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like　manner　shave　their　heads；　and　one　of　them；　Pierre　de

Hagenbach；　to　prove　his　devotion；　no　sooner　caught　sight　of　an

unshaven　nobleman；　than　he　forthwith　had　him　seized　and　carried

off　to　the　barber！Philip　de　Comines　（Bohn's　Ed。）；　p。　243。



（9）　'Life；'　i。　344。



（10）　Introduction　to　'The　Principal　Speeches　and　Addresses　of　H。R。H。

the　Prince　Consort；'　p。　33。



（11）　Speech　at　Liverpool；　1812。







CHAPTER　IV。WORK。







〃Arise　therefore；　and　be　doing；　and　the　Lord　be　with　thee。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　l　CHRONICLES　xxii。　16。



　　　　　　　　〃Work　as　if　thou　hadst　to　live　for　aye；

　　　　　　　　Worship　as　if　thou　wert　to　die　to…day。〃TUSCAN　PROVERB。



　　　　　　　　　　〃C'est　par　le　travail　qu'on　regne。〃LOUIS　XIV



　　　　　　　〃Blest　work！　if　ever　thou　wert　curse　of　God；

　　　　　　　　What　must　His　blessing　be！〃J。　B。　SELKIRK。



〃Let　every　man　be　OCCUPIED；　and　occupied　in　the　highest　employment

of　which　his　nature　is　capable；　and　die　with　the　consciousness

that　he　has　done　his　best〃Sydney　Smith。





WORK　is　one　of　the　best　educators　of　practical　character。　　It

evokes　and　disciplines　obedience；　self…control；　attention；

application；　and　perseverance；　giving　a　man　deftness　and　skill　in

his　special　calling；　and　aptitude　and　dexterity　in　dealing　with

the　affairs　of　ordinary　life。



Work　is　the　law　of　our　beingthe　living　principle　that　carries

men　and　nations　onward。　　The　greater　number　of　men　have　to　work

with　their　hands；　as　a　matter　of　necessity；　in　order　to　live；　but

all　must　work　in　one　way　or　another；　if　they　would　enjoy　life　as

it　ought　to　be　enjoyed。



Labour　may　be　a　burden　and　a　chastisement；　but　it　is　also　an

honour　and　a　glory。　　Without　it；　nothing　can　be　accomplished。　　All

that　is　great　in　man　comes　through　work；　and　civilisation　is　its

product。　　Were　labour　abolished；　the　race　of　Adam　were　at　once

stricken　by　moral　death。



It　is　idleness　that　is　the　curse　of　mannot　labour。　　Idleness

eats　the　heart　out　of　men　as　of　nations；　and　consumes　them　as　rust

does　iron。　　When　Alexander　conquered　the　Persians；　and　had　an

opportunity　of　observing　their　manners；　he　remarked　that　they　did

not　seem　conscious　that　there　could　be　anything　more　servile　than

a　life　of　pleasure；　or　more　princely　than　a　life　of　toil。



When　the　Emperor　Severus　lay　on　his　deathbed　at　York；　whither　he

had　been　borne　on　a　litter　from　the　foot　of　the　Grampians；　his

final　watchword　to　his　soldiers　was；　〃LABOREMUS〃　（we　must　work）；

and　nothing　but　constant　toil　maintained　the　power　and　extended

the　authority　of　the　Roman　generals。



In　describing　the　earlier　social　condition　of　Italy；　when　the

ordinary　occupations　of　rural　life　were　considered　compatible　with

the　highest　civic　dignity；　Pliny　speaks　of　the　triumphant　generals

and　their　men；　returning　contentedly　to　the　plough。　　In　those　days

the　lands　were　tilled　by　the　hands　even　of　generals；　the　soil

exulting　beneath　a　ploughshare　crowned　with　laurels；　and　guided　by

a　husbandman　graced　with　triumphs：　〃IPSORUM　TUNC　MANIBUS

IMPERATORUM　COLEBANTUR　AGRI：　UT　FAS　EST　CREDERE；　GAUDENTE　TERRA

VOMERE　LAUREATO　ET　TRIUMPHALI　ARATORE。〃　（1）　　It　was　only　after

slaves　became　extensively　employed　in　all　departments　of　industry

that　labour　came　to　be　regarded　as　dishonourable　and　servile。　　And

so　soon　as　indolence　and　luxury　became　the　characteristics　of　the

ruling　classes　of　Rome；　the　downfall　of　the　empire；　sooner　or

later；　was　inevitable。



There　is；　perhaps；　no　tendency　of　our　nature　that　has　to　be　more

carefully　guarded　against　than　indolence。　　When　Mr。　Gurney　asked

an　intelligent　foreigner　who　had　travelled　over　the　greater　part

of　the　world；　whether　he　had　observed　any　one　quality　which；　more

than　another；　could　be　regarded　as　a　universal　characteristic　of

our　species；　his　answer　was；　in　broken　English；　〃Me　tink　dat　all

men　LOVE　LAZY。〃　　It　is　characteristic　of　the　savage　as　of　the

despot。　　It　is　natural　to　men　to　endeavour　to　enjoy　the　products

of　labour　without　its　toils。　　Indeed；　so　universal　is　this　desire；

that　James　Mill　has　argued　that　it　was　to　prevent　its　indulgence

at　the　expense　of　society　at　large；　that　the　expedient　of

Government　was　originally　invented。　（2）



Indolence　is　equally　degrading　to　individuals　as　to　nations。

Sloth　never　made　its　mark　in　the　world；　and　never　will。　　Sloth

never　climbed　a　hill；　nor　overcame　a　difficulty　that　it　could

avoid。　　Indolence　always　failed　in　life；　and　always　will。　　It　is

