character-第6章

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three　hundred　years　before　the　Reformation；　advocating　the

separation　of　the　spiritual　from　the　civil　power；　and　declaring

the　temporal　government　of　the　Pope　to　be　a　usurpation。　　The

following　memorable　words　were　written　over　five　hundred　and　sixty

years　ago；　while　Dante　was　still　a　member　of　the　Roman　Catholic

Church：…　〃Every　Divine　law　is　found　in　one　or　other　of　the　two

Testaments；　but　in　neither　can　I　find　that　the　care　of　temporal

matters　was　given　to　the　priesthood。　　On　the　contrary；　I　find　that

the　first　priests　were　removed　from　them　by　law；　and　the　later

priests；　by　command　of　Christ；　to　His　disciples。〃DE　MONARCHIA；

lib。　iii。　cap。　xi。



Dante　also；　still　clinging　to　'the　Church　he　wished　to　reform；'

thus　anticipated　the　fundamental　doctrine　of　the　Reformation：…

〃Before　the　Church　are　the　Old　and　New　Testament；　after　the

Church　are　traditions。　　It　follows；　then；　that　the　authority

of　the　Church　depends；　not　on　traditions；　but　traditions

on　the　Church。〃



（20）　'Blackwood's　Magazine；'　June；　1863；　art。　'Girolamo

Savonarola。'



