thoughts on man-第15章

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　to　which　no　one　is　a　stranger；　the　education　of　man　and　his　life　terminate　together。　　We　should　at　no　period　of　our　existence　be　backward　to　receive　information；　and　should　at　all　times　preserve　our　minds　open　to　conviction。　　We　should　through　every　day　of　our　lives　seek　to　add　to　the　stores　of　our　knowledge　and　refinement。　　But；　independently　of　this　more　extended　sense　of　the　word；　a　great　portion　of　the　education　of　the　young　man　is　left　to　the　direction　of　the　man　himself。　　The　epoch　of　entire　liberty　is　a　dangerous　period；　and　calls　upon　him　for　all　his　discretion；　that　he　may　not　make　an　ill　use　of　that；　which　is　in　itself　perhaps　the　first　of　sublunary　blessings。　　The　season　of　puberty　also；　and　all　the　excitements　from　this　source；　〃that　flesh　is　heir　to；〃　demand　the　utmost　vigilance　and　the　strictest　restraint。　　In　a　word；　if　we　would　counteract　the　innate　rebelliousness　of　man；　that　indocility　of　mind　which　is　at　all　times　at　hand　to　plunge　us　into　folly；　we　must　never　slumber　at　our　post；　but　govern　ourselves　with　steady　severity；　and　by　the　dictates　of　an　enlightened　understanding。　　We　must　be　like　a　skilful　pilot　in　a　perilous　sea；　and　be　thoroughly　aware　of　all　the　rocks　and　quicksands；　and　the　multiplied　and　hourly　dangers　that　beset　our　navigation。

In　this　Essay　I　have　treated　of　nothing　more　than　the　inherent　restiveness　and　indocility　of　man；　which　accompany　him　at　least　through　all　the　earlier　sections　and　divisions　of　his　life。　　I　have　not　treated　of　those　temptations　calculated　to　lead　him　into　a　thousand　excesses　and　miseries；　which　originate　in　our　lower　nature；　and　are　connected　with　what　we　call　the　passion　of　love。　　Nor　have　I　entered　upon　the　still　more　copious　chapter；　of　the　incentives　and　provocations　which　are　administered　to　us　by　those　wants　which　at　all　times　beset　us　as　living　creatures；　and　by　the　unequal　distribution　of　property　generally　in　civil　society。　　I　have　not　considered　those　attributes　of　man　which　may　serve　indifferently　for　good　or　for　ill；　as　he　may　happen　to　be　or　not　to　be　the　subject　of　those　fiercer　excitements；　that　will　oft　times　corrupt　the　most　ingenuous　nature；　and　have　a　tendency　to　inspire　into　us　subtle　schemes　and　a　deep　contrivance。　　I　have　confined　myself　to　the　consideration　of　man；　as　yet　untamed　to　the　modes　of　civilised　community；　and　unbroken　to　the　steps　which　are　not　only　prescribed　by　the　interests　of　our　social　existence；　but　which　are　even　in　some　degree　indispensible　to　the　improvement　and　welfare　of　the　individual。　　I　have　considered　him；　not　as　he　is　often　acted　upon　by　causes　and　motives　which　seem　almost　to　compel　him　to　vice；　but　merely　as　he　is　restless；　and　impatient；　and　disdainful　both　of　the　control　of　others；　and　the　shackles　of　system。

For　the　same　reason　I　have　not　taken　notice　of　another　species　of　irrationality；　and　which　seems　to　answer　more　exactly　to　the　Arabic　notion　of　the　fomes　peccati；　the　black　drop　of　blood　at　the　bottom　of　the　heart。　　We　act　from　motives　apprehended　by　the　judgment；　but　we　do　not　stop　at　them。　　Once　set　in　motion；　it　will　not　seldom　happen　that　we　proceed　beyond　our　original　mark。　　We　are　like　Othello　in　the　play：

Our　blood　begins　our　safer　guides　to　rule；　　　And　passion；　having　our　best　judgment　quelled；　　　Assays　to　lead　the　way。


This　is　the　explanation　of　the　greatest　enormities　that　have　been　perpetrated　by　man；　and　the　inhuman　deeds　of　Nero　and　Caligula。　　We　proceed　from　bad　to　worse。　　The　reins　of　our　discretion　drop　from　our　hands。　　It　fortunately　happens　however；　that　we　do　not　in　the　majority　of　cases；　like　Phaeton　in　the　fable；　set　the　world　on　fire；　but　that；　with　ordinary　men；　the　fiercest　excesses　of　passion　extend　to　no　greater　distance　than　can　be　reached　by　the　sound　of　their　voice。


