HISTORY.

The most famous historical work of this period is Hume's 'History of England,' from the earliest times down to the Revolution. The author's original idea was to write this History from the Union of the Crowns to the accession of George I. He never brought it further down than the Revolution; and when he had brought it to that point he enlarged his scheme in the other direction-went back to the invasion of Julius Cæsar, and carried down the narrative to the Union. The work was highly popular. It is sometimes compared with the History of England' by Macaulay, who began where Hume left off, and who is said to have been ambitious of proving a worthy continuator of the elder historian. The style, though more abstract and much less spirited than Macaulay's, and though the writer aimed at being "concise after the manner of the ancients," was brilliant and sparkling as compared with the ordinary historical performances of that or of prior date. There was also in the work a great feature of novelty. Hume was the first to mix with the history of public transactions accounts of the condition of the people, and of the state of arts and sciences. Although these supplementary chapters of his are very imperfect, and though he had neither materials for the task nor a just conception of the difficulty of it, still the little that he gave was a pleasing innovation. Like Macaulay, he is accused of partiality in his explanation of events, but in the opposite direction. He is accused of giving a favourable representation of the despotic conduct of the Stuarts, and of trying to throw discredit on the popular leaders.

A Complete History of England,' also from the invasion of Julius Cæsar, but brought down to a later period than Hume's— to 1748 (afterwards to 1765), was published by Tobias Smollett, the novelist, in 1758. A narrative from Smollett's pen could not fail to be attractive. But such a work written in fourteen months could hardly compete in manner, and still less in matter, with the eight years' careful labour of Hume. The style is fluent and loose, possessing a careless vigour where the subject is naturally exciting, but composed too hastily to rise above dulness in the record of dry transactions. As regards matter, the historian can make no pretension to original research. He executed the book as a piece of hack-work for a London bookseller, availing himself freely of previous publications, and taking no pains to bring new facts to light. He was in too great a hurry even to compare and check authorities: the history is said to be full of errors and inconsistencies. The concluding part of the work is sometimes printed as a continuation of Hume.

Among the minor historians of the period were Thomas Carte (b. 1686), an intense Jacobite, secretary to Bishop Atterbury, author of a 'General History of England' (1747), and of a 'History of the Life of James, Duke of Ormond'; Nathaniel Hooke (d. 1763), who assisted the famous Duchess of Marlborough in the vindication of her life, compiler of a History of Rome' (17331771), remarkable as taking the side of the plebeians; William Harris (1720-1770), author of memoirs of James I., Charles I., Oliver Cromwell, and Charles II.; and the compilers of a 'Universal History,' published about 1760-namely, three Scotsmen. (Archibald Bower, John Campbell, and William Guthrie),1 George Sale (translator of the Koran), and George Psalmanazar, the pretended native of Formosa. With these we may reckon Lord Hervey, the Sporus of Pope, whose 'Memoirs of the Reign of George II., from his Accession to the Death of Queen Caroline,' were published by Mr Croker in 1848.

The writer of the Life of Cicero,' a historical biography, Dr Conyers Middleton (1683-1750), receives high praise for his style from Dr Nathan Drake, when that work is said to be "the earliest classical production which we possess in the department of history." This, however, is considerably modified in what follows:

"Its reputation, however, as a specimen of fine writing, is on the decline. The chief defects of the composition of the Life of Cicero' have arisen from the labour bestowed upon it. The sentences are too often, in their construction, pedantic and stiff, owing in a great measure to the perpetual adoption of circumlocutions, in order to avoid customary phrases and modes of expression. The author has indeed, upon this plan, given a kind of verbose dignity to his style; but, at the same time, frequently sacrificed ease, perspicuity, and spirit. In grammatical construction, he is for the most part pure and correct; but in his choice of words he has exhibited frequent marks of defective taste. He is occasionally elegant and precise, but more commonly appears majestic, yet encumbered, struggling under the very mass of diction which he has laboured to accumulate. He has contributed, however, to improve English composition by affording examples of unusual correctness in the construction of his sentences, and of that roundness, plenitude, and harmony of period for which his favourite Cicero has been so universally renowned."

