thoughts on man-第16章

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dingnag　says　to　Gulliver；　〃I　cannot　but　conclude　the　bulk　of　your　race　to　be　the　most　pernicious　generation　of　little；　odious　vermin；　that　were　ever　suffered　to　crawl　upon　the　surface　of　the　earth。〃　　The　comprehensive　faculties　of　man　therefore；　and　the　refinements　and　subtlety　of　his　intellect；　serve　only　to　render　him　the　more　formidable　companion；　and　to　hold　us　up　as　a　species　to　merited　condemnation。

It　is　obvious　however　that　the　picture　thus　drawn　is　greatly　overcharged；　that　it　describes　a　very　small　part　of　our　race；　and　that　even　as　to　them　it　sets　before　us　a　few　features　only；　and　a　partial　representation

Historythe　successive　scenes　of　the　drama　in　which　individuals　play　their　partis　a　labyrinth；　of　which　no　man　has　as　yet　exactly　seized　the　clue。

It　has　long　since　been　observed；　that　the　history　of　the　four　great　monarchies；　of　tyrannies　and　free　states；　of　chivalry　and　clanship；　of　Mahometanism　and　the　Christian　church；　of　the　balance　of　Europe　and　the　revolution　of　empires；　is　little　else　than　a　tissue　of　crimes；　exhibiting　nations　as　if　they　were　so　many　herds　of　ferocious　animals；　whose　genuine　occupation　was　to　tear　each　other　to　pieces；　and　to　deform　their　mother…earth　with　mangled　carcases　and　seas　of　blood。

But　it　is　not　just　that　we　should　establish　our　opinion　of　human　nature　purely　from　the　records　of　history。　　Man　is　alternately　devoted　to　tranquillity　and　to　violence。　　But　the　latter　only　affords　the　proper　materials　of　narration。　　When　he　is　wrought　upon　by　some　powerful　impulse；　our　curiosity　is　most　roused　to　observe　him。　　We　remark　his　emotions；　his　energies；　his　tempest。　　It　is　then　that　he　becomes　the　person　of　a　drama。　　And；　where　this　disquietude　is　not　the　affair　of　a　single　individual；　but　of　several　persons　together；　of　nations；　it　is　there　that　history　finds　her　harvest。　　She　goes　into　the　field　with　all　the　implements　of　her　industry；　and　fills　her　storehouses　and　magazines　with　the　abundance　of　her　crop。　　But　times　of　tranquillity　and　peace　furnish　her　with　no　materials。　　They　are　dismissed　in　a　few　slight　sentences；　and　leave　no　memory　　behind。

Let　us　divide　this　spacious　earth　into　equal　compartments；　and　see　in　which　violence；　and　in　which　tranquillity　prevails。　　Let　us　look　through　the　various　ranks　and　occupations　of　human　society；　and　endeavour　to　arrive　at　a　conclusion　of　a　similar　sort。　　The　soldier　by　occupation；　and　the　officer　who　commands　him；　would　seem；　when　they　are　employed　in　their　express　functions；　to　be　men　of　strife。　　Kings　and　ministers　of　state　have　in　a　multitude　of　instances　fallen　under　this　description。　　Conquerors；　the　firebrands　of　the　earth；　have　sufficiently　displayed　their　noxious　propensities。

But　these　are　but　a　small　part　of　the　tenantry　of　the　many…peopled　globe。　　Man　lives　by　the　sweat　of　his　brow。　　The　teeming　earth　is　given　him；　that　by　his　labour　he　may　raise　from　it　the　means　of　his　subsistence。　　Agriculture　is；　at　least　among　civilised　nations；　the　first；　and　certainly　the　most　indispensible　of　professions。　　The　profession　itself　is　the　emblem　of　peace。　　All　its　occupations；　from　seed…time　to　harvest；　are　tranquil；　and　there　is　nothing　which　belongs　to　it；　that　can　obviously　be　applied　to　rouse　the　angry　passions；　and　place　men　in　a　frame　of　hostility　to　each　other。　　Next　to　the　cultivator；　come　the　manufacturer；　the　artificer；　the　carpenter；　the　mason；　the　joiner；　the　cabinet…maker；　all　those　numerous　classes　of　persons；　who　are　employed　in　forming　garments　for　us　to　wear；　houses　to　live　in；　and　moveables　and　instruments　for　the　accommodation　of　the　species。　　All　these　persons　are；　of　necessity；　of　a　peaceable　demeanour。　　So　are　those　who　are　not　employed　in　producing　the　conveniencies　of　life；　but　in　conducting　the　affairs　of　barter　and　exchange。　　Add　to　these；　such　as　are　engaged　in　literature；　either　in　the　study　of　what　has　already　been　produced；　or　in　adding　to　the　stock；　in　science　or　the　liberal　arts；　in　the　instructing　mankind　in　religion　and　their　duties；　or　in　the　education　of　youth。　　〃Civility；〃　〃civil；〃　are　indeed　terms　which　express　a　state　of　peaceable　occupation；　in　opposition　to　what　is　military；　and　imply　a　tranquil　frame　of　mind；　and　the　absence　of　contention；　uproar　and　violence。　　It　is　therefore　clear；　that　the　majority　of　mankind　are　civil；　devoted　to　the　arts　of　peace；　and　so　far　as　relates　to　acts　of　violence　innocent；　and　that　the　sons　of　rapine　constitute　the　exception　to　the　general　character。

