Forge Yourself One

Forge yourself one.

--- James Anthony. Froude, the Nemesis of Faith

When James Anthony. Froude (1818-1894) was a young man, he intended to be a clergyman to serve the Anglican Church, but he couldn’t have absolute faith in it. He wrote The Nemesis of Faith, a novel telling about a story of a skeptical priest whose model was himself. This novel was a statement of his resolution to leave the church & step into new life to become a historian. He says in the novel:

You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one. Go out into life, you will find your chance there, and only there.

ジェイムズ・アンソニー・フルードは若い頃、英国国教会の聖職者になる心づもりでいたが、純然たる信仰心は持てないでいた。フルードは自分をモデルにした懐疑的な僧侶の物語を語る小説『信仰の復讐』を書いた。この小説は教会を去って、歴史家になるために新たな人生に踏み出す決意の表明であった。フルードは小説に書いている。

誰かになろうと夢見てはいけない。自分を叩いて一人の人間に仕上げなけならないのだ。人生に向かっていけば、それでこそ、機会が見出せうるのだ。

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