German composition

Section 164 Humility

I believe the first⁠1 test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by⁠2 humility, doubt of⁠3 his own power, or hesitation⁠4 in speaking⁠5 his opinions, but a right understanding of the relation between⁠6 what he can do and say, and⁠7 the rest of the world’s sayings and doings. All great men not only know⁠8 their business⁠9, but usually know⁠10 that⁠11 they know it; they are not only right in their main opinions⁠12, but they usually know that they are right in them (S. 4, N. 5, B); only they do not think much of themselves on⁠13 that account. Arnolfo⁠14 knows he can build a good⁠15 dome at Florence; Albert⁠16 Dürer writes calmly⁠17 to one who had found fault with his work: “It cannot be better done;” Sir Isaac Newton knows that he has worked⁠18 out a problem or two that would have puzzled anybody⁠19 else:—only they do not expect their⁠20 fellow-men therefore to fall down and worship them; they⁠21 have a curious under-sense of powerlessness, feeling (S. 30, N. 4) that the greatness is⁠22 not in them, but through them; that they could (App. § 33) not do or be anything else than⁠23 what God made them. They see something divine and God-made⁠24 in every other man, and are endlessly, nay⁠25 incredibly merciful⁠26.—Anonymous.

Notes

1 = best; test, Prüfstein, m.

2 unter, which place at the head of the period; mean = understand.

3 an, with the Dat.

4 here Unentschlossenheit.

5 aus´sprechen.

6 von.

7 = and of that which the remaining world can say and do.

8 = understand.

9 Sache, f.

10 wissen, after which insert the adv. auch.

11 that they understand the same (to agree with Sache).

12 Hauptansichten.

13 on that account, deswegen, which place after the Subj.; to think much of oneself, eine große Meinung von sich haben.

14 Arnolfo di Cambio, berühmter Baumeister und Bildhauer zu Florenz (1232-1300), baute den Dom St. Maria del fiore zu Florenz und das Tabernakel zu St. Paolo in Rom.

15 = stately.

16 Albrecht Dürer, geboren den 20. Mai 1471 zu Nürnberg, gestorben den 6. April 1528 ebendaselbst, muß zu den hervorragendsten und vielseitigsten Künstlern gezählt werden, die je gelebt. Er war nicht allein ausgezeichneter Maler, sondern auch zugleich Kupferstecher (engraver on copper), Formschneider (moulder), Bildhauer (sculptor), Architekt und Schriftsteller (author) über die Kunst. Er war der Erfinder der Ätzkunst, erfand das Mittel, die Holzschnitte mit zwei Farben zu drucken, und vervollkommnete die Schriftgießerei (type-foundry), denn von ihm stammt die Form der deutschen Lettern.

17 gelassen; one, jemand.

18 to work out a problem or two, Probleme lösen.

19 anybody else, jeder andere, as Nom.

20 = that their fellow-men therefore (deshalb) must (sollen) fall down before them and worship (an´beten) them. The auxiliary sollen must be placed last, accord. to App. § 18.

21 they — powerlessness. This clause cannot be rendered in a literal way, but may be expressed thus: ‘they recognise that they are, after all, only powerless’; after all, only, doch nur, which place after the Subj.

22 is not = manifests itself not (sich offenbaren).

23 als wozu Gott sie erschaffen.

24 Gotterschaffenes.

25 ja sogar.

26 = forbearing, nachsichtig.