began in the year 1545. continued to the year 1563. the History of which Council written by Pietro Soave Polano a Venetian of the Order of the Servi a Man of admired Learning of an exquisite Judgment of an Indefatigable Industry and of a modesty and integrity that is scarce to be equall'd is in truth of more value than any Gold I think I may say then any Jewels and like to out-live the most lasting Monuments Which commendation is given deservedly to this Historian by that worthy and learned Person who faithfully translated this History into English who also was the first person who brought this pretious Jewel into these Western parts and to the great good of the Church first published it and in the preliminary Epistle has thus represented the Authour's Character and that not without good cause for he having had a Learned Intercourse with him and for some time conversed familiarly with him knew him throughly Yea the work it self confirms the truth of all this which was extracted out of the Memoires and Commentaries of Ambassadours out of the Letters of Princes and Commonwealths and from the Writings of the Prelates Divines and of the very Legates who were present in the Council which Writings had till then been carefully kept and out of them this History was extracted with so much labour accuracy study and fidelity as the said most learned and famous Knight has there observed that it may equal the best of all the ancient or Modern Histories of that Nature Neither are you my Hearers to conceive that this is the testimony of one single Person concerning either the Work or the Authour Be pleased then to accept a second and like testimony concerning both from the Latin Translatour also a person of the same degree with the former and for his great Ingenuity and Erudition of a flourishing Name Who writes thus of that Authour Nor doth he stand in any need of my Commendation his Work speaking him a person of an happy Ingenuity and of a great and right judgment liberally endowed with all sorts of Learning and abundantly adorn'd both with Divine and Humane Knowledge and that as well Moral as Political or Civil whereby he has attain'd a high degree both of Probity and Sweetness of Mind And of the Work it self he speaks thus As to what concerns the structure of this History whether you consider the things themselves or his Language and in the things if you observe the order of times the Counsels the things done the events and in the management of affairs if you desire not onely what was done or said should be discoursed but also in what manner and that when the event is told at the same time all the causes should be unfolded and all the accidents which sprung from wisedom or folly All these and a multitude of other such like things which the great Masters of History require in a good Historian he has performed so fully and exactly that in forming the History of one Council he hath represented all the Perfections of History and upon this account deserves to be numbered amongst the most noble Historians Jacobus Augustus Thuanus a Man of Noble Birth of great Learning and Dignity and worthy of the principal place amongst the Historians of this Age as we have observed above wrote the affairs of this Century as well Ecclesiastical as Civil from the year 1546 to the year 1608 with great exactness which History we have lately continued to the year 1618. Besides all these which I have named the Books of the Learned and Famous Gerardus Johannes Vossius concerning the Greek and Latin Historians will supply the Reader with the Names of a vast number of other both Civil and Ecclesiastical Historians out of which any Man that is not pleased with the choice I have made may choose out others at his pleasure But thus I think and that I have spoken enough concerning the First Part of my Method THE METHOD and ORDER OF Reading Histories Part the Second Concerning a Competent Reader SECT I. A young Man is as well to be thought an unqualified or incompetent Reader of History as of Moral Philosophy What things are required to both The end and scope of Reading The disagreeing opinions of the most Learned Vossius and Keckerman concerning this Question WE have finished the First Part in which we have represented the Authours both of the CIVIL and ECCLESIASTICAL History And we have made choice of those which we esteem'd the best of both sorts and have also shewn in what order they are to be Read And now in the Second Place we must inquire who is a competent Reader of them And we shall doe this with as much brevity as is possible Aristotle disputing in the first Book and third Chapter of his Ethicks concerning the competent and well-qualified hearer of those Doctrines he was to deliver there concludes thus A young Man is not a well-qualified hearer of Civil Knowledge or Morality because he is not experienced in the Actions which concern this life Because youth being ignorant in judging doth easily despise good advices and imbrace bad Counsels by which it is deluded and deceived But now if our Master has given a right sentence in this case what reason can be given why we may not pass the same sentence in our disquisition concerning a fit and competent Reader of Histories Seeing Wise Men have observed that History is nothing but Moral Philosophy cloathed in Examples In the Hearer of Ethicks or Politicks there is required in the first place judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he may judge well concerning the Rules of Actions And in the next place is required a well-disposed Mind that he may with dexterity endeavour to bring into use the Precepts he hath received And in the self-same manner it is necessary for the Reader of Histories to have the faculty of Apprehending whatever Examples he Reads and judging well of them And then that he should have an inclination and