ypossiblybeofusetoothers.
ItdidnotrequireverykeenobservationtodetectthecharacteroftheyouthofBrabant,butitneededacertaindegreeoftacttoadoptone’smeasurestotheircapacity.Theirintellectualfacultiesweregenerallyweak,theiranimalpropensitiesstrongthustherewasatonceanimpotenceandakindofinertforceintheirnaturestheyweredull,buttheywerealsosingularlystubborn,heavyasleadand,likelead,mostdifficulttomove.Suchbeingthecase,itwouldhavebeentrulyabsurdtoexactfromthemmuchinthewayofmentalexertionhavingshortmemories,denseintelligence,feeblereflectivepowers,theyrecoiledwithrepugnancefromanyoccupationthatdemandedclosestudyordeepthought.HadtheabhorredeffortbeenextortedfromthembyinjudiciousandarbitrarymeasuresonthepartoftheProfessor,theywouldhaveresistedasobstinately,asclamorously,asdesperateswineandthoughnotbravesingly,theywererelentlessactingENMASSE.
IunderstoodthatbeforemyarrivalinM.Pelet’sestablishment,thecombinedinsubordinationofthepupilshadeffectedthedismissalofmorethanoneEnglishmaster.Itwasnecessarythentoexactonlythemostmoderateapplicationfromnaturessolittlequalifiedtoapply—toassist,ineverypracticableway,understandingssoopaqueandcontracted—tobeevergentle,considerate,yieldingeven,toacertainpoint,withdispositionssoirrationallyperversebut,havingreachedthatculminatingpointofindulgence,youmustfixyourfoot,plantit,rootitinrock—becomeimmutableasthetowersofSte.Guduleforastep—buthalfastepfarther,andyouwouldplungeheadlongintothegulfofimbecilitytherelodged,youwouldspeedilyreceiveproofsofFlemishgratitudeandmagnanimityinshowersofBrabantsalivaandhandfulsofLowCountrymud.Youmightsmoothtotheutmostthepathoflearning,removeeverypebblefromthetrackbutthenyoumustfinallyinsistwithdecisiononthepupiltakingyourarmandallowinghimselftobeledquietlyalongthepreparedroad.WhenIhadbroughtdownmylessontothelowestlevelofmydullestpupil’scapacity—whenIhadshownmyselfthemildest,themosttolerantofmasters—awordofimpertinence,amovementofdisobedience,changedmeatonceintoadespot.Iofferedthenbutonealternative—submissionandacknowledgmentoferror,orignominiousexpulsion.Thissystemanswered,andmyinfluence,bydegrees,becameestablishedonafirmbasis.“Theboyisfathertotheman,”itissaidandsoIoftenthoughtwhenlookedatmyboysandrememberedthepoliticalhistoryoftheirancestors.Pelet’sschoolwasmerelyanepitomeoftheBelgiannation.