BOOK I PART III
surance, but by passing through many millions
of causes and effects, and through a chain of
arguments of almost an immeasurable length.
Before the knowledge of the fact coued come to
the first historian, it must be conveyed through
many mouths; and after it is committed to writ-
ing, each new copy is a new object, of which the
connexion with the foregoing is known only
by experience and observation. Perhaps, there-
fore, it may be concluded from the precedent
reasoning, that the evidence of all ancient his-
tory must now be lost; or at least, will be lost in
time, as the chain of causes encreases, and runs
on to a greater length. But as it seems contrary
to common sense to think, that if the republic of
letters, and the art of printing continue on the
same footing as at present, our posterity, even
after a thousand ages, can ever doubt if there
has been such a man asJulius Caesar; this may