第2部分(第5/7 頁)

re　elaborated　by　Thucydides；　it　must　yet　be　maintained　that　they　were　not　foreign

to　the　character　of　the　speaker。　In　the　oration　in　question；　these　men　proclaim　the　maxims　adopted

by　their　countrymen；　and　which　formed　their　own　character；　they　record　their　views　of　their

political　relations；　and　of　their　moral　and　spiritual　nature；　and　the　principle　of　their　designs　and

conduct。　What　the　historian　puts　into　their　mouths　is　no　supposititious　system　of　ideas；　but　an

uncorrupted　transcript　of　their　intellectual　and　moral　habitudes。

§　4

Of　these　historians；　whom　we　must　make　thoroughly　our　own；　with　whom　we　must　linger　long；　if

we　would　live　with　their　respective　nations；　and　enter　deeply　into　their　spirit：　of　these　historians；　to

whose　pages　we　may　turn　not　for　the　purpose　of　erudition　merely；　but　with　a　view　to　deep　and

genuine　enjoyment；　there　are　fewer　than　might　be　imagined。　Herodotus　the　Father；　i。e。　the

Founder　of　History　and　Thucydides　have　been　already　mentioned。　Xenophon's　Retreat　of　the

Ten　Thousand　is　a　work　equally　original。　Caesar's　mentaries　are　the　simple　masterpiece　of

a　mighty　spirit。　Among　the　ancients；　these　annalists　were　necessarily　great　captains　and　statesmen。

In　the　Middle　Ages；　if　we　except　the　Bishops；　who　were　placed　in　the　very　centre　of　the　political

world；　the　Monks　monopolise　this　category　as　naive　chroniclers　who　were　as　decidedly　isolated

from　active　life　as　those　elder　annalists　had　been　connected　with　it。　In　modern　times　the　relations

are　entirely　altered。　Our　culture　is　essentially　prehensive　and　immediately　changes　all　events

into　historical　representations。　Belonging　to　the　class　in　question；　we　have　vivid；　sim