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Individual。〃FREDERICK　PERTHES。



〃It　is　in　length　of　patience；　and　endurance；　and　forbearance；　that

so　much　of　what　is　good　in　mankind　and　womankind　is　shown。〃

ARTHUR　HELPS。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Temperance；　proof

　　　　　　Against　all　trials；　industry　severe

　　　　　　And　constant　as　the　motion　of　the　day；

　　　　　　Stern　self…denial　round　him　spread；　with　shade

　　　　　　That　might　be　deemed　forbidding；　did　not　there

　　　　　　All　generous　feelings　flourish　and　rejoice；

　　　　　　Forbearance；　charity　indeed　and　thought；

　　　　　　And　resolution　competent　to　take

　　　　　　Out　of　the　bosom　of　simplicity

　　　　　　All　that　her　holy　customs　recommend。〃WORDSWORTH。





Self…control　is　only　courage　under　another　form。　　It　may　almost　be

regarded　as　the　primary　essence　of　character。　　It　is　in　virtue　of

this　quality　that　Shakspeare　defines　man　as　a　being　〃looking

before　and　after。〃　　It　forms　the　chief　distinction　between　man

and　the　mere　animal；　and；　indeed；　there　can　be　no　true　manhood

without　it。



Self…control　is　at　the　root　of　all　the　virtues。　　Let　a　man　give

the　reins　to　his　impulses　and　passions；　and　from　that　moment　he

yields　up　his　moral　freedom。　　He　is　carried　along　the　current

of　life；　and　becomes　the　slave　of　his　strongest　desire　for

the　time　being。



To　be　morally　freeto　be　more　than　an　animalman　must　be　able

to　resist　instinctive　impulse；　and　this　can　only　be　done　by　the

exercise　of　self…control。　　Thus　it　is　this　power　which　constitutes

the　real　distinction　between　a　physical　and　a　moral　life；　and　that

forms　the　primary　basis　of　individual　character。



In　the　Bible　praise　is　given；　not　to　the　strong　man　who　〃taketh　a

city；〃　but　to　the　stronger　man　who　〃ruleth　his　own　spirit。〃　　This

stronger　man　is　he　who；　by　discipline；　exercises　a　constant

control　over　his　thoughts；　his　speech；　and　his　acts。　　Nine…tenths

of　the　vicious　desires　that　degrade　society；　and　which；　when

indulged；　swell　into　the　crimes　that　disgrace　it；　would　shrink

into　insignificance　before　the　advance　of　valiant　self…discipline；

self…respect；　and　self…control。　　By　the　watchful　exercise　of　these

virtues；　purity　of　heart　and　mind　become　habitual；　and　the

character　is　built　up　in　chastity；　virtue；　and　temperance。



The　best　support　of　character　will　always　be　found　in　habit；

which；　according　as　the　will　is　directed　rightly　or　wrongly；　as

the　case　may　be；　will　prove　either　a　benignant　ruler　or　a　cruel

despot。　　We　may　be　its　willing　subject　on　the　one　hand；　or　its

servile　slave　on　the　other。　　It　may　help　us　on　the　road　to　good；

or　it　may　hurry　us　on　the　road　to　ruin。



Habit　is　formed　by　careful　training。　　And　it　is　astonishing　how

much　can　be　accomplished　by　systematic　discipline　and　drill。　　See

how；　for　instance；　out　of　the　most　unpromising　materialssuch　as

roughs　picked　up　in　the　streets；　or　raw　unkempt　country　lads　taken

from　the　ploughsteady　discipline　and　drill　will　bring　out　the

unsuspected　qualities　of　courage；　endurance；　and　self…sacrifice；

and　how；　in　the　field　of　battle；　or　even　on　the　more　trying

occasions　of　perils　by　seasuch　as　the　burning　of　the　SARAH

SANDS　or　the　wreck　of　the　BIRKENHEADsuch　men；　carefully

disciplined；　will　exhibit　the　unmistakable　characteristics　of　true

bravery　and　heroism！



