84                               OF BOLDNESS,
 

XII.

OF BOLDNESS.

It is a trivial grammar school text, but  yet   worthy

a wise man's consideration.     Question was asked of

Demosthenes :    "What   was   the   chief   part  of  an

orator.?"    he  answered,   "Action."    ''What   next .^"

"Action."   " What next again .?"   "Action."    He said

it that knew it best, and had by nature himself no

advantage in that he commended.     A strange thing

that that part of an orator which is  but  superficial)

and  rather the  virtue of a player, should be placed

so high above those other noble  parts of invention,

elocution,  and   the  rest;  nay, almost alone, as if It

were all in all.     But the reason is  plain.     There is I

^                                                             i

in human nature, generally, more of the fool than of i
the wise, and therefore those faculties by which the
foolish part of men's minds Is taken are most potent.
Wonderful like is the case of boldness in civil
business. What first ? boldness. What second and
third ? boldness. And yet boldness is a child of
gnorance   and   baseness,  far  Inferior to other parts.