fame that men do brave actions, they are only silly fellows after all.

It is at best but a pettifogging, pickthank business to decompose actions into little personal motives, and explain 5 heroism away. The Abstract Bagman will grow like an Admiral at heart, not by ungrateful carping, but in a heat of admiration. But there is another theory of the personal motive in these fine sayings and doings, which I believe to be true and wholesome. People usually do things, 10 and suffer martyrdoms, because they have an inclination that way. The best artist is not the man who fixes his eye on posterity, but the one who loves the practice of his art. And instead of having a taste for being successful merchants and retiring at thirty, some people have a taste for 15 high and what we call heroic forms of excitement. If the Admirals courted war like a mistress; if, as the drum beat to quarters, the sailors came gayly out of the forecastle,— it is because a fight is a period of multiplied and intense experiences, and, by Nelson's computation, worth "thou20 sands" to anyone who has a heart under his jacket. If the marines of the Wager gave three cheers and cried " God bless the king," it was because they liked to do things nobly for their own satisfaction. They were giving their lives, there was no help for that; and they made it a point of 25 self-respect to give them handsomely. And there were never four happier marines in God's world than these four at that moment. If it was worth thousands to be at the Baltic, I wish a Benthamite arithmetician would calculate how much it was worth to be one of these four marines; 30 or how much their story is worth to each of us who read it. And mark you, undemonstrative men would have spoiled the situation. The finest action is the better for a piece of purple. If the soldiers of the Birkenhead had not gone 3-9: h. 11-23: c, h. 23-31: t, o. 31-169, 10: h.

down in line, or these marines of the Wager had walked away simply into the island, like plenty of other brave fellows in the like circumstances, my Benthamite arithmetician would assign a far lower value to the two stories. We have to desire a grand air in our heroes; and such a 5 knowledge of the human stage as shall make them put the dots on their own i's, and leave us in no suspense as to when they mean to be heroic. And hence, we should congratulate ourselves upon the fact that our Admirals were not only great-hearted but big-spoken.

ΙΟ

The heroes themselves say, as often as not, that fame is their object; but I do not think that is much to the purpose. People generally say what they have been taught to say; that was the catchword they were given in youth to express the aims of their way of life; and men who are 15 gaining great battles are not likely to take much trouble in reviewing their sentiments and the words in which they were told to express them. Almost every person, if you will believe himself, holds a quite different theory of life from the one on which he is patently acting. And the fact 20 is, fame may be a forethought and an afterthought, but it is too abstract an idea to move people greatly in moments of swift and momentous decision. It is from something more immediate, some determination of blood to the head, some trick of the fancy, that the breach is stormed or the 25 bold word spoken. I am sure a fellow shooting an ugly weir in a canoe has exactly as much thought about fame as most commanders going into, battle; and yet the action, fall out how it will, is not one of those the muse delights to celebrate. Indeed it is difficult to see why the fellow 30 does a thing so nameless and yet so formidable to look at, unless on the theory that he likes it. I suspect that is why; and I suspect it is at least ten per cent of why Lord Bea11-170, 4: k, j, n.

consfield and Mr. Gladstone have debated so much in the House of Commons, and why Burnaby rode to Khiva the other day, and why the Admirals courted war like a mistress.

6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12.

AUGUSTINE BIRRELL

1850

TRUTH-HUNTING

From "Obiter Dicta," first series.

It is common knowledge that the distinguishing characteristic of the day is the zeal displayed by us in hunting after truth. A really not inconsiderable portion of whatever time we are able to spare from making or losing money or reputation is devoted to this sport, whilst both 5 reading and conversation are largely impressed into the same service.

Nor are there wanting those who avow themselves anxious to see this, their favorite pursuit, raised to the dignity of a national institution. They would have Truth-hunting 10 established and endowed.

Mr. Carlyle has somewhere described with great humor the "dreadfully painful" manner in which Kepler made his celebrated calculations and discoveries; but our young men of talent fail to see the joke, and take no pleasure in such 15 anecdotes. Truth, they feel, is not to be had from them on any such terms. And why should it be? Is it not notorious that all who are lucky enough to supply wants grow rapidly and enormously rich; and is not truth a now recognized want in ten thousand homes-wherever, indeed, per- 20 sons are to be found wealthy enough to pay Mr. Mudie a guinea and so far literate as to be able to read? What, save the modesty, is there surprising in the demand now made on behalf of some young people, whose means are 1-17: W. 8-11 W. 12-172, 13: a, j, k.

commensurate with their talents, that they should be allowed, as a reward for doling out monthly or quarterly portions of truth, to live in houses rent-free, have their meals for nothing, and a trifle of money besides? Would 5 Bass consent to supply us with beer in return for board and lodging, we of course defraying the actual cost of his brewery, and allowing him some £300 a year for himself? Who, as he read about "Sun-spots," or "Fresh Facts for Darwin," or the "True History of Modesty or Veracity," 10 showing how it came about that these high-sounding virtues are held in their present somewhat general esteem, would find it in his heart to grudge the admirable authors their freedom from petty cares?

But whether Truth-hunting be ever established or not, 15 no one can doubt that it is a most fashionable pastime, and one which is being pursued with great vigor.

All hunting is so far alike as to lead one to believe that there must sometimes occur in Truth-hunting, just as much as in fox-hunting, long pauses whilst the covers are being 20 drawn in search of the game, and when thoughts are free to range at will in pursuit of far other objects than those giving their name to the sport. If it should chance to any Truth-hunter, during some “lull in his 'hot chase," whilst, for example, he is waiting for the second volume of an 25" Analysis of Religion," or for the last thing out on the Fourth Gospel, to take up this book, and open it at this page, we should like to press him for an answer to the following question: "Are you sure that it is a good thing for you to spend so much time in speculating about matters 30 outside your daily life and walk?"

Curiosity is no doubt an excellent quality. In a critic it is especially excellent. To want to know all about a thing, and not merely one man's account or version of it; 14-16: w, b. 22-30: i. 31-173, 3: b. 31: b. 31-173, 13 : f, n.