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visible　success　at　which　a　man　has　arrived；　but　forget　the　toil

and　suffering　and　peril　through　which　it　has　been　achieved。　　When

a　friend　of　Marshal　Lefevre　was　complimenting　him　on　his

possessions　and　good　fortune；　the　Marshal　said：　〃You　envy　me；　do

you？　　Well；　you　shall　have　these　things　at　a　better　bargain　than　I

had。　　Come　into　the　court：　I'll　fire　at　you　with　a　gun　twenty

times　at　thirty　paces；　and　if　I　don't　kill　you；　all　shall　be　your

own。　　What！　you　won't！　　Very　well；　recollect；　then；　that　I　have

been　shot　at　more　than　a　thousand　times；　and　much　nearer；　before　I

arrived　at　the　state　in　which　you　now　find　me！〃



The　apprenticeship　of　difficulty　is　one　which　the　greatest　of　men

have　had　to　serve。　　It　is　usually　the　best　stimulus　and　discipline

of　character。　　It　often　evokes　powers　of　action　that；　but　for　it；

would　have　remained　dormant。　　As　comets　are　sometimes　revealed　by

eclipses；　so　heroes　are　brought　to　light　by　sudden　calamity。　　It

seems　as　if；　in　certain　cases；　genius；　like　iron　struck　by　the

flint；　needed　the　sharp　and　sudden　blow　of　adversity　to　bring　out

the　divine　spark。　　There　are　natures　which　blossom　and　ripen

amidst　trials；　which　would　only　wither　and　decay　in　an　atmosphere

of　ease　and　comfort。



Thus　it　is　good　for　men　to　be　roused　into　action　and　stiffened

into　self…reliance　by　difficulty；　rather　than　to　slumber　away

their　lives　in　useless　apathy　and　indolence。　（3）　　It　is　the

struggle　that　is　the　condition　of　victory。　　If　there　were　no

difficulties；　there　would　be　no　need　of　efforts；　if　there　were　no

temptations；　there　would　be　no　training　in　self…control；　and　but

little　merit　in　virtue；　if　there　were　no　trial　and　suffering；

there　would　be　no　education　in　patience　and　resignation。　　Thus

difficulty；　adversity；　and　suffering　are　not　all　evil；　but　often

the　best　source　of　strength；　discipline；　and　virtue。



For　the　same　reason；　it　is　often　of　advantage　for　a　man　to　be

under　the　necessity　of　having　to　struggle　with　poverty　and　conquer

it。　　〃He　who　has　battled；〃　says　Carlyle；　〃were　it　only　with

poverty　and　hard　toil；　will　be　found　stronger　and　more　expert　than

he　who　could　stay　at　home　from　the　battle；　concealed　among　the

provision　waggons；　or　even　rest　unwatchfully　'abiding　by　the

stuff。'〃



Scholars　have　found　poverty　tolerable　compared　with　the　privation

of　intellectual　food。　　Riches　weigh　much　more　heavily　upon　the

mind。　　〃I　cannot　but　choose　say　to　Poverty；〃　said　Richter；　〃Be

welcome！　so　that　thou　come　not　too　late　in　life。〃　　Poverty；　Horace

tells　us；　drove　him　to　poetry；　and　poetry　introduced　him　to　Varus

and　Virgil　and　Maecenas。　　〃Obstacles；〃　says　Michelet；　〃are　great

incentives。　　I　lived　for　whole　years　upon　a　Virgil；　and　found

myself　well　off。　　An　odd　volume　of　Racine；　purchased　by　chance　at

a　stall　on　the　quay；　created　the　poet　of　Toulon。〃



The　Spaniards　are　even　said　to　have　meanly　rejoiced　the　poverty　of

Cervantes；　but　for　which　they　supposed　the　production　of　his　great

works　might　have　been　prevented。　　When　the　Archbishop　of　Toledo

visited　the　French　ambassador　at　Madrid；　the　gentlemen　in　the

suite　of　the　latter　expressed　their　high　admiration　of　the

writings　of　the　author　of　'Don　Quixote；'　and　intimated　their

desire　of　becoming　acquainted　with　one　who　had　given　them　so　much

pleasure。　　The　answer　they　received　was；　that　Cervantes　had　borne

arms　in　the　service　of　his　country；　and　was　now　old　and　poor。

'What！〃　exclaimed　one　of　the　Frenchmen；　〃is　not　Senor　Cervantes　in

good　circumstances？　　Why　is　he　not　maintained；　then；　out　of　the

public　treasury？〃　　〃Heaven　forbid！〃　was　the　reply；　〃that　his

necessities　should　be　ever　relieved；　if　it　is　those　which　make　him

write；　since　it　is　his　poverty　that　makes　the　world　rich！〃　（4）



It　is　not　prosperity　so　much　as　adversity；　not　wealth　so　much　as

poverty；　that　stimulates　the　perseverance　of　strong　and　healthy

natures；　rouses　their　energy　and　developes　their　character。　　Burke

said　of　himself：　〃I　was　not　rocked；　and　swaddled；　and　dandled　into

a　legislator。　　'NITOR　IN　ADVERSUM'　is　the　motto　for　a　man　like

you。〃　　Some　men　only　require　a　great　difficulty　set　in　their　way

to　exhibit　the　force　of　their　character　and　genius；　and　that

difficulty　once　conquered　becomes　one　of　the　greatest　incentives

to　their　further　progress。



It　is　a　mistake　to　suppose　that　men　succeed　through　success；　they

much　oftener　succeed　through　failure。　　By　far　the　best　experience

