Gresham because he
had allowed the other man's counsel to prevail with him. The action
of no individual man should be to you of sufficient consequence to
guide your conduct. If you accept office, you should not take it as a
favour conferred by the Prime Minister; nor if you refuse it, should
you do so from personal feelings in regard to him. If he selects you,
he is presumed to do so because he finds that your services will be
valuable to the country."
"He does so because he thinks that I should be safe to vote for him."
"That may be so, or not. You can't read his bosom quite
distinctly;--but you may read your own. If you go into office you
become the servant of the country,--not his servant, and should
assume his motive in selecting you to be the same as your own in
submitting to the selection. Your foot must be on the ladder before
you can get to the top of it."
"The ladder is so crooked."
"Is it more crooked now than it was three years ago;--worse than it
was six months ago, when you and all your friends looked upon it as
certain that you would be employed? There is nothing, Mr.
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