thoughts on man-第12章

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In　the　latter　part　of　the　reign　of　Charles　the　Second；　Dryden　and　Otway　and　Lee　held　the　undisputed　supremacy　in　the　serious　drama。

Such　was　the　insensibility　of　the　English　public　to　nature；　and　her　high　priest；　Shakespear。　　The　only　one　of　their　productions　that　has　survived　upon　the　theatre；　is　Venice　Preserved：　　and　why　it　has　done　so　it　is　difficult　to　say；　or　rather　it　would　be　impossible　to　assign　a　just　and　honourable　reason　for　it。　　All　the　personages　in　this　piece　are　of　an　abandoned　and　profligate　character。　　Pierre　is　a　man　resolved　to　destroy　and　root　up　the　republic　by　which　he　was　employed；　because　his　mistress；　a　courtesan；　is　mercenary；　and　endures　the　amorous　visits　of　an　impotent　old　lecher。　　Jaffier；　without　even　the　profession　of　any　public　principle；　joins　in　the　conspiracy；　because　he　has　been　accustomed　to　luxury　and　prodigal　expence　and　is　poor。　　He　has　however　no　sooner　entered　into　the　plot；　than　he　betrays　it；　and　turns　informer　to　the　government　against　his　associates。　　Belvidera　instigates　him　to　this　treachery；　because　she　cannot　bear　the　thought　of　having　her　father　murdered；　and　is　absurd　enough　to　imagine　that　she　and　her　husband　shall　be　tender　and　happy　lovers　ever　after。　　Their　love　in　the　latter　acts　of　the　play　is　a　continued　tirade　of　bombast　and　sounding　nonsense；　without　one　real　sentiment；　one　just　reflection；　or　one　strong　emotion　working　from　the　heart；　and　analysing　the　nature　of　man。　　The　folly　of　this　love　can　only　be　exceeded；　by　the　abject　and　despicable　crouching　and　fawning　of　Jaffier　to　the　man　he　had　so　basely　betrayed；　and　their　subsequent　reconciliation。　　There　is　not　a　production　in　the　whole　realms　of　fiction；　that　has　less　pretension　to　manly；　or　even　endurable　feeling；　or　to　common　propriety。　　The　total　defect　of　a　moral　sense　in　this　piece　is　strongly　characteristic　of　the　reign　in　which　it　was　written。　　It　has　in　the　mean　while　a　richness　of　melody；　and　a　picturesqueness　of　action；　that　enables　it　to　delude；　and　that　even　draws　tears　from　the　eyes　of；　persons　who　can　be　won　over　by　the　eye　and　the　ear；　with　almost　no　participation　of　the　understanding。　　And　this　unmeaning　rant　and　senseless　declamation　sufficed　for　the　time　to　throw　into　shade　those　exquisite　delineations　of　character；　those　transcendent　bursts　of　passion；　and　that　perfect　anatomy　of　the　human　heart；　which　render　the　master…pieces　of　Shakespear　a　property　for　all　nations　and　all　times。

While　Shakespear　was　partly　forgotten；　it　continued　to　be　totally　unknown　that　he　had　contemporaries　as　inexpressibly　superior　to　the　dramatic　writers　that　have　appeared　since；　as　these　contemporaries　were　themselves　below　the　almighty　master　of　scenic　composition。　　It　was　the　fashion　to　say；　that　Shakespear　existed　alone　in　a　barbarous　age；　and　that　all　his　imputed　crudities；　and　intermixture　of　what　was　noblest　with　unparalleled　absurdity　and　buffoonery；　were　to　be　allowed　for　to　him　on　that　consideration。

Cowley　stands　forward　as　a　memorable　instance　of　the　inconstancy　of　fame。　　He　was　a　most　amiable　man；　and　the　loveliness　of　his　mind　shines　out　in　his　productions。　　He　had　a　truly　poetic　frame　of　soul；　and　he　pours　out　the　beautiful　feelings　that　possessed　him　unreservedly　and　at　large。　　He　was　a　great　sufferer　in　the　Stuart　cause；　he　had　been　a　principal　member　of　the　court　of　the　exiled　queen；　and；　when　the　king　was　restored；　it　was　a　deep　sentiment　among　his　followers　and　friends　to　admire　the　verses　of　Cowley。　　He　was　〃the　Poet。〃　　The　royalist　rhymers　were　set　lightly　by　in　comparison　with　him。　　Milton；　the　republican；　who；　by　his　collection　published　during　the　civil　war；　had　shewn　that　he　was　entitled　to　the　highest　eminence；　was　unanimously　consigned　to　oblivion。　　Cowley　died　in　1667；　and　the　duke　of　Buckingham；　the　author　of　the　Rehearsal；　eight　years　after；　set　up　his　tomb　in　the　cemetery　of　the　nation；　with　an　inscription；　declaring　him　to　be　at　once　〃the　Pindar；　the　Horace　and　Virgil　of　his　country；　the　delight　and　the　glory　of　his　age；　which　by　his　death　was　left　a　perpetual　mourner。〃Yetso　capricious　is　fame　a　century　has　nearly　elapsed；　since　Pope　said；

