Of the art both of writing & judging of history with reflections upon ancient as well as modern historians, shewing through what defects there are so few good, and that it is impossible there should be many so much as tolerable / by the Jesuit Father Le-Moyne.

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Author:	Le Moyne, Pierre, 1602-1671.
Title:	Of the art both of writing & judging of history with reflections upon ancient as well as modern historians, shewing through what defects there are so few good, and that it is impossible there should be many so much as tolerable / by the Jesuit Father Le-Moyne.
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Print source:	Of the art both of writing & judging of history with reflections upon ancient as well as modern historians, shewing through what defects there are so few good, and that it is impossible there should be many so much as tolerable / by the Jesuit Father Le-Moyne. Le Moyne, Pierre, 1602-1671. London: Printed for R. Sare and J. Hindmarsh, 1695.
Subject terms:	Historiography.
URL:	https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A47666.0001.001
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Table of Contents

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title page

TO THE READER.

THE CONTENTS.

OF HISTORY.

Dissertation I. Of the Merit of History, and Qualities of an Historian.

CHAP. I. That History and Poetry are allied; The Passage that separates them is not long. Why no Man has hitherto passed from one to the other. That one must be a Poet to be an Histo∣rian.

CHAP. II. Of the Difficulty of History: The Small Number of True Histo∣rians: Reflections upon some Mo∣derns.

CHAP. III. France has had many Journals and Memoirs, but not one French Hi∣story. Judgment upon Commines, and other Historiographers after him.

CHAP. IV. That History demands length of Time, and great Qualifications. Whether it be necessary an Histo∣rian should be a Statesman and a Soldier?

CHAP. V. Wit is the first Quality of an Histo∣rian. Wit is an Universal Dispo∣sition. With Wit every Man may be a Statesman. The Error of Car∣dinal Bentivoglio.

CHAP. VI. What ought to be the Wit of an Hi∣storian: Its Character, Extension, Faculties and Aids.

CHAP. VII. History is an Universal School: The Usefulness of this School. A The∣atre for Good Princes, and a Scaf∣fold for the Bad. What are the Advantages the Publick receives from one and the other.

CHAP. VIII. Of Shews and Representation, Feasts and other Pleasures which History affords.

CHAP. IX. Of the Wit, Judgment and Dispo∣sition required for the reading of History: Whether Young People are capable?

CHAP. X. The particular Regard and Intention must be had in the reading of History.

Dissertation II. Of the Nature and Art of History.

CHAP. I. From whence comes the Name of Hi∣story, and the Different Kinds.

CHAP. II. The Definition of History given Vossius, Examined and Refuted.

CHAP. III. The true Definition of History, and its Picture drawn with all its Parts.

CHAP. IV. To what Art History belongs; And what Rank she holds in Learning. The difference between an Historian, Orator and Poet.

CHAP. V. That History has need of an Art to govern her: What are the Functi∣ons of this Art? Authors that have writ of it.

Dissertation III. Of the Parts of History.

CHAP. I. What are the Parts of History? What Actions ought to be the Matter? The Opinions of the Ancients concerning the Truth of these Actions.

CHAP. II. That Truth ought to be the Principa• Care of the Historian: How far this Care obliges him and what are the Laws.

CHAP. III. The Sources by which Falsities enter History; And first of Ignorance: Of the Difficulties in discovering Truth: Ways of illuding Judg∣ment: An Ancient and Modern Example thereupon.

CHAP. IV. What Certainty ought to be expected from History. What Faith given her. The Indulgence to be granted Historians: And the middle way to be held between too Easie, and too Curious a Belief.

CHAP. V. That the Historian, curious of Truth, must not trust to Fame. The Cha∣racter of Fame. Partial Rela∣tions less to be relied on. That he ought to be without Passion; as well as Country▪ and Party.

CHAP. VI. That nothing ought to enter History, but what is Great and Illustrious. That trifling things ought to have no Place there.

CHAP. VII. That Military Actions are not the Principal Matter of History. The Historian ought to be oftner in the Closet than Army. That he ought to shun the Affectation of Mar∣vellous things; and abstain as much from Defect as Excess, in the Rela∣tion of Miracles.

CHAP. VIII. Whether Private Actions may be made use of in History? And what ought to be those received.

CHAP. IX. Whether the Law of Truth obliges the Historian to keep nothing to himself? Whether nothing be owing to the publick Vertue and good Ex∣ample? Whether 'tis not better to Suppress the Vices of the Great, than publish them.

CHAP. X. That the Right of History permits the Historian all sorts of Truth. The Rules to be observed in the use of this Right; with Consci∣ence and Honour, and without Scandal and Prejudice to the Pu∣blick Vertue.

Dissertation IV.

CHAP. I. That the Historian has Right to Judge of Things and Actions. Of the Faults he must avoid in the use of this Right; And first Rash∣ness.

CHAP. II. Of Malice in judging the Frailty of all Men. The Care an Historian ought to take to preserve himself from it. Of the Brevity required. Reflections upon Philip Com∣mines.

CHAP. III. The Regard an Historian ought to have to his Birth, Religion and Life.

CHAP. IV. Of Elogies and Characters of Illu∣strious Persons; in what Places they ought to be put.

Dissertation V. Of Sentences.

CHAP. I. That History demands Sentences: What are Sentences; and the Kinds.

CHAP. II. Of the Use of Sentences; And the Rules to be observed.

CHAP. III. Another Important Rule to be ob∣served in the Use of Sentences, to the Exclusion of Points contrary to the Gravity of History. Seneca wrongfully censured for that by Quin∣tilian.

CHAP. IV. That a Point in Thoughts is diffe∣rent from Force. An Example of the Force of Thoughts. Of In∣structions and Precepts, and how to be used.

Dissertation VI. Of Descriptions.

CHAP. I. Of the Worth of Description; And some Rules the Historian ought to observe.

CHAP. II. Other Rules for Descriptions. Ovid censured: And of some Histo∣rians that have fail'd in these Rules.

CHAP. III. Other Rules necessary in Descriptions. How and to what Degree they ought to approach Poetry. Apuleius cen∣sured, and his Stile.

CHAP. IV. The last Rule in Descriptions, and its Importance.

Dissertation VII. Of Harangues and Digressions.

CHAP. I. Whether Harangues are Superfluous in History? And whether contrary to the Rule of Truth?

CHAP. II. That Harangues are necessary in Hi∣story, not contrary to Truth nor Probability. Historians and Poets justified thereupon.

CHAP. III. What Persons ought to Harangue? What ought to be the Subject Mat∣ter and Measure of Harangues? Thucydides and Salust reprehended for having fail'd in this Rule.

CHAP. IV. Of the Kinds, Use and End of Di∣gressions.

Dissertation VIII. Of Order.

CHAP. I. Of the Preface; Rules to be observ'd, and Faults to be avoided. Re∣flections upon the Prefaces of Salust.

CHAP. II. The Historick Narration requires Order. What is this Order; and how it differs from that of Poetry.

Dissertation IX. Of the Stile of History.

CHAP. I. The Stile of History demands Orna∣ment.

CHAP. II. What ought to be the Ornament of the Stile of History; and in what it consists.

CHAP. III. That the Sublime Character is most proper for the Stile of History.

CHAP. IV. That the Stile of History ought to ap∣proach that of Poetry; and to what Degree.

CHAP. V. The Historick Stile demands Pureness and Clearness.

CHAP. VI. That the Stile of History demands Brevity: And in what it ought to consist.

Books Sold by R. Sare at Grays-Inn-gate in Holbourn, and J. Hindmarsh against the Ex∣change in Cornhill.