1 64 obsei-vatlons on Watson's histoij. Feb. I . 



is splendid and sublime, yet with a degree of intellec- 

 tual resolution, not easily to be paralelled,he has inspect- 

 ed a fcene, from which imagination fhrinks, and which 

 reason seems to abhor. In the view of the progrefs of 

 society, preliminary to the history of Charles v. he has 

 penetrated that night of ignorance, barbarity, and con- 

 fusion which prevailed, for ages, in Europe. With faint 

 and uncertain lights, he has travelled through the horrid 

 maze, and collected those scattered rays, which his 

 oWn sagacity alone could difcern, into a body for a 

 permanent guide to future historians. He has reduced 

 a mafs of seemingly unmeaning rubbilh into order 

 and system, and laid a foundation for the history of 

 Europe. If a Livy, or an Herodotus, or indeed any of 

 the antient historians had reviewed this period, we 

 would have been amused with the warlike exploits of 

 a mighty monarch, or some wonderful adventure of 

 chivalry, instead of an illustration of those facts with 

 regard to laws, manners, or government, whose ef- 

 fects are permanent, and continue still to distinguifti 

 the civil afsociations of Europe. 



From the labours of Robertson, and a few other 

 French and Englifh philosophers, we are enabled to 

 conteniplate the transactions of kingdoms with more 

 enlarged views, and upon more fixed principles. Na- 

 tions have now afsigned them their motives for action, 

 as well as human nature. Battles, and revolutions in 

 kingdoms, are no longer considered on their own ac- 

 count, as splendid fceneg j their political consequences 

 are now nicely traced •, an all-prevailing theory conducts 



