is　prone　to　indecision：　he　sees　all　the　sides　of　a　question；　and
  his　action　becomes　suspended　in　nicely　weighing　the　pros　and　cons；
  which　are　often　found　pretty　nearly　to　balance　each　other；　whereas
  the　practical　man　overleaps　logical　preliminaries；　arrives　at
  certain　definite　convictions；　and　proceeds　forthwith　to　carry　his
  policy　into　action。　（23）
  Yet　there　have　been　many　great　men　of　science　who　have　proved
  efficient　men　of　business。　　We　do　not　learn　that　Sir　Isaac　Newton
  made　a　worse　Master　of　the　Mint　because　he　was　the　greatest　of
  philosophers。　　Nor　were　there　any　complaints　as　to　the　efficiency
  of　Sir　John　Herschel；　who　held　the　same　office。　　The　brothers
  Humboldt　were　alike　capable　men　in　all　that　they　undertook
  whether　it　was　literature；　philosophy；　mining；　philology；
  diplomacy；　or　statesmanship。
  Niebuhr；　the　historian；　was　distinguished　for　his　energy　and
  success　as　a　man　of　business。　　He　proved　so　efficient　as　secretary
  and　accountant　to　the　African　consulate；　to　which　he　had　been
  appointed　by　the　Danish　Government；　that　he　was　afterwards
  selected　as　one　of　the　commissioners　to　manage　the　national
  finances；　and　he　quitted　that　office　to　undertake　the　joint
  directorship　of　a　bank　at　Berlin。　　It　was　in　the　midst　of　his
  business　occupations　that　he　found　time　to　study　Roman　history；　to
  master　the　Arabic；　Russian；　and　other　Sclavonic　languages；　and　to
  build　up　the　great　reputation　as　an　author　by　which　he　is　now
  chiefly　remembered。
  Having　regard　to　the　views　professed　by　the　First　Napoleon　as　to
  men　of　science；　it　was　to　have　been　expected　that　he　would
  endeavour　to　strengthen　his　administration　by　calling　them　to　his
  aid。　　Some　of　his　appointments　proved　failures；　while　others　were
  completely　successful。　　Thus　Laplace　was　made　Minister　of　the
  Interior；　but　he　had　no　sooner　been　appointed　than　it　was　seen
  that　a　mistake　had　been　made。　　Napoleon　afterwards　said　of　him；
  that　〃Laplace　looked　at　no　question　in　its　true　point　of　view。　　He
  was　always　searching　after　subtleties；　all　his　ideas　were
  problems；　and　he　carried　the　spirit　of　the　infinitesimal　calculus
  into　the　management　of　business。〃　　But　Laplace's　habits　had　been
  formed　in　the　study；　and　he　was　too　old　to　adapt　them　to　the
  purposes　of　practical　life。
  With　Darn　it　was　different。　　But　Darn　had　the　advantage　of　some
  practical　training　in　business；　having　served　as　an　intendant　of
  the　army　in　Switzerland　under　Massena；　during　which　he　also
  distinguished　himself　as　an　author。　　When　Napoleon　proposed　to
  appoint　him　a　councillor　of　state　and　intendant　of　the　Imperial
  Household；　Darn　hesitated　to　accept　the　office。　　〃I　have　passed
  the　greater　part　of　my　life；〃　he　said；　〃among　books；　and　have　not
  had　time　to　learn　the　functions　of　a　courtier。〃　　〃Of　courtiers；〃
  replied　Napoleon；　〃I　have　plenty　about　me；　they　will　never　fail。
  But　I　want　a　minister；　at　once　enlightened；　firm；　and　vigilant；
  and　it　is　for　these　qualities　that　I　have　selected　you。〃　　Darn
  complied　with　the　Emperor's　wishes；　and　eventually　became　his
  Prime　Minister；　proving　thoroughly　efficient　in　that　capacity；　and
  remaining　the　same　modest；　honourable；　and　disinterested　man　that
  he　had　ever　been　through　life。
  Men　of　trained　working　faculty　so　contract　the　habit　of　labour
  that　idleness　becomes　intolerable　to　them；　and　when　driven　by
  circumstances　from　their　own　special　line　of　occupation；　they　find
  refuge　in　other　pursuits。　　The　diligent　man　is　quick　to　find
  employment　for　his　leisure；　and　he　is　able　to　make　leisure　when
  the　idle　man　finds　none。　　〃He　hath　no　leisure；〃　says　George
  Herbert；　〃who　useth　it　not。〃　　〃The　most　active　or　busy　man　that
  hath　been　or　can　be；〃　says　Bacon；　〃hath；　no　question；　many　vacant
  times　of　leisure；　while　he　expecteth　the　tides　and　returns　of
  business；　except　he　be　either　tedious　and　of　no　despatch；　or
  lightly　and　unworthily　ambitious　to　meddle　with　things　that　may　be
  better　done　by　others。〃　　Thus　many　great　things　have　been　done
  during　such　〃vacant　times　of　leisure；〃　by　men　to　whom　industry
  had　become　a　second　nature；　and　who　found　it　easier　to　work
  than　to　be　idle。
  Even　hobbies　are　useful　as　educators　of　the　working　faculty。
  Hobbies　evoke　industry　of　a　certain　kind；　and　at　least　provide
  agreeable　occupation。　　Not　such　hobbies　as　that　of　Domitian；　who
  occupied　himself　in　catching　flies。　　The　hobbies　of　the　King　of
  Macedon　who　made　lanthorns；　and　of　the　King　of　France　who　made
