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life　and　free　institutions　of　which　they　are　the　inheritors　and

possessors。



Nations　are　not　to　be　judged　by　their　size　any　more　than

individuals：



　　　　〃it　is　not　growing　like　a　tree

　　　　In　bulk；　doth　make　Man　better　be。〃



For　a　nation　to　be　great；　it　need　not　necessarily　be　big；　though

bigness　is　often　confounded　with　greatness。　　A　nation　may　be　very

big　in　point　of　territory　and　population　and　yet　be　devoid　of　true

greatness。　　The　people　of　Israel　were　a　small　people；　yet　what　a

great　life　they　developed；　and　how　powerful　the　influence　they

have　exercised　on　the　destinies　of　mankind！　　Greece　was　not　big：

the　entire　population　of　Attica　was　less　than　that　of　South

Lancashire。　　Athens　was　less　populous　than　New　York；　and　yet　how

great　it　was　in　art；　in　literature；　in　philosophy；　and　in

patriotism！　（22）



But　it　was　the　fatal　weakness　of　Athens　that　its　citizens　had　no

true　family　or　home　life；　while　its　freemen　were　greatly

outnumbered　by　its　slaves。　　Its　public　men　were　loose；　if　not

corrupt；　in　morals。　　Its　women；　even　the　most　accomplished；　were

unchaste。　　Hence　its　fall　became　inevitable；　and　was　even　more

sudden　than　its　rise。



In　like　manner　the　decline　and　fall　of　Rome　was　attributable　to

the　general　corruption　of　its　people；　and　to　their　engrossing　love

of　pleasure　and　idlenesswork；　in　the　later　days　of　Rome；　being

regarded　only　as　fit　for　slaves。　　Its　citizens　ceased　to　pride

themselves　on　the　virtues　of　character　of　their　great　forefathers；

and　the　empire　fell　because　it　did　not　deserve　to　live。　　And　so

the　nations　that　are　idle　and　luxuriousthat　〃will　rather　lose　a

pound　of　blood；〃　as　old　Burton　says；　〃in　a　single　combat；　than　a

drop　of　sweat　in　any　honest　labour〃must　inevitably　die　out；　and

laborious　energetic　nations　take　their　place。



When　Louis　XIV。　asked　Colbert　how　it　was　that；　ruling　so　great　and

populous　a　country　as　France；　he　had　been　unable　to　conquer　so

small　a　country　as　Holland；　the　minister　replied：　　〃Because；　Sire；

the　greatness　of　a　country　does　not　depend　upon　the　extent　of　its

territory；　but　on　the　character　of　its　people。　　It　is　because　of

the　industry；　the　frugality；　and　the　energy　of　the　Dutch　that　your

Majesty　has　found　them　so　difficult　to　overcome。〃



It　is　also　related　of　Spinola　and　Richardet；　the　ambassadors　sent

by　the　King　of　Spain　to　negotiate　a　treaty　at　the　Hague　in　1608；

that　one　day　they　saw　some　eight　or　ten　persons　land　from　a　little

boat；　and；　sitting　down　upon　the　grass；　proceed　to　make　a　meal　of

bread…and…cheese　and　beer。　　〃Who　are　those　travellers　asked　the

ambassadors　of　a　peasant。　　〃These　are　worshipful　masters；　the

deputies　from　the　States；〃　was　his　reply。　　Spinola　at　once

whispered　to　his　companion；　〃We　must　make　peace：　these　are　not　men

to　be　conquered。〃



In　fine；　stability　of　institutions　must　depend　upon　stability　of

character。　　Any　number　of　depraved　units　cannot　form　a　great

nation。　　The　people　may　seem　to　be　highly　civilised；　and　yet　be

ready　to　fall　to　pieces　at　first　touch　of　adversity。　　Without

integrity　of　individual　character；　they　can　have　no　real　strength；

cohesion；　soundness。　　They　may　be　rich；　polite；　and　artistic；　and

yet　hovering　on　the　brink　of　ruin。　　If　living　for　themselves　only；

and　with　no　end　but　pleasureeach　little　self　his　own　little　god

such　a　nation　is　doomed；　and　its　decay　is　inevitable。



Where　national　character　ceases　to　be　upheld；　a　nation　may　be

regarded　as　next　to　lost。　Where　it　ceases　to　esteem　and　to

practise　the　virtues　of　truthfulness；　honesty；　integrity；　and

justice；　it　does　not　deserve　to　live。　　And　when　the　time　arrives

in　any　country　when　wealth　has　so　corrupted；　or　pleasure　so

depraved；　or　faction　so　infatuated　the　people；　that　honour；　order；

obedience；　virtue；　and　loyalty　have　seemingly　become　things　of　the

past；　then；　amidst　the　darkness；　when　honest　menif；　haply；

there　be　such　leftare　groping　about　and　feeling　for　each

other's　hands；　their　only　remaining　hope　will　be　in　the

restoration　and　elevation　of　Individual　Character；　for　by　that

alone　can　a　nation　be　saved；　and　if　character　be　irrecoverably

lost；　then　indeed　there　will　be　nothing　left　worth　saving。







NOTES



（1）　Sackville；　Lord　Buckhurst；　Lord　High　Treasurer　under　Elizabeth

and　James　I。



（2）　'Life　of　Perthes；'　ii。　217。



（3）　Lockhart's　'Life　of　Scott。'



