The early annals of all countries are considerably debased by an intermixture of fables. In fact, the first historians were universally poets, whose metaphors, amplifications, and allegories, necessarily obscured facts, or heightened them be yond the standard of probability. To ex plain their legends is the province of the mythologist, whose labours, however cu rious and interesting to those who have time and inclination for such pursuits, af ford very little assistance to the historian.
But the mythologic age being thus consigned to the examination of those whom they may concern, however rude may be the style of ancient chronicles, or however simple and puerile the obser vations and reflections with which they may be interspersed, lie who wishes to im bibe the true spirit of history will dili gently peruse them, when they become the repositories of facts. Such documents alone will give him an idea of the genius of the times concerning which they treat. He who wishes to become acquainted with the principles and manners which predominated in France, in the reign of St. Louis or of John, will read the lively and simple, but minutely particular, nar ratives of Joinville and of Proissart, rather than the dull details of a Daniel, or the hasty and imperfect sketch of a Millot. In all cases, indeed, he who wishes to see past events in their true light will refer as much as possible to original authorities. The farther the stream of history flows from its source, the more it is polluted by foreign mixtures. And besides this, how- ever skilful, or however faithful, a com piler may be, his particular view* lead him to pass unnoticed a variety of facts, which are in themselves valuable, and in deed necessary to the perfect understand ing of the real nature and bearings of events.
This maxim of having recourse to au thentic documents will furnish a canon for the most profitable mode of studying an cient history. It will instruct the student to pass lightly over those periods of the Greek and Roman annals, the transactions of which were handed down by tradition to authors, who, instead of scrutinizing their credibility, have amplified and em bellished them by the charms of style ; and to direct his attention to the records which have been written by those who lived at the time when the actions which they commemorate took place, and more especially to the memoirs of illustrious warriors and statesmen, who have left be hind them the detail of transactions in whichthey have been personally concern ed. Guided by this principle, he will not dwell upon the marvellous tales of an Herodotus or a Quintus Curtius ; but he will study with diligence the narratives of a Thucydides or a Xenophon, of a Sallust, a Cicero, a Cxsar, or a Tacitus; and whilst the legend of Curtius, as recorded by Li vy, only demonstrates to him the posthu mous glory, which, in the happier times of the Roman republic, awaited him who was ready to sacrifice his life for the good of his country, he will peruse, with more interest, the later periods of that writer's history, in which he treats of events which happened nearer to his own time, and the genuine records of which were, in all probability, furnished to him by the public offices of the state.
In regard to the earlier periods of mo dern history, authentic documents are scanty and obscure, and the investigator of the truth of facts is frequently obliged, as it were, to proceed with cautious steps through a dark and doubtful way ; but, in process of time, they multiply to such an extent, that the student is embarrassed by their number. The archives of the different states of Europe contain vast masses of materials, which occasional li berality has opened to the curious inqui rer. On the important topic of ecclesias tical proceedings, the printed reports of the decrees of councils and synods throw the most satisfactory light. Volu minous collections of treatises, which have been compiled for the benefit of af ter times, open the policy of different states and empires ; and in various cases, those documents are themselves illustrat ed by the comments and memoirs of the negotiators, by whom they were discussed and finally arranged. The confidential correspondence which took place be tween scholars, at the revival of letters, frequently contains political details which are highly instructive and interesting. In later days, the publication of the various memoirs and state papers of ministers, to whom the conduct of the affairs of nations has been entrusted, reveal all the springs of their policy, and enable the reader of research to follow them through all the windings of the labyrinth of intrigue. The acts of the British parliament, in themselves, contain a record of the po litical changes which have taken place in this country, of our progress in commerce, of the gradual amelioration of our consti tution, amidst the struggles of party and the contentions of faction. The record ed proceedings of our courts of law, also, supply the means of judging of the pub lic conduct of our statesmen. It may be with truth asserted, that the perusal of the state trials can alone give an adequate idea of the horrible crimes, which, under the colour of justice, were perpetrated by the different parties which divided this kingdom in the reign of Charles II. In short, there hardly exists in any country a public office, or a private collection of papers, which does not contain documents that are calculated to throw light upon history.