t to be suppressed; they are to be directed; and, when directed,
rather to be strengthened than subdued."

"Observe how a word may influence a life: a man whose opinion I
esteemed, made of me the casual and trite remark, that 'my nature
was one of which it was impossible to augur evil or good: it might be
extreme in either.' This observation roused me into thought: could
I indeed be all that was good or evil? had I the choice, and could I
hesitate which to choose? But what was good and what was evil? That
seemed the most difficult inquiry."

"I asked and received no satisfactory reply: in the words of Erasmus,
'Totius negotii caput ac fontem ignorant, divinant, ac delirant omnes;'
["All ignore, guess, and rave about the head and fountain of the whole
question at issue."] so I resolved myself to inquire and to decide. I
subjected to my scrutiny the moralist and the philosopher. I saw that
on all sides they disputed, but I saw that they grew virtuous in the
dispute: they uttered much that was absurd about the origin of good, but
much more that was exalted in its praise; and I never rose from any work
which treated ably upon morals, whatever were its peculiar opinions,
but I felt my breast enlightened and my mind ennobled by my studies. The
professor of one sect commanded me to avoid the dogmatist of another
as the propagator of moral poison; and the dogmatist retaliated on the
professor: but I avoided neither; I read both, and turned all 'into
honey and fine gold.' No inquiry into wisdom, however superficial,
is undeserving attention. The vagaries of the idlest fancy will often
chance, as it were, upon the most useful discoveries of truth, and
serve as a guide to after and to slower disciples of wisdom; even as
the peckings of birds in an unknown country indicate to the adventurous
seamen the best and the safest fruits."

"From the works of men I looked into their lives; and I found that there
was a vast difference (though I am not aware that it has before
been remarked) between those who cultivated a talent, and those who
cultivated the mind: I found that the mere men of genius were often
erring or criminal in their lives; but that vice or crime in the
disciples of philosophy was strikingly unfrequent and rare. The
extremest culture of reason had not, it is true, been yet carried far
enough to preserve the labourer from follies of opinion, but a moderate
culture had been sufficient to deter him from the vices of life.