character-第5章

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dead　Douglas　should　win　a　battle。　　His　followers；　inspired　by　the

sound；　gathered　fresh　courage；　rallied；　and　conquered；　and　thus；

in　the　words　of　the　Scottish　poet：…



〃The　Douglas　dead；　his　name　hath　won　the　field。〃　（15）



There　have　been　some　men　whose　greatest　conquests　have　been

achieved　after　they　themselves　were　dead。　　〃Never；〃　says　Michelet；

〃was　Caesar　more　alive；　more　powerful；　more　terrible；　than　when

his　old　and　worn…out　body；　his　withered　corpse；　lay　pierced　with

blows；　he　appeared　then　purified；　redeemed；that　which　he　had

been；　despite　his　many　stainsthe　man　of　humanity。〃　（16）　　Never

did　the　great　character　of　William　of　Orange；　surnamed　the　Silent；

exercise　greater　power　over　his　countrymen　than　after　his

assassination　at　Delft　by　the　emissary　of　the　Jesuits。　　On　the

very　day　of　his　murder　the　Estates　of　Holland　resolved　〃to

maintain　the　good　cause；　with　God's　help；　to　the　uttermost；

without　sparing　gold　or　blood；〃　and　they　kept　their　word。



The　same　illustration　applies　to　all　history　and　morals。　　The

career　of　a　great　man　remains　an　enduring　monument　of　human。

energy。　　The　man　dies　and　disappears；　but　his　thoughts　and　acts

survive；　and　leave　an　indelible　stamp　upon　his　race。　　And　thus　the

spirit　of　his　life　is　prolonged　and　perpetuated；　moulding　the

thought　and　will；　and　thereby　contributing　to　form　the　character

of　the　future。　　It　is　the　men　that　advance　in　the　highest　and　best

directions；　who　are　the　true　beacons　of　human　progress。　　They　are

as　lights　set　upon　a　hill；　illumining　the　moral　atmosphere　around

them；　and　the　light　of　their　spirit　continues　to　shine　upon　all

succeeding　generations。



It　is　natural　to　admire　and　revere　really　great　men。　　They　hallow

the　nation　to　which　they　belong；　and　lift　up　not　only　all　who　live

in　their　time；　but　those　who　live　after　them。　　Their　great　example

becomes　the　common　heritage　of　their　race；　and　their　great　deeds

and　great　thoughts　are　the　most　glorious　of　legacies　to　mankind。

They　connect　the　present　with　the　past；　and　help　on　the　increasing

purpose　of　the　future；　holding　aloft　the　standard　of　principle；

maintaining　the　dignity　of　human　character；　and　filling　the　mind

with　traditions　and　instincts　of　all　that　is　most　worthy　and

noble　in　life。



Character；　embodied　in　thought　and　deed；　is　of　the　nature　of

immortality。　　The　solitary　thought　of　a　great　thinker　will　dwell

in　the　minds　of　men　for　centuries　until　at　length　it　works　itself

into　their　daily　life　and　practice。　　It　lives　on　through　the　ages；

speaking　as　a　voice　from　the　dead；　and　influencing　minds　living

thousands　of　years　apart。　　Thus；　Moses　and　David　and　Solomon；

Plato　and　Socrates　and　Xenophon；　Seneca　and　Cicero　and　Epictetus；

still　speak　to　us　as　from　their　tombs。　　They　still　arrest　the

attention；　and　exercise　an　influence　upon　character；　though　their

thoughts　be　conveyed　in　languages　unspoken　by　them　and　in　their

time　unknown。　　Theodore　Parker　has　said　that　a　single　man　like

Socrates　was　worth　more　to　a　country　than　many　such　states　as

South　Carolina；　that　if　that　state　went　out　of　the　world　to…day；

she　would　not　have　done　so　much　for　the　world　as　Socrates。　（17）



Great　workers　and　great　thinkers　are　the　true　makers　of　history；

which　is　but　continuous　humanity　influenced　by　men　of　character

by　great　leaders；　kings；　priests；　philosophers；　statesmen；　and

patriotsthe　true　aristocracy　of　man。　　Indeed；　Mr。　Carlyle　has

broadly　stated　that　Universal　History　is；　at　bottom；　but　the

history　of　Great　Men。　　They　certainly　mark　and　designate　the

epochs　of　national　life。　　Their　influence　is　active；　as　well　as

reactive。　　Though　their　mind　is；　in　a　measure；　the　product　of

their　age；　the　public　mind　is　also；　to　a　great　extent；　their

creation。　　Their　individual　action　identifies　the　causethe

institution。　　They　think　great　thoughts；　cast　them　abroad；　and　the

thoughts　make　events。　　Thus　the　early　Reformers　initiated　the

