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.
last of the Danes is succeeded by Edward the Confessor Son of Ethelred 1042. Theodora Empress of the East 1055. Henry III. Emperor of the West 1039. Henry IV. Emperor of the West 1056. Michael Stratonious Emperor of the East 1056. Isaacius Comnenus 1057. Constantinus Ducas 1061. Harald Son of Godwin Earl of Kent Usurps the Crown of England 1066. William Duke of Normandy invades England Conquers Harald and is made King 1066. Michael Ducas Parapinaus Emperor of the East 1067. Romanus Diogenes marries Michael's Mother 1068. and Reigns with him till taken by the Turks and afterwards kill'd by Michael 1071. Nicephorus Betoniates Michael being depos'd succeeds him 1078. Alexius Comnenus puts Nicephorus into a Monastery and succeeds him 1080. The Turks separate themselves from the Sarazens and chuse for their Prince under the title of Sultan Tangrolipix 1048. He Conquers Persia 1059. Takes Ierusalem 1068. Axan succeeds him 1070. He took Prisoner Romanus Diogenes Emperor and conquers much Melec the 3d Sultan 1086. At this time the Turks were Masters of Syria the lesser Asia and all Palestine where they very much oppressing the Christians Simeon Patriarch of Ierusalem writes to the Pope for Relief who calls a Council at Placentia and obtains a general Croisade or War from all the Nations of Christendom for recovery of the Holy-Land to be Decreed 1095. Great Preparations are immediately made for the Holy War and divers Princes and Noblemen among whom Godfrey of Bulligne Duke of Loraine or rather of Brabant set forward with a great Army 1096. Solyman Sultan of the Turks 1097. Ierusalem is regain'd from the Turks and Godfrey of Bullen made King of it 1099. William Rufus King of England 1087. Henry I. his Brother succeeds him 1100. Baldwin Brother to Godfrey King of Ierusalem 1101. Henry V. Emperor of Germany 1106. Calo. Ioannes Comnenus Emperor of Greece 1118. Baldwin II. King of Ierusalem 1119. Lotharius Saxo Emperor of Germany 1125. He restored the Civil Law the Code and Pandects being found in Italy in his time Conradus III. Duke of Sweden succeeds him 1138. Emanuel Comnenus Emperor at Constantinople 1143. He is said to have caused Lime to be mixt with the Meal that was sold at Constantinople to the Army of the Emperor Conrade in his Journey to the Holy Land Stephen Earl of Blois King of England 1135. Fulco Baldwin's Son-in-Law King of Ierusalem 1135. Baldwin III. his Brother succeeds 1143. Noradine Sultan of the Turks 1143. Frederick Barbarossa Emperor of Germany 1152. Henry II. King of England 1154. He conquer'd Ireland 1172. Almaric King of Ierusalem 1163. Saladine Sultan of the Turks 1170. Alexius Comnenus II. Emperor of Greece 1180. Andronicus his Son 1182. Isaacius Angelus Comnenus 1185. Henry VI. Emperor of Germany 1190. Ierusalem re-taken by the Turks 1187. Richard I. King of England 1189. He goes to the Holy Land in his way takes the Island Cyprus In his return is taken Prisoner by the German Emperor Alexius Angelus Emperor of Greece 1195. Philip succeeds Henry VI. in the Empire 1198. Is oppos'd in it by Otho who was set up by the Pope Iohn steps over his Nephew Arthur's Head into the Throne of England 1199. By reason of a Quarrel between him and the Pope the Kingdom is interdicted and no Holy Offices perform'd for 6 years He had great Wars with the Barons who call in the French He first granted Magna Charta A great disorder in the succession of the Greek Emperors for Constantinople is taken by the Latins and Alexius Ducas who had strangled his Predecessor forced to flie to Adrianople 1204. Theodorus Lascarus Emperor at Adrianople 1204. Baldwin Earl of Flanders at Constantinople 1204. A succession in both those Cities continued till the time of Michael Paleologus Frederick II. Duke of Swaben Emperor of Germany 1212. The Inquisition first erected against the Albigenses 1222. Frederick Emperor of Germany goes to the Holy-war recovers Ierusalem and is Crown'd King of it 1229. He had Wars with the Pope was excommunicated and Anti-Caesars set up Henry III. King of England 1216. The Barons rise against him 1227. Magna Charta confirm'd by him 1253. Breaks it the Barons rise again and the King is taken Prisoner and detain'd by Simon Mountfort 1258. Lewis call'd the Saint King of France goes to the Holy-war with a great Army 1248. Takes Damieta returning home is taken Prisoner 1250. Great Confusion in the Government of the Western Empire occasion'd by the Emperor's Quarrel with the Pope Richard Brother to King Henry of