第 16 节
作者:片片      更新:2022-08-21 16:31      字数:9322
  doing an act of kindness to a poor man; considered beneath the
  dignity of his office;that the thought of such actions 〃would
  prove music to him at midnight。〃 (6)  Izaak Walton speaks of a
  letter written by George Herbert to Bishop Andrewes; about a holy
  life; which the latter 〃put into his bosom;〃 and after showing it
  to his scholars; 〃did always return it to the place where he first
  lodged it; and continued it so; near his heart; till the last day
  of his life。〃
  Great is the power of goodness to charm and to command。  The man
  inspired by it is the true king of men; drawing all hearts after
  him。  When General Nicholson lay wounded on his deathbed before
  Delhi; he dictated this last message to his equally noble and
  gallant friend; Sir Herbert Edwardes:… 〃Tell him;〃 said he; 〃I
  should have been a better man if I had continued to live with him;
  and our heavy public duties had not prevented my seeing more of
  him privately。  I was always the better for a residence with him
  and his wife; however short。  Give my love to them both!〃
  There are men in whose presence we feel as if we breathed a
  spiritual ozone; refreshing and invigorating; like inhaling
  mountain air; or enjoying a bath of sunshine。  The power of Sir
  Thomas More's gentle nature was so great that it subdued the bad
  at the same time that it inspired the good。  Lord Brooke said of
  his deceased friend; Sir Philip Sidney; that 〃his wit and
  understanding beat upon his heart; to make himself and others; not
  in word or opinion; but in life and action; good and great。〃
  The very sight of a great and good man is often an inspiration to
  the young; who cannot help admiring and loving the gentle; the
  brave; the truthful; the magnanimous!  Cbateaubriand saw
  Washington only once; but it inspired him for life。  After
  describing the interview; he says: 〃Washington sank into the tomb
  before any little celebrity had attached to my name。  I passed
  before him as the most unknown of beings。  He was in all his glory
  I in the depth of my obscurity。  My name probably dwelt not a
  whole day in his memory。  Happy; however; was I that his looks
  were cast upon me。  I have felt warmed for it all the rest of my
  life。  There is a virtue even in the looks of a great man。〃
  When Niebuhr died; his friend; Frederick Perthes; said of him:
  〃What a contemporary! The terror of all bad and base men; the stay
  of all the sterling and honest; the friend and helper of youth。〃
  Perthes said on another occasion: 〃It does a wrestling man good to
  be constantly surrounded by tried wrestlers; evil thoughts are put
  to flight when the eye falls on the portrait of one in whose
  living presence one would have blushed to own them。〃  A Catholic
  money…lender; when about to cheat; was wont to draw a veil over
  the picture of his favourite saint。  So Hazlitt has said of the
  portrait of a beautiful female; that it seemed as if an unhandsome
  action would be impossible in its presence。  〃It does one good to
  look upon his manly honest face;〃 said a poor German woman;
  pointing to a portrait of the great Reformer hung upon the wall of
  her humble dwelling。
  Even the portrait of a noble or a good man; hung up in a room; is
  companionship after a sort。  It gives us a closer personal
  interest in him。  Looking at the features; we feel as if we knew
  him better; and were more nearly related to him。  It is a link
  that connects us with a higher and better nature than our own。
  And though we may be far from reaching the standard of our hero;
  we are; to a certain extent; sustained and fortified by his
  depicted presence constantly before us。
  Fox was proud to acknowledge how much he owed to the example and
  conversation of Burke。  On one occasion he said of him; that 〃if
  he was to put all the political information he had gained from
  books; all that he had learned from science; or that the knowledge
  of the world and its affairs taught him; into one scale; and the
  improvement he had derived from Mr。 Burke's conversation and
  instruction into the other; the latter would preponderate。〃
  Professor Tyndall speaks of Faraday's friendship as 〃energy and
  inspiration。〃  After spending an evening with him he wrote: 〃His
  work excites admiration; but contact with him warms and elevates
  the heart。  Here; surely; is a strong man。  I love strength; but
  let me not forget the example of its union with modesty;
