character-第87章

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habit　of　observation；　and　out　of　even　the　transient　visits　of　his

gaoler's　daughter；　and　the　colourless　events　of　his　monotonous

daily　life；　he　contrived　to　make　for　himself　a　little　world　of

thought　and　healthy　human　interest。



Kazinsky；　the　great　reviver　of　Hungarian　literature；　spent

seven　years　of　his　life　in　the　dungeons　of　Buda；　Brunne；

Kufstein；　and　Munkacs；　during　which　he　wrote　a　'Diary　of　his

Imprisonment；'　and　amongst　other　things　translated　Sterno's

'Sentimental　Journey；'　whilst　Kossuth　beguiled　his　two　years'

imprisonment　at　Buda　in　studying　English；　so　as　to　be　able　to

read　Shakspeare　in　the　original。



Men　who；　like　these；　suffer　the　penalty　of　law；　and　seem　to　fail；

at　least　for　a　time；　do　not　really　fail。　　Many；　who　have　seemed　to

fail　utterly；　have　often　exercised　a　more　potent　and　enduring

influence　upon　their　race；　than　those　whose　career　has　been　a

course　of　uninterupted　success。　　The　character　of　a　man　does　not

depend　on　whether　his　efforts　are　immediately　followed　by　failure

or　by　success。　　The　martyr　is　not　a　failure　if　the　truth　for　which

he　suffered　acquires　a　fresh　lustre　through　his　sacrifice。　（10）

The　patriot　who　lays　down　his　life　for　his　cause；　may　thereby

hasten　its　triumph；　and　those　who　seem　to　throw　their　lives　away

in　the　van　of　a　great　movement；　often　open　a　way　for　those　who

follow　them；　and　pass　over　their　dead　bodies　to　victory。　　The

triumph　of　a　just　cause　may　come　late；　but　when　it　does　come；　it

is　due　as　much　to　those　who　failed　in　their　first　efforts；　as　to

those　who　succeeded　in　their　last。



The　example　of　a　great　death　may　be　an　inspiration　to　others；　as

well　as　the　example　of　a　good　life。　　A　great　act　does　not　perish

with　the　life　of　him　who　performs　it；　but　lives　and　grows　up　into

like　acts　in　those　who　survive　the　doer　thereof　and　cherish　his

memory。　　Of　some　great　men；　it　might　almost　be　said　that　they　have

not　begun　to　live　until　they　have　died。



The　names　of　the　men　who　have　suffered　in　the　cause　of　religion；

of　science；　and　of　truth；　are　the　men　of　all　others　whose　memories

are　held　in　the　greatest　esteem　and　reverence　by　mankind。　　They

perished；　but　their　truth　survived。　　They　seemed　to　fail；　and　yet

they　eventually　succeeded。　（11）　　Prisons　may　have　held　them；　but

their　thoughts　were　not　to　be　confined　by　prison…walls。　　They　have

burst　through；　and　defied　the　power　of　their　persecutors。　　It　was

Lovelace；　a　prisoner；　who　wrote：



　　　　　　　　〃Stone　walls　do　not　a　prison　make；

　　　　　　　　　　　　Nor　iron　bars　a　cage；

　　　　　　　　　　Minds　innocent　and　quiet　take

　　　　　　　　　　　　That　for　a　hermitage。〃



It　was　a　saying　of　Milton　that；　〃who　best　can　suffer　best　can　do。〃

The　work　of　many　of　the　greatest　men；　inspired　by　duty；　has　been

done　amidst　suffering　and　trial　and　difficulty。　　They　have

struggled　against　the　tide；　and　reached　the　shore　exhausted；　only

to　grasp　the　sand　and　expire。　　They　have　done　their　duty；　and　been

content　to　die。　　But　death　hath　no　power　over　such　men；　their

hallowed　memories　still　survive；　to　soothe　and　purify　and　bless

us。　　〃Life；〃　said　Goethe；　〃to　us　all　is　suffering。　　Who　save　God

alone　shall　call　us　to　our　reckoning？　　Let　not　reproaches　fall　on

the　departed。　　Not　what　they　have　failed　in；　nor　what　they　have

suffered；　but　what　they　have　done；　ought　to　occupy　the　survivors。〃



Thus；　it　is　not　ease　and　facility　that　tries　men；　and　brings　out

the　good　that　is　in　them；　so　much　as　trial　and　difficulty。

Adversity　is　the　touchstone　of　character。　　As　some　herbs　need　to

be　crushed　to　give　forth　their　sweetest　odour；　so　some　natures

need　to　be　tried　by　suffering　to　evoke　the　excellence　that　is　in

them。　　Hence　trials　often　unmask　virtues；　and　bring　to　light

hidden　graces。　　Men　apparently　useless　and　purposeless；　when

placed　in　positions　of　difficulty　and　responsibility；　have

exhibited　powers　of　character　before　unsuspected；　and　where　we

before　saw　only　pliancy　and　self…indulgence；　we　now　see　strength；

