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Title: A Lecture on the Study of History

Author: Lord Acton

Release Date: June 7, 2008 [EBook #25720]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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A LECTURE ON THE STUDY OF HISTORY

MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
LONDON . BOMBAY . CALCUTTA
MELBOURNE

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
NEW YORK . BOSTON . CHICAGO
ATLANTA . SAN FRANCISCO

THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD.
TORONTO

A LECTURE
ON
THE STUDY OF HISTORY

_DELIVERED AT CAMBRIDGE,
JUNE 11, 1895_

BY

LORD ACTON
LL.D., D.C.L.
REGIUS PROFESSOR OF MODERN HISTORY

MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON
1911

RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED,
BRUNSWICK STREET, STAMFORD STREET, S. E.,
AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK

_First Edition, October, 1895.
Second Edition, January, 1896.
Reprinted, 1905, 1911._

FELLOW STUDENTS,

I look back to-day to a time before the middle of the century, when I
was reading at Edinburgh, and fervently wishing to come to this
University. At three colleges I applied for admission, and, as things
then were, I was refused by all. Here, from the first, I vainly fixed
my hopes, and here, in a happier hour, after five-and-forty years,
they are at