HISTORY.' 77 



work he may frequently make curious and ufcful 

 difcovcries, but the ground of the fuhject on 

 which he is Co treat ought to be familiar to him; 

 he fhould therefore well confider his ftrength 

 before he attempts the enterprife. 2. When a 

 choice is judicioufly made, he fhould examine 

 the fources (fontes) from which the fadb are to 

 be drawn. Original memoirs, manufcripts, ar- 

 chives, and other fcarce papers, are of an inefti- 

 mable value to an hiftorian, by enabling him to 

 prefent the public with fubjects that are new and 

 interefting. But, if he be not provided with 

 thefe, he ought at lead to confult the hiftorical 

 bibliotheques, in order to inform himfelf of thofe 

 authors who have v/rcte on that part of hiflory ; 

 to procure their writings ; to make a careful exa- 

 mination of them, and to extract all that can be 

 ofufeto his fubjed. A judgment more than 

 common is K ilary, in order to diftinguiih 



the fallc-, the fabulous, exaggeration and preju- 

 dice, from tiuth and impartiality ; and to deter- 

 mine tli'.- degree of credibility that is to be af- 

 figned to each author. The chapter, in which 

 we fliall treat of the knowledge of authors, will 

 contain ionic further inllruclions on this fubjecl. 



IX. When the hiilorian is provided with thefc 

 lliould, 3dly, begin his work by 

 a :c his 



.fpenfabh 



iiidiciou nd to 



that is in 



be 



