Oct 31– BUUUUURRRNNNNSSSS

 Spooky Pumpkin

Oct 31– BUUUUURRRNNNNSSSS

Summary: Shitty poetry.

Commentary: THANK GOD IT'S FINALLY OVER! I WILL NEVER READ A WORD OF BURNS AS LONG AS I LIVE!

Oct 30– From “The Progress of Geology” by Sir Charles Lyell (~1830)

 That's Progress!

Oct 30– From “The Progress of Geology” by Sir Charles Lyell (~1830)

Summary: Science good. Dogma bad.

Commentary: That's about it. This one felt pretty overwritten.

Oct 29– Poems by John Keats

It's the one Keats poem everyone reads

Oct 29– Poems by John Keats

Summary: Some mostly sad poems.

Commentary: Why are all these poets obsessed with nightingales? I guess they're more common in Europe than North America.

I think I liked Keat's longer poems that were on the list earlier in the year better. These are much more generic Romantacism. Better than most, but not jumping out to me. I think "Ode to Psyche" is my favorite, it's reaching for that more adventurous spirit that made "St. Agnes Eve" so good, but not quite there.

Oct 28– From "Some Thoughts Concerning Education" by John Locke (1693)

 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Oct 28– From Some Thoughts Concerning Education by John Locke (1693)

Summary: John Locke thinks kids will like learning better if you make it a game.

Commentary: Specifically, a dice game. With gambling. You can put the letters on a die and bet on who will roll Q first. Or playing some sort of primitive Boggle. Also reading Aesop's Fables. So, you know, some wholesome and some not.

Sarcasm aside, most of this is still educationally sound today. It's kind of depressing how little educational theory has advanced in 400 years or so. Mostly it just cycles between stupid stuff before coming back to what everyone has already known was best. Before resetting to something asinine and pointless again. And yet there are still a thousand books and a million speakers booked who claim they're going to revolutionize it every year.

Casually Completing Classics #8: The Odyssey Book 10

Book 10

 Been a while. I don't even remember exactly what I usually post in these.

My summary: Odysseus and the crew meet Circe. She turns his men to pigs, but Hermes helps him bone her and she turns them back. He stays a year! And she tells him to go me Tiresias's ghost in the underworld for directions.

I was willing to give Odysseus a pass for Calypso, since he makes a big deal about not agreeing to stay. He's presumably enchanted to some degree, and is at least partially held against his will. Fitzgerald uses some variant of, "but I never gave my consent" repeatedly. In this section he does "consent" to bring his ship ashore after Circe restores his men "being a man I could not help consenting." Variants of this appear a few times in this section, in relation to enjoying her hospitality. Since Hermes has explicitly given him "moly" (no consensus on what plant it is in real life from a quick Google) to make him immune to his charms, it seems like it's pretty much all on him. So, basically, he hangs out on the island banging the woman who tried to keep his men captive for a year while they feast... This seems questionable as a captain, and downright shitty as a husband (we're given no indication that he and Penelope are in an open marriage or something. I assume she'd have had a much better time with the suitors if so.) I wrote about how this is the "DumbAssHole" section a bit last time, and I think this is pretty close to the peak. At best, he's being a douchebag and delaying his travel. To make matters worse he's making his men (they want to leave before he does) hang out with a woman who turned them into pigs. I think if my captain spent a year banging someone who cursed me when I wanted to go home I'd probably mutiny. One of his crewmembers (Eurylochus) more or less says the same thing, but he winds up screwing everyone later in the book so it's kind of a wash. 

Fitzgerald uses the word "pickaback" the same way we use piggyback, which sounds more fun.

Homer does the thing Shakespeare does (who presumably got it from Homer) and has Hermes speak in rhyme here. He doesn't always have the gods do this, which seems kind of odd.

Oct 27– Buddhist Writings translated by Henry Clarke Warren

 I wanted the "fifth sense" bit from Curse of Monkey Island but I couldn't find it on Youtube.

Oct 27– Buddhist Writings translated by Henry Clarke Warren

Summary: There's a lot more than just "good" and "bad" karma.

