thoughts on man-第13章

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al。

But　I　am　not　going　into　any　thing　of　this　slight　and　every…day　character。

Man　is　a　rational　being。　　It　is　by　this　particular　that　he　is　eminently　distinguished　from　the　brute　creation。　　He　collects　premises　and　deduces　conclusions。　　He　enters　into　systems　of　thinking；　and　combines　systems　of　action；　which　he　pursues　from　day　to　day；　and　from　year　to　year。　　It　is　by　this　feature　in　his　constitution　that　he　becomes　emphatically　the　subject　of　history；　of　poetry　and　fiction。　　It　is　by　this　that　he　is　raised　above　the　other　inhabitants　of　the　globe　of　earth；　and　that　the　individuals　of　our　race　are　made　the　partners　of　〃gods；　and　men　like　gods。〃

But　our　nature；　beside　this；　has　another　section。　　We　start　occasionally　ten　thousand　miles　awry。　　We　resign　the　sceptre　of　reason；　and　the　high　dignity　that　belongs　to　us　as　beings　of　a　superior　species；　and；　without　authority　derived　to　us　from　any　system　of　thinking；　even　without　the　scheme　of　gratifying　any　vehement　and　uncontrolable　passion；　we　are　impelled　to　do；　or　at　least　feel　ourselves　excited　to　do；　something　disordinate　and　strange。　　It　seems　as　if　we　had　a　spring　within　us；　that　found　the　perpetual　restraint　of　being　wise　and　sober　insupportable。　　We　long　to　be　something；　or　to　do　something；　sudden　and　unexpected；　to　throw　the　furniture　of　our　apartment　out　at　window；　or；　when　we　are　leaving　a　place　of　worship；　in　which　perhaps　the　most　solemn　feelings　of　our　nature　have　been　excited；　to　push　the　grave　person　that　is　just　before　us；　from　the　top　of　the　stairs　to　the　bottom。　　A　thousand　absurdities；　wild　and　extravagant　vagaries；　come　into　our　heads；　and　we　are　only　restrained　from　perpetrating　them　by　the　fear；　that　we　may　be　subjected　to　the　treatment　appropriated　to　the　insane；　or　may　perhaps　be　made　amenable　to　the　criminal　laws　of　our　country。

A　story　occurs　to　me；　which　I　learned　from　the　late　Dr。　Parr　at　Hatton；　that　may　not　unhappily　illustrate　the　point　I　am　endeavouring　to　explain。

Dr。　Samuel　Clarke；　rector　of　St。　James's；　Westminster；　the　especial　friend　of　Sir　Isaac　Newton；　the　distinguished　editor　of　the　poems　of　Homer；　and　author　of　the　Demonstration　of　the　Being　and　Attributes　of　God；　was　one　day　summoned　from　his　study；　to　receive　two　visitors　in　the　parlour。　　When　he　came　downstairs；　and　entered　the　room；　he　saw　a　foreigner；　who　by　his　air　seemed　to　be　a　person　of　distinction；　a　professor　perhaps　of　some　university　on　the　continent；　and　an　alderman　of　London；　a　relation　of　the　doctor；　who　had　come　to　introduce　the　foreigner。　　The　alderman；　a　man　of　uncultivated　mind　and　manners；　and　whom　the　doctor　had　been　accustomed　to　see　in　sordid　attire；　surrounded　with　the　incumbrances　of　his　trade；　was　decked　out　for　the　occasion　in　a　full…dress　suit；　with　a　wig　of　majestic　and　voluminous　structure。　　Clarke　was；　as　it　appears；　so　much　struck　with　the　whimsical　nature　of　this　unexpected　metamorphosis；　and　the　extraordinary　solemnity　of　his　kinsman's　demeanour；　as　to　have　felt　impelled；　almost　immediately　upon　entering　the　room；　to　snatch　the　wig　from　the　alderman's　head；　and　throw　it　against　the　ceiling：　　after　which　this　eminent　person　immediately　escaped；　and　retired　to　his　own　apartment。　　I　was　informed　from　the　same　authority；　that　Clarke；　after　exhausting　his　intellectual　faculties　by　long　and　intense　study；　would　not　unfrequently　quit　his　seat；　leap　upon　the　table；　and　place　himself　cross…legged　like　a　tailor；　being　prompted；　by　these　antagonist　sallies；　to　relieve　himself　from　the　effect　of　the　too　severe　strain　he　had　previously　put　upon　his　intellectual　powers。

But　the　deviousness　and　aberration　of　our　human　faculties　frequently　amount　to　something　considerably　more　serious　than　this。