propensity of Mind to follow what is Good and to shun and avoid what is Evil and of turning all he meets with to his use and advantage For the principal end of History is Practice and not Knowledge or Contemplation And therefore we must learn not onely that we may know but that we may doe well and live honestly And therefore there are some Men of very great Learning who assert there is hardly any sort of study which seems to require more Sagacity Judgment Experience and Prudence than in reading History which is the best Mistress of Civil Conversation And therefore I have ever wondered that Gerardus Johannes Vossius who deserves to be numbred amongst the Princes of Learning in this Age should in his Elegant Book de Arte Historica of the Historick Art stifly maintain that this sort of study is fit for young Men and reject the opinions and confute and take off the arguments of Bartolomaeus
have you think I enter upon a new and unheard attempt by doing thus I have the Example of Good men on my side by which I am encouraged so to doe It was an ancient and commendable Custome heretofore which is still in use that in the delivery of Arts besides the daily Lectures the Tutours should repeat some things over again more Accurately by which the minds of their Pupils being as it were invigorated they might be the more inticed to a diligent pursuit of their several professions Thus in the days of our Fathers Franciscus à Victoria had his reiterated Theological Lectures Melchior Canus his Scholar also had his both Divines of great Note amongst the Roman Catholicks and of later times Henningus Arnisaeus a famous Philosopher and Physician published his repeated Politick Lectures and many other learned men of different Professions have put out their repeated Lectures But what need is there of so many Examples when the thing is able to justifie it self and affords me a ready defence for whatever does once please if we conceive that there was any solid Cause for it we may well hope the repetition of it will not be unacceptable That which is Good is Gratefull the second and third time was a Greek Proverb And the Venusian tells us of a Good Poem Judicis argutum quae non formidat acumen Haec placuit semel haec decies repetita plaecebit Which cannot fear the Criticks Eyes These please but once but those surprise At the tenth reading o'er him that is wise 3. But that which Horace promised would be the effect of an excellent Poem is too Great and Glorious for me to aspire to and even above my wishes For I am not so like Suffenus the bad but conceited Poet or so self affected that I should ever think these my rude and unpolish'd Lectures worthy of so strange a Fate My Design and Scope has indeed ever been to seek the good and promote the advantage of my Hearers and yet I have not onely here in this Publick place but every where sought carefully what might please you too though to wise minds these two are inseparable for it is but just and reasonable that what does profit should please and therefore whilst I consider these things seriously with my self I see no cause to fear this my slight Work should be less gratefull or acceptable to my Hearers Nor am I unwilling to comply with the desires of my Friends those I mean who as I said before desired these Meditations might be reprinted as having faln into the hands of very few men and the rather because they so confidently aver that it will be a very great Help to the Youth of the University and to all other lovers of History Whose Judgments though I do not totally suspect as bribed by their affections to me yet I think seriously and frequently with my self with Pliny Secundus an excellent Writer that it is a great thing to put a Discourse into the hands of Men nor can I saith he perswade my self that what a man desires should please all and always ought not to be often reviewed and by many And for these causes Gentlemen I have not long since resolved diligently and accurately to revise those my former Meditations and having so re-examin'd and enlarged them then to recite them so improved to my Hearers and yet not then Publish them to the Learned World till they had been well approved by many and Learned men who have great knowledge in History as not wholly unworthy of the Light 4. I think it is not unknown to many and I have observed it too often my self that too great a Self-love and Confidence have insensibly stoln upon the Wits of this and former Ages May I advise you young men to shun this as the worst of Pests let us banish it from us and think meanly of our selves Let us measure our selves and our Performances by our own Foot and Standard and not believe any thing that is Great of our selves beyond what we are truly Conscious of to our selves Modesty Modesty is it which becomes every Age and leads all that follow her in the Streight and right Path to solid Glory without it we are Hurl'd down precipices and instead of acquiring Honour become the Scorn of Men and instead of a good Fame we return loaden with Ignominy and Contempt but to return have you ever read or heard that of the Comedian He that can revere his own mind knows how to begin Safely or as others reade it to attempt Safely I doubt not but you have heard it Believe this Speech which deserves Credit and is an Admonition of the Greatest Value especially in War and yet not of more use in the dangers of the Camp than in the Hazards which attend the Gown and the School 5. This was well understood by Pliny whom I just now named and therefore not trusting much to his own Judgment he very often or rather always desired the opinion and Council of others when ever he Composed any thing which he intended to Publish but hear him in his own words Being to recite a small Oration which I intend to Publish I call'd together some that I might fear them but not many that