thoughts on man-第24章

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s；　as　the　one　dieth；　so　dieth　the　other；　yea；　they　have　all　one　breath；　so　that　a　man　hath　no　preeminence　above　a　beast：　　all　go　to　one　place；　all　are　of　the　dust；　and　turn　to　dust　again。　　Wherefore　I　perceive　that　there　is　nothing　better；　than　that　a　man　should　rejoice　in　his　works。〃　　And　again；　〃The　living　know　that　they　shall　die；　but　the　dead　know　not　any　thing；　their　love；　and　their　hatred；　and　their　envy　are　perished；　neither　have　they　any　more　a　reward。〃　　Add　to　this；　〃Wherefore　I　praise　the　dead　which　are　already　dead；　more　than　the　living　which　are　yet　alive：　　yea；　better　is　he　than　both　they；　which　hath　not　yet　been。〃　　There　can　therefore　be　no　just　exception　taken　against　our　allowing　ourselves　freely　to　canvas　the　maxim　cited　at　the　head　of　this　Essay。

It　certainly　contains　a　sufficient　quantity　of　unquestionable　truth；　to　induce　us　to　regard　it　as　springing　from　profound　observation；　and　comprehensive　views　of　what　is　acted　〃under　the　sun。〃

A　wise　man　would　look　at　the　labours　of　his　own　species；　in　much　the　same　spirit　as　he　would　view　an　ant…hill　through　a　microscope。　　He　would　see　them　tugging　a　grain　of　corn　up　a　declivity；　he　would　see　the　tracks　that　are　made　by　those　who　go；　and　who　return；　their　incessant　activity；　and　would　find　one　day　the　copy　of　that　which　went　before；　and　their　labours　ending　in　nothing：　　I　mean；　in　nothing　that　shall　carry　forward　the　improvement　of　the　head　and　the　heart；　either　in　the　individual　or　society；　or　that　shall　add　to　the　conveniences　of　life；　or　the　better　providing　for　the　welfare　of　communities　of　men。　　He　would　smile　at　their　earnestness　and　zeal；　all　spent　in　supplying　the　necessaries　of　the　day；　or；　at　most；　providing　for　the　revolution　of　the　seasons；　or　for　that　ephemeral　thing　we　call　the　life　of　man。

Few　things　can　appear　more　singular；　when　duly　analysed；　than　that　articulated　air；　which　we　denominate　speech。　　It　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　that　we　are　proud　of　the　prerogative；　which　so　eminently　distinguishes　us　from　the　rest　of　the　animal　creation。　　The　dog；　the　cat；　the　horse；　the　bear；　the　lion；　all　of　them　have　voice。　　But　we　may　almost　consider　this　as　their　reproach。　　They　can　utter　for　the　greater　part　but　one　monotonous；　eternal　sound。

The　lips；　the　teeth；　the　palate；　the　throat；　which　in　man　are　instruments　of　modifying　the　voice　in　such　endless　variety；　are　in　this　respect　given　to　them　in　vain：　　while　all　the　thoughts　that　occur；　at　least　to　the　bulk　of　mankind；　we　are　able　to　express　in　words；　to　communicate　facts；　feelings；　passions；　sentiments；　to　discuss；　to　argue；　to　agree；　to　issue　commands　on　the　one　part；　and　report　the　execution　on　the　other；　to　inspire　lofty　conceptions；　to　excite　the　deepest　feeling　of　commiseration；　and　to　thrill　the　soul　with　extacy；　almost　too　mighty　to　be　endured。

Yet　what　is　human　speech　for　the　most　part　but　mere　imitation？　　In　the　most　obvious　sense　this　stands　out　on　the　surface。　　We　learn　the　same　words；　we　speak　the　same　language；　as　our　elders。　　Not　only　our　words；　but　our　phrases　are　the　same。　　We　are　like　players；　who　come　out　as　if　they　were　real　persons；　but　only　utter　what　is　set　down　for　them。　　We　represent　the　same　drama　every　day；　and；　however　stale　is　the　eternal　repetition；　pass　it　off　upon　others；　and　even　upon　ourselves；　as　if　it　were　the　suggestion　of　the　moment。　　In　reality；　in　rural　or　vulgar　life；　the　invention　of　a　new　phrase　ought　to　be　marked　down　among　the　memorable　things　in　the　calendar。　　We　afford　too　much　honour　to　ordinary　conversation；　when　we　compare　it　to　the　exhibition　of　the　recognised　theatres；　since　men　ought　for　the　most　part　to　be　considered　as　no　more　than　puppets。　　They　perform　the　gesticulations；　but　the　words　come　from　some　one　else；　who　is　hid　from　the　sight　of　the　general　observer。　　And　not　only　the　words；　but　the　cadence：　　they　have　not　even　so　much　honour　as　players　have；　to　choose　the　manner　they　may　deem　fittest　by　which　to　convey　the　sense　and　the　passion　of　what　they　speak。　　The　pronunciation；　the　dialect；　all；　are　supplied　to　them；　and　are　but　a　servile　repetition。　　Our　tempers　are　merely　the　work　of　the　transcriber。　　We　are　angry；　where　we　saw　that　others　were　angry；　and　we　are　pleased；　because　it　is　the　tone　to　be　pleased。　　We　pretend　to　have　each　of　us　a　judgment　of　our　own：　　but　in　truth　we　wait　with　the　most　patient　docility；　till　he　whom　we　regard　as　the　leader　of　the　chorus　gives　us　the　signal；　Here　you　are　to　applaud；　and　Here　you　are　to　condemn。

