Page:The Ladies' Cabinet of Fashion, Music & Romance 1832.pdf/58

Rh effectually acted on the morals of our age ; and restrict myself at present to the inquiry, as it regards the historical branch of imaginative narration. No one can, for a moment, so far misconceive what has been said, as to imagine that I purpose the absurd inquiry, whether authentic history can be beneficially superseded by apocryphal romance. All will perceive that the only debatable question is, whether fanciful narration may be safely and usefully admitted in aid of historical research. What is the chief advantage to be derived from the study of history ? Assuredly, not a dry recollection of mere names and dates. We study, or ought to study history, as we study living man in the world around us. In history exists the whole bygone world. By history, we live among our ancestors. By history, we travel among ancient nations, visit tribes long since extinct, and are introduced to manners that have yielded, centuries ago , to the innovating influence of time. Travel, society, show us men and things as they are ; history shows us men and things as they have been. The one opens to us the past, as the other the present, world. Grant, as methinks we must, that here is justly defined the province of history, and it follows directly, that that history is the most valuable, which the best supplies, for the past, what contact with society affords, for the present. And what does contact with society afford us ? A living, vivid picture of men and women, their sayings, their doings, their appearance, their manners ; an intimate acquaintance with their thoughts, wishes, peculiarities, plans, objects of desire, modes of conduct. In a word, it places man before us, and we learn what he is. Does Hume, does Gibbon, thus teach us, what men and women have been ? Are we, even in their luminous pages, introduced, in verity, to the society of days that are past ? They narrate to us many and valuable truths. They exhibit the great features of human progress. They expound to us difficult and important lessons. But do they tell us all ? Do we enter the chamber, penetrate to the closet ? Or are we not, rather, stopped in the ante-chamber, nay, on the very threshold of the entrance-door ? They have faithfully and with infinite labour conducted us they only could have done it- to the vestibule. But if we are to enter the ancient edifice, if we are to be introduced to its inhabitants, to watch their doings, to learn their manners, to read their hearts, to feel with them and for them, we must have aguide other than the scrupulous historiographer.