life　and　free　institutions　of　which　they　are　the　inheritors　and
  possessors。
  Nations　are　not　to　be　judged　by　their　size　any　more　than
  individuals：
  〃it　is　not　growing　like　a　tree
  In　bulk；　doth　make　Man　better　be。〃
  For　a　nation　to　be　great；　it　need　not　necessarily　be　big；　though
  bigness　is　often　confounded　with　greatness。　　A　nation　may　be　very
  big　in　point　of　territory　and　population　and　yet　be　devoid　of　true
  greatness。　　The　people　of　Israel　were　a　small　people；　yet　what　a
  great　life　they　developed；　and　how　powerful　the　influence　they
  have　exercised　on　the　destinies　of　mankind！　　Greece　was　not　big：
  the　entire　population　of　Attica　was　less　than　that　of　South
  Lancashire。　　Athens　was　less　populous　than　New　York；　and　yet　how
  great　it　was　in　art；　in　literature；　in　philosophy；　and　in
  patriotism！　（22）
  But　it　was　the　fatal　weakness　of　Athens　that　its　citizens　had　no
  true　family　or　home　life；　while　its　freemen　were　greatly
  outnumbered　by　its　slaves。　　Its　public　men　were　loose；　if　not
  corrupt；　in　morals。　　Its　women；　even　the　most　accomplished；　were
  unchaste。　　Hence　its　fall　became　inevitable；　and　was　even　more
  sudden　than　its　rise。
  In　like　manner　the　decline　and　fall　of　Rome　was　attributable　to
  the　general　corruption　of　its　people；　and　to　their　engrossing　love
  of　pleasure　and　idlenesswork；　in　the　later　days　of　Rome；　being
  regarded　only　as　fit　for　slaves。　　Its　citizens　ceased　to　pride
  themselves　on　the　virtues　of　character　of　their　great　forefathers；
  and　the　empire　fell　because　it　did　not　deserve　to　live。　　And　so
  the　nations　that　are　idle　and　luxuriousthat　〃will　rather　lose　a
  pound　of　blood；〃　as　old　Burton　says；　〃in　a　single　combat；　than　a
  drop　of　sweat　in　any　honest　labour〃must　inevitably　die　out；　and
  laborious　energetic　nations　take　their　place。
  When　Louis　XIV。　asked　Colbert　how　it　was　that；　ruling　so　great　and
  populous　a　country　as　France；　he　had　been　unable　to　conquer　so
  small　a　country　as　Holland；　the　minister　replied：　　〃Because；　Sire；
  the　greatness　of　a　country　does　not　depend　upon　the　extent　of　its
  territory；　but　on　the　character　of　its　people。　　It　is　because　of
  the　industry；　the　frugality；　and　the　energy　of　the　Dutch　that　your
  Majesty　has　found　them　so　difficult　to　overcome。〃
  It　is　also　related　of　Spinola　and　Richardet；　the　ambassadors　sent
  by　the　King　of　Spain　to　negotiate　a　treaty　at　the　Hague　in　1608；
  that　one　day　they　saw　some　eight　or　ten　persons　land　from　a　little
  boat；　and；　sitting　down　upon　the　grass；　proceed　to　make　a　meal　of
  bread…and…cheese　and　beer。　　〃Who　are　those　travellers　asked　the
  ambassadors　of　a　peasant。　　〃These　are　worshipful　masters；　the
  deputies　from　the　States；〃　was　his　reply。　　Spinola　at　once
  whispered　to　his　companion；　〃We　must　make　peace：　these　are　not　men
  to　be　conquered。〃
  In　fine；　stability　of　institutions　must　depend　upon　stability　of
  character。　　Any　number　of　depraved　units　cannot　form　a　great
  nation。　　The　people　may　seem　to　be　highly　civilised；　and　yet　be
