character-第7章

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nation。　　The　people　may　seem　to　be　highly　civilised；　and　yet　be

ready　to　fall　to　pieces　at　first　touch　of　adversity。　　Without

integrity　of　individual　character；　they　can　have　no　real　strength；

cohesion；　soundness。　　They　may　be　rich；　polite；　and　artistic；　and

yet　hovering　on　the　brink　of　ruin。　　If　living　for　themselves　only；

and　with　no　end　but　pleasureeach　little　self　his　own　little　god

such　a　nation　is　doomed；　and　its　decay　is　inevitable。



Where　national　character　ceases　to　be　upheld；　a　nation　may　be

regarded　as　next　to　lost。　Where　it　ceases　to　esteem　and　to

practise　the　virtues　of　truthfulness；　honesty；　integrity；　and

justice；　it　does　not　deserve　to　live。　　And　when　the　time　arrives

in　any　country　when　wealth　has　so　corrupted；　or　pleasure　so

depraved；　or　faction　so　infatuated　the　people；　that　honour；　order；

obedience；　virtue；　and　loyalty　have　seemingly　become　things　of　the

past；　then；　amidst　the　darkness；　when　honest　menif；　haply；

there　be　such　leftare　groping　about　and　feeling　for　each

other's　hands；　their　only　remaining　hope　will　be　in　the

restoration　and　elevation　of　Individual　Character；　for　by　that

alone　can　a　nation　be　saved；　and　if　character　be　irrecoverably

lost；　then　indeed　there　will　be　nothing　left　worth　saving。







NOTES



（1）　Sackville；　Lord　Buckhurst；　Lord　High　Treasurer　under　Elizabeth

and　James　I。



（2）　'Life　of　Perthes；'　ii。　217。



（3）　Lockhart's　'Life　of　Scott。'



