第 33 节
作者:片片      更新:2022-08-21 16:31      字数:9322
  income of ten or twelve pounds left by her grandmother; eked out
  by her little earnings at dressmaking。  During the last two years
  of her ministrations; the borough magistrates of Yarmouth; knowing
  that her self…imposed labours saved them the expense of a
  schoolmaster and chaplain (which they had become bound by law to
  appoint); made a proposal to her of an annual salary of ?12 a
  year; but they did it in so indelicate a manner as greatly to
  wound her sensitive feelings。  She shrank from becoming the
  salaried official of the corporation; and bartering for money
  those serviced which had throughout been labours of love。  But the
  Gaol Committee coarsely informed her; 〃that if they permitted her
  to visit the prison she must submit to their terms; or be
  excluded。〃  For two years; therefore; she received the salary of
  ?12 a yearthe acknowledgment of the Yarmouth corporation for
  her services as gaol chaplain and schoolmistress!  She was now;
  however; becoming old and infirm; and the unhealthy atmosphere of
  the gaol did much towards finally disabling her。  While she lay on
  her deathbed; she resumed the exercise of a talent she had
  occasionally practised before in her moments of leisurethe
  composition of sacred poetry。  As works of art; they may not
  excite admiration; yet never were verses written truer in spirit;
  or fuller of Christian love。  But her own life was a nobler
  poem than any she ever wrotefull of true courage; perseverance;
  charity; and wisdom。  It was indeed a commentary upon
  her own words:
  〃The high desire that others may be blest
  Savours of heaven。〃
  NOTES
  (1) James Russell Lowell。
  (2) Yet Bacon himself had written; 〃I would rather believe all the
  faiths in the Legend; and the Talmud; and the Alcoran; than that
  this universal frame is without a mind。〃
  (3) Aubrey; in his 'Natural History of Wiltshire;' alluding to Harvey;
  says: 〃He told me himself that upon publishing that book he fell
  in his practice extremely。〃
  (4) Sir Thomas More's first wife; Jane Colt; was originally a young
  country girl; whom he himself instructed in letters; and moulded
  to his own tastes and manners。  She died young; leaving a son and
  three daughters; of whom the noble Margaret Roper most resembled
  More himself。  His second wife was Alice Middleton; a widow; some
  seven years older than More; not beautifulfor he characterized
  her as 〃NEC BELLA; NEC PUELLA〃but a shrewd worldly woman; not
  by any means disposed to sacrifice comfort and good cheer for
  considerations such as those which so powerfully influenced the
  mind of her husband。
  (5)Before being beheaded; Eliot said; 〃Death is but a little word;
  but ''tis a great work to die。'〃 In his 'Prison Thoughts' before
  his execution; he wrote: 〃He that fears not to die; fears
  nothing。。。。  There is a time to live; and a time to die。  A good
  death is far better and more eligible than an ill life。  A wise
  man lives but so long as his life is worth more than his death。
  The longer life is not always the better。〃
  (6) Mr。 J。 S。 Mill; in his book 'On Liberty;' describes 〃the masses;〃
  as 〃collective mediocrity。〃  〃The initiation of all wise or noble
  things;〃 he says; 〃comes; and must come; from individuals
  generally at first from some one individual。  The honour and glory
  of the average man is that he is capable of following that
  imitation; that he can respond internally to wise and noble
  things; and be led to them with his eyes open。。。。  In this age;
  the mere example of nonconformity; the mere refusal to bend the
  knee to custom; is itself a service。  Precisely because the
  tyranny of opinion is such as to make eccentricity a reproach; it
  is desirable; in order to break through that tyranny; that people
  should be eccentric。  Eccentricity has always abounded when and
  where strength of character has abounded; and the amount of
  eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the
  amount of genius; mental vigour; and moral courage which it
  contained。  That so few now dare to be eccentric; marks the chief
  danger of the time。〃Pp。 120…1。
  (7) Mr。 Arthur Helps; in one of his thoughtful books; published in
  1845; made some observations on this point; which are not less
  applicable now。  He there said: 〃it is a grievous thing to see
  literature made a vehicle for encouraging the enmity of class to
  class。  Yet this; unhappily; is not unfrequent now。  Some great
  man summed up the nature of French novels by calling them the
