the more curious reprefented onely one great one, and that was his own. It's intended that this book should to the vulgar read or express feveral particulars, i e. all this laft ages Heroes ; but to every gentleman it fhould intimate onely one, and that is bimfelf. It's easily imaginable how unconcerned I am in the fate of this book, either in the hiftory, or the obfervation; fince I have been fo faithful in the first, that is not my own, but the Hiftorians; and fo careful in the second, that they are not mine, but the Hiftories. DAVID LLOYD. The Lord Bacon's Judgment of HISTORY, which may be called just and perfect history, is of three kinds, according to the object it propoundeth, or pretendeth to reprefent; for it either reprefenteth a time, a perfon, or an action. The firft we call chronicles, the fecond lives, and the third narrations, or relations. Of these; although the first be the most compleat and abfolute kind of history, and hath most estimation and glory; yet the second excelleth it in profit and use; and the third in verity and fincerity. For hiftory of times reprefenteth the magnitude of actions, and the publick faces or deportments of perfons, and paffeth over in filence the smaller paffages and motions of men and matters. But fuch being the workmanship of God, as he doth hang the greatest weight upon the the smallest wyars, Maxima é minimis suspendens; it comes therefore to pafs, that such histories do rather set forth the pomp of bufinefs, than the true and inward reforts thereof. But lives, if they be well written, propounding to themselves a person to reprefènt, in whom actions both greater and smaller, publick and private, have a commixture, muft of neceffity contain a more true, native, and lively reprefentation. I do much admire that these times have so little esteemed the vertues of the times, as that the writing of Lives should be no more frequent. For although there be not many foveraign princes, or abfolute commanders, and that states are most collected into monarchies; yet are there many worthy perfonages that deserve better than difperfed report, or barren elogies: for herein the invention of one of the late poets is proper, and doth well inrich the ancient fiction. For he faineth, that at the end of the thread or web of every man's life, there was a little medal containing the perfon's name and that that Time waiteth upon the Sheers, and as foon as the thread was cut, caught the medals and carried them to the river Lethe ; and about the bank there were many birds flying up and down, that would get the medals, and carry them in their beak a little while, and then let them fall into the river. Onely there were a few swans, which if they got a name, would carry it to a temple where it was confecrate. PREFACE PREFACE TO THIS NEW EDITION. A FTER the approbation of fo great a judge as lord Bacon, of works of this nature, it is unneceffary to enlarge upon the utillity of the treatise, or to inforce what has been mentioned by him. It remains therefore only to give an account of the Author whose book I have taken the liberty to re-print. As to the Author ;-David Lloyd, son of Hugh Lloyd, was born at Pant Mawr in the parish of Trawfvinydd, in Merionithfhire, on the 28th of Sept. 1635, educated in the free-fchool at Ruthen in Denbighshire, became a fervitor of Oriel Coll. in 1652, (at which time and after he performed the office. of Janitor of the faid Coll.) took one degree in arts, and by the favour of the war den |