character-第12章

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companion　of　her　children；　who　gradually　became　moulded　by　her

example。　　It　was　through　the　bias　given　by　her　to　her　sons'　minds

in　religious　matters　that　they　acquired　the　tendency　which；　even

in　early　years；　drew　to　them　the　name　of　Methodists。　　In　a　letter

to　her　son；　Samuel　Wesley；　when　a　scholar　at　Westminster　in　1709；

she　said：　〃I　would　advise　you　as　much　as　possible　to　throw　your

business　into　a　certain　METHOD；　by　which　means　you　will　learn　to

improve　every　precious　moment；　and　find　an　unspeakable　facility　in

the　performance　of　your　respective　duties。〃　　This　〃method〃　she　went

on　to　describe；　exhorting　her　son　〃in　all　things　to　act　upon

principle；〃　and　the　society　which　the　brothers　John　and　Charles

afterwards　founded　at　Oxford　is　supposed　to　have　been　in　a　great

measure　the　result　of　her　exhortations。



In　the　case　of　poets；　literary　men；　and　artists；　the　influence　of

the　mother's　feeling　and　taste　has　doubtless　had　great　effect　in

directing　the　genius　of　their　sons；　and　we　find　this　especially

illustrated　in　the　lives　of　Gray；　Thomson；　Scott；　Southey；　Bulwer；

Schiller；　and　Goethe。　　Gray　inherited；　almost　complete；　his　kind

and　loving　nature　from　his　mother；　while　his　father　was　harsh　and

unamiable。　　Gray　was；　in　fact；　a　feminine　manshy；　reserved；　and

wanting　in　energy；but　thoroughly　irreproachable　in　life　and

character。　　The　poet's　mother　maintained　the　family；　after　her

unworthy　husband　had　deserted　her；　and；　at　her　death；　Gray　placed

on　her　grave；　in　Stoke　Pogis；　an　epitaph　describing　her　as　〃the

careful　tender　mother　of　many　children；　one　of　whom　alone　had　the

misfortune　to　survive　her。〃　　The　poet　himself　was；　at　his　own

desire；　interred　beside　her　worshipped　grave。



Goethe；　like　Schiller；　owed　the　bias　of　his　mind　and　character　to

his　mother；　who　was　a　woman　of　extraordinary　gifts。　　She　was　full

of　joyous　flowing　mother…wit；　and　possessed　in　a　high　degree　the

art　of　stimulating　young　and　active　minds；　instructing　them　in　the

science　of　life　out　of　the　treasures　of　her　abundant　experience。　（12）

After　a　lengthened　interview　with　her；　an　enthusiastic　traveller

said；　〃Now　do　I　understand　how　Goethe　has　become　the　man　he　is。〃

Goethe　himself　affectionately　cherished　her　memory。　　〃She　was

worthy　of　life！〃　he　once　said　of　her；　and　when　he　visited

Frankfort；　he　sought　out　every　individual　who　had　been　kind　to　his

mother；　and　thanked　them　all。



It　was　Ary　Scheffer's　motherwhose　beautiful　features　the

painter　so　loved　to　reproduce　in　his　pictures　of　Beatrice；　St。

Monica；　and　others　of　his　worksthat　encouraged　his　study　of

art；　and　by　great　self…denial　provided　him　with　the　means　of

pursuing　it。　　While　living　at　Dordrecht；　in　Holland；　she　first

sent　him　to　Lille　to　study；　and　afterwards　to　Paris；　and　her

letters　to　him；　while　absent；　were　always　full　of　sound　motherly

advice；　and　affectionate　womanly　sympathy。　　〃If　you　could　but　see

me；〃　she　wrote　on　one　occasion；　〃kissing　your　picture；　then；　after

a　while；　taking　it　up　again；　and；　with　a　tear　in　my　eye；　calling

you　'my　beloved　son；'　you　would　comprehend　what　it　costs　me　to　use

sometimes　the　stern　language　of　authority；　and　to　occasion　to　you

moments　of　pain。　　*　*　*　Work　diligentlybe；　above　all；　modest

and　humble；　and　when　you　find　yourself　excelling　others；　then

compare　what　you　have　done　with　Nature　itself；　or　with　the　'ideal'

