character-第77章

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Commonwealth　man；　by　his　widow。　　Shortly　before　his　death；

he　enjoined　her　〃not　to　grieve　at　the　common　rate　of　desolate

women。〃　　And；　faithful　to　his　injunction；　instead　of　lamenting

his　loss；　she　indulged　her　noble　sorrow　in　depicting　her　husband

as　he　had　lived。



〃They　who　dote　on　mortal　excellences；〃　she　says；　in　her

Introduction　to　the　'Life；'　〃when；　by　the　inevitable　fate　of　all

things　frail；　their　adored　idols　are　taken　from　them；　may　let

loose　the　winds　of　passion　to　bring　in　a　flood　of　sorrow；　whose

ebbing　tides　carry　away　the　dear　memory　of　what　they　have　lost；

and　when　comfort　is　essayed　to　such　mourners；　commonly　all　objects

are　removed　out　of　their　view　which　may　with　their　remembrance

renew　the　grief；　and　in　time　these　remedies　succeed；　and

oblivion's　curtain　is　by　degrees　drawn　over　the　dead　face；　and

things　less　lovely　are　liked；　while　they　are　not　viewed　together

with　that　which　was　most　excellent。　　But　I；　that　am　under　a

command　not　to　grieve　at　the　common　rate　of　desolate　women；　（14）

while　I　am　studying　which　way　to　moderate　my　woe；　and　if　it　were

possible　to　augment　my　love；　I　can　for　the　present　find　out　none

more　just　to　your　dear　father；　nor　consolatory　to　myself；　than　the

preservation　of　his　memory；　which　I　need　not　gild　with　such

flattering　commendations　as　hired　preachers　do　equally　give　to　the

truly　and　titularly　honourable。　　A　naked　undressed　narrative；

speaking　the　simple　truth　of　him；　will　deck　him　with　more

substantial　glory；　than　all　the　panegyrics　the　best　pens　could

ever　consecrate　to　the　virtues　of　the　best　men。〃



The　following　is　the　wife's　portrait　of　Colonel　Hutchinson

as　a　husband：



〃For　conjugal　affection　to　his　wife；　it　was　such　in　him　as

whosoever　would　draw　out　a　rule　of　honour；　kindness；　and　religion；

to　be　practised　in　that　estate；　need　no　more　but　exactly　draw　out

his　example。　　Never　man　had　a　greater　passion　for　a　woman；　nor　a

more　honourable　esteem　of　a　wife：　yet　he　was　not　uxorious；　nor

remitted　he　that　just　rule　which　it　was　her　honour　to　obey；　but

managed　the　reins　of　government　with　such　prudence　and　affection；

that　she　who　could　not　delight　in　such　an　honourable　and

advantageable　subjection；　must　have　wanted　a　reasonable　soul。



〃He　governed　by　persuasion；　which　he　never　employed　but　to　things

honourable　and　profitable　to　herself；　he　loved　her　soul　and　her

honour　more　than　her　outside；　and　yet　he　had　ever　for　her　person　a

constant　indulgence；　exceeding　the　common　temporary　passion　of　the

most　uxorious　fools。　　If　he　esteemed　her　at　a　higher　rate　than　she

in　herself　could　have　deserved；　he　was　the　author　of　that　virtue

he　doated　on；　while　she　only　reflected　his　own　glories　upon　him。

All　that　she　was；　was　HIM；　while　he　was　here；　and　all　that　she　is

now；　at　best；　is　but　his　pale　shade。



〃So　liberal　was　he　to　her；　and　of　so　generous　a　temper；　that　he

hated　the　mention　of　severed　purses；　his　estate　being　so　much　at

her　disposal　that　he　never　would　receive　an　account　of　anything

she　expended。　　So　constant　was　he　in　his　love；　that　when　she

ceased　to　be　young　and　lovely　he　began　to　show　most　fondness。　　He

loved　her　at　such　a　kind　and　generous　rate　as　words　cannot

express。　　Yet　even　this；　which　was　the　highest　love　he　or　any　man

could　have；　was　bounded　by　a　superior：　he　loved　her　in　the　Lord　as

his　fellow…creature；　not　his　idol；　but　in　such　a　manner　as　showed

that　an　affection；　founded　on　the　just　rules　of　duty；　far　exceeds

every　way　all　the　irregular　passions　in　the　world。　　He　loved　God

above　her；　and　all　the　other　dear　pledges　of　his　heart；　and　for

his　glory　cheerfully　resigned　them。〃　（15）



Lady　Rachel　Russell　is　another　of　the　women　of　history　celebrated

for　her　devotion　and　faithfulness　as　a　wife。　　She　laboured　and

pleaded　for　her　husband's　release　so　long　as　she　could　do　so

with　honour；　but　when　she　saw　that　all　was　in　vain；　she　collected

her　courage；　and　strove　by　her　example　to　strengthen　the　resolution

