INEQUALITIES IN DESIRE FOR WEALTH 363 



efforts, of which he believes himself to be capable. Book iv 

 In cases where the necessary efforts are recognised 

 as long and arduous, and the coveted reward as 

 being consequently far distant, the belief of the 

 individual that it is really possible for him to attain 

 it will require the aid of an exceptionally powerful 

 imagination to rouse it into activity, and to keep it 

 alive when roused. In cases where the necessary 

 efforts are obviously extremely slight, and the 

 individual believes that wealth is almost in his 

 hands already, the belief will stimulate his imagina- 

 tion, however feeble it may be naturally, instead of 

 requiring that his imagination should sustain or 

 stimulate it. Thus the attainment of wealth being 

 under ordinary circumstances difficult, and requiring 

 intense, anxious, and prolonged effort, a keen desire 

 for it is not ordinarily felt except by men whose 

 strength of imagination amounts almost to genius, 

 and in whom a belief, whether true or false, is 

 developed, that they are capable of creating for 

 themselves this prize which they see so clearly. 

 Warren Hastings, for instance, if his imagination 

 had not been exceptional, would never have had 

 that vision of the past glories of his family which 

 made the desire of restoring them the main motive 

 of his career ; and again, on the other hand, if some 

 sudden and exceptional circumstance, such as the 

 advent of an imaginary stranger with his bag and 

 his hundred thousand pounds, should present every 

 member of a community with a chance of acquiring 

 wealth instantly, the feeblest imaginations would be 