England chosen Emperor 1256. Michael Paleologus regains Constantinople and Reigns sole Emperor there 1260. Edward I. King of England 1272. Rodolphus Count of Hapsburg Emperor of Germany 1273. From him proceeded the Austrian Family Andronicus Paleologus II. Emperor at Constantinople 1283. Adolphus of Nassaw Emperor of Germany 1291. Albert of Austria succeeds him 1298. Ottoman the founder of the present Turkish Empire 1297. Henry VII Earl of Luxemburg Emperor of Germany 1308. Edward II. King of England 1307. By too much cherishing Gaveston and the Spencers he lost the Love of his People and was at last depos'd 1326. Ludovicus of Bavaria Emperor of Germany 1314. He is oppos'd by an Anti Caesar Frederick of Austria Albert's Son Great Disputes at this time concerning the Authority of the Emperor and the Pope Edward III. King of England 1327. He is victorious in France his Son Edward stil'd the Black Prince took the French King Prisoner and by his Heroick Valour left his Father and Himself an immortal Name This King instituted the Order of the Garter In his time Wickliff lived Andronicus Paleologus III. Emperor at Constantinople 1328. Iohn his Son succeeds at 9 Years old 1341. Iohn Cantacuzen his Tutor makes himself his Associate in the Empire and rules with him till 1354. Charles IV. King of Bohemia Emperor of Germany 1347. The Mariners Compass found out 1302. Philip the Fair King of France having great difference with Pope Boniface VIII is excommunicated 1302. Pope Clement V. remov'd the Papal Seat to Avignon where it remain'd for 70 Years 1305. The Albigenses and Waldenses much persecuted at this time Walter Lollard a notable Opposer of the Romish Superstition with many of his Followers burnt in Austria 1315. Gun-powder invented in Germany by Barth Schwartz a Monk and Guns first used by the Venetians 1344. Amurath the Turkish Sultan brings 60000 Turks into Europe and takes Adrianople 1359. Richard II. King of England 1377. Quells the Rebellion of Iack Straw and Wat Tyler 1381. Is depos'd 1399. Henry IV. Son of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster succeeds and begins the Lancastrian Line of Kings 1399. Wenceslaus King of Bohemia chosen Emperor 1387. Rhodes well defended against the Turks 1380. Andronicus IV. Emperor at Constantinople 1384. Manuel Paleologus succeeds him 138â— Bajazet the Turk began to Reign 1388. Tamerlan the Tartar began to Reign 1387. He conquer'd Babylon Persia China and India Overcomes Bajazet and puts him in an Iron Cage 1399. The
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
in this Case being not proper to be Spoken But it is certain that an Historian is oblig'd to Publish both the good and bad Actions of the Person he writes of without being byass'd either by Love or Hatred Hope or Fear The Holy Bible mentions as well the Idolatry as the Wisdom of Solomon and Peter's denying his Master as his Repentance for so doing but this is what ought not to be expected from an Historian that writes his Masters Life while he lives and much less where it is written in his Court as several have been But what would you say of a Hireling that writes for a Pension would not he think you soon forsake his Character of an Historian for that of an Orator and instead of compiling a History make a Panegyrick or Apology In a Word What can be expected from a mercenary Pen Truth has never been Traded with but Flattery has always been Sold for most Authors have Idols to which they Sacrifice Truth Some Historians as well Ancient as Modern are not to be Read without the greatest Indignation because where they promise a History they produce a Panegyrick Procopius is continually upon the Elogium of Belisarius Eusebius of Caesarea is in a Rapture when he speaks of Constantine whom he frequently brings in without any Connection Epinar◠can never suffer his Charlemagne out of his Sight And Paulus Iovius is fulsome when he mentions his Como di Medici A Writer never so little gratify'd immediately soars a pitch beyond himself his Prince must appear Charming in all conditions and consequently be the Delight of Mankind for because he has had reason to conceive a good Opinion of him he imagins every Body else must do the like Thus Mens Minds are mov'd altogether by Machine Diodorus Siculus falls foul of Callias for a Flatterer since because he had receiv'd Favours from Agathocles he would pretend to justify his Actions when on the contrary Timeus who was banish'd Sicily by that Prince condemns him in every thing and is as fertile in Invectives as Callias was in