character-第26章

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Calderon；　Camoens；　Descartes；　Maupertius；　La　Rochefoucauld；

Lacepede；　Lamark；　were　soldiers　in　the　early　part　of　their

respective　lives。



In　our　own　country；　many　men　now　known　by　their　writings；　earned

their　living　by　their　trade。　　Lillo　spent　the　greater　part　of　his

life　as　a　working　jeweller　in　the　Poultry；　occupying　the　intervals

of　his　leisure　in　the　production　of　dramatic　works；　some　of　them

of　acknowledged　power　and　merit。　　Izaak　Walton　was　a　linendraper

in　Fleet　Street；　reading　much　in　his　leisure　hours；　and　storing

his　mind　with　facts　for　future　use　in　his　capacity　of　biographer。

De　Foe　was　by　turns　horse…factor；　brick　and　tile　maker；

shopkeeper；　author；　and　political　agent。



Samuel　Richardson　successfully　combined　literature；　with　business；

writing　his　novels　in　his　back…shop　in　Salisbury　Court；　Fleet

Street；　and　selling　them　over　the　counter　in　his　front…shop。

William　Hutton；　of　Birmingham；　also　successfully　combined　the

occupations　of　bookselling　and　authorship。　　He　says；　in　his

Autobiography；　that　a　man　may　live　half　a　century　and　not　be

acquainted　with　his　own　character。　　He　did　not　know　that　he　was　an

antiquary　until　the　world　informed　him　of　it；　from　having　read　his

'History　of　Birmingham；'　and　then；　he　said；　he　could　see　it

himself。　　Benjamin　Franklin　was　alike　eminent　as　a　printer　and

bookselleran　author；　a　philosopher　and　a　statesman。



Coming　down　to　our　own　time；　we　find　Ebenezer　Elliott　successfully

carrying　on　the　business　of　a　bar…iron　merchant　in　Sheffield；

during　which　time　he　wrote　and　published　the　greater　number　of　his

poems；　and　his　success　in　business　was　such　as　to　enable　him　to

retire　into　the　country　and　build　a　house　of　his　own；　in　which　he

spent　the　remainder　of　his　days。　　Isaac　Taylor；　the　author　of　the

'Natural　History　of　Enthusiasm；'　was　an　engraver　of　patterns　for

Manchester　calico…printers；　and　other　members　of　this　gifted

family　were　followers　of　the　same　branch　of　art。



The　principal　early　works　of　John　Stuart　Mill　were　written　in　the

intervals　of　official　work；　while　he　held　the　office　of　principal

examiner　in　the　East　India　House；in　which　Charles　Lamb；　Peacock

the　author　of　'Headlong　Hall；'　and　Edwin　Norris　the　philologist；

were　also　clerks。　　Macaulay　wrote　his　'Lays　of　Ancient　Rome'　in

the　War　Office；　while　holding　the　post　of　Secretary　of　War。　　It　is

well　known　that　the　thoughtful　writings　of　Mr。　Helps　are　literally

〃Essays　written　in　the　Intervals　of　Business。〃　　Many　of　our　best

living　authors　are　men　holding　important　public　officessuch　as

Sir　Henry　Taylor；　Sir　John　Kaye；　Anthony　Trollope；　Tom　Taylor；

Matthew　Arnold；　and　Samuel　Warren。



Mr。　Proctor　the　poet；　better　known　as　〃Barry　Cornwall；〃　was　a

barrister　and　commissioner　in　lunacy。　　Most　probably　he　assumed

the　pseudonym　for　the　same　reason　that　Dr。　Paris　published　his

'Philosophy　in　Sport　made　Science　in　Earnest'　anonymously

because　he　apprehended　that；　if　known；　it　might　compromise　his

professional　position。　　For　it　is　by　no　means　an　uncommon

prejudice；　still　prevalent　amongst　City　men；　that　a　person　who　has

written　a　book；　and　still　more　one　who　has　written　a　poem；　is　good

for　nothing　in　the　way　of　business。　　Yet　Sharon　Turner；　though　an

excellent　historian；　was　no　worse　a　solicitor　on　that　account；

while　the　brothers　Horace　and　James　Smith；　authors　of　'The

Rejected　Addresses；'　were　men　of　such　eminence　in　their

profession；　that　they　were　selected　to　fill　the　important　and

lucrative　post　of　solicitors　to　the　Admiralty；　and　they

filled　it　admirably。



It　was　while　the　late　Mr。　Broderip；　the　barrister；　was　acting　as　a

London　police　magistrate；　that　he　was　attracted　to　the　study　of

natural　history；　in　which　he　occupied　the　greater　part　of　his

leisure。　　He　wrote　the　principal　articles　on　the　subject　for　the

'Penny　Cyclopaedia；'　besides　several　separate　works　of　great

merit；　more　particularly　the　'Zoological　Recreations；'　and　'Leaves