I　will　put　a　case。

I　will　suppose　myself　and　another　human　being　together；　in　some　spot　secure　from　the　intrusion　of　spectators。　　A　musket　is　conveniently　at　hand。　　It　is　already　loaded。　　I　say　to　my　companion；　〃I　will　place　myself　before　you；　I　will　stand　motionless：　　take　up　that　musket；　and　shoot　me　through　the　heart。〃　　I　want　to　know　what　passes　in　the　mind　of　the　man　to　whom　these　words　are　addressed。

I　say；　that　one　of　the　thoughts　that　will　occur　to　many　of　the　persons　who　should　be　so　invited；　will　be；　〃Shall　I　take　him　at　his　word？〃

There　are　two　things　that　restrain　us　from　acts　of　violence　and　crime。　　The　first　is；　the　laws　of　morality。　　The　second　is；　the　construction　that　will　be　put　upon　our　actions　by　our　fellow…creatures；　and　the　treatment　we　shall　receive　from　them。I　put　out　of　the　question　here　any　particular　value　I　may　entertain　for　my　challenger；　or　any　degree　of　friendship　and　attachment　I　may　feel　for　him。

The　laws　of　morality　（setting　aside　the　consideration　of　any　documents　of　religion　or　otherwise　I　may　have　imbibed　from　my　parents　and　instructors）　are　matured　within　us　by　experience。　　In　proportion　as　I　am　rendered　familiar　with　my　fellow…creatures；　or　with　society　at　large；　I　come　to　feel　the　ties　which　bind　men　to　each　other；　and　the　wisdom　and　necessity　of　governing　my　conduct　by　inexorable　rules。　　We　are　thus　further　and　further　removed　from　unexpected　sallies　of　the　mind；　and　the　danger　of　suddenly　starting　away　into　acts　not　previously　reflected　on　and　considered。

With　respect　to　the　censure　and　retaliation　of　other　men　on　my　proceeding；　these；　by　the　terms　of　my　supposition；　are　left　out　of　the　question。

It　may　be　taken　for　granted；　that　no　man　but　a　madman；　would　in　the　case　I　have　stated　take　the　challenger　at　his　word。　　But　what　I　want　to　ascertain　is；　why　the　bare　thought　of　doing　so　takes　a　momentary　hold　of　the　mind　of　the　person　addressed？

There　are　three　principles　in　the　nature　of　man　which　contribute　to　account　for　this。

First；　the　love　of　novelty。

Secondly；　the　love　of　enterprise　and　adventure。　　I　become　insupportably　wearied　with　the　repetition　of　rotatory　acts　and　every…day　occurrences。　　I　want　to　be　alive；　to　be　something　more　than　I　commonly　am；　to　change　the　scene；　to　cut　the　cable　that　binds　my　bark　to　the　shore；　to　launch　into　the　wide　sea　of　possibilities；　and　to　nourish　my　thoughts　with　observing　a　train　of　unforeseen　consequences　as　they　arise。

A　third　principle；　which　discovers　itself　in　early　childhood；　and　which　never　entirely　quits　us；　is　the　love　of　power。　　We　wish　to　be　assured　that　we　are　something；　and　that　we　can　produce　notable　effects　upon　other　beings　out　of　ourselves。　　It　is　this　principle；　which　instigates　a　child　to　destroy　his　playthings；　and　to　torment　and　kill　the　animals　around　him。

But；　even　independently　of　the　laws　of　morality；　and　the　fear　of　censure　and　retaliation　from　our　fellow…creatures；　there　are　other　things　which　would　obviously　restrain　us　from　taking　the　challenger　in　the　above　supposition　at　his　word。

If　man　were　an　omnipotent　being；　and　at　the　same　time　retained　all　his　present　mental　infirmities；　it　would　be　difficult　to　say　of　what　extravagances　he　would　be　guilty。　　It　is　proverbially　affirmed　that　power　has　a　tendency　to　corrupt　the　best　dispositions。　　Then　what　would　not　omnipotence　effect？

If；　when　I　put　an　end　to　the　life　of　a　fellow…creature；　all　vestiges　of　what　I　had　done　were　to　disappear；　this　would　take　off　a　great　part　of　the　control　upon　my　actions　which　at　present　subsists。　　But；　as　it　is；　there　are　many　consequences　that　〃give　us　pause。〃　　I　do　not　like　to　see　his　blood　streaming　on　the　ground。　　I　do　not　like　to　witness　the　spasms　and　convulsions　of　a　dying　man。　　Though　wounded　to　the　heart；　he　may　speak。　　Then　what　may　he　chance　to　say？　　What　looks　of　reproach　may　he　cast　upon　me？　　The　musket　may　miss　fire。　　If　I　wound　him；　the　wound　may　be　less　mortal　than　I　contemplated。　　Then　what　may　I　not　have　to　fear？　　His　dead　body　will　be　an　incumbrance　to　me。　　It　must　be　moved　from　the　place　where　it　lies。　　It　must　be　buried。　　How　is　all　this　to　be　done　by　me？　　By　one　precipitate　act；　I　have　involved　myself　in　a　long　train　of　loathsome　and　heart…sickening　consequences。