Middleton was a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, an implacable enemy of the Master, Richard Bentley, with whom he had several lawsuits, and whose New Testament he attacked with extreme bitterness. He wrote several works of some note in their day. He is severely handled by De Quincey, who calls him "the most malignant of a malignant crew," rejoices that his gross unac

1 Mentioned by Boswell as a political writer of such power, that Government "thought it worth their while to keep him quiet by a pension." He was one of the first authors by profession, unconnected with politics, though he did not scruple to enlarge his income by taking a side. He is praised as the first historian that made extensive searches among original documents.

knowledged plagiarisms were detected, denounces him for being a free-thinker all the time that he drew his bread from the Church, and says that his style "at one time obtained credit through the caprice of a fashionable critic."

The antiquaries of the period were,-William Stukeley (16871765), author of an Itinerary; Dr Thomas Birch (1705-1765), an industrious and faithful Dryasdust, associated with Sale in editing Bayle's Dictionary, writer of biographical memoirs, editor of Milton, of Dr Robert Boyle, of Thurloe's State Papers, &c. &c.; Thomas Blackwell (1701-1757), Principal of Marischal College, Aberdeen, a great enthusiast, who gave a new impulse to classical studies in the North, and whose 'Memoirs of the Court of Augustus' was ridiculed by Johnson for its affectations of style.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), the famous discoverer of the identity of lightning with the electrical spark, wrote several miscellaneous papers, scientific and political, which have doubtless had no small influence in forming American style. His chequered life is pretty generally known. He made his fortune as a printer, solely by his own sagacity, industry, and prudence, and bore a distinguished part in the assertion of American independence, acting as ambassador to France. His writings are remarkable for simplicity, terseness, and force. Both the language and the illus trations fit the meaning with emphatic closeness. He affects no graces of style: a hard-headed, practical man, he seeks to convey his meaning as briefly and as emphatically as possible. Thus"Be studious in your profession, and you will be learned. Be industrious and frugal, and you will be rich. Be sober and temperate, and you will be healthy. Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy; at least you will, by such conduct, stand the best chance for such consequences.”

"He that spits against the wind, spits in his own face."

"He that for giving a draught of water to a thirsty person should expect to be paid with a good plantation, would be modest in his demands compared with those who think they deserve heaven for the little good they do

on earth."

A writer of a very different stamp is William Melmoth (1710-1799), the elegant translator of Pliny and Cicero, and author of Letters of Sir Thomas Fitzosborne on several Subjects' (1742). "The style of Melmoth," says Dr Nathan Drake, "both in his original and translated works, is easy, perspicuous, and elegant. He is more correct in grammatical construction, more select in his choice of words, than any preceding writer; but he is sometimes languid and verbose. His taste, which was very refined and pure, has seldoin permitted him to adopt ornament not congenial to the

subject of discussion, and his diction is therefore singularly chaste and free from inflation."

James Harris (1709-1780), a man of fortune, who rose to be a Lord of the Treasury, was celebrated as a writer on Art, Grammar, and Logic. His most famous work is entitled 'Hermes, or a Philosophical Inquiry concerning Language and Universal Grammar.'

Dr John Brown (1715-1766), a friend of Warburton and Pope, a critic of the Earl of Shaftesbury, is praised by Wordsworth as the first to appreciate and describe the scenery of the English Lakes.

UNTIL the publication of Mr Macknight's 'Life of Burke,' the biographies of this eminent orator, writer, and statesman were full of minute errors. Contradictory statements prevailed concerning the date and place of his birth, the religion of his parents, his early education, his employments before he entered Parliament, and many other points wherein assurance is to be desired regarding a man of such eminence.

His father

He was born in a house on Arran Quay, Dublin, most probably on January 12, 1728 or 1729.1 His supposed ancestors were wealthy citizens of Limerick, who adhered to the Catholic faith, and lost their possessions in the time of Cromwell. was a solicitor in good practice, and belonged to the Protestant communion. His mother's name was Nagle; she was a Roman Catholic. It is of some consequence to note that Burke's earliest years were spent under the care of his Catholic uncles, who farn.ed some land of their own in the south of Ireland, and that his schoolmaster (Abraham Shackleton, of Ballitore, in Kildare) was a Quaker. He had thus the best possible training in the toleration of different creeds. From 1743 to 1748 he was a student in Trinity College, Dublin. He was too desultory to excel in the studies of the place; he had occasional fits of application to mathematics and logic; and he was awarded a scholarship in classics: but he did not carry off the highest honours in any one department.

1 1728 according to the register of Trinity College; 1729 according to the tablet in Beaconsfield Church.