forallmenhavetwowaysofimprovement，onearisingfromtheirownexperience，andonefromtheexperienceofothers。Evidentiorquidemillaest，quaeperpropriaducitinfortuniaattutiorilla，quaeperaliena。“IuseCasubon’stranslation。Polybiusgoeson，andconcludes，“thatsincethefirstofthesewaysexposesustogreatlaborandperil，whilstthesecondworksthesamegoodeffect，andisattendedbynoevilcircumstance，everyoneoughttotakeforgrantedthatthestudyofhistoryisthebestschoolwherehecanlearnhowtoconducthimselfinallthesituationsoflife。“RegulushadseenatRomemanyexamplesofmagnanimity，offrugality，ofthecontemptofriches，andofothervirtues；andthesevirtueshepractised。Buthehadnotlearned，norhadopportunityoflearninganotherlesson，whichtheexamplesrecordedinhistoryinculcatefrequently，thelessonofmoderation。Aninsatiablethirstofmilitaryfame，anunconfinedambitionofextendingtheirempire，anextravagantconfidenceintheirowncourageandforce，aninsolentcontemptoftheirenemies，andanimpetuousoverbearingspiritwithwhichtheypursuedalltheirenterprises，composedinhisdaysthedistinguishingcharacterofaRoman。Whateverthesenateandpeopleresolved，tothemembersofthatcommonwealthappearedbothpracticableandjust。Neitherdifficultiesnordangerscouldcheckthem；andtheirsageshadnotyetdiscovered，thatvirtuesinexcessdegenerateintovices。NotwithstandingthebeautifulrantwhichHoraceputsintohismouth，ImakenodoubtthatReguluslearnedatCarthagethoselessonsofmoderationwhichhehadnotlearnedatRome：buthelearnedthembyexperience，andthefruitsofthisexperiencecametoolate，andcosttoodear；fortheycostthetotaldefeatoftheRomanarmy，theprolongationofacalamitouswarwhichmighthavebeenfinishedbyagloriouspeace，thelossoflibertytothousandsofRomancitizens，andtoRegulushimselfthelossoflifeinthemidstoftorments，ifweareentirelytocreditwhatisperhapsexaggerationintheRomanauthors。
Thereisanotheradvantage，worthyourobservation，thatbelongstothestudyofhistory；andthatIshallmentionhere，notonlybecauseoftheimportanceofit，butbecauseitleadsmeimmediatelytospeakofthenatureoftheimprovementweoughttohaveinourview，andofthemethodinwhichitseemstomethatthisimprovementoughttobepursued：twoparticularsfromwhichyourlordshipmaythinkperhapsthatIdigresstoolong。TheadvantageImeanconsistsinthis，thattheexampleswhichhistorypresentstous，bothofmenandofevents，aregenerallycomplete。thewholeexampleisbeforeus，andconsequentlythewholelesson，orsometimesthevariouslessons，whichphilosophyproposestoteachusbythisexample。Forfirst，astomen；
weseethemattheirwholelengthinhistory，andweseethemgenerallytherethroughamediumlesspartialatleastthanthatofexperience：forIimaginethatawhigoratory，whilstthosepartiessubsisted，wouldhavecondemnedinSaturninusthespiritoffactionwhichheapplaudedinhisowntribunes，andwouldhaveapplaudedinDrususthespiritofmoderationwhichhedespisedinthoseofthecontraryparty，andwhichhesuspectedandhatedinthoseofhisownparty。Thevillainwhohasimposedonmankindbyhispowerorcunning，andwhomexperiencecouldnotunmaskforatime，isunmaskedatlength：andthehonestman，whohasbeenmisunderstoodordefamed，isjustifiedbeforehisstoryends。Orifthisdoesnothappen，ifthevillaindieswithhismaskon，inthemidstofapplause，andhonor，andwealth，andpower，andifthehonestmandiesunderthesameloadofcalumnyanddisgraceunderwhichhelived，drivenperhapsintoexile，andexposedtowant；yetweseehistoricaljusticeexecuted，thenameofonebrandedwithinfamy，andthatoftheothercelebratedwithpanegyrictosucceedingages。“Praecipuummunusannaliumreor，nevirtutessileantur；utquepravisdictisfactisqueexposteritateetinfamiametussit。“Thus，accordingtoTacitus，andaccordingtotruth，fromwhichhisjudgmentsseldomdeviate，theprincipaldutyofhistoryistoerectatribunal，likethatamongtheEgyptians，mentionedbyDiodorusSiculus，wheremenandprincesthemselvesweretried，andcondemnedoracquitted，aftertheirdeaths；wherethosewhohadnotbeenpunishedfortheircrimes，andthosewhohadnotbeenhonoredfortheirvirtues，receivedajustretribution。Thesentenceispronouncedinonecase，asitwasintheother，toolatetocorrectorrecompense；butitispronouncedintimetorendertheseexamplesofgeneralinstructiontomankind。ThusCicero，thatImayquoteoneinstanceoutofthousands，andthatImaydojusticetothegeneralcharacterofthatgreatman，whoseparticularfailingIhavecensuredsofreely。Cicero，Isay，wasabandonedbyOctavius，andmassacredbyAntony。ButletanymanreadthisfragmentofAureliusFuscus，andchoosewhichhewouldwishtohavebeen，theorator，orthetriumvir？“Quoadhumanumgenusincolumemanserit，quamdiuususliteris，honorsummaeeloquentiaepretiumerit，quamdiurerumnaturaautfortunasteterit，autmemoriaduraverit，admirabileposterisvigebisingenium，etunoproscriptusseculo，proscribesAntoniumomnibus。“
Thusagain，astoeventsthatstandrecordedinhistory；weseethemall，weseethemastheyfollowedoneanother，orastheyproducedoneanother，causesoreffects，immediateorremote。Wearecastback，asitwere，intoformerages：welivewiththemenwholivedbeforeus，andweinhabitcountriesthatweneversaw。Placeisenlarged，andtimeprolonged，inthismanner；
sothatthemanwhoapplieshimselfearlytothestudyofhistory，mayacquireinafewyears，andbeforehesetshisfootabroadintheworld，notonlyamoreextendedknowledgeofmankind，buttheexperienceofmorecenturiesthananyofthepatriarchssaw。Theeventswearewitnessesof，inthecourseofthelongestlife，appeartousveryoftenoriginal，unprepared，single，andunrelative，ifImayusesuchanexpressionforwantofabetterEnglish；