impressive　of　all　booksthe　educator　of　youth；　the　guide　of
  manhood；　and　the　consoler　of　agebut　a　series　of　biographies　of
  great　heroes　and　patriarchs；　prophets；　kings；　and　judges；
  culminating　in　the　greatest　biography　of　all；　the　Life　embodied　in
  the　New　Testament？　　How　much　have　the　great　examples　there　set
  forth　done　for　mankind！　　How　many　have　drawn　from　them　their
  truest　strength；　their　highest　wisdom；　their　best　nurture　and
  admonition！　　Truly　does　a　great　Roman　Catholic　writer　describe　the
  Bible　as　a　book　whose　words　〃live　in　the　ear　like　a　music　that　can
  never　be　forgottenlike　the　sound　of　church　bells　which　the
  convert　hardly　knows　how　he　can　forego。　　Its　felicities　often　seem
  to　be　almost　things　rather　than　mere　words。　　It　is　part　of　the
  national　mind；　and　the　anchor　of　national　seriousness。　　The　memory
  of　the　dead　passes　into　it；　The　potent　traditions　of　childhood　are
  stereotyped　in　its　verses。　　The　power　of　all　the　griefs　and　trials
  of　man　is　hidden　beneath　its　words。　　It　is　the　representative　of
  his　best　moments；　and　all　that　has　been　about　him　of　soft；　and
  gentle；　and　pure；　and　penitent；　and　good；　speaks　to　him　for　ever
  out　of　his　English　Bible。　　It　is　his　sacred　thing；　which　doubt
  has　never　dimmed　and　controversy　never　soiled。　　In　the　length
  and　breadth　of　the　land　there　is　not　a　Protestant　with　one
  spark　of　religiousness　about　him　whose　spiritual　biography
  is　not　in　his　Saxon　Bible。〃　（4）
  It　would；　indeed；　be　difficult　to　overestimate　the　influence　which
  the　lives　of　the　great　and　good　have　exercised　upon　the　elevation
  of　human　character。　　〃The　best　biography；〃　says　Isaac　Disraeli；
  〃is　a　reunion　with　human　existence　in　its　most　excellent　state。〃
  Indeed；　it　is　impossible　for　one　to　read　the　lives　of　good　men；
  much　less　inspired　men；　without　being　unconsciously　lighted　and
  lifted　up　in　them；　and　growing　insensibly　nearer　to　what　they
  thought　and　did。　　And　even　the　lives　of　humbler　persons；　of　men　of
  faithful　and　honest　spirit；　who　have　done　their　duty　in　life　well；
  are　not　without　an　elevating　influence　upon　the　character　of　those
  who　come　after　them。
  History　itself　is　best　studied　in　biography。　　Indeed；　history　is
  biographycollective　humanity　as　influenced　and　governed　by
  individual　men。　　〃What　is　all　history；〃　says　Emerson；　〃but　the
  work　of　ideas；　a　record　of　the　incomparable　energy　which　his
  infinite　aspirations　infuse　into　man？〃　　In　its　pages　it　is　always
  persons　we　see　more　than　principles。　　Historical　events　are
  interesting　to　us　mainly　in　connection　with　the　feelings；　the
  sufferings；　and　interests　of　those　by　whom　they　are　accomplished。
  In　history　we　are　surrounded　by　men　long　dead；　but　whose　speech
  and　whose　deeds　survive。　　We　almost　catch　the　sound　of　their
  voices；　and　what　they　did　constitutes　the　interest　of　history。　　We
  never　feel　personally　interested　in　masses　of　men；　but　we　feel　and
  sympathise　with　the　individual　actors；　whose　biographies　afford
  the　finest　and　most　real　touches　in　all　great　historical　dramas。
  Among　the　great　writers　of　the　past；　probably　the　two　that　have
  been　most　influential　in　forming　the　characters　of　great　men　of
  action　and　great　men　of　thought；　have　been　Plutarch　and　Montaigne
  the　one　by　presenting　heroic　models　for　imitation；　the　other　by
  probing　questions　of　constant　recurrence　in　which　the　human　mind
  in　all　ages　has　taken　the　deepest　interest。　And　the　works　of　both
  are　for　the　most　part　cast　in　a　biographic　form；　their　most
  striking　illustrations　consisting　in　the　exhibitions　of　character
  and　experience　which　they　contain。
  Plutarch's　'Lives；'　though　written　nearly　eighteen　hundred　years
  ago；　like　Homer's　'Iliad；'　still　holds　its　ground　as　the　greatest
  work　of　its　kind。　　It　was　the　favourite　book　of　Montaigne；　and　to
  Englishmen　it　possesses　the　special　interest　of　having　been
  Shakspeare's　principal　authority　in　his　great　classical　dramas。
  Montaigne　pronounced　Plutarch　to　be　〃the　greatest　master　in
  that　kind　of　writing〃the　biographic；　and　he　declared　that
  he　〃could　no　sooner　cast　an　eye　upon　him　but　he　purloined
  either　a　leg　or　a　wing。〃
  Alfieri　was　first　drawn　with　passion　to　literature　by　reading
  Plutarch。　　〃I　read；〃　said　he；　〃the　lives　of　Timoleon；　Caesar；
  Brutus；　Pelopidas；　more　than　six　times；　with　cries；　with　tears；
  and　with　such　transports；　that　I　was　almost　furious。。。。　Every　time
  that　I　met　with　one　of　the　grand　traits　of　these　great　men；　I　was
  seized　with　such　vehement　agitation　as　to　be　unable　to　sit　still。〃
