thoughts on man-第18章

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　generations。　　The　cause　does　not　lie　in　the　shortness　of　human　life；　unless　we　would　include　in　its　protracted　duration　the　privilege　of　being　for　ever　young；　to　which　we　ought　perhaps　to　add；　that　our　activity　should　never　be　exhausted；　the　freshness　of　our　minds　never　abate；　and　our　faculties　for　ever　retain　the　same　degree　of　tenacity　and　vigour；　as　they　had　in　the　morning　of　life；　when　every　thing　was　new；　when　all　that　allured　or　delighted　us　was　seen　accompanied　with　charms　inexpressible；　and；　as　Dryden　expresses　it＇10＇；　〃the　first　sprightly　running〃　of　the　wine　of　life　afforded　a　zest　never　after　to　be　hoped　for。

＇10＇　Aurengzebe。


I　return　then　to　the　consideration　of　the　alleged　shortness　of　life。　　I　mentioned　in　the　beginning　of　this　Essay；　that　〃human　life　consists　of　years；　months　and　days；　each　day　containing　twenty…four　hours。〃　　But；　when　I　said　this；　I　by　no　means　carried　on　the　division　so　far　as　it　might　be　carried。　　It　has　been　calculated　that　the　human　mind　is　capable　of　being　impressed　with　three　hundred　and　twenty　sensations　in　a　second　of　time。＇11＇

＇11＇　See　Watson　on　Time；　Chapter　II。


〃How　infinitely　rapid　is　the　succession　of　thought！　　While　I　am　speaking；　perhaps　no　two　ideas　are　in　my　mind　at　the　same　time；　and　yet　with　what　facility　do　I　slide　from　one　to　another！　If　my　discourse　be　argumentative；　how　often　do　I　pass　in　review　the　topics　of　which　it　consists；　before　I　utter　them；　and；　even　while　I　am　speaking；　continue　the　review　at　intervals；　without　producing　any　pause　in　my　discourse！　　How　many　other　sensations　are　experienced　by　me　during　this　period；　without　so　much　as　interrupting；　that　is；　without　materially　diverting；　the　train　of　my　ideas！　　My　eye　successively　remarks　a　thousand　objects　that　present　themselves。　　My　mind　wanders　to　the　different　parts　of　my　body；　and　receives　a　sensation　from　the　chair　on　which　I　sit；　or　the　table　on　which　I　lean。　　It　reverts　to　a　variety　of　things　that　occurred　in　the　course　of　the　morning；　in　the　course　of　yesterday；　the　most　remote　from；　the　most　unconnected　with；　the　subject　that　might　seem　wholly　to　engross　me。　　I　see　the　window；　the　opening　of　a　door；　the　snuffing　of　a　candle。　　When　these　most　perceptibly　occur；　my　mind　passes　from　one　to　the　other；　without　feeling　the　minutest　obstacle；　or　being　in　any　degree　distracted　by　their　multiplicity＇12＇。〃

＇12＇　Political　Justice；　Book　IV；　Chapter　ix。


If　this　statement　should　appear　to　some　persons　too　subtle；　it　may　however　prepare　us　to　form　a　due　estimate　of　the　following　remarks。

〃Art　is　long。〃　　No；　certainly；　no　art　is　long；　compared　with　the　natural　duration　of　human　life　from　puberty　to　old　age。　　There　is　perhaps　no　art　that　may　not　with　reasonable　diligence　be　acquired　in　three　years；　that　is；　as　to　its　essential　members　and　its　skilful　exercise。　　We　may　improve　afterwards；　but　it　will　be　only　in　minute　particulars；　and　only　by　fits。　　Our　subsequent　advancement　less　depends　upon　the　continuance　of　our　application；　than　upon　the　improvement　of　the　mind　generally；　the　refining　of　our　taste；　the　strengthening　our　judgment；　and　the　accumulation　of　our　experience。

The　idea　which　prevails　among　the　vulgar　of　mankind　is；　that　we　must　make　haste　to　be　wise。　　The　erroneousness　of　this　notion

however　has　from　time　to　time　been　detected　by　moralists　and　philosophers；　and　it　has　been　felt　that　he　who　proceeds　in　a　hurry　towards　the　goal；　exposes　himself　to　the　imminent　risk　of　never　reaching　it。

The　consciousness　of　this　danger　has　led　to　the　adoption　of　the　modified　maxim；　Festina　lente；　Hasten；　but　with　steps　deliberate　and　cautious。

It　would　however　be　a　more　correct　advice　to　the　aspirant；　to　say；　Be　earnest　in　your　application；　but　let　your　march　be　vigilant　and　slow。

