To indulge in sorrowful memories remains, to this day, perhaps the most depressing habit of old men. Yet the lessons of years past, no matter how distant, have always been a stepping stone towards the greatness of our days, an important remedy for ailments of the present age.   I had once been but a child, a young heir emerging from my immediate House’s isolation upon distant isles - sent across the seas with an entourage of tutors and retainers along with my brother to gaze upon ou