HIS 



HOD 



and finally arranged. The confidential 

 correspondence which took place be- 

 tween scholars, at the revival of letters, 

 frequently contains political details which 

 are highly instructive and interesting. In 

 later days, the publication of the various 

 memoirs and state papers of ministers, to 

 whom the conduct of the affairs of nations 

 has been entrusted, reveal all the springs 

 of their policy, and enable the reader of 

 research to follow them through all the 

 windings of the labyrinth of intrigue. 

 The acts of the British parliament, in 

 themselves, 'contain a record of the po- 

 litical changes which have taken place in 

 this country, of our progress in commerce, 

 of the gradual amelioration of our consti- 

 tution, amidst the struggles of party and 

 the contentions of faction. The record- 

 ed proceedings of our courts of law, also, 

 supply the means of judging of the pub- 

 lic conduct of our statesmen. It may be 

 with truth asserted, that the perusal of 

 the state trials can alone give an adequate 

 idea of the horrible crimes, which, under 

 the colour of justice, were perpetrated 

 by the different parties which divided this 

 kingdom in the reign of Charles II. In 

 short, there hardly exists in any country 

 a public office, or a private collection of 

 papers, which does not contain documents 

 that are calculated to throw light upon 

 history. 



The student, who wishes to pursue his 

 historical inquiries with becoming accu- 

 racy, must make himself master of the 

 details of geography, and of the princi- 

 ples of statisticial calculations; must more- 

 over be versed in all the minutiae of chro- 

 nological researches. In the settling of 

 dates, he will at once evince his labour 

 and his ingenuity. For the correct ar- 

 rangement of the order of events, he will 

 not shrink from the task of poring over 

 pedigrees, or examining coins. 



It has been well observed, by the pro- 

 found Pinkerton, that, by the study of me- 

 dals alone, Vaillant " was enabled to as- 

 certain, in a very grear degree, the chro- 

 nology of three important kingdoms of 

 the ancient world, namely, those of 

 Egypt, of Syria, and of Parthia." 



Such are the principal sources from 

 which may be derived a knowledge of his- 

 toric truth. To enumerate all the mate- 

 rials of history would be an almost end- 

 less task ; but in order to make due pro- 

 fit of these materials, wherever they may 

 occur, the student ought to be animated 

 by the spirit of philosophical inquiry. 

 " Incredulity," says Aristotle, "is the 

 foundation of all wisdom." Without the 



gift of discrimination, the historian dege- 

 nerates into a chronicler of fables ; with- 

 out the faculty of deducing useful conse- 

 quences, he is degraded into a registrar 

 of barren facts. To distinguish truth 

 from falsehood in the obscure records of 

 former times, or amidst the misrepresen- 

 tations of factious malignity in more mo- 

 dern periods, requires no small degree of 

 sagacity. Voltaire has justly observed, 

 that in order to be qualified to seize the 

 proper objects of history, a man must not 

 be acquainted with booka alone. He must 

 have a minute knowledge of the human 

 heart, and be qualified to analyze the pre- 

 judices and the passions of men. He will 

 give due weight to circumstances and 

 situations. He will not estimate the cha- 

 racter of a despot by the panegyric of a 

 courtier; nor will he pass sentence of con- 

 demnation on a prince, who has resisted 

 ecclesiastical claims and restrained the 

 power of the clergy, because he is vilified 

 in the chronicles of a monk. 



The enlightened student of history will 

 not direct his chief attention to the frivo- 

 lous anecdotes of a court, but to the cir- 

 cumstances which stamp the character 

 and decide the destiny .of a nation. He 

 will inquire what has been its radical vice 

 orits predominant virtue ; why it has been 

 powerful or weak by sea or land ; what 

 has been the improvement or the dete- 

 rioration of its trade and commerce ; 

 wherein consist the excellencies and the 

 defects of its civil and municipal institu- 

 tions; what have been the constitution, 

 and what the influence of its ecclesiasti- 

 cal establishments. He will trace the in- 

 troduction of arts and manufactures, and 

 observe the changes which have taken 

 place in manners and in laws. 



Such are the materials and such the ob- 

 jects of history, than which, next to our 

 relation to the deity, no more important 

 topic of inquiry can be presented to the 

 human intellect. 



HITCH, in the sea language, is to catch 

 hold of any thing with a hook or rope, 

 and by this means to hold it fast : thus, 

 when a boat is to be hoisted in, the sailors 

 say, " Hitch the takles into the ring-bolts 

 of the boat ;" and when they are about to 

 weigh anchor, "Hitch the fish-hook to 

 the fluke of the anchor." 



HIVE, in country affairs, a convenient 

 receptacle for bees. See BEE. 



HOD, an instrument used to carry bricks 

 and mortar in, up ladders, &c. to build or 

 repair houses, &c. with. 



HODMAN, an appellation given to 

 a young student admitted into Christ'* 