Apologies The latter being Oblig'd had Notions quite contrary to the former who was Angry yet they both saw the same thing after a different manner All this ought to Convince us that Corruption has as many ways into the Heart of Man as there are Untruths to be met with in History After all I would not have an Historian so very rigid as never to allow any thing to his Country his Prince or Friends but to determine how far such Favours ought to go is the difficulty and which I should not care to give my Opinion about till I had well consider'd of it As we complain of the small Sincerity of Historians it would not be at all convenient to Flatter them in the Draughts we are about to make of them for we are always to treat them with the same Liberty as we would have them take in writing Publick Affairs As near as we can we ought to Paint them to the Life and Speak of their Works with the greatest Veracity It is of great Importance to know who speaks to us and what we are to expect from him But to proceed Having given the Reader an Account of the most considerable Ecclesiastical Historians together wherein we have also included the principal of those that have written General Histories we shall now proceed to an Account of the ancient Greek and Roman ones Wherein we shall besides a short Relation of the Life and Writings of the Author give a Character of him from approv'd Criticks §. 1. Greek Historians I. Herodotus is the most ancient of all the Greek Historians who have any Writings extant and therefore Cicero Styles him The Father of History and Prince of Historians Nevertheless Pherecides Dionysius of Miletum Hecates Xanthus of Lydia Charan of Lampsacus Heilanicus and several others have been said by Vossius to have written before him but their Works have been long since lost Herodotus was born 4 Years before Xerxes's Expedition into Greece and 5 Years after the Battle of Marathon which was fought in the third Year of the LXXII Olympiad He was Native of Halicarnassus a City of Dorida which was one of the Provinces of Asia Minor and flourish'd from about the Year 3500 to the beginning of the Peloponnesian War which happen'd in 3519. The History we have of his is divided into IX Books which bear the Names of the Nine Muses given them as 't is suppos'd by some learn'd Persons on account of the Elegancy of his Style and contains a compleat account of Grecian and Barbarian Antiquities from the time where the Holy Scripture fails us viz. The Reign of Cyrus to the Time of Xerxes The Dialect he wrote in is altogether Ionick wherein he came so near Homer that Longinus in his Treatise of Sublime assures us That Herodotus alone has so perfectly imitated this Prince of Poets that he deserves the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was in Samos that Herodotus learnt the Ionick Dialect and where he Compos'd his History before he retir'd with an Athenian Colony to Thuries a City of that part of Italy which the ancient Geography calls Magna Graecia Herodotus says Father Rapin in his Instructions for History is the first who has given a reasonable form to History and his Merit consists in having Chalk'd out a Path to those that were to follow him His Style is Pure Smooth Fluent Agreeable and Elegant and Athens exceedingly commended the Charms of his Discourse His Subject was both sublime and vast for it comprehended the People Kingdoms and Empires of all Europe and Asia Yet is he not every where over-exact because he took in too much Matter but still I find him of Sincerity more than ordinary since he treats of the Greeks and Barbarians those of his Country and Strangers without the least show of Partiality I am of Opinion that Plutarch was too severe upon him when he term'd him a Partial Historian but this Reflection is not to be wondred at since Herodotus had spoken so freely of his Country of Boeotia Rapin accuses Herodotus of straying sometimes too far from his Subject For says he an Historian is easily exposed to Ramble when he leaves his Subject and then can never command himself if his Capacity be not extraordinary So Herodotus frequently leaves his Matter to amuse himself with tedious Digressions which are for the most part forc'd and unnatural wherein 't is true he follows the example of Homer who was justly reckon'd the greatest Master of Method but without the same success for tho' that Author often times takes a Flight yet it always tends to the Perfection of his Work without ever straying from it It is certain says M. de la Moth le Vayer That Antiquity has left us nothing more Instructive or Entertaining than the Nine Muses of Herodotus They comprehend according to Dionysius of Halicarnassus his just Computation what hapned memorable in the
