But one thing would certainly result with a great degree of truthfulness from these simple recitals, and that is the character of the hero, the impression which he made around him.

In this sense such popular narratives would be worth more than a formal and official history.

We may say as much of the Gospels.
Solely attentive to bring out strongly the excellency of the Master, his miracles, his teaching, the evangelists display entire indifference to everything that is not of the very spirit of Jesus.
The contradictions respecting time, place, and persons were regarded as insignificant; for the higher the degree of inspiration attributed to the words of Jesus, the less was granted to the compilers themselves.

The latter regarded themselves as simple scribes, and cared but for one thing--to omit nothing they knew.[1] [Footnote 1: See the passage from Papias, before cited.] Unquestionably certain preconceived ideas associated themselves with such recollections.

Several narratives, especially in Luke, are invented in order to bring out more vividly certain traits of the character of Jesus.