The Portable Edmund Burke (Portable Library)

by Edmund Burke

  He is no Scholar; every accomplishment he has seems to be derived immediately from his nature; there must be no appearance of any thing borrowed; to think justly, costs him no more trouble than to breathe freely.Yet he is not ignorant; he seems rather to slight books, than not to know them.

  There is very little of Wit in his conversation; this is a quality that draws the admiration of company, but often at the expense of their esteem. It very soon tires; and there is such an immense distance between the heights of that, and the plainness of common discourse, that it breaks the even tenor of conversation that can alone take in the whole company and make it agreeable in all its parts.

  Neither is his discourse of the humorous kind; it never raises a laugh; but yet it is not wholly averse from that Strain. There is a sort of concealed Irony that tinges his whole conversation. He entertains no extremes of opinion; he scarcely ever disputes; he is sceptical in his notions; and not fond of deep disquisitions; there is some one point in all Topics that seems to determine his judgement about them without much enquiries into other particulars. He seldom contradicts your opinions, and you will gain very little by contradicting his.

  To make a man perfectly agreeable to his company he ought not to exert such Talents as may raise the envy, and consequently the uneasiness, of anybody in it. ‘Tis on this principle, that the Character of a fine gentleman is not a brilliant one. There is no part of his discourse you prefer to another; and he is never the man whose bons mots are retailed in every company. His expressions are well chosen and easy, but they are not strong. There is no Glare; but there is a universal Effect produced by an infinity of fine Touches, which are imperceptible and inimitable.You may observe in lower Life, that a speaker of wise Sentences, a strenuous disputant, or one ostentatious of knowledge, never want[s] abundance of admirers; but in an higher Sphere such persons are in no great request. People of rank can brook a superiority, especially an avowed superiority, much less than others; there is a principle of politeness that forms an apparent level of their understanding. And hence I believe it is that politeness is apt sometimes to flatten into the Insipid.

  The Vulgar are apt to judge of politeness by a number of ceremonious observances; but this notion is a good deal exploded amongst people of good sense and breeding.You distinguish nothing in the address of the fine Gentleman other than that it is free and unconstrained; there is a sort of openness and candour in his demeanor that invite you to that same openness and freedom; his Civilities and compliments are few, for there is something in professions that confound[s] a man; and a complement has not always a very pleasing Effect when it cannot be answered with Spirit.

  Nothing is more disengaged than the language, the behaviour and the very looks of a perfect Gentleman; for which reason it can seldom be reached by men of Business, or professions, or those who are given to a close attention to any thing. This part grows almost spontaneously out of a plentiful fortune, the smiles of the world, and acquaintance with Courts.

  Indolence is a predominant ingredient in this Character; Diligence, economy, prudence, and a consideration of the future are the virtues of men of business; and give an air of closeness and reserve, inconsistent with the perpetual Gaiety and ease that shine with such a constant Lustre in the fine Gentleman.

  To be libertine in his practices and opinions is another part of his Character; but he is not a debauchee; ‘tis only so much as may make him entirely a man of the world. In point of Gallantry he is no way scrupulous. The greatest liberty in his actions, and the greatest decency in his discourse are his Character in that point. Drunkenness is a Vice he abhors; but Luxury in point of eating he is not ashamed of. He may be accused of excess in Gaming; but the great Temper he preserves under his Losses, is one of his remarkable excellencies.

  You see no Tincture of Vanity in his conversation; and it is a nice Eye that under that air of Affability and complaisance can discern a great deal of pride.

  The fine Gentleman is never a warm friend;—it is but too true, that a Close attachment to particulars makes a man less easy and pleasing in general Society; and it is there and not in the relations of a friend, a father, a husband, or a relation, or any close connexions that a fine Gentleman shines. France is a great polisher of manners; for there they pursue publick assemblies, and neglect the satisfactions of privacy and retirement. The fine Gentleman has but little of Tenderness or what is called Good nature; a frequent feeling for others, a mixing with the unfortunate, and interesting oneself in their concerns, tends to throw a gloom on a man’s Character and make it splenetick and uneven.

