00 
torv; but their works have perished in tiie 
general wreck of ancient literature. 
t lie most antient of our native historians, 
now extant, says bishop Nicholson, is Gildas, 
a monk of Bangor, who lived about the mid- 
ole of the sixtli century ; a sorrowful suec- 
Jator ot the miseries and almost utter ruin of 
Ins countrymen, by a people under whose 
banners they hoped for peace. The title of 
his work was, “ De Excidis Britannia?.” 
'llie next historian of note was Nennius, 
who is often confounded with Gildas: his 
work, which lias gone by different names, was 
printed by Gale under that of “ Historia 
Britonum.” If we except a supplement to 
these writers, in the laws of Iioel Dha, we 
have nothing more of early British history. 
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s work, which was 
written at a subsequent period, is nothing 
more than a romance. 
kor the history of the Saxon times we have 
better materials, the oldest of which, per- 
haps, that are now preserved, are in the 
Saxon Chronicle, printed from several ma- 
nuscripts by bishop Gibson. Next to this 
Bede’s Ecclesiastical History may be placed, 
and the Life of Alfred by Asser of St. Da- 
vid’s. 
Only. two. Danish historians, says bishop 
Nicholson, are necessary to the English an- 
tiquary’s library; Saxo Grammaticus and 
Sweno Agonis. 
The first English historian after the Nor- 
man Conquest, wasTngulph, abbot of Croz- 
land, whose history extends from the year 
026 to 1089. That portion of Marianos 
Scotus’s history which relates to Britain 
never has been printed. Florence of Wor- 
cester’s, who died 1119, is more full. 
Eadmer’s work, published by Mr. Selden, 
contains- the history of the two Williams and 
Henry the First, from 1066 to 1122, and is 
a work of very good authority. 
William of Mahnsbury was the next his- 
torian, whose book “ De Gestis Rebus 
Anglorum,” is one of the most faithful of our 
numerous annals: it begins with the first ar- 
rival of the Saxons, and is continued to the 
death of Stephen. The other historians of 
the twelfth century were, Simeon Dunel- 
mensis, Henry of Huntingdon, and William 
de Neuburg. 
Gervase of Canterbury’s history, of which 
a fragment only is left, Is the earliest of the 
thirteenth century: his chief contemporary 
was Hoveden, who seems to have been chap- 
lain to king Henry the Second. Ralpti de 
Diceto, Walter of Coventry, and Matthew 
Paris, were others, There were likewise a 
tew meaner historians, whose names it is not 
necessary to repeat. 
The principal writers of the fourteenth 
century were, Wikes, Trivet, John Bromp- 
ton, Higden, John ofTinmouth, Matthew of 
Westminster, and Knighton : the last but one 
of whom is often called Florilegus. 
The first and principal writer of the fif- 
teenth century was Froissart, whose work 
has been so carefully translated by Mr. 
Johnes. It affords the best history of the 
English Nation during the reigns of Edward 
the Third and Richard the Second. Thomas 
de Walsingham is the next writer of credit, 
succeeded bv John Harding, Caxton, and 
Rouse. 
Fabian’s Chronicle is the first work of 
HISTORY. 
consequence in the sixteenth century, and is 
j said to have given great offence to Wolsey. 
| l’olydore Virgil’s history is not believed to 
have been so faithful; though greater merit 
is attributed to the works of Hall and Hollin- 
shead. 
The industrious Stowe was the first writer 
among the historians of the seventeenth cen- 
tury: the next of eminence was Daniel 
Speed, sir Richard Baker, Sandford, Brady, 
Echard and Tyrrel, are others, whose names 
only it is quite sufficient to enumerate. 
In the last century, bishop Burnet, Carte, 
Kemiet, I indal, Plume, Smollet, Macaulav, 
and Hem y, are historians too well known to 
need either comment or commendation here. 
In regard to the writers of particular his- 
tones of the kings with whom they were co- 
temporary, it may be sufficient to enumerate 
the following: William the Conqueror’s life 
was written by William of Poictiers; king 
Stephen s memoirs, by Richard Prior of 
Iiexham, printed among the decem-scrip- 
tores ; Richard the First’s Expedition into 
the Holy Land, was celebrated by Joseph of 
Exeter, or Iscanus ; the Life of Edward the 
Second by sir Thomas de la More: Henry 
the Fifth’s by some one under the name of 
I ilus Livius: and that of Edward the Fifth, 
with a part of the History of Richard the 
I bird, by sir Thomas More; Plenry the 
Eighth’s Reign, by lord Herbert of Cher- 
bury; and Elizabeth’s by Camden. Those 
of a later period, perhaps, are hardly entitled 
to^so much credit for impartiality. 