Who　now　reads　Cowley？　　If　he　pleases　yet；　His　moral　pleases；　not　his　pointed　wit；　Forgot　his　epic；　nay；　Pindaric　art；　But　still　I　love　the　language　of　his　heart。

As　Cowley　was　the　great　royalist　poet　after　the　Restoration；　Cleveland　stood　in　the　same　rank　during　the　civil　war。　　In　the　publication　of　his　works　one　edition　succeeded　to　another；　yearly　or　oftener；　for　more　than　twenty　years。　　His　satire　is　eminently　poignant；　he　is　of　a　strength　and　energy　of　thinking　uncommonly　masculine；　and　he　compresses　his　meaning　so　as　to　give　it　every　advantage。　　His　imagination　is　full　of　coruscation　and　brilliancy。　　His　petition　to　Cromwel；　lord　protector　of　England；　when　the　poet　was　under　confinement　for　his　loyal　principles；　is　a　singular　example　of　manly　firmness；　great　independence　of　mind；　and　a　happy　choice　of　topics　to　awaken　feelings　of　forbearance　and　clemency。　　It　is　unnecessary　to　say　that　Cleveland　is　now　unknown；　except　to　such　as　feel　themselves　impelled　to　search　into　things　forgotten。

It　would　be　endless　to　adduce　all　the　examples　that　might　be　found　of　the　caprices　of　fame。　　It　has　been　one　of　the　arts　of　the　envious　to　set　up　a　contemptible　rival　to　eclipse　the　splendour　of　sterling　merit。　　Thus　Crowne　and　Settle　for　a　time　disturbed　the　serenity　of　Dryden。　　Voltaire　says；　the　Phaedra　of　Pradon　has　not　less　passion　than　that　of　Racine；　but　expressed　in　rugged　verse　and　barbarous　language。　　Pradon　is　now　forgotten：　　and　the　whole　French　poetry　of　the　Augustan　age　of　Louis　the　Fourteenth　is　threatened　with　the　same　fate。　　Hayley　for　a　few　years　was　applauded　as　the　genuine　successor　of　Pope；　and　the　poem　of　Sympathy　by　Pratt　went　through　twelve　editions。　　For　a　brief　period　almost　each　successive　age　appears　fraught　with　resplendent　genius；　but　they　go　out　one　after　another；　they　set；　〃like　stars　that　fall；　to　rise　no　more。〃　　Few　indeed　are　endowed　with　that　strength　of　construction；　that　should　enable　them　to　ride　triumphant　on　the　tide　of　ages。

It　is　the　same　with　conquerors。　　What　tremendous　battles　have　been　fought；　what　oceans　of　blood　have　been　spilled；　by　men　who　were　resolved　that　their　achievements　should　be　remembered　for　ever！　And　now　even　their　names　are　scarcely　preserved；　and　the　very　effects　of　the　disasters　they　inflicted　on　mankind　seem　to　be　swept　away；　as　of　no　more　validity　than　things　that　never　existed。　　Warriors　and　poets；　the　authors　of　systems　and　the　lights　of　philosophy；　men　that　astonished　the　earth；　and　were　looked　up　to　as　Gods；　even　like　an　actor　on　the　stage；　have　strutted　their　hour；　and　then　been　heard　of　no　more。

Books　have　the　advantage　of　all　other　productions　of　the　human　head　or　hand。　　Copies　of　them　may　be　multiplied　for　ever；　the　last　as　good　as　the　first；　except　so　far　as　some　slight　inadvertent　errors　may　have　insinuated　themselves。　　The　Iliad　flourishes　as　green　now；　as　on　the　day　that　Pisistratus　is　said　first　to　have　stamped　upon　it　its　present　order。　　The　songs　of　the　Rhapsodists；　the　Scalds；　and　the　Minstrels；　which　once　seemed　as　fugitive　as　the　breath　of　him　who　chaunted　them；　repose　in　libraries；　and　are　embalmed　in　collections。　　The　sportive　sallies　of　eminent　wits；　and　the　Table　Talk　of　Luther　and　Selden；　may　live　as　long　as　there　shall　be　men　to　read；　and　judges　to　appreciate　them。

