Chap. XVIL] History, 3\5 



of Charles II andjavdcs II; in 17.09 the Reigns of 

 Henry VII, VIII, EchvardVl, Alary and Eliza- 

 beth ; and in M^ljrom the Invasion o/jNliiisCa'sar 

 to the Commencement of the Reign ojlhnry Vll^ 

 completing his plan for the same period with Smol- 

 let. He far excelled all hispredecessors in beauty and 

 excellence of historical style^ and at once raised the 

 character of his country, in this branch of literature, 

 to a very high rank. His work, indeed, is charged 

 with glaring partiality; and that spirit of hostility 

 to rehgiou which he was known to possess too 

 frequently appears, w^henever, in the course of his 

 narrative, a pretext for this purpose was presented. 

 It must even further be allowed, that, with re- 

 spect to style, in which his great excellence lies, 

 lie is not w^ithout considerable fault.-. But in the 

 choice and arrangement of his materials, and es- 

 pecially in native ease, spirit, and force of lan- 

 guage, he has no equal among modern historians, 

 and has certainly furnislied a specimen of history 

 which M^ill bear a very honourable comparison 

 with the illustrious models of Clreece and Rome. 



Soon after ]\lr. Hume's publication, liis coun- 

 tryman and contemporary. Dr. Robertson*, gave 

 to the public his History of Scotland, which A\'as 

 followed by \\\g History of Charles l\ and the Hi- 

 story of America. This gentleman unquestionably 

 deserves a place among the greatest historians of 

 the age, if he do not oceuny the very lirst station. 

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

 in ease and spirit, yet he exceeds him in unifuiiu 



* Dr. W. Robertson was born at Bortlnvick in Scotl:iiul in 172 J, 

 and died in 1793. A very instructive Account of Inn Life and 



Writings has been given by Protcssor Ste\\-.irt, of ilie university 

 of Edinburgh. 



