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