character-第30部分
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says: 〃He told me himself that upon publishing that book he fell
in his practice extremely。〃
(4) Sir Thomas More's first wife; Jane Colt; was originally a young
country girl; whom he himself instructed in letters; and moulded
to his own tastes and manners。 She died young; leaving a son and
three daughters; of whom the noble Margaret Roper most resembled
More himself。 His second wife was Alice Middleton; a widow; some
seven years older than More; not beautifulfor he characterized
her as 〃NEC BELLA; NEC PUELLA〃but a shrewd worldly woman; not
by any means disposed to sacrifice comfort and good cheer for
considerations such as those which so powerfully influenced the
mind of her husband。
(5)Before being beheaded; Eliot said; 〃Death is but a little word;
but ''tis a great work to die。'〃 In his 'Prison Thoughts' before
his execution; he wrote: 〃He that fears not to die; fears
nothing。。。。 There is a time to live; and a time to die。 A good
death is far better and more eligible than an ill life。 A wise
man lives but so long as his life is worth more than his death。
The longer life is not always the better。〃
(6) Mr。 J。 S。 Mill; in his book 'On Liberty;' describes 〃the masses;〃
as 〃collective mediocrity。〃 〃The initiation of all wise or noble
things;〃 he says; 〃comes; and must come; from individuals
generally at first from some one individual。 The honour and glory
of the average man is that he is capable of following that
imitation; that he can respond internally to wise and noble
things; and be led to them with his eyes open。。。。 In this age;
the mere example of nonconformity; the mere refusal to bend the
knee to custom; is itself a service。 Precisely because the
tyranny of opinion is such as to make eccentricity a reproach; it
is desirable; in order to break through that tyranny; that people
should be eccentric。 Eccentricity has always abounded when and
where strength of character has abounded; and the amount of
eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the
amount of genius; mental vigour; and moral courage which it
contained。 That so few now dare to be eccentric; marks the chief
danger of the time。〃Pp。 120…1。
(7) Mr。 Arthur Helps; in one of his thoughtful books; published in
1845; made some observations on this point; which are not less
applicable now。 He there said: 〃it is a grievous thing to see
literature made a vehicle for encouraging the enmity of class to
class。 Yet this; unhappily; is not unfrequent now。 Some great
man summed up the nature of French novels by calling them the
Literature of Despair; the kind of writing that I deprecate may be
called the Literature of Envy。。。。 Such writers like to throw
their influence; as they might say; into the weaker scale。 But
that is not the proper way of looking at the matter。 I think; if
they saw the ungenerous nature of their proceedings; that alone
would stop them。 They should recollect that literature may fawn
upon the masses as well as the aristocracy; and in these days the
temptation is in the former direction。 But what is most grievous
in this kind of writing is the mischief it may do to the working…
people themselves。 If you have their true welfare at heart; you
will not only care for their being fed and clothed; but you will
be anxious not to encourage unreasonable expectations in them
not to make them ungrateful or greedy…minded。 Above all; you will
be solicitous to preserve some self…reliance in them。 You will be
careful not to let them think that their condition can be wholly
changed without exertion of their own。 You would not desire to
have it so changed。 Once elevate your ideal of what you wish to
happen amongst the labouring population; and you will not easily
admit anything in your writings that may injure their moral or
their mental character; even if you thought it might hasten some
physical benefit for them。 That is the way to make your genius
most serviceable to mankind。 Depend upon it; honest and bold
things require to be said to the lower as well as the higher
classes; and the former are in these times much less likely to
have; such things addressed to them。〃…Claims of Labour; pp。 253…4。
(8) 'Memoirs of Colonel Hutchinson' (Bohn's Ed。); p。 32。
(9) At a public meeting held at Worcester; in 1867; in recognition of
Sir J。 Pakington's services as Chairman of Quarter Sessions for a
period of twenty…four years; the following remarks; made by Sir
John on the occasion; are just and valuable as they are modest:…
〃I am indebted for whatever measure of success I have attained in
my public life; to a combination of moderate abilities; with
honesty of intention; firmness of purpose; and steadiness of
conduct。 If I were to offer advice to any young man anxious to
make himself useful in public life; I would sum up the results of
my experience in three short rulesrules so simple that any man
may understand them; and so easy that any man may act upon them。
My first rule would beleave it to others to judge of what
duties you are capable; and for what position you are fitted; but
never refuse to give your services in whatever capacity it may be
the opinion of others who are competent to judge that you may
benefit your neighbours or your country。 My second rule iswhen
you agree to undertake public duties; concentrate every energy and
faculty in your possession with the determination to discharge
those duties to the best of your ability。 Lastly; I would counsel
you that; in deciding on the line which you will take in public
affairs; you should be guided in your decision by that which;
after mature deliberation; you believe to be right; and not by
that which; in the passing hour; may happen to be fashionable
or popular。〃
(10) The following illustration of one of his minute acts of kindness
is given in his biography:… 〃He was one day taking a long country
walk near Freshford; when he met a little girl; about five years
old; sobbing over a broken bowl; she had dropped and broken it in
bringing it back from the field to which she had taken her
father's dinner in it; and she said she would be beaten on her
return home for having broken it; when; with a sudden gleam of
hope; she innocently looked up into his face; and said; 'But yee
can mend it; can't ee?'