Reformation；　and　with　it　the　liberation　of　modern　thought。

Emerson　has　said　that　every　institution　is　to　be　regarded　as　but

the　lengthened　shadow　of　some　great　man：　as　Islamism　of　Mahomet；

Puritanism　of　Calvin；　Jesuitism　of　Loyola；　Quakerism　of　Fox；

Methodism　of　Wesley；　Abolitionism　of　Clarkson。



Great　men　stamp　their　mind　upon　their　age　and　nationas　Luther

did　upon　modern　Germany；　and　Knox　upon　Scotland。　（18）　And　if　there

be　one　man　more　than　another　that　stamped　his　mind　on　modern

Italy；　it　was　Dante。　　During　the　long　centuries　of　Italian

degradation　his　burning　words　were　as　a　watchfire　and　a　beacon　to

all　true　men。　　He　was　the　herald　of　his　nation's　libertybraving

persecution；　exile；　and　death；　for　the　love　of　it。　　He　was　always

the　most　national　of　the　Italian　poets；　the　most　loved；　the　most

read。　　From　the　time　of　his　death　all　educated　Italians　had　his

best　passages　by　heart；　and　the　sentiments　they　enshrined

inspired　their　lives；　and　eventually　influenced　the　history

of　their　nation。　　〃The　Italians；〃　wrote　Byron　in　1821；

〃talk　Dante；　write　Dante；　and　think　and　dream　Dante；　at　this

moment；　to　an　excess　which　would　be　ridiculous；　but　that　he

deserves　their　admiration。〃　（19）



A　succession　of　variously　gifted　men　in　different　agesextending

from　Alfred　to　Alberthas　in　like　manner　contributed；　by　their

life　and　example；　to　shape　the　multiform　character　of　England。　　Of

these；　probably　the　most　influential　were　the　men　of　the

Elizabethan　and　Cromwellian；　and　the　intermediate　periods

amongst　which　we　find　the　great　names　of　Shakspeare；　Raleigh；

Burleigh；　Sidney；　Bacon；　Milton；　Herbert；　Hampden；　Pym；　Eliot；

Vane；　Cromwell；　and　many　moresome　of　them　men　of　great　force；

and　others　of　great　dignity　and　purity　of　character。　　The　lives　of

such　men　have　become　part　of　the　public　life　of　England；　and　their

deeds　and　thoughts　are　regarded　as　among　the　most　cherished

bequeathments　from　the　past。



So　Washington　left　behind　him；　as　one　of　the　greatest　treasures　of

his　country；　the　example　of　a　stainless　lifeof　a　great；　honest；

pure；　and　noble　charactera　model　for　his　nation　to　form

themselves　by　in　all　time　to　come。　　And　in　the　case　of　Washington；

as　in　so　many　other　great　leaders　of　men；　his　greatness　did　not　so

much　consist　in　his　intellect；　his　skill；　and　his　genius；　as　in

his　honour；　his　integrity；　his　truthfulness；　his　high　and

controlling　sense　of　dutyin　a　word；　in　his　genuine　nobility

of　character。



Men　such　as　these　are　the　true　lifeblood　of　the　country　to　which

they　belong。　　They　elevate　and　uphold　it；　fortify　and　ennoble　it；

and　shed　a　glory　over　it　by　the　example　of　life　and　character

which　they　have　bequeathed。　　〃The　names　and　memories　of　great

men；〃　says　an　able　writer；　〃are　the　dowry　of　a　nation。　　Widowhood；

overthrow；　desertion；　even　slavery；　cannot　take　away　from　her　this

sacred　inheritance。。。。　Whenever　national　life　begins　to

quicken。。。。　the　dead　heroes　rise　in　the　memories　of　men；　and

appear　to　the　living　to　stand　by　in　solemn　spectatorship　and

approval。　　No　country　can　be　lost　which　feels　herself　overlooked

by　such　glorious　witnesses。　　They　are　the　salt　of　the　earth；　in

death　as　well　as　in　life。　　What　they　did　once；　their　descendants

have　still　and　always　a　right　to　do　after　them；　and　their　example

lives　in　their　country；　a　continual　stimulant　and　encouragement

for　him　who　has　the　soul　to　adopt　it。〃　（20）



But　it　is　not　great　men　only　that　have　to　be　taken　into　account　in

estimating　the　qualities　of　a　nation；　but　the　character　that

pervades　the　great　body　of　the　people。　　When　Washington　Irving

visited　Abbotsford；　Sir　Walter　Scott　introduced　him　to　many　of　his

friends　and　favourites；　not　only　amongst　the　neighbouring　farmers；

but　the　labouring　peasantry。　　〃I　wish　to　show　you；〃　said　Scott；

〃some　of　our　really　excellent　plain　Scotch　people。　　The　character

of　a　nation　is　not　to　be　learnt　from　its　fine　folks；　its　fine

gentlemen　and　ladies；　such　you　meet　everywhere；　and　they　are

everywhere　the　same。〃　　While　sta