Iugurtha is too minute and particular He should not have said so much to make the Bounds of the Kingdom of Atherbal and Iugurtha then in question What need was there to describe all that vast Country and to distinguish the particular Manners of so many different Nations Trogus charges Sallust and Livy and not without a great deal of Reason with a wanton and immoderate Excess of Harangues in their Histories And indeed all those Speeches we put in the Mouths of great Men carry with them an Air of Falshood for from what Memoirs can a Man pretend to have fetch'd them And besides a Warrior never speaks like an Orator Therefore Harangues are Supposititious as well as that which Sallust makes Catiline speak to the Conspirators which probably was secret and extemporary Most of Sallust's Harangues are always admirable but never to the purpose Nothing can be finer than Marius's Speech it is the soundest Piece of Morality in the World concerning a noble Birth every thing there is reasonable and Antiquity cannot boast of many Discourses where one may find so forcible Persuasions to Virtue but that is out of its proper Place And the Air with which he makes Cato and Caesar give their Opinions in the Senate himself as great as he is is little proportion'd to the rest of the History We ought to make the Picture of none but important Persons wherein Sallust is faulty for he gives us the Picture of Sempronius who is but indirectly concerned in the Conjuration of Catiline Sallust with all his Simplicity is too prolix when he inveighs against the Corruption and loose Manners of his Time he is always angry with his Country and always discontented with the Government He gives us too ill an Opinion of the Commonwealth by his Invectives and Reflections upon the Luxury of Rome Thus nothing can be more eloquent than the Description of the Condition Rome was in when Catiline took the Resolution of making himself Master of it And when that admirable Author represents the Commonwealth corrupted by Luxury and Avarice and sinking under the Weight of its own Greatness he uses the most exquisite and eloquent Expressions that can be met with in any History 'T is in those Images that a Man of Skill has an opportunity to shew it and the Historians of the first Rate are full of those fine Strokes Sallust's Preambles which are great Speeches full of Sense and manly Eloquence seem to me to carry with them an Air of Affectation They are generally Common Places that have no Relation to the History Perhaps this Author had some Pieces of Reserve which he employed upon occasion as Cicero us'd to do That Method may be good for an Orator who speaks often in Publick but such Precaution is not allowable in an Historian who is supposed to be Master of himself and of his time Among the Latins Sallust has a noble Expression a true Wit and an admirable Judgment No Person ever imitated so well the judicious exact and severe Stile of Thucidides He is sometimes stiff in his Expressions but he never flags his Conciseness makes him now and then obscure his Manners are always true and he gives Weight to all what he says His Sentiments are always fine although his Morals were bad For he continually declaims against Vice and always speaks well of Virtue I find him a little too morose and peevish with his own Country and too censorious upon his Neighbour but take him all together he is a very great Man IV. Titus Livius was of Padua and not of Apona as some have imagined Soon after he was come to Rome he got into the intimacy of all the great Persons of that Capital of the World which gave him an opportunity to take all the necessary Instructions for the Composition of his History which he Published under the Reign of the Emperor Augustus He wrote one part of it at Rome and the other at Naples where he sometimes retired to Study and give himself up intirely to his great Work His History reached from the Foundation of Rome to the Death of Drusus in Germany and contained 140 or 142 Books But we have but 35 of them left and those too by an additional Misfortune do not follow one another The second Decad is wanting We have only the first third and fourth with about a half of the fifth As for what we want we must be contented with the Epitome or Abridgment which Florus has made of it if so be that we can see without indignation a small imperfect Copy