[The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, Vol. X. by Jonathan Swift]@TWC D-Link bookThe Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, Vol. X. BOOK II 72/72
Tiberius's banishment, and his coming afterwards to reign, makes the comparison in that respect come pretty near.
His hating of business, and his love of pleasures, his raising of favourites, and trusting them entirely; and his pulling them down, and hating them excessively; his art of covering deep designs, particularly of revenge, with an appearance of softness, brings them so near a likeness, that I did not wonder much to observe the resemblance of their face and person .-- _Swift._ Malicious, and in many circumstances false. P.615._Burnet_ concludes his character of Charles II.
with these words:--How ungrateful soever this labour has proved to my self, and how unacceptable soever it may be to some, who are either obliged to remember him gratefully, or by the engagement of parties and interests are under other biasses, yet I have gone through all that I knew relating to his life and reign with that regard to truth, and what I think may be instructive to mankind, which became an impartial writer of history, and one who believes, that he must give an account to God of what he writes, as well as of what he says and does .-- _Swift._ He was certainly a very bad prince, but not to the degree described in this character, which is poorly drawn, and mingled with malice very unworthy an historian, and the style abominable, as in the whole history, and the observations trite and vulgar..
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