I might know the truth and in another place I omit saith he no sort of Emendation for first I consider very diligently with my self what I have written then I reade it to two or three then I deliver it to others to be Noted and as to their Notes if I doubt I consider of them with one or two more and at last I recite it to many I love yea I venerate O thou Polite Secundus this thy Cautious modesty thy prudent and wise distrust of thy own Ingenuity how earnestly do I desire exactly to imitate thee and I do with the greatest Confidence propose thee as an Example to others 6. Nor do I onely recommend to you my Hearers his great Modesty and almost single Humility but in the very first place I commend that Custome of Reciting O very excellent Usage and to be infinitely desired in this our Scribling Age Both the Learned and Unlearned Write on and on And an Unrestrain'd Lust of Deflouring and defiling Paper Reigns every where and this is the cause why so many feeble dry jejune undigested begun rather than finished Pieces are so frequently thrust out into the World O that therefore this Ancient Custome of reciting at least privately and to our Friends could be brought into use again how usefull would it be to restrain the over hasty and desolute Wits of some and to direct others How desirable and acceptable would it seem to wise men to see the Writings of Learned men which were designed for the Press submitted first to the Judgments and Senses of Wise and Good men For you shall rarely find a man who is not deceived by his own Writings they are the words of
great both Love and Reverence Nor was the great Oratour M. Tully of another opinion for in his Perfect Oratour he thus plainly delivers himself Books saith he seem to want that spirit and Life which makes things seem greater when they are spoken than when the same things are onely read and from hence came that saying in reading Demosthenes the greatest thing is wanting the Oratour himself being read and not heard and with this that of Horace agrees where with great facetiousness and pleasantry he Ridicules the Epicurean who had improved Catius in the Kitchin Arts. Learn'd Catius by the Gods I ask this Boon Where e'er you go Sir I must have it done Pray bring me to this Copious Spring of Truth That I may hear it drop from his own mouth For though you talk as if you understood His Precepts well and knew the rules for Food Yet from your Lips I 'm sure they can't be known So well as if I heard them from his own Besides to see the figure of the man Would please me much pray shew me if you can A Sweet with which blest you are almost Cloy'd And do not value cause so oft enjoy'd But eager I to unknown Fountains press To draw from thence the Rules of Happiness 10. Things standing thus my Hearers what hinderance remains that we may not chearfully prepare ourselves for the designed Work which having thus bespoke your affections we will begin forthwith in the next Lecture and in the mean time lest whilst we are to discourse concerning the Order and Method of Reading Histories we should break the rules of Method if our younger Hearers for whose sake this Task is undertaken be not told what Histories we mean we think it now worth our while to premise first the Definition and then the Division of Histories and then briefly to explain them that by this means we may open a more clear passage to the bringing our designed undertaking to its End The Definition then which we formerly made and which I will still stand by is this History is the Register and Explication of particular affairs undertaken to the end that the memory of them may be preserved and so Universals may be the more evidently Confirm'd by which we may be instructed how to live well and Happily I say first then that it is a Register and Explication because we are to discourse of it as it may be read so that Recording and explaining are the Genus for the Object or matter I put particular affairs that is publick or private Actions worthy of the memory of men I assign a manifold End that the memory of particular Actions may be preserved and also that out of Particulars general Precepts may be deduced and Confirm'd and lastly that by these we may be the more instructed how to live well and happily for this was the reason why M. Tully styl'd History the Mistress of Life and to this relate those excellent words of Livy in the Preface to his History This is the most Healthfull and Profitable attendant of the knowledge of History that you may Contemplate the instructions of variety of Examples united in one illustrious Monument and from thence take out such things as are usefull to thee or to they Countrey and that thou mayst wisely consider that what has an ill beginning will have an ill end and so avoid it 11. According to this our Definition we subjoyn our Divisions which are not subtile and exquisite for such would be of no use here but popular and common I know that History has been divided both by the Ancients and some of the Modern Writers into Divine which treats of God and Divine things Natural which treats of Naturals and their causes and Humane History which relates the Actions of Man as living in Society and our definition has respect onely to the latter and this again we subdivide into Political or Civil and Ecclesiastical History and again both these into General and Particular Histories The Political or Civil History is that which explains the Rise or beginning Constitutions Increases Changes and Affairs of Empires Common-wealths and Cities Ecclesiastical History is that which principally describes the affairs of the Church though at the same time the Transactions of Monarchs and Kingdoms are also inserted Universal either Civil or Ecclesiastical History is that which contains the Actions of all or at least many and those the most considerable