48 DECISION AND STUBBORNNESS. 



the cases in which the obtaining of these is the most 

 desirable, there is some danger of failure and reverse, 

 after success has lulled caution, and time begun to 

 blunt the edge of observation. The man of truly 

 decided character must be one who is capable of 

 taking long and clear views into the future ; but as 

 the past is the only telescope through which the 

 future can be seen, the man of truly decided char- 

 acter must be an incessant and also a silent observer 

 from his youth. The stubbornness which often 

 combines with and tends to endanger decided char- 

 acters, has in its nature some resemblance to fatalism, 

 or a belief in the certainty of future events, without 

 any evidence, or with very slender evidence from 

 the past ; and through that often leads to success, by 

 keeping the thoughts fixed upon one object, and thus 

 producing a continual tendency to find out and take 

 advantage of every thing likely to forward the ac- 

 complishment of that object. Upon the same prin- 

 ciple, prophecies made determinedly, and with 

 knowledge of the means of accomplishment, are 

 made conducive to that accomplishment. Napoleon 

 Bonaparte is, perhaps, the most remarkable instance 

 of decision of character, and also ^>f the ultimate 

 failure of that decision, that occurs in well authenti- 

 cated history; and therefore his life, if properly 

 written, would be highly instructive. But as times 

 like those which called him forth do not very fre- 

 quently occur (and the less frequently the better), 

 he can serve as a model or a warning to few. Use- 

 ful examples may, however, be found in most places, 

 in men who from small beginnings have risen to 

 eminence by means the most honourable ; and with- 

 out any of those unforeseen advantages which are 

 usually called points of good luck, or good fortune. 

 Such are some of the advantages that result from 

 observation, duly tempered with thought. We shall 

 next show that there is pleasure in the practice ; and 

 explain how the works of nature are the grand field 

 for its exertion. 



