thoughts on man-第15部分

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oposition；　yet　it　will　perhaps　be　admitted；　that　almost　every　reader；　when　he　regards　it　as　a　supposition　merely；　says　to　himself　for　a　moment；　〃Would　I？　　Could　I？〃

But；　to　bring　the　irrationality　of　man　more　completely　to　the　test；　let　us　change　the　supposition。　　Let　us　imagine　him　to　be　gifted　with　the　powers　of　the　fabled　basilisk；　〃to　monarchise；　be　feared；　and　kill　with　looks。〃　　His　present　impulses；　his　passions；　his　modes　of　reasoning　and　choosing　shall　continue；　but　his　〃will　is　neighboured　to　his　act；〃　whatever　he　has　formed　a　conception　of　with　preference；　is　immediately　realised；　his　thought　is　succeeded　by　the　effect；　and　no　traces　are　left　behind；　by　means　of　which　a　shadow　of　censure　or　suspicion　can　be　reflected　on　him。

Man　is　in　truth　a　miracle。　　The　human　mind　is　a　creature　of　celestial　origin；　shut　up　and　confined　in　a　wall　of　flesh。　　We　feel　a　kind　of　proud　impatience　of　the　degradation　to　which　we　are　condemned。　　We　beat　ourselves　to　pieces　against　the　wires　of　our　cage；　and　long　to　escape；　to　shoot　through　the　elements；　and　be　as　free　to　change　at　any　instant　the　place　where　we　dwell；　as　to　change　the　subject　to　which　our　thoughts　are　applied。

This；　or　something　like　this；　seems　to　be　the　source　of　our　most　portentous　follies　and　absurdities。　　This　is　the　original　sin　upon　which　St。　Austin　and　Calvin　descanted。　　Certain　Arabic　writers　seem　to　have　had　this　in　their　minds；　when　they　tell　us；　that　there　is　a　black　drop　of　blood　in　the　heart　of　every　man；　in　which　is　contained　the　fomes　peccati；　and　add　that；　when　Mahomet　was　in　the　fourth　year　of　his　age；　the　angel　Gabriel　caught　him　up　from　among　his　playfellows；　and　taking　his　heart　from　his　bosom；　squeezed　out　of　it　this　first　principle　of　frailty；　in　consequence　of　which　he　for　ever　after　remained　inaccessible　to　the　weaknesses　of　other　men＇6＇。

＇6＇　Life　of　Mahomet；　by　Prideaux。


It　is　the　observation　of　sir　Thomas　Browne：　　〃Man　is　a　noble　animal；　splendid　in　ashes；　and　pompous　in　the　grave。〃　　One　of　the　most　remarkable　examples　of　this　is　to　he　found　in　the　pyramids　of　Egypt。　　They　are　generally　considered　as　having　been　erected　to　be　the　tombs　of　the　kings　of　that　country。　　They　have　no　opening　by　which　for　the　light　of　heaven　to　enter；　and　afford　no　means　for　the　accommodation　of　living　man。　　An　hundred　thousand　men　are　said　to　have　been　constantly　employed　in　the　building；　ten　years　to　have　been　consumed　in　hewing　and　conveying　the　stones；　and　twenty　more　in　completing　the　edifice。　　Of　the　largest　the　base　is　a　square；　and　the　sides　are　triangles；　gradually　diminishing　as　they　mount　in　the　air。　　The　sides　of　the　base　are　two　hundred　and　twenty　feet　in　length；　and　the　perpendicular　height　is　above　one　hundred　and　fifty…five　feet。　　The　figure　of　the　pyramid　is　precisely　that　which　is　most　calculated　for　duration：　　it　cannot　perish　by　accident；　and　it　would　require　almost　as　much　labour　to　demolish　it；　as　it　did　to　raise　it　at　first。

What　a　light　does　this　fact　convey　into　the　inmost　recesses　of　the　human　heart！　　Man　reflects　deeply；　and　with　feelings　of　a　mortified　nature；　upon　the　perishableness　of　his　frame；　and　the　approaching　close；　so　far　as　depends　upon　the　evidence　of　our　senses；　of　his　existence。　　He　has　indeed　an　irrepressible　〃longing　after　immortality；〃　and　this　is　one　of　the　various　and　striking　modes　in　which　he　has　sought　to　give　effect　to　his　desire。

