character-第17章

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〃not　for　the　praise　of　men；　but　for　the　glory　of　God；〃　and　so

successfully　assisted　him　in　his　studies；　that　at　the　following

Christmas　examination　he　was　the　first　of　his　year。　　Yet　Martyn's

kind　friend　and　Mentor　never　achieved　any　distinction　himself；　he

passed　away　into　obscurity；　leading；　most　probably；　a　useful

though　an　unknown　career；　his　greatest　wish　in　life　having　been　to

shape　the　character　of　his　friend；　to　inspire　his　soul　with　the

love　of　truth；　and　to　prepare　him　for　the　noble　work；　on　which　he

shortly　after　entered；　of　an　Indian　missionary。



A　somewhat　similar　incident　is　said　to　have　occurred　in　the

college　career　of　Dr。　Paley。　　When　a　student　at　Christ's　College

Cambridge；　he　was　distinguished　for　his　shrewdness　as　well　as　his

clumsiness；　and　he　was　at　the　same　time　the　favourite　and　the　butt

of　his　companions。　　Though　his　natural　abilities　were　great；　he

was　thoughtless；　idle；　and　a　spendthrift；　and　at　the　commencement

of　his　third　year　be　had　made　comparatively　little　progress。

After　one　of　his　usual　night…dissipations；　a　friend　stood　by　his

bedside　on　the　following　morning。　　〃Paley；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　not