from　the　Notebook　of　a　Naturalist。'　It　is　recorded　of　him　that；

though　he　devoted　so　much　of　his　time　to　the　production　of　his

works；　as　well　as　to　the　Zoological　Society　and　their　admirable

establishment　in　Regent's　Park；　of　which　he　was　one　of　the

founders；　his　studies　never　interfered　with　the　real　business　of

his　life；　nor　is　it　known　that　a　single　question　was　ever　raised

upon　his　conduct　or　his　decisions。　　And　while　Mr。　Broderip　devoted

himself　to　natural　history；　the　late　Lord　Chief　Baron　Pollock

devoted　his　leisure　to　natural　science；　recreating　himself　in　the

practice　of　photography　and　the　study　of　mathematics；　in　both　of

which　he　was　thoroughly　proficient。



Among　literary　bankers　we　find　the　names　of　Rogers；　the　poet；

Roscoe；　of　Liverpool；　the　biographer　of　Lorenzo　de　Medici；

Ricardo；　the　author　of　'Political　Economy　and　Taxation；　（20）

Grote；　the　author　of　the　'History　of　Greece；'　Sir　John　Lubbock；

the　scientific　antiquarian；　（21）　and　Samuel　Bailey；　of　Sheffield；

the　author　of　'Essays　on　the　Formation　and　Publication　of

Opinions；'　besides　various　important　works　on　ethics；　political

economy；　and　philosophy。



Nor；　on　the　other　hand；　have　thoroughly…trained　men　of　science　and

learning　proved　themselves　inefficient　as　first…rate　men　of

business。　　Culture　of　the　best　sort　trains　the　habit　of

application　and　industry；　disciplines　the　mind；　supplies　it　with

resources；　and　gives　it　freedom　and　vigour　of　actionall　of

which　are　equally　requisite　in　the　successful　conduct　of　business。

Thus；　in　young　men；　education　and　scholarship　usually　indicate

steadiness　of　character；　for　they　imply　continuous　attention；

diligence；　and　the　ability　and　energy　necessary　to　master

knowledge；　and　such　persons　will　also　usually　be　found

possessed　of　more　than　average　promptitude；　address；

resource；　and　dexterity。



Montaigne　has　said　of　true　philosophers；　that　〃if　they　were　great

in　science；　they　were　yet　much　greater　in　action；。。。　　and　whenever

they　have　been　put　upon　the　proof；　they　have　been　seen　to　fly　to

so　high　a　pitch；　as　made　it　very　well　appear　their　souls　were

strangely　elevated　and　enriched　with　the　knowledge　of　things。〃　（22）



At　the　same　time；　it　must　be　acknowledged　that　too　exclusive　a

devotion　to　imaginative　and　philosophical　literature；　especially

if　prolonged　in　life　until　the　habits　become　formed；　does　to　a

great　extent　incapacitate　a　man　for　the　business　of　practical

life。　　Speculative　ability　is　one　thing；　and　practical　ability

another；　and　the　man　who；　in　his　study；　or　with　his　pen　in　hand；

shows　himself　capable　of　forming　large　views　of　life　and　policy；

may；　in　the　outer　world；　be　found　altogether　unfitted　for　carrying

them　into　practical　effect。



Speculative　ability　depends　on　vigorous　thinkingpractical

ability　on　vigorous　acting；　and　the　two　qualities　are　usually

found　combined　in　very　unequal　proportions。　　The　speculative　man

is　prone　to　indecision：　he　sees　all　the　sides　of　a　question；　and

his　action　becomes　suspended　in　nicely　weighing　the　pros　and　cons；

which　are　often　found　pretty　nearly　to　balance　each　other；　whereas

the　practical　man　overleaps　logical　preliminaries；　arrives　at

certain　definite　convictions；　and　proceeds　forthwith　to　carry　his

policy　into　action。　（23）



Yet　there　have　been　many　great　men　of　science　who　have　proved

efficient　men　of　business。　　We　do　not　learn　that　Sir　Isaac　Newton

made　a　worse　Master　of　the　Mint　because　he　was　the　greatest　of

philosophers。　　Nor　were　there　any　complaints　as　to　the　efficiency

of　Sir　John　Herschel；　who　held　the　same　office。　　The　brothers

Humboldt　were　alike　capable　men　in　all　that　they　undertook

whether　it　was　literature；　philosophy；　mining；　philology；

diplomacy；　or　statesmanship。



Niebuhr；　the　historian；　was　distinguished　for　his　energy　and

success　as　a　man　of　business。　　He　proved　so　efficient　as　secretary

and　accountant　to　the　African　consulate；　to　which　he　had　been

appointed　by　the　Danish　Government；　that　he　was　afterwards

select