Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-02-28

We know indeed something of the private pursuits and
private vices Of the Roman people at the
Of Empire but obtain knowledge of these chiefly
from the and indignant rebukes of Saus and the
nimabe satires of Juvenal. Wars, foreign and domes
tic the achievements of arms, and national alliances, fill
up the recorded greatness of the Roman Empire.
1t is very remarkable that in this respect Roman lite
nature is far deficient than that Of Greece Arsto
phanes and other Grecian comic writers, have
richly filed with the delneaon of the lives and
of their own people But the Roman imtators of the
Grecan stage gave themselves up to the reproduction
foreign characters their stage, and presented in
their dramas Grecan manners Also instead of Roman
How much wiser was Shakespeare, who enchan-
ed the attention of his audiences and still enchans the
attention of the whole Teutonic race by the presentation
of English manners and English history Fasta, Justice
Shallow and Dogberry are not shrubs OF foreign growth
ranspanted into the pages of Shakespeare but genuine
productions Of the SOIL the creations of his home
bred fancy.
to have answered the great end which it pro-
posed.
The labors of Niebuhr, Arnold, and Mervae have &C
compshed much toward furnishing the materials of such
history and Becker in his Gallus, has drawn picture
Of the private life of the Romans at the
commencement of the empire.
know nothing of the fact but once had an intima-
on that Of the most distinguished writers of
time and of country has had his thoughts turned to
this subject for several If this be and the work.
sand to be in contemplation be perfected it will be true
as have doubt that the civil history Of the great re-
public of antiquity will have been written, only with
thorough research but also with elegance of style and
chaste classical illustration, by citizen Of the great
public Of modern times trust that when this work shall
appear if it shall appear shall not only see the Ro-
consul and the Roman general the comitia and the
FORUM but that shall also Roman hearths and affairs
the Roman the head of her household Roman
children in their schools of instruction. and the whole Of
Roman life fully presented to view, far the
terias existing in separate and special works. afford
| the means.
1t in our day only that the history and progress
the civil social institutions and Of England
have become the subjects of particular attention
Sharon Turner Lngard, and, more than all, Mr.. Hal
LAM have laid this age and all following ages under the
heaviest obligations by their abors in this field Of literary
composition; would separate from them the writings
of most learned and eloquent person whose work on
English history is in progress the author of the
Pictorial History of England But there is still wanting
full, thorough and domestic social of Eng
sh ancestors that is, history which shall trace the
progress of social life in the intercourse of with
the advance of arts the changes in the ha-
bits and occupations of individuals and those improve
in domestic life which have attended the condition
and Moderated the circumstances of in the lapse
ages We still have not the means OF learning, to any
great extent how English ancestors their homes
and in their houses, fed and lodged, and clothed
and what were their daily employments. We want his
of resdes want to know when kings and queens
exchanged beds of straw for beds of down. and ceased
breakfast beef and beer We wish to more, and
know of the changes which took place from age to
the homes Of England from the castle and the pa
lace down the humbles cottage. Mr.. Herrys book
far it goes is not without its utility but it stops
soon and, even in regard to the period which it
braces it is not sufficiently full and satisfactory in its par
| ticulars.
The feuda ages military and agricultural but the
spendor of in the history Of the times monopozed
the genius of writer's and perhaps materials not
abundant for forming knowledge of the essential indus
try Of the country He would be public bnefactor who
should instruct in the modes Of cultivation and tllage
prevailing in England from the conquest down, and in the
advancement of manufactures from their inception in the
time of Henry WITH to the period of their considerable de-
velopment two centuries afterward.
There two of information these subjects
which have yet been fully explored end which,
vertheless are overlooking fountains of Snowledge.
mean the statutes and the proceedings o. the courts Of
law. At early period of life required with
degree of attention to both these Of information
not much for professional purposes for the elucda
ton of the progress of society acquainted myself with
the object and purposes and substance every published
statute in British legislation These showed what the
Legislature OF the country concerned in from time to
time and from year to year And learned from the
ports Of controversies in the courts of law what the
pursuits and occupations of individuals and what the
objects which most earnestly engaged attention. /
hardly know any thing which repays research than
studies Of this kind We learn from them what pursuits
occupied men during the feudal ages We the efforts
of society throw off the chains of this eudal dominion
We see too, in most interesting manner the ingenious
devices resorted to to break the thadom Of personal
slavery We the beginning of manufacturing inter-
es and at length bursts upon the full spendor of the
commercial age.
Ltteton, Coke, Plowden, uhat are hey2 How their
learning fades away and becomes obsolete when Holt and
Somers and Mansfield arise catching themselves and
which commerce had shed upon the world
Our great teachers and examples in the historical art
are doubtless the eminent historians of the Greek and
Roman ages In their several ways they the masters
TO whom all succeeding times have looked for instruction
and improvement They the models which have stood
the test of time and like the glorious creations in
bic of Grecan genius, have been always admired and
never surpassed
! We have our fayorites in literature well other
things and confess that among the Grecian writer's
estimate OF Herodotus is great His evident ruthfuness
his singular simplicity of STYLE and his constant respect
and yeneraton for sacred and divine things win my
gard 1t is true that he sometimes appears creduous,
which caused Aristotle to say of him that he story
teller But in respect to this, things to be
marked-the is that he AYERS a fact that
which rests the of others the other is that
all subsequent travels and discoveries have tended TO
frm his fidelity From his great qualities writer,
well as from the in which he lived he is justly demo-
minated the Father Of History" Herodotus con-
scenous narrator of what he and heard In his
ner there is much of the old epic syle indeed his work
may be considered the connecting link between the epic
legend and political history truthful the hand
since 1t was genuine history but the other,
and executed in the spirit Of poetry and not the
proounder spirit Of political philosophy 1t breahes
reverential submission the Divine will and recognises
distinctly the governing hand Of Providence in the affairs
OF men But, upon the whole, compelled to regard
Thucyddes as the greater writer Thucyddes equal
y truthful, but more with the motives and
character Of in their political relations He took i'm
Unite pains to make himself thoroughly acauaned with
transactions that occurred in his day. and which
came the subject of his narrative 1t is said even
that persons employed by him obtain information
from both the begeren Powers for his while writing