第4章

Beforehehadbeenmanyyearsapartnertheadvertisementstoodasfollows：-

“ThePiousCountryParishioner。AcompletemanualofChristianDevotion。Price10d。

Areductionwillbemadetopurchasersforgratuitousdistribution。”

Whatastrideismadeintheforegoingtowardsthemodernstandard，andwhatintelligenceisinvolvedintheperceptionoftheunseemlinessoftheoldstyle，whenothersdidnotperceiveit！

WherethenwastheweakplaceinGeorgePontifex’sarmour？I

supposeinthefactthathehadrisentoorapidly。Itwouldalmostseemasifatransmittededucationofsomegenerationsisnecessaryforthedueenjoymentofgreatwealth。Adversity，ifamanissetdowntoitbydegrees，ismoresupportablewithequanimitybymostpeoplethananygreatprosperityarrivedatinasinglelifetime。

Neverthelessacertainkindofgoodfortunegenerallyattendsself-

madementothelast。Itistheirchildrenofthefirst，orfirstandsecond，generationwhoareingreaterdanger，fortheracecannomorerepeatitsmostsuccessfulperformancessuddenlyandwithoutitsebbingsandflowingsofsuccessthantheindividualcandoso，andthemorebrilliantthesuccessinanyonegeneration，thegreaterasageneralrulethesubsequentexhaustionuntiltimehasbeenallowedforrecovery。Henceitoftenshappensthatthegrandsonofasuccessfulmanwillbemoresuccessfulthantheson——

thespiritthatactuatedthegrandfatherhavinglainfallowinthesonandbeingrefreshedbyreposesoastobereadyforfreshexertioninthegrandson。Averysuccessfulman，moreover，hassomethingofthehybridinhim；heisanewanimal，arisingfromthecomingtogetherofmanyunfamiliarelementsanditiswellknownthatthereproductionofabnormalgrowths，whetheranimalorvegetable，isirregularandnottobedependedupon，evenwhentheyarenotabsolutelysterile。

AndcertainlyMrPontifex’ssuccesswasexceedinglyrapid。Onlyafewyearsafterhehadbecomeapartnerhisuncleandauntbothdiedwithinafewmonthsofoneanother。Itwasthenfoundthattheyhadmadehimtheirheir。Hewasthusnotonlysolepartnerinthebusinessbutfoundhimselfwithafortuneofsome30，000poundsintothebargain，andthiswasalargesuminthosedays。Moneycamepouringinuponhim，andthefasteritcamethefonderhebecameofit，though，ashefrequentlysaid，hevalueditnotforitsownsake，butonlyasameansofprovidingforhisdearchildren。

Yetwhenamanisveryfondofhismoneyitisnoteasyforhimatalltimestobeveryfondofhischildrenalso。ThetwoarelikeGodandMammon。LordMacaulayhasapassageinwhichhecontraststhepleasureswhichamanmayderivefrombookswiththeinconveniencestowhichhemaybeputbyhisacquaintances。

“Plato。”hesays，“isneversullen。Cervantesisneverpetulant。

Demosthenesnevercomesunseasonably。Danteneverstaystoolong。

NodifferenceofpoliticalopinioncanalienateCicero。NoheresycanexcitethehorrorofBossuet。”IdaresayImightdifferfromLordMacaulayinmyestimateofsomeofthewritershehasnamed，buttherecanbenodisputinghismainproposition，namely，thatweneedhavenomoretroublefromanyofthemthanwehaveamindto，whereasourfriendsarenotalwayssoeasilydisposedof。GeorgePontifexfeltthisasregardshischildrenandhismoney。Hismoneywasnevernaughty；hismoneynevermadenoiseorlitter，anddidnotspillthingsonthetableclothatmealtimes，orleavethedooropenwhenitwentout。Hisdividendsdidnotquarrelamongthemselves，norwasheunderanyuneasinesslesthismortgagesshouldbecomeextravagantonreachingmanhoodandrunhimupdebtswhichsoonerorlaterheshouldhavetopay。ThereweretendenciesinJohnwhichmadehimveryuneasy，andTheobald，hissecondson，wasidleandattimesfarfromtruthful。Hischildrenmight，perhaps，haveanswered，hadtheyknownwhatwasintheirfather’smind，thathedidnotknockhismoneyaboutashenotinfrequentlyknockedhischildren。Heneverdealthastilyorpettishlywithhismoney，andthatwasperhapswhyheanditgotonsowelltogether。

