Next to Watson, my favourite historical reading was Hooke's _History of Rome_.

Of Greece I had seen at that time no regular history, except school abridgments and the last two or three volumes of a translation of Rollin's _Ancient History_, beginning with Philip of Macedon.

But I read with great delight Langhorne's translation of Plutarch.

In English history, beyond the time at which Hume leaves off, I remember reading Burnet's _History of his Own Time_, though I cared little for anything in it except the wars and battles; and the historical part of the _Annual Register_, from the beginning to about 1788, where the volumes my father borrowed for me from Mr.Bentham left off.

I felt a lively interest in Frederic of Prussia during his difficulties, and in Paoli, the Corsican patriot; but when I came to the American War, I took my part, like a child as I was (until set right by my father) on the wrong side, because it was called the English side.