thoughts on man-第58章

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If　I　had　been　the　person　to　whom　this　speech　was　addressed；　I　should　have　frankly　acknowledged；　〃I　am　the　poor　and　pusillanimous　creature　you　are　disposed　to　regard　with　so　much　scorn。〃

To　adopt　the　sententious　language　of　the　Bible；　〃It　is　not　good　for　man　to　be　alone。〃　　All　our　faculties　and　attributes　bear　relation　to；　and　talk　to　us　of；　other　beings　like　ourselves。　　We　might　indeed　eat；　drink　and　sleep；　that　is；　submit　to　those　necessities　which　we　so　denominate；　without　thinking　of　any　thing　beyond　ourselves；　for　these　are　the　demands　of　our　nature；　and　we　know　that　we　cannot　subsist　without　them。　　We　might　make　use　of　the　alternate　conditions　of　exercise　and　repose。

But　the　life　of　our　lives　would　be　gone。　　As　far　as　we　bore　in　mind　the　creed　we　had　adopted；　of　our　single　existence；　we　could　neither　love　nor　hate。　　Sympathy　would　be　a　solemn　mockery。　　We　could　not　communicate；　for　the　being　to　whom　our　communication　was　addressed　we　were　satisfied　was　a　non…entity。　　We　could　not　anticipate　the　pleasure　or　pain；　the　joy　or　sorrow；　of　another；　for　that　other　had　no　existence。　　We　should　be　in　a　worse　condition　than　Robinson　Crusoe　in　the　desolate　island；　for　he　believed　in　the　existence　of　other　men；　and　hoped　and　trusted　that　he　should　one　day　again　enter　into　human　society。　　We　should　be　in　a　worse　condition　than　Robinson　Crusoe；　for　he　at　least　was　unannoyed　in　his　solitude；　while　we　are　perpetually　and　per　force　intruded　on；　like　a　delirious　man；　by　visions　which　we　know　to　be　unreal；　but　which　we　are　denied　the　power　to　deliver　ourselves　from。　　We　have　no　motive　to　any　of　the　great　and　cardinal　functions　of　human　life；　for　there　is　no　one　in　being；　that　we　can　benefit；　or　that　we　can　affect。　　Study　is　nothing　to　us；　for　we　have　no　use　for　it。　　Even　science　is　unsatisfactory；　unless　we　can　communicate　it　by　word　or　writing；　can　converse　upon　it；　and　compare　notes　with　our　neighbour。　　History　is　nothing；　for　there　were　no　Greeks　and　no　Romans；　no　freemen　and　no　slaves；　no　kings　and　no　subjects；　no　despots；　nor　victims　of　their　tyranny；　no　republics；　nor　states　immerged　in　brutal　and　ignominious　servitude。　　Life　must　be　inevitably　a　burthen　to　us；　a　dreary；　unvaried；　motiveless　existence；　and　death　must　be　welcomed；　as　the　most　desirable　blessing　that　can　visit　us。　　It　is　impossible　indeed　that　we　should　always　recollect　this　our；　by　supposition；　real　situation；　but；　as　often　as　we　did；　it　would　come　over　us　like　a　blight；　withering　all　the　prospects　of　our　industry；　or　like　a　scirocco；　unbracing　the　nerves　of　our　frame；　and　consigning　us　to　the　most　pitiable　depression。

Thus　far　I　have　allowed　myself　to　follow　the　refinements　of　those　who　profess　to　deny　the　existence　of　the　material　universe。　　But　it　is　satisfactory　to　come　back　to　that　persuasion；　which；　from　whatever　cause　it　is　derived；　is　incorporated　with　our　very　existence；　and　can　never　be　shaken　off　by　us。　　Our　senses　are　too　powerful　in　their　operation；　for　it　to　be　possible　for　us　to　discard　them；　and　to　take　as　their　substitute；　in　active　life；　and　in　the　earnestness　of　pursuit；　the　deductions　of　our　logical　faculty；　however　well　knit　and　irresistible　we　may　apprehend　them　to　be。　　Speculation　and　common　sense　are　at　war　on　this　point；　and　however　we　may　〃think　with　the　learned；〃　and　follow　the　abstrusenesses　of　the　philosopher；　in　the　sequestered　hour　of　our　meditation；　we　must　always　act；　and　even　feel；　〃with　the　vulgar；〃　when　we　come　abroad　into　the　world。

