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withal　keep　his　mind　to　himself；　cannot　practise　any　considerable

thing　whatsoever。〃　　It　was　said　of　William　the　Silent；　by　one　of

his　greatest　enemies；　that　an　arrogant　or　indiscreet　word　was

never　known　to　fall　from　his　lips。　　Like　him；　Washington　was

discretion　itself　in　the　use　of　speech；　never　taking　advantage　of

an　opponent；　or　seeking　a　shortlived　triumph　in　a　debate。　　And　it

is　said　that　in　the　long　run；　the　world　comes　round　to　and

supports　the　wise　man　who　knows　when　and　how　to　be　silent。



We　have　heard　men　of　great　experience　say　that　they　have　often

regretted　having　spoken；　but　never　once　regretted　holding　their

tongue。　　〃Be　silent；〃　says　Pythagoras；　〃or　say　something　better

than　silence。〃　　〃Speak　fitly；〃　says　George　Herbert；　〃or　be　silent

wisely。〃　　St。　Francis　de　Sales；　whom　Leigh　Hunt　styled　〃the

Gentleman　Saint；〃　has　said：　〃It　is　better　to　remain　silent　than　to

speak　the　truth　ill…humouredly；　and　so　spoil　an　excellent　dish　by

covering　it　with　bad　sauce。〃　　Another　Frenchman；　Lacordaire；

characteristically　puts　speech　first；　and　silence　next。　　〃After

speech；〃　he　says；　〃silence　is　the　greatest　power　in　the　world。〃

Yet　a　word　spoken　in　season；　how　powerful　it　may　be！　　As　the

old　Welsh　proverb　has　it；　〃A　golden　tongue　is　in　the　mouth

of　the　blessed。〃



It　is　related；　as　a　remarkable　instance　of　self…control　on　the

part　of　De　Leon；　a　distinguished　Spanish　poet　of　the　sixteenth

century；　who　lay　for　years　in　the　dungeons　of　the　Inquisition

without　light　or　society；　because　of　his　having　translated　a　part

of　the　Scriptures　into　his　native　tongue；　that　on　being　liberated

and　restored　to　his　professorship；　an　immense　crowd　attended　his

first　lecture；　expecting　some　account　of　his　long　imprisonment；

but　Do　Leon　was　too　wise　and　too　gentle　to　indulge　in

recrimination。　　He　merely　resumed　the　lecture　which；　five　years

before；　had　been　so　sadly　interrupted；　with　the　accustomed　formula

〃HERI　DICEBAMUS；〃　and　went　directly　into　his　subject。



There　are；　of　course；　times　and　occasions　when　the　expression　of

indignation　is　not　only　justifiable　but　necessary。　　We　are　bound

to　be　indignant　at　falsehood；　selfishness；　and　cruelty。　　A　man　of

true　feeling　fires　up　naturally　at　baseness　or　meanness　of　any

sort；　even　in　cases　where　he　may　be　under　no　obligation　to　speak

out。　　〃I　would　have　nothing　to　do；〃　said　Perthes；　〃with　the　man

who　cannot　be　moved　to　indignation。　　There　are　more　good　people

than　bad　in　the　world；　and　the　bad　get　the　upper　hand　merely

because　they　are　bolder。　　We　cannot　help　being　pleased　with　a　man

who　uses　his　powers　with　decision；　and　we　often　take　his　side　for

no　other　reason　than　because　he　does　so　use　them。　　No　doubt；　I

have　often　repented　speaking；　but　not　less　often　have　I　repented

keeping　silence。〃　（8）



One　who　loves　right　cannot　be　indifferent　to　wrong；　or　wrongdoing。

If　he　feels　warmly；　he　will　speak　warmly；　out　of　the　fulness　of

his　heart。　　As　a　noble　lady　（9）　has　written：



　　　　　　〃A　noble　heart　doth　teach　a　virtuous　scorn

　　　　　　To　scorn　to　owe　a　duty　overlong；

　　　　　　To　scorn　to　be　for　benefits　forborne；

　　　　　　To　scorn　to　lie；　to　scorn　to　do　a　wrong；

　　　　　　To　scorn　to　bear　an　injury　in　mind；

　　　　　　To　scorn　a　freeborn　heart　slave…like　to　bind。〃



We　have；　however；　to　be　on　our　guard　against　impatient　scorn。　　The

best　people　are　apt　to　have　their　impatient　side；　and　often；　the

very　temper　which　makes　men　earnest；　makes　them　also　intolerant。

（10）　　〃Of　all　mental　gifts；〃　says　Miss　Julia　Wedgwood；　〃the　rarest

is　intellectual　patience；　and　the　last　lesson　of　culture　is　to

believe　in　difficulties　which　are　invisible　to　ourselves。〃



The　best　corrective　of　intolerance　in　disposition；　is　increase　of

wisdom　and　enlarged　experience　of　life。　　Cultivated　good　sense

will　usually　save　men　from　the　entanglements　in　which　moral

impatience　is　apt　to　involve　them；　good　sense　consisting　chiefly

in　that　temper　of　mind　which　enables　its　possessor　to　deal　with

the　practical　affairs　of　life　with　justice；　judgment；　discretion；

and　charity。　　Hence　men　of　culture　and　experience　are　invariably；

found　the　most　forbearant　and　tolerant；　as　ignorant　and

narrowminded　persons　are　found　the　most　unforgiving　and

intolerant。　　Men　of　large　and　generous　natures；　in　proportion　to

their　practical　wisdom；　are　disposed　to　make　allowance　for　the

defects　and　disadvantages　of　othersallowance　for　the

controlling　power　of　circumstances　in　the　formation　of　character；

