thoughts on man-第3章

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irth！

But　what　is　of　more　importance　in　the　temporary　oblivion　we　are　enabled　to　throw　over　the　refuse　of　the　body；　it　is　thus　we　arrive　at　the　majesty　of　man。　　That　sublimity　of　conception　which　renders　the　poet；　and　the　man　of　great　literary　and　original　endowments　〃in　apprehension　like　a　God；〃　we　could　not　have；　if　we　were　not　privileged　occasionally　to　cast　away　the　slough　and　exuviae　of　the　body　from　incumbering　and　dishonouring　us；　even　as　Ulysses　passed　over　his　threshold；　stripped　of　the　rags　that　had　obscured　him；　while　Minerva　enlarged　his　frame；　and　gave　loftiness　to　his　stature；　added　a　youthful　beauty　and　grace　to　his　motions；　and　caused　his　eyes　to　flash　with　more　than　mortal　fire。　　With　what　disdain；　when　I　have　been　rapt　in　the　loftiest　moods　of　mind；　do　I　look　down　upon　my　limbs；　the　house　of　clay　that　contains　me；　the　gross　flesh　and　blood　of　which　my　frame　is　composed；　and　wonder　at　a　lodging；　poorly　fitted　to　entertain　so　divine　a　guest！

A　still　more　important　chapter　in　the　history　of　the　human　mind　has　its　origin　in　these　considerations。　　Hence　it　is　that　unenlightened　man；　in　almost　all　ages　and　countries；　has　been　induced；　independently　of　divine　revelation；　to　regard　death；　the　most　awful　event　to　which　we　are　subject；　as　not　being　the　termination　of　his　existence。　　We　see　the　body　of　our　friend　become　insensible；　and　remain　without　motion；　or　any　external　indication　of　what　we　call　life。　　We　can　shut　it　up　in　an　apartment；　and　visit　it　from　day　to　day。　　If　we　had　perseverance　enough；　and　could　so　far　conquer　the　repugnance　and　humiliating　feeling　with　which　the　experiment　would　be　attended；　we　might　follow　step　by　step　the　process　of　decomposition　and　putrefaction；　and　observe　by　what　degrees　the　〃dust　returned　unto　earth　as　it　was。〃　　But；　in　spite　of　this　demonstration　of　the　senses；　man　still　believes　that　there　is　something　in　him　that　lives　after　death。　　The　mind　is　so　infinitely　superior　in　character　to　this　case　of　flesh　that　incloses　it；　that　he　cannot　persuade　himself　that　it　and　the　body　perish　together。

There　are　two　considerations；　the　force　of　which　made　man　a　religious　animal。　　The　first　is；　his　proneness　to　ascribe　hostility　or　benevolent　intention　to　every　thing　of　a　memorable　sort　that　occurs　to　him　in　the　order　of　nature。　　The　second　is　that　of　which　I　have　just　treated；　the　superior　dignity　of　mind　over　body。　　This；　we　persuade　ourselves；　shall　subsist　uninjured　by　the　mutations　of　our　corporeal　frame；　and　undestroyed　by　the　wreck　of　the　material　universe。



ESSAY　II。　OF　THE　DISTRIBUTION　OF　TALENTS。

｛Greek　…　omitted｝　Thucydides；　Lib。I；　cap。　84。

SECTION　I。

PRESUMED　DEARTH　OF　INTELLECTUAL　POWER。SCHOOLS　FOR　THE　EDUCATION　OF　YOUTH　CONSIDERED。THE　BOY　AND　THE　MAN　COMPARED。

One　of　the　earliest　judgments　that　is　usually　made　by　those　whose　attention　is　turned　to　the　characters　of　men　in　the　social　state；　is　of　the　great　inequality　with　which　the　gifts　of　the　understanding　are　distributed　among　us。

Go　into　a　miscellaneous　society；　sit　down　at　table　with　ten　or　twelve　men；　repair　to　a　club　where　as　many　are　assembled　in　an　evening　to　relax　from　the　toils　of　the　dayit　is　almost　proverbial；　that　one　or　two　of　these　persons　will　perhaps　be　brilliant；　and　the　rest　〃weary；　stale；　flat　and　unprofitable。〃

Go　into　a　numerous　schoolthe　case　will　be　still　more　striking。　　I　have　been　present　where　two　men　of　superior　endowments　endeavoured　to　enter　into　a　calculation　on　the　subject；　and　they　agreed　that　there　was　not　above　one　boy　in　a　hundred；　who　would　be　found　to　possess　a　penetrating　understanding；　and　to　be　able　to　strike　into　a　path　of　intellect　that　was　truly　his　own。　　How　common　is　it　to　hear　the　master　of　such　a　school　say；　〃Aye；　I　am　proud　of　that　lad；　I　have　been　a　schoolmaster　these　thirty　years；　and　have　never　had　such　another！〃

