character-第37章

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income　of　ten　or　twelve　pounds　left　by　her　grandmother；　eked　out

by　her　little　earnings　at　dressmaking。　　During　the　last　two　years

of　her　ministrations；　the　borough　magistrates　of　Yarmouth；　knowing

that　her　self…imposed　labours　saved　them　the　expense　of　a

schoolmaster　and　chaplain　（which　they　had　become　bound　by　law　to

appoint）；　made　a　proposal　to　her　of　an　annual　salary　of　？12　a

year；　but　they　did　it　in　so　indelicate　a　manner　as　greatly　to

wound　her　sensitive　feelings。　　She　shrank　from　becoming　the

salaried　official　of　the　corporation；　and　bartering　for　money

those　serviced　which　had　throughout　been　labours　of　love。　　But　the

Gaol　Committee　coarsely　informed　her；　〃that　if　they　permitted　her

to　visit　the　prison　she　must　submit　to　their　terms；　or　be

excluded。〃　　For　two　years；　therefore；　she　received　the　salary　of

？12　a　yearthe　acknowledgment　of　the　Yarmouth　corporation　for

her　services　as　gaol　chaplain　and　schoolmistress！　　She　was　now；

however；　becoming　old　and　infirm；　and　the　unhealthy　atmosphere　of

the　gaol　did　much　towards　finally　disabling　her。　　While　she　lay　on

her　deathbed；　she　resumed　the　exercise　of　a　talent　she　had

occasionally　practised　before　in　her　moments　of　leisurethe

composition　of　sacred　poetry。　　As　works　of　art；　they　may　not

excite　admiration；　yet　never　were　verses　written　truer　in　spirit；

or　fuller　of　Christian　love。　　But　her　own　life　was　a　nobler

poem　than　any　she　ever　wrotefull　of　true　courage；　perseverance；

charity；　and　wisdom。　　It　was　indeed　a　commentary　upon

her　own　words：



　　　　　　〃The　high　desire　that　others　may　be　blest

　　　　　　　Savours　of　heaven。〃







NOTES



（1）　James　Russell　Lowell。



（2）　Yet　Bacon　himself　had　written；　〃I　would　rather　believe　all　the

faiths　in　the　Legend；　and　the　Talmud；　and　the　Alcoran；　than　that

this　universal　frame　is　without　a　mind。〃



（3）　Aubrey；　in　his　'Natural　History　of　Wiltshire；'　alluding　to　Harvey；

says：　〃He　told　me　himself　that　upon　publishing　that　book　he　fell

in　his　practice　extremely。〃



（4）　Sir　Thomas　More's　first　wife；　Jane　Colt；　was　originally　a　young

country　girl；　whom　he　himself　instructed　in　letters；　and　moulded

to　his　own　tastes　and　manners。　　She　died　young；　leaving　a　son　and

three　daughters；　of　whom　the　noble　Margaret　Roper　most　resembled

More　himself。　　His　second　wife　was　Alice　Middleton；　a　widow；　some

seven　years　older　than　More；　not　beautifulfor　he　characterized

her　as　〃NEC　BELLA；　NEC　PUELLA〃but　a　shrewd　worldly　woman；　not

by　any　means　disposed　to　sacrifice　comfort　and　good　cheer　for

considerations　such　as　those　which　so　powerfully　influenced　the

mind　of　her　husband。



（5）Before　being　beheaded；　Eliot　said；　〃Death　is　but　a　little　word；

but　''tis　a　great　work　to　die。'〃　In　his　'Prison　Thoughts'　before

his　execution；　he　wrote：　〃He　that　fears　not　to　die；　fears

nothing。。。。　　There　is　a　time　to　live；　and　a　time　to　die。　　A　good

death　is　far　better　and　more　eligible　than　an　ill　life。　　A　wise

man　lives　but　so　long　as　his　life　is　worth　more　than　his　death。

The　longer　life　is　not　always　the　better。〃



（6）　Mr。　J。　S。　Mill；　in　his　book　'On　Liberty；'　describes　〃the　masses；〃

as　〃collective　mediocrity。〃　　〃The　initiation　of　all　wise　or　noble

things；〃　he　says；　〃comes；　and　must　come；　from　individuals

generally　at　first　from　some　one　individual。　　The　honour　and　glory

of　the　average　man　is　that　he　is　capable　of　following　that

imitation；　that　he　can　respond　internally　to　wise　and　noble

things；　and　be　led　to　them　with　his　eyes　open。。。。　　In　this　age；

the　mere　example　of　nonconformity；　the　mere　refusal　to　bend　the

knee　to　custom；　is　itself　a　service。　　Precisely　because　the

tyranny　of　opinion　is　such　as　to　make　eccentricity　a　reproach；　it

is　desirable；　in　order　to　break　through　that　tyranny；　that　people

should　be　eccentric。　　Eccentricity　has　always　abounded　when　and

where　strength　of　character　has　abounded；　and　the　amount　of

eccentricity　in　a　society　has　generally　been　proportional　to　the

