Year: 1871

corueo the large and continued desertl0ns which
are always thinning an army in the field. In the
Crimea, numbers Of men used to break away
from our own regiments sometimes with their
sergeants at their head. In ell armies it Is the
same. The truth is, that personal courage, in
the ordinary sense of not being afraid, is By no
means so common, nor, where it does exist, is it
necessarily so noble and respectable quality as
it is usually reckoned. Whether man is or is
not afraid at particular moment may depend
not at all on his permanent character, but on
quite accidental and temporary circumstances.
Dutch courage is genuine and effective enough
while it lasts, though artificial in origin and Of
brief duration. Perhaps the commonest kind Of
courage is that of sheer stupidity,-the blind
man on the edge of the precipice trudgiug gaily
along under the impression that it is a safe high
way and ignorant of the yawning gulf beside
him. What is called presence Of mind is often
no bether than this, though in its true form, in
cluding full appreciation of the dangers Of the
situation, it's of the highest kinds of bravery
1t was favorite boast of the First Napoleon,
that he had the -oclock-in-the-morning courage
that unprepared, impromptu courage which is
never disconnected by any startling event. but
maintains perfect capacity TO decide what is
best to be done. With Napoleon this was an
established habit Of mind second nature, due
in great degree to his faith in fate. He backed
his luck, as it were believed, as a matter of
course, that there was for him, if not for other
people, always some way out Of every difficulty
and danger, and so gave himself time to think
what steps to take. Whatever ftful resemblance
there may be between Napoleon III. and his
uncle in audacity of conception, nobody who has
studied the character and career of the former,
can doubt that he has none Of that presence Of
mind which is essential to success in the critical
moments Of daring adventure as witness his
utter collapse on the first strokes of evil fortune
at Worth and Wissemburg.


While, however there are all these different
varieties Of courage they will be found on analysis
to rest on the same basis and that bass is mental
conviction. Courage, in fact, is much less moral
than mental quality,-it is only more or less
instructive and unconscious process of reasoning.
The degree of courage with which man throws
himself into any enterprise will always depend on
his confidence that the object in view is quite
within reach. and Of value commensurate with
the effort to attain it. When you say that man
is brave, you do not mean merely that he is
utterly reckless of his person and lifeready, for
example, to jump of the roof Of house into
the street, or over bridge, on any trAing provo
cation If ha Of bo III
be not brave man but only madman. 1t is
assumed that his bravery is reasonable-that is,
to say, that it will be exercised according to the
dictates of reason, and for objects which, from
his point of view, seem worthy of the peril be
encounters. And here it is that the mental
process comes into play. What is a reasonable
object in such a case? Some will decide one
way, some another; and of course there is
courage in answering the question as well as in
acting upon the conclusions arrived at. Moral
or physical conditions will naturally affect the
judgment in such matter; dram Of rum, or
rak rousing bulletin, fit of fanatical feryor.
may produce state of mind which makes light
of danger, and magnifes the Importance of the
objects for which it has to be faced. Low diet
and cold mood of reflection will operate the
other way. According to one definition, courage
is only synonym for hopefulness, and no doubt
the more sangune man is the more courageous
he will be-so long, that is, as bis sanguine, con-
fdent state of mind endures, the besetting danger
of this mood being that it is apt to give way
suddenly and utterly, just in proportion to its
previous enthusiasm. But so long as the san
guineness lasts it is a powerful stimulant, and
may, if quick dash will do it, achieve great
things.