Book II - Wilbourhall.org

Ixiv INTRODUCTION. [ra.existence. From the light of those types of humaaexcellence they turned away wistful and half in doubt.Did they look again 1If so, they then felt irresistiblyattracted by the deep significance of the figures;thought it would be best not to see such things toooften, lest they should become discontented with themselves.This power of fascination, that grows as ourfamiliarity with their beauties increases, is what distinguishesthose works of art that are for alltimewhether in sculpture or painting or music or literature—fromthose which are merely the works of aparticular age. Now this is the judgment of JustusLipsius, a man whose knowledge of literature, as alsoof the laws that govern the theory and practice of life,was encyclopaedic. De Thucydide sententia nostra:Thucydides, qui res nee multas nee magnas nimisscripsit palmam fortasse praeripit omnibus qui multaset magnas. Quem quo saepius legos, plus auferas: einunquam tamen dimittat te sine siti.