CHARACTER AND CONDUCT 27 



kindness from conscious altruism, courage from pugnacity, 

 fortitude from mere endurance. 



In fact toward the majority of men, we stand exactly as 

 we stand towards animals in regard to character. That is 

 to say we infer from their actions an ethical standpoint 

 similar or dissimilar to our own. 



Surely then in common fairness we should extend this 

 inference to all our fellow mortals ? 



In this chapter at any rate, man's decalogue, his canon 

 of cardinal virtues and deadly sins will be made the touch- 

 stone by which to test the outward actions of the beasts that 

 perish. 



At the outset, however, certain words leap to the van of 

 inquiry seeming to bar all progress — " Faith, Hope, Charity, 

 there remaineth these three." 



Truly they remain, and perhaps to some extent they do 

 stand in the way of comparison ; but these three virtues, 

 first though they be in value, are the latest comers of the 

 Sacred Seven. 



It is Fortitude which heads the list by right of primo- 

 geniture and universality ; since every creed has commended 

 it from the beginning of Time. At Christian hands too it 

 claims unique honour as being the only virtue counted as 

 one of the Seven Special Gifts of the Holy Ghost. 



Let us then start by considering the conduct of our 

 fellow mortals in regard to Fortitude and its contrary vices 

 — envy and covetousness. 



