thoughts on man-第23部分

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　First；　there　is　sleep。　　In　the　strongest　degree　of　contrast　to　this　there　is　the　frame　in　which　we　find　ourselves；　when　we　write！　　or　invent　and　steadily　pursue　a　consecutive　train　of　thinking　unattended　with　the　implements　of　writing；　or　read　in　some　book　of　science　or　otherwise　which　calls　upon　us　for　a　fixed　attention；　or　address　ourselves　to　a　smaller　or　greater　audience；　or　are　engaged　in　animated　conversation。　　In　each　of　these　occupations　the　mind　may　emphatically　be　said　to　be　on　the　alert。

But　there　are　further　two　distinct　states　or　kinds　of　mental　indolence。　　The　first　is　that　which　we　frequently　experience　during　a　walk　or　any　other　species　of　bodily　exercise；　where；　when　the　whole　is　at　an　end；　we　scarcely　recollect　any　thing　in　which　the　mind　has　been　employed；　but　have　been　in　what　I　may　call　a　healthful　torpor；　where　our　limbs　have　been　sufficiently　in　action　to　continue　our　exercise；　we　have　felt　the　fresh　breeze　playing　on　our　cheeks；　and　have　been　in　other　respects　in　a　frame　of　no　unpleasing　neutrality。　　This　may　be　supposed　greatly　to　contribute　to　our　bodily　health。　　It　is　the　holiday　of　the　faculties：　　and；　as　the　bow；　when　it　has　been　for　a　considerable　time　unbent；　is　said　to　recover　its　elasticity；　so　the　mind；　after　a　holiday　of　this　sort；　comes　fresh；　and　with　an　increased　alacrity；　to　those　occupations　which　advance　man　most　highly　in　the　scale　of　being。

But　there　is　a　second　state　of　mental　indolence；　not　so　complete　as　this；　but　which　is　still　indolence；　inasmuch　as　in　it　the　mind　is　passive；　and　does　not　assume　the　reins　of　empire。　　Such　is　the　state　in　which　we　are　during　our　sleepless　hours　in　bed；　and　in　this　state　our　ideas；　and　the　topics　that　successively　occur；　appear　to　go　forward　without　remission；　while　it　seems　that　it　is　this　busy　condition　of　the　mind；　and　the　involuntary　activity　of　our　thoughts；　that　prevent　us　from　sleeping。

The　distinction　then　between　these　two　sorts　of　indolence　is；　that　in　the　latter　our　ideas　are　perfectly　distinct；　are　attended　with　consciousness；　and　can；　as　we　please；　be　called　up　to　recollection。　　This　therefore　is　not　what　we　understand　by　reverie。　　In　these　waking　hours　which　are　spent　by　us　in　bed；　the　mind　is　no　less　busy；　than　it　is　in　sleep　during　a　dream。　　The　other　and　more　perfect　sort　of　mental　indolence；　is　that　which　we　often　experience　during　our　exercise　in　the　open　air。　　This　is　of　the　same　nature　as　the　condition　of　thought　which　seems　to　be　the　necessary　precursor　of　sleep；　and　is　attended　with　no　precise　consciousness。

By　the　whole　of　the　above　statement　we　are　led　to　a　new　and　a　modified　estimate　of　the　duration　of　human　life。

If　by　life　we　understand　mere　susceptibility；　a　state　of　existence　in　which　we　are　accessible　at　any　moment　to　the　onset　of　sensation；　for　example；　of　painin　this　sense　our　life　is　commensurate；　or　nearly　commensurate；　to　the　entire　period；　from　the　quickening　of　the　child　in　the　womb；　to　the　minute　at　which　sense　deserts　the　dying　man；　and　his　body　becomes　an　inanimate　mass。

But　life；　in　the　emphatical　sense；　and　par　excellence；　is　reduced　to　much　narrower　limits。　　From　this　species　of　life　it　is　unavoidable　that　we　should　strike　off　the　whole　of　the　interval　that　is　spent　in　sleep；　and　thus；　as　a　general　rule；　the　natural　day　of　twenty…four　hours　is　immediately　reduced　to　sixteen。

