he would have even his own history to ask from every one; and by not
knowing how the world went in his absence, he would be at a loss to
know how it ought to go on when he recovered, or rather, returned to
it again. In like manner, though in a less degree, a too great
inattention to past occurrences retards and bewilders our judgment in
everything; while, on the contrary, by comparing what is past with
what is present, we frequently hit on the true character of both, and
become wise with very little trouble. It is a kind of counter-march,
by which we get into the rear of time, and mark the movements and
meaning of things as we make our return. There are certain
circumstances, which, at the time of their happening, are a kind of
riddles, and as every riddle is to be followed by its answer, so
those kind of circumstances will be followed by their events, and
those events are always the true solution. A considerable space of
time may lapse between, and unless we continue our observations from
the one to the other, the harmony of them will pass away unnoticed:
but the misfortune is, that partly from the pressing necessity of
some instant things, and partly from the impatience of our own
tempers, we are frequently in such a hurry to make out the meaning of
everything as fast as it happens, that we thereby never truly
understand it; and not only start new difficulties to ourselves by so
doing, but, as it were, embarrass Providence in her good designs.

I have been civil in stating this fault on a large scale, for, as it
now stands, it does not appear to be levelled against any particular
set of men; but were it to be refined a little further, it might
afterwards be applied to the Tories with a degree of striking
propriety: those men have been remarkable for drawing sudden
conclusions from single facts. The least apparent mishap on our side,
or the least seeming advantage on the part of the enemy, have