Theschoolofexample，mylord，istheworld：andthemastersofthisschoolarehistoryandexperience。Iamfarfromcontendingthattheformerispreferabletothelatter。Ithinkuponthewholeotherwise：butthisI
　　say，thattheformerisabsolutelynecessarytoprepareusforthelatter，andtoaccompanyuswhilstweareunderthedisciplineofthelatter，thatis，throughthewholecourseofourlives。Nodoubtsomefewmenmaybequoted，towhomnaturegavewhatartandindustrycangivetonoman。Butsuchexampleswillprovenothingagainstme，becauseIadmitthatthestudyofhistory，withoutexperience，isinsufficient，butassert，thatexperienceitselfissowithoutgenius。Geniusispreferabletotheothertwo；butIwouldwishtofindthethreetogether：forhowgreatsoeverageniusmaybe，andhowmuchsoeverhemayacquirenewlightandheat，asheproceedsinhisrapidcourse，certainitisthathewillnevershinewiththefulllustre，norshedthefullinfluenceheiscapableof，unlesstohisownexperienceheaddstheexperienceofothermenandotherages。Genius，withouttheimprovement，atleastofexperience，iswhatcometsoncewerethoughttobe，ablazingmeteor，irregularinhiscourse，anddangerousinhisapproach；ofnousetoanysystem，andabletodestroyany。Meresonsofearth，iftheyhaveexperiencewithoutanyknowledgeofthehistoryoftheworld，arebuthalfscholarsinthescienceofmankind。Andiftheyareconversantinhistorywithoutexperience，theyareworsethanignorant；theyarepedants，alwaysincapable，sometimesmeddlingandpresuming。Theman，whohasallthree，isanhonortohiscountry，andapublicblessing：andsuch，Itrust，yourlordshipwillbeinthiscentury，asyourgreat-grandfather，wasinthelast。
　　Ihaveinsistedalittlelongeronthishead，andhavemadethesedistinctionstherather，becausethoughIattributeagreatdealmorethanmanywillbereadytoallow，tothestudyofhistory，yetIwouldnotwillinglyevenseemtofallintotheridiculeofascribingittosuchextravaganteffects，asseveralhavedonefromTullydowntoCasaubon，LaMotheleVayer，andothermodernpedants。WhenTullyinformsus，inthesecondbookofhisTusculandisputations，thatthefirstScipioAfricanushadalwaysinhishandstheworksofXenophon，headvancesnothingbutwhatisprobableandreasonable。
　　Tosaynothingoftheretreatofthetenthousand，norofotherpartsofXenophon’swritings；theimagesofvirtue，representedinthatadmirablepicturetheCyropaedia，werepropertoentertainasoulthatwasfraughtwithvirtue，andCyruswasworthytobeimitatedbyScipio。SoSelimemulatedCaesar，whosecommentariesweretranslatedforhisuseagainstthecustomsoftheTurks；soCaesaremulatedAlexander；andAlexander，Achilles。Thereisnothingridiculoushere，excepttheusethatismadeofthispassagebythosewhoquoteit。ButwhatthesameTullysays，inthefourthbookofhisacademicaldisputations，concerningLucullus，seemstomeveryextraordinary。
　　“InAsiamfactusimperatorvenit；cumessetRomaprofectusreimilitarisrudis；“[onewouldbereadytoascribesosuddenachange，andsovastanimprovement，tonothinglessthanknowledgeinfusedbyinspiration，ifwewerenotassuredinthesameplacethattheywereeffectedbyverynaturalmeans，bysuchasitisineveryman’spowertoemploy]“partimpercontandoaperitis，partiminrebusgestislegendis。“Lucullus，accordingtothisaccount，verifiedthereproachontheRomannobility，whichSallustputsintothemouthofMarius。ButasIdiscoverthepassionofMarius，andhisprejudicestothepatricians，inonecase；soIdiscover，methinks，thecunningofTully，andhispartialitytohimself，intheother。Lucullus，afterhehadbeenchosenconsul，obtainedbyintriguethegovernmentofCilicia，andsoputhimselfintoasituationofcommandingtheRomanarmyagainstMithridates：Tullyhadthesamegovernmentafterwards，andthoughhehadnoMithridates，noranyotherenemyofconsequence，opposedtohim；thoughallhismilitaryfeatsconsistedinsurprisingandpillagingaparcelofhighlandersandwildCilicians；yetheassumedtheairsofaconqueror，anddescribedhisactionsinsopompousastyle，thattheaccountbecomesburlesque。
　　Helaughs，indeed，inoneofhisletterstoAtticus，athisgeneralship；
