character-第43章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Is　Wisdom's　root。〃



One　of　the　vices　before　which　Burns　felland　it　may　be　said　to

be　a　master…vice；　because　it　is　productive　of　so　many　other　vices

was　drinking。　　Not　that　he　was　a　drunkard；　but　because　he

yielded　to　the　temptations　of　drink；　with　its　degrading

associations；　and　thereby　lowered　and　depraved　his　whole　nature。

（13）　　But　poor　Burns　did　not　stand　alone；　for；　alas！　of　all　vices；

the　unrestrained　appetite　for　drink　was　in　his　time；　as　it

continues　to　be　now；　the　most　prevalent；　popular；　degrading；

and　destructive。



Were　it　possible　to　conceive　the　existence　of　a　tyrant　who　should

compel　his　people　to　give　up　to　him　one…third　or　more　of　their

earnings；　and　require　them　at　the　same　time　to　consume　a　commodity

that　should　brutalise　and　degrade　them；　destroy　the　peace　and

comfort　of　their　families；　and　sow　in　themselves　the　seeds　of

disease　and　premature　deathwhat　indignation　meetings；　what

monster　processions　there　would　be！　　'What　eloquent　speeches　and

apostrophes　to　the　spirit　of　liberty！what　appeals　against　a

despotism　so　monstrous　and　so　unnatural！　　And　yet　such　a　tyrant

really　exists　amongst　usthe　tyrant　of　unrestrained　appetite；

whom　no　force　of　arms；　or　voices；　or　votes　can　resist；　while　men

are　willing　to　be　his　slaves。



The　power　of　this　tyrant　can　only　be　overcome　by　moral　meansby

self…discipline；　self…respect；　and　self…control。　　There　is　no

other　way　of　withstanding　the　despotism　of　appetite　in　any　of　its

forms。　　No　reform　of　institutions；　no　extended　power　of　voting；　no

improved　form　of　government；　no　amount　of　scholastic　instruction；

can　possibly　elevate　the　character　of　a　people　who　voluntarily

abandon　themselves　to　sensual　indulgence。　　The　pursuit　of　ignoble

pleasure　is　the　degradation　of　true　happiness；　it　saps　the　morals；

destroys　the　energies；　and　degrades　the　manliness　and　robustness

of　individuals　as　of　nations。



The　courage　of　self…control　exhibits　itself　in　many　ways；　but　in

none　more　clearly　than　in　honest　living。　　Men　without　the　virtue

of　self…denial　are　not　only　subject　to　their　own　selfish　desires；

but　they　are　usually　in　bondage　to　others　who　are　likeminded　with

themselves。　　What　others　do；　they　do。　　They　must　live　according　to

the　artificial　standard　of　their　class；　spending　like　their

neighbours；　regardless　of　the　consequences；　at　the　same　time　that

all　are；　perhaps；　aspiring　after　a　style　of　living　higher　than

their　means。　　Each　carries　the　others　along　with　him；　and　they

have　not　the　moral　courage　to　stop。　　They　cannot　resist　the

temptation　of　living　high；　though　it　may　be　at　the　expense　of

others；　and　they　gradually　become　reckless　of　debt；　until　it

enthrals　them。　　In　all　this　there　is　great　moral　cowardice；

pusillanimity；　and　want　of　manly　independence　of　character。



A　rightminded　man　will　shrink　from　seeming　to　be　what　he　is　not；

or　pretending　to　be　richer　than　he　really　is；　or　assuming　a　style

of　living　that　his　circumstances　will　not　justify。　　He　will　have

the　courage　to　live　honestly　within　his　own　means；　rather　than

dishonestly　upon　the　means　of　other　people；　for　he　who　incurs

debts　in　striving　to　maintain　a　style　of　living　beyond　his　income；

is　in　spirit　as　dishonest　as　the　man　who　openly　picks　your　pocket。



To　many；　this　may　seem　an　extreme　view；　but　it　will　bear　the

strictest　test。　Living　at　the　cost　of　others　is　not　only

dishonesty；　but　it　is　untruthfulness　in　deed；　as　lying　is　in　word。

The　proverb　of　George　Herbert；　that　〃debtors　are　liars；〃　is

justified　by　experience。　　Shaftesbury　somewhere　says　that　a

restlessness　to　have　something　which　we　have　not；　and　to　be

something　which　we　are　not；　is　the　root　of　all　immorality。　（14）　　No

reliance　is　to　be　placed　on　the　sayinga　very　dangerous　oneof

Mirabeau；　that　〃LA　PETITE　MORALE　ETAIT　L'ENNEMIE　DE　LA　GRANDE。〃

On　the　contrary；　strict　adherence　to　even　the　smallest　details　of

morality　is　the　foundation　of　all　manly　and　noble　character。



