The Washington herald., 1907-11-14
THE OPTIMIST.

1t is great pity that some words, Ike
some men, seem TO fall from virtue, and
once given an evil reputation are there
after looked upon with suspicion. In
such evil case is the word ambition"
for the III understanding OF which poets
are largely responsible. Surely no hope
full soul with an optimistic outlook but
must be fired with ambition, worthy am
bition: that desire to win honorable dis
tinction. the wish TO excel, and yet We
have Shakespeare's:
Fling away ambition:
By that sin fell the angels: how can man then,
The image Of his Maker, hope 70 win b. IL!
Burton. in his Anatomy OF Melan-
choly," took sad view OF ambition when
he wrote:
That exorbitant appetite and desire Of honor.
which We commonly call ambition, love q money,
which IS coEetousress. and that greedy desire of
gain; selfoVe, pride. and ihordinate desire Il vain
giory or applause love Of study in excess; love Of
woman (Which vii require just volume 0f itself)
Of the other VIII briefly speak. and in their order.
Ambition. proud coVetOusness. OF DRY thirst Of
honor great torture Of the mind. COMPOSED Of
envy, Pride, and coTetOusness. a gallant madness,
one defines il Il pleasant poison: Ambrose. "a
canker Of tho soul. hidden plague Bernard. "a
secr-t poison, the father of liror. and mother Of
hypocrisy. the moth Of holiness. and cause of mad
ness. crucifying and disquieting all that it takes
hold Of.
But Burton is mild compared 70 other
of the poets. who seem 10 see in ambition
one Of the gravest faults Of which the
human mind can be capable Milton
couples ambition and revenge together,
and Quintilian spoke OF ambition as d
vice
think the optimistic view Of ambition
is the best one and the most cOrrCct, and
will lead US toward the highest in our
nature. II is for US To believe with
Shakespeare that:
Men are sometimes masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Bruins. Is not in our stars
But IN ourselves that we are undcrlings
Who is there so base as not 10 have
ambition 10 rise above the position OF
underiing. II is true that;
They that stand high have many blasts 10 shake
them:
And # they fail. they dash themselves 10 pieces.
But VINO Is there 50 timorous and COW
ardly as 10 rest content with lowliness:
in the spirit that led Raleigh TO scratch
upon the window pane: "Fain would ]
climb, but that fear 10 fan.'
TO be ambitious should be as natural
70 man as the desire 10 do good. for az
man rises in the world so does his
power Ct doing good increase. As J. c.
Holland writes. Every man who can
be a frst-rate Something-as every man
can be who is a man at aIl-has nC
right 10 be a hfth-rate something; for
a ffth-rate something is no better than
frst-raSe nothing The truth OF the
matter Is that even in the faculties OF
the human mind and heart nature is care
ful Of her rOmpensatiOns. and ambition In
mans s5ul is always proportioned 10 his
capacity. Few indeed are the men who
. have ambition toward great things who
have not something OF the capacity
necessary 70 carry them out
Beattie. I'm his Minstrel" cries:
Al, Who can tell how la. = IS 10 climb
The steep where Fsme's I'rUud temple shines afar.
as II he were forgetting that even TO live
humbly and 10 Ury little is hard also
Life was not made TO be easy. even or
| its lowest plane the difficulties and dan,
gers strain all that is divine in the DOW
eTs OF man, and 10 be ambitious Is 20 be
willing 10 increase those dangers. L
face added pains and 20 front lie boldly
| unashamed and unafraid,
One need never be afraid that he vii
attain the goal Of his ambition for eveI
/ il recedes as we approach it. II is no,
given US 20 be contented-if we be brave
l To use life honestly is Iike climbing a
mountain peak; no matter how hard the
| step just gained. always we must climb
on and find other heights yet 20 scale
True happiness lies in the ambitious
striving, rather than in attainment
To IN expanded and aspiring soul.
To be but stil the thing il long has been
Is misery.
All. then, We have 10 guard against is
| unworthy ambition; selfish aspiration.
he true ambition there alone resides.
Ahere justice Vindicates and vision gidcs
Where inward dignity ioins outward state
O7r Turpose good as our achievement Rrezt-
Where public blessings. public praise attend
I Where glory IS our motive. not our end
Woulds't thou he famed: Have those high acts ir
view.
Brave men would act. though scandal would ensue