People Common-wealths or Churches for many ages the Particular History is that which comprehends the affairs of any one People City or Common-wealth or of one particular Church This our Method is intended to describe the distinct and regular way of Reading all these in their due Order There is another division of History which offers it self to our Consideration and is especially worth the observation of Youths which is taken from the Circumstances and Modes of Relating or Explaining things as of Histories some are call'd Chronicles which are those that chiefly take notice of the times in which Actions are done others are call'd Lives which describe the Persons of particular men and their Actions and Manners others are call'd Relations or Narratives whose chief business is to relate faithfully and clearly the memorable Actions of particular men or any particular affairs of Communities As to the first of these heads all Histories do or at least ought to note the times in which Actions happen for every Relation is obscure and like a Fable without the Addition of the time in which it falls and yet all do not observe the same intervals of time nor keep the same Order in Relating and this produces variety of Chronicles from whence has sprung the various denominations of Annals Fasts Ephemerides or Diaries Menologies Bimestrias Trimestrias Semestrias Decads and Centuries of all which we have largely discoursed in our Preliminaries of History The Writers of that sort of History we call Chronicles are Herodotus Diodorus Siculus Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Justinus T. Livius Sabellicus and the like The Writers of Lives as is said propose to themselves the representation of the persons of single Men and which is worth your reflexion to this sort belong mixt Actions publick private domestick and Civil c. in this Classis are Suetonius Plutarch Cor. Tacitus Dion Cassius Aemilius Probus and others to be placed The Writers of Relations or Narratives are Historians who endeavour to give full and Continued Accounts of memorable Transactions and affairs such as Xenophon's Expedition of Cyrus Salustius his Conspiracy of Catilin Halicarnassaeus his Embassies and the like Concerning the reading of all which you shall be farther informed with God's assistence in the Ensuing discourse THE METHOD and ORDER OF Reading Histories Part the First SECT I. Three things are required to the profitable reading Histories whereupon the three parts of this discourse are propounded THat the Reading of History may be attended with the most Advantageous Consequences and afford the Student a
I have noted already Diodorus Dionysius and Dion Cassius who if they were now Extant intire we should then have a perfect memory of the Roman affairs from the building of that City to the thousandth year of its Age. But let us be content with what is left the Divine Providence has so ordered it that out of the Reliques of what remains the body of the Roman History may yet be beautifully built up the Picture of which in Little is most Artfully drawn by our L. Annaeus Florus SECT XV. From whence the course of the Roman Story is to be begun L. Annaeus Florus commended the judgments of Learned men concerning him he is not the same with the Epitomizer of Livy his Errours or mistakes excused how these Errours in probability crept in the Consular fasts of Sigonius and Onuphrius and also Pighius his Annals commended VEry Learned men and well acquainted with the Roman History exhort the Students of it with an intent eye and mind to run through look into and contemplate this curious Representation and not without good cause it being in the Judgment of Lipsius a Compendium of the Roman History written finely plainly and Eloquently Nor does he stop here but adds his Censure the accurateness and brevity of it are very often wonderfull and there are many shining Sentences like Jewels inserted here and there both with good Judgment and truth Nor does the Learned C. Colerus whom I have so often cited before decline from this opinion his words are these believe me you will with no less pleasure reade that terse piece than that with which you could see one of Apellis his Pictures it is so well compos'd and so Elegant I admire that Judgment which could insert SENTENCES with so great prudence and brevity in such a heap and variety of things The great and Learned Censor of Books in his Piece of teaching the Arts and Sciences led the way to both these where he affirms there can nothing of that kind be fansied more accurate and pleasant but in this Vivis and other Learned men are much deceived who think this our Florus the same with the Epitomizer of Livy and much more those who conceive he designed in this work to give us a Compendium of the Livian History whereas he neither observes the Livian method nor always agrees with him And others that they may abate his esteem accuse him of a great fault his confounding times and relating that first which ought to have been placed in the second place often also perturbing and confounding the Names and Employments of their Generals so that he who follows him must often be led out of his way I will not deny that there are many such Errours in this Authour nor can I say whether they happened through ignorance or negligence or want of care but my opinion is that in some he may be excused for as to the confusion of times objected they might have known that he digests his Relations by Heads and Species rather than times separating things of a like Nature from those of a different separating for Example Wars from Conspiracies and civil Discords from Military Expeditions in short what a great Antiquary has said for Paulus Diaconus I should willingly offer in the behalf of Annaeus Florus no man can be supposed so ignorant in Chronology as that he can expect to find