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and　accountant　to　the　African　consulate；　to　which　he　had　been

appointed　by　the　Danish　Government；　that　he　was　afterwards

selected　as　one　of　the　commissioners　to　manage　the　national

finances；　and　he　quitted　that　office　to　undertake　the　joint

directorship　of　a　bank　at　Berlin。　　It　was　in　the　midst　of　his

business　occupations　that　he　found　time　to　study　Roman　history；　to

master　the　Arabic；　Russian；　and　other　Sclavonic　languages；　and　to

build　up　the　great　reputation　as　an　author　by　which　he　is　now

chiefly　remembered。



Having　regard　to　the　views　professed　by　the　First　Napoleon　as　to

men　of　science；　it　was　to　have　been　expected　that　he　would

endeavour　to　strengthen　his　administration　by　calling　them　to　his

aid。　　Some　of　his　appointments　proved　failures；　while　others　were

completely　successful。　　Thus　Laplace　was　made　Minister　of　the

Interior；　but　he　had　no　sooner　been　appointed　than　it　was　seen

that　a　mistake　had　been　made。　　Napoleon　afterwards　said　of　him；

that　〃Laplace　looked　at　no　question　in　its　true　point　of　view。　　He

was　always　searching　after　subtleties；　all　his　ideas　were

problems；　and　he　carried　the　spirit　of　the　infinitesimal　calculus

into　the　management　of　business。〃　　But　Laplace's　habits　had　been

formed　in　the　study；　and　he　was　too　old　to　adapt　them　to　the

purposes　of　practical　life。



With　Darn　it　was　different。　　But　Darn　had　the　advantage　of　some

practical　training　in　business；　having　served　as　an　intendant　of

the　army　in　Switzerland　under　Massena；　during　which　he　also

distinguished　himself　as　an　author。　　When　Napoleon　proposed　to

appoint　him　a　councillor　of　state　and　intendant　of　the　Imperial

Household；　Darn　hesitated　to　accept　the　office。　　〃I　have　passed

the　greater　part　of　my　life；〃　he　said；　〃among　books；　and　have　not

had　time　to　learn　the　functions　of　a　courtier。〃　　〃Of　courtiers；〃

replied　Napoleon；　〃I　have　plenty　about　me；　they　will　never　fail。

But　I　want　a　minister；　at　once　enlightened；　firm；　and　vigilant；

and　it　is　for　these　qualities　that　I　have　selected　you。〃　　Darn

complied　with　the　Emperor's　wishes；　and　eventually　became　his

Prime　Minister；　proving　thoroughly　efficient　in　that　capacity；　and

remaining　the　same　modest；　honourable；　and　disinterested　man　that

he　had　ever　been　through　life。



Men　of　trained　working　faculty　so　contract　the　habit　of　labour

that　idleness　becomes　intolerable　to　them；　and　when　driven　by

circumstances　from　their　own　special　line　of　occupation；　they　find

refuge　in　other　pursuits。　　The　diligent　man　is　quick　to　find

employment　for　his　leisure；　and　he　is　able　to　make　leisure　when

the　idle　man　finds　none。　　〃He　hath　no　leisure；〃　says　George

Herbert；　〃who　useth　it　not。〃　　〃The　most　active　or　busy　man　that

hath　been　or　can　be；〃　says　Bacon；　〃hath；　no　question；　many　vacant

times　of　leisure；　while　he　expecteth　the　tides　and　returns　of

business；　except　he　be　either　tedious　and　of　no　despatch；　or

lightly　and　unworthily　ambitious　to　meddle　with　things　that　may　be

better　done　by　others。〃　　Thus　many　great　things　have　been　done

during　such　〃vacant　times　of　leisure；〃　by　men　to　whom　industry

had　become　a　second　nature；　and　who　found　it　easier　to　work

than　to　be　idle。



Even　hobbies　are　useful　as　educators　of　the　working　faculty。

Hobbies　evoke　industry　of　a　certain　kind；　and　at　least　provide

agreeable　occupation。　　Not　such　hobbies　as　that　of　Domitian；　who

occupied　himself　in　catching　flies。　　The　hobbies　of　the　King　of

Macedon　who　made　lanthorns；　and　of　the　King　of　France　who　made

locks；　were　of　a　more　respectable　order。　　Even　a　routine

mechanical　employment　is　felt　to　be　a　relief　by　minds　acting　under

high…pressure：　it　is　an　intermission　of　laboura　resta

relaxation；　the　pleasure　consisting　in　the　work　itself　rather　than

in　the　result。



But　the　best　of　hobbies　are　intellectual　ones。　　Thus　men　of　active

mind　retire　from　their　daily　business　to　find　recreation　in　other

pursuitssome　in　science；　some　in　art；　and　the　greater　number　in

