Page:The American encyclopedia of history, biography and travel (IA americanencyclop00blak).pdf/12

 Another advantage is, that it tends to strengthen sentiments of virtue, by displaying the motives and actions of truly great men, and those of a contrary character,—thus inspiring a taste for real greatness and solid glory.

The second department of our work has been devoted to ,—a species of history more entertaining, and in many respects equally useful, with general history. It represents great men more distinctly, unincumbered with a crowd of other actors, and, descending into the detail of their actions and character, their virtues and failings, gives more insight into human nature, and leads to a more intimate acquaintance with particular persons, than general history allows. A writer of biography may descend with propriety to minute circumstances and familiar incidents. He is expected to give the private as well as the public life of those whose actions he records; and it is from private life, from familiar, domestic and seemingly trivial occurrences, that we often derive the most accurate knowledge of the real character. To those who have exposed their lives, or employed their time and labor, for the service of their fellow men, it seems but a just debt, that their memories should be perpetuated after them, and that posterity should be made acquainted with their benefactors. To a volume of biography may be applied the language of a pagan poet:—

"Here patriots live, who for their country's good, In fighting fields were prodigal of blood; Priests of unblemished lives here make abode, And poets worthy their inspiring god; And searching wits of more mechanic parts, Who graced their age with new invented arts; Those who to worth their bounty did extend, And those who knew that bounty to commend: The heads of these with holy fillets bound, And all their temples are with garlands crowned."

In the lives of public persons, their public characters are principally, but not solely, to be regarded. The world is inquisitive to know the conduct of its great men as well in private as in public; and both may be of service, considering the influence of