Two years ago, I had the honour to attempt, in addressing you, to answer the question how far Thucydides was of value to the modern statesman. I have recently been re-reading Herodotus, not precisely with a view to answer the same question in reference to him, but still not without keeping it, to some extent, before my mind. I purpose accordingly, this afternoon, to lay before you some of the considerations which have occurred to me with regard to his famous Enquiries; for ‘Enquiries’ or ‘Researches’, rather than Histories, ought perhaps to be the English rendering of the title of his famous book.