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THOMAS JOHNES, ESQ. Memoirs of the life of Sir John Froissart

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THOMAS JOHNES, ESQ.
Memoirs of the life of Sir John Froissart
page 37



and the very heart of the perfonages which hiftory places on the ftage; and* this was one of the eflèntiai parts of the defign which Froiflart had propofèd to himfelf in writing this historical work. Many pafiages throughout the following pages indicate that he had a natural inclination for It, and that he found infinite pleafiire in writing it£ but another object, which does him mueh more honour, greatly ftrengthened this natural tafte : he propofèd to preferve, for future ages, the memory of thofe men who had made themfelves renowned by thçir courage or by their virtues,—to give to their actions a value which nothing can efface nor alter,—and, by amufing ufêfully bis readers, to give birth to, or augment in their hearts, the love of glory. By the moft brilliant examples- This defire, which always animated him in hi»- various inquiries; Supported him during forty years of labour, in which he neither fpared attention nor time, and for which he feared not expending very considerable fums of money. In reality, nothing can be more proper than the fpectacle which Froiflart places contmuaUy before die eyes of bis readers, to infpire them with a love for war ; that induftrious vigilance,, always on its guard againft furprifes, mceflanrJy active to fiirprife others ; that activity, which, counts as nothing pains and fatigue; that contempt of death, which elevates the mind above the fear of danger; in-Short, that noble ambition, which excites to enterprifes of the greateft peril. He pafles in review all the heroes who, during almoft a whole century,, were produced by two warlike nations; one of which was encouraged by fuccenes as flattering as they were uninterrupted,—and the other, irritated by its misfortunes, was making, exertions to revenge, at any price, its own* honour and that of its king. In fo great a number of actions* of which many were eminently glorious to each party, it was not poffible but that fbme were to be found of a quite different fort. Froiflart does not take left, pains to paint thefe laft, in order to raifè as much horror at vice as he wifhcdt to infpire love for virtue ; but if all thefe pictures had been, the fruits of bis own imagination, they would not have been felt as much as he wiihed them.. In order that their imprcffion on the heart and mind Should be perfectly fure and ftrong, it was.neceflàry that their bafts Ihould be founded on the punft truth, diiengaged from all flattery, partiality or interefL 3*


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