THE BASES OF HISTORY. THE MATERIALS. 



23 



isolated facts which have no historical continuity — or from evidence 

 that only establishes the existence of national or political asso- 

 ciation ; and having traced the controversy which, originating in 

 the seventeenth century, has been continued to the present time, 

 as to the authenticity of early history, and pointed out the disturb- 

 ing causes that affected historical testimony, and the distinction 

 that exists between judicial and historical evidence, he sought to 

 indicate the legitimate limits of historical testimony. 



The previous treatment of the subject led the lecturer in the 

 present lecture to consider more fully the sources from which 

 historical testimony is derived ; in a word, the materials of history. 

 Dealing principally with the secondary and less direct sources of 

 information, he referred to tradition, on which alone but little 

 reliance could be placed, but gaining value when tradition is 

 accompanied by continued observances, illustrating this by refer- 

 ence to sacred rites, or to popular commemorative festivals, and to 

 several instances in connection with English history. He then 

 referred to early pictorial representation, independently of writing, 

 such as the Mexican picture writing (if authentic), the pictorial, 

 hieroglyphic, and the Bayeux tapestry. Then to pictured or sym- 

 bolic writing, as the Egyptian Hieroglyphics in the pure Hiero- 

 glyphic, the Phonetic, the Hieratic, or the Demotic forms. He 

 pointed out the difficulty which arises with reference to these early 

 historical signs from unacquaintance with the character in which 

 they are presented, or the language they express, as in the Arrow- 

 headed writing at Nineveh, and the old Etruscan Alphabet The 

 evidence derived from mural and numismatic inscriptions was con- 

 sidered, and its value as well as its limitations. Then the evidence 

 afforded by statutory enactment and legal decisions as illustrated 

 from several sources, but particularly by reference to the historical 

 facts indicated in several of the early English Statutes. Treaties and 

 State Papers were regarded as sources of history, but these in general 

 are comparatively of late date, and as to the latter subject to 

 destruction, and often burdensome from their fulness. The lecturer 

 traced the history of the English llecords and their publication, 

 and further illustrated the subject by describing the repository of 

 Spanish state papers at Siraancas, and their recent investigation, 

 in aid of English history. He further showed that history is 

 illustrated by private biography, and the public acts of individuals, 

 and by reference to general unhistorical literature; but that the 