It　is　however　no　small　gratification　to　the　man　of　sober　mind；　that；　from　what　has　here　been　alleged；　it　seems　to　follow；　that　untutored　mind；　and　the　severest　deductions　of　philosophy；　agree　in　that　most　interesting　of　our　concerns；　our　intercourse　with　our　fellow…creatures。　　The　inexorable　reasoner；　refining　on　the　reports　of　sense；　may　dispose；　as　he　pleases；　of　the　chair；　the　table；　and　the　so　called　material　substances　around　him。　　He　may　include　the　whole　solid　matter　of　the　universe　in　a　nutshell；　or　less　than　a　nutshell。　　But　he　cannot　deprive　me　of　that　greatest　of　all　consolations；　the　sustaining　pillar　of　my　existence；　〃the　cordial　drop　Heaven　in　our　cup　has　thrown；〃the　intercourse　of　my　fellow…creatures。　　When　we　read　history；　the　subjects　of　which　we　read　are　realities；　they　do　not　〃come　like　shadows；　so　depart；〃　they　loved　and　acted　in　sober　earnest；　they　sometimes　perpetrated　crimes；　but　they　sometimes　also　achieved　illustrious　deeds；　which　angels　might　look　down　from　their　exalted　abodes　and　admire。　　We　are　not　deluded　with　mockeries。　　The　woman　I　love；　and　the　man　to　whom　I　swear　eternal　friendship；　are　as　much　realities　as　myself。　　If　I　relieve　the　poor；　and　assist　the　progress　of　genius　and　virtuous　designs　struggling　with　fearful　discouragements；　I　do　something　upon　the　success　of　which　I　may　safely　congratulate　myself。　　If　I　devote　my　energies　to　enlighten　my　fellow…creatures；　to　detect　the　weak　places　in　our　social　institutions；　to　plead　the　cause　of　liberty；　and　to　invite　others　to　engage　in　noble　actions　and　unite　in　effecting　the　most　solid　and　unquestionable　improvements；　I　erect　to　my　name　an　eternal　monument；　or　I　do　something　better　than　this；secure　inestimable　advantage　to　the　latest　posterity；　the　benefit　of　which　they　shall　enjoy；　long　after　the　very　name　of　the　author　shall；　with　a　thousand　other　things　great　and　small；　have　been　swallowed　up　in　the　gulph　of　insatiable　oblivion。



ESSAY　XXIII。　OF　HUMAN　VIRTUE。　THE　EPILOGUE。

The　life　of　man　is　divided　into　many　stages；　and　we　shall　not　form　a　just　estimate　of　our　common　nature；　if　we　do　not　to　a　certain　degree　pass　its　successive　periods　in　review；　and　observe　it　in　its　commencement；　its　progress；　and　its　maturity。

It　has　been　attempted　to　be　established　in　an　early　part　of　the　present　volume＇82＇；　that　all　men；　idiots　and　extraordinary　cases　being　put　out　of　the　question；　are　endowed　with　talents；　which；　if　rightly　directed；　would　shew　them　to　be　apt；　adroit；　intelligent　and　acute；　in　the　walk　for　which　their　organisation　especially　fitted　them。　　We　are　bound　therefore；　particularly　in　the　morning　of　life；　to　consider　every　thing　that　presents　itself　to　us　in　the　human　form；　with　deference　and　attention。

＇82＇　See　above；　Essay　III。


〃God；〃　saith　the　Preacher；　〃made　man　upright；　but　he　hath　sought　out　many　inventions。〃　　There　is　something　loose　and　difficult　of　exposition　in　this　statement；　but　we　shall　find　an　important　truth　hid　beneath　its　obscurity。

Junius　Brutus；　in　the　play；　says　to　his　son；

　　　　　　I　like　thy　frame：　　the　fingers　of　the　Gods　　　　　　　I　see　have　left　their　mastery　upon　thee；　　　　　　　And　the　majestic　prints　distinct　appear。

Such　is　the　true　description　of　every　well…formed　and　healthful　infant　that　is　born　into　the　world。

He　is　placed　on　the　threshold　of　existence；　and　an　eventful　journey　is　open　before　him。　　For　the　first　four　or　five　years　of　life　indeed　he　has　little　apprehension　of　the　scenes　that　await　him。　　But　a　child　of　quick　apprehension　early　begins　to　have　day…dreams；　and　to　form　imaginations　of　the　various　chances　that　may　occur　to　him；　and　the　things　he　shall　have　to　do；　when；　according　to　the　language　of　the　story…books；　he　〃goes　out　to　seek　his　fortune。〃

〃God　made　man　upright。〃　　Every　child　that　is　born；　has　within　him　a　concealed　magazine　of　excellence。　　His　heart　beats　for　every　thing　that　is　lovely　and　good；　and　whatever　is　set　before　him　of　that　sort　in　honest　colours；　rouses　his　emulation。　　By　how　many　tokens　does　he　prove　himself　worthy　of　our　approbation　and　lovethe　unaffected　and　ingenuous　sobriety　with　which　he　listens　to　what　addresses　itself　to　his　attention；　the　sweetness　of　his　smile；　his　hearty　laugh；　the　clear；　bell　tones　of　his　voice；　his　sudden　and　assured　impulses；　and　his　bounding　step！

