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of the honest Glendoveer 〃When now He saw the Amreeta in Kehama's
hand； An impulse that defied all self…command； In that extremity； Stung
him； and he resolved to seize the cup； And dare the Rajah's force in
Seeva's sight； Forward he sprung to tempt the unequal fray。〃
In plain words； I shall offer a few considerations； which may tend to
reduce an overpraised writer to his proper level。
The principal characteristic of this historian； the origin of his
excellencies and his defects； is a love of singularity。 He has no notion of
going with a multitude to do either good or evil。 An exploded opinion； or
an unpopular person； has an irresistible charm for him。 The same
perverseness may be traced in his diction。 His style would never have
been elegant； but it might at least have been manly and perspicuous； and
nothing but the most elaborate care could possibly have made it so bad as
it is。 It is distinguished by harsh phrases； strange collocations； occasional
solecisms； frequent obscurity； and； above all； by a peculiar oddity； which
can no more be described than it can be overlooked。 Nor is this all。 Mr
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Mitford piques himself on spelling better than any of his neighbours； and
this not only in ancient names； which he mangles in defiance both of
custom and of reason； but in the most ordinary words of the English
language。 It is； in itself； a matter perfectly indifferent whether we call a
foreigner by the name which he bears in his own language； or by that
which corresponds to it in ours； whether we say Lorenzo de Medici； or
Lawrence de Medici； Jean Chauvin； or John Calvin。 In such cases
established usage is considered as law by all writers except Mr Mitford。
If he were always consistent with himself； he might be excused for
sometimes disagreeing with his neighbours； but he proceeds on no
principle but that of being unlike the rest of the world。 Every child has
heard of Linnaeus； therefore Mr Mitford calls him Linne： Rousseau is
known all over Europe as Jean Jacques； therefore Mr Mitford bestows on
him the strange appellation of John James。
Had Mr Mitford undertaken a History of any other country than
Greece； this propensity would have rendered his work useless and absurd。
His occasional remarks on the affairs of ancient Rome and of modern
Europe are full of errors： but he writes of times with respect to which
almost every other writer has been in the wrong； and； therefore； by
resolutely deviating from his predecessors； he is often in the right。
Almost all the modern historians of Greece have shown the grossest
ignorance of the most obvious phenomena of human nature。 In their
representations the generals and statesmen of antiquity are absolutely
divested of all individuality。 They are personifications； they are passions；
talents； opinions； virtues； vices； but not men。 Inconsistency is a thing of
which these writers have no notion。 That a man may have been liberal in
his youth and avaricious in his age； cruel to one enemy and merciful to
another； is to them utterly inconceivable。 If the facts be undeniable； they
suppose some strange and deep design； in order to explain what； as every
one who has observed his own mind knows； needs no explanation at all。
This is a mode of writing very acceptable to the multitude who have
always been accustomed to make gods and daemons out of men very little
better or worse than themselves； but it appears contemptible to all who
have watched the changes of human characterto all who have observed
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the influence of time； of circumstances； and of associates； on mankindto
all who have seen a hero in the gout； a democrat in the church； a pedant in
love； or a philosopher in liquor。 This practice of painting in nothing but
black and white is unpardonable even in the drama。 It is the great fault of
Alfieri； and how much it injures the effect of his compositions will be
obvious to every one who will compare his Rosmunda with the Lady
Macbeth of Shakspeare。 The one is a wicked woman； the other is a fiend。
Her only feeling is hatred； all her words are curses。 We are at once
shocked and fatigued by the spectacle of such raving cruelty； excited by no
provocation； repeatedly changing its object； and constant in nothing but in
its in… extinguishable thirst for blood。
In history this error is far more disgraceful。 Indeed； there is no fault
which so completely ruins a narrative in the opinion of a judicious reader。
We know that the line of demarcation between good and bad men is so
faintly marked as often to elude the most careful investigation of those
who have the best opportunities for judging。 Public men； above all； are
surrounded with so many temptations and difficulties that some doubt
must almost always hang over their real dispositions and intentions。 The
lives of Pym； Cromwell； Monk； Clarendon； Marlborough； Burnet； Walpole；
are well known to us。 We are acquainted with their actions； their
speeches； their writings； we have abundance of letters and well…
authenticated anecdotes relating to them： yet what candid man will venture
very positively to say which of them were honest and which of them were
dishonest men？ It appears easier to pronounce decidedly upon the great
characters of antiquity； not because we have greater means of discovering
truth； but simply because we have less means of detecting error。 The
modern historians of Greece have forgotten this。 Their heroes and
villains are as consistent in all their sayings and doings as the cardinal
virtues and the deadly sins in an allegory。 We should as soon expect a
good action from giant Slay…good in Bunyan as from Dionysius； and a
crime of Epaminondas would seem as incongruous as a faux…pas of the
grave and comely damsel called Discretion； who answered the bell at the
door of the house Beautiful。
This error was partly the cause and partly the effect of the high
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estimation in which the later ancient writers have been held by modern
scholars。 Those French and English authors who have treated of the
affairs of Greece have generally turned with contempt from the simple and
natural narrations of Thucydides and Xenophon to the extravagant
representations of Plutarch； Diodorus； Curtius； and other romancers of the
same class；men who described military operations without ever having
handled a sword； and applied to the seditions of little republics
speculations formed by observation on an empire which covered half the
known world。 Of liberty they knew nothing。 It was to them a great
mysterya superhuman enjoyment。 They ranted about liberty and
patriotism； from the same cause which leads monks to talk more ardently
than other men about love and women。 A wise man values political
liberty； because it secures the persons and the possessions of citizens；
because it tends to prevent the extravagance of rulers； and the corruption
of judges； because it gives birth to useful sciences and elegant arts；
because it excites the industry and increases the comforts of all classes of
society。 These theorists imagined that it possessed something eternally
and intrinsically good；