let us remember, that though a veterinary surgeon would tell you
that there is hardly such a thing as a perfectly sound horse in
Britain, still in Britain there is very much work done, and well
done, by horses. Even so, much work, fair work, passable work,
noble work, magnificent work, may be turned off, and day by day is
turned off, by minds which, in strict severity, are no better than
good, workable, or showy screws.

Many minds, otherwise good and even noble, are unsound upon the
point of Vanity. Nor is the unsoundness one that requires any very
sharp observer to detect. It is very often extremely conspicuous;
and the merest block-head can discern, and can laugh at, the
unfortunate defect in one who is perhaps a great and excellent man.
Many minds are off the balance in the respect of Suspiciousness;
many in that of absurd Prejudice. Many are unsound in the matters
of Silliness, Pettiness, Pettedness, Perversity, or general Unpleasantness
and Thrawn-ness. Multitudes of men are what in Scotland is called
Cat-witted. I do not know whether the word is intelligible in
England. It implies a combination of littleness of nature, small
self-conceit, readiness to take offence, determination in little
things to have one's own way, and general impracticability. There
are men to whom even the members of their own families do not like
to talk about their plans and views: who will suddenly go off on
a long journey without telling anyone in the house till the minute
before they go; and concerning whom their nearest relatives think
it right to give you a hint that they are rather peculiar in temper,
and you must mind how you talk to them. There are human beings whom
to manage into doing the simplest and most obvious duty, needs, on
your part, the tact of a diplomatist combined with the skill of a
driver of refractory pigs. In short, there are in human beings all