All books are properly
the record of the history of past men--what thoughts past men had in
them--what actions past men did: the summary of all books whatsoever
lies there. It is on this ground that the class of books specifically
named History can be safely recommended as the basis of all study of
books--the preliminary to all right and full understanding of anything
we can expect to find in books. Past history, and especially the past
history of one's own native country, everybody may be advised to begin
with that. Let him study that faithfully; innumerable inquiries will
branch out from it; he has a broad-beaten highway, from which all
the country is more or less visible; there travelling, let him choose
where he will dwell.
"Neither let mistakes and wrong directions--of which every man, in
his studies and elsewhere, falls into many--discourage you. There is
precious instruction to be got by finding that we are wrong. Let a
man try faithfully, manfully, to be right, he will grow daily more
and more right. It is, at bottom, the condition which all men have
to cultivate themselves.
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