on who bears the most
Considerable Part in his Story to engage the Reader; 'tis a Thing
that little conduces to the raising the Merit of a Heroe, to Praise
him by the Beauty of his Face; this is mean and trivial, Detail
discourages Persons of good Taste; 'tis the Qualities of the Soul
which ought to render him acceptable; and there are those Qualities
likewise that ought to be discourag'd in the Principal Character of
a Heroe, for there are Actors of a Second Rank, who serve only to
bind the Intrigue, and they ought not to be compar'd with those of
the First Order, nor be given Qualities that may cause them to be
equally Esteemd; 'tis not by Extravagant Expressions, nor Repeated
Praises, that the Reader's Esteem is acquired to the Character of
the Heroe's, their Actions ought to plead far them; 'tis by that
they are made known; and describe themselves; altho' they ought to
have some Extraordinary Qualities, they ought not all to have 'em in
an equal degree; 'tis impossible they shou'd not have some
Imperfections, seeing they are Men, but their Imperfections ought
not to destroy the Character that is attributed to them; if we
describe them Brave, Liberal and Generous, we ought not to attribute
to them Baseness or Cowardice, because that their Actions wou'd
otherwise bely their Character, and the Predominant Virtures of the
Heroes: 'Tis no Argument that_ Salust, _though so Happy in the
Description of Men, in the Description of_ Cataline _does not in
some manner describe him Covetous also; for he says this Ambitious
Man spent his own Means profusely, and raged after the Goods of
another with an Extream Greediness, but these Two Motions which seem
contrary were inspired by the same Wit; these were the Effects of
the Unbounded Ambition of_ Cataline, _and the desire he had to Rise
by the help of his Creatures on the Ruins of the_ Roman _Republic;
so vast a Project cou'd not be Executed by very great Sums of Money,
which obliged_ Cataline _to make all Sorts of Efforts to get it from
all Parts._

_Every Historian ought to be extreamly uninterested; he ought
neither to Praise nor Blame those he speaks of; he ought to be
contented with Exposing the Actions, leaving an entire Liberty to
the Reader to judge at he pleases, without taking any care not to
blame his Heroes, or make their Apology; he is no judge of the merit
of his Heroes, his Business is to represent them in the same Form as
they are, and describe their Sentiments, M