172 THE BEE, OR Feb. 



On Prejudices affeSling the "itruth of Hiflory. 

 Among an ignorant people, human aftions are ne- 

 ver fairly appreciated: The delicate operations of the 

 mind are not fufficiently adverted to ; and a precipitant 

 judgment Is formed of the motives for every aftion, 

 that is in moft cafes erroneous. Hence it happens, that 

 men of great talents, when they appear among fuch a 

 people, are e ther reprcfenced as monfters of wicked- 

 nefs, or adored as angels ; and, thofe who record the 

 tranfaftions of their life, will allow no fhare of good to 

 thofe they condemn, nor the fmalleft imputation of 

 ■wrong, to thofe whom they have taken delight to hon- 

 our. 



Among a civilized people, however, the cafe is much 

 the revcrfe : Thofe who have adverted to the conftitu- 

 tion of the human mind, are fufficiently aware, thai the 

 beft are not exempted from the frailties and eri-ors of 

 human nature, and that the mofl wicked, are never fo 

 thoroughly dcbafed, as not to have fomething about 

 them that would deferve applaufe — while among the 

 the ordinary run of mankind, virtues and frailties are 

 fo equally balanced, as to make it often difficult to fay, 

 which of them preponderate. 



Hiftorians however, who give an account of pafl 

 tranfaftinns, find it a difficult matter to delineate juflly 

 the charafter of perfons, whofc aftions have been fp 

 much mifreprefented by their cotempoiaries. To 

 weigh the whole with attention, and to form a jufl 

 judgment of the character of any perfon, from the con- 

 tradiftory accounts of perfons, who are in every re- 

 fpeft equally worthy of credit, requires an attention, 

 and a painful refearch, that many wifli to avoid. 

 Hence it is ufual for the hillorian of modern times, in 

 pharaftcrifing ancient peifonages to follow with great 



