character-第66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！


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　Colossus；　or　an　exaggerated　giant。　　They　are　not

overlaid　by　disquisition　and　description；　but　the　characters

naturally　unfold　themselves。　　Montaigne；　indeed；　complained　of

Plutarch's　brevity。　　〃No　doubt；〃　he　added；　〃but　his　reputation　is

the　better　for　it；　though　in　the　meantime　we　are　the　worse。

Plutarch　would　rather　we　should　applaud　his　judgment　than　commend

his　knowledge；　and　had　rather　leave　us　with　an　appetite　to　read

more　than　glutted　with　what　we　have　already　read。　　He　knew　very

well　that　a　man　may　say　too　much　even　on　the　best　subjects。。。。

Such　as　have　lean　and　spare　bodies　stuff　themselves　out　with

clothes；　so　they　who　are　defective　in　matter；　endeavour　to　make

amends　with　words。　（5）



Plutarch　possessed　the　art　of　delineating　the　more　delicate

features　of　mind　and　minute　peculiarities　of　conduct；　as　well　as

the　foibles　and　defects　of　his　heroes；　all　of　which　is　necessary

to　faithful　and　accurate　portraiture。　　〃To　see　him；〃　says

Montaigne；　〃pick　out　a　light　action　in　a　man's　life；　or　a　word；

that　does　not　seem　to　be　of　any　importance；　is　itself　a　whole

discourse。〃　　He　even　condescends　to　inform　us　of　such　homely

particulars　as　that　Alexander　carried　his　head　affectedly　on　one

side；　that　Alcibiades　was　a　dandy；　and　had　a　lisp；　which　became

him；　giving　a　grace　and　persuasive　turn　to　his　discourse；　that

Cato　had　red　hair　and　gray　eyes；　and　was　a　usurer　and　a　screw；

selling　off　his　old　slaves　when　they　became　unfit　for　hard　work；

that　Caesar　was　bald　and　fond　of　gay　dress；　and　that　Cicero　（like

Lord　Brougham）　had　involuntary　twitchings　of　his　nose。



Such　minute　particulars　may　by　some　be　thought　beneath　the　dignity

of　biography；　but　Plutarch　thought　them　requisite　for　the　due

finish　of　the　complete　portrait　which　he　set　himself　to　draw；　and

it　is　by　small　details　of　characterpersonal　traits；　features；

habits；　and　characteristicsthat　we　are　enabled　to　see　before　us

the　men　as　they　really　lived。　　Plutarch's　great　merit　consists　in

his　attention　to　these　little　things；　without　giving　them　undue

preponderance；　or　neglecting　those　which　are　of　greater　moment。

Sometimes　he　hits　off　an　individual　trait　by　an　anecdote；　which

throws　more　light　upon　the　character　described　than　pages　of

rhetorical　description　would　do。　　In　some　cases；　he　gives　us

the　favourite　maxim　of　his　hero；　and　the　maxims　of　men　often

reveal　their　hearts。



Then；　as　to　foibles；　the　greatest　of　men　are　not　visually

symmetrical。　　Each　has　his　defect；　his　twist；　his　craze；　and　it　is

by　his　faults　that　the　great　man　reveals　his　common　humanity。　　We

may；　at　a　distance；　admire　him　as　a　demigod；　but　as　we　come　nearer

to　him；　we　find　that　he　is　but　a　fallible　man；　and　our　brother。　（6）



Nor　are　the　illustrations　of　the　defects　of　great　men　without

their　uses；　for；　as　Dr。　Johnson　observed；　〃If　nothing　but　the

bright　side　of　characters　were　shown；　we　should　sit　down　in

despondency；　and　think　it　utterly　impossible　to　imitate

them　in　anything。〃



Plutarch；　himself　justifies　his　method　of　portraiture　by　averring

that　his　design　was　not　to　write　histories；　but　lives。　　〃The　most

glorious　exploits；〃　he　says；　〃do　not　always　furnish　us　with　the

clearest　discoveries　of　virtue　or　of　vice　in　men。　　Sometimes　a

matter　of　much　less　moment；　an　expression　or　a　jest；　better

informs　us　of　their　characters　and　inclinations　than　battles　with

the　slaughter　of　tens　of　thousands；　and　the　greatest　arrays　of

armies　or　sieges　of　cities。　　Therefore；　as　portrait…painters　are

more　exact　in　their　lines　and　features　of　the　face　and　the

expression　of　the　eyes；　in　which　the　character　is　seen；　without

troubling　themselves　about　the　other　parts　of　the　body；　so　I　must

be　allowed　to　give　my　more　particular　attention　to　the　signs　and

indications　of　the　souls　of　men；　and　while　I　endeavour　by　these