Itmustberememberedthatatthebeginningofthenineteenthcenturytherelationsbetweenparentsandchildrenwerestillfarfromsatisfactory。Theviolenttypeoffather，asdescribedbyFielding，Richardson，SmollettandSheridan，isnowhardlymorelikelytofindaplaceinliteraturethantheoriginaladvertisementofMessrs。Fairlie&Pontifex’s“PiousCountryParishioner。”butthetypewasmuchtoopersistentnottohavebeendrawnfromnatureclosely。TheparentsinMissAusten’snovelsarelesslikesavagewildbeaststhanthoseofherpredecessors，butsheevidentlylooksuponthemwithsuspicion，andanuneasyfeelingthatleperedefamilleestcapabledetoutmakesitselfsufficientlyapparentthroughoutthegreaterpartofherwritings。IntheElizabethantimetherelationsbetweenparentsandchildrenseemonthewholetohavebeenmorekindly。ThefathersandthesonsareforthemostpartfriendsinShakespeare，nordoestheevilappeartohavereacheditsfullabominationtillalongcourseofPuritanismhadfamiliarisedmen’smindswithJewishidealsasthosewhichweshouldendeavourtoreproduceinoureverydaylife。WhatprecedentsdidnotAbraham，JephthahandJonadabthesonofRechaboffer？HoweasywasittoquoteandfollowtheminanagewhenfewreasonablemenorwomendoubtedthateverysyllableoftheOldTestamentwastakendownverbatimfromthemouthofGod。Moreover，Puritanismrestrictednaturalpleasures；itsubstitutedtheJeremiadforthePaean，anditforgotthatthepoorabusesofalltimeswantcountenance。

MrPontifexmayhavebeenalittlesternerwithhischildrenthansomeofhisneighbours，butnotmuch。Hethrashedhisboystwoorthreetimesaweekandsomeweeksagooddealoftener，butinthosedaysfatherswerealwaysthrashingtheirboys。Itiseasytohavejusterviewswheneveryoneelsehasthem，butfortunatelyorunfortunatelyresultshavenothingwhatevertodowiththemoralguiltorblamelessnessofhimwhobringsthemabout；theydependsolelyuponthethingdone，whateveritmayhappentobe。Themoralguiltorblamelessnessinlikemannerhasnothingtodowiththeresult；itturnsuponthequestionwhetherasufficientnumberofreasonablepeopleplacedastheactorwasplacedwouldhavedoneastheactorhasdone。Atthattimeitwasuniversallyadmittedthattosparetherodwastospoilthechild，andStPaulhadplaceddisobediencetoparentsinveryuglycompany。IfhischildrendidanythingwhichMrPontifexdislikedtheywereclearlydisobedienttotheirfather。Inthiscasetherewasobviouslyonlyonecourseforasensiblemantotake。Itconsistedincheckingthefirstsignsofself-willwhilehischildrenweretooyoungtoofferseriousresistance。Iftheirwillswere“wellbroken“inchildhood，touseanexpressionthenmuchinvogue，theywouldacquirehabitsofobediencewhichtheywouldnotventuretobreakthroughtilltheywereovertwenty-oneyearsold。Thentheymightpleasethemselves；

heshouldknowhowtoprotecthimself；tillthenheandhismoneyweremoreattheirmercythanheliked。

Howlittledoweknowourthoughts——ourreflexactionsindeed，yes；

butourreflexreflections！Man，forsooth，prideshimselfonhisconsciousness！Weboastthatwedifferfromthewindsandwavesandfallingstonesandplants，whichgrowtheyknownotwhy，andfromthewanderingcreatureswhichgoupanddownaftertheirprey，aswearepleasedtosaywithoutthehelpofreason。Weknowsowellwhatwearedoingourselvesandwhywedoit，dowenot？Ifancythatthereissometruthintheviewwhichisbeingputforwardnowadays，thatitisourlessconsciousthoughtsandourlessconsciousactionswhichmainlymouldourlivesandthelivesofthosewhospringfromus。

