ROBERTSON. 289 



which all the branches of separate annals may be re- 

 ferred. But though the same felicitous narrative is in 

 this work to be always found, and though the first 

 book contains the most perfect example of general or 

 philosophical history anywhere to be seen, yet I hesi- 

 tate greatly in preferring it as an historical composition 

 to either its predecessor or its immediate successor. 

 There are more remarkable beauties of a purely histo- 

 rical kind in both of these, according to my humble 

 judgment. As a whole, as a history of a country for 

 a given period, I am much disposed to place his ' Scot- 

 land' first; while I conceive that the ' America' pre- 

 sents particular passages, feats of narrative excel- 

 lence, unrivalled by anything in either of the other 

 works, perhaps not to be matched, and certainly not 

 exceeded, by any other historical composition of 

 any age. 



In proof of this last position I will refer to the fasci- 

 nating account of Cortez's arrival at Mexico, and of 

 his subsequent bold and masterly, though most cruel 

 and profligate measures ; to the romantic history of 

 Pedro de la Gasca's quelling by his individual wisdom 

 and firmness the great rebellion of Peru ; but, above 

 all, to the grand event, the most important recorded in 

 the annals of our race, the discovery of the New World 

 by Columbus. The skill with which this last narra- 

 tive is managed, and the conduct of the story, may 

 truly be pronounced matchless. I am now speaking 

 merely of the composition. The dramatic effect of the 

 whole is extraordinary. We are at first interested in 

 Columbus's sagacity, and boldness, and science, by 

 which he was led, through a course of private study 



u 



