no On the ANCIENT FORM 



intimately acquainted with his intentions and inclinations. 

 Add to thefe illuftrations, the various accounts given us by 

 different hiftorians, of the motives that influenced LUTHER 

 in cafting off his allegiance to the pope of Rome. By fome, he 

 is reprefented as being actuated folely by the love of truth, and, 

 according to others, by refentment. In thefe, and a variety of 

 other inflances, we fee hiftorians of the higheft reputation ad- 

 vancing their own opinions and conjectures, as matters of fact. 

 This practice, indeed, is much more common, and more unre- 

 ftrained among modern than among ancient writers, and is 

 ufually considered as a great improvement in hiftorical com- 

 pplition. It is for this, more than for any thing elfe, that 

 TACITUS is fo much an object of adoration. Yet this prac- 

 tice, fo very fafliionable at prefent, often leads an hiftorian 

 into more flagrant violations of truth, and into bolder aflump- 

 tions, than if he pretended to give us the language fpoken by 

 fome famous fpeaker. The dramatic hiftorian afcribes to his 

 illuftrious perfons, probable words and phrafes. The narrative 

 hiftorian, with intrepid boldnefs, afcribes to them probable mo- 

 tives, paflions and inclinations. The firft indulges conjecture 

 in thofe things merely that are external, and that regard the 

 form and manner. The fecond is indulgent to himfelf in thofe 

 that are material and internal, and advances, as facts, his own 

 gueffes concerning the nioft delicate fprings of action. Since, 

 therefore, the ftrict rule of veracity is tranfgreffed in this par- 

 ticular, with fo much applaufe, why, in an inftance of lefs im- 

 portance, and when the tranfgreffion would be attended with 

 advantages of another kind, may not criticifm abate fome of 

 its rigour? Nay, in comparing what was formerly faid with 

 what has now been obferved, the dramatic hiftorian feems- to 

 have the higher title to this indulgence, that he feems, in truth, 

 to be the more faithful writer of the two. The narrative hi- 

 ftorian gives you his facts and conjectures mingled together, 



and 



