Victorian virtues

Introduction

Scottish author and reformer Samuel Smiles, born in East Lothian in 1812, is best known today as the writer of books extolling the virtues of self-help. Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct, from which these two extracts are taken, was originally published in 1859 and features additional chapters covering subjects such as Application and Perseverance, Money - Its Use and Abuse and Character - the True Gentleman. While redolent of the materialism of the age, it also drew upon the moral instruction of Smiles’ Calvinist upbringing and anti-Corn Law radicalism. It had sold over a quarter of a million copies by the time of Smiles’ death, in Kensington, London, in 1904. The title itself became a catchphrase, and the book was translated into numerous European and Asian languages. A prolific author, Smiles also penned numerous biographical works.

Please select below to view scanned pages from 'Self-Help (1859)':

Back to Victorian virtues documents | Introduction |  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |