character-第88章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

I　had　not　been　so　great　an　invalid；〃　said　Dr。　Darwin　to　a　friend；

〃I　should　not　have　done　nearly　so　much　work　as　I　have　been　able　to

accomplish。〃　　So　Dr。　Donne；　speaking　of　his　illnesses；　once　said：

〃This　advantage　you　and　my　other　friends　have　by　my　frequent

fevers　is；　that　I　am　so　much　the　oftener　at　the　gates　of　Heaven；

and　by　the　solitude　and　close　imprisonment　they　reduce　me　to；　I　am

so　much　the　oftener　at　my　prayers；　in　which　you　and　my　other　dear

friends　are　not　forgotten。〃



Schiller　produced　his　greatest　tragedies　in　the　midst　of　physical

suffering　almost　amounting　to　torture。　　Handel　was　never　greater

than　when；　warned　by　palsy　of　the　approach　of　death；　and

struggling　with　distress　and　suffering；　he　sat　down　to　compose　the

great　works　which　have　made　his　name　immortal　in　music。　　Mozart

composed　his　great　operas；　and　last　of　all　his　'Requiem；'　when

oppressed　by　debt；　and　struggling　with　a　fatal　disease。　　Beethoven

produced　his　greatest　works　amidst　gloomy　sorrow；　when　oppressed

by　almost　total　deafness。　　And　poor　Schubert；　after　his　short　but

brilliant　life；　laid　it　down　at　the　early　age　of　thirty…two；

his　sole　property　at　his　death　consisting　of　his　manuscripts；

the　clothes　he　wore；　and　sixty…three　florins　in　money。　　Some　of

Lamb's　finest　writings　were　produced　amidst　deep　sorrow；　and

Hood's　apparent　gaiety　often　sprang　from　a　suffering　heart。

As　he　himself　wrote；



　　　　　　〃There's　not　a　string　attuned　to　mirth；

　　　　　　　But　has　its　chord　in　melancholy。〃



Again；　in　science；　we　have　the　noble　instance　of　the　suffering

Wollaston；　even　in　the　last　stages　of　the　mortal　disease　which

afflicted　him；　devoting　his　numbered　hours　to　putting　on　record；

by　dictation；　the　various　discoveries　and　improvements　he　had

made；　so　that　any　knowledge　he　had　acquired；　calculated　to　benefit

his　fellow…creatures；　might　not　be　lost。



Afflictions　often　prove　but　blessings　in　disguise。　　〃Fear　not　the

darkness；〃　said　the　Persian　sage；　it　〃conceals　perhaps　the　springs

of　the　waters　of　life。〃　　Experience　is　often　bitter；　but

wholesome；　only　by　its　teaching　can　we　learn　to　suffer　and　be

strong。　　Character；　in　its　highest　forms；　is　disciplined　by　trial；

and　〃made　perfect　through　suffering。〃　　Even　from　the　deepest

sorrow；　the　patient　and　thoughtful　mind　will　gather　richer　wisdom

than　pleasure　ever　yielded。



〃The　soul's　dark　cottage；　batter'd　and　decayed；

Lets　in　new　light　through　chinks　that　Time　has　made。〃



〃Consider；〃　said　Jeremy　Taylor；　〃that　sad　accidents；　and　a　state

of　afflictions；　is　a　school　of　virtue。　　It　reduces　our　spirits　to

soberness；　and　our　counsels　to　moderation；　it　corrects　levity；　and

interrupts　the　confidence　of　sinning。。。。　God；　who　in　mercy　and

wisdom　governs　the　world；　would　never　have　suffered　so　many

sadnesses；　and　have　sent　them；　especially；　to　the　most　virtuous

and　the　wisest　men；　but　that　He　intends　they　should　be　the

seminary　of　comfort；　the　nursery　of　virtue；　the　exercise　of

wisdom；　the　trial　of　patience；　the　venturing　for　a　crown；

and　the　gate　of　glory。〃　（16）



And　again：〃No　man　is　more　miserable　than　he　that　hath　no

adversity。　　That　man　is　not　tried；　whether　he　be　good　or　bad；

and　God　never　crowns　those　virtues　which　are　only　FACULTIES

and　DISPOSITIONS；　but　every　act　of　virtue　is　an　ingredient

unto　reward。〃　（17）



Prosperity　and　success　of　themselves　do　not　confer　happiness；

indeed；　it　not　unfrequently　happens　that　the　least　successful　in

life　have　the　greatest　share　of　true　joy　in　it。　　No　man　could　have

been　more　successful　than　Goethepossessed　of　splendid　health；

honour；　power；　and　sufficiency　of　this　world's　goodsand　yet　he

confessed　that　he　had　not；　in　the　course　of　his　life；　enjoyed　five

weeks　of　genuine　pleasure。　　So　the　Caliph　Abdalrahman；　in

surveying　his　successful　reign　of　fifty　years；　found　that　he　had

enjoyed　only　fourteen　days　of　pure　and　genuine　happiness。　（18）

After　this；　might　it　not　be　said　that　the　pursuit　of　mere

happiness　is　an　illusion？



Life；　all　sunshine　without　shade；　all　happiness　without　sorrow；

all　pleasure　without　pain；　were　not　life　at　allat　least　not

human　life。　　Take　the　lot　of　the　happiestit　is　a　tangled　yarn。

It　is　made　up　of　sorrows　and　joys；　and　the　joys　are　all　the

sweeter　because　of　the　sorrows；　bereavements　and　blessings；　one

following　another；　making　us　sad　and　blessed　by　turns。　　Even　death

itself　makes　life　more　loving；　it　binds　us　more　closely　together

while　here。　　Dr。　Thomas　Browne　has　argued　that　death　is　one　of　the

necessary　conditions　of　human　happiness；　and　he　supports　his

argument　with　great　force　and　eloquence。　　But　when　death　comes

into　a　household；　we　do　not　philosophisewe　only　feel。　　The

eyes　that　are　full　of　tears　do　not　see；　though　in　course　of

time　they　come　to　see　more　clearly　and　brightly　than　those

that　have　never　known　sorrow。



The　wise　person　gradually　learns　not　to　expect　too　much　from　life。

While　he　strives　for　success　by　worthy　methods；　he　will　be

prepared　for　failures；　he　will　keep　his　mind　open　to　enjoyment；

but　submit　patiently　to　suffering。　　Wailings　and　complainings　of

life　are　never　of　any　use；　only　cheerful　and　continuous　working

in　right　paths　are　of　real　avail。



Nor　will　the　wise　man　expect　too　much　from　those　about　him。　　If　he

would　live　at　peace　with　others；　he　will　bear　and　forbear。　　And

even　the　best　have　often　foibles　of　character　which　have　to　be

endured；　sympathised　with；　and　perhaps　pitied。　　Who　is　perfect？

Who　does　not　suffer　from　some　thorn　in　the　flesh？　　Who　does　not

stand　in　need　of　toleration；　of　forbearance；　of　forgiveness？　　What

the　poor　imprisoned　Queen　Caroline　Matilda　of　Denmark　wrote　on　her

chapel…window　ought　to　be　the　prayer　of　all；〃Oh！　keep　me

innocent！　make　others　great。〃



Then；　how　much　does　the　disposition　of　every　human　being　depend

upon　their　innate　constitution　and　their　early　surroundings；

the　comfort　or　discomfort　of　the　homes　in　which　they　have　been

brought　up；　their　inherited　characteristics；　and　the　examples；

good　or　bad；　to　which　they　have　been　exposed　through　life！

Regard　for　such　considerations　should　teach　charity　and

forbearance　to　all　men。



At　the　same　time；　life　will　always　be　to　a　large　extent　what　we

ourselves　make　it。　　Each　mind　makes　its　own　little　world。　　The

cheerful　mind　makes　it　pleasant；　and　the　discontented　mind　makes

it　miserable。　　〃My　mind　to　me　a　kingdom　is；〃　applies　alike　to　the

peasant　as　to　the　monarch。　　The　one　may　be　in　his　heart　a　king；　as

the　other　may　be　a　slave。　　Life　is　for　the　most　part　but　the

mirror　of　our　own　individual　selves。　　Our　mind　gives　to　all

situations；　to　all　fortunes；　high　or　low；　their　real　characters。

To　the　good；　the　world　is　good；　to　the　bad；　it　is　bad。　　If　our

views　of　life　be　elevatedif　we　regard　it　as　a　sphere　of　useful

effort；　of　high　living　and　high　thinking；　of　working　for　others'

good　as　well　as　our　ownit　will　be　joyful；　hopeful；　and　blessed。

If；　on　the　contrary；　we　regard　it　merely　as　affording

opportunities　for　self…seeking；　pleasure；　and　aggrandisement；　it

will　be　full　of　toil；　anxiety；　and　disappointment。



There　is　much　in　life　that；　while　in　this　state；　we　can　never

comprehend。　　There　is；　indeed；　a　great　deal　of　mystery　in　life

much　that　we　see　〃as　in　a　glass　darkly。〃　　But　though　we　may　not

apprehend　the　full　meaning　of　the　discipline　of　trial　through

which　the　best　have　to　pass；　we　must　have　faith　in　the

completeness　of　the　design　of　which　our　little　individual

lives　form　a　part。



We　have　each　to　do　our　duty　in　that　sphere　of　life　in　which　we

have　been　placed。　　Duty　alone　is　true；　there　is　no　true　action　but

in　its　accomplishment。　　Duty　is　the　end　and　aim　of　the　highest

life；　the　truest　pleasure　of　all　is　that　derived　from　the

consciousness　of　its　fulfilment。　　Of　all　others；　it　is　the　one

that　is　most　thoroughly　satisfying；　and　the　least　accompanied　by

regret　and　disappoi