• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 687 0

schools, in which virtue was taught as a liberal art or science: and it is certainly of more consequence to a man, that he has learnt to govern his passions, in spite of temptation; to be just in his dealings, to be temperate in his pleasures, to support himself with fortitude under his misfortunes, to behave with prudence, in all his affairs, and in every circumstance of life; I say, it is of much more real advantage to him to be thus qualified, than to be a master of all the arts and sciences in the world beside.

Almost every man has a strong natural desire of being valued and esteemed by the rest of his species; but I am concerned and grieved to see how few fall into the right and only infallible method of becoming so. That laudable ambition is too commonly misapplied, and often ill employed. Some, to make themselves considerable, pursue learning; others grasp at wealth; some aim at being thought witty; and others are only careful to make the most of an handsome person: but what is wit, or wealth, or form, or learning, when compared with virtue? It is true, we love the handsome, we applaud the learned, and we fear the rich and powerful; but we even worship and adore the virtuous. Nor is it strange; since men of virtue are so rare, so very rare to be found. If we were as industrious to become good, as to make ourselves great, we should become really great by being good, and the number of valuable men be much increased; but it is a grand mistake to think of being great without goodness; and I pronounce it as certain, that there never was yet a truly great man, that was not at the same time truly virtuous.

“We need the iron qualities that go with true manhood. We need the positive virtues of resolution, of courage, of indomitable will, of power to do without shrinking the rough work that must always be done.” —Theodore Roosevelt

The Man From the Crowd

FROM SONGS OF THE AVERAGE MAN, 1907

By Sam Walter Foss

Men seem as alike as the leaves on the trees,

As alike as the bees in a swarming of bees;

And we look at the millions that make up the state

All equally little and equally great,

And the pride of our courage is cowed.

Then Fate calls for a man who is larger than men—

There’s a surge in the crowd—there’s a movement—and then

There arises a man that is larger than men—

And the man comes up from the crowd.

The chasers of trifles run hither and yon,

And the little small days of small things still go on,

And the world seems no better at sunset than dawn,

And the race still increases its plentiful spawn.

And the voice of our wailing is loud.

Then the Great Deed calls out for the Great Man to come,

And the crowd, unbelieving, sits sullen and dumb—

But the Great Deed is done, for the Great Man is come—

Aye, the man comes up from the crowd.

There’s a dead hum of voices, all say the same thing,

And our forefathers’ songs are the songs that we sing,

And the deeds by our fathers and grandfathers done

Are done by the son of the son of the son,

And our heads in contrition are bowed.

Lo, a call for a man who shall make all things new

Goes down through the throng! See! He rises in view!

Make room for the men who shall make all things new!—

For the man who comes up from the crowd.

And where is the man who comes up from the throng

Who does the new deed and who sings the new song,

And makes the old world as a world that is new?

And who is the man? It is you! It is you!

And our praise is exultant and proud.

We are waiting for you there—for you are the man!

Come up from the jostle as soon as you can;

Come up from the crowd there, for you are the man—

The man who comes up from the crowd.

“Life is too short to be little. Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor.” —Benjamin Disraeli

True Manliness

FROM EVERY-DAY RELIGION, 1886

By James Freeman Clarke

Manliness means perfect manhood, as womanliness implies perfect womanhood. Manliness is the character of a man as he ought to be, as he was meant to be. It