character-第60章

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EMPETREis　certainly　a　somewhat　disagreeable　person　to　meet　at

first。　He　looks　as　if　he　had　swallowed　a　poker。　　He　is　shy

himself；　and　the　cause　of　shyness　in　others。　　He　is　stiff；　not

because　he　is　proud；　but　because　he　is　shy；　and　he　cannot　shake　it

off；　even　if　he　would。　　Indeed；　we　should　not　be　surprised　to　find

that　even　the　clever　writer　who　describes　the　English　Philistine

in　all　his　enormity　of　awkward　manner　and　absence　of　grace；　were

himself　as　shy　as　a　bat。



When　two　shy　men　meet；　they　seem　like　a　couple　of　icicles。　　They

sidle　away　and　turn　their　backs　on　each　other　in　a　room；　or　when

travelling　creep　into　the　opposite　corners　of　a　railway…carriage。

When　shy　Englishmen　are　about　to　start　on　a　journey　by　railway；

they　walk　along　the　train；　to　discover　an　empty　compartment　in

which　to　bestow　themselves；　and　when　once　ensconced；　they　inwardly

hate　the　next　man　who　comes　in。　　So；　on　entering　the　dining…room

of　their　club；　each　shy　man　looks　out　for　an　unoccupied　table；

until　sometimesall　the　tables　in　the　room　are　occupied　by

single　diners。　　All　this　apparent　unsociableness　is　merely　shyness

the　national　characteristic　of　the　Englishman。



〃The　disciples　of　Confucius；〃　observes　Mr。　Arthur　Helps；　〃say　that

when　in　the　presence　of　the　prince；　his　manner　displayed

RESPECTFUL　UNEASINESS。　　There　could　hardly　be　given　any　two　words

which　more　fitly　describe　the　manner　of　most　Englishmen　when　in

society。〃　　Perhaps　it　is　due　to　this　feeling　that　Sir　Henry

Taylor；　in　his　'Statesman；'　recommends　that；　in　the　management　of

interviews；　the　minister　should　be　as　〃near　to　the　door〃　as

possible；　and；　instead　of　bowing　his　visitor　out；　that　he　should

take　refuge；　at　the　end　of　an　interview；　in　the　adjoining　room。

〃Timid　and　embarrassed　men；〃　he　says；　〃will　sit　as　if　they　were

rooted　to　the　spot；　when　they　are　conscious　that　they　have　to

traverse　the　length　of　a　room　in　their　retreat。　　In　every　case；　an

interview　will　find　a　more　easy　and　pleasing　termination　WHEN　THE

DOOR　IS　AT　HAND　as　the　last　words　are　spoken。〃　（5）



The　late　Prince　Albert；　one　of　the　gentlest　and　most　amiable；　was

also　one　of　the　most　retiring　of　men。　　He　struggled　much　against

his　sense　of　shyness；　but　was　never　able　either　to　conquer　or

conceal　it。　　His　biographer；　in　explaining　its　causes；　says：　〃It

was　the　shyness　of　a　very　delicate　nature；　that　is　not　sure　it

will　please；　and　is　without　the　confidence　and　the　vanity　which

often　go　to　form　characters　that　are　outwardly　more　genial。〃　（6）



But　the　Prince　shared　this　defect　with　some　of　the　greatest　of

Englishmen。　　Sir　Isaac　Newton　was　probably　the　shyest　man　of　his

age。　　He　kept　secret　for　a　time　some　of　his　greatest　discoveries；

for　fear　of　the　notoriety　they　might　bring　him。　　His　discovery　of

the　Binomial　Theorem　and　its　most　important　applications；　as　well

as　his　still　greater　discovery　of　the　Law　of　Gravitation；　were　not

published　for　years　after　they　were　made；　and　when　he　communicated

to　Collins　his　solution　of　the　theory　of　the　moon's　rotation　round

the　earth；　he　forbade　him　to　insert　his　name　in　connection　with

it　in　the　'Philosophical　Transactions；'　saying：　〃It　would；

perhaps；　increase　my　acquaintancethe　thing　which　I　chiefly

study　to　decline。〃



From　all　that　can　be　learnt　of　Shakspeare；　it　is　to　be　inferred

that　he　was　an　exceedingly　shy　man。　　The　manner　in　which　his　plays

were　sent　into　the　worldfor　it　is　not　known　that　he　edited　or

authorized　the　publication　of　a　single　one　of　themand　the　dates

at　which　they　respectively　appeared；　are　mere　matters　of

conjecture。　　His　appearance　in　his　own　plays　in　second　and　even

third…rate　partshis　indifference　to　reputation；　and　even　his

apparent　aversion　to　be　held　in　repute　by　his　contemporarieshis

disappearance　from　London　（the　seat　and　centre　of　English

histrionic　art）　so　soon　as　he　had　realised　a　moderate　competency

and　his　retirement　about　the　age　of　forty；　for　the　remainder　of

