About a hundred young men had thus come together, when, growing ambitious, they desired to have lectures delivered to them; and then it was that the author became acquainted with their proceedings. A party of them waited on him, for the purpose of inviting him to deliver an introductory address, or, as they expressed it, “to talk to them a bit;” prefacing the request by a modest statement of what they had done and what they were doing. He could not fail to be touched by the admirable self-helping spirit which they had displayed; and, though entertaining but slight faith in popular lecturing, he felt that a few words of encouragement, honestly and sincerely uttered, might not be without some good effect. And in this spirit he addressed them on more than one occasion, citing examples of what other men had done, as illustrations of what each might, in a greater or less degree, do for himself; and pointing out that their happiness and well-being as individuals in after life, must necessarily depend mainly upon themselves—upon their own diligent self-culture, self-discipline, and self-control—and, above all, on that honest and upright performance of individual duty, which is the glory of manly character.
There was nothing in the slightest degree new or original in this counsel, which was as old as the Proverbs of Solomon, and possibly quite as familiar. But old-fashioned though the advice may have been, it was welcomed. The youths went forward in their course; worked on with energy and resolution; and, reaching manhood, they went forth in various directions into the world, where many of them now occupy positions of trust and usefulness. Several years after the incidents referred to, the subject was unexpectedly recalled to the author’s recollection by an evening visit from a young man—apparently fresh from the work of a foundry—who explained that he was now an employer of labour and a thriving man; and he was pleased to remember with gratitude the words spoken in all honesty to him and to his fellow-pupils years before, and even to attribute some measure of his success in life to the endeavours which he had made to work up to their spirit.
The author’s personal interest having in this way been attracted to the subject of Self-Help, he was accustomed to add to the memoranda from which he had addressed these young men; and to note down occasionally in his leisure evening moments, after the hours of business, the results of such reading, observation, and experience of life, as he conceived to bear upon it. One of the most prominent illustrations cited in his earlier addresses, was that of George Stephenson, the engineer; and the original interest of the subject, as well as the special facilities and opportunities which the author possessed for illustrating Mr. Stephenson’s life and career, induced him to prosecute it at his leisure, and eventually to publish his biography. The present volume is written in a similar spirit, as it has been similar in its origin. The illustrative sketches of character introduced, are, however, necessarily less elaborately treated—being busts rather than full-length portraits, and, in many of the cases, only some striking feature has been noted; the lives of individuals, as indeed of nations, often concentrating their lustre and interest in a few passages. Such as the book is, the author now leaves it in the hands of the reader; in the hope that the lessons of industry, perseverance, and self-culture, which it contains, will be found useful and instructive, as well as generally interesting.
London, September, 1859.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. Self-Help—Nationaland Individual. | |
