Another thing a ruler must do to exercise his mind is read history, in particular accounts of great leaders and their achievements. He should look at their wartime strategies and study the reasons for their victories and defeats so as to avoid the failures and imitate the successes. Above all he must do what some great men have done in the past: take as model a leader who’s been much praised and admired and keep his example and achievements in mind at all times.
The Catholic version of this is: read the Bible and use the Saints are role models.
