第 19 节
作者:片片      更新:2022-08-21 16:31      字数:9322
  like manner shave their heads; and one of them; Pierre de
  Hagenbach; to prove his devotion; no sooner caught sight of an
  unshaven nobleman; than he forthwith had him seized and carried
  off to the barber!Philip de Comines (Bohn's Ed。); p。 243。
  (9) 'Life;' i。 344。
  (10) Introduction to 'The Principal Speeches and Addresses of H。R。H。
  the Prince Consort;' p。 33。
  (11) Speech at Liverpool; 1812。
  CHAPTER IV。WORK。
  〃Arise therefore; and be doing; and the Lord be with thee。〃
  l CHRONICLES xxii。 16。
  〃Work as if thou hadst to live for aye;
  Worship as if thou wert to die to…day。〃TUSCAN PROVERB。
  〃C'est par le travail qu'on regne。〃LOUIS XIV
  〃Blest work! if ever thou wert curse of God;
  What must His blessing be!〃J。 B。 SELKIRK。
  〃Let every man be OCCUPIED; and occupied in the highest employment
  of which his nature is capable; and die with the consciousness
  that he has done his best〃Sydney Smith。
  WORK is one of the best educators of practical character。  It
  evokes and disciplines obedience; self…control; attention;
  application; and perseverance; giving a man deftness and skill in
  his special calling; and aptitude and dexterity in dealing with
  the affairs of ordinary life。
  Work is the law of our beingthe living principle that carries
  men and nations onward。  The greater number of men have to work
  with their hands; as a matter of necessity; in order to live; but
  all must work in one way or another; if they would enjoy life as
  it ought to be enjoyed。
  Labour may be a burden and a chastisement; but it is also an
  honour and a glory。  Without it; nothing can be accomplished。  All
  that is great in man comes through work; and civilisation is its
  product。  Were labour abolished; the race of Adam were at once
  stricken by moral death。
  It is idleness that is the curse of mannot labour。  Idleness
  eats the heart out of men as of nations; and consumes them as rust
  does iron。  When Alexander conquered the Persians; and had an
  opportunity of observing their manners; he remarked that they did
  not seem conscious that there could be anything more servile than
  a life of pleasure; or more princely than a life of toil。
  When the Emperor Severus lay on his deathbed at York; whither he
  had been borne on a litter from the foot of the Grampians; his
  final watchword to his soldiers was; 〃LABOREMUS〃 (we must work);
  and nothing but constant toil maintained the power and extended
  the authority of the Roman generals。
  In describing the earlier social condition of Italy; when the
  ordinary occupations of rural life were considered compatible with
  the highest civic dignity; Pliny speaks of the triumphant generals
  and their men; returning contentedly to the plough。  In those days
  the lands were tilled by the hands even of generals; the soil
  exulting beneath a ploughshare crowned with laurels; and guided by
  a husbandman graced with triumphs: 〃IPSORUM TUNC MANIBUS
  IMPERATORUM COLEBANTUR AGRI: UT FAS EST CREDERE; GAUDENTE TERRA
  VOMERE LAUREATO ET TRIUMPHALI ARATORE。〃 (1)  It was only after
  slaves became extensively employed in all departments of industry
  that labour came to be regarded as dishonourable and servile。  And
  so soon as indolence and luxury became the characteristics of the
  ruling classes of Rome; the downfall of the empire; sooner or
  later; was inevitable。
  There is; perhaps; no tendency of our nature that has to be more
  carefully guarded against than indolence。  When Mr。 Gurney asked
  an intelligent foreigner who had travelled over the greater part
  of the world; whether he had observed any one quality which; more
  than another; could be regarded as a universal characteristic of
  our species; his answer was; in broken English; 〃Me tink dat all
  men LOVE LAZY。〃  It is characteristic of the savage as of the
  despot。  It is natural to men to endeavour to enjoy the products
  of labour without its toils。  Indeed; so universal is this desire;
  that James Mill has argued that it was to prevent its indulgence
  at the expense of society at large; that the expedient of
  Government was originally invented。 (2)
  Indolence is equally degrading to individuals as to nations。
  Sloth never made its mark in the world; and never will。  Sloth
  never climbed a hill; nor overcame a difficulty that it could
  avoid。  Indolence always failed in life; and always will。  It is
  in the nature of things that it should not succeed in anything。