valour；　and　self…denial。



As　there　are　no　blessings　which　may　not　he　perverted　into　evils；

so　there　are　no　trials　which　may　not　be　converted　into　blessings。

All　depends　on　the　manner　in　which　we　profit　by　them　or　otherwise。

Perfect　happiness　is　not　to　be　looked　for　in　this　world。　　If　it

could　be　secured；　it　would　be　found　profitless。　　The　hollowest　of

all　gospels　is　the　gospel　of　ease　and　comfort。　　Difficulty；　and

even　failure；　are　far　better　teachers。　　Sir　Humphry　Davy　said：

〃Even　in　private　life；　too　much　prosperity　either　injures

the　moral　man；　and　occasions　conduct　which　ends　in　suffering；

or　it　is　accompanied　by　the　workings　of　envy；　calumny；　and

malevolence　of　others。〃



Failure　improves　tempers　and　strengthens　the　nature。　　Even　sorrow

is　in　some　mysterious　way　linked　with　joy　and　associated　with

tenderness。　　John　Bunyan　once　said　how；　〃if　it　were　lawful；　he

could　even　pray　for　greater　trouble；　for　the　greater　comfort's

sake。〃　　When　surprise　was　expressed　at　the　patience　of　a　poor

Arabian　woman　under　heavy　affliction；　she　said；　〃When　we　look　on

God's　face　we　do　not　feel　His　hand。〃



Suffering　is　doubtless　as　divinely　appointed　as　joy；　while　it　is

much　more　influential　as　a　discipline　of　character。　　It　chastens

and　sweetens　the　nature；　teaches　patience　and　resignation；　and

promotes　the　deepest　as　well　as　the　most　exalted　thought。　（12）



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃The　best　of　men

　　　　　　That　e'er　wore　earth　about　Him　was　a　sufferer；

　　　　　　A　soft；　meek；　patient；　humble；　tranquil　spirit

　　　　　　The　first　true　gentleman　that　ever　breathed。〃　（13）



Suffering　may　be　the　appointed　means　by　which　the　highest　nature

of　man　is　to　be　disciplined　and　developed。　　Assuming　happiness　to

be　the　end　of　being；　sorrow　may　be　the　indispensable　condition

through　which　it　is　to　be　reached。　　Hence　St。　Paul's　noble　paradox

descriptive　of　the　Christian　life；〃as　chastened；　and　not

killed；　as　sorrowful；　yet　always　rejoicing；　as　poor；　yet　making

many　rich；　as　having　nothing；　and　yet　possessing　all　things。〃



Even　pain　is　not　all　painful。　　On　one　side　it　is　related　to

suffering；　and　on　the　other　to　happiness。　　For　pain　is　remedial　as

well　as　sorrowful。　　Suffering　is　a　misfortune　as　viewed　from　the

one　side；　and　a　discipline　as　viewed　from　the　other。　　But　for

suffering；　the　best　part　of　many　men's　nature　would　sleep　a　deep

sleep。　　Indeed；　it　might　almost　be　said　that　pain　and　sorrow　were

the　indispensable　conditions　of　some　men's　success；　and　the

necessary　means　to　evoke　the　highest　development　of　their　genius。

Shelley　has　said　of　poets：



　　　　　　〃Most　wretched　men　are　cradled　into　poetry　by　wrong；

　　　　　　　They　learn　in　suffering　what　they　teach　in　song。〃



Does　any　one　suppose　that　Burns　would　have　sung　as　he　did；

had　he　been　rich；　respectable；　and　〃kept　a　gig；〃　or　Byron；

if　he　had　been　a　prosperous；　happily…married　Lord　Privy　Seal

or　Postmaster…General？



Sometimes　a　heartbreak　rouses　an　impassive　nature　to　life。

〃What　does　he　know；〃　said　a　sage；　〃who　has　not　suffered？〃

When　Dumas　asked　Reboul；　〃What　made　you　a　poet？〃　his　answer　was；

〃Suffering！〃　It　was　the　death；　first　of　his　wife；　and　then　of

his　child；　that　drove　him　into　solitude　for　the　indulgence　of

his　grief；　and　eventually　led　him　to　seek　and　find　relief　in

verse。　（14）　　It　was　also　to　a　domestic　affliction　that　we　owe

the　beautiful　writings　of　Mrs。　Gaskell。　　〃It　was　as　a　recreation；

in　the　highest　sense　of　the　word；〃　says　a　recent　writer；　speaking

from　personal　knowledge；　〃as　an　escape　from　the　great　void　of　a

life　from　which　a　cherished　presence　had　been　taken；　that　she

began　that　series　of　exquisite　creations　which　has　served　to

multiply　the　number　of　our　acquaintances；　and　to　enlarge　even

the　circle　of　our　friendships。〃　（15）



Much　of　the　best　and　most　useful　work　done　by　men　and　women　has

been　done　amidst　afflictionsometimes　as　a　relief　from　it；

sometimes　from　a　sense　of　duty　overpowering　personal　sorrow。　　〃If

I　had　not　been　so　great　an