character-第67章

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their　regrets；　their　complacencies；　and　their　self…

justifications？〃　（8）



When　Mason　was　reproached　for　publishing　the　private　letters　of

Gray；　he　answered；　〃Would　you　always　have　my　friends　appear　in

full…dress？〃　　Johnson　was　of　opinion　that　to　write　a　man's　life

truly；　it　is　necessary　that　the　biographer　should　have　personally

known　him。　　But　this　condition　has　been　wanting　in　some　of　the

best　writers　of　biographies　extant。　（9）　　In　the　case　of　Lord

Campbell；　his　personal　intimacy　with　Lords　Lyndhurst　and　Brougham

seems　to　have　been　a　positive　disadvantage；　leading　him　to　dwarf

the　excellences　and　to　magnify　the　blots　in　their　characters。

Again；　Johnson　says：　〃If　a　man　profess　to　write　a　life；　he　must

write　it　really　as　it　was。　　A　man's　peculiarities；　and　even　his

vices；　should　be　mentioned；　because　they　mark　his　character。〃　　But

there　is　always　this　difficulty；that　while　minute　details　of

conduct；　favourable　or　otherwise；　can　best　be　given　from　personal

knowledge；　they　cannot　always　be　published；　out　of　regard　for　the

living；　and　when　the　time　arrives　when　they　may　at　length　be　told；

they　are　then　no　longer　remembered。　　Johnson　himself　expressed

this　reluctance　to　tell　all　he　knew　of　those　poets　who　had　been

his　contemporaries；　saying　that　he　felt　as　if　〃walking　upon　ashes

under　which　the　fire　was　not　extinguished。〃



For　this　reason；　amongst　others；　we　rarely　obtain　an　unvarnished

picture　of　character　from　the　near　relatives　of　distinguished　men；

and；　interesting　though　all　autobiography　is；　still　less　can　we

expect　it　from　the　men　themselves。　　In　writing　his　own　memoirs；　a

man　will　not　tell　all　that　he　knows　about　himself。　　Augustine　was

a　rare　exception；　but　few　there　are　who　will；　as　he　did　in　his

'Confessions；'　lay　bare　their　innate　viciousness；　deceitfulness；

and　selfishness。　　There　is　a　Highland　proverb　which　says；　that　if

the　best　man's　faults　were　written　on　his　forehead　he　would　pull

his　bonnet　over　his　brow。　　〃There　is　no　man；〃　said　Voltaire；　〃who

has　not　something　hateful　in　himno　man　who　has　not　some　of　the

wild　beast　in　him。　　But　there　are　few　who　will　honestly　tell　us

how　they　manage　their　wild　beast。〃　　Rousseau　pretended　to　unbosom

himself　in　his　'Confessions；'　but　it　is　manifest　that　he　held　back

far　more　than　he　revealed。　　Even　Chamfort；　one　of　the　last　men　to

fear　what　his　contemporaries　might　think　or　say　of　him；　once

observed：…　〃It　seems　to　me　impossible；　in　the　actual　state　of

society；　for　any　man　to　exhibit　his　secret　heart；　the　details　of

his　character　as　known　to　himself；　and；　above　all；　his　weaknesses

and　his　vices；　to　even　his　best　friend。〃



An　autobiography　may　be　true　so　far　as　it　goes；　but　in

communicating　only　part　of　the　truth；　it　may　convey　an　impression

that　is　really　false。　　It　may　be　a　disguisesometimes　it　is　an

apologyexhibiting　not　so　much　what　a　man　really　was；　as　what　he

would　have　liked　to　be。　　A　portrait　in　profile　may　be　correct；　but

who　knows　whether　some　scar　on　the　off…cheek；　or　some　squint　in

the　eye　that　is　not　seen；　might　not　have　entirely　altered　the

expression　of　the　face　if　brought　into　sight？　　Scott；　Moore；

Southey；　all　began　autobiographies；　but　the　task　of　continuing

them　was　doubtless　felt　to　be　too　difficult　as　well　as　delicate；

and　they　were　abandoned。



French　literature　is　especially　rich　in　a　class　of　biographic

memoirs；　of　which　we　have　few　counterparts　in　English。　　We　refer

to　their　MEMOIRES　POUR　SERVIR；　such　as　those　of　Sully；　De　Comines；

Lauzun；　De　Retz；　De　Thou；　Rochefoucalt；　&c。；　in　which　we　have

recorded　an　immense　mass　of　minute　and　circumstantial　information

relative　to　many　great　personages　of　history。　　They　are　full　of

anecdotes　illustrative　of　life　and　character；　and　of　details　which

might　be　called　frivolous；　but　that　they　throw　a　flood　of　light　on

the　social　habits　and　general　civilisation　of　the　periods　to　which

they　relate。　　The　MEMOIRES　of　Saint…Simon　are　something　more：　they

