No man is truly great who is great only in his lifetime. The test of greatness is the page of history. – William Hazlitt
Mankind are an incorrigible race. Give them but bugbears and idols — it is all that they ask; the distinctions of right and wrong, of truth and falsehood, of good and evil, are worse than indifferent to them. – William Hazlitt
A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one – they show one another off to the best advantage. – William Hazlitt
One of the consequences of the Iranian revolution has been an explosion of history. A country once known only from British consular reports and intrepid travelogues is now awash with historical documents, letters, diaries, grainy video, weblogs and secret police files of questionable authenticity. – James Buchan