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The　names　of　the　men　who　have　suffered　in　the　cause　of　religion；

of　science；　and　of　truth；　are　the　men　of　all　others　whose　memories

are　held　in　the　greatest　esteem　and　reverence　by　mankind。　　They

perished；　but　their　truth　survived。　　They　seemed　to　fail；　and　yet

they　eventually　succeeded。　（11）　　Prisons　may　have　held　them；　but

their　thoughts　were　not　to　be　confined　by　prison…walls。　　They　have

burst　through；　and　defied　the　power　of　their　persecutors。　　It　was

Lovelace；　a　prisoner；　who　wrote：



　　　　　　　　〃Stone　walls　do　not　a　prison　make；

　　　　　　　　　　　　Nor　iron　bars　a　cage；

　　　　　　　　　　Minds　innocent　and　quiet　take

　　　　　　　　　　　　That　for　a　hermitage。〃



It　was　a　saying　of　Milton　that；　〃who　best　can　suffer　best　can　do。〃

The　work　of　many　of　the　greatest　men；　inspired　by　duty；　has　been

done　amidst　suffering　and　trial　and　difficulty。　　They　have

struggled　against　the　tide；　and　reached　the　shore　exhausted；　only

to　grasp　the　sand　and　expire。　　They　have　done　their　duty；　and　been

content　to　die。　　But　death　hath　no　power　over　such　men；　their

hallowed　memories　still　survive；　to　soothe　and　purify　and　bless

us。　　〃Life；〃　said　Goethe；　〃to　us　all　is　suffering。　　Who　save　God

alone　shall　call　us　to　our　reckoning？　　Let　not　reproaches　fall　on

the　departed。　　Not　what　they　have　failed　in；　nor　what　they　have

suffered；　but　what　they　have　done；　ought　to　occupy　the　survivors。〃



Thus；　it　is　not　ease　and　facility　that　tries　men；　and　brings　out

the　good　that　is　in　them；　so　much　as　trial　and　difficulty。

Adversity　is　the　touchstone　of　character。　　As　some　herbs　need　to

be　crushed　to　give　forth　their　sweetest　odour；　so　some　natures

need　to　be　tried　by　suffering　to　evoke　the　excellence　that　is　in

them。　　Hence　trials　often　unmask　virtues；　and　bring　to　light

hidden　graces。　　Men　apparently　useless　and　purposeless；　when

placed　in　positions　of　difficulty　and　responsibility；　have

exhibited　powers　of　character　before　unsuspected；　and　where　we

before　saw　only　pliancy　and　self…indulgence；　we　now　see　strength；

valour；　and　self…denial。



As　there　are　no　blessings　which　may　not　he　perverted　into　evils；

so　there　are　no　trials　which　may　not　be　converted　into　blessings。

All　depends　on　the　manner　in　which　we　profit　by　them　or　otherwise。

Perfect　happiness　is　not　to　be　looked　for　in　this　world。　　If　it

could　be　secured；　it　would　be　found　profitless。　　The　hollowest　of

all　gospels　is　the　gospel　of　ease　and　comfort。　　Difficulty；　and

even　failure；　are　far　better　teachers。　　Sir　Humphry　Davy　said：

〃Even　in　private　life；　too　much　prosperity　either　injures

the　moral　man；　and　occasions　conduct　which　ends　in　suffering；

or　it　is　accompanied　by　the　workings　of　envy；　calumny；　and

malevolence　of　others。〃



Failure　improves　tempers　and　strengthens　the　nature。　　Even　sorrow

is　in　some　mysterious　way　linked　with　joy　and　associated　with

tenderness。　　John　Bunyan　once　said　how；　〃if　it　were　lawful；　he

could　even　pray　for　greater　trouble；　for　the　greater　comfort's

sake。〃　　When　surprise　was　expressed　at　the　patience　of　a　poor

Arabian　woman　under　heavy　affliction；　she　said；　〃When　we　look　on

God's　face　we　do　not　feel　His　hand。〃



Suffering　is　doubtless　as　divinely　appointed　as　joy；　while　it　is

much　more　influential　as　a　discipline　of　character。　　It　chastens

