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his　poultry…yard。



Washington；　also；　was　an　indefatigable　man　of　business。　　From　his

boyhood　he　diligently　trained　himself　in　habits　of　application；　of

study；　and　of　methodical　work。　　His　manuscript　school…books；　which

are　still　preserved；　show　that；　as　early　as　the　age　of　thirteen；

he　occupied　himself　voluntarily　in　copying　out　such　things　as

forms　of　receipts；　notes　of　hand；　bills　of　exchange；　bonds；

indentures；　leases；　land…warrants；　and　other　dry　documents；　all

written　out　with　great　care。　　And　the　habits　which　he　thus　early

acquired　were；　in　a　great　measure；　the　foundation　of　those

admirable　business　qualities　which　he　afterwards　so　successfully

brought　to　bear　in　the　affairs　of　government。



The　man　or　woman　who　achieves　success　in　the　management　of　any

great　affair　of　business　is　entitled　to　honour；it　may　be；　to　as

much　as　the　artist　who　paints　a　picture；　or　the　author　who　writes

a　book；　or　the　soldier　who　wins　a　battle。　　Their　success　may　have

been　gained　in　the　face　of　as　great　difficulties；　and　after　as

great　struggles；　and　where　they　have　won　their　battle；　it　is　at

least　a　peaceful　one；　and　there　is　no　blood　on　their　hands。



The　idea　has　been　entertained　by　some；　that　business　habits　are

incompatible　with　genius。　　In　the　Life　of　Richard　Lovell

Edgeworth；　（16）　it　is　observed　of　a　Mr。　Bicknella　respectable

but　ordinary　man；　of　whom　little　is　known　but　that　he　married

Sabrina　Sidney；　the　ELEVE　of　Thomas　Day；　author　of　'Sandford　and

Merton'that　〃he　had　some　of　the　too　usual　faults　of　a　man　of

genius：　he　detested　the　drudgery　of　business。〃　　But　there　cannot

be　a　greater　mistake。　　The　greatest　geniuses　have；　without

exception；　been　the　greatest　workers；　even　to　the　extent　of

drudgery。　　They　have　not　only　worked　harder　than　ordinary　men；　but

brought　to　their　work　higher　faculties　and　a　more　ardent　spirit。

Nothing　great　and　durable　was　ever　improvised。　　It　is　only　by

noble　patience　and　noble　labour　that　the　masterpieces　of　genius

have　been　achieved。



Power　belongs　only　to　the　workers；　the　idlers　are　always

powerless。　　It　is　the　laborious　and　painstaking　men　who　are　the

rulers　of　the　world。　　There　has　not　been　a　statesman　of　eminence

but　was　a　man　of　industry。　　〃It　is　by　toil；〃　said　even　Louis　XIV。；

〃that　kings　govern。〃　　When　Clarendon　described　Hampden；　he　spoke

of　him　as　〃of　an　industry　and　vigilance　not　to　be　tired　out　or

wearied　by　the　most　laborious；　and　of　parts　not　to　be　imposed　on

by　the　most　subtle　and　sharp；　and　of　a　personal　courage　equal　to

his　best　parts。〃　　While　in　the　midst　of　his　laborious　though　self…

imposed　duties；　Hampden；　on　one　occasion；　wrote　to　his　mother：　〃My

lyfe　is　nothing　but　toyle；　and　hath　been　for　many　yeares；　nowe　to

the　Commonwealth；　nowe　to　the　Kinge。。。。　　Not　so　much　tyme　left　as

to　doe　my　dutye　to　my　deare　parents；　nor　to　sende　to　them。〃

Indeed；　all　the　statesmen　of　the　Commonwealth　were　great　toilers；

and　Clarendon　himself；　whether　in　office　or　out　of　it；　was　a　man

of　indefatigable　application　and　industry。



The　same　energetic　vitality；　as　displayed　in　the　power　of　working；

has　distinguished　all　the　eminent　men　in　our　own　as　well　as　in

past　times。　　During　the　Anti…Corn　Law　movement；　Cobden；　writing　to

a　friend；　described　himself　as　〃working　like　a　horse；　with　not　a

moment　to　spare。〃　　Lord　Brougham　was　a　remarkable　instance　of　the

indefatigably　active　and　laborious　man；　and　it　might　be　said　of

Lord　Palmerston；　that　he　worked　harder　for　success　in　his　extreme

old　age　than　he　had　ever　done　in　the　prime　of　his　manhood

preserving　his　working　faculty；　his　good…humour　and　BONHOMMIE；

unimpaired　to　the　end。　（17）　　He　himself　was　accustomed　to　say；　that

being　in　office；　and　consequently　full　of　work；　was　good　for　his

health。　　It　rescued　him　from　ENNUI。　Helvetius　even　held；　that　it

is　man's　sense　of　ENNUI　that　is　the　chief　cause　of　his　superiority

over　the　brute；that　it　is　the　necessity　which　he　feels　for

escaping　from　its　intolerable　suffering　that　forces　him　to

employ　himself　actively；　and　is　hence　the　great　stimulus

to　human　progress。



Indeed；　this　living　principle　of　constant　work；　of　abundant

occupation；　of　practical　contact　with　men　in　the　affairs　of　life；

has　in　all　times　been　the　best　ripener　of　the　energetic　vitality

of　strong　natures。　　Business　habits；　cultivated　and　disciplined；

are　found　alike　useful　in　every　pursuitwhether　in　politics；

literature；　science；　or　art。　　Thus；　a　great　deal　of　the　best

