Otherwise you will be wise historically,--a fool in practice. Seldom
have two ages the same fashion in their pretexts and the same modes of
mischief. Wickedness is a little more inventive. Whilst you are
discussing fashion, the fashion is gone by. The very same vice assumes a
new body. The spirit transmigrates; and, far from losing its principle
of life by the change of its appearance, it is renovated in its new
organs with the fresh vigour of a juvenile activity. It walks abroad, it
continues its ravages, whilst you are gibbeting the carcase, or
demolishing the tomb. You are terrifying yourselves with ghosts and
apparitions, whilst your house is the haunt of robbers. It is thus with
all those who, attending only to the shell and husk of history, think
they are waging war with intolerance, pride, and cruelty, whilst, under
colour of abhorring the ill principles of antiquated parties, they are
authorizing and feeding the same odious vices in different factions, and
perhaps in worse.
USE OF DEFECTS IN HISTORY.
Not that I derogate from the use of history. It is a great improver
of the understanding, by showing both men and affairs in a great
variety of views. From this source much political wisdom may be
learned; that is, may be learned as habit, not as precept; and as an
exercise to strengthen the mind, as furnishing materials to enlarge
and enrich it, not as a repertory of cases and precedents for a
lawyer: if it were, a thousand times better would it be that a
statesman had never learned to read--vellem nescirent literas.
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