character-第6部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



one　warehouses；　another　villas。　　Bricks　and　mortar　are　mortar　and

bricks；　until　the　architect　can　make　them　something　else。　　Thus　it

is　that　in　the　same　family；　in　the　same　circumstances；　one　man

rears　a　stately　edifice；　while　his　brother；　vacillating　and

incompetent；　lives　for　ever　amid　ruins：　the　block　of　granite；

which　was　an　obstacle　on　the　pathway　of　the　weak；　becomes　a

stepping…stone　on　the　pathway　of　the　strong。〃G。　H。　Lewes；　LIFE

OF　GOETHE。



（9）　Introduction　to　'The　Principal　Speeches　and　Addresses　of

H。R。H。　the　Prince　Consort'　（1862）；　pp。　39…40。



（10）　Among　the　latest　of　these　was　Napoleon　〃the　Great；〃　a　man　of

abounding　energy；　but　destitute　of　principle。　　He　had　the　lowest

opinion　of　his　fellowmen。　　〃Men　are　hogs；　who　feed　on　gold；〃　he

once　said：　〃Well；　I　throw　them　gold；　and　lead　them　whithersoever　I

will。〃　　When　the　Abbe　de　Pradt；　Archbishop　of　Malines；　was　setting

out　on　his　embassy　to　Poland　in　1812；　Napoleon's　parting

instruction　to　him　was；　〃Tenez　bonne　table　et　soignez　les　femmes；〃

of　which　Benjamin　Constant　said　that　such　an　observation；

addressed　to　a　feeble　priest　of　sixty；　shows　Buonaparte's　profound

contempt　for　the　human　race；　without　distinction　of　nation　or　sex。



（11）　Condensed　from　Sir　Thomas　Overbury's　'Characters'　（1614）。



（12）　'History　of　the　Peninsular　War；'　v。　319。Napier　mentions

another　striking　illustration　of　the　influence　of　personal

qualities　in　young　Edward　Freer；　of　the　same　regiment　（the　43rd）；

who；　when　he　fell　at　the　age　of　nineteen；　at　the　Battle　of　the

Nivelle；　had　already　seen　more　combats　and　sieges　than　he　could

count　years。　　〃So　slight　in　person；　and　of　such　surpassing　beauty；

that　the　Spaniards　often　thought　him　a　girl　disguised　in　man's

clothing；　he　was　yet　so　vigorous；　so　active；　so　brave；　that　the

most　daring　and　experienced　veterans　watched　his　looks　on　the

field　of　battle；　and；　implicitly　following　where　he　led；　would；

like　children；　obey　his　slightest　sign　in　the　most　difficult

situations。〃



（13）　When　the　dissolution　of　the　Union　at　one　time　seemed

imminent；　and　Washington　wished　to　retire　into　private　life；

Jefferson　wrote　to　him；　urging　his　continuance　in　office。　　〃The

confidence　of　the　whole　Union；〃　he　said；　〃centres　in　you。　　Your

being　at　the　helm　will　be　more　than　an　answer　to　every　argument

which　can　be　used　to　alarm　and　lead　the　people　in　any　quarter　into

violence　and　secession。。。。　There　is　sometimes　an　eminence　of

character　on　which　society　has　such　peculiar　claims　as　to　control

the　predilection　of　the　individual　for　a　particular　walk　of

happiness；　and　restrain　him　to　that　alone　arising　from　the　present

and　future　benedictions　of　mankind。　　This　seems　to　be　your

condition；　and　the　law　imposed　on　you　by　Providence　in　forming

your　character　and　fashioning　the　events　on　which　it　was　to

operate；　and　it　is　to　motives　like　these；　and　not　to　personal

anxieties　of　mine　or　others；　who　have　no　right　to　call　on　you　for

