560 Tic flex ions on History^ S^c. 



which be was followed by those who com- 

 posed the Jewish bistoriail scriptures, and 

 with no small success, by the Evangelists, espe- 

 cially by Luke, the author of the book entitled 

 the Acts of the apostles. 



"Without doubt it is a mode which captivates 

 the attention and enables the imagination to 

 form a picturp of events and persons. But if 

 it were ■gcneraliy*' used, or by writers of no 

 extraordinary capacity or genius, it might 

 become wearisome to readers imbrued with 

 curiosity and eager for information. Hence, 

 possibly, Herodotus has been called the father 

 of history, because he was one of the first to 

 reduce the tales or traditions, which existed 

 before his time into a narrative form. But 

 sinqe-vhe (it is Ayell known) wrote to amuse and 

 gratify the Greeks, at whose public games his 

 w^orks, dedicated to the nine Muses^ were re- 

 cited, so it became necessary for him to adorn 

 his writings wifh ,the beauties of style, and 

 >vith the charms of eloquence. Then almost 

 cycry thing depended upon public speaking. 

 •^Vhilst state " affairs were never discussed in 

 any other way,; (he very principles of science 

 were communicated with the greatest effect J^y 

 tlxe most popular orators. It was not there- 

 fore . surprising, that the historians/both of 

 Greece and Rome displayed their talents for 



