Author: Francis Jeffrey

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2018-01-22

Total Pages: 534

ISBN-13: 9780483628441

Excerpt from Contributions to the Edinburgh Review, Vol. 2 of 4 The only other part of Lord Holland's statement, to which we think it necessary to call the attention of the reader, is that in which he thinks it necessary to explain the peculiar notions which Mr. Fox entertained on the subject of historical composition, and the very rigid laws to which he had subjected himself in the execution of his important task. It is therefore necessary to Observe, that he had formed his plan SO exclusively on the model of ancient writers, that he not only felt some repugnance to the modern practice of notes, but he thought that all which an historian wished to say, should be introduced as part of a continued narration, and never assume the appearance of a digression, much less of a dissertation annexed to it. From the period, therefore, that he closed his Introductory Chapter, he defined his duty as an author, to consist in recounting the facts as they arose; or in his simple and forcible language, in telling the story of those times. A con versation which passed on the subject of the literature of the age of James the Second, proves his rigid adherence to these ideas; and per haps the substance of it may serve to illustrate and explain them. In Speaking Of the writers of that period, he lamented that he had not devised a method of interweaving any account of them or their works, much less any criticism on their style, into his history. On my sug geeting the example of Hume and Voltaire, who had discussed such topics at some length, either at the end of each reign, or in a separate chapter, he Observed, with much commendation of their execution of it, that such a contrivance might be a good mode of writing critical essays, but that it was, in his Opinion, incompatible with the nature of his undertaking, which, if it ceased to be a narrative, ceased to be a history. - p. Xxxvi. Xxxvii. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.