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

records there were none or the most there only
local registers Of public events and their dates SUCH for
instance those kept by the priesthood in the temples
ut Delphi and Argos the registers Of particular fami
lies He travelled therefore, to collect the materials for
his history, But he made Of them whole, and laid
one idea at the bottom with much epic simplicity
Homer did in the Had. His subject the contest of
Greece with the Persians and the triumph of Grecian
liberty; or strictly the great Grecian victory
the barbarians who had conquered the world then
known Phe relations between Herodotus and Homer
not to be misaken he only has episodes like the long
one about Egypt, and formal speeches. which
mon in historical works till the sixteenth century of our
era and have not been unknown SINCE but he has da-
ogues.
One of his series OF speeches. which parakes of the
character OF dialogue shows remarkable advancement
in political knowledge for the age Of Perices. mean
that in which the conspirators against the Mag of Persia
previously to the elevation Of Darius discuss the different
forms of government much in the spirit Of Montesquieu
But all these things kept in their proper places by
Herodotus He feels the connection Of his subject all the
way through how event proceeds from another and
how all tends to the principal result contributes to it
directly
In Thucyddes the art of history is further advanced
though he lived very little later than Herodou and pro-
baby had read heard his history, though that is
doubted.
Thucyddes did not indeed make one whole of his work.
for he did not survive the whose history he undertook
to relate but he is less creduous than Herodotu he
proper dialogues he is compact he INDUCES very
little in episodes he draws characters and his speeches
like formal stately discussions And he says Of
Them they such he either heard himself receiv-
ed from those who did hear them and he states that he
gives them in their true substance
There is nothing to create doubt that personally he
heard the Grafton OF Perces and it is remarkable that
throughout the most fourshng period of Greek era-
ture both poetical and historical productions COM
posed to be heard rather than be read and the
tce of listening to their rehearsas led the Greek people
to attain great accuracy as well retentyeness Of
mory.
In short Herodotuss work seems natural fresh pro-
ducton of the soil that of Thucydides belongs
advanced state Of culture Qunian of the former
In Herodoo onnia feater fuun; Of the latter, Denus
revis instans s5i Xenophon, in his Hellenica
continues Thucyddes. He military leader, and fa-
mar with the affairs of Sate and though so deep
thinker, was more graceful and easy writer Poybus
living in much later period is defective in style, but is
wise and sensible author. His object is not merely
show what has been but to attempt the instruction of the
fre-making his work what he calls dmonsraice his
tory fitted for the of statesmen He is the last of the
really good Greek historians
The Romans had the great Greek masters in prose and
poetry all before hem and initiated them in every thing
but approached their models nearly only in eloquence and
history Like the Greeks too they had early poetical
histories historical legends songs sc. Ennus wrote
sort of epic history Of Rome Cesar of the most dis
tnguished of all great wrote accounts of what he
had done, what related directly to himself The clear
purity and precision of his style characteristic
of him as any of his great achievements
! Salust went more upon Greek models. Each of his
two remaining histories is epic whole short indeed
but complete fashioned with the greatest exactness
and inspired with dignity and statelness of style
which Caesar did not seek and which would not have
personal
Livy had another purpose; there is epic complete
ness in his great work. though that work has come
down to us in mutated state Majestas popuH Romani
his subject and he sacrifices much to it even not
unrequenty, the rigor of truth. His style is rich and
flowing; speaks of Lipi lactea uberas His de-
scriptons excellent; indeed there is nobeness and
grandeur about his whole work well fitted to his mag
nfcent purpose in writing it.
Tacitus later, when he could no longer feel so
proud of his country Livy had DONE He had all the
spirit and the power of Thucyddes Both were great
4 ~l& g a..
of the ascendency of demagogues among the peo
Pile; the other with the imperial vices and the growing
decentralization of his age. Tacitus is however, free
from passion and is wse statesmanike and profound
writer throughout OF both his history and annals large
portions lost We cannot therefore, tell how much
of completeness and proportion there may have been in
either But the nature of the period he discusses in
each-a period, as he says ..opimum casibus atrox
prels dscors, seditionibus, ipsa etam pace sevum-
forbade poetica ornament less than the severity
his nature. In character drawing he is hardly
ceIed by any one. BY single dash of his pencil he
sometimes throws out likeness which all feel and
knowledge, and yet it has been thought that de-
gree of falling off in the purity and elegance of the
Latin historical style is dscernble in his pages.
OF the old Roman writer's, my preference is strongly
for Saust admire his reach of thought his clearness of
STYLE well as his accuracy Of narration He is sufficiently
concise he is sententious without being meager OBJ
scure and his power Of personal and individual description
isremarkable There indeed in his style rough
belonging to the Roman tongue at earlier age
but they to strengthen the structure of his sentences
Il
drawing well exceed his dencation of Catiline his
account Of Jugurtha his parallel between Caesar and
Cato. have thought sometimes, that saw
bances between his terse and powerful periods and the
remarks and sayings of Dr. Johnson they appear
in his stately performances but in the record of his
yersations by Boswell
| In turning to peruse the pages of Salust
to refresh myself for the preparation of this address,
struck by the coincidence of transaction narrated
by him with which have very recently in
own country.
When Jugurtha had put to death Hempsal and expelled
Adherbal from his rghtfu throne the latter, who
born in Numdia and not IN Hungary, to Rome TO
invoke what should call the Intervention of the Roman
people His speech delivered that occasion in the SEN
ate Sallust has given it. is of the touching
made by man in misfortune and suffering from in
jury to those having the power of granting relief
dress His duplication TO the Senateis founded the
broad and general idea that the Roman people just
themselves and they had the power so it their
duty prevent punish highhanded injustice threat
ened or inflicted by others.
"sed quonam parum per ipa probitas neque mih
in fu Jugurtha quais oret ad cenfugi patre
conscrp quibus quod missermum prus oneri
usu Ceteri reyes au bello yc in amicam vobis
cep aut in sus dubus rebus socetaem appetive
run amia nostra popuo Romano bco Carthaginiens
amicitam nsttut quo empore magis fdes eju guam for
tuna pcten era Quorum progeniem patres conscrpt
noite patti frustra yobis auxi peere. 81 ad mpean
dun nih habecm preer miserandam forunam quod
pauo ante gener ama atque copis poens dcfor
matus mrumnis inops aienas opes expecto a
at Romani popui prohi5re injuriam peque patti esqua
4 regnum per scetus
Gould again quo potissimum nfelix accedam Geners
prsda omnia exsncta stunt pater u ern nature
concess frar quem minnie dec propinquus per scelus
umic etprnc