character-第40章

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but　controlled　and　held　in　subjectionlike　steam　pent…up　within

the　organised　mechanism　of　a　steam…engine；　the　use　of　which　is

regulated　and　controlled　by　slide…valves　and　governors　and　levers

it　may　become　a　source　of　energetic　power　and　usefulness。

Hence；　some　of　the　greatest　characters　in　history　have　been　men　of

strong　temper；　but　of　equally　strong　determination　to　hold　their

motive　power　under　strict　regulation　and　control。



The　famous　Earl　of　Strafford　was　of　an　extremely　choleric　and

passionate　nature；　and　had　great　struggles　with　himself　in　his

endeavours　to　control　his　temper。　　Referring　to　the　advice　of　one

of　his　friends；　old　Secretary　Cooke；　who　was　honest　enough　to　tell

him　of　his　weakness；　and　to　caution　him　against　indulging　it；　he

wrote：　〃You　gave　me　a　good　lesson　to　be　patient；　and；　indeed；　my

years　and　natural　inclinations　give　me　heat　more　than　enough；

which；　however；　I　trust　more　experience　shall　cool；　and　a　watch

over　myself　in　time　altogether　overcome；　in　the　meantime；　in　this

at　least　it　will　set　forth　itself　more　pardonable；　because　my

earnestness　shall　ever　be　for　the　honour；　justice；　and　profit　of

my　master；　and　it　is　not　always　anger；　but　the　misapplying　of　it；

that　is　the　vice　so　blameable；　and　of　disadvantage　to　those　that

let　themselves　loose　there…unto。〃　（4）



Cromwell；　also；　is　described　as　having　been　of　a　wayward　and

violent　temper　in　his　youthcross；　untractable；　and　masterless

with　a　vast　quantity　of　youthful　energy；　which　exploded　in　a

variety　of　youthful　mischiefs。　　He　even　obtained　the　reputation　of

a　roysterer　in　his　native　town；　and　seemed　to　be　rapidly　going　to

the　bad；　when　religion；　in　one　of　its　most　rigid　forms；　laid　hold

upon　his　strong　nature；　and　subjected　it　to　the　iron　discipline　of

Calvinism。　　An　entirely　new　direction　was　thus　given　to　his　energy

of　temperament；　which　forced　an　outlet　for　itself　into　public

life；　and　eventually　became　the　dominating　influence　in　England

for　a　period　of　nearly　twenty　years。



The　heroic　princes　of　the　House　of　Nassau　were　all　distinguished

for　the　same　qualities　of　self…control；　self…denial；　and

determination　of　purpose。　　William　the　Silent　was　so　called；　not

because　he　was　a　taciturn　manfor　he　was　an　eloquent　and

powerful　speaker　where　eloquence　was　necessarybut　because　he

was　a　man　who　could　hold　his　tongue　when　it　was　wisdom　not　to

speak；　and　because　he　carefully　kept　his　own　counsel　when　to　have

revealed　it　might　have　been　dangerous　to　the　liberties　of　his

country。　　He　was　so　gentle　and　conciliatory　in　his　manner　that　his

enemies　even　described　him　as　timid　and　pusillanimous。　　Yet；　when

the　time　for　action　came；　his　courage　was　heroic；　his

determination　unconquerable。　　〃The　rock　in　the　ocean；〃　says

Mr。　Motley；　the　historian　of　the　Netherlands；　〃tranquil　amid

raging　billows；　was　the　favourite　emblem　by　which　his　friends

expressed　their　sense　of　his　firmness。〃



Mr。　Motley　compares　William　the　Silent　to　Washington；　whom　he　in

many　respects　resembled。　　The　American；　like　the　Dutch　patriot；

stands　out　in　history　as　the　very　impersonation　of　dignity；

bravery；　purity；　and　personal　excellence。　　His　command　over　his

feelings；　even　in　moments　of　great　difficulty　and　danger；　was　such

as　to　convey　the　impression；　to　those　who　did　not　know　him

intimately；　that　he　was　a　man　of　inborn　calmness　and　almost

impassiveness　of　disposition。　　Yet　Washington　was　by　nature　ardent

and　impetuous；　his　mildness；　gentleness；　politeness；　and

consideration　for　others；　were　the　result　of　rigid　self…control

and　unwearied　self…discipline；　which　he　diligently　practised　even

from　his　boyhood。　　His　biographer　says　of　him；　that　〃his

temperament　was　ardent；　his　passions　strong；　and　amidst　the

multiplied　scenes　of　temptation　and　excitement　through　which　he

passed；　it　was　his　constant　effort；　and　ultimate　triumph；　to　check

the　one　and　subdue　the　other。〃　　And　again：　〃His　passions　were

