第 16 节
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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