太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > character >

第73节

character-第73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!






(9) Fuller; the Church historian; with his usual homely mother…wit;

speaking of the choice of a wife; said briefly; 〃Take the daughter

of a good mother。〃



(10) She was an Englishwomana Miss Motley。  It maybe mentioned that

amongst other distinguished Frenchmen who have married English

wives; were Sismondi; Alfred de Vigny; and Lamartine。



(11) 〃Plus je roule dans ce monde; et plus je suis amene a penser

qu'il n'y a que le bonheur domestique qui signifie quelque chose。〃

OEUVRES ET CORRESPONDENCE。



(12) De Tocqueville's 'Memoir and Remains;' vol。 i。 p。 408。



(13) De Tocqueville's 'Memoir and Remains;' vol。 ii。 p。 48。



(14) Colonel Hutchinson was an uncompromising republican; thoroughly

brave; highminded; and pious。  At the Restoration; he was

discharged from Parliament; and from all offices of state for

ever。  He retired to his estate at Owthorp; near Nottingham; but

was shortly after arrested and imprisoned in the Tower。  From

thence he was removed to Sandown Castle; near Deal; where he lay

for eleven months; and died on September 11th; 1664。  The wife

petitioned for leave to share his prison; but was refused。  When

he felt himself dying; knowing the deep sorrow which his death

would occasion to his wife; he left this message; which was

conveyed to her: 〃Let her; as she is above other women; show

herself on this occasion a good Christian; and above the pitch of

ordinary women。〃  Hence the wife's allusion to her husband's

〃command〃 in the above passage。



(15) Mrs。 Lucy Hutchinson to her children concerning their father:

'Memoirs of the Life of Col。 Hutchinson' (Bohn's Ed。); pp。 29…30。



(16) On the Declaration of American Independence; the first John Adams;

afterwards President of the United States; bought a copy of the

'Life and Letters of Lady Russell;' and presented it to his wife;

〃with an express intent and desire〃 (as stated by himself); 〃that

she should consider it a mirror in which to contemplate herself;

for; at that time; I thought it extremely probable; from the

daring and dangerous career I was determined to run; that she

would one day find herself in the situation of Lady Russell; her

husband without a head:〃 Speaking of his wife in connection with

the fact; Mr。 Adams added: 〃Like Lady Russell; she never; by word

or look; discouraged me from running all hazards for the salvation

of my country's liberties。  She was willing to share with me; and

that her children should share with us both; in all the dangerous

consequences we had to hazard。〃



(17) 'Memoirs of the Life of Sir Samuel Romily;' vol。 i。 p。 41。



(18) It is a singular circumstance that in the parish church of

St。 Bride; Fleet Street; there is a tablet on the wall with an

inscription to the memory of Isaac Romilly; F。R。S。; who died in

1759; of a broken heart; seven days after the decease of a

beloved wifeCHAMBERS' BOOK OF DAYS; vol。 ii。 p。 539。



(19) Mr。 Frank Buckland says 〃During the long period that Dr。

Buckland was engaged in writing the book which I now have the

honour of editing; my mother sat up night after night; for weeks

and months consecutively; writing to my father's dictation; and

this often till the sun's rays; shining through the shutters at

early morn; warned the husband to cease from thinking; and the

wife to rest her weary hand。  Not only with her pen did she

render material assistance; but her natural talent in the use

of her pencil enabled her to give accurate illustrations and

finished drawings; many of which are perpetuated in Dr。 Buckland's

works。  She was also particularly clever and neat in mending

broken fossils; and there are many specimens in the Oxford Museum;

now exhibiting their natural forms and beauty; which were restored

by her perseverance to shape from a mass of broken and almost

comminuted fragments。〃



(20) Veitch's 'Memoirs of Sir William Hamilton。'



