thoughts on man-第38部分

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s　ease。　　There　is　in　all　this　an　image　of　empire；　and　the　human　mind　is　ever　prone　to　be　delighted　in　the　exercise　of　unrestricted　authority。　　The　pupil　in　this　case　stands　before　his　instructor　in　an　attitude　humble；　submissive；　and　bowing　to　the　admonition　that　is　communicated　to　him。　　The　speaker　says　more　than　it　was　in　his　purpose　to　say；　and　he　knows　not　how　to　arrest　himself　in　his　triumphant　career。　　He　believes　that　he　is　in　no　danger　of　excess；　and　recollects　the　old　proverb　that　〃words　break　no　bones。〃

But　a　syllable　more　than　is　necessary　and　justly　measured；　is　materially　of　evil　operation　to　ingenuous　youth。　　The　mind　of　such　a　youth　is　tender　and　flexible；　and　easily　swayed　one　way　or　the　other。　　He　believes　almost　every　thing　that　he　is　bid　to　believe；　and　the　admonition　that　is　given　him　with　all　the　symptoms　of　friendliness　and　sincerity　he　is　prompt　to　subscribe　to。　　If　this　is　wantonly　aggravated　to　him；　he　feels　the　oppression；　and　is　galled　with　the　injustice。　　He　knows　himself　guiltless　of　premeditated　wrong。　　He　has　not　yet　learned　that　his　condition　is　that　of　a　slave；　and　he　feels　a　certain　impatience　at　his　being　considered　as　such；　though　he　probably　does　not　venture　to　express　it。　　He　shuts　up　the　sense　of　this　despotism　in　his　own　bosom；　and　it　is　his　first　lesson　of　independence　and　rebellion　and　original　sin。

It　is　one　of　the　grossest　mistakes　of　which　we　can　be　guilty；　if　we　confound　different　offences　and　offenders　together。　　The　great　and　the　small　alike　appear　before　us　in　the　many…coloured　scene　of　human　society；　and；　if　we　reprehend　bitterly　and　rate　a　juvenile　sinner　for　the　fault；　which　he　scarcely　understood；　and　assuredly　had　not　premeditated；　we　break　down　at　once　a　thousand　salutary　boundaries；　and　reduce　the　ideas　of　right　and　wrong　in　his　mind　to　a　portentous　and　terrible　chaos。　　The　communicator　of　liberal　knowledge　assuredly　ought　not　to　confound　his　office　with　that　of　a　magistrate　at　a　quarter…sessions；　who　though　he　does　not　sit　in　judgment　upon　transgressions　of　the　deepest　and　most　atrocious　character；　yet　has　brought　before　him　in　many　cases　defaulters　of　a　somewhat　hardened　disposition；　whose　lot　has　been　cast　among　the　loose　and　the　profligate；　and　who　have　been　carefully　trained　to　a　certain　audacity　of　temper；　taught　to　look　upon　the　paraphernalia　of　justice　with　scorn；　and　to　place　a　sort　of　honour　in　sustaining　hard　words　and　the　lesser　visitations　of　punishment　with　unflinching　nerve。

If　this　is　the　judgment　we　ought　to　pass　upon　the　bitter　and　galling　and　humiliating　terms　of　reprehension　apt　to　be　made　use　of　by　the　instructor　to　his　pupil；　it　is　unnecessary　to　say　a　word　on　the　subject　of　chastisement。　　If　such　an　expedient　is　ever　to　be　had　recourse　to；　it　can　only　be　in　cases　of　contumaciousness　and　rebellion；　and　then　the　instructor　cannot　too　unreservedly　say　to　himself；　〃This　is　matter　of　deep　humiliation　to　me：　　I　ought　to　have　succeeded　by　an　appeal　to　the　understanding　and　ingenuous　feelings　of　youth；　but　I　am　reduced　to　a　confession　of　my　impotence。〃

But　the　topic　which；　most　of　all；　I　was　desirous　to　bring　forward　in　this　Essay；　is　that　of　the　language　so　customarily　employed　by　the　impatient　and　irritated　preceptor；　〃Hereafter；　in　a　state　of　mature　and　ripened　judgment；　you　will　thank　me　for　the　severity　I　now　exercise　towards　you。〃