Commentary: I like these little bits from different culture sections. I don't know a ton about Buddhism, but tonight I learned there are six senses (at least according to this book) so that's neat. I don't necessarily understand some parts (I will, as I often do, blame the translation for part of it) super well, but it's still cool to see how a very different point of view from the one I grew up with. Just the phrasing is very different from what I'm used to, and it feels like I need to kind of transliterate it into a "normal" phrasing, then work through the language, then get to meaning. For example:

By the second word:— The word “Origination,” as exhibiting an origination of the elements of being and inasmuch as the elements of being originate by means of a full complement of dependence, shows a rejection of such heresies as that of the annihilation of existences, the heresies, namely, of the annihilation of existences, of nihilism, of the inefficacy of karma. For if the elements of being are continually originating by means of an antecedent dependence, whence can we have annihilation of existence, nihilism, and an inefficacy of karma? 

        The vocabulary itself isn't too bad, but the use of rhetorical and the pseduo-outline format complicates things a bit.

 

Oct 26– From Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography (1791)

 Ben Franklin's Rice Recipe

Oct 26– From Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography (1791)

Summary: Ben Franklin discovers the classics (and tries writing.)

Commentary: It was fun to read about Franklin's experiences reading some of the same books that're in T5FSOB and doing typical teenager things. It was weirder to read about someone enjoying trying to learn to be a writer. Normally when you read things like this the person is miserable, hates themselves, and considers writing only slightly preferable to suicide. Ben seems to be having a good time of it though. Good for him.

Oct 25– From “Machiavelli” by Thomas Babington Macauley (1850)

 "Dark Ambience"

Oct 25– From “Machiavelli” by Thomas Babington Macauley (1850)

Summary: Machiavelli wasn't bad, and Italy was a nice place. Until it wasn't.

Commentary: As anyone who has actually read The Prince can tell you, he's not really arguing for a megalomaniacal evil guy. He says a Prince sometimes might need to do bad things to overall assure freedom and prosperity.

"Wise men, however, have always been inclined to look with great suspicion on the angels and demons of the multitude." I like this quote, with the exception that you should look with great suspicion on the angels and demons of anyone. At some point, it seems to become self reinforcing and people go from regular good/bad to ABSOLUTE PARAGONS OF GOOD/EVIL without really doing much.

Oct 24– From "The House of Atreus (Oresteia): Agamemnon by Aeschylus" (458 BC) translated by E.D.A Morshead

 Creepy masks!

Oct 24– From The House of Atreus (Oresteia): Agamemnon by Aeschylus (458 BC) translated by E.D.A Morshead

Summary: Cassandra says bad things will happen to Agamemnon. He dies.

Commentary: After reading The Odyssey, this has a cool side-story/crossover feel.

Oct 22– From "Jonathan Swift" by William Makepeace Thackeray

 Two chicks at the same time

Oct 22– From Jonathan Swift by William Makepeace Thackeray

Summary: Jonathan Swift is a player.

Commentary: This is the world's classiest gossip article. Secret letters, ambiguous affairs, dean-student relationships, illness, exotic travel, jealousy, rejection!

Oct 23– From "Caesar" by Plutarch translated by Arthur Hugh Clough

 The original Caesar Salad

Oct 23– From Caesar by Plutarch translated by Arthur Hugh Clough

Summary: Caesar bluffs, tricks, bribes, and schmoozes his way to freedom, and then goes to Spain.

Commentary: “For my part, I had rather be the first man among these fellows, than the second man in Rome.” I can only assume that Milton read Plutarch. I wonder what it was like to live in the days of a very concrete and mostly manageable canon, where you could reasonably expect everyone educated to get your references. Much harder with the sheer volume of stuff today. Maybe I'm just being nai-stalgic.

"And by his great liberality and magnificence in theatrical shows, in processions, and public feastings, he threw into the shade all the attempts that had been made before him." Maybe this was a common expressing at some point (the metaphor makes sense) but I'm mostly just amused with the concept of Caesar throwing shade on Caius Popilius.

Oct 21– From “On Old Age” by Marcus Tullius Cicero (44 BC) translated by Evelyn S. Shuckburgh

 Not Cicero!