(21) The following extract from Mr。 Veitch's biography will give

one an idea of the extraordinary labours of Lady Hamilton; to

whose unfailing devotion to the service of her husband the world

of intellect has been so much indebted: 〃The number of pages

in her handwriting;〃 says Mr。 Veitch;〃filled with abstruse

metaphysical matter; original and quoted; bristling with

proportional and syllogistic formulaethat are still preserved;

is perfectly marvellous。  Everything that was sent to the press;

and all the courses of lectures; were written by her; either to

dictation; or from a copy。  This work she did in the truest spirit

of love and devotion。  She had a power; moreover; of keeping her

husband up to what he had to do。  She contended wisely against a

sort of energetic indolence which characterised him; and which;

while he was always labouring; made him apt to put aside the task

actually before himsometimes diverted by subjects of inquiry

suggested in the course of study on the matter in hand; sometimes

discouraged by the difficulty of reducing to order the immense

mass of materials he had accumulated in connection with it。  Then

her resolution and cheerful disposition sustained and refreshed

him; and never more so than when; during the last twelve years of

his life; his bodily strength was broken; and his spirit; though

languid; yet ceased not from mental toil。  The truth is; that Sir

William's marriage; his comparatively limited circumstances; and

the character of his wife; supplied to a nature that would have

been contented to spend its mighty energies in work that brought

no reward but in the doing of it; and that might never have been

made publicly known or available; the practical force and impulse

which enabled him to accomplish what he actually did in literature

and philosophy。  It was this influence; without doubt; which saved

him from utter absorption in his world of rare; noble; and

elevated; but ever…increasingly unattainable ideas。  But for it;

the serene sea of abstract thought might have held him becalmed

for life; and in the absence of all utterance of definite

knowledge of his conclusions; the world might have been left to an

ignorant and mysterious wonder about the unprofitable scholar。〃







CHAPTER XIITHE DISCIPLINE OF EXPERIENCE。







      〃I would the great would grow like thee。

        Who grewest not alone in power

        And knowledge; but by year and hour

      In reverence and in charity。〃TENNYSON。



      〃Not to be unhappy is unhappynesse;

      And misery not t'have known miserie;

      For the best way unto discretion is

      The way that leades us by adversitie;

      And men are better shew'd what is amisse;

      By th'expert finger of calamitie;

      Than they can be with all that fortune brings;

      Who never shewes them the true face of things。〃DANIEL。



      〃A lump of wo affliction is;

      Yet thence I borrow lumps of bliss;

      Though few can see a blessing in't;

      It is my furnace and my mint。〃

             ERSKINE'S GOSPEL SONNETS。



    〃Crosses grow anchors; bear as thou shouldst so

    Thy cross; and that cross grows an anchor too。〃DONNE。



        〃Be the day weary; or be the day long;

        At length it ringeth to Evensong。〃ANCIENT COUPLET。





Practical wisdom is only to be learnt in the school of experience。

Precepts and instructions are useful so far as they go; but;

without the discipline of real life; they remain of the nature of

theory only。  The hard facts of existence have to be faced; to

give that touch of truth to character which can never be imparted

by reading or tuition; but only by contact with the broad

instincts of common men and women。



To be worth anything; character must be capable of standing firm

upon its feet in the world of daily work; temptation; and trial;

and able to bear the wear…and…tear of actual life。  Cloistered

virtues do not count for much。  The life that rejoices in solitude

may be only rejoicing in selfishness。  Seclusion may indicate

contempt for others; though more usually it means indolence;

cowardice; or self…indulgence。  To every human being belongs his

fair share of manful toil and human duty; and it cannot be shirked

without loss to the individual himself; as well as to the

community to which he belongs。  It is only by mixing in the daily

life of the world; and taking part in its affairs; that practical

knowledge can be acquired; and wisdom learnt。  It is there that we

find our chief sphere of duty; that we learn the discipline of

work; and that we educate ourselves in that patience; diligence;

and endurance which shape and consolidate the character。  There we

encounter the difficulties; trials; and temptations which;

according as we deal with them; give a colour to our entire after…

life; and there; too; we become subject to the great discipline of

suffering; from which we learn far more than from the safe

seclusion of the study or the cloister。



Contact with others is also requisit

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 2 3

你可能喜欢的