  It is almost impossible for any man to be a fine Gentleman, who has not courage. But as such a Character is not ostentatious or affected, it is equally Essential to it to conceal this Quality. It is only to appear in a composure, formed by a confidence a man finds in himself, that he is able to prevent being disturbed in his own Course by the insolence or brutality of others. The whole Circle of Taste must be open to him; but the affected parts, the Cant of a dealer in pictures, or the Chimeras of a Virtuoso never make their appearance. Such a Character goes through Life with great Smoothness. He is praised by everybody; respected, esteemed, courted, and everything but really Loved.

  I am not sure as to this last point; for he receives all the marks of Love, except the disagreeable one[s] that arise in Close intimacies, when men are undisguised and unrestrained, and give their Tempers a loose in all humours.

  Perhaps this Character in all its points is not to be met. I have sometimes seen something not very far from it. To be consistent and perfect, I fancy it must be nearly as this is described. I do not mean a perfect man, for this Character has many faults; but none that do not in a good measure contribute to what we find most beautiful and pleasing in it.

  THE CHARACTER OF A WISE MAN

  The person I intend to describe is not the wise man of the Stoics, much less is he one of those whom the scripture calls wise unto Salvation; but a mere wise man of this world; one who chooses some desirable end in life and disposes the means of it judiciously and with efficacy. Having given this definition, any further character may seem useless and idle; as to give a Character of prudence and industry in the abstract. But to me it seems otherwise. Those things which appear to depend wholly on reason and prudence have always some inferior supports in our passions; even reason and prudence themselves depend, if not for their substance, yet certainly for their colour and bent on our native constitution and complexions. A certain adjustment of passions, and a certain mode of understanding, are as requisite to form a wise man as a certain degree of reason and good sense.

  A wise man may properly be said to have but two passions, avarice and ambition; the rest are absorbed in these. And if they appear, it is in a subordinate way and to serve the purposes of the two principal.

  When he has any end in view, he never looses sight of it; he never suffers it to be sacrificed to intermediate and triflling gratifications. Weak minds cannot fix their eyes steadily on one object. They are soon weary of the pursuit. At the same time that they are unwilling wholly to relinquishing the principal Design, they cannot avoid taking up with some temporary Reliefs, every one of which, however, puts them further and further from their Object.

