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History of the Transmission of Ancient Books to Modern Times, Or, a Concise Account of the Means by Which the Genuineness and Authenticity of
History of the Transmission of Ancient Books to Modern Times Or a Concise Account of the Means by Which the Genuineness and Authenticity of Author:Isaac Taylor Title: History of the Transmission of Ancient Books to Modern Times, Or, a Concise Account of the Means by Which the Genuineness and Authenticity of Ancient Historical Works Are Ascertained General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1827 Original Publisher: Printed for B. J. Holdsworth Notes: This is a black and white OC... more »R reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER V. CONFIRMATIONS OF THE EVIDENCE OF HISTORIANS DERIVED FROM INDEPENDENT SOURCES. Most of the principal facts mentioned by ancient historians, as well as many particulars of less importance, are confirmed by evidence that is altogether independent in its nature, and in the channels through which it is derived. In truth, though the narratives of the historians serve to connect and explain the entire mass of information that has descended to modern times, relative to the nations of remote antiquity, they are far from being the sole sources of that information: -- perhaps they hardly furnish one half of the materials of history. These independent sources of history may be classed under the following heads: -- 1. The remains of the general literature of the nations of antiquity. 2. Chronological documents or calculations. 3. Permanent geographical and physical facts. 4. Permanent institutions, usages, or physical peculiarities of nations. 5. Existing monuments of art. The information derived from these sources answers two distinct purposes, namely -- that of contributing to the amount of our knowledge of the state of civilization among ancient nations, and that of furnishing the means of corroborating or of correcting the assertions of historians on particular points. It is obvious that to go through the particulars comprehended under the general eads above...« less