136 History. 



and has certainly furnished a specimen of history 

 which will bear a very honourable comparison 

 with the illustrious models of Greece and Rome. 



Soon after Mr. Hume's publication, his coun- 

 tryman and contemporary, Dr. Robertson, gave 

 to the public his History of Scotland, which was 

 followed by the History of Charles V. and the 

 History of America. This gentleman unquestion- 

 ably deserves a place among the greatest historians 

 of the age, if he do not occupy the very first station. 

 Though his narrative is not equal to Mr. Hume's 

 in ease and spirit, yet he exceeds him in uniform 

 purity, dignity, and elegance of diction. In these 

 respects Dr. Robertson may be pronounced to 

 srand at the head of all modern historians, and 

 perhaps to have no superior of any age. 



In enumerating the first class of English histori- 

 cal writers, Mr. Gibbon comes next in order. 

 The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman 

 Empire forms an interesting article in the catalogue 

 of modern historical works. The insidious and ma- 

 lignant zeal to discredit religion so often manifested 

 in this work, is well known. And the artificial struc- 

 ture, the circuitous obscurity, and the meretricious 

 ornaments of the style are no less generally acknow- 

 ledged. Notwithstanding, therefore, all the learn- 

 ing, and other splendid accomplishments of this 

 celebrated historian, he is far from having furnished 

 a model that can be safely imitated, or conferred 

 any real improvement on this department of Eng- 

 lish literature. Nor is his work less hostile to all 

 the interests of decorum and virtue, than to the 

 best rules of taste and criticism.*' 



i) Those who would see a faithful exhibition of the partiality, the want 

 of regard to truth, and the shameful obscenity which abound in Mr. Gib- 

 bon's celebrated work, especially in the fourth, fifth and sixth volumes of 

 the quarto edition, will do well to consult the very able review of this part 

 of the work, by Mr. Wh it a ker, first published in a British literary journal, 

 and since reprinted in a separate volume. 8vo. 1791. 