in Florus an exact Series of the Fasts as if he were a sworn Accountant and as to what concerns the confounding Names and Offices who knows not that such failings happen frequently by the carelesness of Transcribers and the ignorance of the ancient Notes especially in the names of the Roman Generals and Magistrates and in transcribing the numbers of years nor am I unacquainted with the complaint of that very learned Man Andraeas Scotus It is not possible to express what darkness and confusions the affinity of Names and the great similitude of words have cast upon the History of the Roman Common-wealth and upon their Families and what an infinite trouble has from thence been given to the Students in Antiquities and the Interpreters of Books And therefore the Reader may in this if he please and I do most earnestly perswade him to it call in to his Assistence the Consulary and Triumphant Fasts of Carolus Sigonius or Onuphrius which are much more certain Guides than Florus for there he will find the Roman Story shortly and regularly Adumbrated Or the Annals of the Magistrates and Provinces of the Senate and People of Rome written by Stephanus Vinandus Pighius than which it is impossible to conceive a better Commentary can be made or wished not onely upon our Florus but also upon Livy Dionsius Halicarnassaeus Dion Cassius and upon all the other Writers of the Roman History as the before named Learned Jesuite Schotus affirms To conclude as the small imperfections which appear in the greatest beauties are easily pardon'd or obscured by the great perfections which attend them so I see no reason why we should not readily pardon the few Errours we meet in so usefull and delicate a piece as Florus is SECT XVI In what order the Reader should proceed in his Reading of the Roman History Dionysius Halicarnassaeus commended how many years his History contains the reason given why we assign him the first place and confirmed out of Bodinus WHen the Reader has attentively considered the shadow and Picture of the Roman History let him proceed to consider the body of it in all its parts in the following method and order of Authours if he is pleased to make use of my advice Dionysius Halicarnassaeus who flourished about 26 years before Christ Anno V. C. 725 is by the confession of all a grave Authour and a most accurate searcher into and describer of the Roman Antiquities and therefore I desire he may lead the way He in order to a clear Notice who the Romans were having given an account of what he had learned concerning the People call'd the Aborigines or the most ancient inhabitants of Italy not onely from Fables and the reports spread among the many but from the Books of Portius Cato Fabius Maximus and Valerius Anciatis and of many others then he continues a History in XX Books to the first Punick War which began the third or fourth year of the 128 Olympiad A. V. C. 488 but of those twenty Books which Photius tells us he left onely XI have been brought down to us in which we have the History of CCCXII years described with great fidelity and care nor have we rashly assigned the first place to Dionysius in this our Chain of Authours because he will be instead of a bright Torch to our lover of Histories who without him must often stick and blink and walk in a dark Night whilst he read onely Latine Historians Will you have the reason of this Joannes Bodinus will give you many and will also
or affairs require it For he as we have hinted already Wrote an History which is not to be despised concerning the Origine of the Goths and their Actions about those times And Procopius may also be here usefully Read who Wrote VII Books of the Persian Gothick and Vandallick Wars undertaken by Justinian and managed by Belisarius as his General For if we may believe Volteranus there is in his Books the knowledge of such things as will please the most curious and so many Windings and Turnings of Commanders as for the most part happeneth in such like Wars so many strategems consultations concerning the ordering alluring confuting delaying and mitigating men that they will render the most incapacitated fit for Publick and Private affairs And the Learned Casaubon calls him a Great Writer And Johannes Bodinus saith No Man can doubt whether he is not to be esteemed amongst the Principal Writers After Procopius follows Agathias a Florid and Prudent Writer he lived about the year of Christ 567. He was a Lawyer by Profession of Smyrna in Asia and Wrote V. Books of the Reign and Actions of Justinian and begins his History where Procopius ended his his Style is Terse and Florid and he was a Pagan But if the Reader should rather chuse to pursue and reade the III. Tome of Zonaras whom I have also recommended before Nicetas Choniates will then claim the next place and after him Nicephorus Gregoras which two Authours continuing the History especially of the Eastern Empire will bring the Reader down to the death of Andronicus Palaeologus the latter that is to the year of Christ 1341. The first of them flourished in the year of Christ 1300. and in XXI Books Wrote the History of LXXXV years that is from the death of Alexius Comnenus where Zonaras ended to the year of Christ 1203. the latter lived Anno Christi 1361. and Wrote a Bizantine History in XI Bâ—oks from Theodorus Lascares to the death of Andronicus in whose times he lived and therefore deserves the less credit in his History of that Prince's Reign and Cantacusenus severely corrects him for it and calls him a Light Person and a Liar his Style is much worse than that of Nicetas for it is too luxuriant and has other faults proper to that Age but he is for the most part a good Judge of the causes of things But we will not defraud any of them of that Commendation has been given them by very Learned Men. Christoph. Colerus saith the Oriental