Spirit of Self-Help—Institutions and men—Government a reflex of the individualism of a nation—CÆsarism and Self-Help—William Dargan on Independence—Patient labourers in all ranks—Self-Help a feature in the English character—Power of example and of work in practical education—Value of biographies—Great men belong to no exclusive class or rank—Illustrious men sprung from the ranks—Shakespeare—Various humble origin of many eminent men—Distinguished astronomers—Eminent sons of clergymen—Of attorneys—Illustrious foreigners of humble origin—Vauquelin, the chemist—Promotions from the ranks in the French army—Instances of persevering application and energy—Joseph Brotherton—W. J. Fox—W. S. Lindsay—William Jackson—Richard Cobden—Diligence indispensable to usefulness and distinction—The wealthier ranks not all idlers—Examples—Military men—Philosophers—Men of science—Politicians—Literary men—Sir Robert Peel—Lord Brougham—Lytton—Disraeli—Wordsworth on self-reliance—De Tocqueville: his industry and recognition of the help of others—Men their own best helpers

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1–26

Industry of the English people—Work the best educator—Hugh Miller—Poverty and toil not insurmountable obstacles—Working men as inventors—Invention of the steam-engine—James Watt: his industry and habit of attention—Matthew Boulton—Applications of the steam-engine—The Cotton manufacture—The early inventors—Paul and Highs—Arkwright: his early life—Barber, inventor and manufacturer—His influence and character—The Peels of South Lancashire—The founder of the family—The first Sir Robert Peel, cotton-printer—Lady Peel—Rev. William Lee, inventor of the stocking-frame—Dies abroad in misery—James Lee—The Nottingham lace manufacture—John Heathcoat, inventor of the bobbin-net machine—His early life, his ingenuity, and plodding perseverance—Invention of his machine—Anecdote of Lord Lyndhurst—Progress of the lace-trade—Heathcoat’s machines destroyed by the Luddites—His character—Jacquard: his inventions and adventures—Vaucanson: his mechanical genius, improvements in silk manufacture—Jacquard improves Vaucanson’s machine—The Jacquard loom adopted—Joshua Heilmann, inventor of the combing-machine—History of the invention—Its value

27–66

Ancient pottery—Etruscan ware—Luca della Robbia, the Florentine sculptor: re-discovers the art of enamelling—Bernard Pallissy: sketch of his life and labours—Inflamed by the sight of an Italian cup—His search after the secret of the enamel—His experiments during years of unproductive toil—His personal and family privations—Indomitable perseverance, burns his furniture to heat the furnace, and success at last—Reduced to destitution—Condemned to death, and release—His writings—Dies in the Bastille—John Frederick BÖttgher, the Berlin ‘gold cook’—His trick in alchemy and consequent troubles—Flight into Saxony—His detention at Dresden—Discovers how to make red and white porcelain—The manufacture taken up by the Saxon Government—BÖttgher treated as a prisoner and a slave—His unhappy end—The SÈvres porcelain manufactory—Josiah Wedgwood, the English potter—Early state of English earthenware manufacture—Wedgwood’s indefatigable industry, skill, and perseverance—His success—The Barberini vase—Wedgwood a national benefactor—Industrial heroes

67–93

Great results attained by simple means—Fortune favours the industrious—“Genius is patience”—Newton and Kepler—Industry of eminent men—Power acquired by repeated effort—Anecdote of Sir Robert Peel’s cultivation of memory—Facility comes by practice—Importance of patience—Cheerfulness—Sydney Smith—Dr. Hook—Hope an important element in character—Carey the missionary—Anecdote of Dr. Young—Anecdote of Audubon the ornithologist—Anecdote of Mr. Carlyle and his MS. of the ‘French Revolution’—Perseverance of Watt and Stephenson—Perseverance displayed in the discovery of the Nineveh marbles by Rawlinson and Layard—Comte de Buffon as student—His continuous and unremitting labours—Sir Walter Scott’s perseverance—John Britton—Loudon—Samuel Drew—Joseph Hume

