character-第50节
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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