ave is often to be foolish, contrasted with
the fact that in all history the virtue of courage in men has been
more lauded than any other virtue, suggests that a brief inquiry
into the nature and influence of courage may be interesting.

The definitions of courage found in the dictionary are most
unsatisfactory, except that they say that the word "courage" comes
from the Latin "cor," the heart; showing that it is deemed a moral
quality, rather than physical or mental.

Yet the deeds of courage that history and fiction tell, have been
deeds of what we call "physical courage," in which heroes and heroines
have braved death and physical suffering. Far in the background
are deeds of "moral courage," though many wise men have told us
that "moral courage" is a quality higher than "physical courage,"
and more important.

It is a little difficult to make a clear picture of courage that
is physical, as distinguished from courage that is moral; or moral
as distinguished from physical. Courage seems to be a quality so
clearly marked as to be hardly qualifiable by any adjective except
an adjective indicating degree--such as "great" or "little"; but if
any other adjective may be applied to it, the adjective "moral" seems
to be the only one. For courage, no matter how or why displayed, is
from its very essence, moral. Strictly speaking, how can there be
any courage except moral courage? If a man braves death or physical
suffering, the quality that enables him to brave it is certainly
not physical; certainly it does not pertain to the physical body.
The "first law of nature" impels him to escape or yield; and it
impels him with a powerful force. If this force be not successfully
resisted, the man will yield.

Now the act of resisting a temptation to escape a physical danger is
due to a more or less conscious desire to preserve one's self-respect
and the respect of one's fellow men; and therefore, the best way in
which to train a man to be brave is to cultivate his self-respect
and a desire to have the respect of his fellow men; and to foster
the idea that he will lose both if he acts in a cowardly way.

Naturally, some men are more apt to be cowards as regards physical
dangers than are others; and men differ greatly in this way. Men
of rugged physique, dull imagination, and sluggish nerves are not
so prone to fear of physical danger, especially danger far ahead
in the future, as are men of delicate physique, keen imagination,
a