The　society　above　referred　to；　the　dinner…party；　or　the　club；　was　to　a　considerable　degree　select；　brought　together　by　a　certain　supposed　congeniality　between　the　individuals　thus　assembled。　　Were　they　taken　indiscriminately；　as　boys　are　when　consigned　to　the　care　of　a　schoolmaster；　the　proportion　of　the　brilliant　would　not　be　a　whit　greater　than　in　the　latter　case。

A　main　criterion　of　the　superiority　of　the　schoolboy　will　be　found　in　his　mode　of　answering　a　casual　question　proposed　by　the　master。　　The　majority　will　be　wholly　at　fault；　will　shew　that　they　do　not　understand　the　question；　and　will　return　an　answer　altogether　from　the　purpose。　　One　in　a　hundred　perhaps；　perhaps　in　a　still　less　proportion；　will　reply　in　a　laudable　manner；　and　convey　his　ideas　in　perspicuous　and　spirited　language。

It　does　not　certainly　go　altogether　so　ill；　with　men　grown　up　to　years　of　maturity。　　They　do　not　for　the　most　part　answer　a　plain　question　in　a　manner　to　make　you　wonder　at　their　fatuity。

A　main　cause　of　the　disadvantageous　appearance　exhibited　by　the　ordinary　schoolboy；　lies　in　what　we　denominate　sheepishness。　　He　is　at　a　loss；　and　in　the　first　place　stares　at　you；　instead　of　giving　an　answer。　　He　does　not　make　by　many　degrees　so　poor　a　figure　among　his　equals；　as　when　he　is　addressed　by　his　seniors。

One　of　the　reasons　of　the　latter　phenomenon　consists　in　the　torpedo　effect　of　what　we　may　call；　under　the　circumstances；　the　difference　of　ranks。　　The　schoolmaster　is　a　despot　to　his　scholar；　for　every　man　is　a　despot；　who　delivers　his　judgment　from　the　single　impulse　of　his　own　will。　　The　boy　answers　his　questioner；　as　Dolon　answers　Ulysses　in　the　Iliad；　at　the　point　of　the　sword。　　It　is　to　a　certain　degree　the　same　thing；　when　the　boy　is　questioned　merely　by　his　senior。　　He　fears　he　knows　not　what；a　reprimand；　a　look　of　lofty　contempt；　a　gesture　of　summary　disdain。　　He　does　not　think　it　worth　his　while　under　these　circumstances；　to　〃gird　up　the　loins　of　his　mind。〃　　He　cannot　return　a　free　and　intrepid　answer　but　to　the　person　whom　he　regards　as　his　equal。　　There　is　nothing　that　has　so　disqualifying　an　effect　upon　him　who　is　to　answer；　as　the　consideration　that　he　who　questions　is　universally　acknowledged　to　be　a　being　of　a　higher　sphere；　or；　as　between　the　boy　and　the　man；　that　he　is　the　superior　in　conventional　and　corporal　strength。

Nor　is　it　simple　terror　that　restrains　the　boy　from　answering　his　senior　with　the　same　freedom　and　spirit；　as　he　would　answer　his　equal。　　He　does　not　think　it　worth　his　while　to　enter　the　lists。　　He　despairs　of　doing　the　thing　in　the　way　that　shall　gain　approbation；　and　therefore　will　not　try。　　He　is　like　a　boxer；　who；　though　skilful；　will　not　fight　with　one　hand　tied　behind　him。　　He　would　return　you　the　answer；　if　it　occurred　without　his　giving　himself　trouble；　but　he　will　not　rouse　his　soul；　and　task　his　strength　to　give　it。　　He　is　careless；　and　prefers　trusting　to　whatever　construction　you　may　put　upon　him；　and　whatever　treatment　you　may　think　proper　to　bestow　upon　him。　　It　is　the　most　difficult　thing　in　the　world；　for　the　schoolmaster　to　inspire　into　his　pupil　the　desire　to　do　his　best。

