character-第42章

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in　that　temper　of　mind　which　enables　its　possessor　to　deal　with

the　practical　affairs　of　life　with　justice；　judgment；　discretion；

and　charity。　　Hence　men　of　culture　and　experience　are　invariably；

found　the　most　forbearant　and　tolerant；　as　ignorant　and

narrowminded　persons　are　found　the　most　unforgiving　and

intolerant。　　Men　of　large　and　generous　natures；　in　proportion　to

their　practical　wisdom；　are　disposed　to　make　allowance　for　the

defects　and　disadvantages　of　othersallowance　for　the

controlling　power　of　circumstances　in　the　formation　of　character；

and　the　limited　power　of　resistance　of　weak　and　fallible　natures

to　temptation　and　error。　　〃I　see　no　fault　committed；〃　said　Goethe；

〃which　I　also　might　not　have　committed。〃　　So　a　wise　and　good　man

exclaimed；　when　he　saw　a　criminal　drawn　on　his　hurdle　to　Tyburn：

〃There　goes　Jonathan　Bradfordbut　for　the　grace　of　God！〃



Life　will　always　be；　to　a　great　extent；　what　we　ourselves　make　it。

The　cheerful　man　makes　a　cheerful　world；　the　gloomy　man　a　gloomy

one。　　We　usually　find　but　our　own　temperament　reflected　in　the

dispositions　of　those　about　us。　　If　we　are　ourselves　querulous；　we

will　find　them　so；　if　we　are　unforgiving　and　uncharitable　to　them；

they　will　be　the　same　to　us。　　A　person　returning　from　an　evening

party　not　long　ago；　complained　to　a　policeman　on　his　beat　that　an

ill…looking　fellow　was　following　him：　it　turned　out　to　be　only　his

own　shadow！　And　such　usually　is　human　life　to　each　of　us；　it　is；

for　the　most　part；　but　the　reflection　of　ourselves。



If　we　would　be　at　peace　with　others；　and　ensure　their　respect；　we

must　have　regard　for　their　personality。　　Every　man　has　his

peculiarities　of　manner　and　character；　as　he　has　peculiarities　of

form　and　feature；　and　we　must　have　forbearance　in　dealing　with

them；　as　we　expect　them　to　have　forbearance　in　dealing　with　us。

We　may　not　be　conscious　of　our　own　peculiarities；　yet　they　exist

nevertheless。　　There　is　a　village　in　South　America　where　gotos　or

goitres　are　so　common　that　to　be　without　one　is　regarded　as　a

deformity。　　One　day　a　party　of　Englishmen　passed　through　the

place；　when　quite　a　crowd　collected　to　jeer　them；　shouting：　〃See；

see　these　peoplethey　have　got　NO　GOTOS！〃



Many　persons　give　themselves　a　great　deal　of　fidget　concerning

what　other　people　think　of　them　and　their　peculiarities。　　Some　are

too　much　disposed　to　take　the　illnatured　side；　and；　judging　by

themselves；　infer　the　worst。　But　it　is　very　often　the　case　that

the　uncharitableness　of　others；　where　it　really　exists；　is　but　the

reflection　of　our　own　want　of　charity　and　want　of　temper。　　It

still　oftener　happens；　that　the　worry　we　subject　ourselves　to；　has

its　source　in　our　own　imagination。　　And　even　though　those　about　us

may　think　of　us　uncharitably；　we　shall　not　mend　matters　by

exasperating　ourselves　against　them。　　We　may　thereby　only　expose

ourselves　unnecessarily　to　their　illnature　or　caprice。　　〃The　ill

that　comes　out　of　our　mouth；〃　says　Herbert；　〃ofttimes　falls

into　our　bosom。〃



The　great　and　good　philosopher　Faraday　communicated　the　following

piece　of　admirable　advice；　full　of　practical　wisdom；　the　result　of

a　rich　experience　of　life；　in　a　letter　to　his　friend　Professor

Tyndall：…　〃Let　me；　as　an　old　man；　who　ought　by　this　time　to　have

profited　by　experience；　say　that　when　I　was　younger　I　found　I

often　misrepresented　the　intentions　of　people；　and　that　they　did

not　mean　what　at　the　time　I　supposed　they　meant；　and　further；

that；　as　a　general　rule；　it　was　better　to　be　a　little　dull　of

apprehension　where　phrases　seemed　to　imply　pique；　and　quick　in

perception　when；　on　the　contrary；　they　seemed　to　imply　kindly

feeling。　　The　real　truth　never　fails　ultimately　to　appear；　and

opposing　parties；　if　wrong；　are　sooner　convinced　when　replied　to

forbearingly；　than　when　overwhelmed。　　All　I　mean　to　say　is；　that

it　is　better　to　be　blind　to　the　results　of　partisanship；　and　quick

to　see　goodwill。　　One　has　more　happiness　in　one's　self　in

