"
Can that be beaten for utter lucidity and directness? Not by any master
of prose known to us--not by any man who ever wrote in prose or in
verse. The vision is so completely convincing, the sense of actuality
given by the words is so haunting, that, not even Dickens could have
equalled it. The man who wrote those searing words is to this day
remembered and spoken of with caressing gentleness by all men of
intellect, refinement, quick fancy, genial humour; the editing of his
works has occupied a great part of the lifetime of a most distinguished
ecclesiastic. Could he avoid the fell horror against which he warned
others? No. With all his dread knowledge, he went on his sorrowful
way--and he remained the victim of his vice until the bitter end. It was
Charles Lamb.
A gambler is usually the most prodigal of men in the matter of promises.
If he is clever, he is nearly always quite ready to smile mournfully at
his own infatuation, and he will warn inexperienced youngsters--unless
he wants to rob them.
In sum, intellect, wit, keenness, lucidity of vision, perfect reasoning
power, are all useless in restraining a man from proceeding to ruin
unless some steadying agency is allied with them.
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