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§ 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

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