Spirit of Self-Help—Institutions andmen—Government a reflex of the individualism of anation—Cæsarism and Self-Help—William Dargan onIndependence—Patient labourers in all ranks—Self-Helpa feature in the English character—Power of example and ofwork in practical education—Value ofbiographies—Great men belong to no exclusive class orrank—Illustrious men sprung from theranks—Shakespeare—Various humble origin of manyeminent men—Distinguished astronomers—Eminent sons ofclergymen—Of attorneys—Illustrious foreigners ofhumble origin—Vauquelin, the chemist—Promotions fromthe ranks in the French army—Instances of perseveringapplication and energy—Joseph Brotherton—W. J.Fox—W. S. Lindsay—William Jackson—RichardCobden—Diligence indispensable to usefulness anddistinction—The wealthier ranks not allidlers—Examples—Militarymen—Philosophers—Men ofscience—Politicians—Literary men—Sir RobertPeel—LordBrougham—Lytton—Disraeli—Wordsworth onself-reliance—De Tocqueville: his industry and recognitionof the help of others—Men their own best helpers | Page |
CHAPTER II. Leaders ofIndustry—Inventors andProducers. | |
Industry of the English people—Work the besteducator—Hugh Miller—Poverty and toil notinsurmountable obstacles—Working men asinventors—Invention of the steam-engine—James Watt:his industry and habit of attention—MatthewBoulton—Applications of the steam-engine—The Cottonmanufacture—The early inventors—Paul andHighs—Arkwright: his early life—Barber, inventor andmanufacturer—His influence and character—The Peels ofSouth Lancashire—The founder of the family—The firstSir Robert Peel, cotton-printer—Lady Peel—Rev.William Lee, inventor of the stocking-frame—Dies abroad inmisery—James Lee—The Nottingham lacemanufacture—John Heathcoat, inventor of the bobbin-netmachine—His early life, his ingenuity, and ploddingperseverance—Invention of his machine—Anecdote ofLord Lyndhurst—Progress of thelace-trade—Heathcoat’s machines destroyed by theLuddites—His character—Jacquard: his inventions andadventures—Vaucanson: his mechanical genius, improvementsin silk manufacture—Jacquard improves Vaucanson’smachine—The Jacquard loom adopted—Joshua Heilmann,inventor of the combing-machine—History of theinvention—Its value | [27]–66 |
CHAPTER III. Three greatPotters—Pallissy, Böttgher,Wedgwood. | |
Ancient pottery—Etruscan ware—Luca dellaRobbia, the Florentine sculptor: re-discovers the art ofenamelling—Bernard Pallissy: sketch of his life andlabours—Inflamed by the sight of an Italian cup—Hissearch after the secret of the enamel—His experimentsduring years of unproductive toil—His personal and familyprivations—Indomitable perseverance, burns his furniture toheat the furnace, and success at last—Reduced todestitution—Condemned to death, and release—Hiswritings—Dies in the Bastille—John FrederickBöttgher, the Berlin ‘gold cook’—His trickin alchemy and consequent troubles—Flight intoSaxony—His detention at Dresden—Discovers how to makered and white porcelain—The manufacture taken up by theSaxon Government—Böttgher treated as a prisoner and aslave—His unhappy end—The Sèvres porcelainmanufactory—Josiah Wedgwood, the English potter—Earlystate of English earthenware manufacture—Wedgwood’sindefatigable industry, skill, and perseverance—Hissuccess—The Barberini vase—Wedgwood a nationalbenefactor—Industrial heroes | [67]–93 |
CHAPTER IV. Application andPerseverance. | |
Great results attained by simple means—Fortunefavours the industrious—“Genius ispatience”—Newton and Kepler—Industry of eminentmen—Power acquired by repeated effort—Anecdote of SirRobert Peel’s cultivation of memory—Facility comes bypractice—Importance ofpatience—Cheerfulness—Sydney Smith—Dr.Hook—Hope an important element in character—Carey themissionary—Anecdote of Dr. Young—Anecdote of Audubonthe ornithologist—Anecdote of Mr. Carlyle and his MS. ofthe ‘French Revolution’—Perseverance of Wattand Stephenson—Perseverance displayed in the discovery ofthe Nineveh marbles by Rawlinson and Layard—Comte de Buffonas student—His continuous and unremitting labours—SirWalter Scott’s perseverance—JohnBritton—Loudon—Samuel Drew—Joseph Hume | [94]–117 |
CHAPTER V. Helps andOpportunities—ScientificPursuits. | |