which has in some measure robb'd us of so great and compleat an Original For Abbreviators are generally charged as necessary to the loss of the Books which they Abridge Men are naturally lazy and are glad to meet with Epitomes to save themselves the trouble of reading great Volumes Thus the loss of Trogus Pompeius is laid upon Iustin and that of Dion Cassius upon Xiphiliuus because they have Epitomiz'd them There are a world of Learned Men that cry up to the Skies the Merit of Livy's History Vossius who relates all that has been said in his Commendation gives us in four words a fine Panegyrick upon that Author Nothing says he can be greater or richer than this Writer Nihil hoe Scriptore est grandius atque uberius We have remark'd somewhere in this Book that Alphonsus King of Arragon recovered of a very dangerous Fit of Sickness by the reading of Titus Livius But we have forgot one particular which does no less honour to that Author which is That this great King as an acknowledgment of his Recovery demanded of the City of Padua the Bone of the Arms wherewith that famous Historian had writ his History and having obtained his Requests this Wise Prince caused that Bone to be transported to Naples where he received it like a precious Relick However in the very Age he lived Asinius Pollio found fault with something in him which he calls Patavinity This Patavinity was a Country way of writing such as North-Country Men and others will have with respect to the English Tongue unless they live a considerable time in London or either of the Universities These was says Quintilian in Livy a Country way of Writing that betray'd his Birth at Padua and some Expressions which could never pass upon the Courtiers and Politest Men in Rome Some think it strange the Livy who was a Man of Wit should relate so many populous Reports which he did not believe at all himself as he always seems to inâ—inuate His History is full of Prodigies Now an Ox has spoken another time a Mule has ingendred and then again Men and Women Cocks and Hens have changed their Sex There rains nothing but Stones Flesh Chalk Blood and Milk The Statues of the Gods are said to have spoke wept or sweated Blood In short adds Mr. de la Mothe la Vayer how many Apparitions of Phantoms do we not find in him How many
mild enough to be prevailed upon by reasonable Advice till in the latter end of his Reign when the Persian Luxury had debauched him To these natural Qualifications his Father a wise and couragious Prince added an Education that finished this excellent Piece for in his tender years he was commited to the Care and Tuition of Aristotle that great Philosopher by whose Wisdom this Noble Prince was so far improved that An Philippo Patri aut Aristoteli magistro plus debuit Alexander is become a common Subject of Declamation in the Schools When he was but a Youth visiting his Father's Stables he saw the Horse Bucephalus whom when by reason of his fierceness none of the Grooms durst venture to ride he undertook to tame and leaping upon his Back rode him round the Ring his Father surprized and delighted with the Courage of his Son ran to him and with Kisses and Embraces bad him seek some larger Territories for Macedon was too straight to contain so great a Soul At the Age of 18 years he shewed a wonderful Courage in the Battel of Cheronesus against the Athenians wherein some say he saved his Father's Life and gained the whole Honour of that Expedition His Father Philip after he had gained many signal Victories in Greece was preparing for an Expedition into Persia but was hindred in it by Death being killed by Pausanias at the Wedding of his Daughter Cleopatra about the year 3615 and was succeeded by his Son Alexander who was at that time about 20 years of Age. Alexander to follow his Father's Example went to Peloponnesus and caused all the Confederated Cities of Greece to meet at Corinth where by the Consent of all except the Lacedomonians he was chosen Generalissimo of the Army raised against the Persians Soon after this viz. in the Spring of the year 3617 he marched through Thrace and made Incursions into the Country of the Triballians and Illyrians He had a bloody Engagement upon the Banks of the Danube and therein defeated Sirmus the King of the Triballians Upon occasion of this Battel a Report ran that Alexander was beaten which Demosthenes corrupted with Persian Gold so inculcated at Athens that the People believed it and Revolted But Alexander soon convinced them of their Mistake for having finished his Work by the Reduction