1^9'- *^^ S'^'^JE EITOLISH KIStORlANS. «7| 



happj ftleclion of ciicumllances, which animates tht; 

 page of tlve admired Athenian. Nor is it the kaft 

 honourable part of his praife, that he appears to have 

 been entirely divclled of national and of perfonal pre- 

 judice, and' that without any veftige of parade or affec- 

 tation, he frequently difcovers the traces of a feeling 

 heart. The candid reader will forgive this tribute of 

 r^fpetl. While hourly oppreffed v.ith a frelh multi- 

 tude of inlipid compilations from compilations, we are 

 in the mofl itrious danger of forgetting the very e:c- 

 illence of thole ineftimable writers from whom our 

 whole fources of information are originally derived. 

 Of th^ many ihip loads of ireatifes on Reman affairs, 

 which Englilh, and dill more, Frencli idlenefs hiis drag- 

 ged into light, a numberlefs majority make not the 

 , ijioft diftant approaches to claffical merit ; and yet of 

 , the greater part ot Greek and Koman hiltorians, an en- 

 tire and decent tr«nflaticn will be fought for in vain 

 in either language. After fuch mournful evidence of 

 eur flupidity, it is hopelefs to add, that an accurate 

 verfion of Froill'art would be an important acquifation 

 to the literary world. 



His memoirs exhibit a bev.u iful portion of modern- 

 hiftory ; and a liberal mind will obfervc with pecnlifcr 

 pleafure, tliat they are not deformed by the madnefs of 

 theological rancour. They do not exhibit the horrid 

 tWce of nations exterminating each other for antiquat- 

 ed fyftems of Jaiih, in the wildclt degree abfuru, or 

 abfolutcly unintelligible. This vsnerabJe veteran was- 

 not to difgulf us by the detail of controveifies and of 

 martyrdoms, where fcarning is frivolity, ar.d fortitud«i 

 at btft but tlie frenzy of ignorance ; nor were a ccck-. 

 fight and a card table, a mafquerade and an liorfe race» 

 to limit tliC amuicments and ambition of a brave and 

 proud nobility. 1 he black Prince never condcfccnd-d 

 to become arbiter in the quarrels of a band of jockit^ 

 ©r of fiddlers. Neither his father nor his feliov-lol- 

 diers, would hnvf admired his magniiiilmity. Giowing 