are　marvellous　dissections　of　character；　and　constitute　the　most

extraordinary　collection　of　anatomical　biography　that　has　ever

been　brought　together。



Saint…Simon　might　almost　be　regarded　in　the　light　of　a　posthumous

court…spy　of　Louis　the　Fourteenth。　　He　was　possessed　by　a　passion

for　reading　character；　and　endeavouring　to　decipher　motives　and

intentions　in　the　faces；　expressions；　conversation；　and　byplay　of

those　about　him。　　〃I　examine　all　my　personages　closely；〃　said　he

〃watch　their　mouth；　eyes；　and　ears　constantly。〃　　And　what　he　heard

and　saw　he　noted　down　with　extraordinary　vividness　and　dash。

Acute；　keen；　and　observant；　he　pierced　the　masks　of　the　courtiers；

and　detected　their　secrets。　　The　ardour　with　which　he　prosecuted

his　favourite　study　of　character　seemed　insatiable；　and　even

cruel。　　〃The　eager　anatomist；〃　says　Sainte…Beuve；　〃was　not　more

ready　to　plunge　the　scalpel　into　the　still…palpitating　bosom　in

search　of　the　disease　that　had　baffled　him。〃



La　Bruyere　possessed　the　same　gift　of　accurate　and　penetrating

observation　of　character。　　He　watched　and　studied　everybody　about

him。　　He　sought　to　read　their　secrets；　and；　retiring　to　his

chamber；　he　deliberately　painted　their　portraits；　returning　to

them　from　time　to　time　to　correct　some　prominent　featurehanging

over　them　as　fondly　as　an　artist　over　some　favourite　study

adding　trait　to　trait；　and　touch　to　touch；　until　at　length　the

picture　was　complete　and　the　likeness　perfect。



It　may　be　said　that　much　of　the　interest　of　biography；　especially

of　the　more　familiar　sort；　is　of　the　nature　of　gossip；　as　that　of

the　MEMOIRES　POUR　SERVIR　is　of　the　nature　of　scandal；　which　is　no

doubt　true。　　But　both　gossip　and　scandal　illustrate　the　strength

of　the　interest　which　men　and　women　take　in　each　other's

personality；　and　which；　exhibited　in　the　form　of　biography；　is

capable　of　communicating　the　highest　pleasure；　and　yielding　the

best　instruction。　　Indeed　biography；　because　it　is　instinct　of

humanity；　is　the　branch　of　literature　whichwhether　in　the　form

of　fiction；　of　anecdotal　recollection；　or　of　personal　narrative

is　the　one　that　invariably　commends　itself　to　by　far　the　largest

class　of　readers。



There　is　no　room　for　doubt　that　the　surpassing　interest　which

fiction；　whether　in　poetry　or　prose；　possesses　for　most　minds；

arises　mainly　from　the　biographic　element　which　it　contains。

Homer's　'Iliad'　owes　its　marvellous　popularity　to　the　genius　which

its　author　displayed　in　the　portrayal　of　heroic　character。　　Yet　he

does　not　so　much　describe　his　personages　in　detail　as　make　them

develope　themselves　by　their　actions。　　〃There　are　in　Homer；〃　said

Dr。　Johnson；　〃such　characters　of　heroes　and　combination　of

qualities　of　heroes；　that　the　united　powers　of　mankind　ever　since

have　not　produced　any　but　what　are　to　be　found　there。〃



The　genius　of　Shakspeare　also　was　displayed　in　the　powerful

delineation　of　character；　and　the　dramatic　evolution　of　human

passions。　　His　personages　seem　to　be　realliving　and　breathing

before　us。　　So　too　with　Cervantes；　whose　Sancho　Panza；　though

homely　and　vulgar；　is　intensely　human。　　The　characters　in　Le

Sage's　'Gil　Blas；'　in　Goldsmith's　'Vicar　of　Wakefield；'　and　in

Scott's　marvellous　muster…roll；　seem　to　us　almost　as　real　as

persons　whom　we　have　actually　known；　and　De　Foe's　greatest　works

are　but　so　many　biographies；　painted　in　minute　detail；　with

reality　so　apparently　stamped　upon　every　page；　that　it　is

difficult　to　believe　his　Robinson　Crusoe　and　Colonel　Jack　to　have

been　fictitious　instead　of　real　persons。



Though　the　richest　romance　lies　enclosed　in　actual　human　life；　and

though　biography；　because　it　describes　beings　who　have　actually

felt　the　joys　and　sorrows；　and　experienced　the　difficulties　and

triumphs；　of　real　life；　is　capable　of　being　made　more　attractive；

than　the　most　perfect　fictions　ever　woven；　it　is　remarkable　that

so　few　men　of　genius　have　been　attracted　to　the　composition　of

works　of　this　kind。　　Great　work