literature。　　Such　recreations　are　among　the　best　preservatives

against　selfishness　and　vulgar　worldliness。　　We　believe　it　was

Lord　Brougham　who　said；　〃Blessed　is　the　man　that　hath　a　hobby！〃

and　in　the　abundant　versatility　of　his　nature；　he　himself　had

many；　ranging　from　literature　to　optics；　from　history　and

biography　to　social　science。　　Lord　Brougham　is　even　said　to　have

written　a　novel；　and　the　remarkable　story　of　the　'Man　in　the

Bell；'　which　appeared　many　years　ago　in　'Blackwood；'　is　reputed　to

have　been　from　his　pen。　　Intellectual　hobbies；　however；　must　not

be　ridden　too　hardelse；　instead　of　recreating；　refreshing；

and　invigorating　a　man's　nature；　they　may　only　have　the

effect　of　sending　him　back　to　his　business　exhausted；

enervated；　and　depressed。



Many　laborious　statesmen　besides　Lord　Brougham　have　occupied　their

leisure；　or　consoled　themselves　in　retirement　from　office；　by　the

composition　of　works　which　have　become　part　of　the　standard

literature　of　the　world。　　Thus　'Caesar's　Commentaries'　still

survive　as　a　classic；　the　perspicuous　and　forcible　style　in　which

they　are　written　placing　him　in　the　same　rank　with　Xenophon；　who

also　successfully　combined　the　pursuit　of　letters　with　the

business　of　active　life。



When　the　great　Sully　was　disgraced　as　a　minister；　and　driven　into

retirement；　he　occupied　his　leisure　in　writing　out　his　'Memoirs；'

in　anticipation　of　the　judgment　of　posterity　upon　his　career　as　a

statesman。　　Besides　these；　he　also　composed　part　of　a　romance

after　the　manner　of　the　Scuderi　school；　the　manuscript　of　which

was　found　amongst　his　papers　at　his　death。



Turgot　found　a　solace　for　the　loss　of　office；　from　which　he　had

been　driven　by　the　intrigues　of　his　enemies；　in　the　study　of

physical　science。　　He　also　reverted　to　his　early　taste　for

classical　literature。　　During　his　long　journeys；　and　at　nights

when　tortured　by　the　gout；　he　amused　himself　by　making　Latin

verses；　though　the　only　line　of　his　that　has　been　preserved　was

that　intended　to　designate　the　portrait　of　Benjamin　Franklin：



　　　　　　〃Eripuit　caelo　fulmen；　sceptrumque　tyrannis。〃



Among　more　recent　French　statesmenwith　whom；　however；

literature　has　been　their　profession　as　much　as　politicsmay

be　mentioned　De　Tocqueville；　Thiers；　Guizot；　and　Lamartine；

while　Napoleon　III。　challenged　a　place　in　the　Academy　by

his　'Life　of　Caesar。'



Literature　has　also　been　the　chief　solace　of　our　greatest　English

statesmen。　　When　Pitt　retired　from　office；　like　his　great

contemporary　Fox；　he　reverted　with　delight　to　the　study　of　the

Greek　and　Roman　classics。　　Indeed；　Grenville　considered　Pitt　the

best　Greek　scholar　he　had　ever　known。　　Canning　and　Wellesley；　when

in　retirement；　occupied　themselves　in　translating　the　odes　and

satires　of　Horace。　　Canning's　passion　for　literature　entered　into

all　his　pursuits；　and　gave　a　colour　to　his　whole　life。　　His

biographer　says　of　him；　that　after　a　dinner　at　Pitt's；　while　the

rest　of　the　company　were　dispersed　in　conversation；　he　and　Pitt

would　be　observed　poring　over　some　old　Grecian　in　a　corner　of　the

drawing…room。　　Fox　also　was　a　diligent　student　of　the　Greek

authors；　and；　like　Pitt；　read　Lycophron。　　He　was　also　the　author

of　a　History　of　James　II。；　though　the　book　is　only　a　fragment；

and；　it　must　be　confessed；　is　rather　a　disappointing　work。



One　of　the　most　able　and　laborious　of　our　recent　statesmenwith

whom　literature　was　a　hobby　as　well　as　a　pursuitwas　the　late

Sir　George　Cornewall　Lewis。　　He　was　an　excellent　man　of　business

diligent；　exact；　and　painstaking。　　He　filled　by　turns　the　offices

of　President　of　the　Poor　Law　Boardthe　machinery　of　which　he

created；Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer；　Home　Secretary；　and

Secretary　at　War；　and　in　each　he　achieved　the　reputation　of　a

thoroughly　successful　administrator。　　In　the　intervals　of　his

official　labours；　he　occupied　himself　with　inquiries　into　a　wide

range　of　subjectshistory；　politics；　philology；　anthropology；

and　antiquarianism。　　His　works　o