strong；　and　sometimes　they　broke　out　with　vehemence；　but　he　had

the　power　of　checking　them　in　an　instant。　　Perhaps　self…control

was　the　most　remarkable　trait　of　his　character。　　It　was　in　part

the　effect　of　discipline；　yet　he　seems　by　nature　to　have　possessed

this　power　in　a　degree　which　has　been　denied　to　other　men。　（*5）



The　Duke　of　Wellington's　natural　temper；　like　that　of　Napoleon；

was　irritable　in　the　extreme；　and　it　was　only　by　watchful　self…

control　that　he　was　enabled　to　restrain　it。　　He　studied　calmness

and　coolness　in　the　midst　of　danger；　like　any　Indian　chief。　　At

Waterloo；　and　elsewhere；　he　gave　his　orders　in　the　most　critical

moments；　without　the　slightest　excitement；　and　in　a　tone　of　voice

almost　more　than　usually　subdued。　（6）



Wordsworth　the　poet　was；　in　his　childhood；　〃of　a　stiff；　moody；　and

violent　temper；〃　and　〃perverse　and　obstinate　in　defying

chastisement。〃　　When　experience　of　life　had　disciplined　his

temper；　he　learnt　to　exercise　greater　self…control；　but；　at　the

same　time；　the　qualities　which　distinguished　him　as　a　child　were

afterwards　useful　in　enabling　him　to　defy　the　criticism　of　his

enemies。　　Nothing　was　more　marked　than　Wordsworth's　self…respect

and　self…determination；　as　well　as　his　self…consciousness　of

power；　at　all　periods　of　his　history。



Henry　Martyn；　the　missionary；　was　another　instance　of　a　man　in

whom　strength　of　temper　was　only　so　much　pent…up；　unripe　energy。

As　a　boy　he　was　impatient；　petulant；　and　perverse；　but　by　constant

wrestling　against　his　tendency　to　wrongheadedness；　he　gradually

gained　the　requisite　strength；　so　as　to　entirely　overcome　it；　and

to　acquire　what　he　so　greatly　covetedthe　gift　of　patience。



A　man　may　be　feeble　in　organization；　but；　blessed　with　a　happy

temperament；　his　soul　may　be　great；　active；　noble；　and　sovereign。

Professor　Tyndall　has　given　us　a　fine　picture　of　the　character　of

Faraday；　and　of　his　self…denying　labours　in　the　cause　of　science

exhibiting　him　as　a　man　of　strong；　original；　and　even　fiery

nature；　and　yet　of　extreme　tenderness　and　sensibility。

〃Underneath　his　sweetness　and　gentleness；〃　he　says；　〃was　the　heat

of　a　volcano。　　He　was　a　man　of　excitable　and　fiery　nature；　but；

through　high　self…discipline；　he　had　converted　the　fire　into　a

central　glow　and　motive　power　of　life；　instead　of　permitting　it　to

waste　itself　in　useless　passion。〃



There　was　one　fine　feature　in　Faraday's　character　which　is　worthy

of　noticeone　closely　akin　to　self…control：　it　was　his　self…

denial。　　By　devoting　himself　to　analytical　chemistry；　he　might

have　speedily　realised　a　large　fortune；　but　he　nobly　resisted　the

temptation；　and　preferred　to　follow　the　path　of　pure　science。

〃Taking　the　duration　of　his　life　into　account；〃　says　Mr。　Tyndall；

〃this　son　of　a　blacksmith　and　apprentice　to　a　bookbinder　had　to

decide　between　a　fortune　of　？150；000　on　the　one　side；　and　his

undowered　science　on　the　other。　　He　chose　the　latter；　and

died　a　poor　man。　　But　his　was　the　glory　of　holding　aloft

among　the　nations　the　scientific　name　of　England　for　a

period　of　forty　years。〃　（7）



Take　a　like　instance　of　the　self…denial　of　a　Frenchman。　　The

historian　Anquetil　was　one　of　the　small　number　of　literary　men　in

France　who　refused　to　bow　to　the　Napoleonic　yoke。　　He　sank　into

great　poverty；　living　on　bread…and…milk；　and　limiting　his

expenditure　to　only　three　sous　a　day。　　〃I　have　still　two　sous　a

day　left；〃　said　he；　〃for　the　conqueror　of　Marengo　and　Austerlitz。〃

〃But　if　you　fall　sick；〃　said　a　friend　to　him；　〃you　will　need　the

help　of　a　pension。　　Why　not　do　as　others　do？　　Pay　court　to　the

Emperoryou　have　need　of　him　to　live。〃　　〃I　do　not　need　him　to

die；〃　was　the　historian's　reply。　　But　Anquetil　did　not　die　of

poverty；　he　lived　to　the　age　of　ninety…four；　saying　to　a　friend；

on　the　eve　of　his　death；　〃Come；　see　a　man　who　dies　still　full　of

life！〃



Sir　James　Outram　exhibited　the　same　characteristic　of　noble　self…

denial；　though　in　an　altogether　different　sphere　of　life。　　Like

the　great　King　Arthur