Sethos: History or Life Taken from the Private Monuments of Ancient Egypt

PREFACE.

some characters who find each other again just when one no longer expected to see them together; but above all, the great number of direct speeches delivered by the characters themselves—all this proves that my Author did not confine himself to real facts, where the ordinary circumstances of life create more disorder The translator is arguing that real life is messy and random, whereas this "manuscript" is too well-structured and poetic to be anything other than a carefully crafted story.. Instead, he has made himself master not only of the actions, but also of the thoughts of everyone he sets in motion.

The specific type of usefulness he intended to provide led him to choose this style of composition. One cannot dispute the advantages of History History: In the 18th century, "History" meant a factual record of real events, while "Romance" or "Fiction" was seen as a way to teach moral lessons through invented examples. properly so called. It is a cultivation of the mind required of all persons expected to show some degree of education. History is essential to the professions of some; and it is a leisure activity of almost universal appeal for those whose primary occupations seem furthest removed from it. It is one of the greatest sources of true Phi-