Among　full…grown　men　the　case　is　different。　　The　schoolboy；　whether　under　his　domestic　roof；　or　in　the　gymnasium；　is　in　a　situation　similar　to　that　of　the　Christian　slaves　in　Algiers；　as　described　by　Cervantes　in　his　History　of　the　Captive。　　〃They　were　shut　up　together　in　a　species　of　bagnio；　from　whence　they　were　brought　out　from　time　to　time　to　perform　certain　tasks　in　common：

they　might　also　engage　in　pranks；　and　get　into　scrapes；　as　they　pleased；　but　the　master　would　hang　up　one；　impale　another；　and　cut　off　the　ears　of　a　third；　for　little　occasion；　or　even　wholly　without　it。〃　　Such　indeed　is　the　condition　of　the　child　almost　from　the　hour　of　birth。　　The　severities　practised　upon　him　are　not　so　great　as　those　resorted　to　by　the　proprietor　of　slaves　in　Algiers；　but　they　are　equally　arbitrary　and　without　appeal。　　He　is　free　to　a　certain　extent；　even　as　the　captives　described　by　Cervantes；　but　his　freedom　is　upon　sufferance；　and　is　brought　to　an　end　at　any　time　at　the　pleasure　of　his　seniors。　　The　child　therefore　feels　his　way；　and　ascertains　by　repeated　experiments　how　far　he　may　proceed　with　impunity。　　He　is　like　the　slaves　of　the　Romans　on　the　days　of　the　Saturnalia。　　He　may　do　what　he　pleases；　and　command　tasks　to　his　masters；　but　with　this　differencethe　Roman　slave　knew　when　the　days　of　his　licence　would　be　over；　and　comported　himself　accordingly；　but　the　child　cannot　foresee　at　any　moment　when　the　bell　will　be　struck；　and　the　scene　reversed。　　It　is　commonly　enough　incident　to　this　situation；　that　the　being　who　is　at　the　mercy　of　another；　will　practise；　what　Tacitus　calls；　a　〃vernacular　urbanity；〃　make　his　bold　jests；　and　give　utterance　to　his　saucy　innuendoes；　with　as　much　freedom　as　the　best；　but　he　will　do　it　with　a　wary　eye；　not　knowing　how　soon　he　may　feel　his　chain　plucked！　　and　himself　compulsorily　reduced　into　the　established　order。　　His　more　usual　refuge　therefore　is；　to　do　nothing；　and　to　wrap　himself　up　in　that　neutrality　towards　his　seniors；　that　may　best　protect　him　from　their　reprimand　and　their　despotism。

The　condition　of　the　full…grown　man　is　different　from　that　of　the　child；　and　he　conducts　himself　accordingly。　　He　is　always　to　a　certain　degree　under　the　control　of　the　political　society　of　which　he　is　a　member。　　He　is　also　exposed　to　the　chance　of　personal　insult　and　injury　from　those　who　are　stronger　than　he；　or　who　may　render　their　strength　more　considerable　by　combination　and　numbers。　　The　political　institutions　which　control　him　in　certain　respects；　protect　him　also　to　a　given　degree　from　the　robber　and　assassin；　or　from　the　man　who；　were　it　not　for　penalties　and　statutes；　would　perpetrate　against　him　all　the　mischiefs　which　malignity　might　suggest。　　Civil　policy　however　subjects　him　to　a　variety　of　evils；　which　wealth　or　corruption　are　accustomed　to　inflict　under　the　forms　of　justice；　at　the　same　time　that　it　can　never　wholly　defend　him　from　those　violences　to　which　he　would　be　every　moment　exposed　in　what　is　called　the　state　of　nature。

The　full…grown　man　in　the　mean　time　is　well　pleased　when　he　escapes　from　the　ergastulum　where　he　had　previously　dwelt；　and　in　which　he　had　experienced　corporal　infliction　and　corporal　restraint。　　At　first；　in　the　newness　of　his　freedom；　he　breaks　out　into　idle　sallies　and　escapes；　and　is　like　the　full…fed　steed　that　manifests　his　wantonness　in　a　thousand　antics　and　ruades。　　But　this　is　a　temporary　extravagance。　　He　presently　becomes　as　wise　and　calculating；　as　the　schoolboy　was　before　him。

The　human　being　then；　that　has　attained　a　certain　stature；　watches　and　poises　his　situation；　and　considers　what　he　may　do　with　impunity。　　He　ventures　at　first　with　no　small　diffidence；　and　pretends　to　be　twice　as　assured　as　he　really　is。　　He　accumulates　experiment　after　experiment；　till　they　amount　to　a　considerable　volume。　　It　is　not　till　he　has　passed　successive　lustres；　that　he　attains　that　firm　step；　and　temperate　and　settled　accent；　which　characterise　the　man　complete。　　He　then　no　longer　doubts；　but　is　ranged　on　the　full　level　of　the　ripened　members　of　the　community。

There　is　therefore　little　room　for　wonder；　if　we　find　the　same　individual；　whom　we　once　knew　a　sheepish　and　irresolute　schoolboy；　that　hung　his　head；　that　replied　with　inarticulated　monotony；　and　stammer