　　butifweturntothosehewrotetoCoeliusRufus，andtoCato，uponthisoccasion，ortothosewhereinheexpressestoAtticushisresentmentagainstCatofornotproposinginhisfavorthehonorsusuallydecreedtoconquerors，wemayseehowvanityturnedhishead，andhowimpudentlyheinsistedonobtainingatriumph。Isitanystrainnowtosuppose，thathemeanttoinsinuate，inthepassageIhavequotedaboutLucullus，thatthedifferencebetweenhimandtheformergovernorofCilicia，eveninamilitarymerit，arosefromthedifferentconjuncturealone；andthatLuculluscouldnothavedoneinCilicia，atthattime，morethanhehimselfdid？CicerohadreadandquestionedatleastasmuchLucullus，andwouldthereforehaveappearedasgreatacaptainifhehadhadasgreataprinceasMithridatestoencounter。ButthetruthisthatLuculluswasmadeagreatcaptainbytheory，orthestudyofhistory，alone，nomorethanFerdinandofSpainandAlphonsusofNapleswerecuredofdesperatedistempersbyreadingLivyandQuintusCurtius；asillytale，whichBodin，Amyot，andothershavepickedupandpropagated。LucullushadservedinhisyouthagainsttheMarsi，probablyinotherwars，andSyllatookearlynoticeofhim：hewentintotheeastwiththisgeneralandhadagreatshareinhisconfidence。Hecommandedinseveralexpeditions。ItwashewhorestoredtheColophonianstotheirliberty，andwhopunishedtherevoltofthepeopleofMytelene。ThusweseethatLuculluswasformedbyexperience，aswellasstudy，andbyanexperiencegainedinthoseverycountries，wherehegatheredsomanylaurelsafterwardsinfightingagainstthesameenemy。ThelateDukeofMarlboroughneverreadXenophon，mostcertainly，northerelationperhapsofanymodernwars；butheservedinhisyouthunderMonsieurdeTurenne，andIhaveheardthathewastakennoticeof，inthoseearlydays，bythatgreatwan。HeafterwardscommandedinanexpeditiontoIreland，servedacampaignortwo，ifImistakenot，underkingWilliaminFlanders：and，besidestheseoccasions，hadnoneofgainingexperienceinwar，tillhecametotheheadofourarmiesinonethousandsevenhundredandtwo，andtriumphednotoverAsiatictroops，butovertheveteranarmiesofFrance。TheRomanhadonhissidegeniusandexperiencecultivatedbystudy：theBritonhadgeniusimprovedbyexperience，andnomore。Thefirstthereforeisnotanexampleofwhatstudycandoalone；butthelatterisanexampleofwhatgeniusandexperiencecandowithoutstudy。Theycandosomuch，tobesure，whenthefirstisgiveninasuperiordegree。Butsuchexamplesareveryrare；andwhentheyhappenitwillbestilltrue，thattheywouldhavehadfewerblemishes，andwouldhavecomenearertotheperfectionofprivateandpublicvirtue，inalltheartsofpeaceandachievementsofwar，iftheviewsofsuchmenhadbeenenlarged，andtheirsentimentsennobled，byacquiringthatcastofthought，andthattemperofmind，whichwillgrowupandbecomehabitualineverymanwhoapplieshimselfearlytothestudyofhistory，astothestudyofphilosophy，withtheintentionofbeingwiserandbetter，withouttheaffectationofbeingmorelearned。
　　Thetemperofthemindisformedandacertainturngiventoourwaysofthinking；inaword，theseedsofthatmoralcharacterwhichcannotwhollyalterthenaturalcharacter，butmaycorrecttheevilandimprovethegoodthatisinit，ordotheverycontrary，aresownbetimes，andmuchsoonerthaniscommonlysupposed。Itisequallycertain，thatweshallgatherornotgatherexperience，bethebetterortheworseforthisexperience，whenwecomeintotheworldandmingleamongstmankind，accordingtothetemperofmind，andtheturnofthought，thatwehaveacquiredbeforehand，andbringalongwithus。Theywilltinctureallourfutureacquisitions；sothattheverysameexperiencewhichsecuresthejudgmentofoneman，orexciteshimtovirtue，shallleadanotherintoerror，orplungehimintovice。Fromhence，itfollows，thatthestudyofhistoryhasinthisrespectadoubleadvantage。
　　Ifexperiencealonecanmakeusperfectinourparts，experiencecannotbegintoteachthemtillweareactuallyonthestage：whereas，byapreviousapplicationtothisstudy，weconthemoveratleastbeforeweappearthere：wearenotquiteunprepared；welearnourpartssooner，andwelearnthembetter。
　　LetmeexplainwhatImeanbyanexample。Thereisscarceanyfollyorvicemoreepidemicalamongthesonsofmen，thanthatridiculousandhurtfulvanitybywhichthepeopleofeachcountryareapttopreferthemselvestothoseofeveryother；andtomaketheirowncustoms，andmanners，andopinions，thestandardsofrightandwrong，oftrueandfalse。TheChinesemandarinswerestrangelysurprised，andalmostincredulous，whentheJesuitsshowedthemhowsmallafiguretheirempiremadeinthegeneralmapoftheworld。