Nor　is　moral　discipline　and　drill　less　influential　in　the

formation　of　character。　　Without　it；　there　will　be　no　proper

system　and　order　in　the　regulation　of　the　life。　　Upon　it　depends

the　cultivation　of　the　sense　of　self…respect；　the　education　of　the

habit　of　obedience；　the　development　of　the　idea　of　duty。　　The　most

self…reliant；　self…governing　man　is　always　under　discipline：　and

the　more　perfect　the　discipline；　the　higher　will　be　his　moral

condition。　　He　has　to　drill　his　desires；　and　keep　them　in

subjection　to　the　higher　powers　of　his　nature。　　They　must　obey　the

word　of　command　of　the　internal　monitor；　the　conscience

otherwise　they　will　be　but　the　mere　slaves　of　their　inclinations；

the　sport　of　feeling　and　impulse。



〃In　the　supremacy　of　self…control；〃　says　Herbert　Spencer；

〃consists　one　of　the　perfections　of　the　ideal　man。　　Not　to　be

impulsivenot　to　be　spurred　hither　and　thither　by　each　desire

that　in　turn　comes　uppermostbut　to　be　self…restrained；　self…

balanced；　governed　by　the　joint　decision　of　the　feelings　in

council　assembled；　before　whom　every　action　shall　have　been　fully

debated　and　calmly　determinedthat　it　is　which　education；　moral

education　at　least；　strives　to　produce。〃　（1）



The　first　seminary　of　moral　discipline；　and　the　best；　as　we　have

already　shown；　is　the　home；　next　comes　the　school；　and　after　that

the　world；　the　great　school　of　practical　life。　　Each　is

preparatory　to　the　other；　and　what　the　man　or　woman　becomes；

depends　for　the　most　part　upon　what　has　gone　before。　　If　they　have

enjoyed　the　advantage　of　neither　the　home　nor　the　school；　but

have　been　allowed　to　grow　up　untrained；　untaught；　and

undisciplined；　then　woe　to　themselveswoe　to　the　society

of　which　they　form　part！



The　best…regulated　home　is　always　that　in　which　the　discipline　is

the　most　perfect；　and　yet　where　it　is　the　least　felt。　　Moral

discipline　acts　with　the　force　of　a　law　of　nature。　　Those　subject

to　it　yield　themselves　to　it　unconsciously；　and　though　it　shapes

and　forms　the　whole　character；　until　the　life　becomes　crystallized

in　habit；　the　influence　thus　exercised　is　for　the　most　part　unseen

and　almost　unfelt。



The　importance　of　strict　domestic　discipline　is　curiously

illustrated　by　a　fact　mentioned　in　Mrs。　Schimmelpenninck's

Memoirs；　to　the　following　effect：　that　a　lady　who；　with　her

husband；　had　inspected　most　of　the　lunatic　asylums　of　England　and

the　Continent；　found　the　most　numerous　class　of　patients　was

almost　always　composed　of　those　who　had　been　only　children；　and

whose　wills　had　therefore　rarely　been　thwarted　or　disciplined　in

early　life；　whilst　those　who　were　members　of　large　families；　and

who　had　been　trained　in　self…discipline；　were　far　less　frequent

victims　to　the　malady。



Although　the　moral　character　depends　in　a　great　degree　on

temperament　and　on　physical　health；　as　well　as　on　domestic　and

early　training　and　the　example　of　companions；　it　is　also　in　the

power　of　each　individual　to　regulate；　to　restrain；　and　to

discipline　it　by　watchful　and　persevering　self…control。　　A

competent　teacher　has　said　of　the　propensities　and　habits；　that

they　are　as　teachable　as　Latin　and　Greek；　while　they　are　much　more

essential　to　happiness。



Dr。　Johnson；　though　himself　constitutionally　prone　to　melancholy；

and　afflicted　by　it　as　few　have　been　from　his　earliest　years；　said

