character-第70章

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Schiller　made　his　first　acquaintance　with　Shakspeare；　and　Gibbon

devoured　the　first　volume　of　'The　Universal　History'each　dated

an　inspiration　so　exalted；　that　they　felt　as　if　their　real　lives

had　only　then　begun。



In　the　earlier　part　of　his　youth；　La　Fontaine　was　distinguished

for　his　idleness；　but　hearing　an　ode　by　Malherbe　read；　he　is　said

to　have　exclaimed；　〃I　too　am　a　poet；〃　and　his　genius　was　awakened。

Charles　Bossuet's　mind　was　first　fired　to　study　by　reading；　at　an

early　age；　Fontenelle's　'Eloges'　of　men　of　science。　　Another　work

of　Fontenelle's'On　the　Plurality　of　Worlds'influenced　the

mind　of　Lalande　in　making　choice　of　a　profession。　　〃It　is　with

pleasure；〃　says　Lalande　himself　in　a　preface　to　the　book；　which　be

afterwards　edited；　〃that　I　acknowledge　my　obligation　to　it　for

that　devouring　activity　which　its　perusal　first　excited　in　me　at

the　age　of　sixteen；　and　which　I　have　since　retained。〃



In　like　manner；　Lacepede　was　directed　to　the　study　of　natural

history　by　the　perusal　of　Buffon's　'Histoire　Naturelle；'　which　he

found　in　his　father's　library；　and　read　over　and　over　again　until

he　almost　knew　it　by　heart。　　Goethe　was　greatly　influenced　by　the

reading　of　Goldsmith's　'Vicar　of　Wakefield；'　just　at　the　critical

moment　of　his　mental　development；　and　he　attributed　to　it　much　of

his　best　education。　　The　reading　of　a　prose　'Life　of　Gotz

vou　Berlichingen'　afterwards　stimulated　him　to　delineate　his

character　in　a　poetic　form。　　〃The　figure　of　a　rude；　well…meaning

self…helper；〃　he　said；　〃in　a　wild　anarchic　time；　excited

my　deepest　sympathy。〃



Keats　was　an　insatiable　reader　when　a　boy；　but　it　was　the　perusal

of　the　'Faerie　Queen；'　at　the　age　of　seventeen；　that　first　lit　the

fire　of　his　genius。　　The　same　poem　is　also　said　to　have　been　the

inspirer　of　Cowley；　who　found　a　copy　of　it　accidentally　lying　on

the　window　of　his　mother's　apartment；　and　reading　and　admiring　it；

he　became；　as　he　relates；　irrecoverably　a　poet。



Coleridge　speaks　of　the　great　influence　which　the　poems　of　Bowles

had　in　forming　his　own　mind。　　The　works　of　a　past　age；　says　he；

seem　to　a　young　man　to　be　things　of　another　race；　but　the　writings

of　a　contemporary　〃possess　a　reality　for　him；　and　inspire　an

actual　friendship　as　of　a　man　for　a　man。　　His　very　admiration　is

the　wind　which　fans　and　feeds　his　hope。　　The　poems　themselves

assume　the　properties　of　flesh　and　blood。〃　（15）



But　men　have　not　merely　been　stimulated　to　undertake　special

literary　pursuits　by　the　perusal　of　particular　books；　they

have　been　also　stimulated　by　them　to　enter　upon　particular

lines　of　action　in　the　serious　business　of　life。　　Thus　Henry

Martyn　was　powerfully　influenced　to　enter　upon　his　heroic　career

as　a　missionary　by　perusing　the　Lives　of　Henry　Brainerd　and

Dr。　Carey；　who　had　opened　up　the　furrows　in　which　he　went

forth　to　sow　the　seed。



Bentham　has　described　the　extraordinary　influence　which　the

perusal　of　'Telemachus'　exercised　upon　his　mind　in　boyhood。

〃Another　book；〃　said　he；　〃and　of　far　higher　character　（than　a

collection　of　Fairy　Tales；　to　which　he　refers）；　was　placed　in　my

hands。　　It　was　'Telemachus。'　　In　my　own　imagination；　and　at　the

age　of　six　or　seven；　I　identified　my　own　personality　with　that　of

the　hero；　who　seemed　to　me　a　model　of　perfect　virtue；　and　in　my

walk　of　life；　whatever　it　may　come　to　be；　why　（said　I　to　myself

every　now　and　then）why　should　not　I　be　a　Telemachus？　。。。。　That

romance　may　be　regarded　as　THE　FOUNDATION…STONE　OF　MY　WHOLE

CHARACTERthe　starting…post　from　whence　my　career　of　life

commenced。　　The　first　dawning　in　my　mind　of　the　'Principles　of

Utility'　may；　I　think；　be　traced　to　it。〃　（16）



Cobbett's　first　favourite；　because　his　only　book；　which　he　bought

for　threepence；　was　Swift's　'Tale　of　a　Tub；'　the　repeated　perusal

of　which　had；　doubtless；　much　to　do　with　the　formation　of　his

pithy；　straightforward；　and　hard…hitting　style　of　writing。　　The

delight　with　which　Pope；　when　a　schoolboy；　read　Ogilvy's　'Homer'