  Plutarch　was　also　a　favourite　with　persons　of　such　various　minds
  as　Schiller　and　Benjamin　Franklin；　Napoleon　and　Madame　Roland。
  The　latter　was　so　fascinated　by　the　book　that　she　carried　it　to
  church　with　her　in　the　guise　of　a　missal；　and　read　it
  surreptitiously　during　the　service。
  It　has　also　been　the　nurture　of　heroic　souls　such　as　Henry　IV。　of
  France；　Turenne；　and　the　Napiers。　　It　was　one　of　Sir　William
  Napier's　favourite　books　when　a　boy。　　His　mind　was　early　imbued　by
  it　with　a　passionate　admiration　for　the　great　heroes　of　antiquity；
  and　its　influence　had；　doubtless；　much　to　do　with　the　formation　of
  his　character；　as　well　as　the　direction　of　his　career　in　life。　　It
  is　related　of　him；　that　in　his　last　illness；　when　feeble　and
  exhausted；　his　mind　wandered　back　to　Plutarch's　heroes；　and　he
  descanted　for　hours　to　his　son…in…law　on　the　mighty　deeds　of
  Alexander；　Hannibal；　and　Caesar。　　Indeed；　if　it　were　possible　to
  poll　the　great　body　of　readers　in　all　ages　whose　minds　have　been
  influenced　and　directed　by　books；　it　is　probable　thatexcepting
  always　the　Biblethe　immense　majority　of　votes　would　be　cast　in
  favour　of　Plutarch。
  And　how　is　it　that　Plutarch　has　succeeded　in　exciting　an　interest
  which　continues　to　attract　and　rivet　the　attention　of　readers　of
  all　ages　and　classes　to　this　day？　　In　the　first　place；　because　the
  subject　of　his　work　is　great　men；　who　occupied　a　prominent　place
  in　the　world's　history；　and　because　he　had　an　eye　to　see　and　a　pen
  to　describe　the　more　prominent　events　and　circumstances　in　their
  lives。　　And　not　only　so；　but　he　possessed　the　power　of　portraying
  the　individual　character　of　his　heroes；　for　it　is　the　principle　of
  individuality　which　gives　the　charm　and　interest　to　all　biography。
  The　most　engaging　side　of　great　men　is　not　so　much　what　they　do　as
  what　they　are；　and　does　not　depend　upon　their　power　of　intellect
  but　on　their　personal　attractiveness。　　Thus；　there　are　men　whose
  lives　are　far　more　eloquent　than　their　speeches；　and　whose
  personal　character　is　far　greater　than　their　deeds。
  It　is　also　to　be　observed；　that　while　the　best　and　most　carefully…
  drawn　of　Plutarch's　portraits　are　of　life…size；　many　of　them　are
  little　more　than　busts。　　They　are　well…proportioned　but　compact；
  and　within　such　reasonable　compass　that　the　best　of　themsuch　as
  the　lives　of　Caesar　and　Alexandermay　be　read　in　half　an　hour。
  Reduced　to　this　measure；　they　are；　however；　greatly　more　imposing
  than　a　lifeless　Colossus；　or　an　exaggerated　giant。　　They　are　not
  overlaid　by　disquisition　and　description；　but　the　characters
  naturally　unfold　themselves。　　Montaigne；　indeed；　complained　of
  Plutarch's　brevity。　　〃No　doubt；〃　he　added；　〃but　his　reputation　is
  the　better　for　it；　though　in　the　meantime　we　are　the　worse。
  Plutarch　would　rather　we　should　applaud　his　judgment　than　commend
  his　knowledge；　and　had　rather　leave　us　with　an　appetite　to　read
  more　than　glutted　with　what　we　have　already　read。　　He　knew　very
  well　that　a　man　may　say　too　much　even　on　the　best　subjects。。。。
  Such　as　have　lean　and　spare　bodies　stuff　themselves　out　with
  clothes；　so　they　who　are　defective　in　matter；　endeavour　to　make
  amends　with　words。　（5）
  Plutarch　possessed　the　art　of　delineating　the　more　delicate
  features　of　mind　and　minute　peculiarities　of　conduct；　as　well　as
  the　foibles　and　defects　of　his　heroes；　all　of　which　is　necessary
  to　faithful　and　accurate　portraiture。　　〃To　see　him；〃　says
  Montaigne；　〃pick　out　a　light　action　in　a　man's　life；　or　a　word；
  that　does　not　seem　to　be　of　any　importance；　is　itself　a　whole
  discourse。〃　　He　even　condescends　to　inform　us　of　such　homely
  particulars　as　that　Alexander　carried　his　head　affectedly　on　one
  side；　that　Alcibiades　was　a　dandy；　and　had　a　lisp；　which　became
  him；　giving　a　grace　and　persuasive　turn　to　his　discourse；　that
  Cato　had　red　hair　and　gray　eyes；　and　was　a　usurer　and　a　screw；
  selling　off　his　old　slaves　when　they　became　unfit　for　hard　work；
  that　Caesar　was　bald　and　fond　of　gay　dress；　and　that　Cicero　（like
  Lord　Brougham）　had　involuntary　twitchings　of　his　nose。
  Such　minute　particulars　may　by　some　be　thought　beneath　the　dignity
  of　biography；　but　Plutarch　thought　them　requisite　for　the　due
  finish　of　the　complete　portrait　which　he　set　himself　to　draw；　and
  it　is　by　small　details　of　characterpersonal　traits；　features；
  habits；　and　characteristicsthat　we　are　enabled　to　see　before　us
  the　men　as　they　really　lived。　　Plutarch's　great　meri