94–117

No great result achieved by accident—Newton’s discoveries—Dr. Young—Habit of observing with intelligence—Galileo—Inventions of Brown, Watt, and Brunel, accidentally suggested—Philosophy in little things—Apollonius PergÆus and conic sections—Franklin and Galvani—Discovery of steam power—Opportunities seized or made—Simple and rude tools of great workers—Lee and Stone’s opportunities for learning—Sir Walter Scott’s—Dr. Priestly—Sir Humphry Davy—Faraday—Davy and Coleridge—Cuvier—Dalton’s industry—Examples of improvement of time—Daguesseau and Bentham—Melancthon and Baxter—Writing down observations—Great note-makers—Dr. Pye Smith—John Hunter: his patient study of little things—His great labours—Ambrose ParÉ the French surgeon—Harvey—Jenner—Sir Charles Bell—Dr. Marshall Hall—Sir William Herschel—William Smith the geologist: his discoveries, his geological map—Hugh Miller: his observant faculties—John Brown and Robert Dick, geologists—Sir Roderick Murchison, his industry and attainments

118–153

Sir Joshua Reynolds on the power of industry in art—Humble origin of eminent artists—Acquisition of wealth not the ruling motive with artists—Michael Angelo on riches—Patient labours of Michael Angelo and Titian—West’s early success a disadvantage—Richard Wilson and Zuccarelli—Sir Joshua Reynolds, Blake, Bird, Gainsborough, and Hogarth, as boy artists—Hogarth a keen observer—Banks and Mulready—Claude Lorraine and Turner: their indefatigable industry—Perrier and Jacques Callot and their visits to Rome—Callot and the gipsies—Benvenuto Cellini, goldsmith and musician: his ambition to excel—Casting of his statue of Perseus—Nicolas Poussin, a sedulous student and worker—Duquesnoi—Poussin’s fame—Ary Scheffer: his hindrances and success—John Flaxman: his genius and perseverance—His brave wife—Their visit to Rome—Francis Chantrey: his industry and energy—David Wilkie and William Etty, unflagging workers—Privations endured by artists—Martin—Pugin—George Kemp, architect of the Scott monument—John Gibson, Robert Thorburn, Noel Paton—James Sharples the blacksmith artist: his autobiography—Industry of musicians—Handel, Haydn, Beethoven, Bach, Meyerbeer—Dr. Arne—William Jackson the self-taught composer

154–201

The peerage fed from the industrial ranks—Fall of old families: Bohuns, Mortimers, and Plantagenets—The peerage comparatively modern—Peerages originating with traders and merchants—Richard Foley, nailmaker, founder of the Foley peerage—Adventurous career of William Phipps, founder of the Normanby peerage: his recovery of sunken treasure—Sir William Petty, founder of the Lansdowne peerage—Jedediah Strutt, founder of the Belper peerage—William and Edward Strutt—Naval and Military peers—Peerages founded by lawyers—Lords Tenterden and Campbell—Lord Eldon: his early struggles and eventual success—Baron Langdale—Rewards of perseverance

202–222

Energy characteristic of the Teutonic race—The foundations of strength of character—Force of purpose—Concentration—Courageous working—Words of Hugh Miller and Fowell Buxton—Power and freedom of will—Words of Lamennais—Suwarrow—Napoleon and “glory”—Wellington and “duty”—Promptitude in action—Energy displayed by the British in India—Warren Hastings—Sir Charles Napier: his adventure with the Indian swordsman—The rebellion in India—The Lawrences—Nicholson—The siege of Delhi—Captain Hodson—Missionary labourers—Francis Xavier’s missions in the East—John Williams—Dr. Livingstone—John Howard—Jonas Hanway: his career—The philanthropic labours of Granville Sharp—Position of slaves in England—Result of Sharp’s efforts—Clarkson’s labours—Fowell Buxton: his resolute purpose and energy—Abolition of slavery