MrPontifexwasnotthemantotroublehimselfmuchabouthismotives。Peoplewerenotsointrospectivethenaswearenow；theylivedmoreaccordingtoaruleofthumb。DrArnoldhadnotyetsownthatcropofearnestthinkerswhichwearenowharvesting，andmendidnotseewhytheyshouldnothavetheirownwayifnoevilconsequencestothemselvesseemedlikelytofollowupontheirdoingso。Thenasnow，however，theysometimesletthemselvesinformoreevilconsequencesthantheyhadbargainedfor。

Likeotherrichmenatthebeginningofthiscenturyheateanddrankagooddealmorethanwasenoughtokeephiminhealth。Evenhisexcellentconstitutionwasnotproofagainstaprolongedcourseofoverfeedingandwhatweshouldnowconsideroverdrinking。Hisliverwouldnotunfrequentlygetoutoforder，andhewouldcomedowntobreakfastlookingyellowabouttheeyes。Thentheyoungpeopleknewthattheyhadbetterlookout。Itisnotasageneralruletheeatingofsourgrapesthatcausesthechildren’steethtobesetonedge。Well-to-doparentsseldomeatmanysourgrapes；thedangertothechildrenliesintheparentseatingtoomanysweetones。

Igrantthatatfirstsightitseemsveryunjust，thattheparentsshouldhavethefunandthechildrenbepunishedforit，butyoungpeopleshouldrememberthatformanyyearstheywerepartandparceloftheirparentsandthereforehadagooddealofthefuninthepersonoftheirparents。Iftheyhaveforgottenthefunnow，thatisnomorethanpeopledowhohaveaheadacheafterhavingbeentipsyovernight。Themanwithaheadachedoesnotpretendtobeadifferentpersonfromthemanwhogotdrunk，andclaimthatitishisselfoftheprecedingnightandnothisselfofthismorningwhoshouldbepunished；nomoreshouldoffspringcomplainoftheheadachewhichithasearnedwheninthepersonofitsparents，forthecontinuationofidentity，thoughnotsoimmediatelyapparent，isjustasrealinonecaseasintheother。Whatisreallyhardiswhentheparentshavethefunafterthechildrenhavebeenborn，andthechildrenarepunishedforthis。

Onthese，hisblackdays，hewouldtakeverygloomyviewsofthingsandsaytohimselfthatinspiteofallhisgoodnesstothemhischildrendidnotlovehim。Butwhocanloveanymanwhoseliverisoutoforder？Howbase，hewouldexclaimtohimself，wassuchingratitude！Howespeciallyharduponhimself，whohadbeensuchamodelson，andalwayshonouredandobeyedhisparentsthoughtheyhadnotspentonehundredthpartofthemoneyuponhimwhichhehadlavisheduponhisownchildren。“Itisalwaysthesamestory。”hewouldsaytohimself，“themoreyoungpeoplehavethemoretheywant，andthelessthanksonegets；Ihavemadeagreatmistake；I

havebeenfartoolenientwithmychildren；nevermind，Ihavedonemydutybythem，andmore；iftheyfailintheirstomeitisamatterbetweenGodandthem。I，atanyrate，amguiltless。Why，I

mighthavemarriedagainandbecomethefatherofasecondandperhapsmoreaffectionatefamily，etc。，etc。”Hepitiedhimselffortheexpensiveeducationwhichhewasgivinghischildren；hedidnotseethattheeducationcostthechildrenfarmorethanitcosthim，inasmuchasitcostthemthepowerofearningtheirlivingeasilyratherthanhelpedthemtowardsit，andensuredtheirbeingatthemercyoftheirfatherforyearsaftertheyhadcometoanagewhentheyshouldbeindependent。Apublicschooleducationcutsoffaboy’sretreat；hecannolongerbecomealaboureroramechanic，andthesearetheonlypeoplewhosetenureofindependenceisnotprecarious——withtheexceptionofcourseofthosewhoareborninheritorsofmoneyorwhoareplacedyounginsomesafeanddeepgroove。MrPontifexsawnothingofthis；allhesawwasthathewasspendingmuchmoremoneyuponhischildrenthanthelawwouldhavecompelledhimtodo，andwhatmorecouldyouhave？Mighthenothaveapprenticedbothhissonstogreengrocers？Mighthenotevenyetdosoto-morrowmorningifheweresominded？Thepossibilityofthiscoursebeingadoptedwasafavouritetopicwithhimwhenhewasoutoftemper；true，heneverdidapprenticeeitherofhissonstogreengrocers，buthisboyscomparingnotestogetherhadsometimescometotheconclusionthattheywishedhewould。