10 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



In general, however, written records vary in historical value in 

 proportion to their proximity to the event. Accounts written long 

 after by eyewitnesses, based solely on recollection and not upon a 

 diar\- or other record made at the time, are seldom of great weight 

 as historical material, except in the matter of corroboration. 



The great historian of the Peloponnesian War states that in his 

 work he had not followed either the first account or his own opinion, 

 but related what he had either seen himself or learned from others 

 with the utmost diligence. "To find the truth," he writes, "caused 

 me great trouble for the writings of the various events were not 

 agreed in their accounts, but both sides were affected by partizanship 

 and failure of memory." 



Such, indeed, must have been the experience of every subsequent 

 seeker after truth. And the aim of every honest student of history 

 and of every fair-minded writer of history must be the ascertainment 

 and statement of the truth to the best of his ability. 



A topographical or pictorial document similarly varies in value 

 in proportion to the date of its execution. Maps and sketches, 

 prepared from memory, after a considerable lapse of time, are seldom 

 reliable. 



Occasionally the genuineness of a document may be doubted or 

 questioned. In times of stress, documents are sometimes forged or 

 mutilated to serve national, or political, or personal ends. It has 

 been proved, for instance, that so eminent a man as Benjamin Franklin 

 resorted to an extensive fabrication of documents to discredit his 

 adversaries and advance the revolutionary movement. Some of 

 these were long accepted as being genuine. 



The sources of error, even in the original documents, are very 

 numerous. 



The writer may have been self-deceived or may wish to deceive 

 others. 



The editor, or copyist, or printer, may have introduced errors or 

 made omissions either purposely or unintentionally. 



In the printing of contemporary official documents, it was, and 

 probably still is, the practice to suppress or alter passages, the pub- 

 lication of which may appear indiscreet or impolitic at the time. 

 Frequently certain documents are selected for publication and others 

 suppressed. Sometimes two despatches or official letters are pre- 

 pared, one for publication and the other to be kept secret. 



The judicious editor has occasionally resorted to the same 

 practice and omitted some statement, which he considered discreditable 