Of　these　sixteen　hours　again；　there　is　a　portion　that　falls　under　the　direction　of　will　and　attention；　and　a　portion　that　is　passed　by　us　in　a　state　of　mental　indolence。　　By　the　ordinary　and　least　cultivated　class　of　mankind；　the　husbandman；　the　manufacturer；　the　soldier；　the　sailor；　and　the　main　body　of　the　female　sex；　much　the　greater　part　of　every　day　is　resigned　to　a　state　of　mental　indolence。　　The　will　does　not　actively　interfere；　and　the　attention　is　not　roused。　　Even　the　most　intellectual　beings　of　our　species　pass　no　inconsiderable　portion　of　every　day　in　a　similar　condition。　　Such　is　our　state　for　the　most　part　during　the　time　that　is　given　to　bodily　exercise；　and　during　the　time　in　which　we　read　books　of　amusement　merely；　or　are　employed　in　witnessing　public　shews　and　exhibitions。

That　portion　of　every　day　of　our　existence　which　is　occupied　by　us　with　a　mind　attentive　and　on　the　alert；　I　would　call　life　in　a　transcendant　sense。　　The　rest　is　scarcely　better　than　a　state　of　vegetation。

And　yet　not　so　either。　　The　happiest　and　most　valuable　thoughts　of　the　human　mind　will　sometimes　come　when　they　are　least　sought　for；　and　we　least　anticipated　any　such　thing。　　In　reading　a　romance；　in　witnessing　a　performance　at　a　theatre；　in　our　idlest　and　most　sportive　moods；　a　vein　in　the　soil　of　intellect　will　sometimes　unexpectedly　be　broken　up；　〃richer　than　all　the　tribe〃　of　contemporaneous　thoughts；　that　shall　raise　him　to　whom　it　occurs；　to　a　rank　among　his　species　altogether　different　from　any　thing　he　had　looked　for。　　Newton　was　led　to　the　doctrine　of　gravitation　by　the　fall　of　an　apple；　as　he　indolently　reclined　under　the　tree　on　which　it　grew。　　〃A　verse　may　find　him；　who　a　sermon　flies。〃　　Polemon；　when　intoxicated；　entered　the　school　of　Xenocrates；　and　was　so　struck　with　the　energy　displayed　by　the　master；　and　the　thoughts　he　delivered；　that　from　that　moment　he　renounced　the　life　of　dissipation　he　had　previously　led；　and　applied　himself　entirely　to　the　study　of　philosophy。　　But　these　instances　are　comparatively　of　rare　occurrence；　and　do　not　require　to　be　taken　into　the　account。

It　is　still　true　therefore　for　the　most　part；　that　not　more　than　eight　hours　in　the　day　are　passed　by　the　wisest　and　most　energetic；　with　a　mind　attentive　and　on　the　alert。　　The　remainder　is　a　period　of　vegetation　only。　　In　the　mean　time　we　have　all　of　us　undoubtedly　to　a　certain　degree　the　power　of　enlarging　the　extent　of　the　period　of　transcendant　life　in　each　day　of　our　healthful　existence；　and　causing　it　to　encroach　upon　the　period　either　of　mental　indolence　or　of　sleep。With　the　greater　part　of　the　human　species　the　whole　of　their　lives　while　awake；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　brief　and　insulated　intervals；　is　spent　in　a　passive　state　of　the　intellectual　powers。　　Thoughts　come　and　go；　as　chance；　or　some　undefined　power　in　nature　may　direct；　uninterfered　with　by　the　sovereign　will；　the　steersman　of　the　mind。　　And　often　the　understanding　appears　to　be　a　blank；　upon　which　if　any　impressions　are　then　made；　they　are　like　figures　drawn　in　the　sand　which　the　next　tide　obliterates；　or　are　even　lighter　and　more　evanescent　than　this。

