THE BELLES L E T T R E s. 13 



Thofe of the preceding ages being more the 

 objects of curiofity than utility, we (hall leave 

 them to the learned refearches of critics, anti- 

 quaries, and commentators ; acknowledging the 

 obligation we have to their laborious inquiries. 

 We lhall fay nothing here of the ftudy of the 

 other parts of hiftoric and philologic fcience. 

 That only requires, as we have already obferved, 

 good eyes, a juft difcernment, and a happy me- 

 mory. What remarks may be necefiary relative 

 to that matter, we fhall make in the courfe of 

 our analyfis of thofe fciences. 



XIII. The love of truth obliges us to make 

 here one oblervation, and which we do at the 

 rifk of offending, and regardlefs of the confe- 

 quence. Every man who would acquire a true 

 knowledge of the hiftoric fciences (and frequent- 

 ly of the philofophic alfo) fhould learn them 

 from fuch works as are wrote by Proteftants. 

 The inquifition of the church of Rome flrikes 

 all catholic writers, and efpecially hiftcrians, 

 with a wretched timidity, that conftrains them 

 to dilguife the truth, or at lead to fuppreis it, 

 and be filent on all thofe matters that can in 

 the lead affect their religion. In all fuch facls 

 as relate to the origin and increafe jf the hiemr- 

 ( liy, thole authors arc to be altogether fufpedted ; 

 elpeaally when they belong themielves to the 

 ccclefiaflical ftate, and their fortune vifibly de- 

 pends on the court of Rome. We will defy 

 any one to produce a fingle work of th 



in 