means　to　portray　their　lives；　I　leave　important　events　and　great

battles　to　be　described　by　others。〃



Things　apparently　trifling　may　stand　for　much　in　biography　as　well

as　history；　and　slight　circumstances　may　influence　great　results。

Pascal　has　remarked；　that　if　Cleopatra's　nose　had　been　shorter；

the　whole　face　of　the　world　would　probably　have　been　changed。　　But

for　the　amours　of　Pepin　the　Fat；　the　Saracens　might　have　overrun

Europe；　as　it　was　his　illegitimate　son；　Charles　Martel；　who

overthrew　them　at　Tours；　and　eventually　drove　them　out　of　France。



That　Sir　Walter　Scott　should　have　sprained　his　foot　in　running

round　the　room　when　a　child；　may　seem　unworthy　of　notice　in　his

biography；　yet　'Ivanhoe；'　'Old　Mortality；'　and　all　the　Waverley

novels　depended　upon　it。　　When　his　son　intimated　a　desire　to　enter

the　army；　Scott　wrote　to　Southey；　〃I　have　no　title　to　combat　a

choice　which　would　have　been　my　own；　had　not　my　lameness

prevented。〃　　So　that；　had　not　Scott　been　lame；　he　might　have

fought　all　through　the　Peninsular　War；　and　had　his　breast　covered

with　medals；　but　we　should　probably　have　had　none　of　those　works

of　his　which　have　made　his　name　immortal；　and　shed　so　much　glory

upon　his　country。　　Talleyrand　also　was　kept　out　of　the　army；　for

which　he　had　been　destined；　by　his　lameness；　but　directing　his

attention　to　the　study　of　books；　and　eventually　of　men；　he　at

length　took　rank　amongst　the　greatest　diplomatists　of　his　time。



Byron's　clubfoot　had　probably　not　a　little　to　do　with　determining

his　destiny　as　a　poet。　　Had　not　his　mind　been　embittered　and　made

morbid　by　his　deformity；　he　might　never　have　written　a　linehe

might　have　been　the　noblest　fop　of　his　day。　　But　his　misshapen

foot　stimulated　his　mind；　roused　his　ardour；　threw　him　upon　his

own　resourcesand　we　know　with　what　result。



So；　too；　of　Scarron；　to　whose　hunchback　we　probably　owe　his

cynical　verse；　and　of　Pope；　whose　satire　was　in　a　measure　the

outcome　of　his　deformityfor　he　was；　as　Johnson　described　him；

〃protuberant　behind　and　before。〃　　What　Lord　Bacon　said　of

deformity　is　doubtless；　to　a　great　extent；　true。　　〃Whoever；〃

said　he；　〃hath　anything　fixed　in　his　person　that　doth　induce

contempt；　hath　also　a　perpetual　spur　in　himself　to　rescue

and　deliver　himself　from　scorn；　therefore；　all　deformed　persons

are　extremely　bold。〃



As　in　portraiture；　so　in　biography；　there　must　be　light　and　shade。

The　portrait…painter　does　not　pose　his　sitter　so　as　to　bring　out

his　deformities；　nor　does　the　biographer　give　undue　prominence　to

the　defects　of　the　character　he　portrays。　　Not　many　men　are　so

outspoken　as　Cromwell　was　when　he　sat　to　Cooper　for　his　miniature：

〃Paint　me　as　I　am；〃　said　he；　〃warts　and　all。〃　　Yet；　if　we　would

have　a　faithful　likeness　of　faces　and　characters；　they　must　be

painted　as　they　are。　　〃Biography；〃　said　Sir　Walter　Scott；　〃the

most　interesting　of　every　species　of　composition；　loses　all　its

interest　with　me　when　the　shades　and　lights　of　the　principal

characters　are　not　accurately　and　faithfully　detailed。　　I　can　no

more　sympathise　with　a　mere　eulogist；　than　I　can　with　a　ranting

hero　on　the　stage。〃　（7）



Addison　liked　to　know　as　much　as　possible　about　the　person　and

character　of　his　authors；　inasmuch　as　it　increased　the　pleasure

and　satisfaction　which　he　derived　from　the　perusal　of　their　books。

What　was　their　history；　their　experience；　their　temper　and

disposition？　　Did　their　lives　resemble　their　books？　　They　thought

noblydid　they　act　nobly？　　〃Should　we　not　delight；〃　says　Sir

Egerton　Brydges；　〃to　have　the　frank　story　of　the　lives　and

feelings　of　Wordsworth；　Southey；　Coleridge；　Campbell；　Rogers；

Moore；　and　Wilson；　related　by　themselves？with　whom　they　lived

early；　how　their　bent　took　a　decided　course；　their　likes　and

dislikes；　their　difficulties　and　obstacles；　their　tastes；　their

passions；　the　rocks　they　were　conscious　of　having　split　upon；

their　regrets；　their　complacencies；　and　their　self…

justifications？〃　（8）