Let　me　add；　that　the　existence　of　the　child　for　two　or　three　years　from　the　period　of　his　birth；　is　almost　entirely　a　state　of　vegetation。　　The　impressions　that　are　made　upon　his　sensorium　come　and　go；　without　either　their　advent　or　departure　being　anticipated；　and　without　the　interference　of　the　will。　　It　is　only　under　some　express　excitement；　that　the　faculty　of　will　mounts　its　throne；　and　exercises　its　empire。　　When　the　child　smiles；　that　act　is　involuntary；　but；　when　he　cries；　will　presently　comes　to　mix　itself　with　the　phenomenon。　　Wilfulness；　impatience　and　rebellion　are　infallible　symptoms　of　a　mind　on　the　alert。　　And；　as　the　child　in　the　first　stages　of　its　existence　puts　forth　the　faculty　of　will　only　at　intervals；　so　for　a　similar　reason　this　period　is　but　rarely　accompanied　with　memory；　or　leaves　any　traces　of　recollection　for　our　after…life。

There　are　other　memorable　states　of　the　intellectual　powers；　which　if　I　did　not　mention；　the　survey　here　taken　would　seem　to　be　glaringly　imperfect。　　The　first　of　these　is　madness。　　In　this　humiliating　condition　of　our　nature　the　sovereignty　of　reason　is　deposed：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chaos　umpire　sits；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　by　decision　more　embroils　the　fray。

The　mind　is　in　a　state　of　turbulence　and　tempest　in　one　instant；　and　in　another　subsides　into　the　deepest　imbecility；　and；　even　when　the　will　is　occasionally　roused；　the　link　which　preserved　its　union　with　good　sense　and　sobriety　is　dissolved；　and　the　views　by　which　it　has　the　appearance　of　being　regulated；　are　all　based　in　misconstruction　and　delusion。

Next　to　madness　occur　the　different　stages　of　spleen；　dejection　and　listlessness。　　The　essence　of　these　lies　in　the　passiveness　and　neutrality　of　the　intellectual　powers。　　In　as　far　as　the　unhappy　sufferer　could　be　roused　to　act；　the　disease　would　be　essentially　diminished；　and　might　finally　be　expelled。　　But　long　days　and　months　are　spent　by　the　patient　in　the　midst　of　all　harassing　imaginations；　and　an　everlasting　nightmare　seems　to　sit　on　the　soul；　and　lock　up　its　powers　in　interminable　inactivity。　　Almost　the　only　interruption　to　this；　is　when　the　demands　of　nature　require　our　attention；　or　we　pay　a　slight　and　uncertain　attention　to　the　decencies　of　cleanliness　and　attire。

In　all　these　considerations　then　we　find　abundant　occasion　to　humble　the　pride　and　vain…glory　of　man。　　But　they　do　not　overturn　the　principles　delivered　in　the　preceding　Essay　respecting　the　duration　of　human　life；　though　they　certainly　interpose　additional　boundaries　to　limit　the　prospects　of　individual　improvement。



ESSAY　IX。　OF　LEISURE。

The　river　of　human　life　is　divided　into　two　streams；　occupation　and　leisureor；　to　express　the　thing　more　accurately；　that　occupation；　which　is　prescribed；　and　may　be　called　the　business　of　life；　and　that　occupation；　which　arises　contingently；　and　not　so　much　of　absolute　and　set　purpose；　not　being　prescribed：　　such　being　the　more　exact　description　of　these　two　divisions　of　human　life；　inasmuch　as　the　latter　is　often　not　less　earnest　and　intent　in　its　pursuits　than　the　former。

It　would　be　a　curious　question　to　ascertain　which　of　these　is　of　the　highest　value。

To　this　enquiry　I　hear　myself　loudly　and　vehemently　answered　from　all　hands　in　favour　of　the　first。　　〃This；〃　I　am　told　by　unanimous　acclamation；　〃is　the　business　of　life。〃

The　decision　in　favour　of　what　we　primarily　called　occupation；　above　what　we　called　leisure；　may　in　a　mitigated　sense　be　entertained　as　true。　　Man　can　live　with　little　or　no　leisure；　for　millions　of　human　beings　do　so　live：　　but　the　species　to　which　we　belong；　and　of　consequence　the　individuals　of　that　species；　cannot　exist　as　they　ought　to　exist；　without　occupation。

Granting　however　the　paramount　claims　that