We　come　into　the　world　under　a　hard　and　unpalatable　law；　〃In　the　sweat　of　thy　brow　shalt　thou　eat　bread。〃　　It　is　a　bitter　decree　that　is　promulgated　against　us；　〃He　that　will　not　work；　neither　shall　he　eat。〃　　We　all　of　us　love　to　do　our　own　will；　and　to　be　free　from　the　manacles　of　restraint。　　What　our　hearts　〃find　us　to　do；〃　that　we　are　disposed　to　execute　〃with　all　our　might。〃　　Some　men　are　lovers　of　strenuous　occupation。　　They　build　and　they　plant；　they　raise　splendid　edifices；　and　lay　out　pleasure…grounds　of　mighty　extent。　　Or　they　devote　their　minds　to　the　acquisition　of　knowledge；　they

　　　　　　　　　　outwatch　the　bear；　With　thrice　great　Hermes；　or　unsphere　The　spirit　of　Plato；　to　unfold　What　worlds；　or　what　vast　regions　hold　The　immortal　mind。

Others　again　would　waste　perhaps　their　whole　lives　in　reverie　and　idleness。　　They　are　constituted　of　materials　so　kindly　and　serene；　that　their　spirits　never　flag　from　want　of　occupation　and　external　excitement。　　They　could　lie　for　ever　on　a　sunny　bank；　in　a　condition　divided　between　thinking　and　no　thinking；　refreshed　by　the　fanning　breeze；　viewing　the　undulations　of　the　soil；　and　the　rippling　of　the　brook；　admiring　the　azure　heavens；　and　the　vast；　the　bold；　and　the　sublime　figure　of　the　clouds；　yielding　themselves　occasionally　to　〃thick…coming　fancies；〃　and　day…dreams；　and　the　endless　romances　of　an　undisciplined　mind；

　　　　　And　find　no　end；　in　wandering　mazes　lost。

But　all　men；　alike　the　busy　of　constitution　and　the　idle；　would　desire　to　follow　the　impulses　of　their　own　minds；　unbroken　in　upon　by　harsh　necessity；　or　the　imperious　commands　of　their　fellows。

We　cannot　however；　by　the　resistless　law　of　our　existence；　live；　except　the　few　who　by　the　accident　of　their　birth　are　privileged　to　draw　their　supplies　from　the　labour　of　others；　without　exerting　ourselves　to　procure　by　our　efforts　or　ingenuity　the　necessaries　of　food；　lodging　and　attire。　　He　that　would　obtain　them　for　himself　in　an　uninhabited　island；　would　find　that　this　amounted　to　a　severe　tax　upon　that　freedom　of　motion　and　thought　which　would　otherwise　be　his　inheritance。　　And　he　who　has　his　lot　cast　in　a　populous　community；　exists　in　a　condition　somewhat　analogous　to　that　of　a　negro　slave；　except　that　he　may　to　a　limited　extent　select　the　occupation　to　which　he　shall　addict　himself；　or　may　at　least　starve；　in　part　or　in　whole；　uncontroled；　and　at　his　choice。　　Such　is；　as　it　were；　the　universal　lot。

　　　　　'Tis　destiny　unshunnable　like　death：　　　　　　　Even　then　this　dire　necessity　falls　on　us；　　　　　　　When　we　do　quicken。


I　go　forth　in　the　streets；　and　observe　the　occupations　of　other　men。　　I　remark　the　shops　that　on　every　side　beset　my　path。　　It　is　curious　and　striking；　how　vast　are　the　ingenuity　and　contrivance　of　human　beings；　to　wring　from　their　fellow…creatures；　〃from　the　hard　hands　of　peasants〃　and　artisans；　a　part　of　their　earnings；　that　they　also　may　live。　　We　soon　become　feelingly　convinced；　that　we　also　must　enter　into　the　vast　procession　of　industry；　upon　pain　that　otherwise；

