character-第84章

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practicable　result；　while　romance　beguiles　the　road　by　pointing

out　its　beautiesby　bestowing　a　deep　and　practical　conviction

that；　even　in　this　dark　and　material　existence；　there　may　be　found

a　joy　with　which　a　stranger　intermeddleth　nota　light　that

shineth　more　and　more　unto　the　perfect　day。〃　（1）



It　was　characteristic　of　Joseph　Lancaster；　when　a　boy　of　only

fourteen　years　of　age；　after　reading　'Clarkson　on　the　Slave

Trade；'　to　form　the　resolution　of　leaving　his　home　and　going　out

to　the　West　Indies　to　teach　the　poor　blacks　to　read　the　Bible。

And　he　actually　set　out　with　a　Bible　and　'Pilgrim's　Progress'　in

his　bundle；　and　only　a　few　shillings　in　his　purse。　　He　even

succeeded　in　reaching　the　West　Indies；　doubtless　very　much　at　a

loss　how　to　set　about　his　proposed　work；　but　in　the　meantime　his

distressed　parents；　having　discovered　whither　he　had　gone；　had　him

speedily　brought　back；　yet　with　his　enthusiasm　unabated；　and　from

that　time　forward　he　unceasingly　devoted　himself　to　the　truly

philanthropic　work　of　educating　the　destitute　poor。　（2）



There　needs　all　the　force　that　enthusiasm　can　give　to　enable　a　man

to　succeed　in　any　great　enterprise　of　life。　　Without　it；　the

obstruction　and　difficulty　he　has　to　encounter　on　every　side　might

compel　him　to　succumb；　but　with　courage　and　perseverance；　inspired

by　enthusiasm；　a　man　feels　strong　enough　to　face　any　danger；　to

grapple　with　any　difficulty。　　What　an　enthusiasm　was　that　of

Columbus；　who；　believing　in　the　existence　of　a　new　world；　braved

the　dangers　of　unknown　seas；　and　when　those　about　him　despaired

and　rose　up　against　him；　threatening　to　cast　him　into　the　sea；

still　stood　firm　upon　his　hope　and　courage　until　the　great　new

world　at　length　rose　upon　the　horizon！



The　brave　man　will　not　be　baffled；　but　tries　and　tries　again　until

he　succeeds。　　The　tree　does　not　fall　at　the　first　stroke；　but　only

by　repeated　strokes　and　after　great　labour。　　We　may　see　the

visible　success　at　which　a　man　has　arrived；　but　forget　the　toil

and　suffering　and　peril　through　which　it　has　been　achieved。　　When

a　friend　of　Marshal　Lefevre　was　complimenting　him　on　his

possessions　and　good　fortune；　the　Marshal　said：　〃You　envy　me；　do

you？　　Well；　you　shall　have　these　things　at　a　better　bargain　than　I

had。　　Come　into　the　court：　I'll　fire　at　you　with　a　gun　twenty

times　at　thirty　paces；　and　if　I　don't　kill　you；　all　shall　be　your

own。　　What！　you　won't！　　Very　well；　recollect；　then；　that　I　have

been　shot　at　more　than　a　thousand　times；　and　much　nearer；　before　I

arrived　at　the　state　in　which　you　now　find　me！〃



The　apprenticeship　of　difficulty　is　one　which　the　greatest　of　men

have　had　to　serve。　　It　is　usually　the　best　stimulus　and　discipline

of　character。　　It　often　evokes　powers　of　action　that；　but　for　it；

would　have　remained　dormant。　　As　comets　are　sometimes　revealed　by

eclipses；　so　heroes　are　brought　to　light　by　sudden　calamity。　　It

seems　as　if；　in　certain　cases；　genius；　like　iron　struck　by　the

flint；　needed　the　sharp　and　sudden　blow　of　adversity　to　bring　out

the　divine　spark。　　There　are　natures　which　blossom　and　ripen

amidst　trials；　which　would　only　wither　and　decay　in　an　atmosphere

of　ease　and　comfort。



Thus　it　is　good　for　men　to　be　roused　into　action　and　stiffened

into　self…reliance　by　difficulty；　rather　than　to　slumber　away

their　lives　in　useless　apathy　and　indolence。　（3）　　It　is　the

struggle　that　is　the　condition　of　victory。　　If　there　were　no

difficulties；　there　would　be　no　need　of　efforts；　if　there　were　no

temptations；　there　would　be　no　training　in　self…control；　and　but

little　merit　in　virtue；　if　there　were　no　trial　and　suffering；

there　would　be　no　education　in　patience　and　resignation。　　Thus

difficulty；　adversity；　and　suffering　are　not　all　evil；　but　often

the　best　source　of　strength；　discipline；　and　virtue。



For　the　same　reason；　it　is　often　of　advantage　for　a　man　to　be

under　the　necessity　of　having　to　struggle　with　poverty　and　conquer