  They waste their whole life without the enjoyment of their pleasures or the establishment of their interest; and drop into their Graves fatigued, restless, anxious, unsatisfied, unsuccessful beings. But the whole life of a wise man is one uniform plot;—everything lends the main design. He knows he cannot enjoy all things, and therefore he drives at some one secure and permanent enjoyment. He leaves nothing to chance; and you might as well take away his Life as make him live extempore. He considers each day only as it does something for the next, and every Year he lives only as it promises a greater interest or grandeur for the future. Yet he is not without the enjoyment of his grandeur or fortune; but this enjoyment only whets him for new ones; and the chief satisfaction he has in them is that they are the certain pledges of more.r />
  He is courageous in an high degree; and knowing that Life without its ends is nothing, he will always venture his life for his ends; and the ends themselves sometimes to extend them. But this never without reason; for his courage is rather of the steady than adventurous kind. He will not move one foot untill he has fixed the other. Yet as he has always a principle of Vigour within him; when he has done so, no frivolous fears shall hinder him from moving both. His pace is not rapid but firm and even. If he does not gain ground as fast as they who move by starts, he never looses any; and is always gaining something. He is called fortunate, and he is so; there happen chances nearly equal to all men; but only those who are ever attentive to their Design, see all the accidents that may tend to it. And it is not that more of these adventures happen to him than to other men; but he knows them when they do happen and knows too how to make use of them. His understanding is strong without being very extensive; and the stronger for being confined. His imagination is neither warm nor bright; so that all his actions are rather to be approved than admired. Vanity is a little passion gratified with little things; and always pernicious to the owner of it. It never gains much, because it lays by nothing, and works always for present pay; it has an appetite early many [may be] satisfied but [which] must be fed often. A wise design has been disconcerted because the vain contriver must needs have his wisdom appear as well as his design executed: but the wise man is far above that triffling gratification which puts him in the power of every fool; yet he knows his own value to a scruple; he is even proud to the last degree; a passion which never yet brought any man into contempt but one extremely weak,—a sort of people who are seldom proud. But as he carefully avoids contempt he is not passionate for admiration; he gains a solid esteem attended with solid advantage; he admires no man, esteems very few, and those he esteems he always fears. Those whom he holds in the lowest contempt are good natured men of no great abilities and men of fine parts who are imprudent and unsuccessful in the World. He knows that patient suffering one injury is sure to draw on another; his pride makes him feel all injuries deeply, and his constancy enables him to keep any resolution he has formed. So that his revenge is deep, slow, certain, implaccable and ruinous. On the other hand his friendship is sure; oblige him and he never forgets it. He understands the Value of a good Office; and that is a great deal. He knows likewise the use of a friend in any design. In choosing his friends he has little regard to the heart or moral character; and once he has chosen a friend, no vice of his can alianate [sic] him. He expects them in men. It is not vice but folly he objects to; and as he never much esteems his friends, even something of that he may forgive. But if he should chang[e] his friendship, the object is not neglected but ruined.

  In his discourse he is not eloquent, yet he is always very well heard; because no man has ever heard him say a light undigested thing. He seems to say more than he expresses; he has a slowness to determine; he draws all his ideas from experience rather than Speculation; and chooses to appear not so much an agreeable man as a Man of good contrivance and sagacity; and of Action rather than Elocution. He is extremely slow in trusting or believing; and he is confirmed in this disposition every day he lives. When he sees any man perfidious, he grows more cautious. And when he sees another faithful, he does not change his mind; because he believes he has an interest in his fidelity. This belief of men acting more according to their interest than they really do, is what prejudices him more than anything else. He trusts much to himself; this sometimes hurts him too.

  He has nothing of that milky quality of good nature which, as it softens, generally something enfeebles the mind. He is in his nature stern, severe, and inflexible. The life of a man is nothing in his eyes if his dying should be anything more conducive to the management of his business than his living.Yet he cannot be said to be cruel or fond of blood, because he never chooses to do anything unnecessary. And he is seldom in the passion of anger.

  It is hardness in his Character I take to be the cause why he has no Religion. His passions are not easily moved; and he is incredulous in his nature. He is, besides, proud; apt to reject anything which has a mean aspect in any sense, or is much venerated by mean people. He estimates things merely as they are estimated in the world; and he is always ready to suspect everything of policy and contrivance. In that light he looks upon Religion; which he esteems and despises at once. But he never seeks an empty and foolish reputation from running it down.You cannot discover his Sentiments any otherwise than by his indifference in it and the discoveries which being too cautious of a discovery sometimes makes.

  His conversation is not without an agreeable pleasantry; but his mirth is usually dry and sarcastical. His way of loving mankind is but an intercourse of business; not of affection. For he neither loves nor hates anybody. When he marries he makes a good choice because he chooses without passion. Family and fortune he secures; and does not neglect those qualities that may make his Wife an useful and agreeable companion. He makes to her a good husband; but she has not a great deal of his attention; and when she dies, he has a loss of which he is not insensible; but not to that degree which may hinder him of reflecting that his eldest Son may have a better match by the removal of her jointure.

  His Children are well educated, and well kept; and in general well instructed to make a figure in the World. Far from being a burden to him, they may be considered as instruments of his Ambition. By advancing them he makes them useful to him; advancing thereby his own importance and grandeur in publick life.

