Historians exercise great power and some of them know it. They recreate the past, changing it to fit their own interpretations. Thus, they change the future as well.
History Quotes
Events in the past may be roughly divided into those which probably never happened and those which do not matter.
The present state of things is the consequence of the former, and it is natural to enquire what were the sources of the good that we enjoy, or the evil that we suffer. If we act only for ourselves, to neglect the study of history is not prudent: if we are intrusted with the care […]
We witness a passing phase of eternity. Important things happen but some people never notice. Accidents interfere. You are not present at episodes. You depend on reports. And people shutter their minds. What good are reports? History in a news account? Preselected at an editorial conference, digested and excreted by prejudice? Accounts you need seldom […]
If we admit that some infinite being has controlled the destinies of persons and peoples, history becomes a most cruel and bloody farce.
The history of mankind is little else than a narrative of designs which have failed, and hopes that have been disappointed.
Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.
It is safe to say that every truth in the histories of those times (The Bible) is the result of accident or mistake.
The history of mankind informs us that a single power is very seldom broken by a confederacy. States of different interests, and aspects malevolent to each other, may be united for a time by common distress; and in the ardour of self-preservation fall unanimously upon an enemy, by whom they are all equally endangered. But […]
We will hereafter believe less history than ever, now that we have seen how it is made.