  tenderness; and sweetness; in the character of Faraday。〃
  Even the gentlest natures are powerful to influence the character
  of others for good。  Thus Wordsworth seems to have been especially
  impressed by the character of his sister Dorothy; who exercised
  upon his mind and heart a lasting influence。  He describes her as
  the blessing of his boyhood as well as of his manhood。  Though two
  years younger than himself; her tenderness and sweetness
  contributed greatly to mould his nature; and open his mind to the
  influences of poetry:
  〃She gave me eyes; she gave me ears;
  And humble cares; and delicate fears;
  A heart; the fountain of sweet tears;
  And love and thought and joy。〃
  Thus the gentlest natures are enabled; by the power of affection
  and intelligence; to mould the characters of men destined to
  influence and elevate their race through all time。
  Sir William Napier attributed the early direction of his
  character; first to the impress made upon it by his mother; when a
  boy; and afterwards to the noble example of his commander; Sir
  John Moore; when a man。  Moore early detected the qualities of the
  young officer; and he was one of those to whom the General
  addressed the encouragement; 〃Well done; my majors!〃 at Corunna。
  Writing home to his mother; and describing the little court by
  which Moore was surrounded; he wrote; 〃Where shall we find such a
  king?〃  It was to his personal affection for his chief that the
  world is mainly indebted to Sir William Napier for his great book;
  'The History of the Peninsular War。' But he was stimulated to
  write the book by the advice of another friend; the late Lord
  Langdale; while one day walking with him across the fields on
  which Belgravia is now built。  〃It was Lord Langdale;〃 he says;
  〃who first kindled the fire within me。〃  And of Sir William Napier
  himself; his biographer truly says; that 〃no thinking person could
  ever come in contact with him without being strongly impressed
  with the genius of the man。
  The career of the late Dr。 Marshall Hall was a lifelong
  illustration of the influence of character in forming character。
  Many eminent men still living trace their success in life to his
  suggestions and assistance; without which several valuable lines
  of study and investigation might not have been entered on; at
  least at so early a period。  He would say to young men about him;
  〃Take up a subject and pursue it well; and you cannot fail to
  succeed。〃  And often he would throw out a new idea to a young
  friend; saying; 〃I make you a present of it; there is fortune in
  it; if you pursue it with energy。〃
  Energy of character has always a power to evoke energy in others。
  It acts through sympathy; one of the most influential of human
  agencies。  The zealous energetic man unconsciously carries others
  along with him。  His example is contagious; and compels imitation。
  He exercises a sort of electric power; which sends a thrill
  through every fibreflows into the nature of those about him;
  and makes them give out sparks of fire。
  Dr。 Arnold's biographer; speaking of the power of this kind
  exercised by him over young men; says: 〃It was not so much an
  enthusiastic admiration for true genius; or learning; or
  eloquence; which stirred within them; it was a sympathetic thrill;
  caught from a spirit that was earnestly at work in the world
  whose work was healthy; sustained; and constantly carried forward
  in the fear of Goda work that was founded on a deep sense of
  its duty and its value。〃 (7)
  Such a power; exercised by men of genius; evokes courage;
  enthusiasm; and devotion。  It is this intense admiration for
  individualssuch as one cannot conceive entertained for a
  multitudewhich has in all times produced heroes and martyrs。
  It is thus that the mastery of character makes itself felt。  It
  acts by inspiration; quickening and vivifying the natures subject
  to its influence。
  Great minds are rich in radiating force; not only exerting power;
  but communicating and even creating it。  Thus Dante raised and
  drew after him a host of great spiritsPetrarch; Boccacio;
  Tasso; and many more。  From him Milton learnt to bear the stings
  of evil tongues and the contumely of evil days; and long years
  after; Byron; thinking of Dante under the pine…trees of Ravenna;
  was incited to attune his harp to loftier strains than he had ever
  attempted before。  Dante inspired the greatest painters of Italy
  Giotto; Orcagna; Michael Angelo; and Raphael。  So Ariosto and
  Titian mutually in