ESSAY　VI。　OF　HUMAN　INNOCENCE。

One　of　the　most　obvious　views　which　are　presented　to　us　by　man　in　society　is　the　inoffensiveness　and　innocence　that　ordinarily　characterise　him。

Society　for　the　greater　part　carries　on　its　own　organization。　　Each　man　pursues　his　proper　occupation；　and　there　are　few　individuals　that　feel　the　propensity　to　interrupt　the　pursuits　of　their　neighbours　by　personal　violence。　　When　we　observe　the　quiet　manner　in　which　the　inhabitants　of　a　great　city；　and；　in　the　country；　the　frequenters　of　the　fields；　the　high　roads；　and　the　heaths；　pass　along；　each　engrossed　by　his　private　contemplations；　feeling　no　disposition　to　molest　the　strangers　he　encounters；　but　on　the　contrary　prepared　to　afford　them　every　courteous　assistance；　we　cannot　in　equity　do　less　than　admire　the　innocence　of　our　species；　and　fancy　that；　like　the　patriarchs　of　old；　we　have　fallen　in　with　〃angels　unawares。〃

There　are　a　few　men　in　every　community；　that　are　sons　of　riot　and　plunder；　and　for　the　sake　of　these　the　satirical　and　censorious　throw　a　general　slur　and　aspersion　upon　the　whole　species。

When　we　look　at　human　society　with　kind　and　complacent　survey；　we　are　more　than　half　tempted　to　imagine　that　men　might　subsist　very　well　in　clusters　and　congregated　bodies　without　the　coercion　of　law；　and　in　truth　criminal　laws　were　only　made　to　prevent　the　ill…disposed　few　from　interrupting　the　regular　and　inoffensive　proceedings　of　the　vast　majority。

From　what　disposition　in　human　nature　is　it　that　all　this　accommodation　and　concurrence　proceed？

It　is　not　primarily　love。　　We　feel　in　a　very　slight　degree　excited　to　good　will　towards　the　stranger　whom　we　accidentally　light　upon　in　our　path。

Neither　is　it　fear。

It　is　principally　forecast　and　prudence。　　We　have　a　sensitiveness；　that　forbids　us　for　a　slight　cause　to　expose　ourselves　to　we　know　not　what。　　We　are　unwilling　to　bc　disturbed。

We　have　a　mental　vis　inertiae；　analogous　to　that　quality　in　material　substances；　by　means　of　which；　being　at　rest；　they　resist　being　put　into　a　state　of　motion。　　We　love　our　security；　we　love　our　respectability；　and　both　of　these　may　be　put　to　hazard　by　our　rashly　and　unadvisedly　thrusting　ourselves　upon　the　course　of　another。　　We　like　to　act　for　ourselves。　　We　like　to　act　with　others；　when　we　think　we　can　foresee　the　way　in　which　the　proposed　transaction　will　proceed；　and　that　it　will　proceed　to　our　wish。

Let　us　put　the　case；　that　I　am　passing　along　the　highway；　destitute　and　pennyless；　and　without　foresight　of　any　means　by　which　I　am　to　procure　the　next　meal　that　my　nature　requires。

The　vagrant；　who　revolves　in　his　mind　the　thought　of　extorting　from　another　the　supply　of　which　he　is　urgently　in　need；　surveys　the　person　upon　whom　he　meditates　this　violence　with　a　scrutinising　eye。　　He　considers；　Will　this　man　submit　to　my　summons　without　resistance；　or　in　what　manner　will　he　repel　my　trespass？　　He　watches　his　eye；　he　measures　his　limbs；　his　strength；　and　his　agility。　　Though　they　have　met　in　the　deserts　of　Africa；　where　there　is　no　law　to　punish　the　violator；　he　knows　that　he　exposes　himself　to　a　fearful　hazard；　and　he　enters　upon　his　purpose　with　desperate　resolve。　　All　this　and　more　must　occur　to　the　man　of　violence；　within　the　pale　of　a　civilised　community。

Begging　is　the　mildest　form　in　which　a　man　can　obtain　from　the　stranger　he　meets；　the　means　of　supplying　his　urgent　necessities。

But；　even　here；　the　beggar　knows　that　he　exposes　himself　not　only　to　refusal；　but　to　the　harsh　and　opprobrious　terms　in　which　that　refusal　may　be　conveyed。　　In　this　city　there　are　laws　against　begging；　and　the　man　that　asks　alms　of　me；　is　an　offender　against　the　state。　　In　country…towns　it　is　usual　to　remark　a　notice　upon　entering；　to　say；　Whoever　shall　be　found　begging　in　this　place；　shall　be　set　in　the　stocks。

