character-第69章

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not　to　rescue　him　from　oblivion。



Many；　indeed；　are　the　lives　worthy　of　record　that　have　remained

unwritten。　　Men　who　have　written　books　have　been　the　most

fortunate　in　this　respect；　because　they　possess　an　attraction　for

literary　men　which　those　whose　lives　have　been　embodied　in　deeds

do　not　possess。　　Thus　there　have　been　lives　written　of　Poets

Laureate　who　were　mere　men　of　their　time；　and　of　their　time　only。

Dr。　Johnson　includes　some　of　them　in　his　'Lives　of　the　Poets；'

such　as　Edmund　Smith　and　others；　whose　poems　are　now　no　longer

known。　　The　lives　of　some　men　of　letterssuch　as　Goldsmith；

Swift；　Sterne；　and　Steelehave　been　written　again　and　again；

whilst　great　men　of　action；　men　of　science；　and　men　of　industry；

are　left　without　a　record。　（11）



We　have　said　that　a　man　may　be　known　by　the　company　he　keeps　in

his　books。　　Let　us　mention　a　few　of　the　favourites　of　the　best…

known　men。　　Plutarch's　admirers　have　already　been　referred　to。

Montaigne　also　has　been　the　companion　of　most　meditative　men。

Although　Shakspeare　must　have　studied　Plutarch　carefully；　inasmuch

as　he　copied　from　him　freely；　even　to　his　very　words；　it　is

remarkable　that　Montaigne　is　the　only　book　which　we　certainly　know

to　have　been　in　the　poet's　library；　one　of　Shakspeare's　existing

autographs　having　been　found　in　a　copy　of　Florio's　translation　of

'The　Essays；'　which　also　contains；　on　the　flyleaf；　the　autograph

of　Ben　Jonson。



Milton's　favourite　books　were　Homer；　Ovid；　and　Euripides。　　The

latter　book　was　also　the　favourite　of　Charles　James　Fox；　who

regarded　the　study　of　it　as　especially　useful　to　a　public　speaker。

On　the　other　hand；　Pitt　took　especial　delight　in　Miltonwhom　Fox

did　not　appreciatetaking　pleasure　in　reciting；　from　'Paradise

Lost；'　the　grand　speech　of　Belial　before　the　assembled　powers　of

Pandemonium。　　Another　of　Pitt's　；favourite　books　was　Newton's

'Principia。'　Again；　the　Earl　of　Chatham's　favourite　book　was

'Barrow's　Sermons；'　which　he　read　so　often　as　to　be　able　to　repeat

them　from　memory；　while　Burke's　companions　were　Demosthenes；

Milton；　Bolingbroke；　and　Young's　'Night　Thoughts。'