（4）　Debate　on　the　Petition　of　Right；　A。D。　1628。



（5）　The　Rev。　F。　W。　Farrer's　'Seekers　after　God；'　p。　241。



（6）　'The　Statesman；'　p。　30。



（7）　'Queen　of　the　Air；'　p。　127



（8）　Instead　of　saying　that　man　is　the　creature　of　Circumstance；　it

would　be　nearer　the　mark　to　say　that　man　is　the　architect　of

Circumstance。　　It　is　Character　which　builds　an　existence　out　of

Circumstance。　　Our　strength　is　measured　by　our　plastic　power。

From　the　same　materials　one　man　builds　palaces；　another　hovels：

one　warehouses；　another　villas。　　Bricks　and　mortar　are　mortar　and

bricks；　until　the　architect　can　make　them　something　else。　　Thus　it

is　that　in　the　same　family；　in　the　same　circumstances；　one　man

rears　a　stately　edifice；　while　his　brother；　vacillating　and

incompetent；　lives　for　ever　amid　ruins：　the　block　of　granite；

which　was　an　obstacle　on　the　pathway　of　the　weak；　becomes　a

stepping…stone　on　the　pathway　of　the　strong。〃G。　H。　Lewes；　LIFE

OF　GOETHE。



（9）　Introduction　to　'The　Principal　Speeches　and　Addresses　of

H。R。H。　the　Prince　Consort'　（1862）；　pp。　39…40。



（10）　Among　the　latest　of　these　was　Napoleon　〃the　Great；〃　a　man　of

abounding　energy；　but　destitute　of　principle。　　He　had　the　lowest

opinion　of　his　fellowmen。　　〃Men　are　hogs；　who　feed　on　gold；〃　he

once　said：　〃Well；　I　throw　them　gold；　and　lead　them　whithersoever　I

will。〃　　When　the　Abbe　de　Pradt；　Archbishop　of　Malines；　was　setting

out　on　his　embassy　to　Poland　in　1812；　Napoleon's　parting

instruction　to　him　was；　〃Tenez　bonne　table　et　soignez　les　femmes；〃

of　which　Benjamin　Constant　said　that　such　an　observation；

addressed　to　a　feeble　priest　of　sixty；　shows　Buonaparte's　profound

contempt　for　the　human　race；　without　distinction　of　nation　or　sex。



（11）　Condensed　from　Sir　Thomas　Overbury's　'Characters'　（1614）。



（12）　'History　of　the　Peninsular　War；'　v。　319。Napier　mentions

another　striking　illustration　of　the　influence　of　personal

qualities　in　young　Edward　Freer；　of　the　same　regiment　（the　43rd）；

who；　when　he　fell　at　the　age　of　nineteen；　at　the　Battle　of　the

Nivelle；　had　already　seen　more　combats　and　sieges　than　he　could

count　years。　　〃So　slight　in　person；　and　of　such　surpassing　beauty；

that　the　Spaniards　often　thought　him　a　girl　disguised　in　man's

clothing；　he　was　yet　so　vigorous；　so　active；　so　brave；　that　the

most　daring　and　experienced　veterans　watched　his　looks　on　the

field　of　battle；　and；　implicitly　following　where　he　led；　would；

like　children；　obey　his　slightest　sign　in　the　most　difficult

situations。〃



（13）　When　the　dissolution　of　the　Union　at　one　time　seemed

imminent；　and　Washington　wished　to　retire　into　private　life；

Jefferson　wrote　to　him；　urging　his　continuance　in　office。　　〃The

confidence　of　the　whole　Union；〃　he　said；　〃centres　in　you。　　Your

being　at　the　helm　will　be　more　than　an　answer　to　every　argument

which　can　be　used　to　alarm　and　lead　the　people　in　any　quarter　into

violence　and　secession。。。。　There　is　sometimes　an　eminence　of

character　on　which　society　has　such　peculiar　claims　as　to　control

the　predilection　of　the　individual　for　a　particular　walk　of

happiness；　and　restrain　him　to　that　alone　arising　from　the　present

and　future　benedictions　of　mankind。　　This　seems　to　be　your

condition；　and　the　law　imposed　on　you　by　Providence　in　forming

your　character　and　fashioning　the　events　on　which　it　was　to

operate；　and　it　is　to　motives　like　these；　and　not　to　personal

anxieties　of　mine　or　others；　who　have　no　right　to　call　on　you　for

sacrifices；　that　I　appeal　from　your　former　determination；　and　urge

a　revisal　of　it；　on　the　ground　of　　change　in　the　aspect　of

things。〃Sparks'　Life　of　Washington；　i。　480。



（14）　Napier's　'History　of　the　Peninsular　War；'　v。　226。



（15）　Sir　W。　Scott's　'History　of　Scotland；'　vol。　i。　chap。　xvi。



（16）　Michelet's　'History　of　Rome；'　p。　374。



（17）　Erasmus　so　reverenced　the　character　of　Socrates　that　he　said；

when　he　considered　his　life　and　doctrines；　he　was　inclined　to　put

him　in　the　calendar　of　saints；　and　to　exclaim；　〃SANCTE　SOCRATES；

ORA　PRO　NOBIS。'〃　（Holy　Socrates；　pray　for　us！



（18）　〃Honour　to　all　the　brave　and　true；　everlasting　honour　to　John

Knox　one　of　the　truest　of　the　true！　　That；　in　the　moment　while　he

and　his　cause；　amid　civil　broils；　in　convulsion　and　confusion；

were　still　but　struggling　for　life；　he　sent　the　schoolmaster　forth

to　all　corners；　and　said；　'Let　the　people　be　taught：'　this　is　but

one；　and；　and　indeed；　an　inevitable　and　comparatively

inconsiderable　item　in　his　great　message　to　men。　　This　message；　in

its　true　compass；　was；　'Let　men　know　that　they　are　men　created　by

God；　responsible　to　God　who　work　in　any　meanest　moment　of　time

what　will　last　through　eternity。。。'　This　great　message　Knox　did

deliver；　with　a　man's　voice　and　strength；　and　found　a　people　to

believe　him。　　Of　such　an　achievement；　were　it　to　be　made　once

only；　the　results　are　immense。　　Thought；　in　such　a　country；　may

change　its　form；　but　cannot　go　out；　the　country　has　attained

MAJORITY　thought；　and　a　certain　manhood；　ready　for　all　work　that

man　can　do；　endures　there。。。。　　The　Scotch　national　character

originated　in　many　circumstances：　first　of　all；　in　the　Saxon　stuff

there　was　to　work　on；　but　next；　and　beyond　all　else　except　that；

is　the　Presbyterian　Gospel　of　John　Knox。〃（Carlyle'　s

MISCELLANIES；　iv。　118。



（19）　Moore's　'Life　of　Byron；'　8vo。　ed。　p。484。Dante　was　a

religious　as　well　as　a　political　reformer。　　He　was　a　reformer

three　hundred　years　before　the　Reformation；　advocating　the

separation　of　the　spiritual　from　the　civil　power；　and　declaring

the　temporal　government　of　the　Pope　to　be　a　usurpation。　　The

following　memorable　words　were　written　over　five　hundred　and　sixty

years　ago；　while　Dante　was　still　a　member　of　the　Roman　Catholic

Church：…　〃Every　Divine　law　is　found　in　one　or　other　of　the　two

Testaments；　but　in　neither　can　I　find　that　the　care　of　temporal

matters　was　given　to　the　priesthood。　　On　the　contrary；　I　find　that

the　first　priests　were　removed　from　them　by　law；　and　the　later

priests；　by　command　of　Christ；　to　His　disciples。〃DE　MONARCHIA；

lib。　iii。　cap。　xi。



Dante　also；　still　clinging　to　'the　Church　he　wished　to　reform；'

thus　anticipated　the　fundamental　doctrine　of　the　Reformation：…

〃Before　the　Church　are　the　Old　and　New　Testament；　after　the

Church　are　traditions。　　It　follows；　then；　that　the　authority

of　the　Church　depends；　not　on　traditions；　but　traditions

on　the　Church。〃



（20）　'Blackwood's　Magazine；'　June；　1863；　art。　'Girolamo

Savonarola。'



（21）　One　of　the　last　passages　i