Oct 21– From “On Old Age” by Marcus Tullius Cicero (44 BC) translated by Evelyn S. Shuckburgh

Summary: Getting old isn't so bad. You should focus on what you can do well, rather than what you can't anymore. Wisdom is more important than strength.

Commentary: I had reservations when I saw this was a dialogue, but it was actually pretty good. Something I haven't talked about in a while is how I like that many of the same issues the authors in T5FSOB struggle with are ones we see today. Men (also women, but this is from a fairly masculine point of view) being insecure about their age is obviously still a problem. Cicero's advice is still just as relevant today. While I think he is somewhat dismissive (he really minimizes how upsetting it can be to not be as fast, strong, etc. as you used to be.) His main point is, that there are always things we can't do, people or things who are stronger than us, etc. You should do your best with what you have, instead of just comparing yourself to others and wishing to be better. He also spends some time talking about how you should try to cultivate wisdom and a better temperament as you age. Basically, it's your fault if you become a cranky old man.

"In that category before anything else comes old age, to which all wish to attain, and at which all grumble when attained."

I never thought about it like this, but it's true. Most people want to live a long life, but many are miserable about it when they get there. Instead of framing it as a "be careful what you wish for" he wants you to enjoy it.

Oct 20– From "The Odyssey" by Homer, translated by Butcher and Lang

 Calypso!

Oct 20– From The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Butcher and Lang

Summary: Hermes helps Odysseus escape Calypso, but Poseidon shipwrecks him on the way home.

Commentary: I actually finished The Odyssey a while ago (well over a month). I'm going to make sure I get up at least one Casually Completing Classics... this week.

Oct 19– “On the Realities of Imagination” (1820) by Leigh Hunt

 Manly tears!

Oct 19– Essays by Leigh Hunt

Summary: Technically gender neutral tears, which is even better. Also, imagination is good!

Commentary:

 But where we feel that tears would relieve us, it is false philosophy to deny ourselves at least that first refreshment; and it is always false consolation to tell people that because they cannot help a thing, they are not to mind it. 

    Leigh Hunt said it was ok to cry 200 years ago. Anyone who says that's modern sissy mumbo-jumbo is lying to you. 

Whatever is, is.” Whatever touches us, whatever moves us, does touch and does move us. We recognise the reality of it, as we do that of a hand in the dark. We might as well say that a sight which makes us laugh, or a blow which brings tears into our eyes, is imaginary, as that anything else is imaginary which makes us laugh or weep. We can only judge of things by their effects. 

    There's a lot of debate about perception, facts, feelings, etc. But the simple answer is that what we feel (both emotionally and physically) is the basis of our reality. We might be able to (to an extent) "override" it if we know something doesn't match up (an optical illusion, being unreasonably afraid of something, etc.) but what we feel one way or another is what our life is. 

Oct 18– Poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley

 "Band Music" I suppose it is.

Oct 18– Poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Summary: Pretty things are pretty.

Commentary: These are some pretty generic poems.

Oct 17– From "Religio Medici" by Thomas Browne (1642)

 The "Ave-Mary Bells"

Oct 17– From Religio Medici by Thomas Browne (1642)

Summary: Christianity is true because it is logical.

Commentary: This is a whole lot of words to circular logic around how logical Christianity is, so Thomas Browne believe it, because he's logical, so Christianity is logical, so he is logical, etc.

Oct 16– Hippocrates’ Oath and Law

It's been a while since I've just been able to post the reading as an audio.

Oct 16– Hippocrates’ Oath and Law

Summary: Take good care of your patients.

Commentary: I think a lot of people thing "First, do no harm," is in these, and it's not. 

Other than that: 

Whatever, in connection with my professional service, or not in connection with it, I see or hear, in the life of men, which ought not to be spoken of abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret.

They really should've found a way to make HIPAA be HIPPO. Health Insurance Portability-Privacy Ordinance?

Oct 15– Amerigo Vespucci’s account of his first voyage, translated by “MK”

 Wrong Amerigo

Oct 15– Amerigo Vespucci’s account of his first voyage, translated by “MK”

Summary: Amerigo Vespucci meets American Indians.

