第一小说网

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第2部分（第3页）

actions　he　narrates；　is　one　and　the　same。　He　describes　scenes　in　which　he　himself　has　been　an

actor；　or　at　any　rate　an　interested　spectator。　It　is　short　periods　of　time；　individual　shapes　of

persons　and　occurrences；　single　unreflected　traits；　of　which　be　makes　his　picture。　And　his　aim　is

nothing　more　than　the　presentation　to　posterity　of　an　image　of　events　as　clear　as　that　which　be

himself　possessed　in　virtue　of　personal　observation；　or　life…like　descriptions。　Reflections　are　none

of　his　business；　for　he　lives　in　the　spirit　of　his　subject；　he　has　not　attained　an　elevation　above　it。　If；

as　in　Caesars　case；　he　belongs　to　the　exalted　rank　of　generals　or　statesmen；　it　is　the　prosecution

of　his　own　aims　that　constitutes　the　history。

§　3

Such　speeches　as　we　find　in　Thucydides　（for　example）　of　which　we　can　positively　assert　that　they

are　not　bona　fide　reports；　would　seem　to　make　against　our　statement　that　a　historian　of　his　class

presents　us　no　reflected　picture；　that　persons　and　people　appear　in　his　works　in　propria　persona。

Speeches；　it　must　be　allowed；　are　veritable　transactions　in　the　human　monwealth；　in　fact；　very

gravely　influential　transactions。　It　is；　indeed；　often　said；　〃Such　and　such　things　are　only　talk〃；　by

way　of　demonstrating　their　harmlessness。　That　for　which　this　excuse　is　brought；　may　be　mere

〃talk〃；　and　talk　enjoys　the　important　privilege　of　being　harmless。　But　addresses　of　peoples　to

peoples；　or　orations　directed　to　nations　and　to　princes；　are　integrant　constituents　of　history。

Granted　such　orations　as　those　of　Pericles　—　the　most　profoundly　acplished；　genuine；　noble

statesman　—　were　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。　Xenophons　Retreat　of　the

Ten　Thousand　is　a　work　equally　original。　Caesars　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