Writers pursue a florid way of Writing and affecting Elegance too much are sometimes the farther from it I confess Gregoras is almost the onely Politician Zonaras was very knowing in Publick Affairs and is especially usefull to Lawyers Choniates is often guilty of trifles yet he is Religious and sometimes discourseth prudently of the causes of Publick Calamities but we shall discourse of these again hereafter and perhaps in a more convenient place But if our Lover of History seems wearied with the reading of so many Authours and desireth to shorten his journey and reduce it to a Compendium After Dion Cassius or Suetonius he may then take Zosimus who as I have said Wrote the declining State of the Empire as he testifies concerning himself and continues the History from Augustus to the taking of the City of Rome by the Goths in the year of Christ 410 1162 years after it was built an Elegant Translation of which Authour was lately printed in English from which time to the Reign of Charles the Great which is worth our observation for the space of almost 400 years the City of Rome and all Italy which for many Ages before had been the terrour and dread of foreign Nations being now amazed either with the sense of present Miseries or apprehension of impending future Calamities never had any quiet From the time therefore in which Alaricus entred the City and Zosimus ended his History Blondus Forliniensis continues down the History of the Goths Vandals Longobards and other Nations a Thousand and thirty years to the year of Christ 1440. in which time he flourished and till 1450. Or if the Reader thinks fit when he has read Vopiscus he will not decline from the right Method of Reading History if he admits Carolus Sigonius his History of the Western Empire which he as he professeth collected with great and diligent accurateness and then in Writing consigned and commended it to Posterity with as much truth as was possible in that great obscurity of things and the darkness of times He begins in the year of Christ 284. in which Carinus being overcome by Dioclesian at Murtium perished and ends in the death of Justinian which hapned in the 39th year of his Reign Anno Christi 565. After this time saith he the Empire being wholly extinct the Roman State was divided into many distinct Kingdoms as those of the French and Burgundians in Gall of the Goths in Spain of the English and Scots in Britain of the Longobards and Normans in Italy of the Saracens in Africa and from thence the Reader may proceed to Blondus beginning at the VII or VIIIth Book of the first Decade and so go on with it to the end SECT XXV Johannes Cuspinianus Paulus Jovius and Augustus Thuanus will furnish the Reader with a much shorter course of History from the beginning of the Caesars to our present Age. BUt if the Reader desires a yet shorter course of History and will not indure to be oppress'd with such a burthen of Authours Johannes Cuspinianus hath Written the History of the Caesars or Emperours from Julius Caesar to the death of Maximilian the first Anno Christi 1518. who was a diligent searcher into Ancient Histories which is an excellent Work and worthy to be read by all In which setting down their Lives in order he hath not onely left to Posterity their Great Examples Sayings and Actions and whatever was well or ill done by them but also an uninterrupted series and thread of History which is intire and unmaimed for above One thousand and twenty years Cuspinianus flourished Anno Christi 1540. under Charles the Vth. Paulus Jovius begins almost where the other ends and Wrote not onely a History of the Caesars but an Universal History of Fifty years which is splendid and beautifull but some think he is not very faithfull in it for he is said to have Written many things very partially insomuch as Gorraeus of Paris confidently affirmed That his Romance of Amadis would not seem less true and credible to Posterity than the History of Paulus Jovius as Bodinus saith in his Method of History where he concludes thus He delivers many things concerning the Persians Abissines and Turks which he could not possibly know whether they were true or false where he could have no other foundation but rumours and publick fame having never seen the Letters Speeches Actions or Publick
it yet as to the gaining any true and solid Learning it is of No use at all In the next place we approve our Reader so much the more if he has had a taste of Practick Philosophy or Morality the necessity of which qualification may be easily apprehended by what is said above In the next place if he has some degree at least of knowledge in Chronology that is the Successions of Times and Ages So that he is acquainted with the Series and Order of them and can inclose as it were in certain Limits the Empires Wars and Events he meets with in History That great Man Josephus Scaliger calls this the Soul of History without which it cannot breathe or live by others it is call'd the Right Eye of History by others the North Star which governs and directs the Reader whilst he Sails on the vast Ocean of History that he may the more certainly and quickly and with the greater delight and improvement arrive at the Port he designs by his Reading for he that without the Order of times thinks he may understand Histories will find himself in the end as much disappointed as if he should attempt to pass the Windings of a great Labyrinth without a Thread or Conductor But we attribute to History a left Eye too that is Geography or Topography with which if the Reader be not in some degree acquainted he must of necessity lose much of the pleasure yea and of the advantage or utility of his Reading and will scarce be able to attain a clear and perfect knowledge of the things related For who is so ignorant in History as not to understand how much light is given to