was；　most　probably；　the　origin　of　the　English　'Iliad；'　as　the

'Percy　Reliques'　fired　the　juvenile　mind　of　Scott；　and　stimulated

him　to　enter　upon　the　collection　and　composition　of　his　'Border

Ballads。'　　Keightley's　first　reading　of　'Paradise　Lost；'　when　a

boy；　led　to　his　afterwards　undertaking　his　Life　of　the　poet。

〃The　reading；〃　he　says；　〃of　'Paradise　Lost'　for　the　first

time　forms；　or　should　form；　an　era　in　the　life　of　every　one

possessed　of　taste　and　poetic　feeling。　　To　my　mind；　that　time

is　ever　present。。。。　　Ever　since；　the　poetry　of　Milton　has　formed

my　constant　studya　source　of　delight　in　prosperity；　of　strength

and　consolation　in　adversity。〃



Good　books　are　thus　among　the　best　of　companions；　and；　by

elevating　the　thoughts　and　aspirations；　they　act　as　preservatives

against　low　associations。　　〃A　natural　turn　for　reading　and

intellectual　pursuits；〃　says　Thomas　Hood；　〃probably　preserved　me

from　the　moral　shipwreck　so　apt　to　befal　those　who　are　deprived　in

early　life　of　their　parental　pilotage。　　My　books　kept　me　from　the

ring；　the　dogpit；　the　tavern；　the　saloon。　　The　closet　associate　of

Pope　and　Addison；　the　mind　accustomed　to　the　noble　though　silent

discourse　of　Shakspeare　and　Milton；　will　hardly　seek　or　put　up

with　low　company　and　slaves。〃



It　has　been　truly　said；　that　the　best　books　are　those　which　most

resemble　good　actions。　　They　are　purifying；　elevating；　and

sustaining；　they　enlarge　and　liberalize　the　mind；　they　preserve　it

against　vulgar　worldliness；　they　tend　to　produce　highminded

cheerfulness　and　equanimity　of　character；　they　fashion；　and　shape；

and　humanize　the　mind。　　In　the　Northern　universities；　the　schools

in　which　the　ancient　classics　are　studied；　are　appropriately

styled　〃The　Humanity　Classes。〃　（17）



Erasmus；　the　great　scholar；　was　even　of　opinion　that　books　were

the　necessaries　of　life；　and　clothes　the　luxuries；　and　he

frequently　postponed　buying　the　latter　until　he　had　supplied

himself　with　the　former。　　His　greatest　favourites　were　the　works

of　Cicero；　which　he　says　he　always　felt　himself　the　better　for

reading。　　〃I　can　never；〃　he　says；　〃read　the　works　of　Cicero　on

'Old　Age；'　or　'Friendship；'　or　his　'Tusculan　Disputations；'

without　fervently　pressing　them　to　my　lips；　without　being

penetrated　with　veneration　for　a　mind　little　short　of　inspired　by

God　himself。〃　　It　was　the　accidental　perusal　of　Cicero's

'Hortensius'　which　first　detached　St。　Augustineuntil　then　a

profligate　and　abandoned　sensualistfrom　his　immoral　life；　and

started　him　upon　the　course　of　inquiry　and　study　which　led　to　his

becoming　the　greatest　among　the　Fathers　of　the　Early　Church。　　Sir

William　Jones　made　it　a　practice　to　read　through；　once　a　year；　the

writings　of　Cicero；　〃whose　life　indeed；〃　says　his　biographer；　was

the　great　exemplar　of　his　own。〃



When　the　good　old　Puritan　Baxter　came　to　enumerate　the　valuable

and　delightful　things　of　which　death　would　deprive　him；　his　mind

reverted　to　the　pleasures　he　had　derived　from　books　and　study。

〃When　I　die；〃　he　said；　〃I　must　depart；　not　only　from　sensual

delights；　but　from　the　more　manly　pleasures　of　my　studies；

knowledge；　and　converse　with　many　wise　and　godly　men；　and　from　all

my　pleasure　in　reading；　hearing；　public　and　private　exercises　of

religion；　and　such　like。　　I　must　leave　my　library；　and　turn　over

those　pleasant　books　no　more。　　I　must　no　more　come　among　the

living；　nor　see　the　faces　of　my　faithful　friends；　nor　be　seen　of

man；　houses；　and　cities；　and　fields；　and　countries；　gardens；　and

walks；　will　be　as　nothing　to　me。　　I　shall　no　more　hear　of　the

affairs　of　the　world；　of　man；　or　wars；　or　other　news；　nor　see　what

becomes　of　that　beloved　interest　of　wisdom；　piety；　and　peace；

which　I　desire　may　prosper。〃



It　is　unnecessary　to　speak　of　the　enormous　moral　influence　which

books　have　exercised　upon　the　general　civilization　of　mankind；

from　the　Bible　downwards。　　They　contain　the　treasured　knowledge　of

the　human　race。　　The