V. On the DRAMATIC or ANCIENTFORMO/'HISTORICAL 

 COMPOSITION. By WILLIAM RICHARDSON, M. A. 

 F. R. S. EDIN. and Prof effbr of Humanity in the Unherfity of 

 GLASGOW. 



\Readby Mr FRASER frTLER, Secretary, June 21. 1784.] 



IN comparing ancient with modern hiflorians-, we meet with 

 one remarkable circvimflance in which they differ. The an- 

 cient hiflorians are dramatic, the modern narrative. The an- 

 cients exhibit eminent perfons delivering long fpeeches, adorn- 

 ed, as the occafion may require, with all the graces and force of 

 eloquence. This is feldom done by the moderns. If it is ever 

 necefTary to give an account of what may have been delivered 

 on an interefting fubjecl by an eminent fpeaker, they tell us, ex- 

 cepting in fuch works as may be accounted tranflations. or in 

 fuch hiftories, as thofe of BUCHANAN and GUICCIARDINI, 

 written manifeflly after the models of antiquity, That he made 

 ufe of fuch or fuch arguments ; and, adhering flridlly to the 

 narrative form, they never venture on the bolder tafk of dif- 

 playing him in his own perfon, delivering a long oration. 



I. IT is probable, however, that the earlieft ancient hiflorians 

 were not induced to a practice fo peculiar to themfelves by cri- 

 tical confiderations. They adopted it without any reafoning 

 about its advantages. They could ftate no comparifon between 

 it and any other form of hiftorical compofition. They knew no 

 other, and were led to it, both in its beginnings and continua- 

 tion, by the particular fituation and circumftances in which 

 they were placed. This may be illuftrated by a few remarks. 



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