Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1852-03-04

therefore, 10 truthiulness land this truth
fulness must be presented in a concrete
form. Classical history is not a memoir.
II Is not rude collection Of acts, occur.
rences and dates. II adopts nothing
that is not true, but then it does not
embrace all minor truths. and all minol
transactions. Ii is composition, a pro-
duction, whinh has unity Of design, like
n work OF statuary or OF painting, and
keeps constantly in view one great end
or result. Its parts, therefore. are TO be
properly adjusted, and well proportion
ed.
The historian is an artist as true to
fac. as other artists are to nature; and
though he may sometimes embellish, he
never misreprcsents he may OCCASION
ally, perhaps, color too highly, but the
truth is still visible through the lights
and shades. This unity OF design seems
essential to all great productions. With
all the variety of the lliad, Homer kept
the wrath Of Achilles, and its conse-
quences, always in view; when he sang
Of the exploits of other heroes, they were
silently subordinated to the son Of Pc
leus. Still more remarkable is the uni
ty. in variety, Of the Odyssey, the char
acter Of which is much more complica-
ted, but all the parts are ar,fuIly adapted
to each other, and they have comm on
centre Of interest and action-the great
end being the restoration Of Ulysses 10
his native Ithaca. Virgil, in the Kneid
sang of nothing but the man and his
acts, who brought the Trojan gods to
Italy. and laid tie foundation OF the i'm
perial walls Of Rome and Milton of
nothing but
"Man's fist disobedience and the fruit
or that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world"
And the best historical productions Of
ancient and of modern times, have been
written with equal fidelity to one lead
ing thought or purpose.
1t has been said by Lord Bolingbroke
that, "history is philosophy teaching by
example" and before Bolingbrokc,
Shakespeare has said
"There is a history in all mems lives
Figuring the nature OF the times deceased
The which observed, a man may prophecy,
w ith "a near aim, oi the ma in chance oi things,
Az yet not come To life; which IN their
Sceds, and weak beginnings, lie eniIeasurtd.
Such things become the hat'h and brood oi time |;
King Richard might create a | e fee guess,
That great Northumberland then false to
HIM, would OF that seed. grow TO greater
talseness;
Which should not find ground to res, upon,
Unless On you.
"Are these ,hi 'gs then nccessties1
Then let meet them like necessities"
And wiser man Than either Boiling
broke or Shakespeare has declared:
u L =. =
shall be-: aud ,hai which is done, is that which
shall he done and there is 10 new thing under
the SUM-"
These sayings are all just, and they
proceed upon the idea that the essential
characteristics Of human nature are the
same every where, and in all ages.
This doubtless 10 truth and SO far az
history presents the qualities and pro-
pensities ofhuman nature it does teach
by example. Bolingbroke adds, with
remarkable power OF expression: "that
the school Of example is the world, and
its great masters or teachers are history
and experience"
But The character ofman so much va
rics from age TO age, both in his Indi-
vidual and collective capacity, there
comes such n change OF circumstances,
SO many new objects Of desire and aver.
sion, and so many new and powerful
motives spring up in his mind, that the
conduct OF men, In one age. or under
one stale OF circumstances, is no sure
and precise indication Of what will be
their conduct, when times and circum-
stances alter so that the example OF
the past, before il can become useful
instructor to the present, must be reduc-
ed to elementary principles in human
nature freed from the influence OF con-
ditions which were temporary and have
changed, and applied TO the same prin-
ciplcs under new relations, with differ
ent degree Of knowledge, and the i'm
pulses arising from the altered state OF
things.
A savage has the passions Of ambi-
ton, revenge, love and glory and am
bition and love, revenge and the hope ot
renown are also elements in the char
acter OF civilized life but the develop
ment Of these passions in state OF bar
barism, hardly instructs us as to the
manner in which they will exhibit
themselves in n cultivated period Of So
ciety.
Aud so il is Of religious sentiment and
feeling. believe man is every where
more or less, n religious being that is
to say in all countries, and at all times,
he ie.ls the tic which connects him with
an invisible power.
Ii is true, indeed, and it is remark
able fact in the history Of mankind, that
in the very lowest Stage Of human ex-
istance, and in the opposite extreme of
high civilization, surrounded with every
thing luxurious in life, and with all the
means Of human knowledge, the idea
Of an unseen and superior Governor Of
the Universe is most Iihely to be equally
doubted or disregarded.
The lowest Of human, savage exis-
tence, and the intellectual and refined
atheism, such as we have seen exhibited
in our day, seem to be strangely coinci'
dent in this respect; though IL is from
opposite causes and influences that these
classes are led to doubt or deny the cx-
istence Ola Supreme Power. But both
these are exceptions TO the general cur
rent OF human thought, and the general
conviction oi our nature.
Man is naturally religious; but then
his religion takes It's character from his
condition, his degree Of knowledge, and
his associations and therefore, II is true
that the religious feeling which operates
in one state of society. and under one
degree oflight and knowledge, Is not
sale example, to prove its probable in
fuence and operation under eircum-
stances essentially different So, thnt