〃My father explained that he could not mend the bowl; but the
trouble he could; by the gift of a sixpence to buy another。
However; on opening his purse it was empty of silver; and he had
to make amends by promising to meet his little friend in the same
spot at the same hour next day; and to bring the sixpence with
him; bidding her; meanwhile; tell her mother she had seen a
gentleman who would bring her the money for the bowl next day。
The child; entirely trusting him; went on her way comforted。 On
his return home he found an invitation awaiting him to dine in
Bath the following evening; to meet some one whom he specially
wished to see。 He hesitated for some little time; trying to
calculate the possibility of giving the meeting to his little
friend of the broken bowl and of still being in time for the
dinner…party in Bath; but finding this could not be; he wrote to
decline accepting the invitation on the plea of 'a pre…
engagement;' saying to us; 'I cannot disappoint her; she trusted
me so implicitly。'〃
(11) Miss Florence Nightingale has related the following incident as
having occurred before Sebastopol:… 〃I remember a sergeant who; on
picket; the rest of the picket killed and himself battered about
the head; stumbled back to camp; and on his way picked up a
wounded man and brought him in on his shoulders to the lines;
where he fell down insensible。 When; after many hours; he
recovered his senses; I believe after trepanning; his first words
were to ask after his comrade; 'Is he alive?' 'Comrade; indeed;
yes; he's aliveit is the general。' At that moment the general;
though badly wounded; appeared at the bedside。 'Oh; general; it's
you; is it; I brought in? I'm so glad; I didn't know your honour。
But; …; if I'd known it was you; I'd have saved you all the
same。' This is the true soldier's spirit。〃
In the same letter; Miss Nightingale says: 〃England; from her
grand mercantile and commercial successes; has been called sordid;
God knows she is not。 The simple courage; the enduring patience;
the good sense; the strength to suffer in silencewhat nation
shows more of this in war than is shown by her commonest soldier?
I have seen men dying of dysentery; but scorning to report
themselves sick lest they should thereby throw more labour on
their comrades; go down to the trenches and make the trenches
their deathbed。 There is nothing in history to compare with it。。。。
Say what men will; there is something more truly Christian in the
man who gives his time; his strength; his life; if need be; for
something not himselfwhether he call it his Queen; his country;
or his coloursthan in all the asceticism; the fasts; the
humiliations; and confessions which have ever been made: and this
spirit of giving one's life; without calling it a sacrifice; is
found nowhere so truly as in England。〃
(12) Mrs。 Grote's 'Life of Ary Scheffer;' pp。 154…5。
(13) The sufferings of this noble woman; together with those of her
unfortunate husband; were touchingly described in a letter
afterwards addressed by her to a female friend; which was
published some years ago at Haarlem; entitled; 'Gertrude von der
Wart; or; Fidelity unto Death。' Mrs。 Hemans wrote a poem of great
pathos and beauty; commemorating the sad story in her 'Records of
Woman。'
CHAPTER VI。SELF…CONTROL。
〃Honour and profit do not always lie in the same sack。〃GEORGE
HERBERT。
〃The government of one's self is the only true freedom for the
Individual。〃FREDERICK PERTHES。
〃It is in length of patience; and endurance; and forbearance; th