  It is a burden; an incumbrance; and a nuisancealways useless;
  complaining; melancholy; and miserable。
  Burton; in his quaint and curious; bookthe only one; Johnson
  says; that ever took him out of bed two hours sooner than he
  wished to risedescribes the causes of Melancholy as hingeing
  mainly on Idleness。  〃Idleness;〃 he says; 〃is the bane of body and
  mind; the nurse of naughtiness; the chief mother of all mischief;
  one of the seven deadly sins; the devil's cushion; his pillow and
  chief reposal。。。。  An idle dog will be mangy; and how shall an
  idle person escape? Idleness of the mind is much worse than that
  of the body: wit; without employment; is a diseasethe rust of
  the soul; a plague; a hell itself。  As in a standing pool; worms
  and filthy creepers increase; so do evil and corrupt thoughts in
  an idle person; the soul is contaminated。。。。  Thus much I dare
  boldly say: he or she that is idle; be they of what condition they
  will; never so rich; so well allied; fortunate; happylet them
  have all things in abundance and felicity that heart can wish and
  desire; all contentmentso long as he; or she; or they; are
  idle; they shall never be pleased; never well in body or mind; but
  weary still; sickly still; vexed still; loathing still; weeping;
  sighing; grieving; suspecting; offended with the world; with every
  object; wishing themselves gone or dead; or else carried away with
  some foolish phantasie or other。〃 (3)
  Burton says a great deal more to the same effect; the burden and
  lesson of his book being embodied in the pregnant sentence with
  which it winds up:… 〃Only take this for a corollary and
  conclusion; as thou tenderest thine own welfare in this; and all
  other melancholy; thy good health of body and mind; observe this
  short precept; Give not way to solitariness and idleness。  BE NOT
  SOLITARYBE NOT IDLE。〃 (4)
  The indolent; however; are not wholly indolent。  Though the body
  may shirk labour; the brain is not idle。  If it do not grow corn;
  it will grow thistles; which will be found springing up all along
  the idle man's course in life。  The ghosts of indolence rise
  up in the dark; ever staring the recreant in the face; and
  tormenting him:
  〃The gods are just; and of our pleasant vices;
  Make instrument to scourge us。〃
  True happiness is never found in torpor of the faculties; (5) but in
  their action and useful employment。  It is indolence that
  exhausts; not action; in which there is life; health; and
  pleasure。  The spirits may be exhausted and wearied by employment;
  but they are utterly wasted by idleness。  Hense a wise physician
  was accustomed to regard occupation as one of his most valuable
  remedial measures。  〃Nothing is so injurious;〃 said Dr。 Marshall
  Hall; 〃as unoccupied time。〃  An archbishop of Mayence used to say
  that 〃the human heart is like a millstone: if you put wheat under
  it; it grinds the wheat into flour; if you put no wheat; it grinds
  on; but then 'tis itself it wears away。〃
  Indolence is usually full of excuses; and the sluggard; though
  unwilling to work; is often an active sophist。 〃There is a lion in
  the path ;〃 or 〃The hill is hard to climb;〃 or 〃There is no use
  tryingI have tried; and failed; and cannot do it。〃  To the
  sophistries of such an excuser; Sir Samuel Romilly once wrote to a
  young man:… 〃My attack upon your indolence; loss of time; &c。; was
  most serious; and I really think that it can be to nothing but
  your habitual want of exertion that can be ascribed your using
  such curious arguments as you do in your defence。  Your theory is
  this: Every man does all the good that he can。  If a particular
  individual does no good; it is a proof that he is incapable of
  doing it。  That you don't write proves that you can't; and your
  want of inclination demonstrates your want of talents。  What an
  admirable system!and what beneficial effects would it be
  attended with; if it were but universally received!〃
  It has been truly said; that to desire to possess; without being
  burdened with the trouble of acquiring; is as much a sign of
  weakness; as to recognise that everything worth having is only to
  be got by paying its price; is the prime secret of practical
  strength。  Even leisure cannot be enjoyed unless it is won by
  effort。  If it have not been earned by work; the price has not
  been paid for it。 (6)
  There must be work before and work behind; with leisure to fall