On the Moral Injliicnce of Ulstorij. 347 



., f)f |:papy pf tl)e he rqes of history, if therewith 

 xpyst t>e incurred tJie penalty of their misery. 

 - - It. is also another consideration, and which 

 1)0 pb;losopliical essayist ou^ht ever to be 

 ashai^ied of bringing forward, in any place, or 

 l)etQ;;q^ any ai|dicnc;c>,, that if there be a truth in 

 that theology, which considers this life as the 

 triad of virtue, the"'ne'3rt as Tfs rcWard ; the 

 historian suggests,, no ^pch instruction, nor is it 

 biy l;iini that the reader will h^ gu'ar.ded agai^ist 

 conclusions which are alike reproachful to nian 

 and to the maker of jn^n; it is nqt from the 

 histprian that he-^will imbibe those more ex- 

 tended and subHmer views, which are cpn» 

 splatory to himself, and gloriqvvsly vindicate the 

 ways of Qod to man. 



There .is this fartljiei* disadvantage to be ap- 

 prehended , from the perusal of history, that 

 whereas we r meet, with certain cljxarapter^j^in 

 which good and bad qualities arp,SQ intimately 

 blended, that it is difficult to discriminate be- 

 twcen them ; and through we are sensible that 

 all is not sound, yet what is attractive so in- 

 sinuates its colour into the whole, rand the; 

 union of magnanimity and grandeur with all 

 so captivates us, that we come insensibly to 

 interest ourselves in their success \ and as their 

 history is more expand,ed, . our admiration is 

 more and more excited; we mibibe their 



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