The　honourable　man　is　frugal　of　his　means；　and　pays　his　way

honestly。　　He　does　not　seek　to　pass　himself　off　as　richer　than　he

is；　or；　by　running　into　debt；　open　an　account　with　ruin。　　As　that

man　is　not　poor　whose　means　are　small；　but　whose　desires　are

uncontrolled；　so　that　man　is　rich　whose　means　are　more　than

sufficient　for　his　wants。　　When　Socrates　saw　a　great　quantity　of

riches；　jewels；　and　furniture　of　great　value；　carried　in　pomp

through　Athens；　he　said；　〃Now　do　I　see　how　many　things　I　do　NOT

desire。〃　　〃I　can　forgive　everything　but　selfishness；〃　said

Perthes。　　〃Even　the　narrowest　circumstances　admit　of　greatness

with　reference　to　'mine　and　thine'；　and　none　but　the　very　poorest

need　fill　their　daily　life　with　thoughts　of　money；　if　they　have

but　prudence　to　arrange　their　housekeeping　within　the　limits

of　their　income。〃



A　man　may　be　indifferent　to　money　because　of　higher

considerations；　as　Faraday　was；　who　sacrificed　wealth　to　pursue

science；　but　if　he　would　have　the　enjoyments　that　money　can

purchase；　he　must　honestly　earn　it；　and　not　live　upon　the　earnings

of　others；　as　those　do　who　habitually　incur　debts　which　they　have

no　means　of　paying。　　When　Maginn；　always　drowned　in　debt；　was

asked　what　he　paid　for　his　wine；　he　replied　that　he　did　not　know；

but　he　believed　they　〃put　something　down　in　a　book。〃　（15）



This　〃putting…down　in　a　book〃　has　proved　the　ruin　of　a　great　many

weakminded　people；　who　cannot　resist　the　temptation　of　taking

things　upon　credit　which　they　have　not　the　present　means　of　paying

for；　and　it　would　probably　prove　of　great　social　benefit　if　the

law　which　enables　creditors　to　recover　debts　contracted　under

certain　circumstances　were　altogether　abolished。　　But；　in　the

competition　for　trade；　every　encouragement　is　given　to　the

incurring　of　debt；　the　creditor　relying　upon　the　law　to　aid　him　in

the　last　extremity。　　When　Sydney　Smith　once　went　into　a　new

neighbourhood；　it　was　given　out　in　the　local　papers　that　he　was　a

man　of　high　connections；　and　he　was　besought　on　all　sides　for　his

〃custom。〃　　But　he　speedily　undeceived　his　new　neighbours。　　〃We　are

not　great　people　at　all；〃　he　said：　〃we　are　only　common　honest

peoplepeople　that　pay　our　debts。〃



Hazlitt；　who　was　a　thoroughly　honest　though　rather　thriftless　man；

speaks　of　two　classes　of　persons；　not　unlike　each　otherthose

who　cannot　keep　their　own　money　in　their　hands；　and　those　who

cannot　keep　their　hands　from　other　people's。　　The　former　are

always　in　want　of　money；　for　they　throw　it　away　on　any　object　that

first　presents　itself；　as　if　to　get　rid　of　it；　the　latter　make

away　with　what　they　have　of　their　own；　and　are　perpetual　borrowers

from　all　who　will　lend　to　them；　and　their　genius　for　borrowing；　in

the　long　run；　usually　proves　their　ruin。



Sheridan　was　one　of　such　eminent　unfortunates。　　He　was　impulsive

and　careless　in　his　expenditure；　borrowing　money；　and　running　into

debt　with　everybody　who　would　trust　him。　　When　he　stood　for

Westminster；　his　unpopularity　arose　chiefly　from　his　general

indebtedness。　　〃Numbers　of　poor　people；〃　says　Lord　Palmerston　in

one　of　his　letters；　〃crowded　round　the　hustings；　demanding　payment

for　the　bills　he　owed　them。〃　　In　the　midst　of　all　his

difficulties；　Sheridan　was　as　lighthearted　as　ever；　and　cracked

many　a　good　joke　at　his　creditors'　expense。　　Lord　Palmerston　was

actually　present　at　the　dinner　given　by　him；　at　which　the

sheriff's　in　possession　were　dressed　up　and　officiated　as　waiters



Yet　however　loose　Sheridan's　morality　may　have　been　as　regarded

his　private　creditors；　he　was　honest（so　far　as　the　public　money

was　concerned。　　Once；　at　dinner；　at　which　Lord　Byron　happened　to

be　present；　an　observation　happened　to　be　made　as　to　the

sturdiness　of　the　Whigs　in　resisting　office；　and　keeping　to　their

principleson　which　Sheridan　turned　sharply　and　said：　〃Sir；　it

is　easy　for　my　Lord　this；　or　Earl　that；　or　the　Marquis　of　t'other；

with　thousands　upon　thousands　a　year；　some　of　it　eithe