　　TheSamojedeswonderedmuchattheCzarofMuscovyfornotlivingamongthem：
　　andtheHottentot，whoreturnedfromEurope，strippedhimselfnakedassoonashecamehome，putonhisbraceletsofgutsandgarbage，andgrewstinkingandlousyasfastashecould。Nownothingcancontributemoretopreventusfrombeingtaintedwiththisvanity，thantoaccustomourselvesearlytocontemplatethedifferentnationsoftheearth，inthatvastmapwhichhistoryspreadsbeforeus，intheirriseandtheirfall，intheirbarbarousandcivilisedstates，inthelikenessandunlikenessofthemalltooneanother，andofeachtoitself。Byfrequentlyrenewingthisprospecttothemind，theMexicanwithhiscapandcoatoffeathers，sacrificingahumanvictimtohisgod，willnotappearmoresavagetooureyesthantheSpaniardwithahatonhishead，andagonillaroundhisneck，sacrificingwholenationstohisambition，hisavarice，andeventhewantonnessofhiscruelty。Imightshow，byamultitudeofotherexamples，howhistorypreparesusforexperience，andguidesusinit：andmanyofthesewouldbebothcuriousandimportant。
　　Imightlikewisebringseveralotherinstances，whereinhistoryservestopurgethemindofthosenationalpartialitiesandprejudicesthatweareapttocontractinoureducation，andthatexperienceforthemostpartratherconfirmsthanremoves：becauseitisforthemostpartconfined，likeoureducation。ButIapprehendgrowingtooprolix，andshallthereforeconcludethisheadbyobserving，thatthoughanearlyandproperapplicationtothestudyofhistorywillcontributeextremelytokeepourmindsfreefromaridiculouspartialityinfavorofourowncountry，andaviciousprejudiceagainstothers；yetthesamestudywillcreateinusapreferenceofaffectiontoourowncountry。ThereisastorytoldofAbgarus。HebroughtseveralbeaststakenindifferentplacestoRome，theysay，andletthemloosebeforeAugustus：everybeastranimmediatelytothatpartofthecircuswhereaparcelofearthtakenfromhisnativesoilhadbeenlaid。“CredatJudaeusApella。“ThistalemightpassonJosephus；forinhim，Ibelieve，I
　　readit：butsurelytheloveofourcountryisalessonofreason，notaninstitutionofnature。Educationandhabit，obligationandinterest，attachustoit，notinstinct。Itishoweversonecessarytobecultivated，andtheprosperityofallsocieties，aswellasthegrandeurofsome，dependsuponitsomuch，thatoratorsbytheireloquence，andpoetsbytheirenthusiasm，haveendeavoredtoworkupthispreceptofmoralityintoaprincipleofpassion。
　　Buttheexampleswhichwefindinhistory，improvedbythelivelydescriptions，andthejustapplausesorcensuresofhistorians，willhaveamuchbetterandmorepermanenteffectthandeclamationorsong，orthedryethicsofmerephilosophy。Infine，toconversewithhistoriansistokeepgoodcompany：
　　manyofthemwereexcellentmen，andthosewhowerenotsuch，havetakencare，however，toappearsuchintheirwritings。Itmustbe，therefore，ofgreatusetoprepareourselvesbythisconversationforthatoftheworld；
　　andtoreceiveourfirstimpressions，andtoacquireourfirsthabits，inascenewhereimagesofvirtueandvicearecontinuallyrepresentedtousinthecolorsthatbelongproperlytothem，beforeweenteronanotherscene，wherevirtueandvicearetoooftenconfounded，andwhatbelongstooneisascribedtotheother。
　　Besidestheadvantageofbeginningouracquaintancewithmankindsooner，andofbringingwithusintotheworld，andthebusinessofit，suchacastofthoughtandsuchatemperofmind，aswillenableustomakeabetteruseofourexperience；thereisthisfurtheradvantageinthestudyofhistory，thattheimprovementwemakebyitextendstomoreobjects，andismadeattheexpenseofothermen：whereasthatimprovement，whichistheeffectofourownexperience，isconfinedtofewerobjects，andismadeatourownexpense。Tostatetheaccountfairly，therefore，betweenthesetwoimprovements，thoughthelatterbethemorevaluable，yetallowancebeingmadeononesideforthemuchgreaternumberofexamplesthathistorypresentstous，anddeductionbeingmadeontheotherofthepriceweoftenpayforourexperience，thevalueoftheformerwillriseinproportion。“Ihaverecordedthesethings，“saysPolybius，aftergivinganaccountofthedefeatofRegulus，“thattheywhoreadthesecommentariesmayberenderedbetterbythem；