thoughts on man-第26章

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Human　character　is　like　the　contents　of　an　ample　cabinet；　brought　together　by　the　untired　zeal　of　some　curious　collector；　who　tickets　his　rarities　with　numbers；　and　has　a　catalogue　in　many　volumes；　in　which　are　recorded　the　description　and　qualities　of　the　things　presented　to　our　view。　　Among　the　most　splendid　examples　of　character　which　the　genius　of　man　has　brought　to　light；　are　Don　Quixote　and　his　trusty　squire；　sir　Roger　de　Coverley；　Parson　Adams；　Walter　Shandy　and　his　brother　Toby。　　Who　shall　set　bounds　to　the　everlasting　variety　of　nature；　as　she　has　recorded　her　creations　in　the　heart　of　man？　　Most　of　these　instances　are　recent；　and　sufficiently　shew　that　the　enterprising　adventurer；　who　would　aspire　to　emulate　the　illustrious　men　from　whose　writings　these　examples　are　drawn；　has　no　cause　to　despair。

Vulgar　observers　pass　carelessly　by　a　thousand　figures　in　the　crowded　masquerade　of　human　society；　which；　when　inscribed　on　the　tablet　by　the　pencil　of　a　master；　would　prove　not　less　wondrous　in　the　power　of　affording　pleasure；　nor　less　rich　as　themes　for　inexhaustible　reflection；　than　the　most　admirable　of　these。　　The　things　are　there；　and　all　that　is　wanting　is　an　eye　to　perceive；　and　a　pen　to　record　them。

As　to　a　great　degree　we　may　subscribe　to　the　saying　of　the　wise　man；　that　〃there　is　nothing　new　under　the　sun；〃　so　in　a　certain　sense　it　may　also　be　affirmed　that　nothing　is　old。　　Both　of　these　maxims　may　be　equally　true。　　The　prima　materia；　the　atoms　of　which　the　universe　is　composed；　is　of　a　date　beyond　all　record；　and　the　figures　which　have　yet　been　introduced　into　the　most　fantastic　chronology；　may　perhaps　be　incompetent　to　represent　the　period　of　its　birth。　　But　the　ways　in　which　they　may　be　compounded　are　exhaustless。　　It　is　like　what　the　writers　on　the　Doctrine　of　Chances　tell　us　of　the　throwing　of　dice。　　How　many　men　now　exist　on　the　face　of　the　earth？　　Yet；　if　all　these　were　brought　together；　and　if；　in　addition　to　this；　we　could　call　up　all　the　men　that　ever　lived；　it　may　be　doubted；　whether　any　two　would　be　found　so　much　alike；　that　a　clear…sighted　and　acute　observer　might　not　surely　distinguish　the　one　from　the　other。　　Leibnitz　informs　us；　that　no　two　leaves　of　a　tree　exist　in　the　most　spacious　garden；　that；　upon　examination；　could　be　pronounced　perfectly　similar＇19＇。

＇19＇　See　above；　Essay　2。


The　true　question　is　not；　whether　any　thing　can　be　found　that　is　new；　but　whether　the　particulars　in　which　any　thing　is　new　may　not　be　so　minute　　and　trifling；　as　scarcely　to　enter　for　any　thing；　into　that　grand　and　comprehensive　view　of　the　whole；　in　which　matters　of　obvious　insignificance　are　of　no　account。

But；　if　art　and　the　invention　of　the　human　mind　are　exhaustless；　science　is　even　more　notoriously　so。　　We　stand　but　on　the　threshold　of　the　knowledge　of　nature；　and　of　the　various　ways　in　which　physical　power　may　be　brought　to　operate　for　the　accommodation　of　man。　　This　is　a　business　that　seems　to　be　perpetually　in　progress；　and；　like　the　fall　of　bodies　by　the　power　of　gravitation；　appears　to　gain　in　momentum；　in　proportion　as　it　advances　to　a　greater　distance　from　the　point　at　which　the　impulse　was　given。　　The　discoveries　which　at　no　remote　period　have　been　made；　would；　if　prophesied　of；　have　been　laughed　to　scorn　by　the　ignorant　sluggishness　of　former　generations；　and　we　are　equally　ready　to　regard　with　incredulity　the　discoveries　yet　unmade；　which　will　be　familiar　to　our　posterity。　　Indeed　every　man　of　a　capacious　and　liberal　mind　is　willing　to　admit；　that　the　progress　of　human　understanding　in　science；　which　is　now　going　on；　is　altogether　without　any　limits　that　by　the　most　penetrating　genius　can　be　assigned。　　It　is　like　a　mighty　river；　that　flows　on　for　ever　and　for　ever；　as　far　as　the　words；　〃for　ever；〃　can　have　a　meaning　to　the　comprehension　of　mortals。　　The　question　that　remains　is；　our　practicable　improvement　in　literature　and　morals；　and　here　those　persons　who　entertain　a　mean　opinion　of　human　nature；　are　constantly　ready　to　tell　us　that　it　will　be　found　to　amount　to　nothing。　　However　we　may　be　continually　improving　in　mechanical　knowledge　and　ingenuity；　we　are　assured　by　this　party；　that　we　shall　never　surpass　what　has　already　been　done　in　poetry　and　literature；　and；　which　is　still　worse；　that；　however　marvellous　may　be　our　future　acquisitions　in　science　and　the　application　of　science；　we　shall　be；　as　much　as　ever；　the　creatures　of　that　vanity；　ostentation；　opulence　and　the　spirit　of　exclusive　accumulation；　which　has　hitherto；　in　most　countries　（not　in　all　countries）；　generated　the　glaring　inequality　of　property；　and　the　oppression　of　the　many　for　the　sake　of　pampering　the　folly　of　the　few。