But　other　human　productions　have　their　date。　　Pictures；　however　admirable；　will　only　last　as　long　as　the　colours　of　which　they　are　composed；　and　the　substance　on　which　they　are　painted。　　Three　or　four　hundred　years　ordinarily　limit　the　existence　of　the　most　favoured。　　We　have　scarcely　any　paintings　of　the　ancients；　and　but　a　small　portion　of　their　statues；　while　of　these　a　great　part　are　mutilated；　and　various　members　supplied　by　later　and　inferior　artists。　　The　library　of　Bufo　is　by　Pope　described；

　　　　　　　　　　where　busts　of　poets　dead；　　　　　　　And　a　true　Pindar　stood　without　a　head。

Monumental　records；　alike　the　slightest　and　the　most　solid；　are　subjected　to　the　destructive　operation　of　time；　or　to　the　being　removed　at　the　caprice　or　convenience　of　successive　generations。　　The　pyramids　of　Egypt　remain；　but　the　names　of　him　who　founded　them；　and　of　him　whose　memory　they　seemed　destined　to　perpetuate；　have　perished　together。　　Buildings　for　the　use　or　habitation　of　man　do　not　last　for　ever。　　Mighty　cities；　as　well　as　detached　edifices；　are　destined　to　disappear。　　Thebes；　and　Troy；　and　Persepolis；　and　Palmyra　have　vanished　from　the　face　of　the　earth。

〃Thorns　and　brambles　have　grown　up　in　their　palaces：　　they　are　habitations　for　serpents；　and　a　court　for　the　owl。〃

There　are　productions　of　man　however　that　seem　more　durable　than　any　of　the　edifices　he　has　raised。　　Such　are；　in　the　first　place；　modes　of　government。　　The　constitution　of　Sparta　lasted　for　seven　hundred　years。　　That　of　Rome　for　about　the　same　period。　　Institutions；　once　deeply　rooted　in　the　habits　of　a　people；　will　operate　in　their　effects　through　successive　revolutions。　　Modes　of　faith　will　sometimes　be　still　more　permanent。　　Not　to　mention　the　systems　of　Moses　and　Christ；　which　we　consider　as　delivered　to　us　by　divine　inspiration；　that　of　Mahomet　has　continued　for　twelve　hundred　years；　and　may　last；　for　aught　that　appears；　twelve　hundred　more。　　The　practices　of　the　empire　of　China　are　celebrated　all　over　the　earth　for　their　immutability。

This　brings　us　naturally　to　reflect　upon　the　durability　of　the　sciences。　　According　to　Bailly；　the　observation　of　the　heavens；　and　a　calculation　of　the　revolutions　of　the　heavenly　bodies；　in　other　words；　astronomy；　subsisted　in　maturity　in　China　and　the　East；　for　at　least　three　thousand　years　before　the　birth　of　Christ：　　and；　such　as　it　was　then；　it　bids　fair　to　last　as　long　as　civilisation　shall　continue。　　The　additions　it　has　acquired　of　late　years　may　fall　away　and　perish；　but　the　substance　shall　remain。　　The　circulation　of　the　blood　in　man　and　other　animals；　is　a　discovery　that　shall　never　be　antiquated。　　And　the　same　may　be　averred　of　the　fundamental　elements　of　geometry　and　of　some　other　sciences。　　Knowledge；　in　its　most　considerable　branches　shall　endure；　as　long　as　books　shall　exist　to　hand　it　down　to　successive　generations。

It　is　just　therefore；　that　we　should　regard　with　admiration　and　awe　the　nature　of　man；　by　whom　these　mighty　things　have　been　accomplished；　at　the　same　time　that　the　perishable　quality　of　its　individual　monuments；　and　the　temporary　character　and　inconstancy　of　that　fame　which　in　many　instances　has　filled　the　whole　earth　with　its　renown；　may　reasonably　quell　the　fumes　of　an　inordinate　vanity；　and　keep　alive　in　us　the　sentiment　of　a　wholsome　diffidence　and　humility。



ESSAY　V。　OF　THE　REBELLIOUSNESS　OF　MAN。

There　is　a　particular　characteristic　in　the　nature　of　the　human　mind；　which　is　somewhat　difficult　to　be　explained。

Man　is　a　being　of　a　rational　and　an　irrational　nature。

It　has　often　been　said　that　we　have　two　souls。　　Araspes；　in　the　Cyropedia；　adopts　this　language　to　explain　his　inconsistency；　and　desertion　of　principle　and　honour。　　The　two　souls　of　man；　according　to　this　hypothesis；　are；　first；　animal；　and；　secondly；　intellectual。

But　I　am　not　going　int