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necessary　for　me　to　live。〃　　What　it　was　right　that　he　should　do；

he　would　do；　in　the　face　of　danger　and　in　defiance　of　storms。



As　might　be　expected　of　the　great　Washington；　the　chief　motive

power　in　his　life　was　the　spirit　of　duty。　　It　was　the　regal　and

commanding　element　in　his　character　which　gave　it　unity；

compactness；　and　vigour。　　When　he　clearly　saw　his　duty　before　him；

he　did　it　at　all　hazards；　and　with　inflexible　integrity。　　He　did

not　do　it　for　effect；　nor　did　he　think　of　glory；　or　of　fame　and

its　rewards；　but　of　the　right　thing　to　be　done；　and　the　best

way　of　doing　it。



Yet　Washington　had　a　most　modest　opinion　of　himself；　and　when

offered　the　chief　command　of　the　American　patriot　army；　he

hesitated　to　accept　it　until　it　was　pressed　upon　him。　　When

acknowledging　in　Congress　the　honour　which　had　been　done　him　in

selecting　him　to　so　important　a　trust；　on　the　execution　of　which

the　future　of　his　country　in　a　great　measure　depended；　Washington

said：　〃I　beg　it　may　be　remembered；　lest　some　unlucky　event　should

happen　unfavourable　to　my　reputation；　that　I　this　day　declare；

with　the　utmost　sincerity；　I　do　not　think　myself　equal　to　the

command　I　am　honoured　with。〃



And　in　his　letter　to　his　wife；　communicating　to　her　his

appointment　as　Commander…in…Chief；　he　said：　〃I　have　used　every

endeavour　in　my　power　to　avoid　it；　not　only　from　my　unwillingness

to　part　with　you　and　the　family；　but　from　a　consciousness　of　its

being　a　trust　too　great　for　my　capacity；　and　that　I　should　enjoy

more　real　happiness　in　one　month　with　you　at　home；　than　I　have　the

most　distant　prospect　of　finding　abroad；　if　my　stay　were　to　be

seven　times　seven　years。　　But；　as　it　has　been　a　kind　of　destiny

that　has　thrown　me　upon　this　service；　I　shall　hope　that　my

undertaking　it　is　designed　for　some　good　purpose。　　It　was　utterly

out　of　my　power　to　refuse　the　appointment；　without　exposing　my

character　to　such　censures　as　would　have　reflected　dishonour　upon

myself；　and　given　pain　to　my　friends。　　This；　I　am　sure；　could　not；

and　ought　not；　to　be　pleasing　to　you；　and　must　have　lessened　me

considerably　in　my　own　esteem。〃　（4）



Washington　pursued　his　upright　course　through　life；　first　as

Commander…in…Chief；　and　afterwards　as　President；　never　faltering

in　the　path　of　duty。　　He　had　no　regard　for　popularity；　but　held　to

his　purpose；　through　good　and　through　evil　report；　often　at　the

risk　of　his　power　and　influence。　　Thus；　on　one　occasion；　when　the

ratification　of　a　treaty；　arranged　by　Mr。　Jay　with　Great　Britain；

was　in　question；　Washington　was　urged　to　reject　it。　　But　his

honour；　and　the　honour　of　his　country；　was　committed；　and　he

refused　to　do　so。　　A　great　outcry　was　raised　against　the　treaty；

and　for　a　time　Washington　was　so　unpopular　that　he　is　said　to　have

been　actually　stoned　by　the　mob。　　But　he；　nevertheless；　held　it　to

be　his　duty　to　ratify　the　treaty；　and　it　was　carried　out；　in

despite　of　petitions　and　remonstrances　from　all　quarters。　　〃While

I　feel；〃　he　said；　in　answer　to　the　remonstrants；　〃the　most　lively

gratitude　for　the　many　instances　of　approbation　from　my　country；

I　can　no　otherwise　deserve　it　than　by　obeying　the　dictates

of　my　conscience。〃

Wellington's　watchword；　like　Washington's；　was　duty；　and　no　man

could　be　more　loyal　to　it　than　he　was。　（5）　　〃There　is　little　or

nothing；〃　he　once　said；　〃in　this　life　worth　living　for；　but　we　can

all　of　us　go　straight　forward　and　do　our　duty。〃　　None　recognised

more　cheerfully　than　he　did　the　duty　of　obedience　and　willing

service；　for　unless　men　can　serve　faithfully；　they　will　not　rule

others　wisely。　　There　is　no　motto　that　becomes　the　wise　man

better　than　ICH　DIEN；　〃I　serve；〃　and　〃They　also　serve　who　only

stand　and　wait。〃



When　the　mortification　of　an　officer；　because　of　his　being

appointed　to　a　command　inferior　to　what　he　considered　to　be　his

merits；　was　communicated　to　the　Duke；　he　said：　〃In　the　course　of

my　military　career；　I　have　gone　from　the　command　of　a　brigade　to

that　of　my　regiment；　and　from　the　command　of　an　army　to　that　of　a

brigade　or　a　division；　as　I　was　ordered；　and　without　any　feeling

of　mortification。〃



Whilst　commanding　the　allied　army　in　Portugal；　the　conduct　of　the

native　population　did　not　seem　to　Wellington　to　be　either　becoming

or　dutiful。　　〃We　have　enthusiasm　in　plenty；〃　he　said；　〃and　plenty

of　cries　of　'VIVA！'　We　have　illuminations；　patriotic　songs；　and

FETES　everywhere。　　But　what　we　want　is；　that　each　in　his　own