sacrifices；　that　I　appeal　from　your　former　determination；　and　urge

a　revisal　of　it；　on　the　ground　of　　change　in　the　aspect　of

things。〃Sparks'　Life　of　Washington；　i。　480。



（14）　Napier's　'History　of　the　Peninsular　War；'　v。　226。



（15）　Sir　W。　Scott's　'History　of　Scotland；'　vol。　i。　chap。　xvi。



（16）　Michelet's　'History　of　Rome；'　p。　374。



（17）　Erasmus　so　reverenced　the　character　of　Socrates　that　he　said；

when　he　considered　his　life　and　doctrines；　he　was　inclined　to　put

him　in　the　calendar　of　saints；　and　to　exclaim；　〃SANCTE　SOCRATES；

ORA　PRO　NOBIS。'〃　（Holy　Socrates；　pray　for　us！



（18）　〃Honour　to　all　the　brave　and　true；　everlasting　honour　to　John

Knox　one　of　the　truest　of　the　true！　　That；　in　the　moment　while　he

and　his　cause；　amid　civil　broils；　in　convulsion　and　confusion；

were　still　but　struggling　for　life；　he　sent　the　schoolmaster　forth

to　all　corners；　and　said；　'Let　the　people　be　taught：'　this　is　but

one；　and；　and　indeed；　an　inevitable　and　comparatively

inconsiderable　item　in　his　great　message　to　men。　　This　message；　in

its　true　compass；　was；　'Let　men　know　that　they　are　men　created　by

God；　responsible　to　God　who　work　in　any　meanest　moment　of　time

what　will　last　through　eternity。。。'　This　great　message　Knox　did

deliver；　with　a　man's　voice　and　strength；　and　found　a　people　to

believe　him。　　Of　such　an　achievement；　were　it　to　be　made　once

only；　the　results　are　immense。　　Thought；　in　such　a　country；　may

change　its　form；　but　cannot　go　out；　the　country　has　attained

MAJORITY　thought；　and　a　certain　manhood；　ready　for　all　work　that

man　can　do；　endures　there。。。。　　The　Scotch　national　character

originated　in　many　circumstances：　first　of　all；　in　the　Saxon　stuff

there　was　to　work　on；　but　next；　and　beyond　all　else　except　that；

is　the　Presbyterian　Gospel　of　John　Knox。〃（Carlyle'　s

MISCELLANIES；　iv。　118。



（19）　Moore's　'Life　of　Byron；'　8vo。　ed。　p。484。Dante　was　a

religious　as　well　as　a　political　reformer。　　He　was　a　reformer

three　hundred　years　before　the　Reformation；　advocating　the

separation　of　the　spiritual　from　the　civil　power；　and　declaring

the　temporal　government　of　the　Pope　to　be　a　usurpation。　　The

following　memorable　words　were　written　over　five　hundred　and　sixty

years　ago；　while　Dante　was　still　a　member　of　the　Roman　Catholic

Church：…　〃Every　Divine　law　is　found　in　one　or　other　of　the　two

Testaments；　but　in　neither　can　I　find　that　the　care　of　temporal

matters　was　given　to　the　priesthood。　　On　the　contrary；　I　find　that

the　first　priests　were　removed　from　them　by　law；　and　the　later

priests；　by　command　of　Christ；　to　His　disciples。〃DE　MONARCHIA；

lib。　iii。　cap。　xi。



Dante　also；　still　clinging　to　'the　Church　he　wished　to　reform；'

thus　anticipated　the　fundamental　doctrine　of　the　Reformation：…

〃Before　the　Church　are　the　Old　and　New　Testament；　after　the

Church　are　traditions。　　It　follows；　then；　that　the　authority

of　the　Church　depends；　not　on　traditions；　but　traditions

on　the　Church。〃



（20）　'Blackwood's　Magazine；'　June；　1863；　art。　'Girolamo

Savonarola。'



