Chapter I: Preface

Two books which appeared more than thirty years ago, and which have been long out of print, are brought into one in this volume. The second of them--the “Process of Historical Proof,” was, in fact, a sequel to the first--the “History of the Transmission of Ancient Books to Modern Times.” In now reprinting the two, as one, it has not been difficult to give continuity to the whole: this has been effected, partly by removing from each volume portions which seemed to be of secondary importance, and to be not closely related to the principal intention of the work; and partly by introducing several entire chapters of new material; and by the insertion of additional paragraphs throughout. What is new in this volume occurs chiefly in the mid portions of it, and at the end.

In the course of this thirty years, the labours of critics, combined with the researches of learned travellers, have thrown much light upon all parts of the subject which is compendiously treated in this volume. No reader who is fully informed in this department will need to be told that, within the limits of a volume such as this, nothing more than the most concise mention of these recent labours and researches could be attempted: they are referred to only in the way of suggestion and of sample. At the first, the two books above mentioned were intended to find a place in a course of general educational reading; and it is only as coming within the range of a purpose such as this, that the Reprint is now offered to the public.

In excluding from the Reprint some chapters of the two volumes which related expressly to the Biblical argument, or “Christian Evidences,” I have been influenced by several reasons--such as these: The first of them is this, that what may be regarded as the _religious_ aspect of the general subject has no direct claim to be included in the treatment of it. In the next place, I have believed--and think so decisively--that, for the very purpose of bringing the Biblical argument home, with the greatest force, to the convictions of intelligent young persons, the subject should be fully understood in its broadest aspect. When it is thus presented, and when it is thus understood, well-informed and ingenuous persons will see and feel, irresistibly, that, as compared with any other mass of facts belonging to literary antiquarianism, and to historic evidence, the Biblical evidence is many times more ample, and various, and is more unquestionably certain, than even the best and the surest of those masses of facts.

There is yet another reason that has induced me to retrench, in this Reprint, much that, thirty years ago, might seem proper to the treatment of the subject. In this course of time a great change has had place upon the field of argument touching Christianity and its origin. Although disbelief may have spread widely of late, the argument concerning Christianity has been narrowed on every side of it. Much that, a while ago, was thought to need the production of proof, has, within a few years, quite ceased to be spoken of as questionable. Several elaborate and ingenious endeavours to bring, first, the _documents_ of Christianity, and then, the _historic import_ of those documents, into doubt, have signally failed, and in fact they are abandoned as nugatory and hopeless. It would, therefore, be a superfluous labour at this time to defend positions which have ceased to be assailed.

The course of adverse thought, at this time, in relation to the religion of Christ--the only religion concerning which any question can be raised--has this tendency, namely, to divert attention by all means, and as much as possible, from _the past_; and to engage all attention, and to concentrate it, upon the _present moment_, and upon its tangible and secular interests. This is now the aim of those writers, in the departments of Philosophy--physical and abstract, who would subvert Christianity, and who labour to do so by drawing the thoughts of the educated classes away from it--away from its neighbourhood. If it be so, then it must be well for those who take the other side, to do what they may for calling back the same classes, and for challenging them to acquaint themselves anew with History, and to assure themselves of its incontestible certainty.

STANFORD RIVERS,
_February, 1859_.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

INTENTION OF THE PRESENT ARGUMENT 1

CHAPTER II.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE, AS TO THE AUTHENTICITY OF ANCIENT BOOKS 9

CHAPTER III.

THE DATE OF ANCIENT WORKS, INFERRED FROM THE QUOTATIONS
AND REFERENCES OF CONTEMPORARY AND SUCCEEDING WRITERS 28

CHAPTER IV.

THE ANTIQUITY AND GENUINENESS OF ANCIENT BOOKS MAY BE INFERRED FROM
THE HISTORY OF THE LANGUAGES IN WHICH THEY ARE EXTANT 36

CHAPTER V.

ANCIENT METHODS OF WRITING, AND THE MATERIALS OF BOOKS 41

CHAPTER VI.

CHANGES INTRODUCED IN THE COURSE OF TIME IN THE FORMS OF LETTERS,
AND IN THE GENERAL CHARACTER OF WRITING 52

CHAPTER VII.

THE COPYISTS; AND THE PRINCIPAL CENTRES OF THE COPYING BUSINESS 61

CHAPTER VIII.

INDICATIONS OF THE SURVIVANCE OF ANCIENT LITERATURE, THROUGH A PERIOD
EXTENDING FROM THE DECLINE OF LEARNING IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY, TO ITS
RESTORATION IN THE FIFTEENTH 77

CHAPTER IX.

THE REVIVAL OF LEARNING IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY 97

CHAPTER X.

SEVERAL METHODS AVAILABLE FOR ASCERTAINING THE CREDIBILITY
OF ANCIENT HISTORICAL WORKS 102

CHAPTER XI.

EXCEPTIONS TO WHICH THE TESTIMONY OF HISTORIANS, ON PARTICULAR
POINTS, MAY BE LIABLE 119

CHAPTER XII.

CONFIRMATIONS OF THE EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT HISTORIANS, DERIVABLE
FROM INDEPENDENT SOURCES 132

CHAPTER XIII.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES, APPLICABLE TO QUESTIONS OF THE GENUINENESS
AND AUTHENTICITY OF ANCIENT RECORDS 160

CHAPTER XIV.

RELATIVE STRENGTH OF THE EVIDENCE WHICH SUPPORTS THE GENUINENESS
AND AUTHENTICITY OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES 177

CHAPTER XV.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE PRECEDING STATEMENTS:--A MORNING AT
THE BRITISH MUSEUM 204

CHAPTER XVI.

FACTS RELATING TO THE CONSERVATION, AND LATE RECOVERY, OF
SOME ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS 226

CHAPTER XVII.

THE PROCESS OF HISTORIC EVIDENCE EXEMPLIFIED IN THE INSTANCE
OF HERODOTUS 267

CHAPTER XVIII.

METHOD OF ARGUING FROM THE GENUINENESS, TO THE AUTHENTICITY
OF THE HISTORY OF HERODOTUS 306

CHAPTER XIX.

EXAMPLES OF IMPERFECT HISTORICAL EVIDENCE:--HERODOTUS 336

CHAPTER XX.

RECENT EXPLORATIONS, CONFIRMATORY OF THE TRUTH OF ANCIENT
HISTORY: HERODOTUS AND BEROSUS 358

CHAPTER XXI.

INFERENTIAL HISTORIC MATERIALS 371

CHAPTER XXII.

THE MODERN JERUSALEM--A VOUCHER FOR THE LITERATURE OF ITS
ANCIENT OCCUPANTS 399

HISTORY

OF THE

TRANSMISSION OF ANCIENT BOOKS.