character-第34章

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persisting；　the　cynic　raised　his　knotty　staff；　and　threatened　to

strike　him　if　he　did　not　depart。　　〃Strike！〃　said　Diogenes；　〃you

will　not　find　a　stick　hard　enough　to　conquer　my　perseverance。〃

Antisthenes；　overcome；　had　not　another　word　to　say；　but　forthwith

accepted　him　as　his　pupil。



Energy　of　temperament；　with　a　moderate　degree　of　wisdom；　will

carry　a　man　further　than　any　amount　of　intellect　without　it。

Energy　makes　the　man　of　practical　ability。　　It　gives　him　VIS；

force；　MOMENTUM。　It　is　the　active　motive　power　of　character；

and　if　combined　with　sagacity　and　self…possession；　will

enable　a　man　to　employ　his　powers　to　the　best　advantage

in　all　the　affairs　of　life。



Hence　it　is　that；　inspired　by　energy　of　purpose；　men　of

comparatively　mediocre　powers　have　often　been　enabled　to

accomplish　such　extraordinary　results。　　For　the　men　who　have　most

powerfully　influenced　the　world　have　not　been　so　much　men　of

genius　as　men　of　strong　convictions　and　enduring　capacity　for

work；　impelled　by　irresistible　energy　and　invincible

determination：　such　men；　for　example；　as　were　Mahomet；　Luther；

Knox；　Calvin；　Loyola；　and　Wesley。



Courage；　combined　with　energy　and　perseverance；　will　overcome

difficulties　apparently　insurmountable。　　It　gives　force　and

impulse　to　effort；　and　does　not　permit　it　to　retreat。　　Tyndall

said　of　Faraday；　that　〃in　his　warm　moments　he　formed　a　resolution；

and　in　his　cool　ones　he　made　that　resolution　good。〃　　Perseverance；

working　in　the　right　direction；　grows　with　time；　and　when　steadily

practised；　even　by　the　most　humble；　will　rarely　fail　of　its

reward。　　Trusting　in　the　help　of　others　is　of　comparatively　little

use。　　When　one　of　Michael　Angelo's　principal　patrons　died；　he

said：　〃I　begin　to　understand　that　the　promises　of　the　world　are

for　the　most　part　vain　phantoms；　and　that　to　confide　in　one's

self；　and　become　something　of　worth　and　value；　is　the　best

and　safest　course。〃



Courage　is　by　no　means　incompatible　with　tenderness。　　On　the

contrary；　gentleness　and　tenderness　have　been　found　to

characterise　the　men；　not　less　than　the　women；　who　have　done　the

most　courageous　deeds。　　Sir　Charles　Napier　gave　up　sporting；

because　he　could　not　bear　to　hurt　dumb　creatures。　　The　same

gentleness　and　tenderness　characterised　his　brother；　Sir　William；

the　historian　of　the　Peninsular　War。　（10）　Such　also　was　the

character　of　Sir　James　Outram；　pronounced　by　Sir　Charles　Napier　to

be　〃the　Bayard　of　India；　SANS　PEUR　ET　SANS　REPROCHE〃one　of　the

bravest　and　yet　gentlest　of　men；　respectful　and　reverent　to　women；

tender　to　children；　helpful　of　the　weak；　stern　to　the　corrupt；　but

kindly　as　summer　to　the　honest　and　deserving。　　Moreover；　he　was

himself　as　honest　as　day；　and　as　pure　as　virtue。　　Of　him　it　might

be　said　with　truth；　what　Fulke　Greville　said　of　Sidney：　〃He　was　a

true　model　of　wortha　man　fit　for　conquest；　reformation；

plantation；　or　what　action　soever　is　the　greatest　and　hardest

among　men；　his　chief　ends　withal　being　above　all　things　the　good

of　his　fellows；　and　the　service　of　his　sovereign　and　country。〃



When　Edward　the　Black　Prince　won　the　Battle　of　Poictiers；　in　which

he　took　prisoner　the　French　king　and　his　son；　he　entertained　them

in　the　evening　at　a　banquet；　when　he　insisted　on　waiting　upon　and

serving　them　at　table。　　The　gallant　prince's　knightly　courtesy　and

demeanour　won　the　hearts　of　his　captives　as　completely　as　his

valour　had　won　their　persons；　for；　notwithstanding　his　youth；

Edward　was　a　true　knight；　the　first　and　bravest　of　his　timea

noble　pattern　and　example　of　chivalry；　his　two　mottoes；　'Hochmuth'