Curran's　favourite　was　Homer；　which　he　read　through　once　a　year。

Virgil　was　another　of　his　favourites；　his　biographer；　Phillips；

saying　that　he　once　saw　him　reading　the　'Aeneid'　in　the　cabin

of　a　Holyhead　packet；　while　every　one　about　him　was　prostrate

by　seasickness。



Of　the　poets；　Dante's　favourite　was　Virgil；　Corneille's　was　Lucan；

Schiller's　was　Shakspeare；　Gray's　was　Spenser；　whilst　Coleridge

admired　Collins　and　Bowles。　　Dante　himself　was　a　favourite　with

most　great　poets；　from　Chaucer　to　Byron　and　Tennyson。　　Lord

Brougham；　Macaulay；　and　Carlyle　have　alike　admired　and　eulogized

the　great　Italian。　　The　former　advised　the　students　at　Glasgow

that；　next　to　Demosthenes；　the　study　of　Dante　was　the　best

preparative　for　the　eloquence　of　the　pulpit　or　the　bar。　　Robert

Hall　sought　relief　in　Dante　from　the　racking　pains　of　spinal

disease；　and　Sydney　Smith　took　to　the　same　poet　for　comfort　and

solace　in　his　old　age。　　It　was　characteristic　of　Goethe　that　his

favourite　book　should　have　been　Spinoza's　'Ethics；'　in　which　he

said　he　had　found　a　peace　and　consolation　such　as　he　had　been　able

to　find　in　no　other　work。　（12）



Barrow's　favourite　was　St。　Chrysostom；　Bossuet's　was　Homer。

Bunyan's　was　the　old　legend　of　Sir　Bevis　of　Southampton；　which　in

all　probability　gave　him　the　first　idea　of　his　'Pilgrim's

Progress。'　One　of　the　best　prelates　that　ever　sat　on　the　English

bench；　Dr。　John　Sharp；　said〃Shakspeare　and　the　Bible　have　made

me　Archbishop　of　York。〃　　The　two　books　which　most　impressed　John

Wesley　when　a　young　man；　were　'The　Imitation　of　Christ'　and　Jeremy

Taylor's　'Holy　Living　and　Dying。'　Yet　Wesley　was　accustomed　to

caution　his　young　friends　against　overmuch　reading。　　〃Beware　you

be　not　swallowed　up　in　books；〃　he　would　say　to　them；　〃an　ounce　of

love　is　worth　a　pound　of　knowledge。〃



Wesley's　own　Life　has　been　a　great　favourite　with　many　thoughtful

readers。　　Coleridge　says；　in　his　preface　to　Southey's　'Life　of

Wesley；'　that　it　was　more　often　in　his　hands　than　any　other　in　his

ragged　book…regiment。　　〃To　this　work；　and　to　the　Life　of　Richard

Baxter；〃　he　says；　〃I　was　used　to　resort　whenever　sickness　and

languor　made　me　feel　the　want　of　an　old　friend　of　whose　company　I

could　never　be　tired。　　How　many　and　many　an　hour　of　self…oblivion

do　I　owe　to　this　Life　of　Wesley；　and　how　often　have　I　argued　with

it；　questioned；　remonstrated；　been　peevish；　and　asked　pardon；　then

again　listened；　and　cried；　'Right！　Excellent！'　and　in　yet　heavier

hours　entreated　it；　as　it　were；　to　continue　talking　to　me；　for

that　I　heard　and　listened；　and　was　soothed；　though　I　could

make　no　reply！〃　（13）



Soumet　had　only　a　very　few　hooks　in　his　library；　but　they　were　of

the　bestHomer；　Virgil；　Dante；　Camoens；　Tasso；　and　Milton。　　De

Quincey's　favourite　few　were　Donne；　Chillingworth；　Jeremy　Taylor；

Milton；　South；　Barrow；　and　Sir　Thomas　Browne。　　He　described　these

writers　as　〃a　pleiad　or　constellation　of　seven　golden　stars；　such

as　in　their　class　no　literature　can　match；〃　and　from　whose　works

he　would　undertake　〃to　build　up　an　entire　body　of　philosophy。〃



Frederick　the　Great　of　Prussia　manifested　his　strong　French

leanings　in　his　choice　of　books；　his　principal　favourites　being

Bayle；　Rousseau；　Voltaire；　Rollin；　Fleury；　Malebranche；　and　one

English　authorLocke。　　His　especial　favourite　was　Bayle's

Dictionary；　which　was　the　first　book　that　laid　hold　of　his　mind；

and　he　thought　so　highly　of　it；　that　he　himself　made　an　abridgment

and　translation　of　it　into　German；　which　was　published。　　It　was　a

saying　of　Frederick's；　that　〃books　make　up　no　small　part　of　true

happiness。〃　　In　his　old　age　he　said；　〃My　latest　passion　will

be　for　literature。〃



It　seems　odd　that　Marshal　Blucher's　favourite　book　should　have

been　Klopstock's　'Messiah；'　and　Napoleon　Buonaparte's　favourites；

Ossian's　'Poems'　and　the　'Sorrows　of　Werther。'　But　Napoleon's

range　of　reading　was　very　extensive。　　It　included　Homer；　Virgil；

Tasso；　novels　of　all　countries；　histories　of　all　times；

mathematics；　legislation；　and　theology。　　He　detested　what　he

called　〃the　bombast　and　tinsel〃　of　Voltaire。　　The　praises　of　Homer

and　Ossian　he　was　never　wearied　of　sounding。　　〃Read　again；〃　he

said　to　an　officer　on　board　the　BELLEROPHO〃read　again　the　poet

of　Achilles；　devour　Ossian。　　Those　are　the　poets　who　lift　up　the

soul；　and　give　to　man　a　colossal　greatness。〃　（14）



The　Duke　of　Wellington　was　an　extensive　reader；　his　principal

favourites　were　Clarendon；　Bishop　Butler；　Smith's　'Wealth　of

Nations；'　Hume；　the　Archduke　Charles；　Leslie；　and　the　Bible。　　He

was　also　particularly　interested　by　French　and　English　memoirs

more　especially　the　French　MEMOIRES　POUR　SERVIR　of　all　kinds。

When　at　Walmer；　Mr。　Gleig　says；　the　Bible；　the　Prayer　Book；

Taylor's　'Holy　Living　and　Dying；'　and　Caesar's　'Commentaries；'　lay

within　the　Duke's　reach；　and；　judging　by　the　marks　of　use　on　them；

they　must　have　been　much　read　and　often　consulted。



While　books　are　among　the　best　companions　of　old　age；　they　are

often　the　best　inspirers　of　youth。　　The　first　book　that　makes　a

deep　impression　on　a　young　man's　mind；　often　constitutes　an　epoch

in　his　life。　　It　may　fire　the　heart；　stimulate　the　enthusiasm；　and

by　directing　his　efforts　into　unexpected　channels；　permanently

influence　his　character。　　The　new　book；　in　which　we　form　an

intimacy　with　a　new　friend；　whose　mind　is　wiser　and　riper　than

our　own；　may　thus　form　an　important　starting…point　in　the

history　of　a　life。　　It　may　sometimes　almost　be　regarded

in　the　light　of　a　new　birth。



From　the　day　when　James　Edward　Smith　was　presented　with　his　first

botanical　lesson…book；　and　Sir　Joseph　Banks　fell　in　with　Gerard's

'Herbal'from　the　time　when　Alfieri　first　read　Plutarch；　and

Schiller　made　his　first　acquaintance　with　Shakspeare；　and　Gibbon

devoured　the　first　volume　of