character-第29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！



to　follow　good。　　Decision　gives　the　power　of　standing　firmly；　when

to　yield；　however　slightly；　might　be　only　the　first　step　in　a

downhill　course　to　ruin。



Calling　upon　others　for　help　in　forming　a　decision　is　worse　than

useless。　　A　man　must　so　train　his　habits　as　to　rely　upon　his　own

powers　and　depend　upon　his　own　courage　in　moments　of　emergency。

Plutarch　tells　of　a　King　of　Macedon　who；　in　the　midst　of　an

action；　withdrew　into　the　adjoining　town　under　pretence　of

sacrificing　to　Hercules；　whilst　his　opponent　Emilius；　at　the　same

time　that　he　implored　the　Divine　aid；　sought　for　victory　sword　in

hand；　and　won　the　battle。　　And　so　it　ever　is　in　the　actions　of

daily　life。



Many　are　the　valiant　purposes　formed；　that　end　merely　in　words；

deeds　intended；　that　are　never　done；　designs　projected；　that　are

never　begun；　and　all　for　want　of　a　little　courageous　decision。

Better　far　the　silent　tongue　but　the　eloquent　deed。　　For　in　life

and　in　business；　despatch　is　better　than　discourse；　and　the

shortest　answer　of　all　is；　DOING。　　〃In　matters　of　great　concern；

and　which　must　be　done；〃　says　Tillotson；　〃there　is　no　surer

argument　of　a　weak　mind　than　irresolutionto　be　undetermined

when　the　case　is　so　plain　and　the　necessity　so　urgent。　　To　be

always　intending　to　live　a　new　life；　but　never　to　find　time

to　set　about　it；this　is　as　if　a　man　should　put　off　eating

and　drinking　and　sleeping　from　one　day　to　another；　until

he　is　starved　and　destroyed。〃



There　needs　also　the　exercise　of　no　small　degree　of　moral　courage

to　resist　the　corrupting　influences　of　what　is　called　〃Society。〃

Although　〃Mrs。　Grundy〃　may　be　a　very　vulgar　and　commonplace

personage；　her　influence　is　nevertheless　prodigious。　　Most　men；

but　especially　women；　are　the　moral　slaves　of　the　class　or　caste

to　which　they　belong。　　There　is　a　sort　of　unconscious　conspiracy

existing　amongst　them　against　each　other's　individuality。　　Each

circle　and　section；　each　rank　and　class；　has　its　respective

customs　and　observances；　to　which　conformity　is　required　at　the

risk　of　being　tabooed。　　Some　are　immured　within　a　bastile　of

fashion；　others　of　custom；　others　of　opinion；　and　few　there　are

who　have　the　courage　to　think　outside　their　sect；　to　act　outside

their　party；　and　to　step　out　into　the　free　air　of　individual

thought　and　action。　　We　dress；　and　eat；　and　follow　fashion；　though

it　may　be　at　the　risk　of　debt；　ruin；　and　misery；　living　not　so

much　according　to　our　means；　as　according　to　the　superstitious

observances　of　our　class。　　Though　we　may　speak　contemptuously

of　the　Indians　who　flatten　their　heads；　and　of　the　Chinese

who　cramp　their　toes；　we　have　only　to　look　at　the　deformities

of　fashion　amongst　ourselves；　to　see　that　the　reign　of

〃Mrs。　Grundy〃　is　universal。



But　moral　cowardice　is　exhibited　quite　as　much　in　public　as　in

private　life。　　Snobbism　is　not　confined　to　the　toadying　of　the

rich；　but　is　quite　as　often　displayed　in　the　toadying　of　the　poor。

Formerly；　sycophancy　showed　itself　in　not　daring　to　speak　the

truth　to　those　in　high　places；　but　in　these　days　it　rather　shows

itself　in　not　daring　to　speak　the　truth　to　those　in　low　places。

Now　that　〃the　masses〃　（6）　exercise　political　power；　there　is　a

growing　tendency　to　fawn　upon　them；　to　flatter　them；　and　to　speak

nothing　but　smooth　words　to　them。　　They　are　credited　with　virtues

which　they　themselves　know　they　do　not　possess。　　The　public

enunciation　of　wholesome　because　disagreeable　truths　is　avoided；

and；　to　win　their　favour；　sympathy　is　often　pretended　for　views；

the　carrying　out　of　which　in　practice　is　known　to　be　hopeless。



It　is　not　the　man　of　the　noblest　characterthe　highest…cultured

and　best…conditioned　manwhose　favour　is　now　sought；　so　much　as

that　of　the　lowest　man；　the　least…cultured　and　worst…conditioned

man；　because　his　vote　is　usually　that　of　the　majority。　　Even　men

of　rank；　wealth；　and　education；　are　seen　prostrating　themselves

before　the　ignorant；　whose　votes　are　thus　to　be　got。　　They　are

ready　to　be　unprincipled　and　unjust　rather　than　unpopular。　　It　is

so　much　easier　for　some　men　to　stoop；　to　bow；　and　to　flatter；　than

to　be　manly；　resolute；　and　magnanimous；　and　to　yield　to　prejudices

than　run　counter　to　them。　　It　requires　strength　and　courage　to

swim　against　the　stream；　while　any　dead　fish　can　float　with　it。



This　servile　pandering　to　popularity　has　been　rapidly　on　the

increase　of　late　years；　and　its　tendency　has　been　to　lower　and

