Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 5.djvu/196

 THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS

But leaving on one side ambitious sociological speculations, and even those more modest but hitherto more successful investigations into the causes which have in particular cases been prin- cipally operative in producing great political changes, there are still two modes in which we can derive what I may call " spectacular" enjoy- ment from the study of history.

There is first the pleasure which arises from the contemplation of some great historic drama, or some broad and well-marked phase of social development. The story of the rise, greatness, and decay of a nation is like some vast epic which contains as subsidiary episodes the varied stories of the rise, greatness, and decay of creeds, of parties and of statesmen. The imagination is moved by the slow unrolling of this great picture of human mutability, as it is moved by contrasted permanence of the abiding stars. The ceaseless conflict, the strange echoes of long- forgotten controversies, the confusion of purpose, the successes which lay deep the seeds of future evils, the failures that ultimately divert the otherwise inevitable danger, the heroism which struggles to the last for a cause foredoomed to defeat, the wickedness which sides with right, and the wisdom which huzzas at the triumph of folly — fate, meanwhile, through all this tur- moil and perplexity, working silently toward the predestined end — all these form together a sub- ject the contemplation of which need surely never weary.

168

�� �