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character-第51章

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on his return; 〃but nothing like my own housegive me one turn

more。〃  One of the last things he uttered; in one of his lucid

intervals; was worthy of him。  〃I have been;〃 he said; 〃perhaps

the most voluminous author of my day; and it IS a comfort to me to

think that I have tried to unsettle no man's faith; to corrupt no

man's principles; and that I have written nothing which on my

deathbed I should wish blotted out。〃  His last injunction to his

son…in…law was: 〃Lockhart; I may have but a minute to speak to

you。  My dear; be virtuousbe religiousbe a good man。

Nothing else will give you any comfort when you come to lie here。〃



The devoted conduct of Lockhart himself was worthy of his great

relative。  The 'Life of Scott;' which he afterwards wrote;

occupied him several years; and was a remarkably successful work。

Yet he himself derived no pecuniary advantage from it; handing

over the profits of the whole undertaking to Sir Walter's

creditors in payment of debts which he was in no way responsible;

but influenced entirely by a spirit of honour; of regard for the

memory of the illustrious dead。







NOTES



(1) 'Social Statics;' p。  185。



(2) 〃In all cases;〃 says Jeremy Bentham; 〃when the power of the will

can be exercised over the thoughts; let those thoughts be directed

towards happiness。  Look out for the bright; for the brightest

side of things; and keep your face constantly turned to it。。。。  A

large part of existence is necessarily passed in inaction。  By day

(to take an instance from the thousand in constant recurrence);

when in attendance on others; and time is lost by being kept

waiting; by night when sleep is unwilling to close the eyelids;

the economy of happiness recommends the occupation of pleasurable

thought。  In walking abroad; or in resting at home; the mind

cannot be vacant; its thoughts may be useful; useless; or

pernicious to happiness。  Direct them aright; the habit of happy

thought will spring up like any other habit。〃

DEONTOLOGY; ii。 105…6。



(3) The following extract from a letter of M。 Boyd; Esq。; is given by

Earl Stanhope in his 'Miscellanies':… 〃There was a circumstance

told me by the late Mr。 Christmas; who for many years held an

important official situation in the Bank of England。  He was; I

believe; in early life a clerk in the Treasury; or one of the

government offices; and for some time acted for Mr。 Pitt as his

confidential clerk; or temporary private secretary。  Christmas was

one of the most obliging men I ever knew; and; from the; position

he occupied; was constantly exposed to interruptions; yet I never

saw his temper in the least ruffled。  One day I found him more

than usually engaged; having a mass of accounts to prepare for one

of the law…courtsstill the same equanimity; and I could not

resist the opportunity of asking the old gentleman the secret。

'Well; Mr。 Boyd; you shall know it。  Mr。 Pitt gave it to me:

NOT TO LOSE MY TEMPER; IF POSSIBLE; AT ANY TIME; AND NEVER

DURING THE HOURS OF BUSINESS。  My labours here (Bank of England)

commence at nine and end at three; and; acting on the advice

of the illustrious statesman; I NEVER LOSE MY TEMPER DURING

THOSE HOURS。'〃



(4) 'Strafford Papers;' i。 87。



(5) Jared Sparks' 'Life of Washington;' pp。 7; 534。



(6) Brialmont's 'Life of Wellington。'



(7) Professor Tyndall; on 'Faraday as a Discoverer;' p。 156。



(8) 'Life of Perthes;' ii。 216。



(9) Lady Elizabeth Carew。



(10) Francis Horner; in one of his letters; says: 〃It is among the very

sincere and zealous friends of liberty that you will find the most

perfect specimens of wrongheadedness; men of a dissenting;

provincial cast of virtuewho (according to one of Sharpe's

favourite phrases) WILL drive a wedge the broad end foremost

utter strangers to all moderation in political business。〃

  Francis Horner's LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE (1843); ii。 133。



(11) Professor Tyndall on 'Faraday as a Discoverer;' pp。 40…1。



(12) Yet Burke himself; though capable of giving Barry such excellent

advice; was by no means immaculate as regarded his own temper。

When he lay ill at Beaconsfield; Fox; from whom he had become

separated by political differences arising out of the French

Revolution; went down to see his old friend。  But Burke would not

grant him an interview; he positively refused to see him。  On his

return to town; Fox told his friend Coke the result of his

journey; and when Coke lamented Burke's obstinacy; Fox only

replied; goodnaturedly: 〃Ah! never mind; Tom; I always find every

Irishman has got a piece of potato in his head。〃  Yet Fox; with

his usual generosity; when he heard of Burke's impending death;

wrote a most kind and cordial letter to Mrs。 Burke; expressive of

his grief and sympathy; and when Burke was no more; Fox was the

first to propose that he should be interred with public honours in

Westminster Abbeywhich only Burke's own express wish; that he

should be buried at Beaconsfield; prevented being carried out。



(13) When Curran; the Irish barrister; visited Burns's cabin in 1810;

he found it converted into a public house; and the landlord who

showed it was drunk。  〃There;〃 said he; pointing to a corner on

one side of the fire; with a most MALAPROPOS laugh…〃there is the

very spot where Robert Burns was born。〃  〃The genius and the fate

of the man;〃 says Curran; 〃were already heavy on my heart; but the

drunken laugh of the landlord gave me such a view of the rock on

which he had foundered; that I could not stand it; but burst

into tears。〃



(14) The chaplain of Horsemongerlane Gaol; in his annual report to

the Surrey justices; thus states the result of his careful study of

the causes of dishonesty: 〃From my experience of predatory crime;

founded upon careful study of the character of a great variety of

prisoners; I conclude that habitual dishonesty is to be referred

neither to ignorance; nor to drunkenness; nor to poverty; nor to

overcrowding in towns; nor to temptation from surrounding wealth

nor; indeed; to any one of the many indirect causes to which it is

sometimes referredbut mainly TO A DISPOSITION TO ACQUIRE

PROPERTY WITH A LESS DEGREE OF LABOUR THAN ORDINARY INDUSTRY。〃

The italics are the author's。



(15) S。 C。 Hall's 'Memories。'



(16) Moore's 'Life of Byron;' 8vo。 Ed。; p。 182。



(17) Captain Basil Hall records the following conversation with Scott:…

〃It occurs to me;〃 I observed; 〃that people are apt to make too

much fuss about the loss of fortune; which is one of the smallest

of the great evils of life; and ought to be among the most

tolerable。〃〃Do you call it a small misfortune to be ruined in

money…matters?〃 he asked。  〃It is not so painful; at all events;

as the loss of friends。〃〃I grant that;〃 he said。  〃As the loss

of character?〃〃True again。〃  〃As the loss of health?〃〃Ay;

there you have me;〃 he muttered to himself; in a tone so

melancholy that I wished I had not spoken。  〃What is the loss of

fortune to 
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