of　her　dear　lord。　　And　when　his　last　hour　had　nearly　come；　and

his　wife　and　children　waited　to　receive　his　parting　embrace；

she；　brave　to　the　end；　that　she　might　not　add　to　his　distress；

concealed　the　agony　of　her　grief　under　a　seeming　composure；

and　they　parted；　after　a　tender　adieu；　in　silence。　　After

she　had　gone；　Lord　William　said；　〃Now　the　bitterness　of

death　is　passed！〃　（16）



We　have　spoken　of　the　influence　of　a　wife　upon　a　man's　character。

There　are　few　men　strong　enough　to　resist　the　influence　of　a　lower

character　in　a　wife。　　If　she　do　not　sustain　and　elevate　what　is

highest　in　his　nature；　she　will　speedily　reduce　him　to　her　own

level。　　Thus　a　wife　may　be　the　making　or　the　unmaking　of　the　best

of　men。　　An　illustration　of　this　power　is　furnished　in　the　life　of

Bunyan。　　The　profligate　tinker　had　the　good　fortune　to　marry；　in

early　life；　a　worthy　young　woman　of　good　parentage。　　〃My　mercy；〃

he　himself　says；　〃was　to　light　upon　a　wife　whose　father　and　mother

were　accounted　godly。　　This　woman　and　I；　though　we　came　together

as　poor　as　poor　might　be　（not　having　so　much　household　stuff　as　a

dish　or　a　spoon　betwixt　us　both）；　yet　she　had　for　her　part；　'The

Plain　Man's　Pathway　to　Heaven；'　and　'The　Practice　of　Piety；'　which

her　father　had　left　her　when　he　died。〃　　And　by　reading　these　and

other　good　books；　helped　by　the　kindly　influence　of　his　wife；

Bunyan　was　gradually　reclaimed　from　his　evil　ways；　and　led　gently

into　the　paths　of　peace。



Richard　Baxter；　the　Nonconformist　divine；　was　far　advanced　in　life

before　he　met　the　excellent　woman　who　eventually　became　his　wife。

He　was　too　laboriously　occupied　in　his　vocation　of　minister　to

have　any　time　to　spare　for　courtship；　and　his　marriage　was；　as　in

the　case　of　Calvin；　as　much　a　matter　of　convenience　as　of　love。

Miss　Charlton；　the　lady　of　his　choice；　was　the　owner　of　property

in　her　own　right；　but　lest　it　should　be　thought　that　Baxter

married　her　for　〃covetousness；〃　he　requested；　first；　that　she

should　give　over　to　her　relatives　the　principal　part　of　her

fortune；　and　that　〃he　should　have　nothing　that　before　her　marriage

was　hers；〃　secondly；　that　she　should　so　arrange　her　affairs　〃as

that　he　might　be　entangled　in　no　lawsuits；〃　and；　thirdly；　〃that

she　should　expect　none　of　the　time　that　his　ministerial　work　might

require。〃　　These　several　conditions　the　bride　having　complied

with；　the　marriage　took　place；　and　proved　a　happy　one。　　〃We

lived；〃　said　Baxter；　〃in　inviolated　love　and　mutual　complacency；

sensible　of　the　benefit　of　mutual　help；　nearly　nineteen　years。〃

Yet　the　life　of　Baxter　was　one　of　great　trials　and　troubles；

arising　from　the　unsettled　state　of　the　times　in　which　he　lived。

He　was　hunted　about　from　one　part　of　the　country　to　another；　and

for　several　years　he　had　no　settled　dwelling…place。　　〃The　women；

he　gently　remarks　in　his　'Life；'　〃have　most　of　that　sort　of

trouble；　but　my　wife　easily　bore　it　all。〃　　In　the　sixth　year　of

his　marriage　Baxter　was　brought　before　the　magistrates　at

Brentford；　for　holding　a　conventicle　at　Acton；　and　was　sentenced

by　them　to　be　imprisoned　in　Clerkenwell　Gaol。　　There　he　was　joined

by　his　wife；　who　affectionately　nursed　him　during　his　confinement。

〃She　was　never　so　cheerful　a　companion　to　me；〃　he　says；　〃as　in

prison；　and　was　very　much　against　me　seeking　to　be　released。〃　　At

length　he　was　set　at　liberty　by　the　judges　of　the　Court　of　Common

Pleas；　to　whom　he　had　appealed　against　the　sentence　of　the

magistrates。　　At　the　death　of　Mrs。　Baxter；　after　a　very　troubled

yet　happy　and　cheerful　life；　her　husband　left　a　touching　portrait

of　the　graces；　virtues；　and　Christian　character　of　this　excellent

womanone　of　the　most　charming　things　to　be　found　in　his　works。



The　noble　Count　Zinzendorf　was　united　to　an　equally　noble　woman；

who　bore　him　up　through　life　by　her　great　spirit；　and　sustained

him　in　all　his　labours　by　her　unfailing　courage。　　〃Twenty…four

years'　experience　has　shown　me；〃　he　said；　〃that　just　the　helpmate

whom