ 1229. which was the ninth Year of the Reign of Frederic II. This Work is nothing but a Collection out of divers Authors which he has rang'd at Pleasure and according to the Custom of those Times He was very Learned says Father Labbe in an Age where there was little or none to be found He dy'd in the Year 1240. after having been Abbot Twenty four Years XLII Iames of Vitry near Paris was a Person of singular Merit 'T is said he was Curat of Argentenit in the Thirteenth Century and after having follow'd the Crusade into the East where he was made Bishop of Acon that he was rais'd to the Cardinalship in the Year 1230. by Pope Gregory IX who also bestow'd on him the Bishoprick of Frescati He has given the Publick III Books of the History of the East and West whereof the First begins with the time when the Impostor Mahomet publish'd his ridiculous Religion and ends with the Year 1220. The Second treats of the Affairs of the East And the Third extends to the taking of Damieta There are other Writings of this great Man but which having no relation to Ecclesiastical History I have omitted 'em here XLIII Mathew Paris a Monk of the Order of St. Bennet and of the Congregation of Cluny at the Monastery of St. Albans in England was a Person very Learn'd and of extraordinary Piety He has written an History of England from the Year 1066 to 1250. which he afterwards continu'd to 1259. which was the Year of his Death The other Addition to the Year 1273. which was after the Death of Henry III. is suppos'd to have been made by one William Rishanger XLIV Vincent of Beauvais a Fryar of the Order of St. Dominic was Native of Burgundy and liv'd a considerable time at Beavais but was never Bishop thereof as some have falsely conjectur'd St. Lewis King of France honour'd him with a particular Esteem and assisted him moreover in the composing of his great Work which he divided into IV Parts Whereof the First is Speculum Doctrinale where he treats of all the Sciences from Grammar to Divinity The Second Speculum Historiale which comprehends all the remarkable Transactions from the beginning of the World to the Year 1254. An Anonymus Author has continu'd this History down to the Year 1494. The Third is Speculum Naturale being all Physicks and containing the State of Nature And the Fourth Speculum Morale wherein the Author treats of all kinds of Virtues and Vices XLV Nicephorus Calistus a Greek Historian who liv'd in the Fourteenth Century and under the several Reigns of Andronicus Paleologus the Elder Michael and Andronicus the Younger We have an Ecclesiastical History of his divided into XVIII Books wherein he relates all remarkable Matters from the Birth of Christ to the Death of the Emperor Phocas in the Year 610. This History was design'd to contain XXIII Books but we have now no more remaining of it than the Argument of Five which begins with the Empire of Heraclius and ends with that of Leo the Philosopher who dy'd in 911. This Work abounds with Fables and ought to be perus'd very cautiously Father Labbe says That among'st the Rags with which this Work is every where Patch'd you shall now and then meet with a peice of very good Stuff And Casaubon says That he sets no greater value upon the Leaves of this History than he would upon a Fig-leaf XLVI Nicephorus Gregoracius a Greek Historian who liv'd in the Fourteenth Century in the time of the Emperor Andronicus Paleologus the Elder and probably dy'd in the Reign of Iohn Cantacuzenes Emperor of Constantinople about the Year 1345. when that City was taken by the French He has compil'd XI Books of History which begin at the Year 1204. and end with the Year 1341. when Andronicus the Younger dy'd of whom it is pretended that he did not speak very Faithfully An Historian that is a Courtier is always byass'd to that Prince from whom he has receiv'd Favours This was the Case of Nicephorus Gregoracius He had liv'd a great while at the Court of Andronicus the Elder and observ'd how ill Andronicus III. treated that Prince his Grandfather insomuch that he forc'd him to resign his Throne to him and to become Monk This Nicephorus could by no means approve of and therefore when he comes to speak of this unnatural Grandson his Disgust sufficiently appears Vossius says That this Historian is neither to be Believ'd when he treats of Andronicus nor when he writes of Iohn Cantacuzenes Neque de Andronico solum sed de Cantacuzeno Mentitur Voss. de Hist. Grae. Lib. 2. Cap. 29. XLVII Iohn Villanius has written a History in Italian divided into XII Books which