endeavouring　to　follow　the　things　that　make　for　peace。　　You　can

hardly　imagine　how　often　I　have　been　heated　in　private　when

opposed；　as　I　have　thought　unjustly　and　superciliously；　and　yet　I

have　striven；　and　succeeded；　I　hope；　in　keeping　down　replies　of

the　like　kind。　　And　I　know　I　have　never　lost　by　it。〃　（11）



While　the　painter　Barry　was　at　Rome；　he　involved　himself；　as　was

his　wont；　in　furious　quarrels　with　the　artists　and　dilettanti；

about　picture…painting　and　picture…dealing；　upon　which　his　friend

and　countryman；　Edmund　Burkealways　the　generous　friend　of

struggling　meritwrote　to　him　kindly　and　sensibly：　〃Believe　me；

dear　Barry；　that　the　arms　with　which　the　ill…dispositions　of　the

world　are　to　be　combated；　and　the　qualities　by　which　it　is　to　be

reconciled　to　us；　and　we　reconciled　to　it；　are　moderation；

gentleness；　a　little　indulgence　to　others；　and　a　great　deal　of

distrust　of　ourselves；　which　are　not　qualities　of　a　mean　spirit；

as　some　may　possibly　think　them；　but　virtues　of　a　great　and　noble

kind；　and　such　as　dignify　our　nature　as　much　as　they　contribute　to

our　repose　and　fortune；　for　nothing　can　be　so　unworthy　of　a　well…

composed　soul　as　to　pass　away　life　in　bickerings　and　litigations

in　snarling　and　scuffling　with　every　one　about　us。　　We　must　be　at

peace　with　our　species；　if　not　for　their　sakes；　at　least　very　much

for　our　own。〃　（12）



No　one　knew　the　value　of　self…control　better　than　the　poet　Burns；

and　no　one　could　teach　it　more　eloquently　to　others；　but　when　it

came　to　practice；　Burns　was　as　weak　as　the　weakest。　He　could　not

deny　himself　the　pleasure　of　uttering　a　harsh　and　clever　sarcasm

at　another's　expense。　　One　of　his　biographers　observes　of　him；

that　it　was　no　extravagant　arithmetic　to　say　that　for　every　ten

jokes　he　made　himself　a　hundred　enemies。　　But　this　was　not　all。

Poor　Burns　exercised　no　control　over　his　appetites；　but　freely

gave　them　rein：



　　　　　　〃Thus　thoughtless　follies　laid　him　low

　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　stained　his　name。〃



Nor　had　he　the　self…denial　to　resist　giving　publicity　to

compositions　originally　intended　for　the　delight　of　the　tap…room；

but　which　continue　secretly　to　sow　pollution　broadcast　in　the

minds　of　youth。　　Indeed；　notwithstanding　the　many　exquisite　poems

of　this　writer；　it　is　not　saying　too　much　to　aver　that　his　immoral

writings　have　done　far　more　harm　than　his　purer　writings　have　done

good；　and　that　it　would　be　better　that　all　his　writings　should　be

destroyed　and　forgotten　provided　his　indecent　songs　could　be

destroyed　with　them。



The　remark　applies　alike　to　Beranger；　who　has　been　styled　〃The

Burns　of　France。〃　　Beranger　was　of　the　same　bright　incisive

genius；　he　had　the　same　love　of　pleasure；　the　same　love　of

popularity；　and　while　he　flattered　French　vanity　to　the　top　of　its

bent；　he　also　painted　the　vices　most　loved　by　his　countrymen　with

the　pen　of　a　master。　　Beranger's　songs　and　Thiers'　History

probably　did　more　than　anything　else　to　reestablish　the　Napoleonic

dynasty　in　France。　　But　that　was　a　small　evil　compared　with　the

moral　mischief　which　many　of　Beranger's　songs　are　calculated　to

produce；　for；　circulating　freely　as　they　do　in　French　households；

they　exhibit　pictures　of　nastiness　and　vice；　which　are　enough　to

pollute　and　destroy　a　nation。



One　of　Burns's　finest　poems；　written；　in　his　twenty…eighth　year；

is　entitled　'A　Bard's　Epitaph。'　　It　is　a　description；　by

anticipation；　of　his　own　life。　　Wordsworth　has　said　of　it：　〃Here

is　a　sincere　and　solemn　avowal；　a　public　declaration　from　his　own

will；　a　confession　at　once　devout；　poetical　and　human；　a　history

in　the　shape　of　a　prophecy。〃　　It　concludes　with　these　lines：…



　　　　　　〃Reader；　attendwhether　thy　soul

　　　　　　　Soars　fancy's　flights　beyond　the　pole；

　　　　　　　Or　darkling　grubs　this　earthly　hole

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　low　pursuit；

　　　　　　　Knowprudent；　cautious　self…control；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Is　Wisdom's　root。〃



One　of　the　vices　before　which　Burns　felland