（4）　Debate　on　the　Petition　of　Right；　A。D。　1628。



（5）　The　Rev。　F。　W。　Farrer's　'Seekers　after　God；'　p。　241。



（6）　'The　Statesman；'　p。　30。



（7）　'Queen　of　the　Air；'　p。　127



（8）　Instead　of　saying　that　man　is　the　creature　of　Circumstance；　it

would　be　nearer　the　mark　to　say　that　man　is　the　architect　of

Circumstance。　　It　is　Character　which　builds　an　existence　out　of

Circumstance。　　Our　strength　is　measured　by　our　plastic　power。

From　the　same　materials　one　man　builds　palaces；　another　hovels：

one　warehouses；　another　villas。　　Bricks　and　mortar　are　mortar　and

bricks；　until　the　architect　can　make　them　something　else。　　Thus　it

is　that　in　the　same　family；　in　the　same　circumstances；　one　man

rears　a　stately　edifice；　while　his　brother；　vacillating　and

incompetent；　lives　for　ever　amid　ruins：　the　block　of　granite；

which　was　an　obstacle　on　the　pathway　of　the　weak；　becomes　a

stepping…stone　on　the　pathway　of　the　strong。〃G。　H。　Lewes；　LIFE

OF　GOETHE。



（9）　Introduction　to　'The　Principal　Speeches　and　Addresses　of

H。R。H。　the　Prince　Consort'　（1862）；　pp。　39…40。



（10）　Among　the　latest　of　these　was　Napoleon　〃the　Great；〃　a　man　of

abounding　energy；　but　destitute　of　principle。　　He　had　the　lowest

opinion　of　his　fellowmen。　　〃Men　are　hogs；　who　feed　on　gold；〃　he

once　said：　〃Well；　I　throw　them　gold；　and　lead　them　whithersoever　I

will。〃　　When　the　Abbe　de　Pradt；　Archbishop　of　Malines；　was　setting

out　on　his　embassy　to　Poland　in　1812；　Napoleon's　parting

instruction　to　him　was；　〃Tenez　bonne　table　et　soignez　les　femmes；〃

of　which　Benjamin　Constant　said　that　such　an　observation；

addressed　to　a　feeble　priest　of　sixty；　shows　Buonaparte's　profound

contempt　for　the　human　race；　without　distinction　of　nation　or　sex。



（11）　Condensed　from　Sir　Thomas　Overbury's　'Characters'　（1614）。



（12）　'History　of　the　Peninsular　War；'　v。　319。Napier　mentions

another　striking　illustration　of　the　influence　of　personal

qualities　in　young　Edward　Freer；　of　the　same　regiment　（the　43rd）；

who；　when　he　fell　at　the　age　of　nineteen；　at　the　Battle　of　the

Nivelle；　had　already　seen　more　combats　and　sieges　than　he　could

count　years。　　〃So　slight　in　person；　and　of　such　surpassing　beauty；

that　the　Spaniards　often　thought　him　a　girl　disguised　in　man's

clothing；　he　was　yet　so　vigorous；　so　active；　so　brave；　that　the

most　daring　and　experienced　veterans　watched　his　looks　on　the

field　of　battle；　and；　implicitly　following　where　he　led；　would；

like　children；　obey　his　slightest　sign　in　the　most　difficult

situations。〃



（13）　When　the　dissolution　of　the　Union　at　one　time　seemed

imminent；　and　Washington　wished　to　retire　into　private　life；

Jefferson　wrote　to　him；　urging　his　continuance　in　office。　　〃The

confidence　of　the　whole　Union；〃　he　said；　〃centres　in　you。　　Your

being　at　the　helm　will　be　more　than　an　answer　to　every　argument

which　can　be　used　to　alarm　and　lead　the　people　in　any　quarter　into

violence　and　secession。。。。　There　is　sometimes　an　eminence　of

character　on　which　society　has　such　peculiar　claims　as　to　control

the　predilection　of　the　individual　for　a　particular　walk　of

happiness；　and　restrain　him　to　that　alone　arising　from　the　present

and　future　benedictions　of　mankind。　　This　seems　to　be　your

condition；　and　the　law　imposed　on　you　by　Providence　in　forming

your　character　and　fashioning　the　events　on　which　it　was　to

operate；　and　it　is　to　motives　like　these；　and　not　to　personal

anxieties　of　mine　or　others；　who　have　no　right　to　call　on　you　for

sacrifices；　that　I　appeal　from　your　former　determination；　and　urge

a　revisal　of　it；　on　the　ground　of　　change　in　the　aspect　of

things。〃Sparks'　Life　of　Washington；　i。　480。



（14）　Napier's　'History　of　the　Peninsular　War；'　v。　226。



（15）　Sir　W。　Scott's　'History　of　Scotland；'　vol。　i。　chap。　xvi。



（16）　Michelet's　'History　of　Rome；'　p。　374。



（17）　Erasmus　so　reverenced　the　character　of　Socrates　that　he　said；

when　he　considered　his　life　and　doctrines；　he　was　inclined　to　put

him　in　the　calendar　of　saints；　and　to　exclaim；　〃SANCTE　SOCRATES；

ORA　PRO　NOBIS。'〃　（Holy　Socrates；　pray　for　us！



（18）　〃Honour　to　all　the　brave　and　true；　everlasting　honour　to　John

Knox　one　of　the　truest　of　the　true！　　That；　in　the　moment　while　he

and　his　cause；　amid　civil　broils；　in　convulsion　and　confusion；

were　still　but　struggling　for　life；　he　sent　the　schoolmaster　forth

to　all　corners；　and　said；　'Let　the　people　be　taught：'　this　is　but

one；　and；　and　indeed；　an　inevitable　and　comparatively

inconsiderable　item　in　his　great　message　to　men。　　This　message；　in

its　true　compass；　was；　'Let　men　know　that　they　are　men