102 VOLTAIRE. 



country but he has present to his mind, by the extraor- 

 dinary reach of his memory, the history of every other 

 which stands in any relation, whether of resemblance or 

 of diversity, to the matter immediately under review. 



This work has thus become the true history of hu- 

 man society, indeed of the human race. He limits 

 himself, no doubt, in time, beginning with the age of 

 Charlemagne ; but he fixes no bounds of space to his 

 survey. From that period, the middle of the eighth 

 century, to the middle of the seventeenth, upwards of 

 nine centuries, he traverses the whole globe, to gather 

 in each quarter, at each time, all the changes that 

 have taken place in society all the events that have 

 happened among men the story of all the eminent 

 individuals that have flourished all the revolutions 

 that have affected the fortunes of nations or of princes; 

 and neglecting everywhere the trivial matters, how- 

 ever authentically vouched, he fixes our attention only 

 on the things which deserve to be remembered as having 

 exerted a sensible influence upon the destinies of the 

 world. In proportion to the real intrinsic importance 

 of each event, or to the interest which it is calculated 

 to excite, is the minuteness with which its circum- 

 stances are detailed. But no event is given in detail 

 merely because it is fitted to excite a vulgar and igno- 

 rant wonder ; while those things are recorded which 

 are of real moment, although their particulars may 

 seem to create little interest. To the work was pre- 

 fixed a treatise on the < Philosophy of History,' but the 

 whole book might justly be designated by that name. 



Such was the design; the execution of it has already 

 been characterised as marked by the peculiar felicity of 