Commentary: Eliot is all in on "discovering" America lately. Amerigo describes the Indians as "very well proportioned" but "not very good-looking: because they have broad faces," which seems contradictory. Should've face width be part of proportions? He gives an account of all the ways they're barbarians and all the things their society lacks (seems like it'd be hard to figure that much out for people who speak another language in one visit). He brings up cannibalism very matter-of-factly. He condemns it later, but pretty dry at the first pass. He talks about "serpents" without wings. Alligators or something maybe. Not sure why serpents would have wings.

Oct 14– From "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith (1776) edited by C. J. Bullock PHD

 Remember when computer games came in big boxes to hold the discs and manuals?

Oct 14– From The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith (1776) edited by C. J. Bullock PHD

Summary: The history of colonization.

Commentary: Eliot really loved Columbus, apparently. He had a Columbus reading towards the end of last week, and now an about Columbus reading. I know it's around Columbus Day, but there weren't several readings clustered around President's Day/Washington's Birthday or something.

The most interesting part is here:

But, among the ancient Romans, the lands of the rich were all cultivated by slaves, who wrought under an overseer, who was likewise a slave; so that a poor freeman had little chance of being employed either as a farmer or as a labourer. All trades and manufactures too, even the retail trade, were carried on by the slaves of the rich for the benefit of their masters, whose wealth, authority, and protection made it difficult for a poor freeman to maintain the competition against them. The citizens, therefore, who had no land, had scarce any other means of subsistence but the bounties of the candidates at the annual elections. The tribunes, when they had a mind to animate the people against the rich and the great, put them in mind of the ancient division of lands, and represented that law which restricted this sort of private property as the fundamental law of the republic.

Smith explains one of the primary complaints about modern capitalism (it's easy for a rich corporation to crowd out small businesses) and a version of one of the most popular modern solutions (tax them to provide for poor people). He doesn't comment strongly on how correct/effective it is, but it's interesting that he gets there a century before Marx and Engels. 

Oct 13– "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius translated by George Long

 This isn't the clip I wanted.

Oct 13– Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George Long

Summary: Marcus Aurelius is a good person because of all the people who taught him things along the way.

Commentary: The first half of this is mostly a list of all of people Aurelius looks up to, and fairly vague versions of what they taught him (eg a manly character). The later part is very rambly (more so than the usually somewhat pithy style of most of meditations). I wish it'd just average out in the first place.

Oct 12– The Letter of Columbus to Luis De Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery (1493) edited by “Professors Hart and Channing”

 Columbus (the movie!)

Oct 12– The Letter of Columbus to Luis De Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery (1493) edited by “Professors Hart and Channing”

Summary: Columbus sails around claiming stuff.

Commentary: The most interesting part of this is the idea that, 450 years ago, you could just sail around and say, "Don't see any white people here," drop a flag, and you (or the people you work for) owned an island now. 

Oct 11– From "The Aeneid" by Virgil (~25BC) translated by John Dryden

 The Aeneid is a fanfic.

Oct 11– From The Aeneid by Virgil (~25BC) translated by John Dryden

Summary: Aeneas has funeral games for his father.

Commentary: The Aeneid (or at least this translation) is the most "poemy" of the epics I read recently. It actually rhymes, has a real propulsive rhythm, etc.

I think the most interesting part of tonight's was the names of the ships in the races. You have Dolphin a mundane animal, next to Centaur. It's a weird juxtaposition. It's also interesting to see Romans using mythological beings to name things. We do that today, but they're not "current" mythology. There's not a USS Babadook or Slenderman or anything.

Oct 10– From "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Thomas Shelton

 I didn't realize this song was from MoLM, but it makes sense.

Oct 10– From Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Thomas Shelton

Summary: A woman has been wronged! (And will presumably be avenged by DQ)

Commentary: This one feels kind of out of place (granted I've only got 3 or 4 other chapters). DQ is there at the beginning, but then we get a long story about a girl wronged by a man. Presumably he will go defend her honor or something, but he kind of disappears from his own story for a while.

Oct 9– Latin Hymns

 I would look like a real dumbass if this isn't the right one. I think it is.

(Also, Mozart)

Summary: Gotta butter up God so he won't murder you (even though mortal life is pointless).

Commentary: "Te Deum Laudamus" All the stuff you have to say to God because he's so insecure.

