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and Henry Clay on persistency—Curran on honest poverty—Struggles with difficulties: Alexander Murray, William Chambers, Cobbett—The French stonemason turned professor—Sir Samuel Romilly as a self-cultivator—John Leyden's perseverance—Professor Lee: his perseverance and his attainments as a linguist—Late learners: Spelman, Franklin, Dryden, Scott, Boccaccio, Arnold, and others—Illustrious dunces: Generals Grant, Stonewall Jackson, John Howard, Davy, and others—Story of a dunce—Success depends on perseverance
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Example—Models
Example a potent instructor—Influence of conduct—Parental example—All acts have their train of consequences—Disraeli on Cobden—Words of Babbage—Human responsibility—Every person owes a good example to others—Doing, not saying—Mrs. Chisholm—Dr. Guthrie and John Pounds—Good models of conduct The company of our betters—Francis Horner's views on personal intercourse—The Marquis of Lansdowne and Malesherbes—Fowell Buxton and the Gurney family—Personal influence of John Sterling—Influence of artistic genius upon others—Example of the brave an inspiration to the timid—Biography valuable as forming high models of character—Lives influenced by biography—Romilly, Franklin, Drew, Alfieri, Loyola, Wolff, Horner, Reynolds—Examples of cheerfulness—Dr. Arnold's influence over others—Career of Sir John Sinclair
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Character—The True Gentleman
Character a man's best possession—Character of Francis Horner—Franklin—Character is power—The higher qualities of character—Lord Erskine's rules of conduct—A high standard of life necessary—Truthfulness—Wellington's character of Peel—Be what you seem—