and　sweetens　the　nature；　teaches　patience　and　resignation；　and

promotes　the　deepest　as　well　as　the　most　exalted　thought。　（12）



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃The　best　of　men

　　　　　　That　e'er　wore　earth　about　Him　was　a　sufferer；

　　　　　　A　soft；　meek；　patient；　humble；　tranquil　spirit

　　　　　　The　first　true　gentleman　that　ever　breathed。〃　（13）



Suffering　may　be　the　appointed　means　by　which　the　highest　nature

of　man　is　to　be　disciplined　and　developed。　　Assuming　happiness　to

be　the　end　of　being；　sorrow　may　be　the　indispensable　condition

through　which　it　is　to　be　reached。　　Hence　St。　Paul's　noble　paradox

descriptive　of　the　Christian　life；〃as　chastened；　and　not

killed；　as　sorrowful；　yet　always　rejoicing；　as　poor；　yet　making

many　rich；　as　having　nothing；　and　yet　possessing　all　things。〃



Even　pain　is　not　all　painful。　　On　one　side　it　is　related　to

suffering；　and　on　the　other　to　happiness。　　For　pain　is　remedial　as

well　as　sorrowful。　　Suffering　is　a　misfortune　as　viewed　from　the

one　side；　and　a　discipline　as　viewed　from　the　other。　　But　for

suffering；　the　best　part　of　many　men's　nature　would　sleep　a　deep

sleep。　　Indeed；　it　might　almost　be　said　that　pain　and　sorrow　were

the　indispensable　conditions　of　some　men's　success；　and　the

necessary　means　to　evoke　the　highest　development　of　their　genius。

Shelley　has　said　of　poets：



　　　　　　〃Most　wretched　men　are　cradled　into　poetry　by　wrong；

　　　　　　　They　learn　in　suffering　what　they　teach　in　song。〃



Does　any　one　suppose　that　Burns　would　have　sung　as　he　did；

had　he　been　rich；　respectable；　and　〃kept　a　gig；〃　or　Byron；

if　he　had　been　a　prosperous；　happily…married　Lord　Privy　Seal

or　Postmaster…General？



Sometimes　a　heartbreak　rouses　an　impassive　nature　to　life。

〃What　does　he　know；〃　said　a　sage；　〃who　has　not　suffered？〃

When　Dumas　asked　Reboul；　〃What　made　you　a　poet？〃　his　answer　was；

〃Suffering！〃　It　was　the　death；　first　of　his　wife；　and　then　of

his　child；　that　drove　him　into　solitude　for　the　indulgence　of

his　grief；　and　eventually　led　him　to　seek　and　find　relief　in

verse。　（14）　　It　was　also　to　a　domestic　affliction　that　we　owe

the　beautiful　writings　of　Mrs。　Gaskell。　　〃It　was　as　a　recreation；

in　the　highest　sense　of　the　word；〃　says　a　recent　writer；　speaking

from　personal　knowledge；　〃as　an　escape　from　the　great　void　of　a

life　from　which　a　cherished　presence　had　been　taken；　that　she

began　that　series　of　exquisite　creations　which　has　served　to

multiply　the　number　of　our　acquaintances；　and　to　enlarge　even

the　circle　of　our　friendships。〃　（15）



Much　of　the　best　and　most　useful　work　done　by　men　and　women　has

been　done　amidst　afflictionsometimes　as　a　relief　from　it；

sometimes　from　a　sense　of　duty　overpowering　personal　sorrow。　　〃If

I　had　not　been　so　great　an　invalid；〃　said　Dr。　Darwin　to　a　friend；

〃I　should　not　have　done　nearly　so　much　work　as　I　have　been　able　to

accomplish。〃　　So　Dr。　Donne；　speaking　of　his　illnesses；　once　said：

〃This　advantage　you　and　my　other　friends　have　by　my　frequent

fevers　is；　that　I　am　so　much　the　oftener　at　the　gates　of　Heaven；

and　by　the　solitude　and　close　imprisonment　they　reduce　me　to；　I　am

so　much　the　oftener　at　my　prayers；　in　which　you　and　my　other　dear

friends　are　not　forgotten。〃



Schiller　produced　his　greatest　tragedies　in　the　midst　of　physical

suffering　almost　amounting　to　torture。　　Handel　was　never　greater

