HISTORY. 



65 



nissarlsi rf 



MMory. \ng more light on the general history of Europe than 

 that of anv other kingdom at this time. Harte's Life 

 of Gustavus Adolphus, and Scheller*! History of the 

 Thirty Yean' War, nlso illustrate, in some degree, the 

 history and state of the north of Europe about the 

 same period ; and bring down the narrative of events 

 nearly to the age of Louis XI V. Voltaire's lite of this 

 ' monarch will conduct the reader to the period when, in 

 consequence of the alliances formed by the English na- 

 tion with various continental powers, the history of the 

 world is strictly connected with that of our native land. 

 ^- ^-' ni ^ er th* * tn division of this article, we pro- 

 nknlai peaed to point out the order in which the history of 

 particular countries may be read, to that they may be 

 illustrative of one another. " Nature." a* Mr Gibbon 

 juitly observes, " ha* implanted in our breast* a lively 

 impultr to extend the narrow span of our existence, 

 by the knowledge of the events that have happened 

 on the soil which we inhabit, of the characters and ac- 

 tion* of those men from whom oar descent as indivi- 

 duals or as a people is probably derived. The same 

 laudable emulation will prompt us to review and to en- 

 rich our common treasure of national glory ; and those 

 who are best entitled to the esteem of posterity, are 

 the most inclined to celebrate the merit* of their an- 

 cestor*. The history of Britain, therefore, naturally 

 will and ought to claim our highest interest. Under the 

 article BRITAIN, in this Entyclopttdia, will be found 

 history of the Island from iu first population by the 

 Celta, until the arrival of the Saxons in the yew 449. 

 A* oar constitution, oar national character, the lone of 

 * seahng*, *nd our language, are, in a 

 erived from our northern nicest un, the 



ought lob 



in connection with the early part of the history of Bri- 

 tain. From the arrival of the Saxon* till the union of 

 the crowns of ENGLAND and SCOTLAND in the year 1605, 

 the histories of these two countries are treated distinct- 

 ly under the respective articles ; but the connection 

 between then during the greater part of thi* period, 

 was so close, though generally of a hostile nature, that 



each other. The history of FRANK, also, given under 

 that article, ought to be read, for the purpose of illiu- 

 tracing the histories both of * r "gt*rKi frr* Scotland; 



alsMJilRtiin, and give additional interest to the English 

 and Scotch history during the same period. Under 

 the article BRITAIN w given the hietory of the uland from 

 the onion of the crowru of England and Seotland to the 

 of the year 1812; and the moat 



him to do, Rapin will afford him a very elaborate, mid I littery, 

 in general a very faithful, history of England till the C|OM- * V"" 1 ' 

 of the 17th century; while, in Hume's History, he will Hum*. 

 find infinitely more philosophy, but far less impartiality 

 and accuracy. The history of England, from the period 

 of the Revolution, cannot boast any writer of standard 

 excellence. In Henry'* Ili-tory of England, and An- Henry, 

 drew*' History of Great Britain, connected with the Andrews, 

 chronology of Europe, the literature, arts and manners, 

 religion and government of the several periods, which 

 these works respectively comprise, are elucidated. 



The very early history of Scotland has been most 

 elaborately elucidated by Pinkerton ; the same author, Pinkerton. 

 and Lord Hales, have also treated, in a masterly and sa- Hales, 

 tisfactory manner, the history of this country during 

 a lew remote period. After the second work of Pink- 

 erton, should be read Robertson's History of Scotland, Robertson, 

 during the reigns of Queen Mary, and James VI. till 

 his secession to the crown of England ; and Lamg's Lai og . 

 History of Scotland from the union of the crowns to 

 the union of the kingdoms, Iceland's History of Ire- Lcland. 

 land traces, in a masterly manner, the transactions 

 which took place in that country, from the invasion of 

 Henry II. to the treaty of Limerick in the reign of 

 William III. Those portions of the history of this ill- 

 fated and ill-used country since that period, which are 

 particularly full of incidents, cannot yet be treated in an 

 impartial manner. In the History of Wales, by the Warring- 

 Kev. W. \\~arriiigton, all the facts are collected which tun. 

 can throw light upon the government, manners, and 

 anal subjugation of a people, still strongly marked by a 

 peculiar character, manner*, and < 



Next to the history of the I mu<l Kingdom, the his- IlMorTof 

 tory of France claims the attention ami investigation of 

 the student, both on account of it* connection w ith the 

 history of these island*, and on account of the relative 

 importance of that state in Europe. I'nder the article 

 FRANCE will be found a sketch of it* history, as full as the 

 limit* and nature of this work will allow, accompanied 

 by a statistical account of that country, which, a* we 

 have already remarked, ought always to be read in 

 conjunction with history. The early portion of the his- 

 tory of Prance admit* of and require* elucidation, from 

 a knowledge of the manners, laws, &c. of the ancient 

 German tnbes, nearly a* much as the early history of 

 Britain ; the article GKMNANY, therefore, may be pro- 

 fitably consulted for that purpose. After the affairs of 

 France cease for a time to be intimately interwoven 

 of England, its history become* i 



tion of the foreign history of Britain from 

 bet eace of Pan* in 1 8 1 5, win be found un- 



1 8 1 * to the et peace 



der the article FIAMCE. A more fall account of the 

 war between Great Britain and her fnlsaa'ss, than i* to 

 be found under the former article, i* given under the 

 article AMERICA, (Amencn UmM StaJet.) After the 



prrulot thf h,.tnr..- ,!' I n c l.in,l. ^..tiainl. ami llri- 



Uin. read in thi* order, and thus ihmikNil. the read- 



the hietonr of IRELAND, given under 

 that article: and a* INDIA form* now such an extensive 

 and valuable portion of the British empire, the histo- 

 ry of it, under that article, ought to be read in rnnnee 

 tton with the history of the united kingdom. 



If the student is desirous of entering more fully and 

 deeply into the history of thi* country than the article* 

 m thi, Encyclopedia, necessarily tuocbct, will enable 



VOL. XL FART |. 



i con- 



I with, and therefore may be elucidated by, the 

 history of Austria under the Emperor Charles V. and 

 by the history of Italy. During the 17th and the early 



part of the 18th centuries, the history of France re- " 

 quirt* a uKsienn to the histories of the Netherlands 



Hitory f 



and of Spain. From the commencement of the war be- 

 tween Britain and France in 1744 to the present time, 

 the histories of the two countries are mutually illustra- 

 tive of each other. 



The history of Spain, perhaps, both on account of its 

 relation, to the histories of Britain and France, and on 

 account of the importance of that kingdom in the scale 

 of Europe, at least during a certain period, next claims 

 the investigation of the student. Beside* the article 

 . the article ARABIA may advantageously be < .in- 

 sulted, in elucidation of the manner*, custom*, &c. 

 and the early history of the peninsula. After the ex- 

 palsion of the Moon, the historic* of France, Spain, 

 and Italy, from the end of the 1 5th to the beginning of 



Spun and 



I'l.lti:,-.!. 