that　〃a　man's　being　in　a　good　or　bad　humour　very　much　depends　upon

his　will。〃　　We　may　train　ourselves　in　a　habit　of　patience　and

contentment　on　the　one　hand；　or　of　grumbling　and　discontent　on　the

other。　　We　may　accustom　ourselves　to　exaggerate　small　evils；　and

to　underestimate　great　blessings。　　We　may　even　become　the　victim

of　petty　miseries　by　giving　way　to　them。　　Thus；　we　may　educate

ourselves　in　a　happy　disposition；　as　well　as　in　a　morbid　one。

Indeed；　the　habit　of　viewing　things　cheerfully；　and　of　thinking

about　life　hopefully；　may　be　made　to　grow　up　in　us　like　any　other

habit。　（2）　　It　was　not　an　exaggerated　estimate　of　Dr。　Johnson　to

say；　that　the　habit　of　looking　at　the　best　side　of　any　event　is

worth　far　more　than　a　thousand　pounds　a　year。



Th　religious　man's　life　is　pervaded　by　rigid　self…discipline　and

self…restraint。　　He　is　to　be　sober　and　vigilant；　to　eschew　evil

and　do　good；　to　walk　in　the　spirit；　to　be　obedient　unto　death；　to

withstand　in　the　evil　day；　and　having　done　all；　to　stand；　to

wrestle　against　spiritual　wickedness；　and　against　the　rulers　of

the　darkness　of　this　world；　to　be　rooted　and　built　up　in　faith；

and　not　to　be　weary　of　well…doing；　for　in　due　season　he　shall

reap；　if　he　faint　not。



The　man　of　business　also　must　needs　be　subject　to　strict　rule　and

system。　　Business；　like　life；　is　managed　by　moral　leverage；

success　in　both　depending　in　no　small　degree　upon　that　regulation

of　temper　and　careful　self…discipline；　which　give　a　wise　man　not

only　a　command　over　himself；　but　over　others。　　Forbearance　and

self…control　smooth　the　road　of　life；　and　open　many　ways　which

would　otherwise　remain　closed。　　And　so　does　self…respect：　for　as

men　respect　themselves；　so　will　they　usually　respect　the

personality　of　others。



It　is　the　same　in　politics　as　in　business。　　Success　in　that　sphere

of　life　is　achieved　less　by　talent　than　by　temper；　less　by　genius

than　by　character。　　If　a　man　have　not　self…control；　he　will　lack

patience；　be　wanting　in　tact；　and　have　neither　the　power　of

governing　himself　nor　of　managing　others。　　When　the　quality　most

needed　in　a　Prime　Minister　was　the　subject　of　conversation　in　the

presence　of　Mr。　Pitt；　one　of　the　speakers　said　it　was　〃Eloquence；〃

another　said　it　was　〃Knowledge；〃　and　a　third　said　it　was　〃Toil；〃

〃No；〃　said　Pitt；　〃it　is　Patience！〃　And　patience　means　self…

control；　a　quality　in　which　he　himself　was　superb。　　His　friend

George　Rose　has　said　of　him　that　he　never　once　saw　Pitt　out　of

temper。　（3）　　Yet；　although　patience　is　usually　regarded　as　a

〃slow〃　virtue；　Pitt　combined　with　it　the　most　extraordinary

readiness；　vigour；　and　rapidity　of　thought　as　well　as　action。



It　is　by　patience　and　self…control　that　the　truly　heroic　character

is　perfected。　　These　were　among　the　most　prominent　characteristics

of　the　great　Hampden；　whose　noble　qualities　were　generously

acknowledged　even　by　his　political　enemies。　　Thus　Clarendon

described　him　as　a　man　of　rare　temper　and　modesty；　naturally

cheerful　and　vivacious；　and　above　all；　of　a　flowing　courtesy。　　He

was　kind　and　intrepid；　yet　gentle；　of　unblameable　conversation；

and　his　heart　glowed　with　love　to　all　men。　　He　was　not　a　man　of

many　words；　but；　being　of　unimpeachable　character；　every　word　he

uttered　carried　weight。　　〃No　man　had　ever　a　greater　power　over

hi