Various　obvious　causes　might　be　selected；　which　should　be　calculated　to　give　birth　to　the　feeling　of　discontent。

One　is；　the　not　being　at　home。

I　will　here　put　together　some　of　the　particulars　which　make　up　the　idea　of　home　in　the　most　emphatical　sense　of　the　word。

Home　is　the　place　where　a　man　is　principally　at　his　ease。　　It　is　the　place　where　he　most　breathes　his　native　air：　　his　lungs　play　without　impediment；　and　every　respiration　brings　a　pure　element；　and　a　cheerful　and　gay　frame　of　mind。　　Home　is　the　place　where　he　most　easily　accomplishes　all　his　designs；　he　has　his　furniture　and　materials　and　the　elements　of　his　occupations　entirely　within　his　reach。　　Home　is　the　place　where　he　can　be　uninterrupted。　　He　is　in　a　castle　which　is　his　in　full　propriety。　　No　unwelcome　guests　can　intrude；　no　harsh　sounds　can　disturb　his　contemplations；　he　is　the　master；　and　can　command　a　silence　equal　to　that　of　the　tomb；　whenever　he　pleases。

In　this　sense　every　man　feels；　while　cribbed　in　a　cabin　of　flesh；　and　shut　up　by　the　capricious　and　arbitrary　injunctions　of　human　communities；　that　he　is　not　at　home。

Another　cause　of　our　discontent　is　to　be　traced　to　the　disparity　of　the　two　parts　of　which　we　are　composed；　the　thinking　principle；　and　the　body　in　which　it　acts。　　The　machine　which　constitutes　the　visible　man；　bears　no　proportion　to　our　thoughts；　our　wishes　and　desires。　　Hence　we　are　never　satisfied；　we　always　feel　the　want　of　something　we　have　not；　and　this　uneasiness　is　continually　pushing　us　on　to　precipitate　and　abortive　resolves。

I　find　in　a　book；　entitled；　Illustrations　of　Phrenology；　by　Sir　George　Mackenzie；　Baronet；　the　following　remark。　　'If　this　portrait　be　correctly　drawn；　the　right　side　does　not　quite　agree　with　the　left　in　the　region　of　ideality。　　This　dissimilarity　may　have　produced　something　contradictory　in　the　feelings　of　the　person　it　represents；　which　he　may　have　felt　extremely　annoying＇7＇。〃　　An　observation　of　this　sort　may　be　urged　with　striking　propriety　as　to　the　dissimilar　attributes　of　the　body　and　the　thinking　principle　in　man。


＇7＇　The　remark　thus　delivered　is　applied　to　the　portrait　of　the　author　of　the　present　volume。


It　is　perhaps　thus　that　we　are　to　account　for　a　phenomenon；　in　itself　sufficiently　obvious；　that　our　nature　has　within　it　a　principle　of　boundless　ambition；　a　desire　to　be　something　that　we　are　not；　a　feeling　that　we　are　out　of　our　place；　and　ought　to　be　where　we　are　not。　　This　feeling　produces　in　us　quick　and　earnest　sallies　and　goings　forth　of　the　mind；　a　restlessness　of　soul；　and　an　aspiration　after　some　object　that　we　do　not　find　ourselves　able　to　chalk　out　and　define。

Hence　comes　the　practice　of　castle…building；　and　of　engaging　the　soul　in　endless　reveries　and　imaginations　of　something　mysterious　and　unlike　to　what　we　behold　in　the　scenes　of　sublunary　life。　　Many　writers；　having　remarked　this；　have　endeavoured　to　explain　it　from　the　doctrine　of　a　preexistent　state；　and　have　said　that；　though　we　have　no　clear　and　distinct　recollection　of　what　happened　to　us　previously　to　our　being　launched　in　our　present　condition；　yet　we　have　certain　broken　and　imperfect　conceptions；　as　if；　when　the　tablet　of　the　memory　was　cleared　for　the　most　part　of　the　traces　of　what　we　had　passed　through　in　some　other　mode　of　being；　there　were　a　few　characters　that　had　escaped　the　diligence　of　the　hand　by　which　the　rest　had　been　obliterated。

