My dear and old country, here we are once again together faced with a heavy trial.

My dear and old country, here we are once again together faced with a heavy trial.

All history is but the lengthened shadow of a great man.

All history is but the lengthened shadow of a great man.

The man who sees two or three generations is like someone who sits in a conjurer's booth at a fair read more

The man who sees two or three generations is like someone who sits in a conjurer's booth at a fair and sees the tricks two or three times. They are meant to be seen only once.

We learn nothing from history except that we learn nothing from history.

We learn nothing from history except that we learn nothing from history.

We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.

We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.

History: An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly read more

History: An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools.

In a few years there will be only five kings in the world -- the King of England and the read more

In a few years there will be only five kings in the world -- the King of England and the four kings in a pack of cards.

Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.

Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.

I once asked my history teacher how we were expected to learn anything useful from his subject, when it seemed read more

I once asked my history teacher how we were expected to learn anything useful from his subject, when it seemed to me to be nothing but a monotonous and sordid succession of robber baron scumbags devoid of any admirable human qualities. I failed history.