424 
To tbe Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, \ 
WAS much furprifed to fee your 
lgarned correfpondent, NeEPIOpDI- 
DASCALOS, in the laftMavazine, advance 
an opinion fo unfavourable to. hiftorical 
compilations. For the infertion of a few 
words in oppofition to that opinion, I 
rely upon your candour and indulgence. 
Compilations of this kind, when ably 
executed, I conceive to be the only means 
by which hiftorical faéts can be fully and 
clearly inveftigated ; for, however your 
correfpondent may allege it to be the art 
of mercenary compilers to depreciate ori- 
ginal hiftorians, it muft be allowed by 
every one converfant in hiftory, whether 
ancient or modern, that, warped by pre- 
judice, or led aftray by paffion, they fre- 
quently contradict each other, in relating 
the moft material facts. The judicious 
compiler, on the other hand, who fits 
down coolly and impartially to his tafk, 
after reading the contradictory accounts 
of each hiftorian, weighs the different 
probabilities, refleéts upon their jarring 
interefts and paffions; and, finaliy, re- 
conciling their contradictions, prefents 
the world with a clear and conneéted 
hiftory. How many contradictions are 
difplayed in the Grecian and Roman 
hiftorians ! And how much is the dignity 
of hifiory degraded by their credulity! 
The original hiftorians of more modern 
times are equally pregnant with con- 
trariety. Thus the ftudent who con- 
fines his attention principally to original 
hiftorians, according to the recommenda- 
tion of your correfpondent, muft have a 
tafk the moft difficult, a labour the moft 
arduous to perform: that of extraéting a 
{mall portion of information from a con- 
fufed mafs of truth and contradiétion, 
wifdom and abfurdity. For this reafon, 
I confider compilations as the proper 
objects of fludy, and original hiftorians 
only as objects of reference. Confider- 
ing the fubjeét in another point of view, 
it will be found, that by confining the 
attention principally to original hifto- 
rians, who generally only relate the 
events of a fhort period of time, perhaps 
only thofe which have happened within 
their own knowledge, the ideas im- 
prefled by them become confuled; the 
mind only perceives detached parts of 
that picture which fhould be feen and 
comprehended at once; and thus be- 
comes, in fome degree, incapable of 
.xeafoning upon general principles and 
complicated relations. The mifrepre- 
-ehtation, or fuperior elegance of {ome 
Biforians, tends hkewile to infufe into 
5 tudy of Hiftory. 
[ June, 
the mind a prejudice, or bias, in favour 
of fome particuiar nation, or individual, 
highly prejudicial to general informaticn 
and fair reafoning. I am aware that 
thefe objections will, in many inftances, 
equally apply to compilations, but it 
fhould be remembered, that in every one 
of that defcription which deferves to be 
ftudied, the author ftates the relations of 
the original hiftorians upon any difputed 
point, with the reafons on which. he 
founds his own opinion, referring, at the 
fame time, to thofe hiftcrians themfelves. 
Tt is eafy then for the ftudent, if difiatif- 
fied, to make the reference, and form his 
own opinion, with little trouble, diff- 
culty, or labour: whilft he glides 
fmoothly along with the compiler, and 
views, at once, the outlines of the pic- 
ture, and the detached parts which form 
the whole. Your correfpondent has re- 
commended a variety of original hifto- 
rians, ancient-and modern, to which thefe 
objeGtions will apply, generally, without 
naming ‘them again; but has obferved, 
‘that the Ancient Univerfal Hiftory is more 
fit for reference than ftudy ; from which 
opinion I cannot avoid diffenting, 
becaufe, having read the whole of that 
work, I confider the ftudy of it as the 
beft means of obtaining a large portion of 
hiftorical information; and, as it refers 
to every author, from which any part of 
the materials has been drawn, 1t Is eafy 
for the ftudent to confult the hiftorians 
referred to upon anv particular point. 
If there is no opportunity of confulting 
original hiftorians, it is felf-evident that 
compilations are the only means of in- 
formation; and, in this point of view, 
have been of infinite fervice to fociety, 
by diffufing hiftorical information amoneft 
a large portion of mankind, who would 
otherwife have remained’ in a ftate of 
ignorance. From the mecdern part of the 
Univerfal Hfory, a large portion of in- 
formation may likewife be drawn; andI 
conceive it would be by far the beft plan 
for the ftudent. to begin with the Uz:- 
verfal Hj ry, where the relations of the 
different countries, geographical and 
hiftorical, are at once perceived; and 
then to purfue the ftudy more in detail, 
by perufing detached hittories, as inclina- 
tion might lead. By this plan, the mind 
would proceed according to the regular 
order of fcience, from generals to parti- 
culars; and the foundation being well 
laid, the fuperitru€ture would be ren- 
dered more folid and durable.—The in- 
fertion of thefe ideas upon the fubjeét, 
will highly oblige, your’s, 
Oo a eee 
: a 
5 a¢ 
