Cheerfulness and Constancy…

Sir Richard Steele, eminent English essayist of the eighteenth century, made some whimsical and earnest observations on getting along with people, despite annoyance and inconvenience. Cheerfulness and constancy were emphasized among the qualities of character required.

“Some Years since,” he said, “I was engaged with a Coach full of Friends to take a Journey as far as Land’s End. We were very well pleased with one another the first Day, every one endeavoring to recommend himself by his good Humour. . . [But] this. . . did not last long; one of our Party was sowred the very first Evening by a [trivial incident] which spoiled his Temper to such a Degree, that he continued [to] Fret to the End of our Journey. A second fell off from his good Humour the next Morning, for no other Reason that I could imagine, but because I chanced to step into the Coach before him, and place myself on the shady Side. This however was but my own private Guess, for he did not mention a word of it, nor indeed of any Thing else, for three Days following. . . . There were three of us who still held up our Heads, and did all we could to make our Journey agreeable; but to my Shame. . . I was taken with an unaccountable Fit of Sullenness, that hung upon me for above threescore Miles; whether it were for want of respect, or from an accidental Tread upon my Foot, or from a foolish Maid’s calling me The old Gentleman, I cannot tell. In short, there was but one who kept his good Humour to the Land’s End. . . . When I reflect upon this Journey, I often fancy it to be a Picture of Human Life, in respect to the several Friendships, Contracts, and Alliances, that are made and dissolved in the several Periods of it. . . . I must confess, there is something in the Changeableness of Inconstancy of Human Nature, that very often dejects and terrifies me. . . . [And] while I find this Principle in me, how can I assure myself that I shall always be true to by God, my Friend, or myself? . . .Cheerfulness and Constancy. . . joined with Innocence, will make Beauty attractive, Knowledge delightful, and Wit good natured [and] will lighten sickness, Poverty, and Affliction. . . . In short, without Constancy there is neither Love, Friendship, or Virtue in the World.”