character-第5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！



Reformation；　and　with　it　the　liberation　of　modern　thought。

Emerson　has　said　that　every　institution　is　to　be　regarded　as　but

the　lengthened　shadow　of　some　great　man：　as　Islamism　of　Mahomet；

Puritanism　of　Calvin；　Jesuitism　of　Loyola；　Quakerism　of　Fox；

Methodism　of　Wesley；　Abolitionism　of　Clarkson。



Great　men　stamp　their　mind　upon　their　age　and　nationas　Luther

did　upon　modern　Germany；　and　Knox　upon　Scotland。　（18）　And　if　there

be　one　man　more　than　another　that　stamped　his　mind　on　modern

Italy；　it　was　Dante。　　During　the　long　centuries　of　Italian

degradation　his　burning　words　were　as　a　watchfire　and　a　beacon　to

all　true　men。　　He　was　the　herald　of　his　nation's　libertybraving

persecution；　exile；　and　death；　for　the　love　of　it。　　He　was　always

the　most　national　of　the　Italian　poets；　the　most　loved；　the　most

read。　　From　the　time　of　his　death　all　educated　Italians　had　his

best　passages　by　heart；　and　the　sentiments　they　enshrined

inspired　their　lives；　and　eventually　influenced　the　history

of　their　nation。　　〃The　Italians；〃　wrote　Byron　in　1821；

〃talk　Dante；　write　Dante；　and　think　and　dream　Dante；　at　this

moment；　to　an　excess　which　would　be　ridiculous；　but　that　he

deserves　their　admiration。〃　（19）



A　succession　of　variously　gifted　men　in　different　agesextending

from　Alfred　to　Alberthas　in　like　manner　contributed；　by　their

life　and　example；　to　shape　the　multiform　character　of　England。　　Of

these；　probably　the　most　influential　were　the　men　of　the

Elizabethan　and　Cromwellian；　and　the　intermediate　periods

amongst　which　we　find　the　great　names　of　Shakspeare；　Raleigh；

Burleigh；　Sidney；　Bacon；　Milton；　Herbert；　Hampden；　Pym；　Eliot；

Vane；　Cromwell；　and　many　moresome　of　them　men　of　great　force；

and　others　of　great　dignity　and　purity　of　character。　　The　lives　of

such　men　have　become　part　of　the　public　life　of　England；　and　their

deeds　and　thoughts　are　regarded　as　among　the　most　cherished

bequeathments　from　the　past。



So　Washington　left　behind　him；　as　one　of　the　greatest　treasures　of

his　country；　the　example　of　a　stainless　lifeof　a　great；　honest；

pure；　and　noble　charactera　model　for　his　nation　to　form

themselves　by　in　all　time　to　come。　　And　in　the　case　of　Washington；

as　in　so　many　other　great　leaders　of　men；　his　greatness　did　not　so

much　consist　in　his　intellect；　his　skill；　and　his　genius；　as　in

his　honour；　his　integrity；　his　truthfulness；　his　high　and

controlling　sense　of　dutyin　a　word；　in　his　genuine　nobility

of　character。



Men　such　as　these　are　the　true　lifeblood　of　the　country　to　which

they　belong。　　They　elevate　and　uphold　it；　fortify　and　ennoble　it；

and　shed　a　glory　over　it　by　the　example　of　life　and　character

which　they　have　bequeathed。　　〃The　names　and　memories　of　great

men；〃　says　an　able　writer；　〃are　the　dowry　of　a　nation。　　Widowhood；

overthrow；　desertion；　even　slavery；　cannot　take　away　from　her　this

sacred　inheritance。。。。　Whenever　national　life　begins　to

quicken。。。。　the　dead　heroes　rise　in　the　memories　of　men；　and

appear　to　the　living　to　stand　by　in　solemn　spectatorship　and

approval。　　No　country　can　be　lost　which　feels　herself　overlooked

by　such　glorious　witnesses。　　They　are　the　salt　of　the　earth；　in

death　as　well　as　in　life。　　What　they　did　once；　their　descendants

have　still　and　always　a　right　to　do　after　them；　and　their　example

lives　in　their　country；　a　continual　stimulant　and　encouragement

for　him　who　has　the　soul　to　adopt　it。〃　（20）



But　it　is　not　great　men　only　that　have　to　be　taken　into　account　in

estimating　the　qualities　of　a　nation；　but　the　character　that

pervades　the　great　body　of　the　people。　　When　Washington　Irving

visited　Abbotsford；　Sir　Walter　Scott　introduced　him　to　many　of　his

friends　and　favourites；　not　only　amongst　the　neighbouring　farmers；

but　the　labouring　peasantry。　　〃I　wish　to　show　you；〃　said　Scott；

〃some　of　our　really　excellent　plain　Scotch　people。　　The　character

of　a　nation　is　not　to　be　learnt　from　its　fine　folks；　its　fine

gentlemen　and　ladies；　such　you　meet　everywhere；　and　they　are

everywhere　the　same。〃　　While　statesmen；　philosophers；　and　divines

represent　the　thinking　power　of　society；　the　men　who　found

industries　and　carve　out　new　careers；　as　well　as　the　common　body

of　working…people；　from　whom　the　national　strength　and　spirit　are

from　time　to　time　recruited；　must　necessarily　furnish　the　vital

force　and　constitute　the　real　backbone　of　every　nation。



Nations　have　their　character　to　maintain　as　well　as　individuals；

