302 ROBERTSON. 



to so good a work. To the historians of all ages 

 joining with the vulgar, and, indeed, writing as if 

 they belonged themselves either to the class of am- 

 bitious warriors and intriguing statesmen, or to the 

 herd of ordinary men whom successful crimes de- 

 frauded at once of their rights and their praises, 

 may be ascribed by far the greater part of the en- 

 couragement held out to profligate conduct in those 

 who have the destinies of nations in their hands. At 

 all events, this is certain : if they could not eradicate 

 the natural propensity in the human mind towards 

 these errors when unrefined, they might have en- 

 lightened it, and have gradually diffused a sounder 

 and better feeling. 



So deeply have I always felt the duty of attempting 

 some such reformation in the historical character and 

 practice, that I had begun to undertake the reigns of 

 Henry V., of Elizabeth, and of Alfred, upon these 

 great principles. A deep sense of the inadequate 

 powers which I brought to this hard task, would 

 probably have so far grown upon me as its execution 

 advanced, that I should have abandoned it to abler 

 hands; but professional, and afterwards judicial, duties 

 put an end to the attempt before it had made any 

 considerable progress. Nevertheless, I found no 

 small reason to be satisfied of success being attainable, 

 when I came narrowly to examine the interesting 

 facts connected with national improvement and vir- 

 tuous conduct ; and I am sure, that whoever may 

 repeat the attempt will gather encouragement from 

 the proof, which I have drawn from the master-piece 

 we have been contemplating, that the events and 



