On th€;M(n*al Infiuence of Historxj. 551 



to pause, until, to serve some wise ends of qn 

 avqnging providence, he b;c permitted for a 

 while to spread desolation around ; or fall at 

 once, himself and his dcluiled country, a mighty- 

 ruin, a just but an inadequate atonement to art 

 offended and harassed world. 



Such is the aggregate of immoral impi*<?s^ ion, 

 to which history, as it has hitherto been, con- 

 ducted, does conduce. I am aware of thq 

 high repute* which history has obtained in 

 every ag^ and ;iation, and that I have a general 

 and even a liberal prejudice to resi,st. History 

 has been considered as among the sublime 

 productions' of human genius. As a work of 

 genius I have not arraigned her, I can even 

 with Cicero, allow her to be a MagistraMorum, 

 of manners .certainly, and of moral in some 

 degree ; and I have so allowed her, but only 

 to a select few; while to the many I contend 

 tliat she is a dangerous and immoral instructor ; 

 in which, perhaps, Cicero would in part have 

 have . agreed \yith me, if he had taken the 

 many into his contemplation. But we should 

 in many^ respects have differed; our morals, 

 our politics, our religion, would not altogether 

 have harmonized, and. Cicero would have 

 highly hated piany.of those evil tendei^cies of 

 histon i) whJ9h 1 have assigned the highest 

 in portance. . tlistory has powerful attracfeipns, 



