UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



be omitted, and nothing which can be omitted 

 hould hold the place of that which is intereft- 

 mg. An hiftorian fhould faithfully relate all 

 wt is commonly faid of an event, and of its 

 circumftances, without being obliged to be anfwer- 

 for the ftricT: truth of what they may fome- 

 times contain that is marvellous or incredible 

 He thar would write the hiftory of R ome , and 

 Ihould pafs in filence the tradition of Romulus 

 Remus being fuckled by a wolf, would 

 :ommit an egregious fault. No reafonable man 

 an believe that Hatton, archbiihop of Mayence 

 was devoured by rats, and yet it would be un- 

 pardonable to make no mention of fuch report 

 when writing the hiftory of that archbifhoprick! 

 An able writer will endeavour, in the firft place 

 o reconcile thefe forts of popular traditions with 

 the truth, and which if he cannot effect, there i 9 

 a certain manner of relating fuch ftories, by 

 which the reader will immediately perceive that 

 the hiftorian gave them no credit. The follow- 

 ing words of a celebrated author, contain alfo an 

 important obfervation : There are a thoufand 

 ' incidents that are interesting to a cotemporary 

 ' but which are loft to the eyes of pofterity ; 

 "and which, difappearing, leave thofe great 

 " events only vifible, that have determined the 

 ' fate of empires. Every thing that is done, 

 : ' does not deferve to be written." For the reft, 

 he will produce a mere chaos only, painful and' 

 difguftful to the reader, who, after having made 

 choice of the matters he would relate, does not 



reduce 