What　is　it　that　constitutes　the　manners　of　nations；　by　which　the　people　of　one　country　are　so　eminently　distinguished　from　the　people　of　another；　so　that　you　cannot　cross　the　channel　from　Dover　to　Calais；　twenty…one　miles；　without　finding　yourself　in　a　new　world？　　Nay；　I　need　not　go　among　the　subjects　of　another　government　to　find　examples　of　this；　if　I　pass　into　Ireland；　Scotland　or　Wales；　I　see　myself　surrounded　with　a　new　people；　all　of　whose　characters　are　in　a　manner　cast　in　one　mould；　and　all　different　from　the　citizens　of　the　principal　state　and　from　one　another。　　We　may　go　further　than　this。　　Not　only　nations；　but　classes　of　men；　are　contrasted　with　each　other。　　What　can　be　more　different　than　the　gentry　of　the　west　end　of　this　metropolis；　and　the　money…making　dwellers　in　the　east？　　From　them　I　will　pass　to　Billingsgate　and　Wapping。　　What　more　unlike　than　a　soldier　and　a　sailor？　　the　children　of　fashion　that　stroll　in　St。　James's　and　Hyde　Park；　and　the　care…worn　hirelings；　that　recreate　themselves；　with　their　wives　and　their　brats；　with　a　little　fresh　air　on　a　Sunday　near　Islington？　　The　houses　of　lords　and　commons　have　each　their　characteristic　manners。　　Each　profession　has　its　own；　the　lawyer；　the　divine；　and　the　man　of　medicine。　　We　are　all　apes；　fixing　our　eyes　upon　a　model；　and　copying　him；　gesture　by　gesture。　　We　are　sheep；　rushing　headlong　through　the　gap；　when　the　bell…wether　shews　us　the　way。　　We　are　choristers；　mechanically　singing　in　a　certain　key；　and　giving　breath　to　a　certain　tone。

Our　religion；　our　civil　practices；　our　political　creed；　are　all　imitation。　　How　many　men　are　there；　that　have　examined　the　evidences　of　their　religious　belief；　and　can　give　a　sound　〃reason　of　the　faith　that　is　in　them？〃　　When　I　was　a　child；　I　was　taught　that　there　were　four　religions　in　the　world；　the　Popish；　the　Protestant；　the　Mahometan；　the　Pagan。　　It　is　a　phenomenon　to　find　the　man；　who　has　held　the　balance　steadily；　and　rendered　full　and　exact　justice　to　the　pretensions　of　each　of　these。　　No：　　tell　me　the　longitude　and　latitude　in　which　a　man　is　born；　and　I　will　tell　you　his　religion。

　　　　　　By　education　most　have　been　misled；　　　　　　　So　they　believe；　because　they　so　were　bred：　　　　　　　The　priest　continues　what　the　nurse　began；　　　　　　　And　thus　the　child　imposes　on　the　man。

And；　if　this　happens；　where　we　are　told　our　everlasting　salvation　is　at　issue；　we　may　easily　judge　of　the　rest。

The　author；　with　one　of　whose　dicta　I　began　this　Essay；　has　observed；　〃One　generation　passeth　away；　and　another　generation　cometh；　but　the　earth　abideth　for　ever。〃　　It　is　a　maxim　of　the　English　constitution；　that　〃the　king　never　dies；〃　and　the　same　may　with　nearly　equal　propriety　be　observed　of　every　private　man；　especially　if　he　have　children。　　〃Death；〃　say　the　writers　of　natural　history；　〃is　the　generator　of　life：〃　and　what　is　thus　true　of　animal　corruption；　may　with　small　variation　be　affirmed　of　human　mortality。　　I　turn　off　my　footman；　and　hire　another；　and　he　puts　on　the　livery　of　his　predecessor：　　he　thinks　himself　somebody；　but　he　is　only　a　tenant。　　The　same　thing　is　true；　when　a　country…gentleman；　a　noble；　a　bishop；　or　a　king　dies。　　He　puts　off　his　garments；　and　another　puts　them　on。　　Every　one　knows　the　story　of　the　Tartarian　dervise；　who　mistook　the　royal　palace　for　a　caravansera；　and　who　proved　to　his　majesty　by　genealogical　deduction；　that　he　was　only　a　lodger。　　In　this　sense　the　mutability；　which　so　eminently　characterises　every　thing　sublunary；　is　immutability　under　another　name。

