"What an enigma2 is man? What a strange, chaotic3 and contradictory4 being? Judge of all things, feeble earth-worm, depository of the Truth, mass of uncertainty5, glory and butt6 of the universe, incomprehensible monster! In truth, what is man in the midst of Nature? A cypher in respect to the infinite; all, in comparison with nonentity7: a mean betwixt nothing and all."
Everybody knows that not only in different nations, but in the same nation, mankind present a strange variety of qualities and passions. The English are outspoken8, the Scotch9 reticent10, the Irish uncertain, the American alert, the French ceremonial. Even our English counties have their special ways of action. London is confident, Birmingham dogged, Manchester resolute11, New-castle-on-Tyne has greater modesty12 and greater pride than any other place. Yes; every one agrees with Pascal that man is a bewildering creature. He is proud and abject13, generous and mean, defiant14 and craven, standing15 up for inflexible16 truth, and lying in his daily life. As Byron says, "Man is half dust, half deity17." If we go far enough in our search we find people of all qualities. Everybody sees these characteristics of countries and classes. Everybody recognises these conflicting elements of character in a race; but what amazed me was to perceive that they are to be found in each person in varying proportion and force—they are all there. The varieties of the race are to be found in the same individual. No man who understands this ever looks upon society as he did before. Not knowing this fact, not calculating upon it, error, distrust, disappointment, estrangement18, grow up needlessly.
Twice within the public recollection, two political parties in England have been formed, and made furious by a common ignorance. During the great Slave War in America, the Southern planter was held up as a gentleman of polished manners, of cultivated tastes, a paternal19 master and courteous20 host By others he was described as selfish, sensual, tyrannical, with whom any guest who betrayed sympathy with slaves had an unpleasant time. Both accounts were true. The same model gentleman who showered upon you courtly attentions would tar21 and feather you if he found you display emotion when you heard the shriek22 of the slave under the whip. Later, Parliament, the press, and the Church were divided upon the character of the Turk. One party said he was tolerant, picturesque23, abounding24 in concessions26 and hospitality. The other party described him as subtle, evasive, treacherous27, vicious, and cruel. No one seemed to recognise that all the while he was both these things. He was an adept28 in personal deference29, generous in professions, evasive and treacherous—in short, "Abdul the Damned." To those from whom the Sultan had anything to hope, his graciousness was superb—to those at his mercy he was rapacious30 and murderous.
The Circassians will offer their daughters to the Turk—they send their virgin31 beauty into the market of lust32, and then fight for the purchasers. The Hindoos seem a gentle, unresisting, rice-minded people; yet have such capacity of heroic and vigilant33 reticence34, that though we have been masters of India for one hundred and fifty years, it is said by experienced officials, we do not know the real mind of a single man. The Zulus have savage35 instincts and habits; but they are honest, speak the truth, and despise a man who is angry or excited.
Thiers, the great French statesman, had trust in individuals, but despised the masses. Yet the masses pulled down the Bastile, where only gentlemen were imprisoned36 and not themselves. The masses were moved by a generous dislike of oppression as strongly as Thiers himself.
President Washington, looking only at the corruption37 of classes he came in contact with, predicted evil to the future of American society. Yet, one hundred years after, a latent nobleness of sentiment appeared, which gave a million of lives in order that black men with large feet, as was scornfully said, should be free.
Because oppression had made, for years, assassination38 frequent in Italy, many thought every man carried a stiletto, and did not know that Italians are more patient and cooler-headed on great occasions than Englishmen or Frenchmen.
The Irish do not conceal39 that they are our enemies, and ruin every English movement in which they mingle40, yet who have such brightness, drollery41 of imagination as they? Or who will stand by a friend of their country at the peril42 of their lives without hesitation43 as they do?
The Scotch display in contest a sort of divine ferocity, such as we read of in the Old Testament44. Their battle song at Flodden ran thus:—
"Burn their women, lean and ugly,
Burn their children, great and small,
In the hut and in the palace,
Prince and peasant—burn them all.
With their gear and with their goods;
Drown them in the roaring floods."
The Irish could not excel this rage of hell. Yet the same race gave us Burns and Sir Walter Scott, which no seer would have predicted or any would believe. The Scotch have deliberate generosity48. Though narrow in piety49 they are broad in politics and have veracity50 in their bones.
It concerns us to notice that in every individual there is the same variety of qualities which exist in the race. Not to understand this is to misunderstand everybody with whom we come in contact. Take the case of a man in whom personal ambition predominates. That implies the existence of other qualities which may be even estimable, though subordinated to ends of power. William, the Norman Conqueror51, had a gracious manner to any who lent themselves to further his ends; but, as Tennyson tells us, he was "stark52 as Death to those who crossed him." The first Napoleon gave thrones to generals who would occupy them in his interest, or as his instruments. The third Napoleon was very courteous even to workmen, so long as he believed they would be on his side in the streets; but their throats were not safe in the corridor outside his audience chamber53, if he distrusted them.
