Page:The history of Tom Jones (1749 Volume 1).pdf/158

 thoe Writers who profes to dicloe the Revolutions of Countries, than to imitate the painful and voluminous Hitorian, who to preerve the Regularity of his Series thinks himelf obliged to fill up as much Paper with the Detail of Months and Years in which nothing remarkable happened, as he employs upon thoe notable Æras when the greatet Scenes have been tranacted on the human Stage.

Such Hitories as thee do, in reality, very much reemble a News-Paper, which conits of jut the ame Number of Words, whether there be any News in it or not. They may likewie be compared to a Stage-Coach, which performs contantly the fame Coure, empty as well as full. The Writer, indeed, eems to think himelf obliged to keep even Pace with Time, whoe Amanuenis he is; and, like his Mater, travels as lowly through Centuries of monkih Dulnes, when the World eems to have been aleep, as through that bright and buy Age o nobly ditinguihed by the excellent Latin Poet.

“Ad confligendum cenientibus undique pœnis; Omnia cum belli trepido concua tumultu