Mosaics of Grecian History | Page 2

they are faithful pictures of the times,
scenes, incidents, principles, and beliefs which they are employed to
illustrate. Aside, too, from their historic interest, they have a literary
value. Many prose selections from the best historians are also
introduced, giving to the narrative a pleasing variety of style that can be
found in no one writer, even if he be a Grote, a Gibbon, or a Macaulay.
* * * * *
THE PRINCIPAL HISTORIES OF GREECE.
Believing that it may be of some advantage to the general reader, we
give herewith a brief sketch of the principal histories of Greece now

before the public. We may mention, among those of a comprehensive
character, the works of Goldsmith, Gillies, Mitford, Thirlwall, Grote,
and Curtius:
OLIVER GOLDSMITH, "the popular poet, the charming novelist, the
successful dramatist, and the witty essayist," wrote a popular history of
Greece, in two volumes, 8vo, 1774, embracing a period from the
earliest date down to the death of Alexander the Great. It is an
attractive work, elegantly written, but is superficial and inaccurate.
In 1786 was published a history of ancient Greece, in several volumes,
by DR. JOHN GILLIES, who succeeded Dr. Robertson as
historiographer of Scotland. This is a work of considerable merit but it
is written in a spirit of decidedly monarchical tendencies, although the
author evidently aimed at great fairness in his political views.
He says: "The history of Greece exposes the dangerous turbulence of
democracy, and arraigns the despotism of tyrants. By describing the
incurable evils inherent in every republican policy, it evinces the
inestimable benefits resulting to liberty itself from the lawful dominion
of hereditary kings, and the steady operation of well-regulated
monarchy."
In the year 1784 appeared the first volume of WILLIAM MITFORD'S
"History of Greece", subsequently extended to eight and ten volumes,
8vo. It is the first history of Greece that combines extensive research
and profound philosophical reflection; but it is "a monarchical" history,
by a writer of very strong anti-republican principles. "It was
composed," says Alison, the distinguished historian of modern Europe,
"during, or shortly after, the French Revolution; and it was mainly
intended to counteract the visionary ideas in regard to the blessings of
Grecian democracy, which had spread so far in the world, from the
magic of Athenian genius." Says Chancellor Kent: "Mitford does not
scruple to tell the truth, and the whole truth, and to paint the stormy
democracies of Greece in all their grandeur and in all their
wretchedness." Lord Byron said of the author: "His great pleasure
consists in praising tyrants, abusing Plutarch, spelling oddly, and
writing quaintly; and--what is strange, after all--his is the best modern
history of Greece in any language." But this was penned before
Thirlwall's and Grote's histories were published. Lord Macaulay says of
Mitford: "Whenever this historian mentions Demosthenes he violates

all the laws of candor and even of decency: he weighs no authorities, he
makes no allowances, he forgets the best authenticated facts in the
history of the times, and the most generally recognized principles of
human nature." The North British Review, after calling Mitford "a bad
scholar, a bad historian, and a bad writer of English," says, farther, that
"he was the first writer of any note who found out that Grecian history
was a living thing with a practical bearing."
The next truly important and comprehensive Grecian history, published
from 1835 to 1840, in eight volumes, 8vo, was written by CONNOP
THIRLWALL, D. D., Bishop of St. David's. It is a scholarly, elaborate,
and philosophical work evincing a thorough knowledge of Greek
literature and of the German commentators. The historian Grote said
that, if it had appeared a few years earlier, he should probably never
have undertaken his own history of Greece. "I should certainly," he
says, "not have been prompted to the task by any deficiencies such as
those I felt and regretted in Mitford."
In comparing Thirlwall's history with Grote's, the North British Review
has the following judicious remarks: "Many persons, probably, who
have no special devotion to Grecian history wish to study its main
outlines in something higher than a mere school-book. To such readers
we should certainly recommend Thirlwall rather than Grote. The
comparative brevity, the greater clearness and terseness of the narrative,
the freedom from diversions and digressions, all render it far better
suited for such a purpose. But for the political thinker, who regards
Grecian history chiefly in its practical bearing, Mr. Grote's work is far
better adapted. The one is the work of a scholar, an enlarged and
practical scholar indeed, but still one in whom the character of the
scholar is the primary one. The other is the work of a politician and
man of business, a London banker, a Radical M. P., whose devotion to
ancient history and