If　it　should　be　said；　that　no　one　but　a　person　of　an　abandoned　character　would　fail；　when　the　scene　was　actually　before　him；　to　feel　an　instant　repugnance　to　the　proposition；　yet　it　will　perhaps　be　admitted；　that　almost　every　reader；　when　he　regards　it　as　a　supposition　merely；　says　to　himself　for　a　moment；　〃Would　I？　　Could　I？〃

But；　to　bring　the　irrationality　of　man　more　completely　to　the　test；　let　us　change　the　supposition。　　Let　us　imagine　him　to　be　gifted　with　the　powers　of　the　fabled　basilisk；　〃to　monarchise；　be　feared；　and　kill　with　looks。〃　　His　present　impulses；　his　passions；　his　modes　of　reasoning　and　choosing　shall　continue；　but　his　〃will　is　neighboured　to　his　act；〃　whatever　he　has　formed　a　conception　of　with　preference；　is　immediately　realised；　his　thought　is　succeeded　by　the　effect；　and　no　traces　are　left　behind；　by　means　of　which　a　shadow　of　censure　or　suspicion　can　be　reflected　on　him。

Man　is　in　truth　a　miracle。　　The　human　mind　is　a　creature　of　celestial　origin；　shut　up　and　confined　in　a　wall　of　flesh。　　We　feel　a　kind　of　proud　impatience　of　the　degradation　to　which　we　are　condemned。　　We　beat　ourselves　to　pieces　against　the　wires　of　our　cage；　and　long　to　escape；　to　shoot　through　the　elements；　and　be　as　free　to　change　at　any　instant　the　place　where　we　dwell；　as　to　change　the　subject　to　which　our　thoughts　are　applied。

This；　or　something　like　this；　seems　to　be　the　source　of　our　most　portentous　follies　and　absurdities。　　This　is　the　original　sin　upon　which　St。　Austin　and　Calvin　descanted。　　Certain　Arabic　writers　seem　to　have　had　this　in　their　minds；　when　they　tell　us；　that　there　is　a　black　drop　of　blood　in　the　heart　of　every　man；　in　which　is　contained　the　fomes　peccati；　and　add　that；　when　Mahomet　was　in　the　fourth　year　of　his　age；　the　angel　Gabriel　caught　him　up　from　among　his　playfellows；　and　taking　his　heart　from　his　bosom；　squeezed　out　of　it　this　first　principle　of　frailty；　in　consequence　of　which　he　for　ever　after　remained　inaccessible　to　the　weaknesses　of　other　men＇6＇。

＇6＇　Life　of　Mahomet；　by　Prideaux。


It　is　the　observation　of　sir　Thomas　Browne：　　〃Man　is　a　noble　animal；　splendid　in　ashes；　and　pompous　in　the　grave。〃　　One　of　the　most　remarkable　examples　of　this　is　to　he　found　in　the　pyramids　of　Egypt。　　They　are　generally　considered　as　having　been　erected　to　be　the　tombs　of　the　kings　of　that　country。　　They　have　no　opening　by　which　for　the　light　of　heaven　to　enter；　and　afford　no　means　for　the　accommodation　of　living　man。　　An　hundred　thousand　men　are　said　to　have　been　constantly　employed　in　the　building；　ten　years　to　have　been　consumed　in　hewing　and　conveying　the　stones；　and　twenty　more　in　completing　the　edifice。　　Of　the　largest　the　base　is　a　square；　and　the　sides　are　triangles；　gradually　diminishing　as　they　mount　in　the　air。　　The　sides　of　the　base　are　two　hundred　and　twenty　feet　in　length；　and　the　perpendicular　height　is　above　one　hundred　and　fifty…five　feet。　　The　figure　of　the　pyramid　is　precisely　that　which　is　most　calculated　for　duration：　　it　cannot　perish　by　accident；　and　it　would　require　almost　as　much　labour　to　demolish　it；　as　it　did　to　raise　it　at　first。

What　a　light　does　this　fact　convey　into　the　inmost　recesses　of　the　human　heart！　　Man　reflects　deeply；　and　with　feelings　of　a　mortified　nature；　upon　the　perishableness　of　his　frame；　and　the　appr