THE END OF LAISSEZ-FAIRE

gains little credit with the people, because itis not allowed to run riot; its strength isdisciplined by a stronger will; and its highestglory is to have attained great ends by meansso simple that no one will know, and nonebut experts will even guess, how a dozen otherexpedients, each suggesting as much brilliancyto the hasty observer, were set aside in favourof it. The imagination of such a man isemployed, like that of the master chess-player,in forecasting the obstacles which may beopposed to the successful issue of his far-reaching projects, and constantly rejectingbrilliant suggestions because he has picturedto himself the counter-strokes to them. Hisstrong nervous force is at the opposite extremeof human nature from that nervous irre-sponsibility which conceives hasty Utopianschemes, and which is rather to be comparedto the bold facility of a weak player, who willspeedily solve the most difficult chess problemby taking on himself to move the black men aswell as the white.”

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