  He is steady to his party, and useful to it; and seeks preferment without being servile. In an Office of trust he does not betray it by dishonesty, nor degrade it by inability; but it acquires no dignity under him; and passes to his successor just as he found it. He neglects no usual profit, and scruples no usual action of whatever nature; but to innovate is dangerous and uncertain; so that, wronging no man in trifles, nor exasperating any by petty injuries; standing no man’s rival in inferior accomplishments or pleasures, and serving many for his own ends; ruining those who endeavour to disserve him; being a man to be depended on in business, and adhering to justice whilst it is consistent with sound policy, (and it is not often otherwise), he passes thro affairs with reputation; not being capricious and splenetick; advancing his Children by all means; and not exasperating one set of his neighbours by being of party with the other, he passes for no ill natured Man. Having lived successfully respected, feared, courted, and something envied; hated but by few, and that secretly; with a Character defended by all the common maxims of Life to which he has always carefully adjusted his conduct, he dies, is emboweld, embalmed, and buried, with a Monument expressing his family, his places, and his Alliances.

  THE CHARACTER OF—[MRS EDMUND BURKE]

  I intend to give my Idea of a woman. If it at all answers any Original I shall be pleased; for if such a person really exists as I would describe, she must be far Superior to any Description, and such as I must love too well to be able to paint as I ought.

  She is handsome; but it is a Beauty not arising from features, from Complexion and Shape. She has all these in an high degree; but whoever looks at her never perceives them, nor makes them the Topic of his Praise. ‘Tis all the sweetness of Temper, Benevolence, Innocence and Sensibility which a face can express, that forms her beauty.

  She has a face that just raises your attention at first sight; it grows on you every moment, and you wonder it did no more than raise your Attention at first.

  Her Eyes have a mild light, but they awe you when she pleases; they command like a good man out of office, not by Authority but virtue.

  Her features are not perfectly regular; this Sort of Exactness is more to be praised than loved; it is never animated.

  Her stature is not tall. She is not to be the admiration of everybody, but the happiness of one.

  She has all the Delicacy that does not Exclude firmness.

  She has all the Softness that does not imply weakness.

  There is o
ften more of the Coquet shewn in an Effected plainness, than a Tawdry finery; she is always clean without preciseness or affectation.

  Her Gravity is a gentle thoughtfulness that Softens the features without discomposing them. She is usually grave.

  Her Smiles are ... inexpressible—

  Her Voice is a low, Soft musick; not formed to rule in publick Assemblies, but to charm those who can distinguish a Company from a Croud. It has this advantage, you must come Close to her to hear it.

  To describe her body, describes her mind; one is the Transcript of the other.

  Her understanding is not shewn in the Variety of matters it exerts itself on, but the goodness of the Choice she makes.

  She does not Shew it so much in doing or Saying striking things, as in avoiding such as she ought not to say or do.

  She discovers the right from the wrong in things not by reasoning, but Sagacity.

  Most women, and many good ones, have a Closeness and something Selfish in their Disposition:—She has a true generosity of Temper. The most extravagant cannot be more willing to give; the most Covetous not more cautious to whom they give.

  No person of so few years can know the world better: no person was ever less corrupted by that knowledge. Her politeness seems to flow rather from a natural disposition to oblige, than from any rules on that subject; and therefore never fails to Strike those who understand good breeding, and those who do not.

  She does not run with a Girlish eagerness into new friendships; which as they have no foundation in reason, only tend to multiply and imbitter disputes. ‘Tis long before she chuses; but then it is fixid forever; and the first hours of romantick friendships are not more warm than hers after years.

  As she never disgraces her good nature by severe reflections on any body, so she never degrades her Judgement by immoderate or ill-placed praises; for everything violent is contrary to the Gentleness of her disposition, and the evenness of her virtue. She has a steady and firm mind, which takes no more from the female Character than the Solidity of marble does from its Polish and Lustre.