Books Are Those Faithful Mirrors

But The Desire Of Obtaining The Advantages, And Of Escaping The Burdens, Of Political Society, Is A Perpetual And Inexhaustible Source Of Discord.

Genius May Anticipate The Season Of Maturity; But In The Education Of A People, As In That Of An Individual, Memory Must Be Exercised, Before The Powers Of Reason And Fancy Can Be Expanded: Nor May The Artist Hope To Equal Or Surpass, Till He Has Learned To Imitate, The Works Of His Predecessors.

The Peace Of The Eastern Church Was Invaded By A Swarm Of Fanatics [monks], Incapable Of Fear, Or Reason, Or Humanity; And The Imperial Troops Acknowledged, Without Shame, That They Were Much Less Apprehensive Of An Encounter With The Fiercest Barbarians.

The Philosopher, Who With Calm Suspicion Examines The Dreams And Omens, The Miracles And Prodigies, Of Profane Or Even Of Ecclesiastical History, Will Probably Conclude That, If The Eyes Of The Spectators Have Sometimes Been Deceived By Fraud, The Understanding Of The Readers Has Much More Frequently Been Insulted By Fiction.

The Ruin Of Paganism, In The Age Of Theodosius, Is Perhaps The Only Example Of The Total Extirpation Of Any Ancient And Popular Superstition; And May Therefore Deserve To Be Considered, As A Singular Event In The History Of The Human Mind.