Page:Dawn of the Day.pdf/296

260 —A historian has not to deal with actual facts, but only with imaginary events: for none but the latter have been instrumental. In the same way he has only to deal with imaginary heroes. His subject, the so-called world's history, is made up of opinions on imaginary actions and their imaginary motives, which in their turn give rise to opinions and actions, the truth of which, however, evaporates at once and is only effective as vapour,— continuous generating and teeming of phantoms above the dense mists of unfathomable truth. All historians record things that have never existed except in their imagination. —To sell one's virtue only at the highest price, or eren to carry on usury with it—as teacher, civil officer, artist, for instance—lowers genius and talent to matters of common trade. We should, once for all, refrain from being clever, thanks to our wisdom. —The general knowledge of mankind has been more effectively promoted by fear than by love; for fear tries to find out who the other is,