This unexpected blandishment confused the strong brain of John Arthur Roebuck, who, under the influence of Bonapartean courtesy, forgot that he had become Emperor by perjury54 and murder. A man caring above all things for power will give anything to acquire it or hold it. If any one will help him even to plunder55 others, he will share the plunder with a liberal hand among his confederates, who proclaim him as a most amiable56, generous, and disinterested57 gentleman. To them he is so. The political world and private life also abounds58 in men who, like Byron's captain, was the "best-mannered gentleman who ever scuttled59 a ship or cut a throat."
There are very few who say as Byron elsewhere wrote:—
"I wish men to be free,
From Kings or mobs—from you or me."
The point of importance is that in judging a man we should accustom60 ourselves to see all about him, and, while we hate the evil, not shut our eyes to what there may be of good in the same person.
For objects of popularity men will encounter peril in promoting measures of public utility, and though they care more for themselves than for the public, the public profit by their ambition. Provided it is understood that these advocates are not to be depended upon any longer than it answers their purpose, nobody is discouraged when they take up with something else, which better serves their ends.
Men like Mr. Gladstone have a passion for conscience in politics; or, like Mr. Bright, have a passion for justice in public affairs; or, like Mr. Mill, have a passion for truth; or, like Mr. Cobden, who had a passion for national prosperity founded on freedom and peace—will encounter labour and obloquy61 with courage, and regard applause only as a happy accident, caring mainly for the consciousness of duty done. However, this class of men are not numerous, but command honour when known.
Men of the average sort very much resemble fishes, except that they are less quiet and not so graceful62 in their movements. There is the Pholas Dactylus, which resembles a small, animated63 sausage with a pudding head. His plan of life is to bore a perfectly64 tubular passage in the soft sand rock on the sea-side, and lie there with his cunning head at the mouth of his dwelling65 and snap up the smaller creatures who wander heedlessly by. Sometimes a near relative has made a dwelling-place at right angles to the direction in which he has elected to make his residence. He does not consult the rights or convenience of any one, but bores straight through his father or his mother-in-law. There are many persons who do the same thing. There is the subtle and picturesque devil fish, who hides himself in the sedge and opens his mouth like a railway tunnel. With the fishing-rod which Nature attaches to his nose, the end of which is contrived66 like a bait, he switches the bright water until fish run forward, when he draws it cleverly up, and the foolish, impetuous, and unobservant creatures rush down his cavernous and treacherous throat He offers a bait, not to feed them, but to feed himself. If people had only eyes to see, there are devil fish about in the sedges of daily life—political, clerical, and social. There is the octopus67, with its long, aimless arms, as silent and lifeless as seaweed. It lies about as idle, as soft, as flexible, and as easy as error, or intemperance68, or dishonesty. But let any edible69 thing approach it, and every limb starts into energy, every fibre is alive, every muscle contracts, and the thing seized dies in its inextricable and iron arms. People abound25 of the octopus species, and it is prudent70 to avoid them. However, the bad are not so many as are supposed. Yet, when we consider that, upon a moderate calculation, a fool a day is born—and doubtless a knave71 a day to keep him company—there must be some dubious72 people about.
A common mistake is that of taking offence at some unpleasant quality, and never looking to see whether there be not others for which we may tolerate and even respect a man. A person is often judged by a single quality, and sometimes by a single word. Persons who have lived long years in amity73 take offence at one expression. It may be uttered in passion; it may be spoken in mere74 lightness of heart, with no intention and no idea of offending—yet it enters into the foolish blood of those who hear it, and poisons the mind evermore. Nevertheless every man who reflects knows that those are fortunate and even miraculously75 skilful76 people, who can always say exactly what they intend to say, and no more. What resource of language—what insight of the minds of others—what mastery of phrases—what subtlety77 of discrimination—what perspicuity78 of statement must he possess who can express his every idea with such unerring accuracy that no word shall be redundant79, or deficient80, or ambiguous; and that another shall understand the speaker precisely81 as he understands himself! Yet by a chance phrase what friendships have been severed—what enmity has arisen—what estrangements, even in households, have occurred from these small and incidental causes? All memory of the tenderness, the kindness, the patient and generous service of years is often obliterated82 by a single word! The error people make is—that everything said is intended. Yet out of the many qualities every man has, and by which any man may be moved, a single passion may go mad in a mind unwatchful. Not only hatred83 or anger, but love will go mad and commit murder, which is often but the insanity84 of a minute. Yet nobody remembers that all are liable to insanity of speech.
What a wonderful thing is perfection! It must be very rare. Yet some people are always looking for it in others who never offer any example of it in themselves. It is not, however, to be had anywhere. All we are entitled to look for is that the good in any individual shall in some general way predominate over the bad. We have need to be thankful if we find this. The late George Peabody was not a mean man, though he would stand in the rain at Charing85 Cross, waiting for a cheap omnibus to the City. There was a threepenny one waiting, but one with a twopenny fare would come up soon—Mr. Peabody would wait for it Making money was the habit of his mind, and he made it in the street as well as the office, and having made it, gave it away with a more than royal hand.
