all wretched men, surely the idle are the most so;--those whose life is
barren of utility, who have nothing to do except to gratify their
senses. Are not such men the most querulous, miserable, and dissatisfied
of all, constantly in a state of _ennui_, alike useless to themselves
and to others--mere cumberers of the earth, who when removed are missed
by none, and whom none regret? Most wretched and ignoble lot, indeed, is
the lot of the idlers.

Who have helped the world onward so much as the workers; men who have
had to work for necessity or from choice? All that we call
progress--civilization, well-being, and prosperity--depends upon
industry, diligently applied,--from the culture of a barley-stalk, to
the construction of a steamship,--from the stitching of a collar, to the
sculpturing of "the statue that enchants the world."

All useful and beautiful thoughts, in like manner, are the issue of
labour, of study, of observation, of research, of diligent elaboration.
The noblest poem cannot be elaborated, and send down its undying strains
into the future, without steady and painstaking labour. No great work
has ever been done "at a heat." It is the result of repeated efforts,
and often of many failures. One generation begins, and another
continues--the present co-operating with the past. Thus, the Parthenon
began with a mud-hut; the Last Judgment with a few scratches on the
sand. It is the same with individuals of the race; they begin with
abortive efforts, which, by means of perseverance, lead to successful
issues.

The history of industry is uniform in the character of its
illustrations. Industry enables the poorest man to achieve honour, if
not distinction. The greatest names in the history of art, literature,