There　is　another　circumstance　that　may　be　mentioned；　which；　particularly　as　regards　the　question　of　repetition　and　novelty　that　is　now　under　consideration；　may　seem　to　operate　in　an　eminent　degree　in　favour　of　science；　while　it　casts　a　most　discouraging　veil　over　poetry　and　the　pure　growth　of　human　fancy　and　invention。　　Poetry　is；　after　all；　nothing　more　than　new　combinations　of　old　materials。　　Nihil　est　in　intellectu；　quod　non　fuit　prius　in　sensu。　　The　poet　has　perhaps　in　all　languages　been　called　a　maker；　a　creator：　　but　this　seems　to　be　a　vain…glorious　and　an　empty　boast。　　He　is　a　collector　of　materials　only；　which　he　afterwards　uses　as　best　he　may　be　able。　　He　answers　to　the　description　I　have　heard　given　of　a　tailor；　a　man　who　cuts　to　pieces　whatever　is　delivered　to　him　from　the　loom；　that　he　may　afterwards　sew　it　together　again。　　The　poet　therefore；　we　may　be　told；　adds　nothing　to　the　stock　of　ideas　and　conceptions　already　laid　up　in　the　storehouse　of　mind。　　But　the　man　who　is　employed　upon　the　secrets　of　nature；　is　eternally　in　progress；　day　after　day　he　delivers　in　to　the　magazine　of　materials　for　thinking　and　acting；　what　was　not　there　before；　he　increases　the　stock；　upon　which　human　ingenuity　and　the　arts　of　life　are　destined　to　operate。　　He　does　not；　as　the　poet　may　be　affirmed　by　his　censurers　to　do；　travel　for　ever　in　a　circle；　but　continues　to　hasten　towards　a　goal；　while　at　every　interval　we　may　mark　how　much　further　he　has　proceeded　from　the　point　at　which　his　race　began。

Much　may　be　said　in　answer　to　this；　and　in　vindication　and　honour　of　the　poet　and　the　artist。　　All　that　is　here　alleged　to　their　disadvantage；　is　in　reality　little　better　than　a　sophism。　　The　consideration　of　the　articles　he　makes　use　of；　does　not　in　sound　estimate　detract　from　the　glories　of　which　he　is　the　artificer。　　Materiem　superat　opus。　　He　changes　the　nature　of　what　he　handles；　all　that　he　touches　is　turned　into　gold。　　The　manufacture　he　delivers　to　us　is　so　new；　that　the　thing　it　previously　was；　is　no　longer　recognisable。　　The　impression　that　he　makes　upon　the　imagination　and　the　heart；　the　impulses　that　he　communicates　to　the　understanding　and　the　moral　feeling；　are　all　his　own；　and；　〃if　there　is　any　thing　lovely　and　of　good　report；　if　there　is　any　virtue　and　any　praise；〃　he　may　well　claim　our　applauses　and　our　thankfulness　for　what　he　has　effected。

There　is　a　still　further　advantage　that　belongs　to　the　poet　and　the　votarist　of　polite　literature；　which　ought　to　be　mentioned；　as　strongly　calculated　to　repress　the　arrogance　of　the　men　of　science；　and　the　supercilious　contempt　they　are　apt　to　express　for　those　who　are　engrossed　by　the　pursuits　of　imagination　and　taste。　　They　are　for　ever　talking　of　the　reality　and　progressiveness　of　their　pursuits；　and　telling　us　that　every　step　they　take　is　a　point　gained；　and　gained　for　the　latest　posterity；　while　the　poet　merely　suits　himself　to　the　taste　of　the　men　among　whom　he　lives；　writes　up　to　the　fashion　of　the　day；　and；　as　our　manners　turn；　is　sure　to　be　swept　away　to　the　gulph　of　oblivion。　　But　how　does　the　matter　really　stand？　　It　is　to　a　great　degree　the　very　reverse　of　this。

