character-第19章

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attempted　before。　　Dante　inspired　the　greatest　painters　of　Italy

Giotto；　Orcagna；　Michael　Angelo；　and　Raphael。　　So　Ariosto　and

Titian　mutually　inspired　one　another；　and　lighted　up　each

other's　glory。



Great　and　good　men　draw　others　after　them；　exciting　the

spontaneous　admiration　of　mankind。　　This　admiration　of　noble

character　elevates　the　mind；　and　tends　to　redeem　it　from　the

bondage　of　self；　one　of　the　greatest　stumbling　blocks　to　moral

improvement。　　The　recollection　of　men　who　have　signalised

themselves　by　great　thoughts　or　great　deeds；　seems　as　if　to　create

for　the　time　a　purer　atmosphere　around　us：　and　we　feel　as　if　our

aims　and　purposes　were　unconsciously　elevated。



〃Tell　me　whom　you　admire；〃　said　Sainte…Beuve；　〃and　I　will　tell　you

what　you　are；　at　least　as　regards　your　talents；　tastes；　and

character。〃　　Do　you　admire　mean　men？your　own　nature　is　mean。

Do　you　admire　rich　men？you　are　of　the　earth；　earthy。　　Do　you

admire　men　of　title？you　are　a　toad…eater；　or　a　tuft…hunter。　（8）

Do　you　admire　honest；　brave；　and　manly　men？you　are　yourself　of

an　honest；　brave；　and　manly　spirit。



It　is　in　the　season　of　youth；　while　the　character　is　forming；　that

the　impulse　to　admire　is　the　greatest。　As　we　advance　in　life；　we

crystallize　into　habit；　and　〃NIL　ADMIRARI〃　too　often　becomes　our

motto。　　It　is　well　to　encourage　the　admiration　of　great　characters

while　the　nature　is　plastic　and　open　to　impressions；　for　if　the

good　are　not　admiredas　young　men　will　have　their　heroes　of　some

sortmost　probably　the　great　bad　may　be　taken　by　them　for

models。　　Hence　it　always　rejoiced　Dr。　Arnold　to　hear　his　pupils

expressing　admiration　of　great　deeds；　or　full　of　enthusiasm　for

persons　or　even　scenery。　　〃I　believe；〃　said　he；　〃that　〃NIL

ADMIRARI〃　is　the　devil's　favourite　text；　and　he　could　not　choose　a

better　to　introduce　his　pupils　into　the　more　esoteric　parts　of　his

doctrine。　　And；　therefore；　I　have　always　looked　upon　a　man

infected　with　the　disorder　of　anti…romance　as　one　who　has　lost　the

finest　part　of　his　nature；　and　his　best　protection　against

everything　low　and　foolish。〃　（9）



It　was　a　fine　trait　in　the　character　of　Prince　Albert　that　he　was

always　so　ready　to　express　generous　admiration　of　the　good　deeds

of　others。　　〃He　had　the　greatest　delight；〃　says　the　ablest

delineator　of　his　character；　〃in　anybody　else　saying　a　fine

saying；　or　doing　a　great　deed。　　He　would　rejoice　over　it；　and　talk

about　it　for　days；　and　whether　it　was　a　thing　nobly　said　or　done

by　a　little　child；　or　by　a　veteran　statesman；　it　gave　him　equal

pleasure。　　He　delighted　in　humanity　doing　well　on　any　occasion　and

in　any　manner。〃　（10）



〃No　quality；〃　said　Dr。　Johnson；　〃will　get　a　man　more　friends　than

a　sincere　admiration　of　the　qualities　of　others。　　It　indicates

generosity　of　nature；　frankness；　cordiality；　and　cheerful

recognition　of　merit。〃　　It　was　to　the　sincereit　might　almost　be

said　the　reverentialadmiration　of　Johnson　by　Boswell；　that　we

owe　one　of　the　best　biographies　ever　written。　　One　is　disposed　to

think　that　there　must　have　been　some　genuine　good　qualities　in

Boswell　to　have　been　attracted　by　such　a　man　as　Johnson；　and　to

have　kept　faithful　to　his　worship　in　spite　of　rebuffs　and

snubbings　innumerable。　　Macaulay　speaks　of　Boswell　as　an

altogether　contemptible　personas　a　coxcomb　and　a　boreweak；

vain；　pushing；　curious；　garrulous；　and　without　wit；　humour；　or

eloquence。　　But　Carlyle　is　doubtless　more　just　in　his

characterisation　of　the　biographer；　in　whomvain　and　foolish

though　he　was　in　many　respectshe　sees　a　man　penetrated　by　the

old　reverent　feeling　of　discipleship；　full　of　love　and　admiration

for　true　wisdom　and　excellence。　　Without　such　qualities；　Carlyle

insists；　the　'Life　of　Johnson'　never　could　have　been　written。

〃Boswell　wrote　a　good　book；〃　he　says；　〃because　he　had　a　heart　and

an　eye　to　discern　wisdom；　and　an　utterance　to　render　it　forth；

because　of　his　free　insight；　his　lively　talent；　and；　above　all；　of

