The Present State of the Republick of Letters. ...

It is not my Design now to attempt removing this ill-grounded Prejudice, (tho' that may perhaps be the Subject of a future Letter) nor fhall I at prefent give you a Lift of German Writers: I fhall only, among a great number of valuable Tracts, upon all manner of Subjects, written in the German Language, fingle out a Couple, which, perhaps, may not be undeferving your Notice; as well on account of the Importance of the Subject, as the Manner in which it is treated.,

It has been a general Complaint, (and perhaps till of late Years not altogether without Reafon) that Germany has produced little or nothing tolerably good, much lefs perfect, in Hiftory. And as the German Hiftory has been hitherto the most neglected, and of Confequence is yet the most arduous, it is of that Subject, before all others, I choose to recommend you a Specimen.

The two excellent Tracts I am hinting at take in pretty near the fame Space of Time, and

are,

1. Herr Heinrichs von Bubnau genaue und umftandliche Teutfche Kayfer-und Reichs-Hiftorie, aus den bewehrteften Gefchicht-Schreibern und Urkunden zufammen getragen. Erfter Theil.

That is,

Mr. Henry von Bubnan's compleat and ample Hiftory of the German Emperors and Empire, collected out of the most approved Hiftorians, and Authentick Records. Part I. In Quarto, five Alphabets, 17 Sheets; to be continued.

II. Gef

II. Gefchichte der Teutfchen, bifz zu Anfang der Frankifchen Monarchie, in zehen Buchern verfaffet von D, Johann Jacob Mascou.

That is,

The German Hiftory to the Foundation of the Monarchy of the Franks: In Ten Books, by Dr. John Jacob Mafcou, in Quarto, three Alphabets.

T Privy

HE Author of the first (at this Time Privy Counsellor, and one of the Prime Minifters of State to the King of Poland, a Gentleman.noted for his vaft Erudition, and long Experience) obferves at the Beginning of his Preface, that, in order to form an adequate Judgment of the. Worth and Excellency of any Hiftory, we must examine, (1.) The Weight and Moment of its Subject. (2.) Whether whatever is contain'd in it be true, or at leaft probable. And, (3.) The Manner in which the Hiftorical Facts are related; that is, if it be régular, perfpicuous, and in all Points adapted to the Nature of its Subject. That Hiftorian (fays he) who knows how to combine these three Requifites, may be juftly efteem'd a Sample of Perfection. On the contrary he, who is wanting in the due Obfervation of any one of them, is, with as much Reafon, excluded the Number of good Writers. t

He expatiates upon these three Heads in fome Pages, and particularly fhews how abfolutely neceffary it is that an Hiftorian be impartial and difinterested; and concludes this Topick by obferving, how difficult it is to arrive to this Per

A 2

fection

fection in History. He then (after having acquainted his Readers that he had appropriated a great Share of his leifure Hours to the Knowledge of Hiftory) proceeds to let them fee how far he may claim a Right to the Title of a Perfect Hiftorian by this Performance. He first shews of what Weight and Moment his Subject is; then the almost infuperable Difficulties of coming at Truth or Probability in the German Hiftory, the vaft Charges he had been at in procuring the Requifites, and the Pains he has taken, and Means made use of, fo to trace it, as to be able to afcertain it; and laftly, his Method, Embellishments, and Stile.

Here

In this first Part he gives us the German History from the ancienteft Records of Time, to the Death of Chlodovius: And here (fays he) will the Readers find not only the Origine of the German People, but the most diftant Footsteps of their Customs, Manners, and Laws. he will fee the most early Account of those Exploits which happen'd in Germany, while it was look'd upon by the Romans as an unpolifh'd barbarous Country, and of fuch of their ancient Cuftoms and Conftitutions as have been preferved.

He obferves, that, in his Opinion, the ancient Roman and German Hiftories can't be compar'd without Aftonifhment: To find in the former a mighty Nation arriv'd to the higheft Pitch of Power and Renown, a People for whom the greater Part of the then known World trembled: And in the latter to fee that powerful Nation by Degrees reduc'd to the Neceffity of fubmitting to the Power and Valour of the Germans, (a Nation always defpicable in their Sight) to lose those Countries they had fubdued by Violence,

lence, Stratagem and Oppreffion, and to leave the greater Part of them in the Poffeffion of the Germans; who again had no other Right to them, than that of being more powerful.

And this, he continues, urg'd him in this first Part, to examine particularly how, and by what means, Germany, notwithstanding the Romans often vaunted that they had entirely brought it under their Yoke, by Degrees enervated, and at laft totally fubdu'd that Nation, conquer'd the City of Rome (the very Heart of that huge Roman Body) and finally put an entire End to the Western Empire.

His Index of Authors, confulted in the compiling this Work, is of four Sheets; and in the Preface he fays, the Authority of his Quotations is by fo much the greater, as he affirms he has fpar'd neither Pains nor Charge to collect thofe Books himself, that he might not be oblig'd to build upon the Faith of others, but be enabl'd to draw and examine every Thing at its own Source.

He begins this firft Part with a general Defcription of the ancient German People, their Habitations, Confines, Manners, and Customs, that he might not too often be oblig'd to break off the Thread of his Relation, and be liable to frequent Repetitions.

But as he found the Hiftory of the Germans before the Cimbrian War very perplex'd, imperfect, and in part fabulous, he has thought it unneceffary to fay much of thofe obfcure Times, and rather chofen to begin his Relation with that War; because from that Time Germany became known to the Romans by their Wars there; and because the Records of thofe Wars furnifh'd