thoughts on man-第29部分

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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　original　purity；　were　cast　in　a　mould　of　a　similar　nature。　　A　Spartan　was　seldom　alone；　they　were　always　in　society　with　each　other。　　The　love　of　their　country　and　of　the　public　good　was　their　predominant　passion；　they　did　not　imagine　that　they　belonged　to　themselves；　but　to　the　state。　　After　the　battle　of　Leuctra；　in　which　the　Spartans　were　defeated　by　the　Thebans；　the　mothers　of　those　who　were　slain　congratulated　one　another；　and　went　to　the　temples　to　thank　the　Gods；　that　their　children　had　done　their　duty；　while　the　relations　of　those　who　survived　the　defeat　were　inconsolable。

The　Romans　were　not　less　distinguished　by　their　self…denying　patriotism。　　It　was　in　this　spirit　that　Brutus　put　his　two　sons　to　death　for　conspiring　against　their　country。　　It　was　in　this　spirit　that　the　Fabii　perished　at　their　fort　on　the　Cremera；　and　the　Decii　devoted　themselves　for　the　public。　　The　rigour　of　self…denial　in　a　true　Roman　approached　to　a　temper　which　moderns　are　inclined　to　denominate　savage。

In　the　times　of　the　ancient　republics　the　impulse　of　the　citizens　was　to　merge　their　own　individuality　in　the　interests　of　the　state。　　They　held　it　their　duty　to　live　but　for　their　country。　　In　this　spirit　they　were　educated；　and　the　lessons　of　their　early　youth　regulated　the　conduct　of　their　riper　years。

In　a　more　recent　period　we　have　learned　to　model　our　characters　by　a　different　standard。　　We　seldom　recollect　the　society　of　which　we　are　politically　members；　as　a　whole；　but　are　broken　into　detached　parties；　thinking　only　for　the　most　part　of　ourselves　and　our　immediate　connections　and　attachments。

This　change　in　the　sentiments　and　manners　of　modern　times　has　among　its　other　consequences　given　birth　to　a　new　species　of　philosophy。　　We　have　been　taught　to　affirm；　that　we　can　have　no　express　and　pure　regard　for　our　fellow…creatures；　but　that　all　our　benevolence　and　affection　come　to　us　through　the　strainers　of　a　gross　or　a　refined　self…love。　　The　coarser　adherents　of　this　doctrine　maintain；　that　mankind　are　in　all　cases　guided　by　views　of　the　narrowest　self…interest；　and　that　those　who　advance　the　highest　claims　to　philanthropy；　patriotism；　generosity　and　self…sacrifice；　are　all　the　time　deceiving　others；　or　deceiving　themselves；　and　use　a　plausible　and　high…sounding　language　merely；　that　serves　no　other　purpose　than　to　veil　from　observation　〃that　hideous　sight；　a　naked　human　heart。〃

The　more　delicate　and　fastidious　supporters　of　the　doctrine　of　universal　self…love；　take　a　different　ground。　　They　affirm　that　〃such　persons　as　talk　to　us　of　disinterestedness　and　pure　benevolence；　have　not　considered　with　sufficient　accuracy　the　nature　of　mind；　feeling　and　will。　　To　understand；〃　they　say；　〃is　one　thing；　and　to　choose　another。　　The　clearest　proposition　that　ever　was　stated；　has；　in　itself；　no　tendency　to　produce　voluntary　action　on　the　part　of　the　percipient。　　It　can　be　only　something　apprehended　as　agreeable　or　disagreeable　to　us；　that　can　operate　so　as　to　determine　the　will。　　Such　is　the　law　of　universal　nature。　　We　act　from　the　impulse　of　our　own　desires　and　aversions；　and　we　seek　to　effect　or　avert　a　thing；　merely　because　it　is　viewed　by　us　as　an　object　of　gratification　or　the　contrary。

The　virtuous　man　and　the　vicious　are　alike　governed　by　the　same　principle；　and　it　is　therefore　the　proper　business　of　a　wise　instructor　of　youth；　and　of　a　man　who　would　bring　his　own　sentiments　and　feelings　into　the　most　praise…worthy　frame；　to　teach　us　to　find　our　interest　and　gratification　in　that　which　shall　be　most　beneficial　to　others。〃

When　we　proceed　to　examine　the　truth　of　these　statements；　it　certainly　is　not　strictly　an　argument　to　say；　that　the　advocate　of　self…love　on　either　of　these　hypotheses　cannot　consistently　be　a　believer　in　Christianity；　or　even　a　theist；　as　theism　is　ordinarily　understood。　　The　commandments　of　the　author　of　the　Christian　religion　are；　as　we　have　seen；　purely　disinterested：　　and；　especially　if　we　admit　the　latter　of　the　two　explanations　of　self…love；　we　shall　be　obliged　to　confess；　on　the　hypothesis　of　this　new　philosophy；　that　the