character-第25章

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of　indefatigable　application　and　industry。



The　same　energetic　vitality；　as　displayed　in　the　power　of　working；

has　distinguished　all　the　eminent　men　in　our　own　as　well　as　in

past　times。　　During　the　Anti…Corn　Law　movement；　Cobden；　writing　to

a　friend；　described　himself　as　〃working　like　a　horse；　with　not　a

moment　to　spare。〃　　Lord　Brougham　was　a　remarkable　instance　of　the

indefatigably　active　and　laborious　man；　and　it　might　be　said　of

Lord　Palmerston；　that　he　worked　harder　for　success　in　his　extreme

old　age　than　he　had　ever　done　in　the　prime　of　his　manhood

preserving　his　working　faculty；　his　good…humour　and　BONHOMMIE；

unimpaired　to　the　end。　（17）　　He　himself　was　accustomed　to　say；　that

being　in　office；　and　consequently　full　of　work；　was　good　for　his

health。　　It　rescued　him　from　ENNUI。　Helvetius　even　held；　that　it

is　man's　sense　of　ENNUI　that　is　the　chief　cause　of　his　superiority

over　the　brute；that　it　is　the　necessity　which　he　feels　for

escaping　from　its　intolerable　suffering　that　forces　him　to

employ　himself　actively；　and　is　hence　the　great　stimulus

to　human　progress。



Indeed；　this　living　principle　of　constant　work；　of　abundant

occupation；　of　practical　contact　with　men　in　the　affairs　of　life；

has　in　all　times　been　the　best　ripener　of　the　energetic　vitality

of　strong　natures。　　Business　habits；　cultivated　and　disciplined；

are　found　alike　useful　in　every　pursuitwhether　in　politics；

literature；　science；　or　art。　　Thus；　a　great　deal　of　the　best

literary　work　has　been　done　by　men　systematically　trained　in

business　pursuits。　　The　same　industry；　application；　economy　of

time　and　labour；　which　have　rendered　them　useful　in　the　one　sphere

of　employment；　have　been　found　equally　available　in　the　other。



Most　of　the　early　English　writers　were　men　of　affairs；　trained　to

business；　for　no　literary　class　as　yet　existed；　excepting　it　might

be　the　priesthood。　　Chaucer；　the　father　of　English　poetry；　was

first　a　soldier；　and　afterwards　a　comptroller　of　petty　customs。

The　office　was　no　sinecure　either；　for　he　had　to　write　up　all　the

records　with　his　own　hand；　and　when　he　had　done　his　〃reckonings〃

at　the　custom…house；　he　returned　with　delight　to　his　favourite

studies　at　homeporing　over　his　books　until　his　eyes　were

〃dazed〃　and　dull。



The　great　writers　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　during　which　there