in　the　nature　of　things　that　it　should　not　succeed　in　anything。

It　is　a　burden；　an　incumbrance；　and　a　nuisancealways　useless；

complaining；　melancholy；　and　miserable。



Burton；　in　his　quaint　and　curious；　bookthe　only　one；　Johnson

says；　that　ever　took　him　out　of　bed　two　hours　sooner　than　he

wished　to　risedescribes　the　causes　of　Melancholy　as　hingeing

mainly　on　Idleness。　　〃Idleness；〃　he　says；　〃is　the　bane　of　body　and

mind；　the　nurse　of　naughtiness；　the　chief　mother　of　all　mischief；

one　of　the　seven　deadly　sins；　the　devil's　cushion；　his　pillow　and

chief　reposal。。。。　　An　idle　dog　will　be　mangy；　and　how　shall　an

idle　person　escape？　Idleness　of　the　mind　is　much　worse　than　that

of　the　body：　wit；　without　employment；　is　a　diseasethe　rust　of

the　soul；　a　plague；　a　hell　itself。　　As　in　a　standing　pool；　worms

and　filthy　creepers　increase；　so　do　evil　and　corrupt　thoughts　in

an　idle　person；　the　soul　is　contaminated。。。。　　Thus　much　I　dare

boldly　say：　he　or　she　that　is　idle；　be　they　of　what　condition　they

will；　never　so　rich；　so　well　allied；　fortunate；　happylet　them

have　all　things　in　abundance　and　felicity　that　heart　can　wish　and

desire；　all　contentmentso　long　as　he；　or　she；　or　they；　are

idle；　they　shall　never　be　pleased；　never　well　in　body　or　mind；　but

weary　still；　sickly　still；　vexed　still；　loathing　still；　weeping；

sighing；　grieving；　suspecting；　offended　with　the　world；　with　every

object；　wishing　themselves　gone　or　dead；　or　else　carried　away　with

some　foolish　phantasie　or　other。〃　（3）



Burton　says　a　great　deal　more　to　the　same　effect；　the　burden　and

lesson　of　his　book　being　embodied　in　the　pregnant　sentence　with

which　it　winds　up：…　〃Only　take　this　for　a　corollary　and

conclusion；　as　thou　tenderest　thine　own　welfare　in　this；　and　all

other　melancholy；　thy　good　health　of　body　and　mind；　observe　this

short　precept；　Give　not　way　to　solitariness　and　idleness。　　BE　NOT

SOLITARYBE　NOT　IDLE。〃　（4）



The　indolent；　however；　are　not　wholly　indolent。　　Though　the　body

may　shirk　labour；　the　brain　is　not　idle。　　If　it　do　not　grow　corn；

it　will　grow　thistles；　which　will　be　found　springing　up　all　along

the　idle　man's　course　in　life。　　The　ghosts　of　indolence　rise

up　in　the　dark；　ever　staring　the　recreant　in　the　face；　and

tormenting　him：



　　　　　　〃The　gods　are　just；　and　of　our　pleasant　vices；

　　　　　　　Make　instrument　to　scourge　us。〃



True　happiness　is　never　found　in　torpor　of　the　faculties；　（5）　but　in

their　action　and　useful　employment。　　It　is　indolence　that

exhausts；　not　action；　in　which　there　is　life；　health；　and

pleasure。　　The　spirits　may　be　exhausted　and　wearied　by　employment；

but　they　are　utterly　wasted　by　idleness。　　Hense　a　wise　physician

was　accustomed　to　regard　occupation　as　one　of　his　most　valuable

remedial　measures。　　〃Nothing　is　so　injurious；〃　said　Dr。　Marshall

Hall；　〃as　unoccupied　time。〃　　An　archbishop　of　Mayence　used　to　say

that　〃the　human　heart　is　like　a　millstone：　if　you　put　wheat　under

it；　it　grinds　the　wheat　into　flour；　if　you　put　no　wheat；　it　grinds

on；　but　then　'tis　itself　it　wears　away。〃



Indolence　is　usually　full　of　excuses；　and　the　sluggard；　though

unwilling　to　work；　is　often　an　active　sophist。　〃There　is　a　lion　in

the　path　；〃　or　〃The　hill　is　hard　to　climb；〃　or　〃There　is　no　use

tryingI　have　tried；　and　failed；　and　cannot　do　it。〃　　To　the

sophistries　of　such　an　excuser；　Sir　Samuel　Romilly　once　wrote　to　a

young　man：…　〃My　attack　upon　your　indolence；　loss　of　time；　&c。；　was

most　serious；　and　I　really　think　that　it　can　be　to　nothing　but

your　habitual　want　of　exertion　that　can　be　ascribed　your　using

such　curious　arguments　as　you　do　in　your　defence。　　Your　theory　is


this：　Every　man　does　all　the　good　that　he　can。　　If　a　particular

individual　does　no　good；　it　is　a　proof　that　he　is　incapable　of

doing　it。　　That　you　don't　write　proves　that　you　can't；　and　your

want　of　inclination　demonstrates　your　want　of　talents。　　What　an

admirable　system！and　what　beneficial　effects　would　it　be

attended　with；　if　it　were　but　universally　received！〃



It　has　been　truly　said；　that　to　desire　to　possess；　without　being

burdened　with　the　trouble　of　acquiring；　is　as　much　a　sign　of

weakness；　as　to　recognise　that　everything　worth　having　is　only　to

be　got　by　paying　its　price；　is　the　prime　secret　of　practical

strength。　　Even　leisure　cannot　be　enjoyed　unless　it　is　won　by

effort。　　If　it　have　not　been　earned　by　work；　the　price　has　not

been　paid　for　it。　（6）



There　must　be　work　before　and　work　behind；　with　leisure　to　fall