100 FKAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



eminence might have made great discoveries, written 

 great poems, commanded armies, or ruled states, but 

 who by unwise neglect of this point have come to noth- 

 ing. Imagine Hercules as oarsman in a rotten boat; 

 what can he do there but by the very force of his 

 stroke expedite the ruin of his craft? Take care 

 then of the timbers of your boat, and avoid all practices 

 likely to introduce either wet or dry rot amongst them. 

 And this is not to be accomplished by desultory or 

 intermittent efforts of the will, but by the formation of 

 habits. The will no doubt has sometimes to put forth 

 its strength in order to crush the special temptation. 

 But the formation of right habits is essential to your 

 permanent security. They diminish your chance of 

 falling when assailed, and they augment your chance 

 of recovery when overthrown. 