No；　it　may　safely　be　answered：　　that　time　will　never　arrive。

As；　in　one　of　my　earlier　Essays＇33＇；　I　undertook　to　shew　that　there　is　not　so　much　difference　between　the　talents　of　one　man　and　another　as　has　often　been　apprehended；　so　we　are　guilty　of　a　gross　error　in　the　way　in　which　we　divide　the　child　from　the　man；　and　consider　him　as　if　he　belonged　to　a　distinct　species　of　beings。

＇33＇　Essay　II。


I　go　back　to　the　recollections　of　my　youth；　and　can　scarcely　find　where　to　draw　the　line　between　ineptness　and　maturity。　　The　thoughts　that　occurred　to　me；　as　far　back　as　I　can　recollect　them；　were　often　shrewd；　the　suggestions　ingenious；　the　judgments　not　seldom　acute。　　I　feel　myself　the　same　individual　all　through。

Sometimes　I　was　unreasonably　presumptuous；　and　sometimes　unnecessarily　distrustful。　　Experience　has　taught　me　in　various　instances　a　sober　confidence　in　my　decisions；　but　that　is　all　the　difference。　　So　to　express　it；　I　had　then　the　same　tools　to　work　with　as　now；　but　the　magazine　of　materials　upon　which　I　had　to　operate　was　scantily　supplied。　　Like　the　apothecary　in　Romeo　and　Juliet；　the　faculty；　such　as　it　was；　was　within　me；　but　my　shelves　contained　but　a　small　amount　of　furniture：

　　　　　　A　beggarly　account　of　empty　boxes；　　　　　　　Remnants　of　packthread；　and　old　cakes　of　roses；　　　　　　　Which；　thinly　scattered；　served　to　make　a　shew。


In　speaking　thus　of　the　intellectual　powers　of　my　youth；　I　am　however　conceding　too　much。　　It　is　true；　〃Practice　maketh　perfect。〃　　But　it　is　surprising；　in　apt　and　towardly　youth；　how　much　there　is　to　commend　in　the　first　essays。　　The　novice；　who　has　his　faculties　lively　and　on　the　alert；　will　strike　with　his　hammer　almost　exactly　where　the　blow　ought　to　be　placed；　and　give　nearly　the　precisely　right　force　to　the　act。　　He　will　seize　the　thread　it　was　fitting　to　seize；　and；　though　he　fail　again　and　again；　will　shew　an　adroitness　upon　the　whole　that　we　scarcely　know　how　to　account　for。　　The　man　whose　career　shall　ultimately　be　crowned　with　success；　will　demonstrate　in　the　beginning　that　he　was　destined　to　succeed。

There　is　therefore　no　radical　difference　between　the　child　and　the　man。　　His　flesh　becomes　more　firm　and　sinewy；　his　bones　grow　more　solid　and　powerful；　his　joints　are　more　completely　strung。　　But　he　is　still　essentially　the　same　being　that　he　was。　　When　a　genuine　philosopher　holds　a　new…born　child　in　his　arms；　and　carefully　examines　it；　he　perceives　in　it　various　indications　of　temper　and　seeds　of　character。　　It　was　all　there；　though　folded　up　and　confused；　and　not　obtruding　itself　upon　the　remark　of　every　careless　spectator。　　It　continues　with　the　child　through　life；　grows　with　his　growth；　and　never　leaves　him　till　he　is　at　last　consigned　to　the　tomb。　　How　absurd　then　by　artful　rules　and　positive　institutions　to　undertake　to　separate　what　can　never　be　divided！　　The　child　is　occasionally　grave　and　reflecting；　and　deduces　well…founded　inferences；　he　draws　on　the　past；　and　plunges　into　the　wide　ocean　of　the　future。　　In　proportion　as　the　child　advances　into　the　youth；　his　intervals　of　gravity　increase；　and　he　builds　up　theories　and　judgments；　some　of　which　no　future　time　shall　suffice　to　overturn。　　It　is　idle　to　suppose　that　the　first　activity　of　our　faculties；　when　every　thing　is　new　and　produces　an　unbated　impression；　when　the　mind　is　uncumbered；　and　every　interest　and　every　feeling　bid　us　be　observing　and　awake；　should　pass　for　nothing。　　We　lay　up　stores　then；　which　shall　never　be　exhausted。　　Our　minds　are　the　reverse　of　worn　and　obtuse。　　We　bring　faculties　into　the　world　with　us　fresh　from　the　hands　of　the　all…bounteous　giver；　they　are　not　yet　moulded　to　a　senseless　routine；　they　are　not　yet　corrupted　by　the　ill　lessons　of　effrontery；　impudence　and　vice。　　Childhood　is　beautiful；　youth　is　ingenuous；　and　it　can　be　nothing　but　a　principle　which　is　hostile　to　all　that　most　adorns　this　sublunary　scene；　that　would　with　violence　and　despotic　rule　mar　the　fairest　flower　that　creation　has　to　boast。

