character-第28章

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range　of　subjectshistory；　politics；　philology；　anthropology；

and　antiquarianism。　　His　works　on　'The　Astronomy　of　the　Ancients；'

and　'Essays　on　the　Formation　of　the　Romanic　Languages；'　might　have

been　written　by　the　profoundest　of　German　SAVANS。　　He　took

especial　delight　in　pursuing　the　abstruser　branches　of　learning；

and　found　in　them　his　chief　pleasure　and　recreation。　　Lord

Palmerston　sometimes　remonstrated　with　him；　telling　him　he　was

〃taking　too　much　out　of　himself〃　by　laying　aside　official　papers

after　office…hours　in　order　to　study　books；　Palmerston　himself

declaring　that　he　had　no　time　to　read　booksthat　the　reading　of

manuscript　was　quite　enough　for　him。



Doubtless　Sir　George　Lewis　rode　his　hobby　too　hard；　and　but　for

his　devotion　to　study；　his　useful　life　would　probably　have　been

prolonged。　　Whether　in　or　out　of　office；　he　read；　wrote；　and

studied。　　He　relinquished　the　editorship　of　the　'Edinburgh　Review'

to　become　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer；　and　when　no　longer　occupied

in　preparing　budgets；　he　proceeded　to　copy　out　a　mass　of　Greek

manuscripts　at　the　British　Museum。　　He　took　particular　delight　in

pursuing　any　difficult　inquiry　in　classical　antiquity。　　One　of　the

odd　subjects　with　which　he　occupied　himself　was　an　examination

into　the　truth　of　reported　cases　of　longevity；　which；　according　to

his　custom；　he　doubted　or　disbelieved。　　This　subject　was　uppermost

in　his　mind　while　pursuing　his　canvass　of　Herefordshire　in　1852。

On　applying　to　a　voter　one　day　for　his　support；　he　was　met　by　a

decided　refusal。　　〃I　am　sorry；〃　was　the　candidate's　reply；　〃that

you　can't　give　me　your　vote；　but　perhaps　you　can　tell　me　whether

anybody　in　your　parish　has　died　at　an　extraordinary　age！〃



The　contemporaries　of　Sir　George　Lewis　also　furnish　many　striking

instances　of　the　consolations　afforded　by　literature　to　statesmen

wearied　with　the　toils　of　public　life。　　Though　the　door　of　office

may　be　closed；　that　of　literature　stands　always　open；　and　men　who

are　at　daggers…drawn　in　politics；　join　hands　over　the　poetry　of

Homer　and　Horace。　　The　late　Earl　of　Derby；　on　retiring　from　power；

produced　his　noble　version　of　'The　Iliad；'　which　will　probably

continue　to　be　read　when　his　speeches　have　been　forgotten。　　Mr。

Gladstone　similarly　occupied　his　leisure　in　preparing　for　the

press　his　'Studies　on　Homer；'　（24）　and　in　editing　a　translation　of

'Farini's　Roman　State；'　while　Mr。　Disraeli　signalised　his

retirement　from　office　by　the　production　of　his　'Lothair。'　　Among

statesmen　who　have　figured　as　novelists；　besides　Mr。　Disraeli；　are

Lord　Russell；　who　has　also　contributed　largely　to　history　and

biography；　the　Marquis　of　Normanby；　and　the　veteran　novelist；　Lord

Lytton；　with　whom；　indeed；　politics　may　be　said　to　have　been　his

recreation；　and　literature　the　chief　employment　of　his　life。



To　conclude：　a　fair　measure　of　work　is　good　for　mind　as　well　as

body。　　Man　is　an　intelligence　sustained　and　preserved　by　bodily

organs；　and　their　active　exercise　is　necessary　to　the　enjoyment　of

health。　　It　is　not　work；　but　overwork；　that　is　hurtful；　and　it　is

not　hard　work　that　is　injurious　so　much　as　monotonous　work；

fagging　work；　hopeless　work。　　All　hopeful　work　is　healthful；　and

to　be　usefully　and　hopefully　employed　is　one　of　the　great　secrets

of　happiness。　　Brain…work；　in　moderation；　is　no　more　wearing　than

any　other　kind　of　work。　　Duly　regulated；　it　is　as　promotive　of

health　as　bodily　exercise；　and；　where　due　attention　is　paid　to　the

physical　system；　it　seems　difficult　to　put　more　upon　a　man　than　he

can　bear。　　Merely　to　eat　and　drink　and　sleep　one's　way　idly

through　life　is　vastly　more　injurious。　　The　wear…and…tear　of　rust

is　even　faster　than　the　tear…and…wear　of　work。



But　overwork　is　always　bad　economy。　　It　is；　in　fact；　great　waste；

especially　if　conjoined　with　worry。　　Indeed；　worry　kills　far　more

than　work　does。　　It　frets；　it　excites；　it　consumes　the　bodyas