the Reader by the circumstances of the place in which any thing is done Let him therefore be Master of the Common Divisions of the Globe of the Earth and let him know how to distinguish the Parts of the World and how they lye Let him also know the Provinces or Kingdoms in each part and at least the Principal Rivers Mountains and Towns for as to the more exact knowledge of small things we hardly judge it necessary to our Reader Lastly If he be in some degree also acquainted with other Arts and has some experience of things we shall then say that he is indeed a competent and well-prepared Reader of History And these things are sufficient to be spoken concerning the second Part of our Method OF THE ORDER and METHOD OF Reading Histories Part the Third Viz. Of the Manner of Collecting the Fruits of History Or of the Use of the Reading Histories SECT I. The last Head of what is to be handled proposed The Council of Ludovicus Vivis concerning those things that are to be Noted in the Reading of Histories The Custome of Augustus Caesar in his Reading Histories What things are found in Histories worth Noting and of what Use they are THE third Head yet remains which in the beginning we resolved to treat of in the last place and that was what in our Readings we should elect and how And this I might easily pass over if I did onely propose the Rules Ludovicus Vivis has given to be observed by all For he teacheth us what is to be observed in the Reading Histories in these words In Reading Histories saith he the first thing to be observed is the Order of times and in the next place all Words and Actions which will afford any example for the imitating what is good or the avoiding what is evil Wars and Fights are not so accurately to be considered as teaching us nothing but the arts and ways by which we may hurt one another it is also lightly to be regarded who took Arms who were the Generals where they fought who was beaten and what was done to them nor are these things to be read or written in any other style than that of Great ROBBERIES as indeed for the most part they are no better excepting onely those Wars which are begun against Thieves which I wish were more usually done amongst Christians it will therefore be better and much more fruitfull to fix our minds upon the affairs of the Gown and to Note what things are famously and wisely done in relation to any vertue what is basely and cruelly done as to vices what event followed how happy the ends of good Actions proved how sad and calamitous those of leud Actions Then the Speeches and Replies of men of great Sense Experience and Wisedom and especially those which according to the Greek word are call'd Apophthegms Counsels also and the Causes why any thing was undertaken done or spoken and especially the Counsels of such men as have excell'd others in Honesty Wisedom and Learning as for example the Philosophers and the best of Men the Saints of our Religion that we may not onely know what has proceeded from great agitations of minds but what hath come calmly from the force of the mind and judgment for indeed it is an unworthy thing to commit to writing the Operations of our affections and not those of our Reason and Counsels These Prescriptions are given us by that Learned Spaniard It would be a shorter work yet if I should onely propose to our Student in History the Example of Augustus the Emperour for his imitation of whom Suetonius writes thus In perusing the Greek and Latine Histories he did not pursue any thing so much as the Collecting those Precepts or Examples which were salutary and usefull to the Publick or to private men which transcribing word for word he very often sent to his Domesticks or to the Governours of Provinces or Armies or to the Magistrates of the City as any of them had need of an Admonition But we shall make the Use of Histories a little larger and yet shall not be over prolix neither For as we have observed above frequently and truly History is a treasury of very many and different good things For in History you will find some things which tend to the increase of Learning others of Prudence other things you may observe which tend to the improvement of the Language and which do contribute to the perfecting the Faculty of speaking well and lastly other things which tend to the well forming the Life and to the polishing the Manners SECT II. Two sorts of Learning to be gathered Philology and Philosophy under either of these there are several Species contain'd in what Order these are to be disposed and of what use they are That many have written concerning the Forms of Common Place-books THerefore we say there are two sorts of Excerpts in the whole which are especially to be observed by the Reader Philological and Philosophical Under the Philological we rank not onely all those Observations which concern the Elegance of Speech the Politeness of the Language and Style and the Propriety of Words but also the ancient Customs all their Rites Ceremonies and Solemnities of what sort soever they are and their