1 he historians of other particular countries 
may be mentioned in a briefer manner; enu- 
merating such only as a reader may refer 
to when inquiring into facts. In regard to 
r lance, atter mentioning the Chroniques de 
St. Denis, the Annales Francorum, with the 
works of Monstrelet, Mezeray, Daniel and 
Gamier, and Ilenault’s Abridgment, we need 
only mention two of the most comprehensive 
bodies of French history, “ Duchesne’s His- 
torian Francorum Scriptores;” and “ Bou- 
quet’s Reeueil des Plistoriens des Gaules et 
de la France,” in thirteen volumes folio, 
f or the general history of Italy, Guicciardi- 
ni’s work is undoubtedly the best, not only 
for its accuracy but its style; though Bni* 
soni s and Capriata’s works are much es- 
teemed for their veracity. To those who 
make a deep search, the “ Rerum Italiarum 
Scriptores,” by Muratori, will be useful. 
For the separate states of Italy, Giannoni’s 
History of Naples, Machiavel’s Historia 
r lorentina, and the “ Historia Veneziani.” 
For Switzerland, the “ Helvetic Confede- 
racy” by Mr. Planta, may be referred to : 
tor Holland, Le Clerc’s “ Provinces Unies,” 
1728. Among the writers of German his- 
tory, the “ Germani Scriptores” of Pistorius, 
Urstilius, Freher, and Reuber, may be men- 
tioned ; the writers on ancient Germany by 
Schard; the Scriptores Rerum Brunsvicen- 
suun ; and Mascou’s history of the Ger- 
mans. 
The most valuable history of Spain is 
Mariana’s, first published in 1592; the best 
edition of which, continued to a late period, 
was published at Valencia 1783. Beside 
this, Curitas “ Annales de Arragon” may 
be consulted with the " Annales de Catta- 
hma. ’ 1 he earliest materials for Portuguese 
history are to be found among the Scriptores 
Rerum Hispaniarum. The first historian 
whom Merisel mentions is Laimund de Or- 
tega: but one of the most valuable and in- 
dustrious was Bernard de Brito, who pub- 
lished the two first parts of the “ Monarch ia 
Lusitana,” in 1597 and 1609; which was 
continued as far as an eighth part, in 1729. 
Others are, Meneze’s Historia de Portugal, 
printed at Lisbon in two volumes, folio, 1679 
and 1698 ; La Clede’s Histoire de Portugal, 
Par. 1735 ; and the elaborate history of Ge- 
bauer, in German, Leipsig, 1759. On Swe- 
den, Crusius’s “ Annales Suevicse,” 1596, 
and Puffendorf “ de Rebus Suevicis,” 1686, 
will be found works of considerable conse- 
quence. On Norway, Forfeus’s “ Historia 
Rerum Norvegicarum.” On Denmark, 
Cragius’s “ Annaies Danica;;” Mallet’s 
“ Histoire de Dannemarc,” and Langebek’s 
“ Scriptores Rerum Danicarum :’’ and on 
Russia, “ Rerum Muscoviticarum Scrip- 
tores,” 1600, folio, and Levesque’s “ Iiis- 
toire de Russie,” 1800. Those who would 
gain a more particular knowledge of the cha- 
racters which the principal oi tb' se historians 
bear, may consult the works of Wheare and 
Rawlinson on History. 
There are, however, some particular his- 
tories, which are so excellently written, that 
no person of a liberal education should’ neg- 
lect becoming acquainted with them. Under 
this character we may comprehend all the 
works of Tacitus, which now remain to us : 
in his writings every phrase is a maxim ; 
the narrative goes on with rapidity; while 
all his characters are drawn with a more pro- 
found knowledge of human nature than those 
of any historian who went before him ; his 
very brevity is pregnant. Thuanus’s history 
of his own times is a work almost equal to 
any production of the classic ages. Guicci- 
ardini’s History of Italy: Davila’s of the 
Civil W ars of France; Bentivoglio’s of those 
of the Netherlands ; and Giannoni’s History 
of Naples, deserve a similar character, as 
well as the elegant history of our own coun- 
try by Hume. No writer whatever, says 
Dr. Priestley, can excel Vertot in the happy 
art of making history entertaining. 
There are also periods of history more 
particularly deserving of a close attention. 
Among these the connection of sacred and 
profane history in the succession of the four 
great monarchies, stands foremost. Another 
period is that which comprises the history 
of the Grecian commonwealths, in which the 
peculiar evils and advantages of a popular 
government are exhibited with clearness. 
The rise and declension of the Roman em- 
pire is another object for extensive contem- 
plation, as -well as the foundation of the pre- 
sent European governments, and the resto- 
ration of learning. 
We have now only to add a few words on 
the particular duty of the historian ; the model 
for whom is preserved among the works of 
Cicero. It is the first law of history, he says 
that the writer should neither dare to advance 
what is false, nor to suppress what is true ; 
■that he should relate the facts with strict im- 
partiality, free from ill-will or favour; that 
his narrative should distinguish the order of 
time, and when necessary, give the descrip- 
tion of places; that he should unfold the 
statesman's motives, and in his account of 
the transactions and the events, interpose his 
o n judgment; and should not only relate 
what was done, but how it was done; and 
