tion, he had every reason to believe, he died a real convert.

HISTORY.

"WISDOM is the great end of history: it is designed to supply the want of experience. Though it enforce not its instruction with the same authority, yet it furnishes us with a greater variety of instruction than it is possible for experience to afford in the course of the longest life. Its object is to enlarge our views of the human character, and to give full exercise to our judgment on human affairs." This observation is just, as to history itself; but the many wilful mistakes together with the prejudices of historians have rendered it contemptible in the eyes of some men. Hence,

When Frederick the great of Prussia ordered his secretary to read to him, "What" said he, "shall I read? Will your majesty hear me "read history?" "No, no," replied the king; "no history: there is no truth in history."

When Sir Robert Walpole's son Horace was about to read to him some historical piece, he stopped him short. "O do not read history," said the father, "for that I know must be false."

Charles V. had so little faith in historians, that, when he had occasion to send for Sleidan's History, he used to say, "Bring me my liar." These objections to history, howe ver, are founded upon ignorance and prejudice. To suppose all history unworthy of our perusal, because some part of it may want sufficient authority, is highly absurd. A wise and judicious VOL. III.

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mind will make a proper discrimination between historic relation and those things, which bear evident marks of historic fact. To a person possessing such a mind, history, no doubt, will be very profitable: it will tend to enlighten the understanding, mature the judgment, afford entertainment, and excite to action. Let us hear what Plutarch says upon the subject."

"I live," says he, "entirely upon history; and while I contemplate the pictures it presents to my view, my mind enjoys a rich repast from the representation of great and virtuous characters. If the actions of men produce some instances of vice, corruption, and dishonesty, I endeavour, nevertheless, to remove the impression, or to defeat its effect. My mind withdraws itself from the scene, and, free from every ignoble passion, I attach myself to those high examples of virtue which are so agreeable and satisfactory, and which accord so completely with the genuine feelings of our nature."

Cicero has also justly observed, that history is the light of ages, the depository of events, the faithful evidence of truth, the source of prudence and good counsel, and the rule of conduct and manners.

No set of men ought to be more accurate, more just to truth, and more divested of prejudice, than historians. "I reckon a lie in history," says Bishop Burnet, "To be a much greater sin than a lie in common discourse, as the one is like to be more lasting, and more generally known than the other."

"Some writers of history have, however, the effrontery to pretend to give us a detail of the debates of privy councils, and of the most secret conversations and cabals of courtiers, with

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as much formal precision as if they had been cabinet ministers in the courts of all the princes of the age concerning which they write, and as if nothing had been transacted or determined without their privacy; nor do they scruple to entertain us with a circumstantial account of a battle, a siege, or the operations of a whole campaign, with as much pretended accuracy as if they had taken the field with the army, and accompanied every detachment employed on different services during the whole contest. Such narratives ought always to be suspected; generally speaking, they ought to be totally disregarded. Mr. Boswell relates, that Dr. Johnson used to say, "We talk of history; but let us consider how little history, I mean real, authentic history, we have. It is not to be questioned but such kings reigned, such battles were fought, such cities were taken, and such countries conquered, as we find mentioned; but all the colouring of history is mere conjecture." In this, Dr. Johnson is most certainly right. It is only the outlines of history, the leading and important facts which have been productive of great and conspicuous effects, which ought to attract our attention, excite our reflection, and hold a place in our remembrance." See Bigland's letters on the study and use of ancient and modern history.*

HONESTY, INTEGRITY, &c.

NOUSCHERVAN, a Persian king, having been hunting, and desirous of eating some of the venison in his field, several of the attendants went to a neighbouring village, and took away a Printed by W. W. Woodward, Philadelphia.

quantity of salt, to season it. The king, suspecting how they had acted, ordered that they should immediately go and pay for it; then, turning to his attendants, he said, “This is a small matter in itself, but a great one as it regards me; for a king ought ever to be just, because he is an example to his subjects; and, if he swerves in trifles, they will become dissolute. If I cannot make all my people just, in the smallest things, I can, at least, shew them it is possible to be so."

Some years since, resided in a country village a poor but worthy clergyman, who, with the small stipend of 407 per annum, supported himself, a wife, and seven children. At one time walking and meditating in the fields, in much distress, from the narrowness of his circumstances, he stumbled on a purse of gold. Looking round, in vain, to find its owner, he carried it home to his wife, who advised him to employ at least, a part of it in extricating them from their present difficulty: but he conscientiously refused, until he had used his utmost endeavours to find out its former proprietor, assuring her, that honesty is always the best policy. After a short time, it was owned by a gentleman who lived at some little distance, to whom the clergyman returned it, with no other reward than thanks. On the good man's return, his wife could not help reproaching the gentleman with ingratitude, and censuring the over-scrupulous honesty of her husband; but he only replied, as before, honesty is the best policy. A few months after this, the curate received an invitation to dine with the aforesaid gentleman; who, after hospitably entertaining him, gave him the presentation to a living of 300 per annum, to

which he added a bill of 50/ for his present necessities. The curate, after making suitable acknowledgments to his benefactor, returned with joy to his wife and family, acquainting them with the happy change in his circumstances; and adding, that he hoped she would now be convinced that honesty was the best policy; to which she readily assented.

One day, when a vacant see was to be filled, the synod observed to the Emperor Peter the Great, that they had none but ignorant men to present to his majesty. "Well, then," replied the czar, "you have only to pitch upon the most honest man: he will be worth two learned

ones.

Previous to Dr. Goldsmith's publishing his Deserted Village, the bookseller had given him a note for one hundred guineas for the copy, which the doctor mentioned a few hours after to one of his friends; who observed, it was a very great sum for so short a performance." In truth," replied Goldsmith, "I think so too; I have not been easy since I received it; therefore I will go back, and return him his note :" which he absolutely did, and left it entirely to the bookseller to pay him according to the profits produced by the sale of the piece, which turned out very considerable. Honesty is the best policy.

In the last war in Germany, a captain of cavalry was ordered out on a foraging party. He put himself at the head of his troop, and marched to the quarter assigned him. It was a solitary valley, in which hardly any thing but woods could be seen. In the midst of it stood a little cottage; on perceiving it, he went up, and knocked at the door: out comes an ancient

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