To　his　own　heart　he　promises　well　of　himself。　　Like　Lear　in　the　play；　he　says；　〃I　will　do　such　things！What　they　are；　yet　I　know　not。〃　　But　he　is　assured；　frank　and　light…spirited。　　He　thinks　of　no　disguise。　　He　〃wears　his　heart　upon　his　sleeve。〃　He　looks　in　the　face　of　his　seniors　with　the　glistening　eye　of　confidence；　and　expects　to　encounter　sympathy　and　encouragement　in　return。　　Such　is　man；　as　he　comes　from　the　hands　of　his　maker。

Thus　prepared；　he　is　turned　into　the　great　field　of　society。　　Here　he　meets　with　much　that　he　had　not　anticipated；　and　with　many　rebuffs。　　He　is　taught　that　he　must　accommodate　his　temper　and　proceedings　to　the　expectations　and　prejudices　of　those　around　him。　　He　must　be　careful　to　give　no　offence。　　With　how　many　lessons；　not　always　the　most　salutary　and　ingenuous；　is　this　maxim　pregnant！　It　calls　on　the　neophyte　to　bear　a　wary　eye；　and　to　watch　the　first　indications　of　disapprobation　and　displeasure　in　those　among　whom　his　lot　is　cast。　　It　teaches　him　to　suppress　the　genuine　emotions　of　his　soul。　　It　informs　him　that　he　is　not　always　to　yield　to　his　own　impulses；　but　that　he　must　〃stretch　forth　his　hands　to　another；　and　be　carried　whither　he　would　not。〃

It　recommends　to　him　falseness；　and　to　be　the　thing　in　outward　appearance　that　he　is　not　in　his　heart。

Still　however　he　goes　on。　　He　shuts　up　his　thoughts　in　his　bosom；　but　they　are　not　exterminated。　　On　the　contrary　he　broods　over　them　with　genial　warmth；　and　the　less　they　are　exposed　to　the　eye　of　day；　the　more　perseveringly　are　they　cherished。　　Perhaps　he　chooses　some　youthful　confident　of　his　imaginings：　　and　the　effect　of　this　is；　that　he　pours　out　his　soul　with　uncontrolable　copiousness；　and　with　the　fervour　of　a　new　and　unchecked　conceiving。　　It　is　received　with　answering　warmth；　or；　if　there　is　any　deficiency　in　the　sympathy　of　his　companion；　his　mind　is　so　earnest　and　full；　that　he　does　not　perceive　it。　　By　and　by；　it　may　be；　he　finds　that　the　discovery　he　had　made　of　a　friend；　a　brother　of　his　soul；　is；　like　so　many　of　the　visions　of　this　world；　hollow　and　fallacious。　　He　grasped；　as　he　thought；　a　jewel　of　the　first　water；　and　it　turns　out　to　be　a　vulgar　pebble。　　No　matter：　　he　has　gained　something　by　the　communication。　　He　has　heard　from　his　own　lips　the　imaginings　of　his　mind　shaped　into　articulate　air；　they　grew　more　definite　and　distinct　as　he　uttered　them；　they　came　by　the　very　act　to　have　more　of　reality；　to　be　more　tangible。　　He　shakes　off　the　ill…assorted　companion　that　only　encumbered　him；　and　springs　away　in　his　race；　more　light　of　heart；　and　with　a　step　more　assured；　than　ever。

By　and　by　he　becomes　a　young　man。　　And；　whatever　checks　he　may　have　received　before；　it　usually　happens　that　all　his　hopes　and　projects　return　to　him　now　with　recruited　strength。　　He　has　no　longer　a　master。　　He　no　longer　crouches　to　the　yoke　of　subjection；　and　is　directed　this　way　and　that　at　the　judgment　of　another。　　Liberty　is　at　all　times　dear　to　the　free…soured　and　ingenuous；　but　never　so　much　so；　as　when　we　wear　it　in　its　full　gloss　and　newness。　　He　never　felt　before；　that　he　was　sui　juris；　that　he　might　go　whithersoever　he　would；　without　asking　leave；　without　consulting　any　other　director　than　the　law　of　his　own　mind。　　It　is　nearly　at　the　same　season　that　he　arrives　at　the　period　of　puberty；　at　the　stature；　and　in　a　certain　degree　at　the　strength；　which　he　is　destined　to　attain。　　He　is　by　general　consent　admitted　to　be　at　years　of　discretion。

Though　I　have　put　all　these