it saith he if God to punish the King who had cruelly commanded them to be cast into the River having first delivered those infants from the danger of drowning by his own divine power whom he afterwards intended to employ in the building so great a City would farther contribute to their preservation by the suckling them by a wild Beast May I have your leave to give another instance out of our Authour last mentioned Annaeus Florus which belongs too to this Philosophick Head He represents the Victory of the Romans against the Falisci very elegantly in these few words but full of sense When the Falisci were besieged by Camillus the Faith of this General seemed wonderfull and not without good cause for a certain Schoolmaster having brought their children into his Camp to betray their City to him Camillus bound him and sent him and the children back into the City What was the event Why the Falisci freely surrendred themselves And we have just such another Example of a generous Faith in Fabricius in relation to Pyrrhus King of Epirus I will give it you in the words of Frontinus The Physician of Pyrrhus King of Epirus came to Fabricius the Roman General and offered to Poison Pyrrhus if he might be well paid for it But Fabricius not thinking he stood in need of such a villany in order to the victory discovered the Treason of the Physician to the King and by that fidelity wrought so much upon that Prince that he sought the friendship of the Romans Now what use can we make of all this why we have a general Rule of the greatest value imaginable expressed by Florus in the former Chapter That is to be accounted a Victory which may be obtained with the safety of our Faith and the preservation of our Honour Valerius Maximus has expressed this Rule with equal elegance That Victory which hath most Humanity in it will be least subject to the Envy of Gods or Men. Take the same Rule over again expressed in other words If any man would march the direct way to a quick Victory let him learn to use Clemency towards his Enemies For we are taught by the former Examples and a Number of others that prudent men who are very wise do effect more by their moderation than by force yea those things have sometimes been done by Counsels and Moderation which Violence despaired of according to that of the Poet Claudian Peragit Tranquilla potest as Quod Violenta nequit What Violence could never do To quiet Commands doth often bow When again we reade in Justin the Abreviatour of Trogus Pompejus the five years spent by Xerxes in his Preparations against Greece and when we compute his most numerous Army in which there was of his own Subjects seven hundred thousand and three hundred thousand Auxiliaries of other Nations in Arms. So that it is not improbably reported That Rivers were drank dry by his Army and that Greece was scarce able to contain them and that he had ten hundred thousand Ships And yet after all this when we consider the passage of the Thermopylae were defended three whole days by four thousand men onely against all this vast multitude to the great vexation and enraging of the Persians and after all CCC Spartans made a prodigious slaughter amongst them too And in the last place when we weigh with an attentive mind the base and wretched flight of Xerxes in a Fisher-boat besides that use of this which Justin subjoins to the relation in these words viz. That it was a sight worthy of regard and a serious reflexion on the Nature of Humane affairs which are wonderfull in their variety to see him skulking in a small vessel whom the very Ocean was before scarce able to contain to see him destitute of the attendance of all his Servants whose Armies a few months before were for their multitude a burthen to the very Earth Besides this use I say that Oracle which Demeratus the Lacedemonian as Seneca tells us spoke to Xerxes himself comes into my mind That a disorderly and burthen some multitude was to be feared by its own Leader for indeed it was rather a thing of weight and trouble than force Nor can we here omit the true saying of Lucan In se magna ruunt laetis hunc numina rebus Crescendi posuere modum Great things sink under their own weight God bounding thus all Humane height That prudent advice also of Artabanus offers it self You may see Sir that God strikes Gigantine Animals with his Thunder-bolts and will not suffer them to be insolent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God loves said Herodotus to humble the proud Which do all shew that the Ambassadour of Darius spake pertinently and like a man of experience when he thus treated Alexander the Great like a Philosopher An over-grown Empire is a thing of mighty danger it is very difficult to govern what you cannot comprehend You see Sir said he that those Ships which are too big cannot be Steer'd I do not know whether the principal reason why Darius has lost so very much be not because excessive Greatness opens many gaps to admit its own ruine And when I read in Suetonius that Caligula rag'd against almost all the Men of the Age he lived in with no less envy and spite than pride and cruelty and so furiously ruin'd the Statues of the Illustrious Romans that it was impossible afterwards to restore them with their first Inscriptions and that he forbad them to Erect a Statue to any man living without his knowledge and approbation When also I find it written of Nero that he was much heightned by Popularity and emulated all those who could by any means whatsoever move the affections of the many And of Valentinian that he hated all those who wore fine Cloaths and all that were Learned Rich or Noble and that he used to detract from the worth of Men of Valour that he alone might seem to excell all the rest of Mankind in all rare Endowments I am apt to conclude from hence That it is no unusual thing to have some tempers so infected with self-love shall I call it or envy and spite that they alone would engross all the Excellencies of Mankind and would not suffer other men to overtop them in any thing And upon this occasion Marcellinus himself Philosophiz'd thus Spite is the inseparable attendant upon Vertue and Envy ever waits upon all Lawfull Powers and by how much the higher any man's dignity is exalted conceiving from thence that he has a right to do what he please so much the more is he prone and disposed to traduce his opposites and to abase and turn out all those that are better Polybius is very frequent in these kinds of Reflexions as we said before and for the most part saves his Reader the trouble of making these Observations himself nor doth he onely teach us what excellent advantages as to