No great result achieved by accident—Newton’sdiscoveries—Dr. Young—Habit of observing withintelligence—Galileo—Inventions of Brown, Watt, andBrunel, accidentally suggested—Philosophy in littlethings—Apollonius Pergæus and conicsections—Franklin and Galvani—Discovery of steampower—Opportunities seized or made—Simple and rudetools of great workers—Lee and Stone’s opportunitiesfor learning—Sir Walter Scott’s—Dr.Priestly—Sir Humphry Davy—Faraday—Davy andColeridge—Cuvier—Dalton’sindustry—Examples of improvement of time—Daguesseauand Bentham—Melancthon and Baxter—Writing downobservations—Great note-makers—Dr. PyeSmith—John Hunter: his patient study of littlethings—His great labours—Ambrose Paré theFrench surgeon—Harvey—Jenner—SirCharles Bell—Dr. Marshall Hall—Sir WilliamHerschel—William Smith the geologist: his discoveries, hisgeological map—Hugh Miller: his observantfaculties—John Brown and Robert Dick, geologists—SirRoderick Murchison, his industry and attainments | [118]–153 |
CHAPTER VI. Workers inArt. | |
Sir Joshua Reynolds on the power of industry inart—Humble origin of eminent artists—Acquisition ofwealth not the ruling motive with artists—Michael Angelo onriches—Patient labours of Michael Angelo andTitian—West’s early success adisadvantage—Richard Wilson and Zuccarelli—Sir JoshuaReynolds, Blake, Bird, Gainsborough, and Hogarth, as boyartists—Hogarth a keen observer—Banks andMulready—Claude Lorraine and Turner: their indefatigableindustry—Perrier and Jacques Callot and their visits toRome—Callot and the gipsies—Benvenuto Cellini,goldsmith and musician: his ambition to excel—Casting ofhis statue of Perseus—Nicolas Poussin, a sedulous studentand worker—Duquesnoi—Poussin’s fame—AryScheffer: his hindrances and success—John Flaxman: hisgenius and perseverance—His brave wife—Their visit toRome—Francis Chantrey: his industry and energy—DavidWilkie and William Etty, unflagging workers—Privationsendured by artists—Martin—Pugin—George Kemp,architect of the Scott monument—John Gibson, RobertThorburn, Noel Paton—James Sharples the blacksmith artist:his autobiography—Industry of musicians—Handel,Haydn, Beethoven, Bach, Meyerbeer—Dr. Arne—WilliamJackson the self-taught composer | [154]–201 |
CHAPTER VII. Industry andthe Peerage. | |
The peerage fed from the industrial ranks—Fall ofold families: Bohuns, Mortimers, and Plantagenets—Thepeerage comparatively modern—Peerages originating withtraders and merchants—Richard Foley, nailmaker, founder ofthe Foley peerage—Adventurous career of William Phipps,founder of the Normanby peerage: his recovery of sunkentreasure—Sir William Petty, founder of the Lansdownepeerage—Jedediah Strutt, founder of the Belperpeerage—William and Edward Strutt—Naval and Militarypeers—Peerages founded by lawyers—Lords Tenterden andCampbell—Lord Eldon: his early struggles and eventualsuccess—Baron Langdale—Rewards of perseverance | [202]–222 |
CHAPTER VIII. Energy andCourage. | |
Energy characteristic of the Teutonic race—Thefoundations of strength of character—Force ofpurpose—Concentration—Courageous working—Wordsof Hugh Miller and Fowell Buxton—Power and freedom ofwill—Words of Lamennais—Suwarrow—Napoleon and“glory”—Wellington and“duty”—Promptitude in action—Energydisplayed by the British in India—Warren Hastings—SirCharles Napier: his adventure with the Indian swordsman—Therebellion in India—The Lawrences—Nicholson—Thesiege of Delhi—Captain Hodson—Missionarylabourers—Francis Xavier’s missions in theEast—John Williams—Dr. Livingstone—JohnHoward—Jonas Hanway: his career—The philanthropiclabours of Granville Sharp—Position of slaves inEngland—Result of Sharp’sefforts—Clarkson’s labours—Fowell Buxton: hisresolute purpose and energy—Abolition of slavery | [223]–262 |
CHAPTER IX. Men ofBusiness. | |
