Parallel Universal History, being an outline of the history and biography of the world. Divided into periods

Front matter

Parallel BEING AN OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD, CONTEMPORANEOUSLY ARRANGED. E\ PHILIP ALEXANDER PRINCE, Esq. W&e jjecont) SEUition. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. in. ; CONTAINING MODERN HISTORY, FROM THE OUTBREAK OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION TO THE PRESENT DAY. LONDON : WHITTAKER & CO., AVE-MARIA LANE. 1843. HOC ILLUD EST PRÆCIPUE IN COGNITIONE RERUM SALUBRE AC FRU- G1FERUM— OMNIS TE EXEMPLI DOCUMENTA IN ILLUSTR1 POSITA MONU MENTO INTUERI; INDE T1BI, TUÆQUE REIPUBLICÆ, QUOD IMITERE, CA PIAS; INDE FŒDUM INCEPTU, FŒDUM EXITU, QUOD VITES.-Lincs. ME QUIDEM IPSÆ ILLÆ NOSTRÆ ATHENÆ NON TAM OPERIBUS MAGNI FICIS EXQUISITISQUE ANTIQUORUM ART1BUS DELECTANT, QUAM RECOR DATIONE SUMMORUM VIRORUM, UB1 QU1SQUE HAB1TARE, UBI SEDERE, UBI D1SPUTARE SIT SOLITUS.-Cicero. WHO WRITES A HISTORY, HIS PRINCIPAL AIM SHOULD BE TRUTH, AND TO RELATE ESPECIALLY THE EXTRAORDINARIES BOTH OF GOOD AND ILL: OF GOOD, THAT MEN, TAKEN WITH THE HONOUR DONE THEM IN STORY, MAY BE ENCOURAGED TO PERFORM THE LIKE ; OF ILL, THAT WHEN MEN SEE THE INFAMY THAT THEY ARE BRANDED WITH, THEY MAY LEAP FROM ALL THAT SHOULD MAKE THEM SO STIGMATIZED.— Owen Felj.thah.

C. WHITING, BEAUFORT HOUSE, STRAND. POSTSCRIPT. Having brought down his sketch of History from the earliest pe riod to the present day, the Author would, in conclusion, exhort the Reader to remember what he said in his Preface, that ' the opinions offered throughout on politics and religious faith, are to be regarded, not as resulting from a wish to dogmatise, but from a sincere desire to instil sober sentiments into the youthful mind.' The doctrines he has, imperfectly enough, laboured to uphold, are those wherein him self was nurtured ; and if only entitled to the name of prejudices on that account, he must be allowed to designate them principles, now that his reason and judgment have, in maturer years, forced upon his mind a conviction of their truth. If, in the notion of some, or even of many, they should be thought a little antiquated and out of fashion, that he mist lament ; but he must be permitted to assert boldly, that the man wl. resolves to act closely up to them, and accomplishes his re solve, win, with the blessing of God, find himself both advanced in virtue, and full of the hope of the humble Christian : ' pereat mea niusa, dolosum Si quando ornaret vitium, aut cecinisse recuset Virtutemque, artemque, et quicquid carmine dignum.' No opinion that the Author has ventured to offer in reprobation, has been directed against the person, but against the act.

We have no right to judge men ; but regarding men's positive deeds and their tendency, it is permitted us to deliver our sentiments. The matter of History demands of the narrator the illustration of his private judg ment as he proceeds ; and every one is aware how almost impossible it is to perform this duty so as to give offence to no party. It was our own king Charles the Second who registered his sense of the His torian's difficulty in this particular. ' What work are you upon ?' said his majesty to Gregorio Leti, then at his court. ' II Teatro Britan nico, sire, an historical one of your court,' replied the author. ' How POSTSCRIPT. can you,' rejoined king Charles, ' write history, and not give offence somewhere ?' ' That, sire,' answered Gregorio, ' not even Solomon could have done.' ' Then,' rejoined his majesty, with his usual quickness of re partee, ' be as wise as Solomon, and write only proverbs.' To the utmost of his power the Author has laboured to avoid giving offence, without obeying the royal monition ; but he will not lose sight of his principles to apologise for having denounced, when required so to do, the cha racters of the quack, the demagogue, the purse-proud and therefore viciously-ignorant man, the confounder of principles, the unjust doer, the scorner of authority in church or state, or the infidel.