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〃I am Grimaldi!〃  So; when Smollett; oppressed by disease;

travelled over Europe in the hope of finding health; he saw

everything through his own jaundiced eyes。  〃I'll tell it;〃

said Smellfungus; 〃to the world。〃  〃You had better tell it;〃

said Sterne; 〃to your physician。〃

The restless; anxious; dissatisfied temper; that is ever ready to

run and meet care half…way; is fatal to all happiness and peace of

mind。  How often do we see men and women set themselves about as

if with stiff bristles; so that one dare scarcely approach them

without fear of being pricked!  For want of a little occasional

command over one's temper; an amount of misery is occasioned in

society which is positively frightful。  Thus enjoyment is turned

into bitterness; and life becomes like a journey barefooted

amongst thorns and briers and prickles。  〃Though sometimes small

evils;〃 says Richard Sharp; 〃like invisible insects; inflict great

pain; and a single hair may stop a vast machine; yet the chief

secret of comfort lies in not suffering trifles to vex us; and in

prudently cultivating an undergrowth of small pleasures; since

very few great ones; alas! are let on long leases。〃 (5)



St。 Francis de Sales treats the same topic from the Christian's

point of view。  〃How carefully;〃 he says; 〃we should cherish the

little virtues which spring up at the foot of the Cross!〃  When

the saint was asked; 〃What virtues do you mean?〃 he replied:

〃Humility; patience; meekness; benignity; bearing one another's

burden; condescension; softness of heart; cheerfulness;

cordiality; compassion; forgiving injuries; simplicity; candour

all; in short of that sort of little virtues。  They; like

unobtrusive violets; love the shade; like them are sustained by

dew; and though; like them; they make little show; they shed a

sweet odour on all around。〃 (6)



And again he said: 〃If you would fall into any extreme; let it be

on the side of gentleness。  The human mind is so constructed that

it resists rigour; and yields to softness。  A mild word quenches

anger; as water quenches the rage of fire; and by benignity any

soil may be rendered fruitful。  Truth; uttered with courtesy;

is heaping coals of fire on the heador rather; throwing

roses in the face。  How can we resist a foe whose weapons

are pearls and diamonds?〃 (7)



Meeting evils by anticipation is not the way to overcome them。  If

we perpetually carry our burdens about with us; they will soon

bear us down under their load。  When evil comes; we must deal with

it bravely and hopefully。  What Perthes wrote to a young man; who

seemed to him inclined to take trifles as well as sorrows too much

to heart; was doubtless good advice: 〃Go forward with hope and

confidence。  This is the advice given thee by an old man; who has

had a full share of the burden and heat of life's day。  We must

ever stand upright; happen what may; and for this end we must

cheerfully resign ourselves to the varied influences of this many…

coloured life。  You may call this levity; and you are partly

right; for flowers and colours are but trifles light as air; but

such levity is a constituent portion of our human nature; without

which it would sink under the weight of time。  While on earth we

must still play with earth; and with that which blooms and fades

upon its breast。 The consciousness of this mortal life being but

the way to a higher goal; by no means precludes our playing with

it cheerfully; and; indeed; we must do so; otherwise our energy in

action will entirely fail。〃 (8)



Cheerfulness also accompanies patience; which is one of the main

conditions of happiness and success in life。  〃He that will be

served;〃 says George Herbert; 〃must be patient。〃  It was said of

the cheerful and patient King Alfred; that 〃good fortune

accompanied him like a gift of God。〃  Marlborough's expectant

calmness was great; and a principal secret of his success as a

general。  〃Patience will overcome all things;〃 he wrote to

Godolphin; in 1702。  In the midst of a great emergency; while

baffled and opposed by his allies; he said; 〃Having done all that

is possible; we should submit with patience。〃



Last and chiefest of blessings is Hope; the most common of

possessions; for; as Thales the philosopher said; 〃Even those who

have nothing else have hope。〃  Hope is the great helper of the

poor。  It has even been styled 〃the poor man's bread。〃  It is also

the sustainer and inspirer of great deeds。  It is recorded of

Alexander the Great; that when he succeeded to the throne of

Macedon; he gave away amongst his friends the greater part of the

estates which his father had left him; and when Perdiccas asked

him what he reserved for himself; Alexander answered; 〃The

greatest possession of all;Hope!〃



The pleasures of memory; however great; are stale compared with

those of hope; for hope is the parent of all effort and endeavour;