Hazlitt’s definition of the man ofbusiness—The chief requisite qualities—Men of geniusmen of business—Shakespeare, Chaucer, Spenser, Milton,Newton, Cowper, Wordsworth, Scott, Ricardo, Grote, J. S.Mill—Labour and application necessary to success—LordMelbourne’s advice—The school of difficulty a goodschool—Conditions of success in Law—The industriousarchitect—The salutary influence of work—Consequencesof contempt for arithmetic—Dr. Johnson on thealleged injustice of “the world”—WashingtonIrving’s views—Practical qualities necessary inbusiness—Importance of accuracy—Charles JamesFox—Method—Richard Cecil and De Witt: their despatchof business—Value of time—Sir Walter Scott’sadvice—Promptitude—Economy oftime—Punctuality—Firmness—Tact—Napoleonand Wellington as men of business—Napoleon’sattention to details—The ‘NapoleonCorrespondence’—Wellington’s businessfaculty—Wellington in the Peninsula—“Honestythe best policy”—Trade triescharacter—Dishonest gains—David Barclay a model manof business | [263]–289 |
CHAPTER X. Money—Its Use andAbuse. | |
The right use of money a test of wisdom—The virtueof self-denial—Self-imposed taxes—Economy necessaryto independence—Helplessness of theimprovident—Frugality an important publicquestion—Counsels of Richard Cobden and JohnBright—The bondage of the improvident—Independenceattainable by working men—Francis Horner’s advicefrom his father—Robert Burns—Living within themeans—Bacon’s maxim—Wasters—Running intodebt—Haydon’s debts—Fichte—Dr. Johnson ondebt—John Locke—The Duke of Wellington ondebt—Washington—Earl St. Vincent: his protestedbill—Joseph Hume on living too high—Ambition aftergentility—Napier’s order to his officers inIndia—Resistance to temptation—Hugh Miller’scase—High standard of life necessary—Proverbs onmoney-making and thrift—Thomas Wright and the reclamationof criminals—Mere money-making—JohnFoster—Riches no proof of worth—All honest industryhonourable—The power of money over-estimated—JosephBrotherton—True Respectability—Lord Collingwood | [290]–313 |
CHAPTER XI. Self-culture—Facilities and Difficulties. | |
Sir W. Scott and Sir B. Brodie on self-culture—Dr.Arnold’s spirit—Active employmentsalutary—Malthus’s advice to hisson—Importance of physical health—Hodson, of“Hodson’s Horse”—Dr. Channing—Earlylabour—Training in use of tools—Healthiness of greatmen—Sir Walter Scott’s athletic sports—Barrow,Fuller, Clarke—Labour conquers all things—Words ofChatterton, Ferguson, Stone, Drew—Well-directedlabour—Opinions of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Fowell Buxton, Dr.Ross, F. Horner, Loyola, and Lord St.Leonards—Thoroughness, accuracy, decision, andpromptitude—The virtue of patient labour—Themischievous effects of “cramming” in labour-savingprocesses and multifarious reading—The right use ofknowledge—Books may impart learning, but well-appliedknowledge and experience only exhibit wisdom—The MagnaCharta men—Brindley, Stephenson, Hunter, and others, notbook-learned yet great—Self-respect—Jean PaulRichter—Knowledge as a means of rising—Base views ofthe value of knowledge—Ideas of Bacon andSouthey—Douglas Jerrold on comic literature—Danger ofimmoderate love of pleasure—Benjamin Constant: his highthinking and low living—Thierry: his noblecharacter—Coleridge and Southey—Robert Nicoll onColeridge—Charles James Fox on perseverance—Thewisdom and strength acquired through failure—Hunter,Rossini, Davy, Mendelssohn—The uses of difficulty andadversity—Lyndhurst, D’Alembert, Carissimi, Reynolds,and Henry Clay on persistency—Curran on honestpoverty—Struggles with difficulties: Alexander Murray,William Chambers, Cobbet—The French stonemason turnedProfessor—Sir Samuel Romilly as aself-cultivator—John Leyden’sperseverance—Professor Lee: his perseverance and hisattainments as a linguist—Late learners: Spelman, Franklin,Dryden, Scott, Boccaccio, Arnold, and others—Illustriousdunces: Generals Grant, Stonewall Jackson, John Howard, Davy, andothers—Story of a dunce—Success depends onperseverance | [314]–359 |
CHAPTER XII. Example—Models. | |
