Charles  the  XII.  of  Sweden  could  scarcely  have
imbibed  his  passion  for  glory  and  conquest  from  the

p  5


822  ON    THE   EDUCATION

mere  perusal  of  Curtius's  Life  of  Alexander,  since
Alexander  had  the  same  passion  without  having  read
his  biography;  and  Caesar,  also,  without  knowing
more  of  Curtius  than  his  hero.  In  history  may  be
found  the  test  of  the  anchors  and  swords  of  sea  and
land  fights.  It  alone  shows  to  the  monarch,  thirsting
for  glory,  how  little  mere  bravery  appertains  to  glory ;
for  a  cowardly  nation  is  more  rare  upon  the  earth
than  a  brave  man.  What  nation,  in  ancient  or  mo-
dem times,  is  not  brave  ?  At  present,  for  instance,
all  Europe  is  so;  Eussians,  Danes,  Swedes,  Austrians,
English,  Hessians,  French,  Bavarians,  and  Prussians,
all  are  brave.  The  lower  Rome's  free  spirit  sank,  the
more  wildly  and  vehemently  rose  the  merely  brave
spirit ;  Catiline,  Caesar,  Augustus,  had  conquerors  for
their  servants.  The  frequent  arming  of  the  ancient
slaves,  as  of  the  modem  beggars,  testifies  against  the
value  of  the  common  bravery  of  fists  and  wounds.
Iphicrates,  the  Athenian,  said  that  the  best  soldiers
were  those  who  loved  plunder  and  violence;  and
General  Fischer  has  added  to  these,  vagabonds.
Cannot  a  monarch  wish  to  shine  upon  posterity  with
something  else  than  the  fair  tiger-spots  of  a  con-
queror, in  which  the  Timurs,  Attilas,  Dessalines,  and
other  scourges  of  God,  or  knouts  of  the  devil,  outdo
him  ?  How  coldly  does  one  walk  in  history  over  the
countless  battle-fields  which  fill  the  earth  with  beds
of  death !  And  with  what  curses  does  one  hasten  past
the  crown  which,  like  the  ajutage^  or  leaden  head  of
a  pipe,  raised  by  the  upward  gushing  of  a  fountain.