There　is　a　doggrel　couplet　which　I　have　met　with　in　a　book　on　elocution：

　　　　　Learn　to　speak　slow：　　all　other　graces　　　　　　Will　follow　in　their　proper　places。

I　could　wish　to　recommend　a　similar　process　to　the　student　in　the　course　of　his　reading。

Toplady；　a　celebrated　methodist　preacher　of　the　last　age；　somewhere　relates　a　story　of　a　coxcomb；　who　told　him　that　he　had　read　over　Euclid's　Elements　of　Geometry　one　afternoon　at　his　tea；　only　leaving　out　the　A's　and　B's　and　crooked　lines；　which　seemed　to　be　intruded　merely　to　retard　his　progress。

Nothing　is　more　easy　than　to　gabble　through　a　work　replete　with　the　profoundest　elements　of　thinking；　and　to　carry　away　almost　nothing；　when　we　have　finished。

The　book　does　not　deserve　even　to　be　read；　which　does　not　impose　on　us　the　duty　of　frequent　pauses；　much　reflecting　and　inward　debate；　or　require　that　we　should　often　go　back；　compare　one　observation　and　statement　with　another；　and　does　not　call　upon　us　to　combine　and　knit　together　the　disjecta　membra。

It　is　an　observation　which　has　often　been　repeated；　that；　when　we　come　to　read　an　excellent　author　a　second　and　a　third　time；　we　find　in　him　a　multitude　of　things；　that　we　did　not　in　the　slightest　degree　perceive　in　a　first　reading。　　A　careful　first　reading　would　have　a　tendency　in　a　considerable　degree　to　anticipate　this　following　crop。

Nothing　is　more　certain　than　that　a　schoolboy　gathers　much　of　his　most　valuable　instruction　when　his　lesson　is　not　absolutely　before　him。　　In　the　same　sense　the　more　mature　student　will　receive　most　important　benefit；　when　he　shuts　his　book；　and　goes　forth　in　the　field；　and　ruminates　on　what　he　has　read。　　It　is　with　the　intellectual；　as　with　the　corporeal　eye：　　we　must　retire　to　a　certain　distance　from　the　object　we　would　examine；　before　we　can　truly　take　in　the　whole。　　We　must　view　it　in　every　direction；　〃survey　it；〃　as　Sterne　says；　〃transversely；　then　foreright；　then　this　way；　and　then　that；　in　all　its　possible　directions　and　foreshortenings＇13＇；〃　and　thus　only　can　it　be　expected　that　we　should　adequately　comprehend　it。

＇13＇　Tristram　Shandy；　Vol。　IV；　Chap。　ii。


But　the　thing　it　was　principally　in　my　purpose　to　say　is；　that　it　is　one　of　the　great　desiderata　of　human　life；　not　to　accomplish　our　purposes　in　the　briefest　time；　to　consider　〃life　as　short；　and　art　as　long；〃　and　therefore　to　master　our　ends　in　the　smallest　number　of　days　or　of　years；　but　rather　to　consider　it　as　an　ample　field　that　is　spread　before　us；　and　to　examine　how　it　is　to　be　filled　with　pleasure；　with　advantage；　and　with　usefulness。　　Life　is　like　a　lordly　garden；　which　it　calls　forth　all　the　skill　of　the　artist　to　adorn　with　exhaustless　variety　and　beauty；　or　like　a　spacious　park　or　pleasure…ground；　all　of　whose　inequalities　are　to　be　embellished；　and　whose　various　capacities　of　fertilisation；　sublimity　or　grace；　are　to　be　turned　to　account；　so　that　we　may　wander　in　it　for　ever；　and　never　be　wearied。

We　shall　perhaps　understand　this　best；　if　we　take　up　the　subject　on　a　limited　scale；　and；　before　we　consider　life　in　its　assigned　period　of　seventy　years；　first　confine　our　attention　to　the　space　of　a　single　day。　　And　we　will　consider　that　day；　not　as　it　relates　to　the　man　who　earns　his　subsistence　by　the　labour　of　his　hands；　or　to　him　who　is　immersed　in　the　endless　details　of　commerce。　　But　we　will　take　the　case　of　the　man；　the　whole　of　whose　day　is　to　be　disposed　of　at　his　own　discretion。

