character-第51章

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recovered　strength　sufficient　to　enable　him　to　proceed　with　his

lectures　to　the　institutions　to　which　he　belonged；　besides　on

various　occasions　undertaking　to　do　other　people's　work。　　〃I　am

looked　upon　as　good　as　mad；〃　he　wrote　to　his　brother；　〃because；　on

a　hasty　notice；　I　took　a　defaulting　lecturer's　place　at　the

Philosophical　Institution；　and　discoursed　on　the　Polarization　of

Light。。。。　But　I　like　work：　it　is　a　family　weakness。〃



Then　followed　chronic　malaisesleepless　nights；　days　of　pain；

and　more　spitting　of　blood。　　〃My　only　painless　moments；〃　he　says；

〃were　when　lecturing。〃　　In　this　state　of　prostration　and　disease；

the　indefatigable　man　undertook　to　write　the　'Life　of　Edward

Forbes'；　and　he　did　it；　like　everything　he　undertook；　with

admirable　ability。　　He　proceeded　with　his　lectures　as　usual。　　To

an　association　of　teachers　he　delivered　a　discourse　on　the

educational　value　of　industrial　science。　　After　he　had　spoken　to

his　audience　for　an　hour；　he　left　them　to　say　whether　he　should　go

on　or　not；　and　they　cheered　him　on　to　another　half…hour's　address。

〃It　is　curious；〃　he　wrote；　〃the　feeling　of　having　an　audience；

like　clay　in　your　hands；　to　mould　for　a　season　as　you　please。　　It

is　a　terribly　responsible　power。。。。　　I　do　not　mean　for　a　moment　to

imply　that　I　am　indifferent　to　the　good　opinion　of　othersfar

otherwise；　but　to　gain　this　is　much　less　a　concern　with　me　than　to

deserve　it。　　It　was　not　so　once。　　I　had　no　wish　for　unmerited

praise；　but　I　was　too　ready　to　settle　that　I　did　merit　it。　　Now；

the　word　DUTY　seems　to　me　the　biggest　word　in　the　world；　and　is

uppermost　in　all　my　serious　doings。〃



This　was　written　only　about　four　months　before　his　death。　　A

little　later　he　wrote；　〃I　spin　my　thread　of　life　from　week　to

week；　rather　than　from　year　to　year。〃　　Constant　attacks　of

bleeding　from　the　lungs　sapped　his　little　remaining　strength；

but　did　not　altogether　disable　him　from　lecturing。　　He　was

amused　by　one　of　his　friends　proposing　to　put　him　under

trustees　for　the　purpose　of　looking　after　his　health。

But　he　would　not　be　restrained　from　working；　so　long

as　a　vestige　of　strength　remained。



One　day；　in　the　autumn　of　1859；　he　returned　from　his　customary

lecture　in　the　University　of　Edinburgh　with　a　severe　pain　in　his

side。　　He　was　scarcely　able　to　crawl　upstairs。　　Medical　aid　was

sent　for；　and　he　was　pronounced　to　be　suffering　from　pleurisy　and

inflammation　of　the　lungs。　　His　enfeebled　frame　was　ill　able　to

resist　so　severe　a　disease；　and　he　sank　peacefully　to　the　rest　he

so　longed　for；　after　a　few　days'　illness：



　　　　　　　　　　〃Wrong　not　the　dead　with　tears！

　　　　　　　　　　A　glorious　bright　to…morrow

　　　　　　Endeth　a　weary　life　of　pain　and　sorrow。〃



The　life　of　George　Wilsonso　admirably　and　affectionately

related　by　his　sisteris　probably　one　of　the　most　marvellous

records　of　pain　and　longsuffering；　and　yet　of　persistent；　noble；

and　useful　work；　that　is　to　be　found　in　the　whole　history　of

literature。　　His　entire　career　was　indeed　but　a　prolonged

illustration　of　the　lines　which　he　himself　addressed　to　his

deceased　friend；　Dr。　John　Reid；　a　likeminded　man；　whose　memoir　he

wrote：…



　　　　　　　　　　〃Thou　wert　a　daily　lesson

　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　courage；　hope；　and　faith；

　　　　　　　　　　We　wondered　at　thee　living；

　　　　　　　　　　　　We　envy　thee　thy　death。



　　　　　　　　　　Thou　wert　so　meek　and　reverent；

　　　　　　　　　　　　So　resolute　of　will；

　　　　　　　　　　So　bold　to　bear　the　uttermost；

　　　　　　　　　　　　And　yet　so　calm　and　still。〃







NOTES



（1）　From　Lovelace's　lines　to　Lucusta　（Lucy　Sacheverell）；　'Going

to　the　Wars。'



