character-第15章

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！



from　the　consequences　of　his　rash　resolve　by　the　accidental　death

of　William　III。　　He　displayed　the　same　overbearing　disposition　in

dealing　with　his　children；　forcing　　his　daughter　Mehetabel　to

marry；　against　her　will；　a　man　whom　she　did　not　love；　and　who

proved　entirely　unworthy　of　her。



（12）　Goethe　himself　says

〃Vom　Vater　hab'　ich　die　Statur；

Des　Lebens　ernstes　Fuhren；

Von　Mutterchen　die　Frohnatur

Und　Lust　zu　fabuliren。〃



（13）　Mrs。　Grote's　'Life　of　Ary　Scheffer；'　p。　154。



（14）　Michelet；　'On　Priests；　Women；　and　Families。'



（15）　Mrs。　Byron　is　said　to　have　died　in　a　fit　of　passion；　brought　on　by

reading　her　upholsterer's　bills。



（16）　Sainte…Beuve；　'Causeries　du　Lundi；'　i。　23。



（17）　Ibid。　i。　22。



（18）　Ibid。　1。　23。



（19）　That　about　one…third　of　all　the　children　born　in　this　country　die

under　five　years　of　age；　can　only　he　attributable　to　ignorance　of

the　natural　laws；　ignorance　of　the　human　constitution；　and

ignorance　of　the　uses　of　pure　air；　pure　water；　and　of　the　art　of

preparing　and　administering　wholesome　food。　　There　is　no　such

mortality　amongst　the　lower　animals。



（20）　Beaumarchais'　'Figaro；'　which　was　received　with　such　enthusiasm

in　France　shortly　before　the　outbreak　of　the　Revolution；　may　be

regarded　as　a　typical　play；　it　represented　the　average　morality　of

the　upper　as　well　as　the　lower　classes　with　respect　to　the

relations　between　the　sexes。　　〃Label　men　how　you　please；〃　says

Herbert　Spencer；　〃with　titles　of　'upper'　and　'middle'　and　'lower；'

