CHAP. III.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

155

seldom has any historian seen much of what herelates. Nor if he did, is eyesight the first class ofevidence; for how easily may the eyes be deceived!But indeed the first class of historic evidence, surerthan any eyesight (for your eyes may be a law toyou who see, but not to him who has to trust toyour word), is that of charters and law documents,and wills, and deeds of gift, and such like. Thedeclaration of an eye-witness is to reader or hearersonly a secondary sort of evidence. It is like theformer without their witnesses, and therefore need-ing some additional testimony of context or circum-stances. A formal document has its full proof initself. It is not one man, but several. The readerhas no excuse to expect, nor the writer to give.The proof would suffice any upright judges in theworld; but not so circumstantiality—this is to betaken at its worth in every instance. Yet is it nota pity to neglect any of the few circumstances thathave escaped the stream of time? Rather let thembe given freely, though with some personal risk tothe writer, occasionally adding, from what he sees,the present condition of the places in question,when his statements aspire to no more value thanthose of any other traveller. As to their beingbeneath the dignity of history, smile at it. Whoever(by whatever means) contrives to give us a true