　　　　　Like　to　an　entered　tide；　they　all　rush　by；　　　　　　And　leave　you　hindmost：　　there　you　lie；　　　　　　For　pavement　to　the　abject　rear；　o'errun　　　　　　And　trampled　on。


It　is　through　the　effect　of　this　necessity；　that　civilised　communities　become　what　they　are。　　We　all　fall　into　our　ranks。　　Each　one　is　member　of　a　certain　company　or　squadron。　　We　know　our　respective　places；　and　are　marshaled　and　disciplined　with　an　exactness　scarcely　less　than　that　of　the　individuals　of　a　mighty　army。　　We　are　therefore　little　disposed　to　interrupt　the　occupations　of　each　other。　　We　are　intent　upon　the　peculiar　employment　to　which　we　have　become　devoted。　　We　〃rise　up　early；　and　lie　down　late；〃　and　have　no　leisure　to　trouble　ourselves　with　the　pursuits　of　others。　　Hence　of　necessity　it　happens　in　a　civilised　community；　that　a　vast　majority　of　the　species　are　innocent；　and　have　no　inclination　to　molest　or　interrupt　each　other's　avocations。

But；　as　this　condition　of　human　society　preserves　us　in　comparative　innocence；　and　renders　the　social　arrangement　in　the　midst　of　which　we　exist；　to　a　certain　degree　a　soothing　and　agreeable　spectacle；　so　on　the　other　hand　it　is　not　less　true　that　its　immediate　tendency　is；　to　clip　the　wings　of　the　thinking　principle　within　us；　and　plunge　the　members　of　the　community　in　which　we　live　into　a　barren　and　ungratifying　mediocrity。　　Hence　it　should　be　the　aim　of　those　persons；　who　from　their　situation　have　more　or　less　the　means　of　looking　through　the　vast　assemblage　of　their　countrymen；　of　penetrating　〃into　the　seeds〃　of　character；　and　determining　〃which　grain　will　grow；　and　which　will　not；〃　to　apply　themselves　to　the　redeeming　such　as　are　worthy　of　their　care　from　the　oblivious　gulph　into　which　the　mass　of　the　species　is　of　necessity　plunged。　　It　is　therefore　an　ill　saying；　when　applied　in　the　most　rigorous　extent；　〃Let　every　man　maintain　himself；　and　be　his　own　provider：　　why　should　we　help　him？〃

The　help　however　that　we　should　afford　to　our　fellow…men　requires　of　us　great　discernment　in　its　administration。　　The　deceitfulness　of　appearances　is　endless。　　And　nothing　can　well　be　at　the　same　time　more　lamentable　and　more　ludicrous；　than　the　spectacle　of　those　persons；　the　weaver；　the　thresher；　and　the　mechanic；　who　by　injudicious　patronage　are　drawn　from　their　proper　sphere；　only　to　exhibit　upon　a　larger　stage　their　imbecility　and　inanity；　to　shew　those　moderate　powers；　which　in　their　proper　application　would　have　carried　their　possessors　through　life　with　respect；　distorted　into　absurdity；　and　used　in　the　attempt　to　make　us　look　upon　a　dwarf；　as　if　he　were　one　of　the　Titans　who　in　the　commencement　of　recorded　time　astonished　the　earth。

It　is　also　true　to　a　great　degree；　that　those　efforts　of　the　human　mind　are　most　healthful　and　vigorous；　in　which　the　possessor　of　talents　〃administers　to　himself；〃　and　contends　with　the　different　obstacles　that　arise；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　throwing　them　aside；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　stemming　them　with　hearts　of　controversy。


Many　illustrious　examples　however　may　be　found　in　the　annals　of　literature；　of　patronage　judiciously　and　generously　applied；　where　men　have　been　raised　by　the　kindness　of　others　from　the　obscurest　situations；　and　placed　on　high；　like　beacons；　to　illuminate　the　world。　　And；　independently　of　all　examples；　a　sound　application　of　the　common　sense　of　the　human　mind　would　teach　us；　that　the　worthies　of　the　earth；　though　miracles；　are　not　omnipotent；　and　that　a　certain　aid；　from　those　who　by　counsel　or　opulence　are　enabled　to　afford　it；　have　oft　times　produced　the　noblest　effects；　have　carried　on　the　generous　impulse　that　works　within　us；　and　prompted　us　manfully　to　proceed；　when　the　weakness　of　our　nature　was　ready　to　give　in　from　despair。

But　the　thing　that　in　this