It　happens　therefore　almost　unavoidably　that；　when　the　man　mature　looks　back　upon　the　little　incidents　of　his　youth；　he　sees　them　to　a　surprising　degree　in　the　same　light；　and　forms　the　same　conclusions　respecting　them；　as　he　did　when　they　were　actually　passing。　　〃The　forgeries　of　opinion；〃　says　Cicero；　〃speedily　pass　away；　but　the　rules　and　decisions　of　nature　are　strengthened。〃　　Bitter　reproaches　and　acts　of　violence　are　the　offspring　of　perturbation　engendered　upon　imbecility；　and　therefore　can　never　be　approved　upon　a　sober　and　impartial　revision。　　And；　if　they　are　to　be　impeached　in　the　judgment　of　an　equal　and　indifferent　observer；　we　may　be　sure　they　will　be　emphatically　condemned　by　the　grave　and　enlightened　censor　who　looks　back　upon　the　years　of　his　own　nonage；　and　recollects　that　he　was　himself　the　victim　of　the　intemperance　to　be　pronounced　upon。　　The　interest　that　he　must　necessarily　take　in　the　scenes　in　which　he　once　had　an　engrossing　concern；　will　supply　peculiar　luminousness　to　his　views。　　He　taxes　himself　to　be　just。　　The　transaction　is　over　now；　and　is　passed　to　the　events　that　preceded　the　universal　deluge。　　He　holds　the　balance　with　a　steadiness；　which　sets　at　defiance　all　attempts　to　give　it　a　false　direction　one　way　or　the　other。　　But　the　judgment　he　made　on　the　case　at　the　time；　and　immediately　after　the　humiliation　he　suffered；　remains　with　him。　　It　was　the　sentiment　of　his　ripening　youth；　it　was　the　opinion　of　his　opening　manhood；　and　it　still　attends　him；　when　he　is　already　fast　yielding　to　the　incroachments　and　irresistible　assaults　of　declining　years。



ESSAY　XV。　OF　LOVE　AND　FRIENDSHIP。

Who　is　it　that　says；　〃There　is　no　love　but　among　equals？〃　　Be　it　who　it　may；　it　is　a　saying　universally　known；　and　that　is　in　every　one's　mouth。　　The　contrary　is　precisely　the　truth；　and　is　the　great　secret　of　every　thing　that　is　admirable　in　our　moral　nature。

By　love　it　is　my　intention　here　to　understand；　not　a　calm；　tranquil；　and；　as　it　were；　half…pronounced　feeling；　but　a　passion　of　the　mind。　　We　may　doubtless　entertain　an　approbation　of　other　men；　without　adverting　to　the　question　how　they　stand　in　relation　to　ourselves；　as　equals　or　otherwise。　　But　the　sentiment　I　am　here　considering；　is　that　where　the　person　in　whom　it　resides　most　strongly　sympathises　with　the　joys　and　sorrows　of　another；　desires　his　gratification；　hopes　for　his　welfare；　and　shrinks　from　the　anticipation　of　his　being　injured；　in　a　word；　is　the　sentiment　which　has　most　the　spirit　of　sacrifice　in　it；　and　prepares　the　person　in　whom　it　dwells；　to　postpone　his　own　advantage　to　the　advantage　of　him　who　is　the　object　of　it。

Having　placed　love　among　the　passions；　which　is　no　vehement　assumption；　I　then　say；　there　can　be　no　passion；　and　by　consequence　no　love；　where　there　is　not　imagination。　　In　cases　where　every　thing　is　understood；　and　measured；　and　reduced　to　rule；　love　is　out　o