"Hic Breve Vivitur" Life is pointless

"Jesus, Dulcedo Cordium" Firmly pro transubstantiation.

"DIES IRAE" Yep, it's that one.

"Adeste Fideles" It's a Christmas song!

"O Deus, Ego Amo Te" Christianity is God committing insurance fraud against himself.

Oct 8– Preface to "Joseph Andrews" by Henry Fielding (1742)

 This would enrage Henry Fielding

Oct 8– Preface to Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding (1742)

Summary: You need to really precisely and exclusively define genres in order to understand art.

Commentary: Fielding wants you to understand this isn't one of your silly English romances. Nor is it some sort of silly burlesque or caricature. Which the ancient Greeks didn't have. Satyr plays don't count, I guess. And, of course, "Now, a comic romance is a comic epic poem in prose; differing from comedy, as the serious epic from tragedy." Glad he straightened that out.

When I worked at a book store, sometimes someone would come in who was enraged that a book was in the "wrong" section according to them. This isn't (sci-fi) romance it's obviously (romantic) science-fiction. Fielding sounds like he would do that professionally.

Oct 7– From The Journal of John Woolman (1774)

 Woolworths saves you from math.

Oct 7– From The Journal of John Woolman (1774)

Summary: Woolman regrets participating in the slave trade while younger, and works to make up for it.

Commentary: 

 “To trade freely with oppressors without laboring to dissuade them from such unkind treatment, and to seek for gain by such traffic, tends, I believe, to make them more easy respecting their conduct than they would be if the cause of universal righteousness was humbly and firmly attended to by those in general with whom they have commerce; and that complaint of the Lord by his prophet, “They have strengthened the hands of the wicked,” hath very often revived in my mind.

    I wonder how much you have to resist "humbly but firmly" for it to be effective? Humbly implies that firebombing Walmart is probably out, but is just avoiding shopping there enough? Picketing? Lobbying against letting them get zoned or something? We obviously live in a society with a lot of immoral business, but it's hard as a regular person to figure out how to best work to improve things while living your own life (besides the moral issue of how far you can go to dissuade bad businesses and still be good). 

    I do appreciate that Woolman looks down the supply chain. He doesn't just avoid patronaging businesses he finds immoral directly, but avoid any dealings that he perceives as coming from unfair treatment of the workers down the line. Again, not sure how practical that is for your average first world person today. I'm pretty sure this computer is made of slavery, along with my router, and so on and so forth.

Oct 6– Reflections On The Revolution In France by Edmund Burke (1790)

 This is the strangest video I've posted on this blog.

Oct 6– Reflections On The Revolution In France by Edmund Burke (1790)

Summary: Revolution bad! Subservience good!

Commentary: I'm surprised we don't hear more of Burke in conservative circles today. He's sometimes regarded as a "father of conservatism" but he's not quoted every 30 seconds like the Founding Fathers are in the US, or even Tocqueville. You could change like 3 words in some of these sentences, and make them exactly like how conservatives describe those godless socialists today.

This is the third or fourth selection from this piece, and my main takeaway is still the same. Burke is really upset about the fall of the monarchy. Not that the aristocracy were brutally murdered (he's upset about it, to be sure, but it's not the primary concern) or that such brutality was the method of a good cause (the ends can't justify the means if the ends are bad). He really wants us to still have kings and queens and such, and the world is a worse place for all this new fangled democracy, republicanism, etc.

 But the age of chivalry is gone. That of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded; and the glory of Europe is extinguished forever. Never, never more, shall we behold that generous loyalty to rank and sex, that proud submission, that dignified obedience, that subordination of the heart, which kept alive, even in servitude itself, the spirit of an exalted freedom! 

Dude is absolutely committed to proper rank, roles for the sexes, etc. 100% on board with servitude=freedom and such nonsense.

My initial assumption was that he was an important noble just trying to keep his place, but he doesn't even look that important (from my admittedly light research). He appears to have had to actually earn a living (as a writer) before being elected to Parliament (in his 30s). His family were nobility, but not super high up, and appears to have been on their way to not even that in his lifetime.