The　attention　of　the　curious　observer　has　often　been　called　to　the　tediousness　of　existence；　how　our　time　hangs　upon　our　hands；　and　in　how　high　estimation　the　art　is　held；　of　giving　wings　to　our　hours；　and　making　them　pass　rapidly　and　cheerfully　away。　　And　moralists　of　a　cynical　disposition　have　poured　forth　many　a　sorrowful　ditty　upon　the　inconsistency　of　man；　who　complains　of　the　shortness　of　life；　at　the　same　time　that　he　is　put　to　the　greatest　straits　how　to　give　an　agreeable　and　pleasant　occupation　to　its　separate　portions。　　〃Let　us　hear　no　more；〃　say　these　moralists；　〃of　the　transitoriness　of　human　existence；　from　men　to　whom　life　is　a　burthen；　and　who　are　willing　to　assign　a　reward　to　him　that　shall　suggest　to　them　an　occupation　or　an　amusement　untried　before。〃

But　this　inconsistency；　if　it　merits　the　name；　is　not　an　affair　of　artificial　and　supersubtle　refinement；　but　is　based　in　the　fundamental　principles　of　our　nature。　　It　is　unavoidable　that；　when　we　have　reached　the　close　of　any　great　epoch　of　our　existence；　and　still　more　when　we　have　arrived　at　its　final　term；　we　should　regret　its　transitory　nature；　and　lament　that　we　have　made　no　more　effectual　use　of　it。　　And　yet　the　periods　and　portions　of　the　stream　of　time；　as　they　pass　by　us；　will　often　be　felt　by　us　as　insufferably　slow　in　their　progress；　and　we　would　give　no　inconsiderable　sum　to　procure　that　the　present　section　of　our　lives　might　come　to　an　end；　and　that　we　might　turn　over　a　new　leaf　in　the　volume　of　existence。

I　have　heard　various　men　profess　that　they　never　knew　the　minutes　that　hung　upon　their　hands；　and　were　totally　unacquainted　with　what；　borrowing　a　term　from　the　French　language；　we　call　ennui。　　I　own　I　have　listened　to　these　persons　with　a　certain　degree　of　incredulity；　always　excepting　such　as　earn　their　subsistence　by　constant　labour；　or　as；　being　placed　in　a　situation　of　active　engagement；　have　not　the　leisure　to　feel　apathy　and　disgust。

But　we　are　talking　here　of　that　numerous　class　of　human　beings；　who　are　their　own　masters；　and　spend　every　hour　of　the　day　at　the　choice　of　their　discretion。　　To　these　we　may　add　the　persons　who　are　partially　so；　and　who；　having　occupied　three　or　four　hours　of　every　day　in　discharge　of　some　function　necessarily　imposed　on　them；　at　the　striking　of　a　given　hour　go　out　of　school；　and　employ　themselves　in　a　certain　industry　or　sport　purely　of　their　own　election。

To　go　back　then　to　the　consideration　of　the　single　day　of　a　man；　all　of　whose　hours　are　at　his　disposal　to　spend　them　well　or　ill；　at　the　bidding　of　his　own　judgment；　or　the　impulse　of　his　own　caprice。

We　will　suppose　that；　when　he　rises　from　his　bed；　he　has　sixteen　hours　before　him；　to　be　employed　in　whatever　mode　his　will　shall　decide。　　I　bar　the　case　of　travelling；　or　any　of　those　schemes　for　passing　the　day；　which　by　their　very　nature　take　the　election　out　of　his　hands；　and　fill　up　his　time　with　a　perpetual　motion；　the　nature　of　which　is　ascertained　from　the　beginning。

With　such　a　man　then　it　is　in　the　first　place　indispensibly　necessary；　that　he　should　have　various　successive　occupations。　　There　is　no　one　study　or　intellectual　enquiry　to　which　a　man　can　apply　sixteen　hours　consecutively；　unless　in　some　extraordinary　instances　which　can　occur　but　seldom　in　the　course　of　a　life。　　And　even　then　the　attention　will　from　time　to　time　relax；　and　the　freshness　of　mental　zeal　and　activity　give　way；　though　perhaps；　after　the　lapse　of　a　few　minutes　they　may　be　revived　and　brought　into　action　again。

In　the　ordinary　series　of　human　existence　it　is　desirable　that；　in　the　course　of　the　same　day；　a　man　should　have　various　successive　occupations。　　I　myself　for　the　most　part　read　in　one　language　at　one　part　of　the　day；　and　in　another　at　another。　　I　am　then　in　the　best　health　and　tone　of　spirits；　when　I　employ　two　or　three　hours；　and　no　more；　in　the　act　of　writing　and　composition。　　There　must　also　in　the　sixteen　hours　be　a　time　for　meals。　　There　should　be　a　time　for　fresh　air　and　bodily　exercise。　　It　is　in　the　nature　of　man；　that　we　should　sp