ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 103 



particular, which have no relation to the principal action. 

 These, in compliance with their genius, boldly invent many 

 of the things they write; while those stamp the image of 

 their own affections upon what they deliver; thus preserv 

 ing fidelity -to their party, but not to things themselves. 

 Some are constantly inculcating politics, in which they take 

 most pleasure, and seek all occasions of exhibiting them 

 selves, thus childishly interrupting the thread of their 

 history; while others are too tedious, and show but little 

 judgment in the prolixity of their speeches, harangues, and 

 accounts of actions; so that, in short, nothing is so seldom 

 found among the writings of men as true and perfect civil 

 history. 



CHAPTER YI 



Division of Civil History into Memoirs, Antiquities, and Perfect History 



THIS civil history is of three kinds, and bears resem 

 blance to three kinds of pictures; viz., the unfin 

 ished, the finished, and the defaced: thus civil 

 history, which is the picture of times and things, appears 

 in memoirs, just history, and antiquities; but memoirs are 

 history begun, or the first strokes and materials of it; and 

 antiquities are histoiy defaced, or remnants that have es 

 caped the shipwreck of time. 



Memoirs, or memorials, are of two kinds; whereof the 

 one may be termed commentaries, the other registers. In 

 commentaries are set down naked events and actions in se 

 quence, without the motives, designs, counsels, speeches, 

 pretexts, occasions, etc. ; for such is the true nature of a 

 commentary, though Cassar, in modesty mixed with great 

 ness, called the best history in the world a commentary. 



Registers are of two kinds; as either containing the titles 

 of things and persons in order of time, by way of calendars 

 and chronicles, or else after the manner of journals, pre- 