Example a potent instructor—Influence ofconduct—Parental example—All acts have their train ofconsequences—Disraeli on Cobden—Words of Babbage—Humanresponsibility—Every person owes a good example toothers—Doing, not saying—Mrs. Chisholm—Dr.Guthrie and John Pounds—Good models of conduct—Thecompany of our betters—Francis Horner’s views onpersonal intercourse—The Marquis of Lansdowne andMalesherbes—Fowell Buxton and the Gurneyfamily—Personal influence of John Sterling—Influenceof artistic genius upon others—Example of the brave aninspiration to the timid—Biography valuable as forming highmodels of character—Lives influenced bybiography—Romilly, Franklin, Drew, Alfieri, Loyola, Wolff,Horner, Reynolds—Examples of cheerfulness—Dr.Arnold’s influence over others—Career of Sir JohnSinclair | [360]–381 |
CHAPTER XIII. Character—The TrueGentleman. | |
Character a man’s best possession—Character ofFrancis Horner—Franklin—Character is power—Thehigher qualities of character—Lord Erskine’s rules ofconduct—A high standard of lifenecessary—Truthfulness—Wellington’s characterof Peel—Be what you seem—Integrity and honesty ofaction—Importance of habits—Habits constitutecharacter—Growth of habit in youth—Words of Robertsonof Brighton—Manners and morals—Civility andkindness—Anecdote of Abernethy—Truepoliteness—Great-hearted men of no exclusive rank orclass—William and Charles Grant, the “BrothersCheeryble”—The true gentleman—Lord EdwardFitzgerald—Honour, probity, rectitude—The gentlemanwill not be bribed—Anecdotes of Hanway, Wellington,Wellesley, and Sir C. Napier—The poor in purse may be richin spirit—A noble peasant—Intrepidity of Dealboatmen—Anecdotes of the Emperor of Austria and of twoEnglish navvies—Truth makes the success of thegentleman—Courage and gentleness—Gentlemen inIndia—Outram, Henry Lawrence—Lord Clyde—Theprivate soldiers at Agra—The wreck of theBirkenhead—Use of power, the test of theGentleman—Sir Ralph Abercrombie—Fuller’scharacter of Sir Francis Drake | [382]–408 |
CHAPTER I.
Self-Help—National and Individual.
“The worth of a State, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it.”—J. S. Mill.
“We put too much faith in systems, and look too little to men.”—B. Disraeli.
“Heaven helps those who help themselves” is a well-tried maxim, embodying in a small compass the results of vast human experience. The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the individual; and, exhibited in the lives of many, it constitutes the true source of national vigour and strength. Help from without is often enfeebling in its effects, but help from within invariably invigorates. Whatever is done for men or classes, to a certain extent takes away the stimulus and necessity of doing for themselves; and where men are subjected to over-guidance and over-government, the inevitable tendency is to render them comparatively helpless.
Even the best institutions can give a man no active help. Perhaps the most they can do is, to leave him free to develop himself and improve his individual condition. But in all times men have been prone to believe that their happiness and well-being were to be secured by means of institutions rather than by their own conduct. Hence the value of legislation as an agent in human advancement has usually been much over-estimated. To constitute the millionth part of a Legislature, by voting for one or two men once in three or five years, however conscientiously this duty may be performed, can exercise but little active influence upon any man’s life and character. Moreover, it is every day becoming more clearly understood, that the function of Government is negative and restrictive, rather than positive and active; being resolvable principally into protection—protection of life, liberty, and property. Laws, wisely administered, will secure men in the enjoyment of the fruits of their labour, whether of mind or body, at a comparatively small personal sacrifice; but no laws, however stringent, can make the idle industrious, the thriftless provident, or the drunken sober. Such reforms can only be effected by means of individual action, economy, and self-denial; by better habits, rather than by greater rights.