been　able　to　sleep　for　thinking　about　you。　　I　have　been　thinking

what　a　fool　you　are！　I　have　the　means　of　dissipation；　and　can

afford　to　be　idle：　YOU　are　poor；　and　cannot　afford　it。　　I　could　do

nothing；　probably；　even　were　I　to　try：　　YOU　are　capable　of　doing

anything。　　I　have　lain　awake　all　night　thinking　about　your　folly；

and　I　have　now　come　solemnly　to　warn　you。　　Indeed；　if　you　persist

in　your　indolence；　and　go　on　in　this　way；　I　must　renounce　your

society　altogether！



It　is　said　that　Paley　was　so　powerfully　affected　by　this

admonition；　that　from　that　moment　he　became　an　altered　man。　　He

formed　an　entirely　new　plan　of　life；　and　diligently　persevered　in

it。　　He　became　one　of　the　most　industrious　of　students。　　One　by

one　he　distanced　his　competitors；　and　at　the　end　of　the　year　be

came　out　Senior　Wrangler。　　What　he　afterwards　accomplished　as　an

author　and　a　divine　is　sufficiently　well　known。



No　one　recognised　more　fully　the　influence　of　personal　example　on

the　young　than　did　Dr。　Arnold。　　It　was　the　great　lever　with　which

he　worked　in　striving　to　elevate　the　character　of　his　school。　　He

made　it　his　principal　object；　first　to　put　a　right　spirit　into　the

leading　boys；　by　attracting　their　good　and　noble　feelings；　and

then　to　make　them　instrumental　in　propagating　the　same　spirit

among　the　rest；　by　the　influence　of　imitation；　example；　and

admiration。　　He　endeavoured　to　make　all　feel　that　they　were

fellow…workers　with　himself；　and　sharers　with　him　in　the　moral

responsibility　for　the　good　government　of　the　place。　　One　of　the

first　effects　of　this　highminded　system　of　management　was；　that　it

inspired　the　boys　with　strength　and　self…respect。　　They　felt　that

they　were　trusted。　　There　were；　of　course；　MAUVAIS　SUJETS　at

Rugby；　as　there　are　at　all　schools；　and　these　it　was　the　master's

duty　to　watch；　to　prevent　their　bad　example　contaminating　others。

On　one　occasion　he　said　to　an　assistant…master：　〃Do　you　see　those

two　boys　walking　together？　　I　never　saw　them　together　before。　　You

should　make　an　especial　point　of　observing　the　company　they　keep：

nothing　so　tells　the　changes　in　a　boy's　character。〃



Dr。　Arnold's　own　example　was　an　inspiration；　as　is　that　of　every

great　teacher。　　In　his　presence；　young　men　learned　to　respect

themselves；　and　out　of　the　root　of　self…respect　there　grew　up　the

manly　virtues。　　〃His　very　presence；〃　says　his　biographer；　〃seemed

to　create　a　new　spring　of　health　and　vigour　within　them；　and　to

give　to　life　an　interest　and　elevation　which　remained　with　them

long　after　they　had　left　him；　and　dwelt　so　habitually　in　their

thoughts　as　a　living　image；　that；　when　death　had　taken　him　away；

the　bond　appeared　to　be　still　unbroken；　and　the　sense　of

separation　almost　lost　in　the　still　deeper　sense　of　a　life　and　a

Union　indestructible。〃　（3）　　And　thus　it　was　that　Dr。　Arnold

trained　a　host　of　manly　and　noble　characters；　who　spread　the

influence　of　his　example　in　all　parts　of　the　world。



So　also　was　it　said　of　Dugald　Stewart；　that　he　breathed　the　love

of　virtue　into　whole　generations　of　pupils。　　〃To　me；〃　says　the

late　Lord　Cockburn；　〃his　lectures　were　like　the　opening　of　the

heavens。　　I　felt　that　I　had　a　soul。　　His　noble　views；　unfolded　in

glorious　sentences；　elevated　me　into　a　higher　world。。。　　They

changed　my　whole　nature。〃　（4）



Character　tells　in　all　conditions　of　life。　　The　man　of　good

character　in　a　workshop　will　give　the　tone　to　his　fellows；　and

elevate　their　entire　aspirations。　　Thus　Franklin；　while　a　workman

in　London；　is　said　to　have　reformed　the　manners　of　an　entire

workshop。　　So　the　man　of　bad　character　and　debased　energy　will

unconsciously　lower　and　degrade　his　fellows。　　Captain　John　Brown

the　〃marching…on　Brown〃once　said　to　Emerson；　that　〃for　a

settler　in　a　new　country；　one　good　believing　man　is　worth　a

hundred；　nay；　worth　a　thousand　men　without　character。〃　　His

example　is　so　contagious；　that　all　other　men　are　directly　and

beneficially　influenced　by　him；　and　he　insensibly　elevates　and

lifts　them　up　to　his　own　standard　of　energetic　activity。



Communication　with　the　good　is　invariably　productive　of　good。　　The

good　character　is　diffusive　in　his　influence。　　〃I　was　common　clay

till　roses　were　planted　in　me；〃　says　some　aromatic　earth　in　the

Eastern　fable。　　Like　begets　like；　and　good　makes　good。　　〃It　is

astonishing；〃　says　Canon　Moseley；　〃how　much　good　goodness　makes。

Nothing　that　is　good　is　alone；　nor　anything　bad；　it　makes　others

good　or　others　badand　that　other；　and　so　on：　like　a　stone

thrown　into　a　pond；　which　makes　circles　that　make　other　wider

ones；　and　then　others；　till　the　last　reaches　the　shore。。。。　Almost

all　the　good　that　is　in　the　world　has；　I　suppose；　thus　come　down

to　us　traditionally　from　remote　times；　and　often　unknown　centres

of　good。〃　（5）　　So　Mr。　Ruskin　says；　〃That　which　is　born　of　evil

begets　evil；　and　that　which　is　born　of　valour　and　honour；　teaches

valour　and　honour。〃



Hence　it　is　that　the　life　of　every　man　is　a　daily　inculcation　of

good　or　bad　example　to　others。　　The　life　of　a　good　man　is　at　the

same　time　the　most　eloquent　lesson　of　virtue　and　the　most　severe

reproof　of　vice。　　Dr。　Hooker　described　the　life　of　a　pious

clergyman　of　his　acquaintance　as　〃visible　rhetoric；〃　convincing

even　the　most　godless　of　the　beauty　of　goodness。　　And　so　the　good

George　Herbert　said；　on　entering　upon　the　duties　of　his　parish：

〃Above　all；　I　will　be　sure　to　live　well；　because　the　virtuous　life

of　a　clergyman　is　the　most　powerful　eloquence；　to　persuade　all　who

see　it　to　reverence　and　love；　andat　least　to　desire　to　live

like　him。　　And　this　I　will　do；〃　he　added；　〃because　I　know　we　live

in　an　age　that　hath　more　need　of　good　examples　than　precepts。〃　　It

was　a　fine　saying　of　the　same　good　priest；　when　reproached　with

doing　an　act　of　kindness　to　a　poor　man；　considered　beneath　the

dignity　of　his　office；that　the　thought　of　such　actions　〃would

prove　music　to　him　at　midnight。〃　（6）　　Izaak　Walton　speaks　of　a

letter　written　by　George　Herbert　to　Bishop　Andrewes；　about　a　holy

life；　which　the　latter　〃put　into　his　bosom；〃　and　after　showing　it

to　his　scholars；　〃did　always　return　it　to　the　place　where　he　first

lodged　it；　and　continued　it　so；　near　his　heart；　till　the　last　day

of　his　life。〃



Great　is　the　power　of　goodness　to　charm　and　to　command。　　The　man

inspired　by　it　is　the　true　king　of　men；　drawing　all　hearts　after

him。　　When　General　Nicholson　lay　wounded　on　his　deathbed　before

Delhi；　he　dictated　this　last　message　to　his　equally　noble　and

gallant　friend；　Sir　Herbert　Edwardes：…　〃Tell　him；〃　said　he；　〃I

should　have　been　a　better　man　if　I　had　continued　to　live　with　him；

and　our　heavy　public　duties　had　not　prevented　my　seeing　more　of

him　privately。　　I　was　always　the　better　for　a　residence　with　him

and　his　wife；　however　short。　　Give　my　love　to