3722. HISTORY, Authors and compilers.—
In all cases, I prefer original authors to
compilers. For a course of ancient history,
therefore[in the University of Virginia], of
Greece and Rome especially, I should advise
the usual suite of Herodotus, Thucydides,
Xenophon, Diodorus, Livy, Cæsar, Suetonius,
Tacitus and Dion, in their originals if understood,
and in translations, if not. For its continuation
to the final destruction of the Empire
we must then be content with Gibbon, a
compiler, and with Segur, for a judicious recapitulation
of the whole. After this general
course, there are a number of particular histories
filling up the chasms, which may be read
at leisure in the progress of life. Such is
Arrian, Q. Curtius, Polybius, Sallust, Plutarch,
Dionysius, Halicarnassus, Micasi, &c. The
ancient Universal History should be on our
shelves as a book of general reference, the
most learned and most faithful perhaps that
ever was written. Its style is very plain but
perspicuous.—
To——. Washington ed. vii, 411.
(M.
1825)