223–262

Hazlitt’s definition of the man of business—The chief requisite qualities—Men of genius men of business—Shakespeare, Chaucer, Spenser, Milton, Newton, Cowper, Wordsworth, Scott, Ricardo, Grote, J. S. Mill—Labour and application necessary to success—Lord Melbourne’s advice—The school of difficulty a good school—Conditions of success in Law—The industrious architect—The salutary influence of work—Consequences of contempt for arithmetic—Dr. Johnson on the alleged injustice of “the world”—Washington Irving’s views—Practical qualities necessary in business—Importance of accuracy—Charles James Fox—Method—Richard Cecil and De Witt: their despatch of business—Value of time—Sir Walter Scott’s advice—Promptitude—Economy of time—Punctuality—Firmness—Tact—Napoleon and Wellington as men of business—Napoleon’s attention to details—The ‘Napoleon Correspondence’—Wellington’s business faculty—Wellington in the Peninsula—“Honesty the best policy”—Trade tries character—Dishonest gains—David Barclay a model man of business

263–289

The right use of money a test of wisdom—The virtue of self-denial—Self-imposed taxes—Economy necessary to independence—Helplessness of the improvident—Frugality an important public question—Counsels of Richard Cobden and John Bright—The bondage of the improvident—Independence attainable by working men—Francis Horner’s advice from his father—Robert Burns—Living within the means—Bacon’s maxim—Wasters—Running into debt—Haydon’s debts—Fichte—Dr. Johnson on debt—John Locke—The Duke of Wellington on debt—Washington—Earl St. Vincent: his protested bill—Joseph Hume on living too high—Ambition after gentility—Napier’s order to his officers in India—Resistance to temptation—Hugh Miller’s case—High standard of life necessary—Proverbs on money-making and thrift—Thomas Wright and the reclamation of criminals—Mere money-making—John Foster—Riches no proof of worth—All honest industry honourable—The power of money over-estimated—Joseph Brotherton—True Respectability—Lord Collingwood

290–313

Sir W. Scott and Sir B. Brodie on self-culture—Dr. Arnold’s spirit—Active employment salutary—Malthus’s advice to his son—Importance of physical health—Hodson, of “Hodson’s Horse”—Dr. Channing—Early labour—Training in use of tools—Healthiness of great men—Sir Walter Scott’s athletic sports—Barrow, Fuller, Clarke—Labour conquers all things—Words of Chatterton, Ferguson, Stone, Drew—Well-directed labour—Opinions of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Fowell Buxton, Dr. Ross, F. Horner, Loyola, and Lord St. Leonards—Thoroughness, accuracy, decision, and promptitude—The virtue of patient labour—The mischievous effects of “cramming” in labour-saving processes and multifarious reading—The right use of knowledge—Books may impart learning, but well-applied knowledge and experience only exhibit wisdom—The Magna Charta men—Brindley, Stephenson, Hunter, and others, not book-learned yet great—Self-respect—Jean Paul Richter—Knowledge as a means of rising—Base views of the value of knowledge—Ideas of Bacon and Southey—Douglas Jerrold on comic literature—Danger of immoderate love of pleasure—Benjamin Constant: his high thinking and low living—Thierry: his noble character—Coleridge and Southey—Robert Nicoll on Coleridge—Charles James Fox on perseverance—The wisdom and strength acquired through failure—Hunter, Rossini, Davy, Mendelssohn—The uses of difficulty and adversity—Lyndhurst, D’Alembert, Carissimi, Reynolds, and Henry Clay on persistency—Curran on honest poverty—Struggles with difficulties: Alexander Murray, William Chambers, Cobbet—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

314–359

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

360–381

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—Integrity and honesty of action—Importance of habits—Habits constitute character—Growth of habit in youth—Words of Robertson of Brighton—Manners and morals—Civility and kindness—Anecdote of Abernethy—True politeness—Great-hearted men of no exclusive rank or class—William and Charles Grant, the “Brothers Cheeryble”—The true gentleman—Lord Edward Fitzgerald—Honour, probity, rectitude—The gentleman will not be bribed—Anecdotes of Hanway, Wellington, Wellesley, and Sir C. Napier—The poor in purse may be rich in spirit—A noble peasant—Intrepidity of Deal boatmen—Anecdotes of the Emperor of Austria and of two English navvies—Truth makes the success of the gentleman—Courage and gentleness—Gentlemen in India—Outram, Henry Lawrence—Lord Clyde—The private soldiers at Agra—The wreck of the Birkenhead—Use of power, the test of the Gentleman—Sir Ralph Abercrombie—Fuller’s character of Sir Francis Drake

382–408