and 〃every gift of noble origin is breathed upon by Hope's

perpetual breath。〃  It may be said to be the moral engine that

moves the world; and keeps it in action; and at the end of all

there stands before us what Robertson of Ellon styled 〃The Great

Hope。〃  〃If it were not for Hope;〃 said Byron; 〃where would the

Future be?in hell!  It is useless to say where the Present is;

for most of us know; and as for the Past; WHAT predominates in

memory?Hope baffled。  ERGO; in all human affairs it is Hope;

Hope; Hope!〃 (9)







NOTES



(1) Jeremy Taylor's 'Holy Living。'



(2) 'Michelet's 'Life of Luther;' pp。 411…12。



(3) Sir John Kaye's 'Lives of Indian Officers。'



(4) 'Deontology;' pp。 130…1; 144。



(5) 'Letters and Essays;' p。 67。



(6) 'Beauties of St。 Francis de Sales。'



(7) Ibid。



(8) 'Life of Perthes;' ii。 449。



(9) Moore's 'Life of Byron;' 8vo。 Ed。; p。 483。







CHAPTER IX。MANNERART。







     〃We must be gentle; now we are gentlemen。〃SHAKSPEARE。



          〃Manners are not idle; but the fruit

           Of noble nature and of loyal mind。〃TENNYSON。



〃A beautiful behaviour is better than a beautiful form; it gives a

higher pleasure than statues and pictures; it is the finest of the

fine arts。〃EMERSON。



〃Manners are often too much neglected; they are most important to

men; no less than to women。。。。  Life is too short to get over a

bad manner; besides; manners are the shadows of virtues。〃THE

REV。 SIDNEY SMITH。





Manner is one of the principal external graces of character。  It

is the ornament of action; and often makes the commonest offices

beautiful by the way in which it performs them。  It is a happy way

of doing things; adorning even the smallest details of life; and

contributing to render it; as a whole; agreeable and pleasant。



Manner is not so frivolous or unimportant as some may think it to

be; for it tends greatly to facilitate the business of life; as

well as to sweeten and soften social intercourse。  〃Virtue

itself;〃 says Bishop Middleton; 〃offends; when coupled with a

forbidding manner。〃



Manner has a good deal to do with the estimation in which men are

held by the world; and it has often more influence in the

government of others than qualities of much greater depth and

substance。  A manner at once gracious and cordial is among the

greatest aids to success; and many there are who fail for want of

it。 (1)  For a great deal depends upon first impressions; and

these are usually favourable or otherwise according to a man's

courteousness and civility。



While rudeness and gruffness bar doors and shut hearts; kindness

and propriety of behaviour; in which good manners consist; act as

an 〃open sesame〃 everywhere。  Doors unbar before them; and they

are a passport to the hearts of everybody; young and old。



There is a common saying that 〃Manners make the man;〃 but this is

not so true as that 〃Man makes the manners。〃  A man may be gruff;

and even rude; and yet be good at heart and of sterling character;

yet he would doubtless be a much more agreeable; and probably a

much more useful man; were he to exhibit that suavity of

disposition and courtesy of manner which always gives a finish

to the true gentleman。



Mrs。 Hutchinson; in the noble portraiture of her husband; to which

we have already had occasion to refer; thus describes his manly

courteousness and affability of disposition:… 〃I cannot say

whether he were more truly magnanimous or less proud; he never

disdained the meanest person; nor flattered the greatest; he had a

loving and sweet courtesy to the poorest; and would often employ

many spare hours with the commonest soldiers and poorest

labourers; but still so ordering his familiarity; that it never

raised them to a contempt; but entertained still at the same time

a reverence and love of him。〃 (2)



A man's manner; to a certain extent; indicates his character。  It

is the external exponent of his inner nature。  It indicates his

taste; his feelings; and his temp

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