6o Of the Advancement of Learning. L i b . 11^ 



to themfelves fome particular perfon, in whom Aftions, as well com- 

 mune as folemn •■> fraall as great , private as publick, have a compo- 

 fition and commixture ^ yet, certainly, they exhibit more lively and 

 faithful Narrations of Matters 5 and which you may more fafely and 

 fuccefsfully transferr into example. But.fpecial Relations of A&ions^ 

 {nchaszve the ipars of Peloponaefu4 '■, X^Q Expedition of Cyrus ^ the Con- 

 ffiracji of Cat aline ^ and the like, ought to be attired with a more pure 

 and fincere Candor of Truth than the FerfeB Hijiories of Times'-, be- 

 caufe in them may be chofen au Argument more particular and com- 

 prehenfible; andof that quality, as good notice and certitude, and 

 full information, may be had thereof: whereas, on the contrary, the 

 fiory of Time (fpecially mcwe ancient thaa the age of the \yriter) doth 

 often fail in the memory of things, and containeth blank fpaces, which 

 the wit and conjefture ofthe writer (confidently enough) uieth tofeize 

 upon and fill up, Yet this which we fay, touching the fincerity of/if- 

 latiens, muft be uhderftood with refervation, for indeed it rauft be 

 confefled (fince all mortal good laboureth of iraperfeftion, and conve- 

 niences with dilconveniences are u-fually connext) that (lich kind oiRe- 

 latioasy fpecially if they be publi(hed about the times of things done j 

 feeing very often they are written with paffion or partiality, ofall other 

 narrations, are deferviedly moft fufpefted. But again, together with 

 this inconvenience, this remedy groweth up j that theihfzme RelatioftSf 

 being they are not fet out by one fide only, but through faftion and 

 partiary affeftions are commonly publiQied by Ibme or other on both 

 fides 5 they do by this means open and hedge in a middle way betweea 

 extremes to truth; and after the heat of paffions is over, they become, 

 to a good and wife writer of Hiftofy, not the worfl: matter and feeds 

 ofa perfeft Hiftory. 



§ As touching thofe points which ftem deficient inthefe three kinds 

 of Hiftory, without doubt there are many particular Hiftories (of fuch 

 I fpeak as may be had) of (bme dignity or mediocrity, which have been 

 hitherto paded by, to the great detriment of the honour and fame of 

 fuch Kingdoms and States, to which they were due, which would be 

 too tedious here to dbferve. But leaving the ftories of forreign Na- 

 tions, to the care of Forreign Perfons, left I fhould become Curiofus in 

 aliena. Repnb. I cannot fail to reprefent unto Your Majefty the in- 

 dignity and unworthinels of the Hijiory o( England, as it now is, in the 

 main continuation thereof, as alio the partiality and obliquity of that 

 o^ Scotland, in the lateft and largeft author thereof; fuppofing that 

 it would be honour to Your Ma)ehy, and a work acceptable with Po» 

 fterity, \^t\\\&\i\2indoi Great Br it any, as it is now joyned in a Monar- 

 chy for the Ages to eome, (b were joyned in one Hiftory for the times 

 paft, after the manner of the facred Hiftory, which draweth down the 

 ftory ofthe Ten Tribes, and ofthe two Tribes as Twins together And 

 if it ftiali feem that the weight of the works (which certainly is great 

 and difficult) may make it lefsexaftJy, according to the worthineft 

 thereof, performed ; behold an excellent period of much fmaller com- 

 pafs of time, as to the ftory o^ England --i that is to fay, from the uni- 

 ting ofthe Pvofes to the uniting of the Kingdoms j a fpaceoftime, 

 which in my judgment contains more variety of rare events, than in like 

 number of fucceffions ever was known in an JHereditary Kingdome. 



Foi 



