character-第65章

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Whatever　relates　to　such　mento　their　habits；　their　manners；

their　modes　of　living；　their　personal　history；　their　conversation；

their　maxims；　their　virtues；　or　their　greatnessis　always　full

of　interest；　of　instruction；　of　encouragement；　and　of　example。



The　great　lesson　of　Biography　is　to　show　what　man　can　be　and　do　at

his　best。　　A　noble　life　put　fairly　on　record　acts　like　an

inspiration　to　others。　　It　exhibits　what　life　is　capable　of　being

made。　　It　refreshes　our　spirit；　encourages　our　hopes；　gives　us　new

strength　and　courage　and　faithfaith　in　others　as　well　as　in

ourselves。　　It　stimulates　our　aspirations；　rouses　us　to　action；

and　incites　us　to　become　co…partners　with　them　in　their　work。

To　live　with　such　men　in　their　biographies；　and　to　be　inspired

by　their　example；　is　to　live　with　the　best　of　men；　and　to　mix

in　the　best　of　company。



At　the　head　of　all　biographies　stands　the　Great　Biography；　the

Book　of　Books。　　And　what　is　the　Bible；　the　most　sacred　and

impressive　of　all　booksthe　educator　of　youth；　the　guide　of

manhood；　and　the　consoler　of　agebut　a　series　of　biographies　of

great　heroes　and　patriarchs；　prophets；　kings；　and　judges；

culminating　in　the　greatest　biography　of　all；　the　Life　embodied　in

the　New　Testament？　　How　much　have　the　great　examples　there　set

forth　done　for　mankind！　　How　many　have　drawn　from　them　their

truest　strength；　their　highest　wisdom；　their　best　nurture　and

admonition！　　Truly　does　a　great　Roman　Catholic　writer　describe　the

Bible　as　a　book　whose　words　〃live　in　the　ear　like　a　music　that　can

never　be　forgottenlike　the　sound　of　church　bells　which　the

convert　hardly　knows　how　he　can　forego。　　Its　felicities　often　seem

to　be　almost　things　rather　than　mere　words。　　It　is　part　of　the

national　mind；　and　the　anchor　of　national　seriousness。　　The　memory

of　the　dead　passes　into　it；　The　potent　traditions　of　childhood　are

stereotyped　in　its　verses。　　The　power　of　all　the　griefs　and　trials

of　man　is　hidden　beneath　its　words。　　It　is　the　representative　of

his　best　moments；　and　all　that　has　been　about　him　of　soft；　and

gentle；　and　pure；　and　penitent；　and　good；　speaks　to　him　for　ever

out　of　his　English　Bible。　　It　is　his　sacred　thing；　which　doubt

has　never　dimmed　and　controversy　never　soiled。　　In　the　length

and　breadth　of　the　land　there　is　not　a　Protestant　with　one

spark　of　religiousness　about　him　whose　spiritual　biography

is　not　in　his　Saxon　Bible。〃　（4）



It　would；　indeed；　be　difficult　to　overestimate　the　influence　which

the　lives　of　the　great　and　good　have　exercised　upon　the　elevation

of　human　character。　　〃The　best　biography；〃　says　Isaac　Disraeli；

〃is　a　reunion　with　human　existence　in　its　most　excellent　state。〃

Indeed；　it　is　impossible　for　one　to　read　the　lives　of　good　men；

much　less　inspired　men；　without　being　unconsciously　lighted　and

lifted　up　in　them；　and　growing　insensibly　nearer　to　what　they

thought　and　did。　　And　even　the　lives　of　humbler　persons；　of　men　of

faithful　and　honest　spirit；　who　have　done　their　duty　in　life　well；

are　not　without　an　elevating　influence　upon　the　character　of　those

who　come　after　them。



History　itself　is　best　studied　in　biography。　　Indeed；　history　is

biographycollective　humanity　as　influenced　and　governed　by

individual　men。　　〃What　is　all　history；〃　says　Emerson；　〃but　the

work　of　ideas；　a　record　of　the　incomparable　energy　which　his

infinite　aspirations　infuse　into　man？〃　　In　its　pages　it　is　always

persons　we　see　more　than　principles。　　Historical　events　are

interesting　to　us　mainly　in　connection　with　the　feelings；　the

sufferings；　and　interests　of　those　by　whom　they　are　accomplished。

In　history　we　are　surrounded　by　men　long　dead；　but　whose　speech

and　whose　deeds　survive。　　We　almost　catch　the　sound　of　their

voices；　and　what　they　did　constitutes　the　interest　of　history。　　We

never　feel　personally　interested　in　masses　of　men；　but　we　feel　and

sympathise　with　the　individual　actors；　whose　biographies　afford