（21）　One　of　the　last　passages　in　the　Diary　of　Dr。　Arnold；　written

the　year　before　his　death；　was　as　follows：…　〃It　is　the　misfortune

of　France　that　her　'past'　cannot　be　loved　or　respectedher

future　and　her　present　cannot　be　wedded　to　it；　yet　how　can　the

present　yield　fruit；　or　the　future　have　promise；　except　their

roots　be　fixed　in　the　past？　　The　evil　is　infinite；　but　the　blame

rests　with　those　who　made　the　past　a　dead　thing；　out　of　which　no

healthful　life　could　be　produced。〃LIFE；　ii。　387…8；　Ed。　1858。



（22）　A　public　orator　lately　spoke　with　contempt　of　the　Battle　of

Marathon；　because　only　192　perished　on　the　side　of　the　Athenians；

whereas　by　improved　mechanism　and　destructive　chemicals；　some

50；000　men　or　more　may　now　be　destroyed　within　a　few　hours。　　Yet

the　Battle　of　Marathon；　and　the　heroism　displayed　in　it；　will

probably　continue　to　be　remembered　when　the　gigantic　butcheries　of

modern　times　have　been　forgotten。







CHAPTER　II。HOME　POWER。







　　　　　　　　〃So　build　we　up　the　being　that　we　are；

　　　　　　　　　Thus　deeply　drinking　in　the　soul　of　things；

　　　　　　　　　We　shall　be　wise　perforce。〃　　WORDSWORTH。



　　　　〃The　millstreams　that　turn　the　clappers　of　the　world

　　　　　arise　in　solitary　places。〃HELPS。



〃In　the　course　of　a　conversation　with　Madame　Campan；　Napoleon

Buonaparte　remarked：　'The　old　systems　of　instruction　seem　to　be

worth　nothing；　what　is　yet　wanting　in　order　that　the　people　should

be　properly　educated？'　'MOTHERS；'　replied　Madame　Campan。　　The

reply　struck　the　Emperor。　　'Yes！'　said　he　'here　is　a　system　of

education　in　one　word。　　Be　it　your　care；　then；　to　train　up　mothers

who　shall　know　how　to　educate　their　children。'〃AIME　MARTIN。



　　　　　　　　〃Lord！　with　what　care　hast　Thou　begirt　us　round！

　　　　　　　　　　Parents　first　season　us。　　Then　schoolmasters

　　　　　　　　　Deliver　us　to　laws。　　They　send　us　bound

　　　　　　　　　　To　rules　of　reason。〃GEORGE　HERBERT。





HOME　is　the　first　and　most　important　school　of　character。　　It　is

there　that　every　human　being　receives　his　best　moral　training；　or

his　worst；　for　it　is　there　that　he　imbibes　those　principles　of

conduct　which　endure　through　manhood；　and　cease　only　with　life。



It　is　a　common　saying　that　〃Manners　make　the　man；〃　and　there　is　a

second；　that　〃Mind　makes　the　man；〃　but　truer　than　either　is　a

third；　that　〃Home　makes　the　man。〃　　For　the　home…training　includes

not　only　manners　and　mind；　but　character。　　It　is　mainly　in　the

home　that　the　heart　is　opened；　the　habits　are　formed；　the

intellect　is　awakened；　and　character　moulded　for　good　or　for　evil。



From　that　source；　be　it　pure　or　impure；　issue　the　principles　and

maxims　that　govern　society。　　Law　itself　is　but　the　reflex　of

homes。　　The　tiniest　bits　of　opinion　sown　in　the　minds　of　children

in　private　life　afterwards　issue　forth　to　the　world；　and　become

its　public　opinion；　for　nations　are　gathered　out　of　nurseries；　and

they　who　hold　the　leading…strings　of　children　may　even　exercise　a

greater　power　than　those　who　wield　the　reins　of　government。　（1）



It　is　in　the　order　of　nature　that　domestic　life　should　be

preparatory　to　social；　and　that　the　mind　and　character　should

first　be　formed　in　the　home。　　There　the　individuals　who　afterwards

form　society　are　dealt　with　in　detail；　and　fashioned　one　by　one。

From　the　family　they　enter　life；　and　advance　from　boyhood　to

citizenship。　　Thus　the　home　may　be　regarded　as　the　most

influential　school　of　civilisation。　　For；　after　all；　civilisation

mainly　resolves　itself　into　a　question　of　individual　training；　and

according　as　the　respective　members　of　society　are　well　or　ill…

trained　in　youth；　so　will　the　community　which　they　constitute　be

more　or　less　humanised　and　civilised。



The　training　of　any　man；　even　the　wisest；　cannot　fail　to　be

powerfully　influenced　by　the　moral　surroundings　of　his　early

years。　　He　comes　into　the　world　helpless；　and　absolutely　dependent

upon　those　about　him　for　nurture　and　culture。　　From　the　very　first

breath　that　he　draws；　his　education　begins。　　When　a　mother　once

asked　a　clergyman　when　she　should　begin　the　education　of　her

child；　then　four　years　old；　he　replied：　〃Madam；　if　you　have　not

begun　already；　you　have　lost　those　four　years。　　From　the　first

smile　that　gleams　upon　an　infant's　cheek；　your　opportunity

begins。〃



But　even　in　this　case　the　education　had　already　begun；　for　the

child　learns　by　simple　imitation；　without　effort；　almost　through

the　pores　of　the　skin。　　〃A　figtree　looking　on　a　figtree　becometh

fruitful；〃　says　the　Arabian　proverb。　　And　so　it　is　with　children；

their　first　great　instructor　is　example。



However　apparently　trivial　the　influences　which　contribute　to　form

the　character　of　the　child；　they　endure　through　life。　　The　child's

character　is　the　nucleus　of　the　man's；　all　after…education　is　but

superposition；　the　form　of　the　crystal　remains　the　same。　　Thus　the

saying　of　the　poet　holds　true　in　a　large　degree；　〃The　child　is