of　your　own　mind；　and　you　will　be　secured；　by　the　contrast　which

will　be　apparent；　against　the　effects　of　pride　and　presumption。〃



Long　years　after；　when　Ary　Scheffer　was　himself　a　grandfather；　he

remembered　with　affection　the　advice　of　his　mother；　and　repeated

it　to　his　children。　　And　thus　the　vital　power　of　good　example

lives　on　from　generation　to　generation；　keeping　the　world　ever

fresh　and　young。　　Writing　to　his　daughter；　Madame　Marjolin；　in

1846；　his　departed　mother's　advice　recurred　to　him；　and　he　said：

〃The　word　MUSTfix　it　well　in　your　memory；　dear　child；　your

grandmother　seldom　had　it　out　of　hers。　　The　truth　is；　that　through

our　lives　nothing　brings　any　good　fruit　except　what　is　earned　by

either　the　work　of　the　hands；　or　by　the　exertion　of　one's　self…

denial。　　Sacrifices　must；　in　short；　be　ever　going　on　if　we　would

obtain　any　comfort　or　happiness。　　Now　that　I　am　no　longer　young；　I

declare　that　few　passages　in　my　life　afford　me　so　much

satisfaction　as　those　in　which　I　made　sacrifices；　or　denied　myself

enjoyments。　　'Das　Entsagen'　（the　forbidden）　is　the　motto　of　the

wise　man。　　Self…denial　is　the　quality　of　which　Jesus　Christ

set　us　the　example。〃　（13）



The　French　historian　Michelet　makes　the　following　touching

reference　to　his　mother　in　the　Preface　to　one　of　his　most　popular

books；　the　subject　of　much　embittered　controversy　at　the　time　at

which　it　appeared：…　〃Whilst　writing　all　this；　I　have　had　in　my

mind　a　woman；　whose　strong　and　serious　mind　would　not　have　failed

to　support　me　in　these　contentions。　　I　lost　her　thirty　years　ago

（I　was　a　child　then）nevertheless；　ever　living　in　my　memory；　she

follows　me　from　age　to　age。



〃She　suffered　with　me　in　my　poverty；　and　was　not　allowed　to　share

my　better　fortune。　　When　young；　I　made　her　sad；　and　now　I　cannot

console　her。　　I　know　not　even　where　her　bones　are：　I　was　too　poor

then　to　buy　earth　to　bury　her！〃



〃And　yet　I　owe　her　much。　　I　feel　deeply　that　I　am　the　son　of

woman。　　Every　instant；　in　my　ideas　and　words　（not　to　mention

my　features　and　gestures）；　I　find　again　my　mother　in　myself。

It　is　my　mother's　blood　which　gives　me　the　sympathy　I　feel

for　bygone　ages；　and　the　tender　remembrance　of　all　those

who　are　now　no　more。〃



〃What　return　then　could　I；　who　am　myself　advancing　towards

old　age；　make　her　for　the　many　things　I　owe　her？　One；　for

which　she　would　have　thanked　methis　protest　in　favour

of　women　and　mothers。〃　（14）



But　while　a　mother　may　greatly　influence　the　poetic　or　artistic

mind　of　her　son　for　good；　she　may　also　influence　it　for　evil。

Thus　the　characteristics　of　Lord　Byronthe　waywardness　of　his

impulses；　his　defiance　of　restraint；　the　bitterness　of　his　hate；

and　the　precipitancy　of　his　resentmentswere　traceable　in　no

small　degree　to　the　adverse　influences　exercised　upon　his　mind

from　his　birth　by　his　capricious；　violent；　and　headstrong　mother。

She　even　taunted　her　son　with　his　personal　deformity；　and　it　was

no　unfrequent　occurrence；　in　the　violent　quarrels　which　occurred

between　them；　for　her　to　take　up　the　poker　or　tongs；　and　hurl　them

after　him　as　he　fled　from　her　presence。　（15）　It　was　this　unnatural

treatment　that　gave　a　morbid　turn　to　Byron's　after…life；　and；

careworn；　unhappy；　great；　and　yet　weak　as　he　was；　he　carried　about

with　him　the　mother's　poison　which　he　had　sucked　in　his　infancy。

Hence　he　exclaims；　in　his　'Childe　Harold'：…



　　　　　　〃Yet　must　I　think　less　wildly：…　I　have　thought

　　　　　　　　Too　long　and　darkly；　till　my　brain　became；

　　　　　　In　its　own　eddy　boiling　and　o'erwrought；

　　　　　　　　A　whirling　gulf　of　phantasy　and　flame：

　　　　　　And　thus；　UNTAUGHT　IN　YOUTH　MY　HEART　TO　TAME；

　　　　　　　　MY　SPRINGS　OF　LIFE　WERE　POISONED。〃



In　like　manner；　though　in　a　different　way；　the　character　of　Mrs。

Foote；　the　actor's　mother；　was　curiously　repeated　in　the　life　of

her　joyous；　jovial…hearted　son。　　Though　she　had　been　heiress　to　a

large　fortune；　she　soon　spent　it　all；　and　was　at　length　imprisoned

for　debt。　　In　this　condition　she　wrote　to　Sam；　who　had　been

allowing　her　a　hundred　a　year　out　of　the　proceeds　of　his　acting：…

〃Dear　Sam；　I　am　in　prison　for　debt；　come　and　assist　your　loving

mother；　E。　Foote。〃　　To　which　her　son　characteristically　replied

〃Dear　mother；　so　am　I；　which　prevents　his　duty　being　paid　to　his

loving　mother　by　her　affectionate　son；　Sam　Foote。〃



A　foolish　mother　may　also　spoil　a　gifted　son；　by　imbuing　his　mind

with　unsound　sentiments。　　Thus　Lamartine's　mother　is　said　to　have

trained　him　in　altogether　erroneous　ideas　of　life；　in　the　school

of　Rousseau　and　Bernardin　de　St。…Pierre；　by　which　his

s