（2）　Amongst　other　great　men　of　genius；　Ariosto　and　Michael　Angelo

devoted　to　her　their　service　and　their　muse。



（3）　See　the　Rev。　F。　W。　Farrar's　admirable　book；　entitled　'Seekers

after　God'　（Sunday　Library）。　　The　author　there　says：　〃Epictetus

was　not　a　Christian。　　He　has　only　once　alluded　to　the　Christians

in　his　works；　and　then　it　is　under　the　opprobrious　title　of

'Galileans；'　who　practised　a　kind　of　insensibility　in　painful

circumstances；　and　an　indifference　to　worldly　interests；　which

Epictetus　unjustly　sets　down　to　'mere　habit。'　Unhappily；　it　was

not　granted　to　these　heathen　philosophers　in　any　true　sense　to

know　what　Christianity　was。　　They　thought　that　it　was　an　attempt

to　imitate　the　results　of　philosophy；　without　having　passed

through　the　necessary　discipline。　　They　viewed　it　with　suspicion；

they　treated　it　with　injustice。　　And　yet　in　Christianity；　and　in

Christianity　alone；　they　would　have　found　an　ideal　which　would

have　surpassed　their　loftiest　anticipations。〃



（4）　Sparks'　'Life　of　Washington；'　pp。　141…2。



（5）　Wellington；　like　Washington；　had　to　pay　the　penalty　of　his

adherence　to　the　cause　he　thought　right；　in　his　loss　of

〃popularity。〃　　He　was　mobbed　in　the　streets　of　London；　and　had　his

windows　smashed　by　the　mob；　while　his　wife　lay　dead　in　the　house。

Sir　Walter　Scott　also　was　hooted　and　pelted　at　Hawick　by　〃the

people；〃　amidst　cries　of　〃Burke　Sir　Walter！〃



（6）　Robertson's　'Life　and　Letters；'　ii。　157。



（7）　We　select　the　following　passages　from　this　remarkable　report　of

Baron　Stoffel；　as　being　of　more　than　merely　temporary　interest：…



Who　that　has　lived　here　（Berlin）　will　deny　that　the　Prussians　are

energetic；　patriotic；　and　teeming　with　youthful　vigour；　that　they

are　not　corrupted　by　sensual　pleasures；　but　are　manly；　have

earnest　convictions；　do　not　think　it　beneath　them　to　reverence

sincerely　what　is　noble　and　lofty？　　What　a　melancholy　contrast

does　France　offer　in　all　this？　　Having　sneered　at　everything；　she

has　lost　the　faculty　of　respecting　anything。　　Virtue；　family　life；

patriotism；　honour；　religion；　are　represented　to　a　frivolous

generation　as　fitting　subjects　of　ridicule。　　The　theatres　have

become　schools　of　shamelessness　and　obscenity。　　Drop　by　drop；

poison　is　instilled　into　the　very　core　of　an　ignorant　and

enervated　society；　which　has　neither　the　insight　nor　the　energy

left　to　amend　its　institutions；　norwhich　would　be　the　most

necessary　step　to　takebecome　better　informed　or　more　moral。

One　after　the　other　the　fine　qualities　of　the　nation　are　dying

out。　　Where　is　the　generosity；　the　loyalty；　the　charm　of　our

ESPRIT；　and　our　former　elevation　of　soul？　　If　this　goes　on；　the

time　will　come　when　this　noble　race　of　France　will　be　known　only

by　its　faults。　　And　France　has　no　idea　that　while　she　is　sinking；

more　earnest　nations　are　stealing　the　march　upon　her；　are

distancing　her　on　the　road　to　progress；　and　are　preparing　for　her

a　secondary　position　in　the　world。



〃I　am　afraid　that　these　opinions　will　not　be　relished　in　France。

However　correct；　they　differ　too　much　from　what　is　usually　said

and　asserted　at　home。　　I　should　wish　some　enlightened　and

unprejudiced　Frenchmen　to　come　to　Prussia　and　make　this　country

their　study。　　They　would　soon　discover　that　they　were　living　in

the　midst　of　a　strong；　earnest；　and　intelligent　nation；　entirely

destitute；　it　is　true；　of　noble　and　delicate　feelings；　of　all

fascinating　charms；　but　endowed　with　every　solid　virtue；　and　alike

distinguished　for　untiring　industry；　order；　and　economy；　as　well

as　for　patriotism；　a　strong　sense　of　duty；　and　that　consciousness

of　personal　dignity　which　in　their　case　is　so　happily　blended　with

respect　for　authority　and　obedience　to　the　law。　　They　would　see　a

country　with　firm；　sound；　and　moral　institutions；　whose　upper

classes　are　worthy　of　their　rank；　and；　by　possessing　the　highest

degree　of　culture；　devoting　themselves　to　the　service　of　the

State；　setting　an　example　of　patriotism；　and　knowing　how　to

preserve　the　influence　legitimately　their　own。　　They　would　find　a

State　with　an　excellent　administration　where　everything　is　in　its

right　place；　and　where　the　most　admirable　order　prevails　in　every

branch　of　the　social　and　political　system。　　Prussia　may　be　well

compared　to　a　massive　structure　of　lofty　proportions　and

astounding　solidity；　which；　though　it　has　nothi