character-第14节

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！



Sir　Robert　Filmer；　the　supposed　necessary　as　well　as　absolute

power　of　the　father　over　his　children；　was　taken　as　the　foundation

and　origin；　and　thence　justifying　cause；　of　the　power　of　the

monarch　in　every　political　state。　　With　more　propriety　he　might

have　stated　the　absolute　dominion　of　a　woman　as　the　only

legitimate　form　of　government。〃DEONTOLOGY；　ii。　181。







CHAPTER　III。COMPANIONSHIP　AND　EXAMPLES







　　　　〃Keep　good　company；　and　you　shall　be　of　the　number。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GEORGE　HERBERT。



　　　　〃For　mine　own　part；

　　　　I　Shall　be　glad　to　learn　of　noble　men。〃SHAKSPEARE



　　　　〃Examples　preach　to　th'　eyeCare　then；　mine　says；

　　　　Not　how　you　end　but　how　you　spend　your　days。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　HENRY　MARTEN'LAST　THOUGHTS。'



〃Dis　moi　qui　t'admire；　et　je　dirai　qui　tu　es。〃SAINTE…BEUVE



He　that　means　to　be　a　good　limner　will　be　sure　to　draw　after　the

most　excellent　copies　and　guide　every　stroke　of　his　pencil　by　the

better　pattern　that　lays　before　him；　so　he　that　desires　that　the

table　of　his　life　may　be　fair；　will　be　careful　to　propose　the　best

examples；　and　will　never　be　content　till　he　equals　or　excels

them。〃OWEN　FELTHAM





The　natural　education　of　the　Home　is　prolonged　far　into　life

indeed；　it　never　entirely　ceases。　　But　the　time　arrives；　in　the

progress　of　years；　when　the　Home　ceases　to　exercise　an　exclusive

influence　on　the　formation　of　character；　and　it　is　succeeded　by

the　more　artificial　education　of　the　school　and　the　companionship

of　friends　and　comrades；　which　continue　to　mould　the　character　by

the　powerful　influence　of　example。



Men；　young　and　oldbut　the　young　more　than　the　oldcannot　help

imitating　those　with　whom　they　associate。　　It　was　a　saying　of

George　Herbert's　mother；　intended　for　the　guidance　of　her　sons；

〃that　as　our　bodies　take　a　nourishment　suitable　to　the　meat　on

which　we　feed；　so　do　our　souls　as　insensibly　take　in　virtue　or

vice　by　the　example　or　conversation　of　good　or　bad　company。〃



Indeed；　it　is　impossible　that　association　with　those　about　us

should　not　produce　a　powerful　influence　in　the　formation　of

character。　　For　men　are　by　nature　imitators；　and　all　persons　are

more　or　less　impressed　by　the　speech；　the　manners；　the　gait；　the

gestures；　and　the　very　habits　of　thinking　of　their　companions。

〃Is　example　nothing？〃　said　Burke。　　〃It　is　everything。　　Example　is

the　school　of　mankind；　and　they　will　learn　at　no　other。〃　　Burke's

grand　motto；　which　he　wrote　for　the　tablet　of　the　Marquis　of

Rockingham；　is　worth　repeating：　it　was；　〃Rememberresemble

persevere。〃



Imitation　is　for　the　most　part　so　unconscious　that　its　effects　are

almost　unheeded；　but　its　influence　is　not　the　less　permanent　on

that　account。　　It　is　only　when　an　impressive　nature　is　placed　in

contact　with　an　impressionable　one；　that　the　alteration　in　the

character　becomes　recognisable。　　Yet　even　the　weakest　natures

exercise　some　influence　upon　those　about　them。　　The　approximation

of　feeling；　thought；　and　habit　is　constant；　and　the　action　of

example　unceasing。



Emerson　has　observed　that　even　old　couples；　or　persons　who　have

been　housemates　for　a　course　of　years；　grow　gradually　like　each

other；　so　that；　if　they　were　to　live　long　enough；　we　should

scarcely　be　able　to　know　them　apart。　　But　if　this　be　true　of　the

old；　how　much　more　true　is　it　of　the　young；　whose　plastic　natures

are　so　much　more　soft　and　impressionable；　and　ready　to　take　the

stamp　of　the　life　and　conversation　of　those　about　them！



〃There　has　been；〃　observed　Sir　Charles　Bell　in　one　of　his　letters；

〃a　good　deal　said　about　education；　but　they　appear　to　me　to　put

out　of　sight　EXAMPLE；　which　is　all…in…all。　　My　best　education　was

the　example　set　me　by　my　brothers。　　There　was；　in　all　the　members

of　the　family；　a　reliance　on　self；　a　true　independence；　and　by

imitation　I　obtained　it。〃　（1）



It　is　in　the　nature　of　things　that　the　circumstances　which

contribute　to　form　the　character；　should　exercise　their　principal

influence　during　the　period　of　growth。　　As　years　advance；　example

and　imitation　become　custom；　and　gradually　consolidate　into　habit；

which　is　of　so　much　potency　that；　almost　before　we　know　it；　we

have　in　a　measure　yielded　up　to　it　our　personal　freedom。



It　is　related　of　Plato；　that　on　one　occasion　he　reproved　a　boy　for

playing　at　some　foolish　game。　　〃Thou　reprovest　me；〃　said　the　boy；