sand　and　grit；　which　occasion　excessive　friction；　wear　out　the

wheels　of　a　machine。　　Overwork　and　worry　have　both　to　be　guarded

against。　　For　over…brain…work　is　strain…work；　and　it　is　exhausting

and　destructive　according　as　it　is　in　excess　of　nature。　　And　the

brain…worker　may　exhaust　and　overbalance　his　mind　by　excess；　just

as　the　athlete　may　overstrain　his　muscles　and　break　his　back　by

attempting　feats　beyond　the　strength　of　his　physical　system。







NOTES



（1）In　the　third　chapter　of　his　Natural　History；　Pliny　relates　in　what

high　honour　agriculture　was　held　in　the　earlier　days　of　Rome；　how

the　divisions　of　land　were　measured　by　the　quantity　which　could　be

ploughed　by　a　yoke　of　oxen　in　a　certain　time　（JUGERUM；　in　one　day；

ACTUS；　at　one　spell）；　how　the　greatest　recompence　to　a　general　or

valiant　citizen　was　a　JUGERUM；　how　the　earliest　surnames　were

derived　from　agriculture　（Pilumnus；　from　PILUM；　the　pestle　for

pounding　corn；　Piso；　from　PISO；　to　grind　coin；　Fabius；　from　FABA；

a　bean；　Lentulus；　from　LENS；　a　lentil；　Cicero；　from　CICER；　a

chickpea；　Babulcus；　from　BOS；　&c。）；　how　the　highest　compliment　was

to　call　a　man　a　good　agriculturist；　or　a　good　husbandman

（LOCUPLES；　rich；　LOCI　PLENUS；　PECUNIA；　from　PECUS；　&c。）；　how　the

pasturing　of　cattle　secretly　by　night　upon　unripe　crops　was　a

capital　offence；　punishable　by　hanging；　how　the　rural　tribes　held

the　foremost　rank；　while　those　of　the　city　had　discredit　thrown

upon　them　as　being　an　indolent　race；　and　how　〃GLORIAM　DENIQUE

IPSAM；　A　FARRIS　HONORE；　'ADOREAM'　APPELLABANT；〃　ADOREA；　or　Glory；

the　reward　of　valour；　being　derived　from　Ador；　or　spelt；

a　kind　of　grain。



（2）　'Essay　on　Government；'　in　'Encyclopaedia　Britannica。'



（3）　Burton's　'Anatomy　of　Melancholy；'　Part　i。；　Mem。　2；　Sub。　6。



（4）　Ibid。　　End　of　concluding　chapter。



（5）　It　is　characteristic　of　the　Hindoos　to　regard　entire　inaction　as

the　most　perfect　state；　and　to　describe　the　Supreme　Being　as　〃The

Unmoveable。〃



（6）　Lessing　was　so　impressed　with　the　conviction　that　stagnant

satisfaction　was　fatal　to　man；　that　he　went　so　far　as　to　say：　〃If

the　All…powerful　Being；　holding　in　one　hand　Truth；　and　in　the

other　the　search　for　Truth；　said　to　me；　'Choose；'　I　would　answer

Him；　'O　All…powerful；　keep　for　Thyself　the　Truth；　but　leave　to　me

the　search　for　it；　which　is　the　better　for　me。'〃　　On　the　other

hand；　Bossuet　said：　〃Si　je　concevais　une　nature　purement

intelligente；　il　me　semble　que　je　n'y　mettrais　qu'entendre　et

aimer　la　verite；　et　que　cela　seul　la　rendrait　heureux。〃



（7）　The　late　Sir　John　Patteson；　when　in　his　seventieth　year；　attended

an　annual　ploughing…match　dinner　at　Feniton；　Devon；　at　which　he

thought　it　worth　his　while　to　combat　the　notion；　still　too

prevalent；　that　because　a　man　does　not　work　merely　with　his　bones

and　muscles；　he　is　therefore　not　entitled　to　the　appellation　of　a

workingman。　　〃In　recollecting　similar　meetings　to　the　present；〃　he

said；　〃I　remember　my　friend；　John　Pyle；　rather　throwing　it　in　my

teeth　that　I　had　not　worked　for　nothing；　but　I　told　him；　'Mr。

Pyle；　you　do　not　know　what　you　are　talking　about。　　We　are　all

workers。　　The　man　who　ploughs　the　field　and　who　digs　the　hedge　is

a　worker；　but　there　are　other　workers　in　other　stations　of　life　as

well。　　For　myself；　I　can　say　that　I　have　been　a　worker　ever　since

I　have　been　a　boy。'。。。　　Then　I　told　him　that　the　office　of　judge

was　by　no　means　a　sinecure；　for　that　a　judge　worked　as　hard　as　any

man　in　the　country。　　He　has　to　work　at　very　difficult　questions　of

law；　which　are　brought　before　him　continually；　giving　him　great

anxiety；　and　sometimes　the　lives　of　his　fellow…creatures　are

placed　in　his　hands；　and　are　dependent　very　much　upon　the　manner

in　which　he　places　the　facts　before　the　jury。　　That　is　a　matter　of

no　little　anxiety；　I　can　assure　you。　　Let　any　man　think　as　he

will；　there　is　no　man　who　has　been　through　the　ordeal　for　the

length　of　time　that　I　have；　but　must　feel　conscious　of　the

importance　and　gravity　of　the　duty　which　is　cast　upon　a　judge。〃