  Literature of Despair; the kind of writing that I deprecate may be
  called the Literature of Envy。。。。  Such writers like to throw
  their influence; as they might say; into the weaker scale。  But
  that is not the proper way of looking at the matter。  I think; if
  they saw the ungenerous nature of their proceedings; that alone
  would stop them。  They should recollect that literature may fawn
  upon the masses as well as the aristocracy; and in these days the
  temptation is in the former direction。  But what is most grievous
  in this kind of writing is the mischief it may do to the working…
  people themselves。  If you have their true welfare at heart; you
  will not only care for their being fed and clothed; but you will
  be anxious not to encourage unreasonable expectations in them
  not to make them ungrateful or greedy…minded。  Above all; you will
  be solicitous to preserve some self…reliance in them。  You will be
  careful not to let them think that their condition can be wholly
  changed without exertion of their own。  You would not desire to
  have it so changed。  Once elevate your ideal of what you wish to
  happen amongst the labouring population; and you will not easily
  admit anything in your writings that may injure their moral or
  their mental character; even if you thought it might hasten some
  physical benefit for them。  That is the way to make your genius
  most serviceable to mankind。  Depend upon it; honest and bold
  things require to be said to the lower as well as the higher
  classes; and the former are in these times much less likely to
  have; such things addressed to them。〃…Claims of Labour; pp。 253…4。
  (8) 'Memoirs of Colonel Hutchinson' (Bohn's Ed。); p。 32。
  (9) At a public meeting held at Worcester; in 1867; in recognition of
  Sir J。 Pakington's services as Chairman of Quarter Sessions for a
  period of twenty…four years; the following remarks; made by Sir
  John on the occasion; are just and valuable as they are modest:…
  〃I am indebted for whatever measure of success I have attained in
  my public life; to a combination of moderate abilities; with
  honesty of intention; firmness of purpose; and steadiness of
  conduct。  If I were to offer advice to any young man anxious to
  make himself useful in public life; I would sum up the results of
  my experience in three short rulesrules so simple that any man
  may understand them; and so easy that any man may act upon them。
  My first rule would beleave it to others to judge of what
  duties you are capable; and for what position you are fitted; but
  never refuse to give your services in whatever capacity it may be
  the opinion of others who are competent to judge that you may
  benefit your neighbours or your country。  My second rule iswhen
  you agree to undertake public duties; concentrate every energy and
  faculty in your possession with the determination to discharge
  those duties to the best of your ability。  Lastly; I would counsel
  you that; in deciding on the line which you will take in public
  affairs; you should be guided in your decision by that which;
  after mature deliberation; you believe to be right; and not by
  that which; in the passing hour; may happen to be fashionable
  or popular。〃
  (10) The following illustration of one of his minute acts of kindness
  is given in his biography:… 〃He was one day taking a long country
  walk near Freshford; when he met a little girl; about five years
  old; sobbing over a broken bowl; she had dropped and broken it in
  bringing it back from the field to which she had taken her
  father's dinner in it; and she said she would be beaten on her
  return home for having broken it; when; with a sudden gleam of
  hope; she innocently looked up into his face; and said; 'But yee
  can mend it; can't ee?'
  〃My father explained that he could not mend the bowl; but the
  trouble he could; by the gift of a sixpence to buy another。
  However; on opening his purse it was empty of silver; and he had
  to make amends by promising to meet his little friend in the same
  spot at the same hour next day; and to bring the sixpence with
  him; bidding her; meanwhile; tell her mother she had seen a
  gentleman who would bring her the money for the bowl next day。
  The child; entirely trusting him; went on her way comforted。  On
  his return home he found an invitation awaiting him to dine in
  Bath the following evening; to meet some one whom he specially
  wished to see。  He hesitated for some little time; trying to
  calcu