HISTORY. 83 



XIV. 9. Almoft all the ancient hiftorians 

 have an idle method of crowding their hiftories 

 with a number of harangues. We will for once 

 affume a dccifive tone, and pronounce all thefe 

 harangues, that are pretended to have been ad- 

 drefled to whole armies, to be either fictions or 

 abfurdities ; for it is impoftible for the com- 

 mander ok an army to make himfelf heard, evea 

 by a whole regiment that is nenreft to him, and 

 flill much lefs by a numerous army extended by 

 ranks and files. For even the proper officers 

 would fcarce be able to make the words of com- 

 mand heard on the day of action, though pro- 

 nounced in monofyllables, and with a loud voice, 

 if the foldiers were not previoufly acquainted 

 with them. The general therefore, who mould 

 ftrain his throat with making a long florid ha- 

 rangue before a battle, to an army that could 

 not poffibly hear it, would be delervedly re- 

 garded as a madman. Thofe orations which arc 

 fuppofed to be made from the roftrum to an af- 

 fembly of the people, by an ambafiador to a 

 monarch, or by a public orator to a fenate or 

 council, are more juit, more natural and pro- 

 bable. But even kippoling them to be true, 

 they ought not to b: very frequently introduced : 

 for they are a fort of machinery that loic their 

 power when too often uied. 



XV. 10. Laftly, in writing a hiftrry 

 may ibmctiines ir.akc a ntageous ufc of 



k:tcrs, dfccourfcs, reflexions, fay ings and 



!' 2 



