84 ESS4T upon the PRINCIPLES 



ing what he owes to himfelf *. He muft poflefs the fubtilty of 

 the politician, whofe tranfactions he relates, fo as to perceive the 

 intricacies of his character, and the mofl latent motives of his 

 conduct. If he does, he will draw the picture with exactnefs j. 

 if he does not, he muft miflead pofterity, for whofe benefit 

 chiefly he profeffes to write. 



THE judgment exhibited in the choice of a fubject may be 

 held a fecurity for the diftinct arrangement of all its parts. 



Cut lefla pot enter er'tt ret t 



Nee facundla defer et hunc y nee lucidus or do. 



When the hiftorian exhibits events that took place nearly at the 

 fame time in different places, the diftinctnefs of his detail muft 

 become manifeft as thefe multiply, and the difficulty of main^ 

 taining a due unity in his fubject is thereby increafed. The 

 disjointed record of a journalift deferves not the appellation of 

 hiftory. That unity mentioned, too, is alike neceffary, whether 

 the fubject be a fingle tranfaction in one ftate, (fuch asCATiLiNE's 

 confpiracy), or the continued tranfactions of a nation. 



THOUGH the cenfure of DIONYSIUS of Halicarnaffus upon 

 THUCYDIDES be fevere, it is not without foundation. In the 

 opinion of that great critic, the attention of the hiftorian cannot 

 be too much turned to this, ro n^viKun^ov f*fjo?, the nice ceconomy 

 and divifion of his fubject. For the want of due order, no 

 compenfation can be made, and every arrangement that breaks 

 the detail improperly, defeats the purpofe of all arrangement, 

 which is perfpicuity. The train of events recorded fhould be 

 precifely that which took place j and the connection between 



caufes 



* To tamen jam nunc cogita, quse potiflimum tempora aggrediar. Vetera et fcripta 

 aliis ? parata inquilitio fed onerofa collatio : Intadta et nova ? graves offenfae, levis gra- 

 tia. Nam prater id, quod in tain is vitiis hominum plura culpanda Turn, quam laudan- 

 da, turn fi laudaveris, parcus : Si culpaveris, nimius fuifle dicaris : Quamvis illud plenif- 

 time, hoc reftriclifiime feceris. EI.IN. lib. 5. ef. 8. 