and　the　limited　power　of　resistance　of　weak　and　fallible　natures

to　temptation　and　error。　　〃I　see　no　fault　committed；〃　said　Goethe；

〃which　I　also　might　not　have　committed。〃　　So　a　wise　and　good　man

exclaimed；　when　he　saw　a　criminal　drawn　on　his　hurdle　to　Tyburn：

〃There　goes　Jonathan　Bradfordbut　for　the　grace　of　God！〃



Life　will　always　be；　to　a　great　extent；　what　we　ourselves　make　it。

The　cheerful　man　makes　a　cheerful　world；　the　gloomy　man　a　gloomy

one。　　We　usually　find　but　our　own　temperament　reflected　in　the

dispositions　of　those　about　us。　　If　we　are　ourselves　querulous；　we

will　find　them　so；　if　we　are　unforgiving　and　uncharitable　to　them；

they　will　be　the　same　to　us。　　A　person　returning　from　an　evening

party　not　long　ago；　complained　to　a　policeman　on　his　beat　that　an

ill…looking　fellow　was　following　him：　it　turned　out　to　be　only　his

own　shadow！　And　such　usually　is　human　life　to　each　of　us；　it　is；

for　the　most　part；　but　the　reflection　of　ourselves。



If　we　would　be　at　peace　with　others；　and　ensure　their　respect；　we

must　have　regard　for　their　personality。　　Every　man　has　his

peculiarities　of　manner　and　character；　as　he　has　peculiarities　of

form　and　feature；　and　we　must　have　forbearance　in　dealing　with

them；　as　we　expect　them　to　have　forbearance　in　dealing　with　us。

We　may　not　be　conscious　of　our　own　peculiarities；　yet　they　exist

nevertheless。　　There　is　a　village　in　South　America　where　gotos　or

goitres　are　so　common　that　to　be　without　one　is　regarded　as　a

deformity。　　One　day　a　party　of　Englishmen　passed　through　the

place；　when　quite　a　crowd　collected　to　jeer　them；　shouting：　〃See；

see　these　peoplethey　have　got　NO　GOTOS！〃



Many　persons　give　themselves　a　great　deal　of　fidget　concerning

what　other　people　think　of　them　and　their　peculiarities。　　Some　are

too　much　disposed　to　take　the　illnatured　side；　and；　judging　by

themselves；　infer　the　worst。　But　it　is　very　often　the　case　that

the　uncharitableness　of　others；　where　it　really　exists；　is　but　the

reflection　of　our　own　want　of　charity　and　want　of　temper。　　It

still　oftener　happens；　that　the　worry　we　subject　ourselves　to；　has

its　source　in　our　own　imagination。　　And　even　though　those　about　us

may　think　of　us　uncharitably；　we　shall　not　mend　matters　by

exasperating　ourselves　against　them。　　We　may　thereby　only　expose

ourselves　unnecessarily　to　their　illnature　or　caprice。　　〃The　ill

that　comes　out　of　our　mouth；〃　says　Herbert；　〃ofttimes　falls

into　our　bosom。〃



The　great　and　good　philosopher　Faraday　communicated　the　following

piece　of　admirable　advice；　full　of　practical　wisdom；　the　result　of

a　rich　experience　of　life；　in　a　letter　to　his　friend　Professor

Tyndall：…　〃Let　me；　as　an　old　man；　who　ought　by　this　time　to　have

profited　by　experience；　say　that　when　I　was　younger　I　found　I

often　misrepresented　the　intentions　of　people；　and　that　they　did

not　mean　what　at　the　time　I　supposed　they　meant；　and　further；

that；　as　a　general　rule；　it　was　better　to　be　a　little　dull　of

apprehension　where　phrases　seemed　to　imply　pique；　and　quick　in

perception　when；　on　the　contrary；　they　seemed　to　imply　kindly

feeling。　　The　real　truth　never　fails　ultimately　to　appear；　and

opposing　parties；　if　wrong；　are　sooner　convinced　when　replied　to

forbearingly；　than　when　overwhelmed。　　All　I　mean　to　say　is；　that

it　is　better　to　be　blind　to　the　results　of　partisanship；　and　quick

to　see　goodwill。　　One　has　more　happiness　in　one's　self　in

endeavouring　to　follow　the　things　that　make　for　peace。　　You　can

hardly　imagine　how　often　I　have　been　heated　in　private　when

opposed；　as　I　have　thought　unjustly　and　superciliously；　and　yet　I

have　striven；　and　succeeded；　I　hope；　in　keeping　down　replies　of

the　like　kind。　　And　I　know　I　have　never　lost　by　it。〃　（11）



While　the　painter　Barry　was　at　Rome；　he　involved　himself；　as　was

his　wont；　in　furious　quarrels　with　the　artists　and　dilettanti；

about　picture…painting　and　picture…dealing；　upon　which　his　friend

and　countryman；　Edmund　Burkealways　the　generous　friend　of

struggling　meritwrote　to　him　kindly　and　sensibly：　〃Believe　me；

dear　Barry；　that　the　arms　with　which　the　ill…dispositions　of　the

world　are　to　be　combated；　and　the　qualities　by　which　it　is　to　be

reconciled　to　us；　and　we　reconciled　to　it；　are　moderation；

gentleness；　a　little　indulgence　to　others；　and　a　great　deal　of

distrust　of　ourselves；　which　are　not　qualities　of　a　mean　spirit；

as　some　may　possibly　think　them；　but　virtues　of　a　great　and　noble

kind；　and　such　as　dignify　our　nature