"I never" says Addison, "knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent
man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest, who complained of bad
luck. A good character, good habits, and iron industry are impregnable
to the assaults of all the ill-luck that fools ever dreamed of." "Strong
men believe in cause and effect," says Emerson. "There are no chances so
unlucky," says Rochefoucauld, "that people are not able to reap some
advantage from them, and none so lucky that the foolish are not able to
turn them to their own disadvantage."