  ready　to　fall　to　pieces　at　first　touch　of　adversity。　　Without
  integrity　of　individual　character；　they　can　have　no　real　strength；
  cohesion；　soundness。　　They　may　be　rich；　polite；　and　artistic；　and
  yet　hovering　on　the　brink　of　ruin。　　If　living　for　themselves　only；
  and　with　no　end　but　pleasureeach　little　self　his　own　little　god
  such　a　nation　is　doomed；　and　its　decay　is　inevitable。
  Where　national　character　ceases　to　be　upheld；　a　nation　may　be
  regarded　as　next　to　lost。　Where　it　ceases　to　esteem　and　to
  practise　the　virtues　of　truthfulness；　honesty；　integrity；　and
  justice；　it　does　not　deserve　to　live。　　And　when　the　time　arrives
  in　any　country　when　wealth　has　so　corrupted；　or　pleasure　so
  depraved；　or　faction　so　infatuated　the　people；　that　honour；　order；
  obedience；　virtue；　and　loyalty　have　seemingly　become　things　of　the
  past；　then；　amidst　the　darkness；　when　honest　menif；　haply；
  there　be　such　leftare　groping　about　and　feeling　for　each
  other's　hands；　their　only　remaining　hope　will　be　in　the
  restoration　and　elevation　of　Individual　Character；　for　by　that
  alone　can　a　nation　be　saved；　and　if　character　be　irrecoverably
  lost；　then　indeed　there　will　be　nothing　left　worth　saving。
  NOTES
  （1）　Sackville；　Lord　Buckhurst；　Lord　High　Treasurer　under　Elizabeth
  and　James　I。
  （2）　'Life　of　Perthes；'　ii。　217。
  （3）　Lockhart's　'Life　of　Scott。'
  （4）　Debate　on　the　Petition　of　Right；　A。D。　1628。
  （5）　The　Rev。　F。　W。　Farrer's　'Seekers　after　God；'　p。　241。
  （6）　'The　Statesman；'　p。　30。
  （7）　'Queen　of　the　Air；'　p。　127
  （8）　Instead　of　saying　that　man　is　the　creature　of　Circumstance；　it
  would　be　nearer　the　mark　to　say　that　man　is　the　architect　of
  Circumstance。　　It　is　Character　which　builds　an　existence　out　of
  Circumstance。　　Our　strength　is　measured　by　our　plastic　power。
  From　the　same　materials　one　man　builds　palaces；　another　hovels：
  one　warehouses；　another　villas。　　Bricks　and　mortar　are　mortar　and
  bricks；　until　the　architect　can　make　them　something　else。　　Thus　it
  is　that　in　the　same　family；　in　the　same　circumstances；　one　man
  rears　a　stately　edifice；　while　his　brother；　vacillating　and
  incompetent；　lives　for　ever　amid　ruins：　the　block　of　granite；
  which　was　an　obstacle　on　the　pathway　of　the　weak；　becomes　a
  stepping…stone　on　the　pathway　of　the　strong。〃G。　H。　Lewes；　LIFE
  OF　GOETHE。
  （9）　Introduction　to　'The　Principal　Speeches　and　Addresses　of
  H。R。H。　the　Prince　Consort'　（1862）；　pp。　39…40。
  （10）　Among　the　latest　of　these　was　Napoleon　〃the　Great；〃　a　man　of
  abounding　energy；　but　destitute　of　principle。　　He　had　the　lowest
  opinion　of　his　fellowmen。　　〃Men　are　hogs；　who　feed　on　gold；〃　he
  once　said：　〃Well；　I　throw　them　gold；　and　lead　them　whithersoever　I
  will。〃　　When　the　Abbe　de　Pradt；　Archbishop　of　Malines；　was　setting
  out　on　his　embassy　to　Poland　in　1812；　Napoleon's　parting
  instruction　to　him　was；　〃Tenez　bonne　table　et　soignez　les　femmes；〃
  of　which　Benjamin　Constant　said　that　such　an　observation；
