太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > character >

第33节

character-第33节

小说: character 字数: 每页4000字

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!




income of ten or twelve pounds left by her grandmother; eked out

by her little earnings at dressmaking。  During the last two years

of her ministrations; the borough magistrates of Yarmouth; knowing

that her self…imposed labours saved them the expense of a

schoolmaster and chaplain (which they had become bound by law to

appoint); made a proposal to her of an annual salary of ?12 a

year; but they did it in so indelicate a manner as greatly to

wound her sensitive feelings。  She shrank from becoming the

salaried official of the corporation; and bartering for money

those serviced which had throughout been labours of love。  But the

Gaol Committee coarsely informed her; 〃that if they permitted her

to visit the prison she must submit to their terms; or be

excluded。〃  For two years; therefore; she received the salary of

?12 a yearthe acknowledgment of the Yarmouth corporation for

her services as gaol chaplain and schoolmistress!  She was now;

however; becoming old and infirm; and the unhealthy atmosphere of

the gaol did much towards finally disabling her。  While she lay on

her deathbed; she resumed the exercise of a talent she had

occasionally practised before in her moments of leisurethe

composition of sacred poetry。  As works of art; they may not

excite admiration; yet never were verses written truer in spirit;

or fuller of Christian love。  But her own life was a nobler

poem than any she ever wrotefull of true courage; perseverance;

charity; and wisdom。  It was indeed a commentary upon

her own words:



      〃The high desire that others may be blest

       Savours of heaven。〃







NOTES



(1) James Russell Lowell。



(2) Yet Bacon himself had written; 〃I would rather believe all the

faiths in the Legend; and the Talmud; and the Alcoran; than that

this universal frame is without a mind。〃



(3) Aubrey; in his 'Natural History of Wiltshire;' alluding to Harvey;

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

calcu

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 2 3

你可能喜欢的