of those Barbarians he returned to Greece and the Athenians were wise enough to beg his Pardon and obtained it but the Thebans despising his Threats were be sieged their City taken and ras'd to the Ground except the House of Pindar which Alexander caused to be saved and gave it to the Posterity of that excellent Poet. And now having satisfied his Honour and Revenge Alexander again bethinks himself of his Persian Expedition and passing into Peloponnesus he was again declared Commander of the Forces raised for that Service 'T was in this Journey that he gave a Visit to Diogenes the Cynick at Corinth and soon after the return from it that in a Dream he saw the High-Priest of Ierusalem who Exhorted him forthwith to go to the Conquest of the Persians wherein he assured him of Success And now all things being prepared Alexander gave away the Government of his Dominions to his Friends distributing to some Villages to others Boroughs and to others Sea-Ports and Territories and reserving little or nothing Perdicas asked him What he kept for himself To which he answered Hope And now leaving Antipater chief Administrator he set forward for Asia having 60 Long-Ships to transport his Army which consisted of 40000 Men whereof Parmenio was made Commander of the greatest part When he came into Asia he visited the Tomb of Achilles from whom on the Mother's side he was descended He said Achilles was doubly happy in having such a Friend as Patroclus during his Life and such a Panegyrist as Homer after his Death After this he passed the Granicum a River in Phrygia where he met with Darius at the Head of 100000 Foot and 20000 Horse drawn up in a Line of Battel The two Armies joined and a very sharp Engagement happened between them The Persians lost 20000 Foot and 2000 Horse and about as many more were taken Prisoners Darius and his Army which appeared so formidable were put to flight and Alexander gain'd this Victory with the Loss of only 100 Men. By this means an Avenue was opened into Asia and Alexander marched to Sardis the Capital City of Lydia which the Governor surrender'd to him with all the Treasures that were therein From thence he marched to Ephesus where he put an end to the Oligarchical Government of that Place and established Democracy in its stead After this he took Miletum by Storm which was a very strong Town and famous for the Colonies it sent out to the Neighbouring Islands But Halicarnasseus which stood out against him to the last Extremity was by his Orders demolished In a word within the compass of a year he became Master of all Phrygia Lydia Pamphylia Pisidia Paphlagonia and Cappadocia Years of the World Years before Christ. 3617. This Year Alexander signaliz'd by his second Victory over Darius in the Battel of Issus in which Engagement he received a Wound in his Thigh that hinder'd him from meeting with Darius whom he intended to have killed with his own Hand The Persians according to Iustin's Account were 400000 Foot and 100000 Horse But Quintus Curtius does not reckon above half so many In this Battel the Persians lost 100000 Foot but others say only 50000. Let the Loss be more or less Darius was put to flight and that he might not be discovered threw away his Imperial Mantle That which went deepest to the Heart of this unfortunate Prince was that his Mother Sisigambis his Wife Statira his two Daughters and his Son not above 6 years old were taken by the Conqueror But Alexander used them always like Queens paid them great Respect and for their Comfort assured them that Darius whom they supposed to be dead was still alive 333 Immediately upon this Victory Alexander sent Parmenio to make sure of Damascus the Capital City of Syria where Darius left incredible Riches and all the great Women and Princesses of Persia. The Governor without any Ceremony betrayed the City to him but Alexander was so just as to punish the Traitor and sent his Head to Darius as a Present There were 7000 Horse-Loads of Treasure in the place which amounted to the Value of above ten millions Sterling He marched into Syria where he deprived of their Estates all those who made any Opposition against him Biblus in Phenicia and Sidon were some time before they would surrender to him but were at length reduced and the Kingdom of Sidon bestowed by Hephestion Alexander's Favourite on Abdolominus a Gardiner who lived in the Suburbs of that City He subdued all Syria and Phenicia except Tyre which held out 7 months but at last was taken and 2000 of its Inhabitants hanged on the Sea-Coast He took Gaza