and　under　constitutional　governmentswhere　all　classes　more　or

less　participate　in　the　exercise　of　political　powerthe　national

character　will　necessarily　depend　more　upon　the　moral　qualities　of

the　many　than　of　the　few。　　And　the　same　qualities　which　determine

the　character　of　individuals；　also　determine　the　character　of

nations。　　Unless　they　are　highminded；　truthful；　honest；　virtuous；

and　courageous；　they　will　be　held　in　light　esteem　by　other

nations；　and　be　without　weight　in　the　world。　　To　have　character；

they　must　needs　also　be　reverential；　disciplined；　self…

controlling；　and　devoted　to　duty。　　The　nation　that　has　no　higher

god　than　pleasure；　or　even　dollars　or　calico；　must　needs　be　in　a

poor　way。　　It　were　better　to　revert　to　Homer's　gods　than　be

devoted　to　these；　for　the　heathen　deities　at　least　imaged　human

virtues；　and　were　something　to　look　up　to。



As　for　institutions；　however　good　in　themselves；　they　will　avail

but　little　in　maintaining　the　standard　of　national　character。　　It

is　the　individual　men；　and　the　spirit　which　actuates　them；　that

determine　the　moral　standing　and　stability　of　nations。

Government；　in　the　long　run；　is　usually　no　better　than　the　people

governed。　　Where　the　mass　is　sound　in　conscience；　morals；　and

habit；　the　nation　will　be　ruled　honestly　and　nobly。　　But　where

they　are　corrupt；　self…seeking；　and　dishonest　in　heart；　bound

neither　by　truth　nor　by　law；　the　rule　of　rogues　and　wirepullers

becomes　inevitable。



The　only　true　barrier　against　the　despotism　of　public　opinion；

whether　it　be　of　the　many　or　of　the　few；　is　enlightened　individual

freedom　and　purity　of　personal　character。　　Without　these　there　can

be　no　vigorous　manhood；　no　true　liberty　in　a　nation。　　Political

rights；　however　broadly　framed；　will　not　elevate　a　people

individually　depraved。　　Indeed；　the　more　complete　a　system　of

popular　suffrage；　and　the　more　perfect　its　protection；　the　more

completely　will　the　real　character　of　a　people　be　reflected；　as　by

a　mirror；　in　their　laws　and　government。　　Political　morality　can

never　have　any　solid　existence　on　a　basis　of　individual

immorality。　　Even　freedom；　exercised　by　a　debased　people；　would

come　to　be　regarded　as　a　nuisance；　and　liberty　of　the　press　but　a

vent　for　licentiousness　and　moral　abomination。



Nations；　like　individuals；　derive　support　and　strength　from　the

feeling　that　they　belong　to　an　illustrious　race；　that　they　are　the

heirs　of　their　greatness；　and　ought　to　be　the　perpetuators　of

their　glory。　　It　is　of　momentous　importance　that　a　nation　should

have　a　great　past　（21）　to　look　back　upon。　　It　steadies　the　life　of

the　present；　elevates　and　upholds　it；　and　lightens　and　lifts　it

up；　by　the　memory　of　the　great　deeds；　the　noble　sufferings；　and

the　valorous　achievements　of　the　men　of　old。　　The　life　of　nations；

as　of　men；　is　a　great　treasury　of　experience；　which；　wisely　used；

issues　in　social　progress　and　improvement；　or；　misused；　issues　in

dreams；　delusions；　and　failure。　　Like　men；　nations　are　purified

and　strengthened　by　trials。　　Some　of　the　most　glorious　chapters　in

their　history　are　those　containing　the　record　of　the　sufferings　by

means　of　which　their　character　has　been　developed。　　Love　of

liberty　and　patriotic　feeling　may　have　done　much；　but　trial　and

suffering　nobly　borne　more　than　all。



A　great　deal　of　what　passes　by　the　name　of　patriotism　in　these

days　consists　of　the　merest　bigotry　and　narrow…mindedness；

exhibiting　itself　in　national　prejudice；　national　conceit；　amid

national　hatred。　　It　does　not　show　itself　in　deeds；　but　in

boastingsin　howlings；　gesticulations；　and　shrieking　helplessly

for　helpin　flying　flags　and　singing　songsand　in　perpetual

grinding　at　the　hurdy…gurdy　of　long…dead　grievances　and　long…

remedied　wrongs。　　To　be　infested　by　SUCH　a　patriotism　as　this　is；

perhaps；　amongst　the　greatest　curses　that　can　befall　any　country。



But　as　there　is　an　ignoble；　so　is　there　a　noble　patriotismthe

patriotism　that　invigorates　and　elevates　a　country　by　noble　work

that　does　its　duty　truthfully　and　manfullythat　lives　an　honest；

sober；　and　upright　life；　and　strives　to　make　the　best　use　of　the

opportunities　for　improvement　that　present　themselves　on　every

side；　and　at　the　same　time　a　patriotism　that　cherishes　the　memory

and　example　of　the　great　men　of　old；　who；　by　their　sufferings　in

the　cause　of　religion　or　of　freedom；　have　won　for　themselves　a

deathless　glory；　and　for　their　nation　those　privileges　of　free

life　and　free　institutions　of　which　they　are　th