（21）　One　of　the　last　passages　in　the　Diary　of　Dr。　Arnold；　written

the　year　before　his　death；　was　as　follows：…　〃It　is　the　misfortune

of　France　that　her　'past'　cannot　be　loved　or　respectedher

future　and　her　present　cannot　be　wedded　to　it；　yet　how　can　the

present　yield　fruit；　or　the　future　have　promise；　except　their

roots　be　fixed　in　the　past？　　The　evil　is　infinite；　but　the　blame

rests　with　those　who　made　the　past　a　dead　thing；　out　of　which　no

healthful　life　could　be　produced。〃LIFE；　ii。　387…8；　Ed。　1858。



（22）　A　public　orator　lately　spoke　with　contempt　of　the　Battle　of

Marathon；　because　only　192　perished　on　the　side　of　the　Athenians；

whereas　by　improved　mechanism　and　destructive　chemicals；　some

50；000　men　or　more　may　now　be　destroyed　within　a　few　hours。　　Yet

the　Battle　of　Marathon；　and　the　heroism　displayed　in　it；　will

probably　continue　to　be　remembered　when　the　gigantic　butcheries　of

modern　times　have　been　forgotten。







CHAPTER　II。HOME　POWER。







　　　　　　　　〃So　build　we　up　the　being　that　we　are；

　　　　　　　　　Thus　deeply　drinking　in　the　soul　of　things；

　　　　　　　　　We　shall　be　wise　perforce。〃　　WORDSWORTH。



　　　　〃The　millstreams　that　turn　the　clappers　of　the　world

　　　　　arise　in　solitary　places。〃HELPS。



〃In　the　course　of　a　conversation　with　Madame　Campan；　Napoleon

Buonaparte　remarked：　'The　old　systems　of　instruction　seem　to　be

worth　nothing；　what　is　yet　wanting　in　order　that　the　people　should

be　properly　educated？'　'MOTHERS；'　replied　Madame　Campan。　　The

reply　struck　the　Emperor。　　'Yes！'　said　he　'here　is　a　system　of

education　in　one　word。　　Be　it　your　care；　then；　to　train　up　mothers

who　shall　know　how　to　educate　their　children。'〃AIME　MARTIN。



　　　　　　　　〃Lord！　with　what　care　hast　Thou　begirt　us　round！

　　　　　　　　　　Parents　first　season　us。　　Then　schoolmasters

　　　　　　　　　Deliver　us　to　laws。　　They　send　us　bound

　　　　　　　　　　To　rules　of　reason。〃GEORGE　HERBERT。





HOME　is　the　first　and　most　important　school　of　character。　　It　is

there　that　every　human　being　receives　his　best　moral　training；　or

his　worst；　for　it　is　there　that　he　imbibes　those　principles　of

conduct　which　endure　through　manhood；　and　cease　only　with　life。



It　is　a　common　saying　that　〃Manners　make　the　man；〃　and　there　is　a

second；　that　〃Mind　makes　the　man；〃　but　truer　than　either　is　a

third；　that　〃Home　makes　the　man。〃　　For　the　home…training　includes

not　only　manners　and　mind；　but　character。　　It　is　mainly　in　the

home　that　the　heart　is　opened；　the　habits　are　formed；　the

intellect　is　awakened；　and　character　moulded　for　good　or　for　evil。



From　that　source；　be　it　pure　or　impure；　issue　the　principles　and

maxims　that　govern　society。　　Law　itself　is　but　the　reflex　of

homes。　　The　tiniest　bits　of　opinion　sown　in　the　minds　of　children

in　private　life　afterwards　issue　forth　to　the　world；　and　become

its　public　opinion；　for　nations　are　gathered　out　of　nurseries；　and

they　who　hold　the　leading…strings　of　children　may　even　exercise　a

greater　power　than　those　who　wield　the　reins　of　government。　（1）



It　is　in　the　order　of　nature　that　domestic　life　should　be

preparatory　to　social；　and　that　the　mind　and　character　should

first　be　formed　in　the　home。　　There　the　individuals　who　afterwards

form　society　are　dealt　with　in　detail；　and　fashioned　one　by　one。

From　the　family　they　enter　life；　and　advance　from　boyhood　to

citizenship。　　Thus　the　home　may　be　regarded　as　the　most

influential　school　of　civilisation。　　For；　after　all；　civilisation

mainly　resolves　itself　into　a　question　of　individual　training；　and

according　as　the　respective　members　of　society　are　well　or　ill…

trained　in　youth；　so　will　the　community　which　they　constitute　be

more　or　less　humanised　and　civilised。



The　training　of　any　man；　even　the　wisest；　cannot　fail　to　be

powerfully　influenced　by　the　moral　surroundings　of　his　early

years。　　He　comes　into　the　world　helpless；　and　absolutely　dependent

upon　those　about　him　for　nurture　and　culture。　　From　th