literary　work　has　been　done　by　men　systematically　trained　in

business　pursuits。　　The　same　industry；　application；　economy　of

time　and　labour；　which　have　rendered　them　useful　in　the　one　sphere

of　employment；　have　been　found　equally　available　in　the　other。



Most　of　the　early　English　writers　were　men　of　affairs；　trained　to

business；　for　no　literary　class　as　yet　existed；　excepting　it　might

be　the　priesthood。　　Chaucer；　the　father　of　English　poetry；　was

first　a　soldier；　and　afterwards　a　comptroller　of　petty　customs。

The　office　was　no　sinecure　either；　for　he　had　to　write　up　all　the

records　with　his　own　hand；　and　when　he　had　done　his　〃reckonings〃

at　the　custom…house；　he　returned　with　delight　to　his　favourite

studies　at　homeporing　over　his　books　until　his　eyes　were

〃dazed〃　and　dull。



The　great　writers　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　during　which　there

was　such　a　development　of　robust　life　in　England；　were　not

literary　men　according　to　the　modern　acceptation　of　the　word；　but

men　of　action　trained　in　business。　　Spenser　acted　as　secretary　to

the　Lord　Deputy　of　Ireland；　Raleigh　was；　by　turns；　a　courtier；

soldier；　sailor；　and　discoverer；　Sydney　was　a　politician；

diplomatist；　and　soldier；　Bacon　was　a　laborious　lawyer　before　he

became　Lord　Keeper　and　Lord　Chancellor；　Sir　Thomas　Browne　was　a

physician　in　country　practice　at　Norwich；　Hooker　was　the

hardworking　pastor　of　a　country　parish；　Shakspeare　was　the　manager

of　a　theatre；　in　which　he　was　himself　but　an　indifferent　actor；

and　he　seems　to　have　been　even　more　careful　of　his　money

investments　than　he　was　of　his　intellectual　offspring。　　Yet　these；

all　men　of　active　business　habits；　are　among　the　greatest　writers

of　any　age：　the　period　of　Elizabeth　and　James　I。　standing　out　in

the　history　of　England　as　the　era　of　its　greatest　literary

activity　and　splendour。



In　the　reign　of　Charles　I。；　Cowley　held　various　offices　of　trust

and　confidence。　　He　acted　as　private　secretary　to　several　of　the

royalist　leaders；　and　was　afterwards　engaged　as　private　secretary

to　the　Queen；　in　ciphering　and　deciphering　the　correspondence

which　passed　between　her　and　Charles　I。；　the　work　occupying　all

his　days；　and　often　his　nights；　during　several　years。　　And　while

Cowley　was　thus　employed　in　the　royal　cause；　Milton　was　employed

by　the　Commonwealth；　of　which　he　was　the　Latin　secretary；　and

afterwards　secretary　to　the　Lord　Protector。　　Yet；　in　the　earlier

part　of　his　life；　Milton　was　occupied　in　the　humble　vocation　of　a

teacher。　　Dr。　Johnson　says；　〃that　in　his　school；　as　in　everything

else　which　he　undertook；　he　laboured　with　great　diligence；　there

is　no　reason　for　doubting〃　It　was　after　the　Restoration；　when　his

official　employment　ceased；　that　Milton　entered　upon　the　principal

literary　work　of　his　life；　but　before　he　undertook　the　writing　of

his　great　epic；　he　deemed　it　indispensable　that　to　〃industrious

and　select　reading〃　he　should　add　〃steady　observation〃　and

〃insight　into　all　seemly　and　generous　arts　and　affairs。〃　（18）



Locke　held　office　in　different　reigns：　first　under　Charles　II。　as

Secretary　to　the　Board　of　Trade　and　afterwards　under　William　III。

as　Commissioner　of　Appeals　and　of　Trade　and　Plantations。　　Many

literary　men　of　eminence　held　office　in　Queen　Anne's　reign。　　Thus

Addison　was　Secretary　of　State；　Steele；　Commissioner　of　Stamps；

Prior；　Under…Secretary　of　State；　and　afterwards　Ambassador　to

France；　Tickell；　Under…Secretary　of　State；　and　Secretary　to　the

Lords　Justices　of　Ireland；　Congreve；　Secretary　of　Jamaica；；　and

Gay；　Secretary　of　Legation　at　Hanover。



Indeed；　habits　of　business；　instead　of　unfitting　a　cultivated　mind

for　scientific　or　literary　pursuits；　are　often　the　best　training

for　them。　　Voltaire　insisted　with　truth　that　the　real　spirit　of

business　and　literature　are　the　same；　the　perfection　of　each　being

the　union　of　energy　and　thoughtfulness；　of　cultivated　intelligence

and　practical　wisdom；　of　the　active　and　contemplative　essencea

union　commended　by　Lord　Bacon　as　the　concentrated　excellence　of

man's　nature。　　It　has　been　said　that　even　the　man　of　genius　can

write　nothing　worth　reading　in　relation　to　human　affairs；　unless

he　has　been　in　some　way　or　other　connected　with　the　serious

everyday　business　of　life。



Hence　it　has　happened　that　many　of　the　best　books；　extant　have

been　written　by　men　of　business；　with　whom　literature　was　a

pastime　rather　than　a　profession。　　Gifford；　the　editor　of　the

'Quarterly；'　who　knew　the　drudgery　of　writ