many Signs we may guess, that the Wits of our Nation are not inferior to any other; and that they have an excellent Mixture of the Spirit of the French and the Spaniard: and I am confident, that we only want a few more standing Examples, and a little more Familiarity with the Antients to excell all the Moderns. Now the best Means that can be devis'd to bring that about, is to settle a fixt and impartial Court of Eloquence, according to whose Censure, all Books, or Authors, should either stand or fall. And above ail, there might be recommended to them one principal Work, in which we are yet defective; and that is, the compiling of a History of our late Civil Wars. Of all the Labours of Men's Wit and Industry, I scarce know any that can be more useful to the World than Civil History; if it were written, with that Sincerity and Majesty, as it ought to be, as a faithful Idea of human Actions. And it is observable, that almost in all civilis'd Countries, it has been the last thing, that has come to Perfection. I may now say, that the English can already shew many industrious and worthy Pieces in this kind: But yet, I have some prophetical Imagination in my Thoughts, that there is still behind something greater than any we have yet seen, reserv'd for the Glory of this Age. One Reason of this my strong Persuasion is a Comparison, that I make, between the Condition of our State, and that of the Romans. They at first wrote, in this way, not much better than our Monks: only registring, in an undigested manner, some few naked Breviaries of their Wars, and Leagues, and Acts of their City Magistrates. And indeed they advanc'd forward by very slow Degrees: For I remember, that Tully somewhere complains, in these
