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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