  addressed　to　a　feeble　priest　of　sixty；　shows　Buonaparte's　profound
  contempt　for　the　human　race；　without　distinction　of　nation　or　sex。
  （11）　Condensed　from　Sir　Thomas　Overbury's　'Characters'　（1614）。
  （12）　'History　of　the　Peninsular　War；'　v。　319。Napier　mentions
  another　striking　illustration　of　the　influence　of　personal
  qualities　in　young　Edward　Freer；　of　the　same　regiment　（the　43rd）；
  who；　when　he　fell　at　the　age　of　nineteen；　at　the　Battle　of　the
  Nivelle；　had　already　seen　more　combats　and　sieges　than　he　could
  count　years。　　〃So　slight　in　person；　and　of　such　surpassing　beauty；
  that　the　Spaniards　often　thought　him　a　girl　disguised　in　man's
  clothing；　he　was　yet　so　vigorous；　so　active；　so　brave；　that　the
  most　daring　and　experienced　veterans　watched　his　looks　on　the
  field　of　battle；　and；　implicitly　following　where　he　led；　would；
  like　children；　obey　his　slightest　sign　in　the　most　difficult
  situations。〃
  （13）　When　the　dissolution　of　the　Union　at　one　time　seemed
  imminent；　and　Washington　wished　to　retire　into　private　life；
  Jefferson　wrote　to　him；　urging　his　continuance　in　office。　　〃The
  confidence　of　the　whole　Union；〃　he　said；　〃centres　in　you。　　Your
  being　at　the　helm　will　be　more　than　an　answer　to　every　argument
  which　can　be　used　to　alarm　and　lead　the　people　in　any　quarter　into
  violence　and　secession。。。。　There　is　sometimes　an　eminence　of
  character　on　which　society　has　such　peculiar　claims　as　to　control
  the　predilection　of　the　individual　for　a　particular　walk　of
  happiness；　and　restrain　him　to　that　alone　arising　from　the　present
  and　future　benedictions　of　mankind。　　This　seems　to　be　your
  condition；　and　the　law　imposed　on　you　by　Providence　in　forming
  your　character　and　fashioning　the　events　on　which　it　was　to
  operate；　and　it　is　to　motives　like　these；　and　not　to　personal
  anxieties　of　mine　or　others；　who　have　no　right　to　call　on　you　for
  sacrifices；　that　I　appeal　from　your　former　determination；　and　urge
  a　revisal　of　it；　on　the　ground　of　　change　in　the　aspect　of
  things。〃Sparks'　Life　of　Washington；　i。　480。
  （14）　Napier's　'History　of　the　Peninsular　War；'　v。　226。
  （15）　Sir　W。　Scott's　'History　of　Scotland；'　vol。　i。　chap。　xvi。
  （16）　Michelet's　'History　of　Rome；'　p。　374。
  （17）　Erasmus　so　reverenced　the　character　of　Socrates　that　he　said；
  when　he　considered　his　life　and　doctrines；　he　was　inclined　to　put
  him　in　the　calendar　of　saints；　and　to　exclaim；　〃SANCTE　SOCRATES；
  ORA　PRO　NOBIS。'〃　（Holy　Socrates；　pray　for　us！
  （18）　〃Honour　to　all　the　brave　and　true；　everlasting　honour　to　John
  Knox　one　of　the　truest　of　the　true！　　That；　in　the　moment　while　he
  and　his　cause；　amid　civil　broils；　in　convulsion　and　confusion；
  were　still　but　struggling　for　life；　he　sent　the　schoolmaster　forth
  to　all　corners；　and　said；　'Let　the　people　be　taught：'　this　is　but
  one；　and；　and　indeed；　an　inevitable　and　comparatively
  inconsiderable　item　in　his　great　message　to　men。　　This　message；　in
  its　true　compass；　was；　'Let　men　know　that　they　are　men