father　of　the　man；〃　or；　as　Milton　puts　it；　〃The　childhood　shows

the　man；　as　morning　shows　the　day。〃　　Those　impulses　to　conduct

which　last　the　longest　and　are　rooted　the　deepest；　always　have

their　origin　near　our　birth。　　It　is　then　that　the　germs　of　virtues

or　vices；　of　feelings　or　sentiments；　are　first　implanted　which

determine　the　character　for　life。



The　child　is；　as　it　were；　laid　at　the　gate　of　a　new　world；　and

opens　his　eyes　upon　things　all　of　which　are　full　of　novelty　and

wonderment。　　At　first　it　is　enough　for　him　to　gaze；　but　by…and…by

he　begins　to　see；　to　observe；　to　compare；　to　learn；　to　store　up

impressions　and　ideas；　and　under　wise　guidance　the　progress　which

he　makes　is　really　wonderful。　　Lord　Brougham　has　observed　that

between　the　ages　of　eighteen　and　thirty　months；　a　child　learns

more　of　the　material　world；　of　his　own　powers；　of　the　nature　of

other　bodies；　and　even　of　his　own　mind　and　other　minds；　than　he

acquires　in　all　the　rest　of　his　life。　　The　knowledge　which　a　child

accumulates；　and　the　ideas　generated　in　his　mind；　during　this

period；　are　so　important；　that　if　we　could　imagine　them　to　be

afterwards　obliterated；　all　the　learning　of　a　senior　wrangler　at

Cambridge；　or　a　first…classman　at　Oxford；　would　be　as　nothing　to

it；　and　would　literally　not　enable　its　object　to　prolong　his

existence　for　a　week。



It　is　in　childhood　that　the　mind　is　most　open　to　impressions；　and

ready　to　be　kindled　by　the　first　spark　that　falls　into　it。　　Ideas

are　then　caught　quickly　and　live　lastingly。　　Thus　Scott　is　said　to

have　received；　his　first　bent　towards　ballad　literature　from　his

mother's　and　grandmother's　recitations　in　his　hearing　long　before

he　himself　had　learned　to　read。　　Childhood　is　like　a　mirror；　which

reflects　in　after…life　the　images　first　presented　to　it。　The　first

thing　continues　for　ever　with　the　child。　　The　first　joy；　the　first

sorrow；　the　first　success；　the　first　failure；　the　first

achievement；　the　first　misadventure；　paint　the　foreground　of

his　life。



All　this　while；　too；　the　training　of　the　character　is　in　progress

of　the　temper；　the　will；　and　the　habitson　which　so　much　of

the　happiness　of　human　beings　in　after…life　depends。　　Although　man

is　endowed　with　a　certain　self…acting；　self…helping　power　of

contributing　to　his　own　development；　independent　of　surrounding

circumstances；　and　of　reacting　upon　the　life　around　him；　the　bias

given　to　his　moral　character　in　early　life　is　of　immense

importance。　　Place　even　the　highest…minded　philosopher　in　the

midst　of　daily　discomfort；　immorality；　and　vileness；　and　he　will

insensibly　gravitate　towards　brutality。　　How　much　more　susceptible

is　the　impressionable　and　helpless　child　amidst　such　surroundings！

It　is　not　possible　to　rear　a　kindly　nature；　sensitive　to　evil；

pure　in　mind　and　heart；　amidst　coarseness；　discomfort；　and

impurity。



Thus　homes；　which　are　the　nurseries　of　children　who　grow　up　into

men　and　women；　will　be　good　or　bad　according　to　the　power　that

governs　them。　　Where　the　spirit　of　love　and　duty　pervades　the　home

where　head　and　heart　bear　rule　wisely　therewhere　the　daily

life　is　honest　and　virtuouswhere　the　government　is　sensible；

kind；　and　loving；　then　may　we　expect　from　such　a　home　an　issue　of

healthy；　useful；　and　happy　beings；　capable；　as　they　gain　the

requisite　strength；　of　following　the　footsteps　of　their　parents；

of　walking　uprightly；　governing　themselves　wisely；　and

contributing　to　the　welfare　of　those　about　them。



On　the　other　hand；　if　surrounded　by　ignorance；　coarseness；　and

selfishness；　they　will　unconsciously　assume　the　same　character；

and　grow　up　to　adult　years　rude；　uncultivated；　and　all　the　more

dangerous　to　society　if　placed　amidst　the　manifold　temptations　of

what　is　called　civilised　life。　　〃Give　your　child　to　be　educated　by

a　slave；〃　said　an　ancient　Greek；　〃and　instead　of　one　slave；　you

will　then　have　two。〃



The　child　cannot　help　imitating　what　he　sees。　　Everything　is　to

him　a　modelof　manner；　of　gesture；　of　speech；　of　habit；　of

character。　　〃For　the　child；〃　says　Richter；　〃the　most　important　era

of　life　is　that　of　childhood；　when　he　begins　to　colour　and　mould

himself　by　companionship　with　others。　　Every　new　educator　effects

less　than　his　predecessor；　until　at　last；　if　we　regard　all　life　as

an　educational　institution；　a　circumnavigator　of　the　world　is　less

influenced　by　all　the　nations　he　has　seen　than　by　his　nurse。〃　（2）

Models　are　therefore　of　every　importance　in　moulding　the　nature　of

the　child；　and　if　we　would　have　fine　characters；　we　must

necessarily　present　before　them　fine　models。　　Now；　the　model　most

constantly　before　every　child's　eye　is　the　Mother。



One　good　mother；　said　George　Herbert；　is　worth　a　hundred

schoolmasters。　　In　the　home　she　is　〃loadstone　to　all　hearts；　and

loadstar　to　all　eyes。〃　　Imitation　of　her　is　constantimitation；

which　Bacon　likens　to　〃a　globe　of　precepts。〃　　But　example　is　far