his　love　and　childlike　openmindedness。〃



Most　young　men　of　generous　mind　have　their　heroes；　especially　if

they　be　book…readers。　　Thus　Allan　Cunningham；　when　a　mason's

apprentice　in　Nithsdale；　walked　all　the　way　to　Edinburgh　for　the

sole　purpose　of　seeing　Sir　Walter　Scott　as　he　passed　along　the

street。　　We　unconsciously　admire　the　enthusiasm　of　the　lad；　and

respect　the　impulse　which　impelled　him　to　make　the　journey。　　It　is

related　of　Sir　Joshua　Reynolds；　that　when　a　boy　of　ten；　he　thrust

his　hand　through　intervening　rows　of　people　to　touch　Pope；　as　if

there　were　a　sort　of　virtue　in　the　contact。　　At　a　much　later

period；　the　painter　Haydon　was　proud　to　see　and　to　touch　Reynolds

when　on　a　visit　to　his　native　place。　　Rogers　the　poet　used　to　tell

of　his　ardent　desire；　when　a　boy；　to　see　Dr。　Johnson；　but　when　his

hand　was　on　the　knocker　of　the　house　in　Bolt　Court；　his　courage

failed　him；　and　he　turned　away。　　So　the　late　Isaac　Disraeli；　when

a　youth；　called　at　Bolt　Court　for　the　same　purpose；　and　though　be

HAD　the　courage　to　knock；　to　his　dismay　he　was　informed　by　the

servant　that　the　great　lexicographer　had　breathed　his　last　only　a

few　hours　before。



On　the　contrary；　small　and　ungenerous　minds　cannot　admire

heartily。　　To　their　own　great　misfortune；　they　cannot　recognise；

much　less　reverence；　great　men　and　great　things。　　The　mean　nature

admires　meanly。　　The　toad's　highest　idea　of　beauty　is　his　toadess。

The　small　snob's　highest　idea　of　manhood　is　the　great　snob。　　The

slave…dealer　values　a　man　according　to　his　muscles。　　When　a　Guinea

trader　was　told　by　Sir　Godfrey　Kneller；　in　the　presence　of　Pope；

that　he　saw　before　him　two　of　the　greatest　men　in　the　world；　he

replied：　〃I　don't　know　how　great　you　may　be；　but　I　don't　like　your

looks。　　I　have　often　bought　a　man　much　better　than　both　of　you

together；　all　bones　and　muscles；　for　ten　guineas！〃



Although　Rochefoucauld；　in　one　of　his　maxims；　says　that　there　is

something　that　is　not　altogether　disagreeable　to　us　in　the

misfortunes　of　even　our　best　friends；　it　is　only　the　small　and

essentially　mean　nature　that　finds　pleasure　in　the　disappointment；

and　annoyance　at　the　success　of　others。　　There　are；　unhappily；　for

themselves；　persons　so　constituted　that　they　have　not　the　heart　to

be　generous。　　The　most　disagreeable　of　all　people　are　those　who

〃sit　in　the　seat　of　the　scorner。〃　　Persons　of　this　sort　often　come

to　regard　the　success　of　others；　even　in　a　good　work；　as　a　kind　of

personal　offence。　　They　cannot　bear　to　hear　another　praised；

especially　if　he　belong　to　their　own　art；　or　calling；　or

profession。　　They　will　pardon　a　man's　failures；　but　cannot　forgive

his　doing　a　thing　better　than　they　can　do。　　And　where　they　have

themselves　failed；　they　are　found　to　be　the　most　merciless　of

detractors。　　The　sour　critic　thinks　of　his　rival：



　　　　〃When　Heaven　with　such　parts　has　blest　him；

　　　　Have　I　not　reason　to　detest　him？〃



The　mean　mind　occupies　itself　with　sneering；　carping；　and　fault…

finding；　and　is　ready　to　scoff　at　everything　but　impudent

effrontery　or　successful　vice。　　The　greatest　consolation　of　such

persons　are　the　defects　of　men　of　character。　　〃If　the　wise　erred

not；〃　says　George　Herbert；　〃it　would　go　hard　with　fools。〃　　Yet；

though　wise　men　may　learn　of　fools　by　avoiding　their　errors；　fools

rarely　profit　by　the　example　which；　wise　men　set　them。　　A　German

writer　has　said　that　it　is　a　miserable　temper　that　cares　only　to

discover　the　blemishes　in　the　character　of　great　men　or　great

periods。　　Let　us　rather　judge　them　with　the　charity　of

Bolingbroke；　who；　when　reminded　of　one　of　the　alleged　weaknesses

of　Marlborough；　observed；〃He　was　so　great　a　man　that　I　forgot

he　had　that　defect。〃



Admiration　of　great　men；　living　or　dead；　naturally　evokes

imitation　of　them　in　a　greater　or　less　degree。　　While　a　mere

youth；　the　mind　of　Themistocles　was　fired　by　the　great　deeds　of

his　contemporaries；　and　he　longed　to　distinguish　himself　in　the

service　of　his　country