There　are　modes　however　in　which　I　may　accost　a　stranger；　with　small　apprehension　that　I　shall　be　made　to　repent　of　it。　　I　may　enquire　of　him　my　way　to　the　place　towards　which　my　business　or　my　pleasure　invites　me。　　Ennius　of　old　has　observed；　that　lumen　de　lumine；　to　light　my　candle　at　my　neighbour's　lamp；　is　one　of　the　privileges　that　the　practices　of　civil　society　concede。

But　it　is　not　merely　from　forecast　and　prudence　that　we　refrain　from　interrupting　the　stranger　in　his　way。　　We　have　all　of　us　a　certain　degree　of　kindness　for　a　being　of　our　own　species。　　A　multitude　of　men　feel　this　kindness　for　every　thing　that　has　animal　life。　　We　would　not　willingly　molest　the　stranger　who　has　done　us　no　injury。　　On　the　contrary　we　would　all　of　us　to　a　certain　extent　assist　him；　under　any　unforeseen　casualty　and　tribulation。　　A　part　therefore　of　the　innocence　that　characterises　our　species　is　to　be　attributed　to　philanthropy。

Childhood　is　diffident。　　Children　for　the　most　part　are　averse　to　the　addressing　themselves　to　strangers；　unless　in　cases　where；　from　the　mere　want　of　anticipation　and　reflection；　they　proceed　as　if　they　were　wholly　without　the　faculty　of　making　calculations　and　deducing　conclusions。　　The　child　neither　knows　himself　nor　the　stranger　he　meets　in　his　path。　　He　has　not　measured　either　the　one　or　the　other。　　He　does　not　know　what　the　stranger　may　be　able；　or　may　likely　be　prompted　to　do　to　him；　nor　what　are　his　own　means　of　defence　or　escape。　　He　takes　refuge　therefore　in　a　wary；　sometimes　an　obstinate　silence。　　It　is　for　this　reason　that　a　boy　at　school　often　appears　duller　and　more　inept；　than　would　be　the　amount　of　a　fair　proportion　to　what　he　is　found　to　be　when　grown　up　to　a　man。

As　we　improve　in　judgment　and　strength；　we　know　better　ourselves　and　others；　and　in　a　majority　of　instances　take　our　due　place　in　the　ranks　of　society。　　We　acquire　a　modest　and　cautious　firmness；　yield　what　belongs　to　another；　and　assert　what　is　due　to　ourselves。　　To　the　last　however；　we　for　the　most　part　retain　the　inoffensiveness　described　in　the　beginning　of　this　Essay。

How　comes　it　then　that　our　nature　labours　under　so　bitter　an　aspersion？　　We　have　been　described　as　cunning；　malicious　and　treacherous。　　Other　animals　herd　together　for　mutual　convenience；　and　their　intercourse　with　their　species　is　for　the　most　part　a　reciprocation　of　social　feeling　and　kindness。　　But　community　among　men；　we　are　told；　is　that　condition　of　human　existence；　which　brings　out　all　our　evil　qualities　to　the　face　of　day。　　We　lie　in　wait　for；　and　circumvent　each　other　by　multiplied　artifices。　　We　cannot　depend　upon　each　other　for　the　truth　of　what　is　stated　to　us；　and　promises　and　the　most　solemn　engagements　often　seem　as　if　they　were　made　only　to　mislead。　　We　are　violent　and　deadly　in　our　animosities；　easily　worked　up　to　ferocity；　and　satisfied　with　scarcely　any　thing　short　of　mutilation　and　blood。　　We　are　revengeful：　　we　lay　up　an　injury；　real　or　imaginary；　in　the　store…house　of　an　undecaying　memory；　waiting　only　till　we　can　repay　the　evil　we　have　sustained　tenfold；　at　a　time　when　our　adversary　shall　be　lulled　in　unsuspecting　security。　　We　are　rapacious；　with　no　symptom　that　the　appetite　for　gain　within　us　will　ever　be　appeased；　and　we　practise　a　thousand　deceits；　that　it　may　be　the　sooner；　and　to　the　greater　degree　glutted。　　The　ambition　of　man　is　unbounded；　and　he　hesitates　at　no　means　in　the　course　it　prompts　him　to　pursue。　　In　short；　man　is　to　man　ever　the　most　fearful　and　dangerous　foe：　　and　it　is　in　this　view　of　his　nature　that　the　king　of　Brobdingnag　says　to　Gulliver；　〃I　cannot　but　conclude　the　bulk　of　your　race　to　be　the　most　pernicious　gen