The　natural　and　experimental　philosopher　has　nothing　sacred　and　indestructible　in　the　language　and　form　in　which　he　delivers　truths。　　New　discoveries　and　experiments　come；　and　his　individual　terms　and　phrases　and　theories　perish。　　One　race　of　natural　philosophers　does　but　prepare　the　way　for　another　race；　which　is　to　succeed。　　They　〃blow　the　trumpet；　and　give　out　the　play。〃　　And　they　must　be　contented　to　perish　before　the　brighter　knowledge；　of　which　their　efforts　were　but　the　harbingers。　　The　Ptolemaic　system　gave　way　to　Tycho　Brahe；　and　his　to　that　of　Copernicus。　　The　vortices　of　Descartes　perished　before　the　discoveries　of　Newton；　and　the　philosophy　of　Newton　already　begins　to　grow　old；　and　is　found　to　have　weak　and　decaying　parts　mixed　with　those　which　are　immortal　and　divine。　　In　the　science　of　mind　Aristotle　and　Plato　are　set　aside；　the　depth　of　Malebranche；　and　the　patient　investigation　of　Locke　have　had　their　day；　more　penetrating；　and　concise；　and　lynx…eyed　reasoners　of　our　own　country　have　succeeded；　the　German　metaphysicians　seem　to　have　thrust　these　aside；　and　it　perhaps　needs　no　great　degree　of　sagacity　to　foresee；　that　Kant　and　Fichte　will　at　last　fare　no　better　than　those　that　went　before　them。

But　the　poet　is　immortal。　　The　verses　of　Homer　are　of　workmanship　no　less　divine；　than　the　armour　of　his　own　Achilles。　　His　poems　are　as　fresh　and　consummate　to　us　now；　as　they　were　to　the　Greeks；　when　the　old　man　of　Chios　wandered　in　person　through　the　different　cities；　rehearsing　his　rhapsodies　to　the　accompaniment　of　his　lute。　　The　language　and　the　thoughts　of　the　poet　are　inextricably　woven　together；　and　the　first　is　no　more　exposed　to　decay　and　to　perish　than　the　last。　　Presumptuous　innovators　have　attempted　to　modernise　Chaucer；　and　Spenser；　and　other　authors；　whose　style　was　supposed　to　have　grown　obsolete。　　But　true　taste　cannot　endure　the　impious　mockery。　　The　very　words　that　occurred　to　these　men；　when　the　God　descended；　and　a　fire　from　heaven　tingled　in　all　their　veins；　are　sacred；　are　part　of　themselves；　and　you　may　as　well　attempt　to　preserve　the　man　when　you　have　deprived　him　of　all　his　members；　as　think　to　preserve　the　poet　when　you　have　taken　away　the　words　that　he　spoke。　　No　part　of　his　glorious　effusions　must　perish；　and　〃the　hairs　of　his　head　are　all　numbered。〃



ESSAY　XI。　OF　SELF…LOVE　AND　BENEVOLENCE。

NO　question　has　more　memorably　exercised　the　ingenuity　of　men　who　have　speculated　upon　the　structure　of　the　human　mind；　than　that　of　the　motives　by　which　we　are　actuated　in　our　intercourse　with　our　fellow…creatures。　　The　dictates　of　a　plain　and　unsophisticated　understanding　on　the　subject　are　manifest；　and　they　have　been　asserted　in　the　broadest　way　by　the　authors　of　religion；　the　reformers　of　mankind；　and　all　persons　who　have　been　penetrated　with　zeal　and　enthusiasm　for　the　true　interests　of　the　race　to　which　they　belong。

〃The　end　of　the　commandment；〃　say　the　authors　of　the　New　Testament；　〃is　love。〃　　〃This　is　the　great　commandment　of　the　law；　Thou　shalt　love　thy　maker　with　all　thy　heart；　and　the　second　is　like　unto　it；　Thou　shalt　love　thy　neighbour　as　thyself。〃　　〃Though　I　bestow　all　my　goods　to　feed　the　poor；　and　give　my　body　to　be　burned；　and　have　not　love；　it　profiteth　me　nothing。〃　　〃For　none　of　us　liveth　to　himself；　and　no　man　dieth　to　himself。〃

The　sentiments　of　the　ancient　Greeks　and　Romans；　for　so　many　centuries　as　their　institutions　retained　their　origi