it。　　〃He　who　has　battled；〃　says　Carlyle；　〃were　it　only　with

poverty　and　hard　toil；　will　be　found　stronger　and　more　expert　than

he　who　could　stay　at　home　from　the　battle；　concealed　among　the

provision　waggons；　or　even　rest　unwatchfully　'abiding　by　the

stuff。'〃



Scholars　have　found　poverty　tolerable　compared　with　the　privation

of　intellectual　food。　　Riches　weigh　much　more　heavily　upon　the

mind。　　〃I　cannot　but　choose　say　to　Poverty；〃　said　Richter；　〃Be

welcome！　so　that　thou　come　not　too　late　in　life。〃　　Poverty；　Horace

tells　us；　drove　him　to　poetry；　and　poetry　introduced　him　to　Varus

and　Virgil　and　Maecenas。　　〃Obstacles；〃　says　Michelet；　〃are　great

incentives。　　I　lived　for　whole　years　upon　a　Virgil；　and　found

myself　well　off。　　An　odd　volume　of　Racine；　purchased　by　chance　at

a　stall　on　the　quay；　created　the　poet　of　Toulon。〃



The　Spaniards　are　even　said　to　have　meanly　rejoiced　the　poverty　of

Cervantes；　but　for　which　they　supposed　the　production　of　his　great

works　might　have　been　prevented。　　When　the　Archbishop　of　Toledo

visited　the　French　ambassador　at　Madrid；　the　gentlemen　in　the

suite　of　the　latter　expressed　their　high　admiration　of　the

writings　of　the　author　of　'Don　Quixote；'　and　intimated　their

desire　of　becoming　acquainted　with　one　who　had　given　them　so　much

pleasure。　　The　answer　they　received　was；　that　Cervantes　had　borne

arms　in　the　service　of　his　country；　and　was　now　old　and　poor。

'What！〃　exclaimed　one　of　the　Frenchmen；　〃is　not　Senor　Cervantes　in

good　circumstances？　　Why　is　he　not　maintained；　then；　out　of　the

public　treasury？〃　　〃Heaven　forbid！〃　was　the　reply；　〃that　his

necessities　should　be　ever　relieved；　if　it　is　those　which　make　him

write；　since　it　is　his　poverty　that　makes　the　world　rich！〃　（4）



It　is　not　prosperity　so　much　as　adversity；　not　wealth　so　much　as

poverty；　that　stimulates　the　perseverance　of　strong　and　healthy

natures；　rouses　their　energy　and　developes　their　character。　　Burke

said　of　himself：　〃I　was　not　rocked；　and　swaddled；　and　dandled　into

a　legislator。　　'NITOR　IN　ADVERSUM'　is　the　motto　for　a　man　like

you。〃　　Some　men　only　require　a　great　difficulty　set　in　their　way

to　exhibit　the　force　of　their　character　and　genius；　and　that

difficulty　once　conquered　becomes　one　of　the　greatest　incentives

to　their　further　progress。



It　is　a　mistake　to　suppose　that　men　succeed　through　success；　they

much　oftener　succeed　through　failure。　　By　far　the　best　experience

of　men　is　made　up　of　their　remembered　failures　in　dealing　with

others　in　the　affairs　of　life。　　Such　failures；　in　sensible　men；

incite　to　better　self…management；　and　greater　tact　and　self…

control；　as　a　means　of　avoiding　them　in　the　future。　　Ask　the

diplomatist；　and　he　will　tell　you　that　he　has　learned　his　art

through　being　baffled；　defeated；　thwarted；　and　circumvented；

far　more　than　from　having　succeeded。　　Precept；　study；　advice；

and　example　could　never　have　taught　them　so　well　as　failure

has　done。　　It　has　disciplined　them　experimentally；　and　taught

them　what　to　do　as　well　as　what　NOT　to　dowhich　is　often

still　more　important　in　diplomacy。



Many　have　to　make　up　their　minds　to　encounter　failure　again　and

again　before　they　succeed；　but　if　they　have　pluck；　the　failure

will　only　serve　to　rouse　their　courage；　and　stimulate　them　to

renewed　efforts。　　Talma；　the　greatest　of　actors；　was　hissed　off

the　stage　when　he　first　appeared　on　it。　　Lacordaire；　one　of　the

greatest　preachers　of　modern　times；　only　acquired　celebrity　after

repeated　failures。　　Montalembert　said　of　his　first　public

appearance　in　the　Church　of　St。　Roch：　〃He　failed　completely；　and

on　coming　out　every　one　said；　'Though　he　may　be　a　man　of　talent；

he　will　never　be　a　preacher。'〃　　Again　and　again　he　tried　until　he

succeeded；　and　only　two　years　after　his　DEBUT；　Lacordaire　was

preaching　in　Notre　Dame　to　audiences　such　as　few　French　orators

have　addressed　since　the　time　of　Bossuet　and　Massillon。



When　Mr。　Cobden　first　appeared　as　a　speaker；　at　a　public　meeting

in　Manchester；　he　c