was　such　a　development　of　robust　life　in　England；　were　not

literary　men　according　to　the　modern　acceptation　of　the　word；　but

men　of　action　trained　in　business。　　Spenser　acted　as　secretary　to

the　Lord　Deputy　of　Ireland；　Raleigh　was；　by　turns；　a　courtier；

soldier；　sailor；　and　discoverer；　Sydney　was　a　politician；

diplomatist；　and　soldier；　Bacon　was　a　laborious　lawyer　before　he

became　Lord　Keeper　and　Lord　Chancellor；　Sir　Thomas　Browne　was　a

physician　in　country　practice　at　Norwich；　Hooker　was　the

hardworking　pastor　of　a　country　parish；　Shakspeare　was　the　manager

of　a　theatre；　in　which　he　was　himself　but　an　indifferent　actor；

and　he　seems　to　have　been　even　more　careful　of　his　money

investments　than　he　was　of　his　intellectual　offspring。　　Yet　these；

all　men　of　active　business　habits；　are　among　the　greatest　writers

of　any　age：　the　period　of　Elizabeth　and　James　I。　standing　out　in

the　history　of　England　as　the　era　of　its　greatest　literary

activity　and　splendour。



In　the　reign　of　Charles　I。；　Cowley　held　various　offices　of　trust

and　confidence。　　He　acted　as　private　secretary　to　several　of　the

royalist　leaders；　and　was　afterwards　engaged　as　private　secretary

to　the　Queen；　in　ciphering　and　deciphering　the　correspondence

which　passed　between　her　and　Charles　I。；　the　work　occupying　all

his　days；　and　often　his　nights；　during　several　years。　　And　while

Cowley　was　thus　employed　in　the　royal　cause；　Milton　was　employed

by　the　Commonwealth；　of　which　he　was　the　Latin　secretary；　and

afterwards　secretary　to　the　Lord　Protector。　　Yet；　in　the　earlier

part　of　his　life；　Milton　was　occupied　in　the　humble　vocation　of　a

teacher。　　Dr。　Johnson　says；　〃that　in　his　school；　as　in　everything

else　which　he　undertook；　he　laboured　with　great　diligence；　there

is　no　reason　for　doubting〃　It　was　after　the　Restoration；　when　his

official　employment　ceased；　that　Milton　entered　upon　the　principal

literary　work　of　his　life；　but　before　he　undertook　the　writing　of

his　great　epic；　he　deemed　it　indispensable　that　to　〃industrious

and　select　reading〃　he　should　add　〃steady　observation〃　and

〃insight　into　all　seemly　and　generous　arts　and　affairs。〃　（18）



Locke　held　office　in　different　reigns：　first　under　Charles　II。　as

Secretary　to　the　Board　of　Trade　and　afterwards　under　William　III。

as　Commissioner　of　Appeals　and　of　Trade　and　Plantations。　　Many

literary　men　of　eminence　held　office　in　Queen　Anne's　reign。　　Thus

Addison　was　Secretary　of　State；　Steele；　Commissioner　of　Stamps；

Prior；　Under…Secretary　of　State；　and　afterwards　Ambassador　to

France；　Tickell；　Under…Secretary　of　State；　and　Secretary　to　the

Lords　Justices　of　Ireland；　Congreve；　Secretary　of　Jamaica；；　and

Gay；　Secretary　of　Legation　at　Hanover。



Indeed；　habits　of　business；　instead　of　unfitting　a　cultivated　mind

for　scientific　or　literary　pursuits；　are　often　the　best　training

for　them。　　Voltaire　insisted　with　truth　that　the　real　spirit　of

business　and　literature　are　the　same；　the　perfection　of　each　being

the　union　of　energy　and　thoughtfulness；　of　cultivated　intelligence

and　practical　wisdom；　of　the　active　and　contemplative　essencea

union　commended　by　Lord　Bacon　as　the　concentrated　excellence　of

man's　nature。　　It　has　been　said　that　even　the　man　of　genius　can

write　nothing　worth　reading　in　relation　to　human　affairs；　unless

he　has　been　in　some　way　or　other　connected　with　the　serious

everyday　business　of　life。



Hence　it　has　happened　that　many　of　the　best　books；　extant　have

been　written　by　men　of　business；　with　whom　literature　was　a

pastime　rather　than　a　profession。　　Gifford；　the　editor　of　the

'Quarterly；'　who　knew　the　drudgery　of　writing　for　a　living；　once

observed　that　〃a　single　hour　of　composition；　won　from　the　business

of　the　day；　is　worth　more　than　the　whole　day's　toil　of　him　who

works　at　the　trade　of　literature：　in　the　one　case；　the　spirit

comes　joyfully　to　refresh　itself；　like　a　hart　to　the　waterbrooks；

in　the　other；　it　pursues　its　miserable　way；　panting　and　jaded；

with　the　dogs　and　hunger　of　necessity　behind。〃　（19）



The　first　great　men　of　letters　in　Italy　were　not　mere　men　of

letters；　they　were　men　of　businessmerchants；　statesmen；

diplomatists；　judges；　and　soldiers。　　Villani；　the　author　of　the

best　History　of　Florence；　was　a　merchant；　Dante；　Petrarch；　and

Boccacio；　were　all　engaged　in　more　or　less　important　embassies；

and　Dante；　before　becoming　a　diplomatist；　was　for　some　time

occupied　as　a　chemist　and　druggist。　Galileo；　Galvani；　and　Farini

were　physicians；　and　Goldoni　a　lawyer。　　Ariosto's　talent　for

affairs　was　as　great　as　his　genius　for　poetry。　　At　the　death　of

his　father；　he　was　called　upon　to　manage　the　family　estate　for　the

benefit　of　his　younger　brothers　and　sisters；　which　he　did　with

ability　and　integrity。　　His　genius　for　business　having　been

recognised；　he　was　employed　by　the　Duke　of　Ferrara　on　important

missions　to　Rome　and　elsewhere。　　Having　afterwards　been　appointed

governor　of　a　turbulent　mountain　district；　he　succeeded；　by　firm

and　just　governments　in　reducing　it　to　a　condition　of　comparative

good　order　and　security。　　Even　the　bandits　of　the　country

respected　him。　　Being　arrested　one　day　in　the　mountains　by　a　body

of　outlaws；　he　mentioned　his　name；　when　they　at　once　offered　to

escort　him　in　safety　wherever　he　chose。



It　has　been　the　same　in　other　countries。　　Vattel；　the　author　of

the　'Rights　of　Nations；'　was　a　practical　diplomatist；　and　a　first…

rate　man　of　business。　　Rabelais　was　a　physician；　and　a　successful

practitioner；　Schiller　was　a　surgeon；　Cervantes；　Lope　de　Vega；

Calderon；　Camoens；　Descartes；　Maupertius；　La　Rochefoucauld；

Lacepede；　Lamark；　were　soldier