=

QUARTERLY JOURNAL,

OF

SCIENCE, LITERATURE,

NATURAL HISTORY, AND THE FINE ARTS.

VOL. III.

London :

SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & CO.

CURRY, JUN. & CO., DUBLIN; BARLOW, BIRMINGHAM.

1836.

cond. Schwoab 3-27-45 52152

THE ANALYST.

REMARKS UPON BISHOP BURNETT'S HISTORY OF HIS OWN TIME.

LORD Dartmouth, in his Notes upon the best known and most popular of Bishop Burnett's works, the History of his own Time, has made this unqualified declaration,-a declaration in accordance with the rest of the calumnies against our author, whether avowed or anonymous: "I wrote" says his Lordship, " in the first volume of this book, that I did not believe the Bishop designedly published anything he believed to be false; therefore, think myself obliged to write in this, that I am fully satisfied that he published many things that he knew to be so:" and at the close of the work, where Burnett " prays God that his History may be read with the same candour and sincerity which he had written it," his malignant censurer adds, "thus piously ends the most partial, malicious heap of scandal and misrepresentation that was ever collected for the laudable design of giving a false impression of persons and things to all future ages." However, a more liberal and enlightened commentator has justly refuted this sweeping accusation. "His History," observes Dr. Routh, "is one which will never lose its importance, but will continue to furnish materials for other historians, and to be read by those who wish to derive their knowledge of facts from the first sources of information. The accuracy of his narration has often been attacked with vehemence, and often, it must be confessed, with success; but not so often as to overthrow the general credit of his work. On the contrary, it has, in many instances, October, 1835.—VOL. III. NO. XIII.

B.