The　most　calamitous；　and　the　most　stupendous　scenes　are　nothing　but　an　eternal　and　wearisome　repetition：　　executions；　murders；　plagues；　famine　and　battle。　　Military　execution；　the　demolition　of　cities；　the　conquest　of　nations；　have　been　acted　a　hundred　times　before。　　The　mighty　conqueror；　who　〃smote　the　people　in　wrath　with　a　continual　stroke；〃　who　〃sat　in　the　seat　of　God；　shewing　himself　that　he　was　God；〃　and　assuredly　persuaded　himself　that　he　was　doing　something　to　be　had　in　everlasting　remembrance；　only　did　that　which　a　hundred　other　vulgar　conquerors　had　done　in　successive　ages　of　the　world；　whose　very　names　have　long　since　perished　from　the　records　of　mankind。

Thus　it　is　that　the　human　species　is　for　ever　engaged　in　laborious　idleness。　　We　put　our　shoulder　to　the　wheel；　and　raise　the　vehicle　out　of　the　mire　in　which　it　was　swallowed；　and　we　say；　I　have　done　something；　but　the　same　feat　under　the　same　circumstances　has　been　performed　a　thousand　times　before。　　We　make　what　strikes　us　as　a　profound　observation；　and；　when　fairly　analysed；　it　turns　out　to　be　about　as　sagacious；　as　if　we　told　what's　o'clock；　or　whether　it　is　rain　or　sunshine。　　Nothing　can　be　more　delightfully　ludicrous；　than　the　important　and　emphatical　air　with　which　the　herd　of　mankind　enunciate　the　most　trifling　observations。　　With　much　labour　we　are　delivered　of　what　is　to　us　a　new　thought；　and；　after　a　time；　we　find　the　same　in　a　musty　volume；　thrown　by　in　a　corner；　and　covered　with　cobwebs　and　dust。

This　is　pleasantly　ridiculed　in　the　well　known　exclamation；　〃Deuce　take　the　old　fellows　who　gave　utterance　to　our　wit；　before　we　ever　thought　of　it！〃

The　greater　part　of　the　life　of　the　mightiest　genius　that　ever　existed　is　spent　in　doing　nothing；　and　saying　nothing。　　Pope　has　observed　of　Shakespear's　plays；　that；　〃had　all　the　speeches　been　printed　without　the　names　of　the　persons；　we　might　have　applied　them　with　certainty　to　every　speaker。〃　　To　which　another　critic　has　rejoined；　that　that　was　impossible；　since　the　greater　part　of　what　every　man　says　is　unstamped　with　peculiarity。　　We　have　all　more　in　us　of　what　belongs　to　the　common　nature　of　man；　than　of　what　is　peculiar　to　the　individual。

It　is　from　this　beaten；　turnpike　road；　that　the　favoured　few　of　mankind　are　for　ever　exerting　themselves　to　escape。　　The　multitude　grow　up；　and　are　carried　away；　as　grass　is　carried　away　by　the　mower。　　The　parish…register　tells　when　they　were　born；　and　when　they　died：　　〃known　by　the　ends　of　being　to　have　been。〃　　We　pass　away；　and　leave　nothing　behind。　　Kings；　at　whose　very　glance　thousands　have　trembled；　for　the　most　part　serve　for　nothing　when　their　breath　has　ceased；　but　as　a　sort　of　distance…posts　in　the　race　of　chronology。　　〃The　dull　swain　treads　on〃　their　relics　〃with　his　clouted　shoon。〃　　Our　monuments　are　as　perishable　as　ourselves；　and　it　is　the　most　hopeless　of　all　problems　for　the　most　part；　to　tell　where　the　mighty　ones　of　the　earth　repose。

All　men　are　aware　of　the　frailty　of　life；　and　how　short　is　the　span　assigned　us。　　Hence　every　one；　who　feels；　or　thinks　he　feels　the　power　to　do　so；　is　desirous　to　embalm　his　memory；　and　to　be　thought　of　by　a　late　posterity；　to　whom　his　personal　presence　shall　be　unknown。　　Mighty　are　the　struggles；　everlasting　the　efforts。