station　should　do　his　duty　faithfully；　and　pay　implicit　obedience

to　legal　authority。〃



This　abiding　ideal　of　duty　seemed　to　be　the　governing　principle　of

Wellington's　character。　　It　was　always　uppermost　in　his　mind；　and

directed　all　the　public　actions　of　his　life。　　Nor　did　it　fail　to

communicate　itself　to　those　under　him；　who　served　him　in　the　like

spirit。　　When　he　rode　into　one　of　his　infantry　squares　at

Waterloo；　as　its　diminished　numbers　closed　up　to　receive　a　charge

of　French　cavalry；　he　said　to　the　men；　〃Stand　steady；　lads；　think

of　what　they　will　say　of　us　in　England；〃　to　which　the　men　replied；

〃Never　fear；　sirwe　know　our　duty。〃



Duty　was　also　the　dominant　idea　in　Nelson's　mind。　　The　spirit　in

which　he　served　his　country　was　expressed　in　the　famous　watchword；

〃England　expects　every　man　to　do　his　duty；〃　signalled　by　him　to

the　fleet　before　going　into　action　at　Trafalgar；　as　well　as　in

the　last　words　that　passed　his　lips；〃I　have　done　my　duty；

I　praise　God　for　it！〃



And　Nelson's　companion　and　friendthe　brave；　sensible；　homely…

minded　Collingwoodhe　who；　as　his　ship　bore　down　into　the　great

sea…fight；　said　to　his　flag…captain；　〃Just　about　this　time　our

wives　are　going　to　church　in　England；〃Collingwood　too　was；　like

his　commander；　an　ardent　devotee　of　duty。　　〃Do　your　duty　to　the

best　of　your　ability；〃　was　the　maxim　which　he　urged　upon　many

young　men　starting　on　the　voyage　of　life。　　To　a　midshipman　he　once

gave　the　following　manly　and　sensible　advice：…　〃You　may　depend

upon　it；　that　it　is　more　in　your　own　power　than　in　anybody　else's

to　promote　both　your　comfort　and　advancement。　　A　strict　and

unwearied　attention　to　your　duty；　and　a　complacent　and　respectful

behaviour；　not　only　to　your　superiors　but　to　everybody；　will

ensure　you　their　regard；　and　the　reward　will　surely　come；　but　if

it　should　not；　I　am　convinced　you　have　too　much　good　sense　to　let

disappointment　sour　you。　　Guard　carefully　against　letting

discontent　appear　in　you。　　It　will　be　sorrow　to　your　friends；　a

triumph　to　your　competitors；　and　cannot　be　productive　of　any　good。

Conduct　yourself　so　as　to　deserve　the　best　that　can　come　to　you；

and　the　consciousness　of　your　own　proper　behaviour　will　keep　you

in　spirits　if　it　should　not　come。　　Let　it　be　your　ambition　to　be

foremost　in　all　duty。　　Do　not　be　a　nice　observer　of　turns；　but

ever　present　yourself　ready　for　everything；　and；　unless　your

officers　are　very　inattentive　men；　they　will　not　allow　others　to

impose　more　duty　on　you　than　they　should。〃



This　devotion　to　duty　is　said　to　be　peculiar　to　the　English

nation；　and　it　has　certainly　more　or　less　characterised　our

greatest　public　men。　　Probably　no　commander　of　any　other　nation

ever　went　into　action　with　such　a　signal　flying　as　Nelson　at

Trafalgarnot　〃Glory；〃　or　〃Victory；〃　or　〃Honour；〃　or　〃Country〃

but　simply　〃Duty！〃　How　few　are　the　nations　willing　to　rally　to

such　a　battle…cry！



Shortly　after　the　wreck　of　the　BIRKENHEAD　off　the　coast　of　Africa；

in　which　the　officers　and　men　went　down　firing　a　FEU…DE…JOIE　after

seeing　the　women　and　children　safely　embarked　in　the　boats；

Robertson　of　Brighton；　referring　to　the　circumstance　in　one　of　his

letters；　said：　〃Yes！　　Goodness；　Duty；　Sacrifice；these　are　the

qualities　that　England　honours。　　She　gapes　and　wonders　every　now

and　then；　like　an　awkward　peasant；　at　some　other　thingsrailway

kings；　electro…biology；　and　other　trumperies；　but　nothing　stirs

her　grand　old　heart　down　to　its　central　deeps　universally　and

long；　except　the　Right。　　She　puts　on　her　shawl　very　badly；　and　she

is　awkward　enough　in　a　concert…room；　scarce　knowing　a　Swedish

nightingale　from　a　jackdaw；　butblessings　large　and　long　upon

her！she　knows　how　to　teach　her　sons　to　sink　like　men　amidst

sharks　and　billows；　without　parade；　without　display；　as　if　Duty

were　the　most　natural　thing　in　the　world；　and　she　never　mistakes

long　an　actor　for　a　hero；　or　a　hero　for　an　actor。〃　（6）



It　is　a　grand　thing；　after　all；　this　pervading　spirit　of　Duty　in　a

nation；　and　so　long　as　it　survives；　no　one　need　despair　of　its

future。　　But　when　it　has　departed；　or　become　deadened；　and　been

supplanted　by　thirst　for　pleasure；　or　selfish　aggrandisement；

or　〃glory〃then　woe　to　that　nation；　for　its　dissolution

is　near　at　hand！



If　there　be　one　point　on　which　intelligent　observers　are　agreed

more　than　another　as　to　the　cause　of　the　late　deplorable　collapse

of　France　as　a　nation；　it　was　the　utter　absence　of　this　feeling　of