MEM'OIRS, a species of history, writ ten by persons who had some share in the transactions they relate ; answering to what the Romans called com:nents;rii. (commentaries.) They furnish the reader with interesting individual anecdotes, and often expose the most secret motives, or disclose the whole character of events, which may be barely hinted at in books of general history. These qualities, when the writer is to be relied on for his vera city and judgment, give them an advan tage over the other kinds of historical writings, since they satisfy the mere roader for amusement as well as the stu dent. The French were the earliest., and have always been by far the most successful writers, in this branch of literature. Their historical memoirs, partly autobiographical, and partly the works of authors who had access to the papers and memorials of those whose lives they illustrated, form a complete series from the sixteenth century to the present time, and throw the great est light on some portions of history ; while their memoirs of celebrated indi viduals in the ranks of literature and fashion are still more numerous and interesting. In the last century, this
branch of literature became so popular, that any distinguished individual who did not leave authentic memoirs of him self was sure to become the subject, after his death, of fabricated memoirs, pub lished under his name ; and this species of falsification, of which Voltaire then complained, appears to be now carried on as extensively as at any former period. The collections of historical memoirs re csntly edited in 1'a-ris contain three series of historical memoirs relating to French history, and one of English memoirs, translated, illustrating the period of the civil war and revolution. The latter un dertaking was conducted by M. Guizot.