he has to arbitrate betweeen the representations of Cromwell
by Carlyle and by Pope, not to say Hutchinson and Ludlow;
of Henry VIII, as reported by Froude, or by Cavendish and
Shakespeare; of the character and designs of Julius Caesar,
as seen by Cicero, or as conceived by Mommsen; the utmost
the author can claim of him is that in questioning a decision
he will not be too hastily credulous of his own.

To return to Thucydides: the same liability that he knew
and repudiated of a history of the past to be written with
less consideration for either past or future than for a bearing
on present politics, has been and is a besetting liability of
Greek history still; in a certain qualified sense the liability
must be admitted, for it cannot be escaped from. Some of
the strongest light that falls on ancient history, is ever
reflected for us from modern contemporary politics, and
modern eyes are of necessity attracted to these most highly
illuminated spots. It is however the opprobrium of the
historian if he regards such accidental lights alone, and
worse if he is so misled as to accept as realities the colours
which may be thrown by them, but are only due to the
passions and the prejudices of the day.

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