degrade　the　character　of　public　men。　　Consciences　have　become　more

elastic。　　There　is　now　one　opinion　for　the　chamber；　and　another

for　the　platform。　　Prejudices　are　pandered　to　in　public；　which　in

private　are　despised。　　Pretended　conversionswhich　invariably

jump　with　party　interests　are　more　sudden；　and　even　hypocrisy　now

appears　to　be　scarcely　thought　discreditable。



The　same　moral　cowardice　extends　downwards　as　well　as　upwards。

The　action　and　reaction　are　equal。　　Hypocrisy　and　timeserving

above　are　accompanied　by　hypocrisy　and　timeserving　below。　　Where

men　of　high　standing　have　not　the　courage　of　their　opinions；　what

is　to　be　expected　from　men　of　low　standing？　　They　will　only　follow

such　examples　as　are　set　before　them。　　They　too　will　skulk；　and

dodge；　and　prevaricatebe　ready　to　speak　one　way　and　act　another

just　like　their　betters。　　Give　them　but　a　sealed　box；　or　some

hole…and…corner　to　hide　their　act　in；　and　they　will　then　enjoy

their　〃liberty！〃



Popularity；　as　won　in　these　days；　is　by　no　means　a　presumption　in

a　man's　favour；　but　is　quite　as　often　a　presumption　against　him。

〃No　man；〃　says　the　Russian　proverb；　〃can　rise　to　honour　who　is

cursed　with　a　stiff　backbone。〃　　But　the　backbone　of　the

popularity…hunter　is　of　gristle；　and　he　has　no　difficulty　in

stooping　and　bending　himself　in　any　direction　to　catch　the　breath

of　popular　applause。



Where　popularity　is　won　by　fawning　upon　the　people；　by　withholding

the　truth　from　them；　by　writing　and　speaking　down　to　the　lowest

tastes；　and　still　worse　by　appeals　to　class…hatred；　（7）　such　a

popularity　must　be　simply　contemptible　in　the　sight　of　all　honest

men。　　Jeremy　Bentham；　speaking　of　a　well…known　public　character；

said：　〃His　creed　of　politics　results　less　from　love　of　the　many

than　from　hatred　of　the　few；　it　is　too　much　under　the　influence　of

selfish　and　dissocial　affection。〃　　To　how　many　men　in　our　own　day

might　not　the　same　description　apply？



Men　of　sterling　character　have　the　courage　to　speak　the　truth；

even　when　it　is　unpopular。　　It　was　said　of　Colonel　Hutchinson　by

his　wife；　that　he　never　sought　after　popular　applause；　or　prided

himself　on　it：　〃He　more　delighted　to　do　well　than　to　be　praised；

and　never　set　vulgar　commendations　at　such　a　rate　as　to　act

contrary　to　his　own　conscience　or　reason　for　the　obtaining　them；

nor　would　he　forbear　a　good　action　which　he　was　bound　to；　though

all　the　world　disliked　it；　for　he　ever　looked　on　things　as　they

were　in　themselves；　not　through　the　dim　spectacles　of　vulgar

estimation。〃　（8）



〃Popularity；　in　the　lowest　and　most　common　sense；〃　said　Sir　John

Pakington；　on　a　recent　occasion；　（9）　〃is　not　worth　the　having。　　Do

your　duty　to　the　best　of　your　power；　win　the　approbation　of　your

own　conscience；　and　popularity；　in　its　best　and　highest　sense；　is

sure　to　follow。〃



When　Richard　Lovell　Edgeworth；　towards　the　close　of　his　life；

became　very　popular　in　his　neighbourhood；　he　said　one　day　to　his

daughter：　〃Maria；　I　am　growing　dreadfully　popular；　I　shall　be　good

for　nothing　soon；　a　man　cannot　be　good　for　anything　who　is　very

popular。〃　　Probably　he　had　in　his　mind　at　the　time　the　Gospel

curse　of　the　popular　man；　〃Woe　unto　you；　when　all　men　shall　speak

well　of　you！　for　so　did　their　fathers　to　the　false　prophets。〃



Intellectual　intrepidity　is　one　of　the　vital　conditions　of

independence　and　self…reliance　of　character。　　A　man　must　have　the

courage　to　be　himself；　and　not　the　shadow　or　the　echo　of　another。

He　must　exercise　his　own　powers；　think　his　own　thoughts；　and　speak

his　own　sentiments。　　He　must　elaborate　his　own　opinions；　and　form

his　own　convictions。　　It　has　been　said　that　he　who　dare　not　form

an　opinion；　must　be　a　coward；　he　who　will　not；　must　be　an　idler；

he　who　cannot；　must　be　a　fool。



But　it　is　precisely　in　this　element　of　intrepidity　that　so　many

persons　of　promise　fall　short；　and　disappoint　the　expectations　of

their　friends。　　They　march　up　to　the　scene　of　action；　but　at　every

step　their　courage　oozes　out。　　They　want　the　requisite　decision；

courage；　and　perseverance。　　They　calculate　the　risks；　and　weigh

the　chances；　until　the　opportunity　for　effective　effort　has

passed；　it　may　be　never　to　return。



Men　are　bound　to　speak　the　truth　in　the　love　of　it。　　〃I　had　rather

suffer；〃　said　John　Pym；　the　Commonwealth　man；　〃for　speaking　the

truth；　than　that　the　truth　should　suffer　for　want　of　my　speaking。〃

When　a　man's　convictions　are　honestly　formed；　after　fair　and　full

consideration；　he