CH. V. LANGLOIS & CH. SEIGNOBOS

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The conceptions of authors, whether well or ill founded, are the subject-matter of certain studies—They necessarily contain elements of truth, which, under certain restrictions, may sometimes be inferred from them	191
The statements of authors, taken singly, do not rise above probability—The only sure results of criticism are negative —To establish facts it is necessary to compare different statements	194
Contradictions between statements, real and apparent	198
Agreement of statements—Necessity of proving them to be independent—Perfect agreement not so conclusive as occasional coincidence—Cases where different observations of the same fact are not independent—General facts the easiest to prove	199
Different facts, each imperfectly proved, corroborate each other when they harmonise	204
Disagreement between documents and other sources of knowledge—Improbable statements—Miracles—When science and history conflict, history should give way	205
BOOK III
SYNTHETIC OPERATIONS
CHAPTER I
GENERAL CONDITIONS OF HISTORICAL CONSTRUCTION
The materials of Historical Construction are isolated facts, of very different kinds, of very different degrees of generality, each belonging to a definite time and place, of different degrees of certainty	211
Subjectivity of History	214