great examples. And when men have done their duty through life in
a great spirit, their influence will never wholly pass away. "The
good life," says George Herbert, "is never out of season."

Goethe has said that there is no man so commonplace that a wise
man may not learn something from him. Sir Walter Scott could not
travel in a coach without gleaning some information or discovering
some new trait of character in his companions. (3) Dr. Johnson
once observed that there was not a person in the streets but he
should like to know his biography--his experiences of life, his
trials, his difficulties, his successes, and his failures. How
much more truly might this be said of the men who have made their
mark in the world's history, and have created for us that great
inheritance of civilization of which we are the possessors!
Whatever relates to such men--to their habits, their manners,
their modes of living, their personal history, their conversation,
their maxims, their virtues, or their greatness--is always full
of interest, of instruction, of encouragement, and of example.

The great lesson of Biography is to show what man can be and do at
his best. A noble life put fairly on record acts like an
inspiration to others. It exhibits what life is capable of being
made. It refreshes our spirit, encourages our hopes, gives us new
strength and courage and faith--faith in others as well as in
ourselves. It stimulates our aspirations, rouses us to action,
and incites us to become co-partners with them in their work.
To live with such men in their biographies, and to be inspired
by their example, is to live with the best of men, and to mix
in the best of company.