It　is　this　that；　in　less　enlightened　ages　of　the　world；　led　men　to　engage　so　much　of　their　thoughts　upon　supposed　existences；　which；　though　they　might　never　become　subject　to　our　organs　of　vision；　were　yet　conceived　to　be　perpetually　near　us；　fairies；　ghosts；　witches；　demons　and　angels。　　Our　ancestors　often　derived　suggestions　from　these；　were　informed　of　things　beyond　the　ken　of　ordinary　faculties；　were　tempted　to　the　commission　of　forbidden　acts；　or　encouraged　to　proceed　in　the　paths　of　virtue。

The　most　remarkable　of　these　phenomena　was　that　of　necromancy；　sorcery　and　magic。　　There　were　men　who　devoted　themselves　to　〃curious　arts；〃　and　had　books　fraught　with　hidden　knowledge。　　They　could　〃bedim

　The　noon…tide　sun；　call　forth　the　mutinous　winds；　And　'twixt　the　green　sea　and　the　azured　vault　Set　roaring　war：　　to　the　dread；　rattling　thunder　They　could　give　fire；　and　rift　even　Jove's　stout　oak　With　his　own　boltgraves　at　their　command　Have　waked　their　sleepers；　oped　and　let　them　forth。


And　of　these　things　the　actors　in　them　were　so　certain；　that　many　witches　were　led　to　the　stake；　their　guilt　being　principally　established　on　their　own　confessions。　　But　the　most　memorable　matters　in　the　history　of　the　black　art；　were　the　contracts　which　those　who　practised　it　not　unfrequently　entered　into　with　the　devil；　that　he　should　assist　them　by　his　supernatural　power　for　ten　or　twenty　years；　and；　in　consideration　of　this　aid；　they　consented　to　resign　their　souls　into　his　possession；　when　the　period　of　the　contract　was　expired。

In　the　animal　creation　there　are　some　species　that　may　be　tamed；　and　others　whose　wildness　is　irreclaimable。　　Horace　says；　that　all　men　are　mad：　　and　no　doubt　mankind　in　general　has　one　of　the　features　of　madness。　　In　the　ordinary　current　of　our　existence　we　are　to　a　considerable　degree　rational　and　tractable。　　But　we　are　not　altogether　safe。　　I　may　converse　with　a　maniac　for　hours；　he　shall　talk　as　soberly；　and　conduct　himself　with　as　much　propriety；　as　any　other　of　the　species　who　has　never　been　afflicted　with　his　disease；　but　touch　upon　a　particular　string；　and；　before　you　are　aware　of　it；　he　shall　fly　out　into　the　wildest　and　most　terrifying　extravagances。　　Such；　though　in　a　greatly　inferior　degree；　are　the　majority　of　human　beings。

The　original　impulse　of　man　is　uncontrolableness。　　When　the　spirit　of　life　first　descends　upon　us；　we　desire　and　attempt　to　be　as　free　as　air。　　We　are　impatient　of　restraint。　　This　is　the　period　of　the　empire　of　will。　　There　is　a　power　within　us　that　wars　against　the　restraint　of　another。　　We　are　eager　to　follow　our　own　impulses　and　caprices；　and　are　with　difficulty　subjected　to　those　who　believe　they　best　know　how　to　control　inexperienced　youth　in　a　way　that　shall　tend　to　his　ultimate　advantage。

The　most　moderate　and　auspicious　method　in　which　the　old　may　endeavour　to　guide　and　control　the　pursuits　of　the　young；　undoubtedly　is　by　the　conviction　of　the　understanding。　　But　this　is　not　always　easy。　　It　is　not　at　all　times　practicable　fully　to　explain　to　the　apprehension　of　a　very　young　person　the　advantage；　which　at　a　period　a　little　more　advanced　he　would　be　able　clearly　to　recognise。

There　is　a　further　evil　appertaining　to　this　view　of　the　subject。

A　young　man　even；　in　the　early　season　of　life；　is　not　always　disposed　to　obey　the　convictions　of　his　understanding。　　He　has　prescribed　to　himself　a　task　which　returns　with　the　returning　day；　but　he　i