and　'Ich　dien'　（high　spirit　and　reverent　service）　not　inaptly

expressing　his　prominent　and　pervading　qualities。



It　is　the　courageous　man　who　can　best　afford　to　be　generous；　or

rather；　it　is　his　nature　to　be　so。　　When　Fairfax；　at　the　Battle　of

Naseby；　seized　the　colours　from　an　ensign　whom　he　had　struck　down

in　the　fight；　he　handed　them　to　a　common　soldier　to　take　care　of。

The　soldier；　unable　to　resist　the　temptation；　boasted　to　his

comrades　that　he　had　himself　seized　the　colours；　and　the　boast　was

repeated　to　Fairfax。　　〃Let　him　retain　the　honour；〃　said　the

commander；　〃I　have　enough　beside。〃



So　when　Douglas；　at　the　Battle　of　Bannockburn；　saw　Randolph；　his

rival；　outnumbered　and　apparently　overpowered　by　the　enemy；　he

prepared　to　hasten　to　his　assistance；　but；　seeing　that　Randolph

was　already　driving　them　back；　he　cried　out；　〃Hold　and　halt！　　We

are　come　too　late　to　aid　them；　let　us　not　lessen　the　victory　they

have　won　by　affecting　to　claim　a　share　in　it。〃



Quite　as　chivalrous；　though　in　a　very　different　field　of　action；

was　the　conduct　of　Laplace　to　the　young　philosopher　Biot；　when　the

latter　had　read　to　the　French　Academy　his　paper；　〃SUR　LES

EQUATIONS　AUX　DIFFERENCE　MELEES。〃　　The　assembled　SAVANS；　at　its

close；　felicitated　the　reader　of　the　paper　on　his　originality。

Monge　was　delighted　at　his　success。　　Laplace　also　praised　him　for

the　clearness　of　his　demonstrations；　and　invited　Biot　to　accompany

him　home。　　Arrived　there；　Laplace　took　from　a　closet　in　his　study

a　paper；　yellow　with　age；　and　handed　it　to　the　young　philosopher。

To　Biot's　surprise；　he　found　that　it　contained　the　solutions；　all

worked　out；　for　which　he　had　just　gained　so　much　applause。　　With

rare　magnanimity；　Laplace　withheld　all　knowledge　of　the

circumstance　from　Biot　until　the　latter　had　initiated　his

reputation　before　the　Academy；　moreover；　he　enjoined　him　to

silence；　and　the　incident　would　have　remained　a　secret　had　not

Biot　himself　published　it；　some　fifty　years　afterwards。



An　incident　is　related　of　a　French　artisan；　exhibiting　the　same

characteristic　of　self…sacrifice　in　another　form。　　In　front　of　a

lofty　house　in　course　of　erection　at　Paris　was　the　usual　scaffold；

loaded　with　men　and　materials。　　The　scaffold；　being　too　weak；

suddenly　broke　down；　and　the　men　upon　it　were　precipitated　to　the

groundall　except　two；　a　young　man　and　a　middle…aged　one；　who

hung　on　to　a　narrow　ledge；　which　trembled　under　their　weight；　and

was　evidently　on　the　point　of　giving　way。　　〃Pierre；〃　cried　the

elder　of　the　two；　〃let　go；　I　am　the　father　of　a　family。〃　　〃C'EST

JUSTE！〃　said　Pierre；　and；　instantly　letting　go　his　hold；　he　fell

and　was　killed　on　the　spot。　　The　father　of　the　family　was　saved。



The　brave　man　is　magnanimous　as　well　as　gentle。　　He　does　not　take

even　an　enemy　at　a　disadvantage；　nor　strike　a　man　when　he　is　down

and　unable　to　defend　himself。　　Even　in　the　midst　of　deadly　strife

such　instances　of　generosity　have　not　been　uncommon。　　Thus；　at　the

Battle　of　Dettingen；　during　the　heat　of　the　action；　a　squadron　of

French　cavalry　charged　an　English　regiment；　but　when　the　young

French　officer　who　led　them；　and　was　about　to　attack　the　English

leader；　observed　that　he　had　only　one　arm；　with　which　he　held　his

bridle；　the　Frenchman　saluted　him　courteously　with　his　sword；

and　passed　on。　（11）



It　is　related　of　Charles　V。；　that　after　the　siege　and　capture　of

Wittenburg　by　the　Imperialist　army；　the　monarch　went　to　see　the

tomb　of　Luther。　　While　reading　the　inscription　on　it；　one　of　the

servile　courtiers　who　accompanied　him　proposed　to　open　the　grave；

and　give　the　ashes　of　the　〃heretic〃　to　the　winds。　　The　monarch's

cheek　flushed　with　honest　indignation：　〃I　war　not　with　the　dead；〃

said　he；　〃let　this　place　be　respected。〃



The　portrait　which　the　great　heathen；　Aristotle；　drew　of　the

Magnanimous　Man；　in　other　words　the　True　Gentleman；　more　than　two

thousand　years　ago；　is　as　faithful　now　as　it　was　then。　　〃The

magnanimous　man；〃　he　said；　〃will　behave　with　moderation　under　both

good　fortune　and　bad。　　He　will　know　how　to　be　exalted　and　how　to

be　abased。　　He　will　neither　be　delighted　with　success　nor　grieved

by　failure。　　He　will　neither　shun　danger　nor　seek　it；　for　there

are　few　things　which　he　cares　for。　　He　is　reticent；　and　somewhat

slow　of　speech；　but　speaks　his　mind　openly　and　boldly　when

occasion