the　finest　and　most　real　touches　in　all　great　historical　dramas。



Among　the　great　writers　of　the　past；　probably　the　two　that　have

been　most　influential　in　forming　the　characters　of　great　men　of

action　and　great　men　of　thought；　have　been　Plutarch　and　Montaigne

the　one　by　presenting　heroic　models　for　imitation；　the　other　by

probing　questions　of　constant　recurrence　in　which　the　human　mind

in　all　ages　has　taken　the　deepest　interest。　And　the　works　of　both

are　for　the　most　part　cast　in　a　biographic　form；　their　most

striking　illustrations　consisting　in　the　exhibitions　of　character

and　experience　which　they　contain。



Plutarch's　'Lives；'　though　written　nearly　eighteen　hundred　years

ago；　like　Homer's　'Iliad；'　still　holds　its　ground　as　the　greatest

work　of　its　kind。　　It　was　the　favourite　book　of　Montaigne；　and　to

Englishmen　it　possesses　the　special　interest　of　having　been

Shakspeare's　principal　authority　in　his　great　classical　dramas。

Montaigne　pronounced　Plutarch　to　be　〃the　greatest　master　in

that　kind　of　writing〃the　biographic；　and　he　declared　that

he　〃could　no　sooner　cast　an　eye　upon　him　but　he　purloined

either　a　leg　or　a　wing。〃



Alfieri　was　first　drawn　with　passion　to　literature　by　reading

Plutarch。　　〃I　read；〃　said　he；　〃the　lives　of　Timoleon；　Caesar；

Brutus；　Pelopidas；　more　than　six　times；　with　cries；　with　tears；

and　with　such　transports；　that　I　was　almost　furious。。。。　Every　time

that　I　met　with　one　of　the　grand　traits　of　these　great　men；　I　was

seized　with　such　vehement　agitation　as　to　be　unable　to　sit　still。〃

Plutarch　was　also　a　favourite　with　persons　of　such　various　minds

as　Schiller　and　Benjamin　Franklin；　Napoleon　and　Madame　Roland。

The　latter　was　so　fascinated　by　the　book　that　she　carried　it　to

church　with　her　in　the　guise　of　a　missal；　and　read　it

surreptitiously　during　the　service。



It　has　also　been　the　nurture　of　heroic　souls　such　as　Henry　IV。　of

France；　Turenne；　and　the　Napiers。　　It　was　one　of　Sir　William

Napier's　favourite　books　when　a　boy。　　His　mind　was　early　imbued　by

it　with　a　passionate　admiration　for　the　great　heroes　of　antiquity；

and　its　influence　had；　doubtless；　much　to　do　with　the　formation　of

his　character；　as　well　as　the　direction　of　his　career　in　life。　　It

is　related　of　him；　that　in　his　last　illness；　when　feeble　and

exhausted；　his　mind　wandered　back　to　Plutarch's　heroes；　and　he

descanted　for　hours　to　his　son…in…law　on　the　mighty　deeds　of

Alexander；　Hannibal；　and　Caesar。　　Indeed；　if　it　were　possible　to

poll　the　great　body　of　readers　in　all　ages　whose　minds　have　been

influenced　and　directed　by　books；　it　is　probable　thatexcepting

always　the　Biblethe　immense　majority　of　votes　would　be　cast　in

favour　of　Plutarch。



And　how　is　it　that　Plutarch　has　succeeded　in　exciting　an　interest

which　continues　to　attract　and　rivet　the　attention　of　readers　of

all　ages　and　classes　to　this　day？　　In　the　first　place；　because　the

subject　of　his　work　is　great　men；　who　occupied　a　prominent　place

in　the　world's　history；　and　because　he　had　an　eye　to　see　and　a　pen

to　describe　the　more　prominent　events　and　circumstances　in　their

lives。　　And　not　only　so；　but　he　possessed　the　power　of　portraying

the　individual　character　of　his　heroes；　for　it　is　the　principle　of

individuality　which　gives　the　charm　and　interest　to　all　biography。

The　most　engaging　side　of　great　men　is　not　so　much　what　they　do　as

what　they　are；　and　does　not　depend　upon　their　power　of　intellect

but　on　their　personal　attractiveness。　　Thus；　there　are　men　whose

lives　are　far　more　eloquent　than　their　speeches；　and　whose

personal　character　is　far　greater　than　their　deeds。



It　is　also　to　be　observed；　that　while　the　best　and　most　carefully…

drawn　of　Plutarch's　portraits　are　of　life…size；　many　of　them　are

little　more　than　busts。　　They　are　well…proportioned　but　compact；

and　within　such　reasonable　compass　that　the　best　of　themsuch　as

the　lives　of　Caesar　and　Alexandermay　be　read　in　half　an　hour。

Reduced　to　this　measure；　they　are；　however；　greatly　more　imposing

than　a　lifeless　Colossu