Oh MMoraMriflucnce of History, 3 37 



breathed his own heroic soul into that of his 

 army ;-' dh'^ 'negligent of, ai'id ' incompetent to 

 both, sunk his troops into feebleness and 

 dastardy. In order to acquire from history a 

 scientific knowledge of politics, we- must 

 itudy the general character, as Well as the 

 peculiar manners and customs bfthef> Nations 

 and people whom it treats of, the nature of the 

 government and the physical strength of fhbse 

 countries with which the political act'^ors of the 

 times are connected ; we must review ajraln 

 and again* thi varied 'cdndiict of eminent 

 statesmen-;' the pdlic)^'' the wisdbniy the pa^ 

 triotism and the virtue x)f their schemes; the 

 means by which they carried them into (ex- 

 ecution ; the prudence of their financial -ar- 

 rangements ; in fine, the general system and 

 tendency of their 'domestic and foreign policy; 

 whether like a^'meteor 'if be temporary anc^ 

 fleeting, or like tne oeconomy of nature, per- 

 manent and comprehensive. In the moral 

 philosophy of history, it is a more nice and de- 

 licate task, amidst a variety of apparent, de- 

 lusive and often contradictory causes, to elicit 

 those which can alone condlice to the stabilitv, 

 independence and true prosperity of nations, 

 and upon which the advancement of mankind 

 in knowledge, virtue and happiness absolutely 

 depends ; to penetrate a thick^and turbid mass. 