you　cannot　prevent　them　from　being　units　of　the　same　society；

acted　upon　by　the　same　spirit　of　the　age；　moulded　after　the　same

type　of　character。　　The　mechanical　law；　that　action　and　reaction

are　equal；　has　its　moral　analogue。　　The　deed　of　one　man　to　another

tends　ultimately　to　produce　a　like　effect　upon　both；　be　the　deed

good　or　bad。　　Do　but　put　them　in　relationship；　and　no　division

into　castes；　no　differences　of　wealth；　can　prevent　men　from

assimilating。。。。　　The　same　influences　which　rapidly　adapt　the

individual　to　his　society；　ensure；　though　by　a　slower　process；　the

general　uniformity　of　a　national　character。。。。　　And　so　long　as　the

assimilating　influences　productive　of　it　continue　at　work；　it　is

folly　to　suppose　any　one　grade　of　a　community　can　be　morally

different　from　the　rest。　　In　whichever　rank　you　see　corruption；　be

assured　it　equally　pervades　all　ranksbe　assured　it　is　the

symptom　of　a　bad　social　diathesis。　　Whilst　the　virus　of　depravity

exists　in　one　part　of　　the　body…politic；　no　other　part　can　remain

healthy。〃SOCIAL　STATICS；　chap。　xx。　7。



（21）　Some　twenty…eight　years　since；　the　author　wrote　and　published　the

following　passage；　not　without　practical　knowledge　of　the　subject；

and　notwithstanding　the　great　amelioration　in　the　lot　of　factory…

workers；　effected　mainly　through　the　noble　efforts　of　Lord

Shaftesbury；　the　description　is　still　to　a　large　extent　true：

〃The　factory　system；　however　much　it　may　have　added　to　the　wealth

of　the　country；　has　had　a　most　deleterious　effect　on　the　domestic

condition　of　the　people。　　It　has　invaded　the　sanctuary　of　home；

and　broken　up　family　and　social　ties。　　It　has　taken　the　wife　from

the　husband；　and　the　children　from　their　parents。　　Especially　has

its　tendency　been　to　lower　the　character　of　woman。　　The

performance　of　domestic　duties　is　her　proper　office；the

management　of　her　household；　the　rearing　of　her　family；　the

economizing　of　the　family　means；　the　supplying　of　the　family

wants。　　But　the　factory　takes　her　from　all　these　duties。　　Homes

become　no　longer　homes。　　Children　grow　up　uneducated　and

neglected。　　The　finer　affections　become　blunted。　　Woman　is　no　more

the　gentle　wife；　companion；　and　friend　of　man；　but　his　fellow…

labourer　and　fellow…drudge。　　She　is　exposed　to　influences　which

too　often　efface　that　modesty　of　thought　and　conduct　which　is　one

of　the　best　safeguards　of　virtue。　　Without　judgment　or　sound

principles　to　guide　them；　factory…girls　early　acquire　the　feeling

of　independence。　　Ready　to　throw　off　the　constraint　imposed　on

them　by　their　parents；　they　leave　their　homes；　and　speedily　become

initiated　in　the　vices　of　their　associates。　　The　atmosphere；

physical　as　well　as　moral；　in　which　they　live；　stimulates　their

animal　appetites；　the　influence　of　bad　example　becomes　contagious

among　them　and　mischief　is　propagated　far　and　wide。〃THE　UNION；

January；　1843。



（22）A　French　satirist；　pointing　to　the　repeated　PLEBISCITES　and

perpetual　voting　of　late　years；　and　to　the　growing　want　of　faith

in　anything　but　votes；　said；　in　1870；　that　we　seemed　to　be　rapidly

approaching　the　period　when　the　only　prayer　of　man　and　woman　would

be；　〃Give　us　this　day　our　daily　vote！〃



（23）　〃Of　primeval　and　necessary　and　absolute　superiority；　the　relation

of　the　mother　to　the　child　is　far　more　complete；　though　less

seldom　quoted　as　an　example；　than　that　of　father　and　son。。。。　　By

Sir　Robert　Filmer；　the　supposed　necessary　as　well　as　absolute

power　of　the　father　over　his　children；　was　taken　as　the　foundation

and　origin；　and　thence　justifying　cause；　of　the　power　of　the

monarch　in　every　political　state。　　With　more　propriety　he　might

have　stated　the　absolute　dominion　of　a　woman　as　the　only

legitimate　form　of　government。〃DEONTOLOGY；　ii。　181。







CHAPTER　III。COMPANIONSHIP　AND　EXAMPLES







　　　　〃Keep　good　company；　and　you　shall　be　of　the　number。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GEORGE　HERBERT。



　　　　〃For　mine　own　part；

　　　　I　Shall　be　glad　to　learn　of　noble　men。〃SHAKSPEARE



　　　　〃Examples　preach　to　th'　eyeCare　then；　mine　says；

　　　　Not　how　you　end　but　how　you　spend　your　days。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　HENRY　MARTEN'LAST　THOUGHTS。'



〃Dis　moi　qui　t'admire；　et　je　dirai　qui　tu　es。〃SAINTE…BEUVE



He　that　means　to　be　a　good　limner　will　be　sure　to　draw　after　the

most　excellent　copies　and　guide　every　stroke　of　his　pencil　by　the

better　pattern　that　lays　before　him；　so　he　that　desires　that　the

table　of　his　life　may　be　fair；　will　be　careful　to　propose　the　best

examples；　and　will　never　be　content　till　he　equals　or　excels

them。〃OWEN　FELTHAM





The　natural　education　of　the　Home　is　prolonged　far　into　life

indeed；　it　never　entirely　ceases。　　But　the　time　arrives；　in　the

progress　of　years；　when　the　Home　ceases　to　exercise　an　exclusive

influence　on　the　formation　of　character；　and　it　is　succeeded　by

the　more　artificial　education　of　the　school　and　the　companionship

of　friends　and　comrades；　which　continue　to　mould　the　character　by

the　powerful　influence　of　example。



Men；　young　and　oldbut　the　young　more　than　the　oldcannot　help

imitating　those　with　whom　they　associate。　　It　was　a　saying　of

George　Herbert's　mother；　intended　for　the　guidance　of　her　sons；

〃that　as　our　bodies　take　a　nourishment　suitable　to　the　meat　on

which　we　feed；　so　do　our　souls　as　insensibly　take　in　virtue　or

vice　by　the　example　or　conversation　of　good　or　bad　company。〃



Indeed；　it　is　impossible　that　association　with　those　about　us

should　not　produce　a　powerful　influence　in　the　formation　of

character。　　For　men　are　by　nature　imitators；　and　all　persons　are

more　or　less　impressed　by　the　speech；　the　manners；　the　gait；　the

gestures；　and　the　very　habits　of　thinking　of　their　companions。

〃Is　example　nothing？〃　said　Burke。　　〃It　is　everything。　　Example　is

the　school　of　mankind；　and　they　will　learn　at　no　other。〃　　Burke's

grand　motto；　which　he　wrote　for　the　tablet　of　the　Marquis　of

Rockingham；　is　worth　repeating：　it　was；　〃Rememberresemble

persevere。〃



Imitation　is　for　the　most　part　so　unconscious　that　its　effects　are

almost　unheeded；　but　its　influence　is　not　the　less　permanent　on

that　account。　　It　is　only　when　an　impressive　nature　is　placed　in

contact　with　an　impressionable　one；　that　the　alteration　in　the

character　becomes　recognisable。　　Yet　even　the　weakest　natures

exercise　some　influence　upon　those　about　them。　　The　approximation

of　feeling；　thought；　and　habit　is　constant；　and　the　action　of