his　days；　to　a　life　of　obscurity　in　a　small　town　in　the　midland

countiesall　seem　to　unite　in　proving　the　shrinking　nature　of

the　man；　and　his　unconquerable　shyness。



It　is　also　probable　that；　besides　being　shyand　his　shyness　may；

like　that　of　Byron；　have　been　increased　by　his　limpShakspeare

did　not　possess　in　any　high　degree　the　gift　of　hope。　　It　is　a

remarkable　circumstance；　that　whilst　the　great　dramatist　has；　in

the　course　of　his　writings；　copiously　illustrated　all　other　gifts；

affections；　and　virtues；　the　passages　are　very　rare　in　which　Hope

is　mentioned；　and　then　it　is　usually　in　a　desponding　and

despairing　tone；　as　when　he　says：



　　　　　　〃The　miserable　hath　no　other　medicine；　But　only　Hope。〃



Many　of　his　sonnets　breathe　the　spirit　of　despair　and

hopelessness。　（7）　　He　laments　his　lameness；　（8）　apologizes　for　his

profession　as　an　actor；　（9）　expresses　his　〃fear　of　trust〃　in

himself；　and　his　hopeless；　perhaps　misplaced；　affection；　（10）

anticipates　a　〃coffin'd　doom；〃　and　utters　his　profoundly　pathetic

cry　〃for　restful　death。〃



It　might　naturally　be　supposed　that　Shakspeare's　profession　of　an

actor；　and　his　repeated　appearances　in　public；　would　speedily

overcome　his　shyness；　did　such　exist。　But　inborn　shyness；　when

strong；　is　not　so　easily　conquered。　（11）　　Who　could　have　believed

that　the　late　Charles　Mathews；　who　entertained　crowded　houses

night　after　night；　was　naturally　one　of　the　shyest　of　men？　　He

would　even　make　long　circuits　（lame　though　he　was）　along　the

byelanes　of　London　to　avoid　recognition。　　His　wife　says　of　him；

that　he　looked　〃sheepish〃　and　confused　if　recognised；　and　that　his

eyes　would　fall；　and　his　colour　would　mount；　if　he　heard　his　name

even　whispered　in　passing　along　the　streets。　（12）



Nor　would　it　at　first　sight　have　been　supposed　that　Lord　Byron　was

affected　with　shyness；　and　yet　he　was　a　victim　to　it；　his

biographer　relating　that；　while　on　a　visit　to　Mrs。　Pigot；　at

Southwell；　when　he　saw　strangers　approaching；　he　would　instantly

jump　out　of　the　window；　and　escape　on　to　the　lawn　to　avoid　them。



But　a　still　more　recent　and　striking　instance　is　that　of　the　late

Archbishop　Whately；　who；　in　the　early　part　of　his　life；　was

painfully　oppressed　by　the　sense　of　shyness。　　When　at　Oxford；　his

white　rough　coat　and　white　hat　obtained　for　him　the　soubriquet　of

〃The　White　Bear；〃　and　his　manners；　according　to　his　own　account　of

himself；　corresponded　with　the　appellation。　　He　was　directed；　by

way　of　remedy；　to　copy　the　example　of　the　best…mannered　men　he　met

in　society；　but　the　attempt　to　do　this　only　increased　his　shyness；

and　he　failed。　　He　found　that　he　was　all　the　while　thinking　of

himself；　rather　than　of　others；　whereas　thinking　of　others；　rather

than　of　one's　self；　is　of　the　true　essence　of　politeness。



Finding　that　he　was　making　no　progress；　Whately　was　driven　to

utter　despair；　and　then　he　said　to　himself：　〃Why　should　I　endure

this　torture　all　my　life　to　no　purpose？　I　would　bear　it　still　if

there　was　any　success　to　be　hoped　for；　but　since　there　is　not；　I

will　die　quietly；　without　taking　any　more　doses。　　I　have　tried　my

very　utmost；　and　find　that　I　must　be　as　awkward　as　a　bear　all　my

life；　in　spite　of　it。　　I　will　endeavour　to　think　as　little　about

it　as　a　bear；　and　make　up　my　mind　to　endure　what　can't　be　cured。〃

From　this　time　forth　he　struggled　to　shake　off　all　consciousness

as　to　manner；　and　to　disregard　censure　as　much　as　possible。　　In

adopting　this　course；　he　says：　〃I　succeeded　beyond　my

expectations；　for　I　not　only　got　rid　of　the　personal　suffering　of

shyness；　but　also　of　most　of　those　faults　of　manner　which

consciousness　produces；　and　acquired　at　once　an　easy　and　natural

mannercareless；　indeed；　in　the　extreme；　from　its　originating　in

a　stern　defiance　of　opinion；　which　I　had　convinced　myself　must　be

ever　against　me；　rough　and　awkward；　for　smoothness　and　grace　are

quite　out　of　my　way；　and；　of　course；　tutorially　pedantic；　but

unconscious；　and　therefore　giving　expression　to　th