CHAPTER VI.

Review

of the

PROSE WORKS OF CHAUCER AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES.

THE general use of letters, and, consequently, history the earliest æra of prose composition, does not of prose compo- date farther back than about the middle of the

sitions.

sixth century before Christ. Previous to that period, letters, though not unknown, were, chiefly from the want of fit and convenient materials, not brought into general use; and compositions of every sort were, for the sake of being more easily retained in the memory, subjected to the laws of metre. The earliest prose writings of the Greeks are characterised by Strabo as narrations, differing from the previous metrical compositions, rather in the absence of verse, than in plan or in style. The authors were, for the most part, predecessors of Herodotus* in historical narrative; and the

Pherecydes of Athens, Cadmus of Miletus, Hellanicus, &c.

work of Herodotus himself will, in a great measure, exemplify the general character of their writings. The history of Herodotus forms an intermediate step between epic poetry (the most ancient kind of history) and regular historical narrative. Both in plan and in style, this work has many of the characteristics of an epic poem. The people of Greece stand in the place of the hero of the story: the action consists in the defeat of the Persians, and their expulsion from Greece: and the story is diversified by episodes, which bear as great a proportion to the main work, and occur as frequently, as in any metrical composition of an historical nature. Besides this, the scheme and object of the narrative is as much to amuse as to instruct; and, indeed, it is owing to this its pervading quality, that it has been supposed to be included in the general censure passed by Thucydides upon historical works of this cha

racter.

*

But even the work of Thucydides is not altogether in accordance with the severe and critical spirit which is required and approved of in the

* General introduction.

present day. In the orations interspersed in his work, however valuable may be the general illustrations which they contain of the political opinions and habits of the times, we possess* rather the arguments, which presented themselves to the author's mind or which he had gathered from discussion, than the actual expressions, or even sentiments, of the speakers. This dramatic form of historical composition, while it imparts to history ornaments and charms which belong more properly to poetry, diminishes from the severity of its truth, and therefore, however popular it may be in an age when the great mass of mankind is unlettered and unphilosophical, it is altogether discontinued in an age of critical inquiry. By the historians of Rome +, this dramatic form was carried to much greater extravagance than it had been by their Grecian predecessors and instructors; nor was it finally disused by the modern historians‡ of Europe, till towards the close of the sixteenth century.

*Thucyd. 41, ch. 23.

Sallust, Livy, Tacitus. See the speech of Galgacus in the latter author, and others equally imaginary.

See Giov. Villani, Hollinshed, and our chroniclers generally.

To those who are chiefly attached to the beauties of the classic writers of antiquity, this characteristic of ancient historical composition will appear rather a proof of taste than of credulity and, perhaps, a yet stronger evidence of the sacrifice which ancient historians made of fact to style, and of instruction to amusement, is afforded by the marvellous relation and prodigies which, with the most popular amongst their works, are (as the reader may please to determine) either adorned or disfigured. The tales of Herodotus, and the portentous prodigies of Livy, are scarcely exceeded in extravagance by those of Villani, or even of Geoffroy of Monmouth. The Greek and the Roman authors either received, as did our countryman, Mandeville, the relations of others with implicit faith, or introduced them into their compositions, as subjects of popular credence; from which to dissent would have been at least unpleasing to their readers, if not hazardous to themselves.

travels

Voyages and travels may be found interspersed Books of in various ancient poetical, historical, and geo- previous graphical works; and Purchas, in his collec- deville.

to Man

tion of Pilgrimages, includes instances from the Old Testament. But, in the ancient world, books of travels did not form a distinct branch of literature. The narration in the "Odyssey," perhaps, in one point of view may, for a moment*, be regarded as a collection of travellers' tales. That part of the work of Herodotus which describes the manners of the Scythians, and other northern nations is, in effect, a book of travels; and much of the writings of Strabo, and other old geographers, falls under the same class; but with the ancients, and with our mediæval ancestors, foreign expeditions were attended with great personal risk and inconvenience; and consequently, works of travels, which have ever increased in proportion to the increased facility of locomotion, were long unknown as a distinct class of books.

The earliest extant works, professing to give an account of travels, are the compositions of Arabians. Wahab visited India, China, and other parts of the world, in the year 851.

*This view of the marvellous fictions of the Odyssey will probably shock those who are accustomed to regard them in an allegorical poin

of view.