amount　of　genius；　mental　vigour；　and　moral　courage　which　it

contained。　　That　so　few　now　dare　to　be　eccentric；　marks　the　chief

danger　of　the　time。〃Pp。　120…1。



（7）　Mr。　Arthur　Helps；　in　one　of　his　thoughtful　books；　published　in

1845；　made　some　observations　on　this　point；　which　are　not　less

applicable　now。　　He　there　said：　〃it　is　a　grievous　thing　to　see

literature　made　a　vehicle　for　encouraging　the　enmity　of　class　to

class。　　Yet　this；　unhappily；　is　not　unfrequent　now。　　Some　great

man　summed　up　the　nature　of　French　novels　by　calling　them　the

Literature　of　Despair；　the　kind　of　writing　that　I　deprecate　may　be

called　the　Literature　of　Envy。。。。　　Such　writers　like　to　throw

their　influence；　as　they　might　say；　into　the　weaker　scale。　　But

that　is　not　the　proper　way　of　looking　at　the　matter。　　I　think；　if

they　saw　the　ungenerous　nature　of　their　proceedings；　that　alone

would　stop　them。　　They　should　recollect　that　literature　may　fawn

upon　the　masses　as　well　as　the　aristocracy；　and　in　these　days　the

temptation　is　in　the　former　direction。　　But　what　is　most　grievous

in　this　kind　of　writing　is　the　mischief　it　may　do　to　the　working…

people　themselves。　　If　you　have　their　true　welfare　at　heart；　you

will　not　only　care　for　their　being　fed　and　clothed；　but　you　will

be　anxious　not　to　encourage　unreasonable　expectations　in　them

not　to　make　them　ungrateful　or　greedy…minded。　　Above　all；　you　will

be　solicitous　to　preserve　some　self…reliance　in　them。　　You　will　be

careful　not　to　let　them　think　that　their　condition　can　be　wholly

changed　without　exertion　of　their　own。　　You　would　not　desire　to

have　it　so　changed。　　Once　elevate　your　ideal　of　what　you　wish　to

happen　amongst　the　labouring　population；　and　you　will　not　easily

admit　anything　in　your　writings　that　may　injure　their　moral　or

their　mental　character；　even　if　you　thought　it　might　hasten　some

physical　benefit　for　them。　　That　is　the　way　to　make　your　genius

most　serviceable　to　mankind。　　Depend　upon　it；　honest　and　bold

things　require　to　be　said　to　the　lower　as　well　as　the　higher

classes；　and　the　former　are　in　these　times　much　less　likely　to

have；　such　things　addressed　to　them。〃…Claims　of　Labour；　pp。　253…4。



（8）　'Memoirs　of　Colonel　Hutchinson'　（Bohn's　Ed。）；　p。　32。



（9）　At　a　public　meeting　held　at　Worcester；　in　1867；　in　recognition　of

Sir　J。　Pakington's　services　as　Chairman　of　Quarter　Sessions　for　a

period　of　twenty…four　years；　the　following　remarks；　made　by　Sir

John　on　the　occasion；　are　just　and　valuable　as　they　are　modest：…

〃I　am　indebted　for　whatever　measure　of　success　I　have　attained　in

my　public　life；　to　a　combination　of　moderate　abilities；　with

honesty　of　intention；　firmness　of　purpose；　and　steadiness　of

conduct。　　If　I　were　to　offer　advice　to　any　young　man　anxious　to

make　himself　useful　in　public　life；　I　would　sum　up　the　results　of

my　experience　in　three　short　rulesrules　so　simple　that　any　man

may　understand　them；　and　so　easy　that　any　man　may　act　upon　them。

My　first　rule　would　beleave　it　to　others　to　judge　of　what

duties　you　are　capable；　and　for　what　position　you　are　fitted；　but

never　refuse　to　give　your　services　in　whatever　capacity　it　may　be

the　opinion　of　others　who　are　competent　to　judge　that　you　may

benefit　your　neighbours　or　your　country。　　My　second　rule　iswhen

you　agree　to　undertake　public　duties；　concentrate　every　energy　and

faculty　in　your　possession　with　the　determination　to　discharge

those　duties　to　the　best　of　your　ability。　　Lastly；　I　would　counsel

you　that；　in　deciding　on　the　line　which　you　will　take　in　public

affairs；　you　should　be　guided　in　your　decision　by　that　which；

after　mature　deliberation；　you　believe　to　be　right；　and　not　by

that　which；　in　the　passing　hour；　may　happen　to　be　fashionable

or　popular。〃



（10）　The　following　illustration　of　one　of　his　minute　acts　of　kindness

is　given　in　his　biography：…　〃He　was　one　day　taking　a　long　country

walk　near　Freshford；　when　he　met　a　little　girl；　about　five　years

old；　sobbing　over　a　broken　bowl；　she　had　dropped　and　broken　it　in