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Page 3
Of this kind was the illustrious person whose history we now
undertake; to whom, though nature had given the greatest and most
shining endowments, she had not given them absolutely pure and
without allay. Though he had much of the admirable in his
character, as much perhaps as is usually to be found in a hero, I
will not yet venture to affirm that he was entirely free from all
defects, or that the sharp eyes of censure could not spy out some
little blemishes lurking amongst his many great perfections.
We would not therefore be understood to affect giving the reader a
perfect or consummate pattern of human excellence, but rather, by
faithfully recording some little imperfections which shadowed over
the lustre of those great qualities which we shall here record, to
teach the lesson we have above mentioned, to induce our reader
with us to lament the frailty of human nature, and to convince him
that no mortal, after a thorough scrutiny, can be a proper object
of our adoration.
But before we enter on this great work we must endeavour to remove
some errors of opinion which mankind have, by the disingenuity of
writers, contracted: for these, from their fear of contradicting
the obsolete and absurd doctrines of a set of simple fellows,
called, in derision, sages or philosophers, have endeavoured, as
much as possible, to confound the ideas of greatness and goodness;
whereas no two things can possibly be more distinct from each
other, for greatness consists in bringing all manner of mischief
on mankind, and goodness in removing it from them. It seems
therefore very unlikely that the same person should possess them
both; and yet nothing is more usual with writers, who find many
instances of greatness in their favourite hero, than to make him a
compliment of goodness into the bargain; and this, without
considering that by such means they destroy the great perfection
called uniformity of character. In the histories of Alexander and
Caesar we are frequently, and indeed impertinently, reminded of
their benevolence and generosity, of their clemency and kindness.
When the former had with fire and sword overrun a vast empire, had
destroyed the lives of an immense number of innocent wretches, had
scattered ruin and desolation like a whirlwind, we are told, as an
example of his clemency, that he did not cut the throat of an old
woman, and ravish her daughters, but was content with only undoing
them. And when the mighty Caesar, with wonderful greatness of
mind, had destroyed the liberties of his country, and with all the
means of fraud and force had placed himself at the head of his
equals, had corrupted and enslaved the greatest people whom the
sun ever saw, we are reminded, as an evidence of his generosity,
of his largesses to his followers and tools, by whose means he had
accomplished his purpose, and by whose assistance he was to
establish it.
Now, who doth not see that such sneaking qualities as these are
rather to be bewailed as imperfections than admired as ornaments
in these great men; rather obscuring their glory, and holding them
back in their race to greatness, indeed unworthy the end for which
they seem to have come into the world, viz. of perpetrating vast
and mighty mischief?
We hope our reader will have reason justly to acquit us of any
such confounding ideas in the following pages; in which, as we are
to record the actions of a great man, so we have nowhere mentioned
any spark of goodness which had discovered itself either faintly
in him, or more glaringly in any other person, but as a meanness
and imperfection, disqualifying them for undertakings which lead
to honour and esteem among men.
As our hero had as little as perhaps is to be found of that
meanness, indeed only enough to make him partaker of the
imperfection of humanity, instead of the perfection of diabolism,
we have ventured to call him THE GREAT; nor do we doubt but our
reader, when he hath perused his story, will concur with us in
allowing him that title.
CHAPTER TWO
GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF AS MANY OF OUR HERO'S ANCESTORS AS CAN BE
GATHERED OUT OF THE RUBBISH OF ANTIQUITY, WHICH HATH BEEN
CAREFULLY SIFTED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
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