Let, g. General History of Europe. 3o?

of the famé compass. The motives, and themeafures, by which it was protracted, the trupreasons why it ended in a manner, which appearednot proportionable to its success; and the nevvpolitical state into which Europe was thrown bythe treaties of Utrecht and Baden, are subjects onwhich few períons hâve the neceslary informations,and yet every one speaks with assurance-, and evenwith passion, I think 1 could spealc on them withlomé knowledge; and with as much indifférenceas Polybius does of the négociations of his fatherLycortas, even in thofe points where I wasmyfelf an actor.

I will even confefs to you, that I fhould notdespair of performing this part better than theformer. There is nothing in my opinion fo ha r dto execute, as thofe political maps, if you willail o w me fuch an expression, and thofe fyífems ofhints, rather than relations of events, which arenecessary to connect and explain them ; and whichmust be fo concise, and yet fo full ; fo complicate,and yet fo clear. I know nothing of this sort welldoue by the ancients. Sallust ’s introduction, aswell as that of Thiicydides, might serve almostfor any other piece of the Roman or Greek story,as well as for thofe which thefe two gréât authorschose. Pòlybius does not corne up, in his intro-duction, tothisidea neither. Amç-ng the modems,the first book of Machiavel ’s History of f lorenceis a noble original of this kind : and perhaps fatherPaul's History of Benefices is, in the famé kindof composition, inimitable.

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