History. 137 



Though the three last mentioned writers are ge- 

 nerally represented as holding the first rank amongst 

 English historians, there are some other names, 

 worthy of honourable distinction, belonging to the 

 period of this retrospect. Lord Lyttleton's His- 

 tory of Henry II. has long and deservedly sus- 

 tained a very high character. Dr. Goldsmith's 

 Histories of Rome and England are written in the 

 agreeable style of that popular author. The His- 

 tory of England, by Mrs. Mac aula y, is a very 

 respectable specimen of female talents, and holds 

 a conspicuous place in the list of English histori- 

 cal compositions. Besides these the histories of 

 Dr. Henry, Professor Stuart, Dr. Watson, 

 Mr. Mitford, Dr. Gilltes, Dr. Coote, Mr. 

 Ferguson, Dr. Russell, Mr. Andrews, Mr. 

 Belsham, and several others, have received much 

 praise. To designate the comparative and pecu- 

 liar merits of each of these would lead to a discus- 

 sion altogether beyond the limits of this chapter. 

 It is sufficient to say that, with different views, 

 and various grades and kinds of talents, they have 

 all presented the public with works which do 

 them honour, and which occupy an important 

 space in the annals of English literature. 



But it was not only in Great-Britain that histo- 

 rians of an highly respectable character arose in 

 the course of the last age. Most of the countries 

 of Europe, and especially those distinguished by 

 the cultivation of letters, may boast of a number 

 who hold an elevated rank in the same department 

 of literature. 



The historians of France, during this period, 

 were numerous and distinguished. Early in the cen- 

 tury M. Rollin, by his Ancient History™ estab- 



iv The respect every where paid by M. Rollin, in the course of his 

 history, to the government and providence of God, and to Revelation, 

 deserves particular notice, and is one of the numerous cjtaracterutics •£ 

 VOL. II. T 