of　men　is　made　up　of　their　remembered　failures　in　dealing　with

others　in　the　affairs　of　life。　　Such　failures；　in　sensible　men；

incite　to　better　self…management；　and　greater　tact　and　self…

control；　as　a　means　of　avoiding　them　in　the　future。　　Ask　the

diplomatist；　and　he　will　tell　you　that　he　has　learned　his　art

through　being　baffled；　defeated；　thwarted；　and　circumvented；

far　more　than　from　having　succeeded。　　Precept；　study；　advice；

and　example　could　never　have　taught　them　so　well　as　failure

has　done。　　It　has　disciplined　them　experimentally；　and　taught

them　what　to　do　as　well　as　what　NOT　to　dowhich　is　often

still　more　important　in　diplomacy。



Many　have　to　make　up　their　minds　to　encounter　failure　again　and

again　before　they　succeed；　but　if　they　have　pluck；　the　failure

will　only　serve　to　rouse　their　courage；　and　stimulate　them　to

renewed　efforts。　　Talma；　the　greatest　of　actors；　was　hissed　off

the　stage　when　he　first　appeared　on　it。　　Lacordaire；　one　of　the

greatest　preachers　of　modern　times；　only　acquired　celebrity　after

repeated　failures。　　Montalembert　said　of　his　first　public

appearance　in　the　Church　of　St。　Roch：　〃He　failed　completely；　and

on　coming　out　every　one　said；　'Though　he　may　be　a　man　of　talent；

he　will　never　be　a　preacher。'〃　　Again　and　again　he　tried　until　he

succeeded；　and　only　two　years　after　his　DEBUT；　Lacordaire　was

preaching　in　Notre　Dame　to　audiences　such　as　few　French　orators

have　addressed　since　the　time　of　Bossuet　and　Massillon。



When　Mr。　Cobden　first　appeared　as　a　speaker；　at　a　public　meeting

in　Manchester；　he　completely　broke　down；　and　the　chairman

apologized　for　his　failure。　　Sir　James　Graham　and　Mr。　Disraeli

failed　and　were　derided　at　first；　and　only　succeeded　by　dint　of

great　labour　and　application。　　At　one　time　Sir　James　Graham　had

almost　given　up　public　speaking　in　despair。　　He　said　to　his　friend

Sir　Francis　Baring：　〃I　have　tried　it　every　wayextempore；　from

notes；　and　committing　all　to　memoryand　I　can't　do　it。　　I　don't

know　why　it　is；　but　I　am　afraid　I　shall　never　succeed。〃　　Yet；　by

dint　of　perseverance；　Graham；　like　Disraeli；　lived　to　become　one

of　the　most　effective　and　impressive　of　parliamentary　speakers。



Failures　in　one　direction　have　sometimes　had　the　effect　of　forcing

the　farseeing　student　to　apply　himself　in　another。　　Thus

Prideaux's　failure　as　a　candidate　for　the　post　of　parish…clerk　of

Ugboro；　in　Devon；　led　to　his　applying　himself　to　learning；　and　to

his　eventual　elevation　to　the　bishopric　of　Worcester。　　When

Boileau；　educated　for　the　bar；　pleaded　his　first　cause；　he　broke

down　amidst　shouts　of　laughter。　　He　next　tried　the　pulpit；　and

failed　there　too。　　And　then　he　tried　poetry；　and　succeeded。

Fontenelle　and　Voltaire　both　failed　at　the　bar。　　So　Cowper；

through　his　diffidence　and　shyness；　broke　down　when　pleading　his

first　cause；　though　he　lived　to　revive　the　poetic　art　in　England。

Montesquieu　and　Bentham　both　failed　as　lawyers；　and　forsook　the

bar　for　more　congenial　pursuitsthe　latter　leaving　behind　him　a

treasury　of　legislative　procedure　for　all　time。　　Goldsmith　failed

in　passing　as　a　surgeon；　but　he　wrote　the　'Deserted　Village'　and

the　'Vicar　of　Wakefield；'　whilst　Addison　failed　as　a　speaker；　but

succeeded　in　writing　'Sir　Roger　de　Coverley；'　and　his　many　famous

papers　in　the　'Spectator。'



Even　the　privation　of　some　important　bodily　sense；　such　as　sight

or　hearing；　has　not　been　sufficient　to　deter　courageous　men　from

zealously　pursuing　the　struggle　of　life。　　Milton；　when　struck　by

blindness；　〃still　bore　up　and　steered　right　onward。〃　　His　greatest

works　were　produced　during　that　period　of　his　life　in　which　be

suffered　mostwhen　he　was　poor；　sick；　old；　blind；　slandered；

and　persecuted。



The　lives　of　some　of　the　greatest　men　have　been　a　continuous

struggle　with　difficulty　and　apparent　defeat。　　Dante　produced　his

greatest　work　in　penury　and　exile。　　Banished　from　his　native　city

by　the　local　faction　to　which　he　was　opposed；　his　house　was　given

up　to　plunder；　and　he　was　sentenced　in　his　absence　to　be　burnt

alive。　　When　informed　by　a　friend　that　he　might　return　to

Florence；　if　he　would　consent　to　ask　for　pardon　and　absolution；　he

replied：　〃No！　This　is　not　the　way　that　shall　lead　me　back　to　my

country。　　I　will　return　with　hasty　steps　if　you；　or　any　other；

can　open　to　me　a　way　that　shall　not　derogate　from　the　fame　or

the　honour　of　Dante；　but　if　by　no　such　way　Florence　can　be

entered；　then　to　Florence　I　shall　never　return。〃　　His　enemies

remaining　implacable；