小说园

第3部分（第2页）

§　8

A　second　species　of　Reflective　History　is　what　we　may　call　the　Pragmatical。　When　we　have　to

deal　with　the　Past；　and　occupy　ourselves　with　a　remote　world　a　Present　rises　into　being　for　the

mind　…　produced　by　its　own　activity；　as　the　reward　of　its　labour。　The　occurrences　are；　indeed；

various；　but　the　idea　which　pervades　them　…　their　deeper　import　and　connection　…　is　one。　This

takes　the　occurrence　out　of　the　category　of　the　Past　and　makes　it　virtually　Present。　Pragmatical

（didactic）　reflections；　though　in　their　nature　decidedly　abstract；　are　truly　and　indefeasibly　of　the

Present；　and　quicken　the　annals　of　the　dead　Past　with　the　life　of　today。　Whether；　indeed　such

reflections　are　truly　interesting　and　enlivening；　depends　on　the　writers　own　spirit。　Moral　reflections

must　here　be　specially　noticed；　…　the　moral　teaching　expected　from　history；　which　latter　has　not

unfrequently　been　treated　with　a　direct　view　to　the　former。　It　may　be　allowed　that　examples　of

virtue　elevate　the　soul；　and　are　applicable　in　the　moral　instructions　of　children　for　impressing

excellence　upon　their　minds。　But　the　destinies　of　peoples　and　states；　their　interests；　relations；　and

the　plicated　issue　of　their　affairs；　present　quite　another　field。　Rulers；　Statesmen；　Nations；　are

wont　to　be　emphatically　mended　to　the　teaching　which　experience　offers　in　history。　But　what

experience　and　history　teach　is　this；　…　that　peoples　and　governments　never　have　learned　anything

from　history；　or　acted　on　principles　deduced　from　it。　Each　period　is　involved　in　such　peculiar

circumstances；　exhibits　a　condition　of　things　so　strictly　idiosyncratic；　that　its　conduct　must　be

regulated　by　considerations　connected　with　itself；　and　itself　alone。　Amid　the　pressure　of　great

events；　a　general　principle　gives　no　help。　It　is　useless　to　revert　to　similar　circumstances　in　the　Past。

The　pallid　shades　of　memory　struggle　in　vain　with　the　life　and　freedom　of　the　Present。　Looked　at　in

this　light；　nothing　can　be　shallower　than　the　oft…repeated　appeal　to　Greek　and　Roman　examples

during　the　French　Revolution。　Nothing　is　more　diverse　than　the　genius　of　those　nations　and　that　of

our　times。　Johannes　v。　Müller；　in　his　Universal　History　as　also　in　his　History　of　Switzerland；　had

such　moral　aims　in　view。　He　designed　to　prepare　a　body　of　political　doctrines　for　the　instruction　of

princes；　governments　and　peoples　（he　formed　a　special　collection　of　doctrines　and　reflections；　…

frequently　giving　us　in　his　correspondence　the　exact　number　of　apophthegms　which　he　had

piled　in　a　week）；　but　he　cannot　reckon　this　part　of　his　labour　as　among　the　best　that　he

acplished。　It　is　only　a　thorough；　liberal；　prehensive　view　of　historical　relations　（such　e。g。　as

we　find　in　Montesquieus　Esprit　des　Loix）；　that　can　give　truth　and　interest　to　reflections　of　this

order。　One　Reflective　History　therefore　supersedes　another。　The　materials　are　patent　to　every