  locks；　were　of　a　more　respectable　order。　　Even　a　routine
  mechanical　employment　is　felt　to　be　a　relief　by　minds　acting　under
  high…pressure：　it　is　an　intermission　of　laboura　resta
  relaxation；　the　pleasure　consisting　in　the　work　itself　rather　than
  in　the　result。
  But　the　best　of　hobbies　are　intellectual　ones。　　Thus　men　of　active
  mind　retire　from　their　daily　business　to　find　recreation　in　other
  pursuitssome　in　science；　some　in　art；　and　the　greater　number　in
  literature。　　Such　recreations　are　among　the　best　preservatives
  against　selfishness　and　vulgar　worldliness。　　We　believe　it　was
  Lord　Brougham　who　said；　〃Blessed　is　the　man　that　hath　a　hobby！〃
  and　in　the　abundant　versatility　of　his　nature；　he　himself　had
  many；　ranging　from　literature　to　optics；　from　history　and
  biography　to　social　science。　　Lord　Brougham　is　even　said　to　have
  written　a　novel；　and　the　remarkable　story　of　the　'Man　in　the
  Bell；'　which　appeared　many　years　ago　in　'Blackwood；'　is　reputed　to
  have　been　from　his　pen。　　Intellectual　hobbies；　however；　must　not
  be　ridden　too　hardelse；　instead　of　recreating；　refreshing；
  and　invigorating　a　man's　nature；　they　may　only　have　the
  effect　of　sending　him　back　to　his　business　exhausted；
  enervated；　and　depressed。
  Many　laborious　statesmen　besides　Lord　Brougham　have　occupied　their
  leisure；　or　consoled　themselves　in　retirement　from　office；　by　the
  composition　of　works　which　have　become　part　of　the　standard
  literature　of　the　world。　　Thus　'Caesar's　Commentaries'　still
  survive　as　a　classic；　the　perspicuous　and　forcible　style　in　which
  they　are　written　placing　him　in　the　same　rank　with　Xenophon；　who
  also　successfully　combined　the　pursuit　of　letters　with　the
  business　of　active　life。
  When　the　great　Sully　was　disgraced　as　a　minister；　and　driven　into
  retirement；　he　occupied　his　leisure　in　writing　out　his　'Memoirs；'
  in　anticipation　of　the　judgment　of　posterity　upon　his　career　as　a
  statesman。　　Besides　these；　he　also　composed　part　of　a　romance
  after　the　manner　of　the　Scuderi　school；　the　manuscript　of　which
  was　found　amongst　his　papers　at　his　death。
  Turgot　found　a　solace　for　the　loss　of　office；　from　which　he　had
  been　driven　by　the　intrigues　of　his　enemies；　in　the　study　of
  physical　science。　　He　also　reverted　to　his　early　taste　for
  classical　literature。　　During　his　long　journeys；　and　at　nights
  when　tortured　by　the　gout；　he　amused　himself　by　making　Latin
  verses；　though　the　only　line　of　his　that　has　been　preserved　was
  that　intended　to　designate　the　portrait　of　Benjamin　Franklin：
  〃Eripuit　caelo　fulmen；　sceptrumque　tyrannis。〃
  Among　more　recent　French　statesmenwith　whom；　however；
  literature　has　been　their　profession　as　much　as　politicsmay
  be　mentioned　De　Tocqueville；　Thiers；　Guizot；　and　Lamartine；
  while　Napoleon　III。　challenged　a　place　in　the　Academy　by
  his　'Life　of　Caesar。'
  Literature　has　also　been　the　chief　solace　of　our　greatest　English
  statesmen。　　When　Pitt　retired　from　office；　like　his　great
  contemporary　Fox；　he　reverted　with　delight　to　the　study　of　the
  Greek　and　Roman　classics。　　Indeed；　Grenville　considered　Pitt　the
  best　Greek　scholar　he　had　ever　known。　　Canning　and　Wellesley；　when
  in　retirement；　occupied　themselves　in　translating　the　odes　and
  satires　of　Horace。　　Canning's　passion　for　literature　entered　into
  all　his　pursuits；　and　gave　a　colour　to　his　whole　life。　　His
  biographer　says　of　him；　that　after　a　dinner　at　Pitt's；　while　the
  rest　of　the　company　were　dispersed　in　conversation；　he　and　Pitt
  would　be　observed　poring　over　some　old　Grecian　in　a　corner　of　the
  drawing…room。　　Fox　also　was　a　diligent　student　of　the　Greek
  authors；　and；　like　Pitt；　read　Lycophron。　　He　was　also　the　author
  of　a　History　of　James　II。；　though　the　book　is　only　a　fragment；
  and；　it　must　be　confessed；　is　rather　a　disappointing　work。
  One　of　the　most　able　and　laborious　of　our　recent　statesmenwith
  whom　literature　was　a　hobby　as　well　as　a　pursuitwas　the　late
  Sir　George　Cornewall　Lewis。　　He　was　an　excellent　man　of　business
  diligent；　exact；　and　painstaking。　　He　filled　by　turns　the　offices
  of　President　of　the　Poor　Law　Boardthe　machinery　of　which　he
  created；Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer；　Home　Secretary；　and
  Secretary　at　War；　and　in　each　he　achieved　the　reputation　of　a
  thoroughly　successful　administrator。　　In　the　intervals　of　his
  official　labours；　he　occupied　himself　with　inquiries　into　a　wide
  range　of　subjectshistory；　politics；　philology；　anthropology；
  and　antiquarianism。　　His　works　on　'The　Astronomy　of　the