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prevented。〃 So that； had not Scott been lame； he might have
fought all through the Peninsular War； and had his breast covered
with medals； but we should probably have had none of those works
of his which have made his name immortal； and shed so much glory
upon his country。 Talleyrand also was kept out of the army； for
which he had been destined； by his lameness； but directing his
attention to the study of books； and eventually of men； he at
length took rank amongst the greatest diplomatists of his time。
Byron's clubfoot had probably not a little to do with determining
his destiny as a poet。 Had not his mind been embittered and made
morbid by his deformity； he might never have written a linehe
might have been the noblest fop of his day。 But his misshapen
foot stimulated his mind； roused his ardour； threw him upon his
own resourcesand we know with what result。
So； too； of Scarron； to whose hunchback we probably owe his
cynical verse； and of Pope； whose satire was in a measure the
outcome of his deformityfor he was； as Johnson described him；
〃protuberant behind and before。〃 What Lord Bacon said of
deformity is doubtless； to a great extent； true。 〃Whoever；〃
said he； 〃hath anything fixed in his person that doth induce
contempt； hath also a perpetual spur in himself to rescue
and deliver himself from scorn； therefore； all deformed persons
are extremely bold。〃
As in portraiture； so in biography； there must be light and shade。
The portrait…painter does not pose his sitter so as to bring out
his deformities； nor does the biographer give undue prominence to
the defects of the character he portrays。 Not many men are so
outspoken as Cromwell was when he sat to Cooper for his miniature：
〃Paint me as I am；〃 said he； 〃warts and all。〃 Yet； if we would
have a faithful likeness of faces and characters； they must be
painted as they are。 〃Biography；〃 said Sir Walter Scott； 〃the
most interesting of every species of composition； loses all its
interest with me when the shades and lights of the principal
characters are not accurately and faithfully detailed。 I can no
more sympathise with a mere eulogist； than I can with a ranting
hero on the stage。〃 （7）
Addison liked to know as much as possible about the person and
character of his authors； inasmuch as it increased the pleasure
and satisfaction which he derived from the perusal of their books。
What was their history； their experience； their temper and
disposition？ Did their lives resemble their books？ They thought
noblydid they act nobly？ 〃Should we not delight；〃 says Sir
Egerton Brydges； 〃to have the frank story of the lives and
feelings of Wordsworth； Southey； Coleridge； Campbell； Rogers；
Moore； and Wilson； related by themselves？with whom they lived
early； how their bent took a decided course； their likes and
dislikes； their difficulties and obstacles； their tastes； their
passions； the rocks they were conscious of having split upon；
their regrets； their complacencies； and their self…
justifications？〃 （8）
When Mason was reproached for publishing the private letters of
Gray； he answered； 〃Would you always have my friends appear in
full…dress？〃 Johnson was of opinion that to write a man's life
truly； it is necessary that the biographer should have personally
known him。 But this condition has been wanting in some of the
best writers of biographies extant。 （9） In the case of Lord
Campbell； his personal intimacy with Lords Lyndhurst and Brougham
seems to have been a positive disadvantage； leading him to dwarf
the excellences and to magnify the blots in their characters。
Again； Johnson says： 〃If a man profess to write a life； he must
write it really as it was。 A man's peculiarities； and even his
vices； should be mentioned； because they mark his character。〃 But
there is always this difficulty；that while minute details of
conduct； favourable or otherwise； can best be given from personal
knowledge； they cannot always be published； out of regard for the
living； and when the time arrives when they may at length be told；
they are then no longer remembered。 Johnson himself expressed
this reluctance to tell all he knew of those poets who had been
his contemporaries； saying that he felt as if 〃walking upon ashes
under which the fire was not extinguished。〃
For this reason； amongst others； we rarely obtain an unvarnished
picture of character from the near relatives of distinguished men；
and； interesting though all autobiography is； still less can we
expect it from the men themselves。 In writing his own memoirs； a
man will not tell all that he knows about himself。 Augustine was
a rare exception； but few there are who will； as he did in his
'Confessions；' lay bare their innate viciousness； deceitfulness；
and selfishness。 There is a Highland proverb which says； that if
the best man's faults were written on his forehead he would pull
his bonnet over his brow。 〃There is no man；〃 said Voltaire； 〃who
has not something hateful in himno man who has not some of the
wild beast in him。 But there are few who will honestly tell us
how they manage their wild beast。〃 Rousseau pretended to unbosom
himself in his 'Confessions；' but it is manifest that he held back
far more than he revealed。 Even Chamfort； one of the last men to
fear what his contemporaries might think or say of him； once
observed：… 〃It seems to me impossible； in the actual state of
society； for any man to exhibit his secret heart； the details of
his character as known to himself； and； above all； his weaknesses
and his vices； to even his best friend。〃
An autobiography may be true so far as it goes； but in
communicating only part of the truth； it may convey an impression
that is really false。 It may be a disguisesometimes it is an
apologyexhibiting not so much what a man really was； as what he
would have liked to be。 A portrait in profile may be correct； but
who knows whether some scar on the off…cheek； or some squint in
the eye that is not seen； might not have entirely altered the
expression of the face if brought into sight？ Scott； Moore；
Southey； all began autobiographies； but the task of continuing
them was doubtless felt to be too difficult as well as delicate；
and they were abandoned。
French literature is especially rich in a class of biographic
memoirs； of which we have few counterparts in English。 We refer
to their MEMOIRES POUR SERVIR； such as those of Sully； De Comines；
Lauzun； De Retz； De Thou； Rochefoucalt； &c。； in which we have
recorded an immense mass of minute and circumstantial information
relative to many great personages of history。 They are full of
anecdotes illustrative of life and character； and of details which
might be called frivolous； but that they throw a flood of light on
the social habits and general civilisation of the periods to which
they relate。 The MEMOIRES of Saint…Simon are something more： they
are marvellous dissections of character； and constitu