83 
humility, compassion, and the whole constellation of similar 
qualities, which can justify the application to them of the 
name of the servile virtues. What she does for the slave is 
to convert him into a spiritual freeman; and, until this is 
effected, he is incapable of anything which she can recognize 
as genuine virtue. It cannot be disputed that these virtues 
exercise an influence on the well-being of mankind, out of all 
proportion greater than those of the heroic or political type. 
If the epithet of grand can be applied to the one, that of 
morally beautiful is the peculiar characteristic of the other. 
Against these latter it may be truly said, “ There is no law ; 99 
but this is certainly not true, without great qualification, with 
respect to the former. When the virtues of the heroic type 
are separated from the milder ones, and assume the highest 
place in our mental constitution, they frequently exhibit 
themselves as splendid vices. I have often been tempted to 
think that when Aristotle sketched the character of his 
fxeyoXoxpvxoQj or magnanimous man, who is designed to be 
the embodiment of all the heroic virtues, he intended a kind 
of parody. He may be described as a portraiture of human 
greatness, untempered by a particle of mildness, meekness, 
humility, or love. Every reader instinctively feels, that when 
the philosopher attempted to depict the character of the great 
heroic, scarcely leavened as it is by a single trait of the milder 
virtues, he fell from the sublime into the ridiculous. Later 
Stoicism somewhat softened the picture. Mr. Lecky says that 
the stoical conception of virtue exhibited it in the most dis- 
interested form in which it has ever appeared among men. 
The Stoic, doubtful about the reality of a future state, acted 
without hope of reward. I think that it might be more 
correctly stated that, of all the aspects of virtue, that of 
Stoicism was the most intensely self-conscious. 
81. It must be conceded, therefore, that the elevation by 
Christianity of the milder type of virtue to the highest place 
in her spiritual temple is justified on the soundest principles 
of philosophy. The whole constellation of the milder virtues 
shining, as she exhibits them in their respective places 
and proportions, is the most perfect manifestation which we 
can conceive of moral loveliness. The heroic type can only 
assume the aspect of holiness, when it is in the closest union 
with the milder virtues. 
82. But it will be objected, that while the elevation of 
the milder type of virtue is strictly philosophical, it may be 
charged on Christianity that she unduly depresses the heroic 
one, and that this aspect of virtue occupies a most important 
place in the constitution of man. I freely admit the im- 
o 2 