One Sunday I rode in a Miles Platting tram car, amid decorous, well-dressed chapel-going people—several of them young and active. A child fell out of the tram, whose mother was too feeble to follow it. No one moved, save a woman of repulsive86 expression, with whom any one might suppose her neighbours had a bad time. She seemed the least desirable person to know of all the passengers; yet this woman, on seeing the child lying in the road, at once leapt out of the tram, brought the child back and put it tenderly into its mother's arms. Intrepid87 humanity may dwell in a very rough exterior88.
There goes a man with a hard, forbidding face, and a headachy Evangelical complexion89. Like the man mentioned in the last paper, he is not an alluring90 person to know—those at his fireside have a dreary91 time of it. His children have joyless Sundays. He is a street preacher. His voice is harsh and painful. He howls "glad tidings" at the street corner. He is wanting in the first elements of reverence—those of modesty and taste. Yet this same man has kindness and generosity in his heart After his hard day's work is done he will give the evening, which others spend in pleasure, to try and save some casual soul in the street.
Though we continually forget it, we know that men are full of mixed qualities and unequal passions. Ignorance of this renders one of the noblest passages of Shakespeare dangerous if misapplied:
"To thine own self be true,
And it must follow as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
But what is a man's "own self"? It all lies there. Tell the liar92, the thief, the forger93, or the ruffian to be true to himself, and any one knows what will follow. Polonius knew the heart of Laertes, and to him he could say, "to thine own self be true." We must be sure of the nature of him whom we advise to follow himself.*
* Cicero appears to have thought of this when he said:
character, provided it is only peculiar, and not vicious,"
What is or what can be the object of education but to strengthen by precept95, habit and environment the better qualities of human nature; and to divert, repress, or subordinate where we cannot extinguish hereditary96, unethical tendencies? Though we deny—or do not steadily97 see—that nations as well as individuals have capacities for good as well as evil, we admit it when we attempt to create international influences, which shall promote civilisation98.
If any would avoid the disappointment of ignorance and the alarms of the foolish, let him learn to look with unamazed expectancy99 at what will appear on the ocean of Society. Do not look in men for the qualities you want to find, or for qualities you imagine they ought to have, but look with unexpectant eyes for what you can find. Do not expect perfection, but a few good points only, and be glad if you find them, and be tolerant of what is absent. Of him of this way of thinking it may be said, as was said of Charles Lamb: "He did not merely love his friends in spite of their errors, he loved them errors and all." Whoever remains under the delusion100 that nations and men possess only special qualities, and not all qualities in different stages of development, will hate them foolishly, praise them without reason, and will never know men. But whoever understands the trend of things in this ever-changing, uncontrollable world, where
"Our fate comes to us from afar,
Where others made us what we are,"
will utter the prayer of Sadi, the Persian poet: "O God! have pity on the wicked, for Thou hast done everything for the good in having made them good." A prayer worth remembering.
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1
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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contradictory
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| adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立 | |
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uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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nonentity
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| n.无足轻重的人 | |
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outspoken
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| adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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reticent
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| adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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inflexible
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| adj.不可改变的，不受影响的，不屈服的 | |
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deity
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| n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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estrangement
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| n.疏远，失和，不和 | |
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paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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tar
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| n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于 | |
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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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abounding
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| adj.丰富的，大量的v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的现在分词 ) | |
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abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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concessions
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| n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权 | |
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treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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adept
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| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
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deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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rapacious
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| adj.贪婪的，强夺的 | |
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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assassination
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| n.暗杀；暗杀事件 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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mingle
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| vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往 | |
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drollery
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| n.开玩笑，说笑话；滑稽可笑的图画（或故事、小戏等） | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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testament
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| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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veracity
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| n.诚实 | |
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conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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perjury
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| n.伪证；伪证罪 | |
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plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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disinterested
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| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
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abounds
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的第三人称单数 ) | |
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scuttled
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| v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走 | |
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accustom
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| vt.使适应，使习惯 | |
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obloquy
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| n.斥责，大骂 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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octopus
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| n.章鱼 | |
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intemperance
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| n.放纵 | |
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edible
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| n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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knave
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| n.流氓；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
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dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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amity
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| n.友好关系 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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miraculously
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| ad.奇迹般地 | |
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skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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subtlety
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| n.微妙，敏锐，精巧；微妙之处，细微的区别 | |
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perspicuity
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| n.（文体的）明晰 | |
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redundant
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| adj.多余的，过剩的；(食物)丰富的；被解雇的 | |
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deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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charing
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| n.炭化v.把…烧成炭，把…烧焦( char的现在分词 )；烧成炭，烧焦；做杂役女佣 | |
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repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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intrepid
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| adj.无畏的，刚毅的 | |
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exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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alluring
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| adj.吸引人的，迷人的 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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forger
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| v.伪造；n.（钱、文件等的）伪造者 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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precept
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| n.戒律；格言 | |
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hereditary
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| adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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expectancy
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| n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额 | |
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delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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