〃for　a　very　little　thing。〃　　〃But　custom；〃　replied　Plato；　〃is　not　a

little　thing。〃　　Bad　custom；　consolidated　into　habit；　is　such　a

tyrant　that　men　sometimes　cling　to　vices　even　while　they　curse

them。　　They　have　become　the　slaves　of　habits　whose　power　they

are　impotent　to　resist。　　Hence　Locke　has　said　that　to　create

and　maintain　that　vigour　of　mind　which　is　able　to　contest　the

empire　of　habit；　may　be　regarded　as　one　of　the　chief　ends

of　moral　discipline。



Though　much　of　the　education　of　character　by　example　is

spontaneous　and　unconscious；　the　young　need　not　necessarily　be　the

passive　followers　or　imitators　of　those　about　them。　　Their　own

conduct；　far　more　than　the　conduct　of　their　companions；　tends　to

fix　the　purpose　and　form　the　principles　of　their　life。　　Each

possesses　in　himself　a　power　of　will　and　of　free　activity；　which；

if　courageously　exercised；　will　enable　him　to　make　his　own

individual　selection　of　friends　and　associates。　　It　is　only

through　weakness　of　purpose　that　young　people；　as　well　as　old；

become　the　slaves　of　their　inclinations；　or　give　themselves　up　to

a　servile　imitation　of　others。



It　is　a　common　saying　that　men　are　known　by　the　company　they　keep。

The　sober　do　not　naturally　associate　with　the　drunken；　the　refined

with　the　coarse；　the　decent　with　the　dissolute。　　To　associate　with

depraved　persons　argues　a　low　taste　and　vicious　tendencies；　and　to

frequent　their　society　leads　to　inevitable　degradation　of

character。　　〃The　conversation　of　such　persons；〃　says　Seneca；　〃is

very　injurious；　for　even　if　it　does　no　immediate　harm；　it　leaves

its　seeds　in　the　mind；　and　follows　us　when　we　have　gone　from　the

speakersa　plague　sure　to　spring　up　in　future　resurrection。〃



If　young　men　are　wisely　influenced　and　directed；　and

conscientiously　exert　their　own　free　energies；　they　will　seek　the

society　of　those　better　than　themselves；　and　strive　to　imitate

their　example。　　In　companionship　with　the　good；　growing　natures

will　always　find　their　best　nourishment；　while　companionship　with

the　bad　will　only　be　fruitful　in　mischief。　　There　are　persons　whom

to　know　is　to　love；　honour；　and　admire；　and　others　whom　to　know　is

to　shun　and　despise；〃DONT　LE　SAVOIR　N'EST　QUE　BETERIE；〃　as　says

Rabelais　when　speaking　of　the　education　of　Gargantua。　　Live　with

persons　of　elevated　characters；　and　you　will　feel　lifted　and

lighted　up　in　them：　〃Live　with　wolves；〃　says　the　Spanish　proverb；

〃and　you　will　learn　to　howl。〃



Intercourse　with　even　commonplace；　selfish　persons；　may　prove　most

injurious；　by　inducing　a　dry；　dull　reserved；　and　selfish　condition

of　mind；　more　or　less　inimical　to　true　manliness　and　breadth　of

character。　　The　mind　soon　learns　to　run　in　small　grooves；　the

heart　grows　narrow　and　contracted；　and　the　moral　nature　becomes

weak；　irresolute；　and　accommodating；　which　is　fatal　to　all

generous　ambition　or　real　excellence。



On　the　other　hand；　association　with　persons　wiser；　better；　and

more　experienced　than　ourselves；　is　always　more　or　less　inspiring

and　invigorating。　　They　enhance　our　own　knowledge　of　life。　　We

correct　our　estimates　by　theirs；　and　become　partners　in　their

wisdom。　　We　enlarge　our　field　of　observation　through　their　eyes；

profit　by　their　experience；　and　learn　not　only　from　what　they　have

enjoyed；　butwhich　is　still　more　instructivefrom　what　they

have　suffered。　　If　they　are　stronger　than　ourselves；　we　become

participators　in　their　strength。　　Hence　companionship　with　the

wise　and　energetic　never　fails　to　have　a　most　valuable　influence

on　the　formation　of　characterincreasing　our　resources；

strengthening　our　resolves；　elevating　our　aims；　and　enabling　us　to

exercise　greater　dexterity　and　ability　in　our　own　affairs；　as　well

as　more　effective　helpfulness　of　others。



〃I　have　often　deeply　regretted　in　myself；〃　says　Mrs。

Schimmelpenninck；　〃the　great　loss　I　have　experienced　from　the

solitude　of　my　early　habits。　　We　need　no　worse　companion　than　our

unregenerate　selves；　and；　by　living　alone；　a　person　not　only

becomes　wholly　ignorant　of　the　means　of　helping　his　fellow…

creatures；　but　is　without　the　perception　of　those　wants　which　most

need　help。　　Association　with　others；　when　not　on　so　large　a　scale

as　to　make　hours　of　retirement　impossible；　may　be　considered　as

furnishing　to　an　individual　a　rich　multiplied　experience；　and

sympathy　so　drawn　forth；　though；　unlike　charity；　it　begins　abroad；

never　fails　to　bring　back　rich　treasures　home。　　Association　with

others　is　useful　also　in　strengthening　the　character；　and　in

enabling　us；　while　we