than　when；　warned　by　palsy　of　the　approach　of　death；　and

struggling　with　distress　and　suffering；　he　sat　down　to　compose　the

great　works　which　have　made　his　name　immortal　in　music。　　Mozart

composed　his　great　operas；　and　last　of　all　his　'Requiem；'　when

oppressed　by　debt；　and　struggling　with　a　fatal　disease。　　Beethoven

produced　his　greatest　works　amidst　gloomy　sorrow；　when　oppressed

by　almost　total　deafness。　　And　poor　Schubert；　after　his　short　but

brilliant　life；　laid　it　down　at　the　early　age　of　thirty…two；

his　sole　property　at　his　death　consisting　of　his　manuscripts；

the　clothes　he　wore；　and　sixty…three　florins　in　money。　　Some　of

Lamb's　finest　writings　were　produced　amidst　deep　sorrow；　and

Hood's　apparent　gaiety　often　sprang　from　a　suffering　heart。

As　he　himself　wrote；



　　　　　　〃There's　not　a　string　attuned　to　mirth；

　　　　　　　But　has　its　chord　in　melancholy。〃



Again；　in　science；　we　have　the　noble　instance　of　the　suffering

Wollaston；　even　in　the　last　stages　of　the　mortal　disease　which

afflicted　him；　devoting　his　numbered　hours　to　putting　on　record；

by　dictation；　the　various　discoveries　and　improvements　he　had

made；　so　that　any　knowledge　he　had　acquired；　calculated　to　benefit

his　fellow…creatures；　might　not　be　lost。



Afflictions　often　prove　but　blessings　in　disguise。　　〃Fear　not　the

darkness；〃　said　the　Persian　sage；　it　〃conceals　perhaps　the　springs

of　the　waters　of　life。〃　　Experience　is　often　bitter；　but

wholesome；　only　by　its　teaching　can　we　learn　to　suffer　and　be

strong。　　Character；　in　its　highest　forms；　is　disciplined　by　trial；

and　〃made　perfect　through　suffering。〃　　Even　from　the　deepest

sorrow；　the　patient　and　thoughtful　mind　will　gather　richer　wisdom

than　pleasure　ever　yielded。



〃The　soul's　dark　cottage；　batter'd　and　decayed；

Lets　in　new　light　through　chinks　that　Time　has　made。〃



〃Consider；〃　said　Jeremy　Taylor；　〃that　sad　accidents；　and　a　state

of　afflictions；　is　a　school　of　virtue。　　It　reduces　our　spirits　to

soberness；　and　our　counsels　to　moderation；　it　corrects　levity；　and

interrupts　the　confidence　of　sinning。。。。　God；　who　in　mercy　and

wisdom　governs　the　world；　would　never　have　suffered　so　many

sadnesses；　and　have　sent　them；　especially；　to　the　most　virtuous

and　the　wisest　men；　but　that　He　intends　they　should　be　the

seminary　of　comfort；　the　nursery　of　virtue；　the　exercise　of

wisdom；　the　trial　of　patience；　the　venturing　for　a　crown；

and　the　gate　of　glory。〃　（16）



And　again：〃No　man　is　more　miserable　than　he　that　hath　no

adversity。　　That　man　is　not　tried；　whether　he　be　good　or　bad；

and　God　never　crowns　those　virtues　which　are　only　FACULTIES

and　DISPOSITIONS；　but　every　act　of　virtue　is　an　ingredient

unto　reward。〃　（17）



Prosperity　and　success　of　themselves　do　not　confer　happiness；

indeed；　it　not　unfrequently　happens　that　the　least　successful　in

life　have　the　greatest　share　of　true　joy　in　it。　　No　man　could　have

been　more　successful　than　Goethepossessed　of　splendid　health；

honour；　power；　and　sufficiency　of　this　world's　goodsand　yet　he

confessed　that　he　had　not；　in　the　course　of　his　life；　enjoyed　five

weeks　of　genuine　pleasure。　　So　the　Caliph　Abdalrahman；　in

surveying　his　successful　reign　of　fifty　years；　found　that　he　had

enjoyed　only　fourteen　days　of　pure　and　genuine　happiness。　（18）

After　this；　might　it　not　be　said　that　the