Oct 5– “University Life at Athens” by John Henry Newman (1852)

 Mars University

Oct 5– “University Life at Athens” by John Henry Newman (1852)

Summary: A lot of people went to university at Athens.

Commentary: After admitting that his previous chapter got away from him Newman rambles on for several pages about historical figures who went to school in Athens. He uses a lot of references and metaphors that centuries ahead of the period he's writing about to questionable effect. Beyond that, there's some fairly generic, "oh the university was so perfect" back then, assuming that ancient Greek students didn't have any interests outside of listening to rhetoric 23.5 hours a day, and the ancient philosophers so perfect. "No jealousy", everyone honorable, etc. This kind of nostalgia for a time he didn't even live in is as pathetic as it is delusionally idiotic.

Oct 4– From “Demosthenes” from Plutarch’s Lives translated by Dryden and revised by Arthur Hugh Clough

Accurate reproduction of Athenian reactions to Demosthenes

Oct 4– From “Demosthenes” from Plutarch’s Lives translated by Dryden and revised by Arthur Hugh Clough

Summary: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance (also, sick burns)

Commentary: That's really the main thing here. The first half or so is all about how prepared Demosthenes would be, and how careful he was with his words.

 And he would affirm, that it was the more truly popular act to use premeditation, such preparation being a kind of respect to the people; whereas, to slight and take no care how what is said is likely to be received by the audience, shows something of an oligarchical temper, and is the course of one that intends force rather than persuasion. 

And a bunch of insults.

The second half is more standard Plutarch political/history summary. 

Oct 3– From "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer (~1400)

It sounds like this. Maybe. Who knows if this random Youtuber is reading correctly.

Oct 3– From The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (~1400)

Summary: A bunch of people are going on a pilgrimage.

Commentary: This one is kind of interesting since it's right on the verge between readable "English" and not. No one expects you to read Beowulf without translation, but we got the straight Middle English for CT when I was in high school. I haven't looked at it since, so I was a little wary today. It's really not too bad. You have to read it out loud, but it's fairly parsable, and has good flow: "Of his complexioun he was sangwyn," looks weird, but it reads easy enough aloud. Harvard has the whole thing updated here. I wonder if this is usually assigned "translated" or not in schools these days.

I'll take it over BUURRRNNNSSS for sure.

Oct 2– From "The Voyage of The Beagle" by Charles Darwin (1839)

 War never changes.

Oct 2– From The Voyage of The Beagle by Charles Darwin (1839)

Summary: Darwin talks about exterminating the Indians.

Commentary: This could've been *insert any time period here* about *insert slightly different groups of people here*.

 "I however struck him with my sabre to the ground, and then got off my horse, and cut his throat with my knife." This is a dark picture; but how much more shocking is the unquestionable fact, that all the women who appear above twenty years old are massacred in cold blood! When I exclaimed that this appeared rather inhuman, he answered, "Why, what can be done? they breed so!"

Every one here is fully convinced that this is the most just war, because it is against barbarians. Who would believe in this age that such atrocities could be committed in a Christian civilized country? The children of the Indians are saved, to be sold or given away as servants, or rather slaves for as long a time as the owners can make them believe themselves slaves; but I believe in their treatment there is little to complain of.

Different times and places might have different opinions on who it's okay to slaughter while stealing their children for reeducation, but it still happens. Darwin is refreshingly frank about it. I think a lot of people find it depressing when something like this comes up as a thing that happened a almost 200 years ago and still does today, but I'm more optimistic. There's less of it today at least. And seeing all the shit humanity survived over hundreds or thousands of years makes me feel better about us making it through the next hundred years.

Also, this is literally a thing in Afghanistan: "I imagine the summer is chosen as the time for the main attack, because the plains are then without water, and the Indians can only travel in particular directions."

Oct 1– From "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli (1532) translated by Ninian Hill Thomson

 The Prince of All Saiyans

Oct 1– From The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (1532) translated by Ninian Hill Thomson

Summary: Peace through strength. 

Commentary: Aside from a quick aside about religious leadership, this is mostly about the value of a loyal standing army to keeping yourself in power and your kingdom safe. Not really a ton to say, but I continue to appreciate Machiavelli's use of concrete historic examples to illustrate his points.