thoughts on man-第4部分

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e　slaves　of　the　Romans　on　the　days　of　the　Saturnalia。　　He　may　do　what　he　pleases；　and　command　tasks　to　his　masters；　but　with　this　differencethe　Roman　slave　knew　when　the　days　of　his　licence　would　be　over；　and　comported　himself　accordingly；　but　the　child　cannot　foresee　at　any　moment　when　the　bell　will　be　struck；　and　the　scene　reversed。　　It　is　commonly　enough　incident　to　this　situation；　that　the　being　who　is　at　the　mercy　of　another；　will　practise；　what　Tacitus　calls；　a　〃vernacular　urbanity；〃　make　his　bold　jests；　and　give　utterance　to　his　saucy　innuendoes；　with　as　much　freedom　as　the　best；　but　he　will　do　it　with　a　wary　eye；　not　knowing　how　soon　he　may　feel　his　chain　plucked！　　and　himself　compulsorily　reduced　into　the　established　order。　　His　more　usual　refuge　therefore　is；　to　do　nothing；　and　to　wrap　himself　up　in　that　neutrality　towards　his　seniors；　that　may　best　protect　him　from　their　reprimand　and　their　despotism。

The　condition　of　the　full…grown　man　is　different　from　that　of　the　child；　and　he　conducts　himself　accordingly。　　He　is　always　to　a　certain　degree　under　the　control　of　the　political　society　of　which　he　is　a　member。　　He　is　also　exposed　to　the　chance　of　personal　insult　and　injury　from　those　who　are　stronger　than　he；　or　who　may　render　their　strength　more　considerable　by　combination　and　numbers。　　The　political　institutions　which　control　him　in　certain　respects；　protect　him　also　to　a　given　degree　from　the　robber　and　assassin；　or　from　the　man　who；　were　it　not　for　penalties　and　statutes；　would　perpetrate　against　him　all　the　mischiefs　which　malignity　might　suggest。　　Civil　policy　however　subjects　him　to　a　variety　of　evils；　which　wealth　or　corruption　are　accustomed　to　inflict　under　the　forms　of　justice；　at　the　same　time　that　it　can　never　wholly　defend　him　from　those　violences　to　which　he　would　be　every　moment　exposed　in　what　is　called　the　state　of　nature。

The　full…grown　man　in　the　mean　time　is　well　pleased　when　he　escapes　from　the　ergastulum　where　he　had　previously　dwelt；　and　in　which　he　had　experienced　corporal　infliction　and　corporal　restraint。　　At　first；　in　the　newness　of　his　freedom；　he　breaks　out　into　idle　sallies　and　escapes；　and　is　like　the　full…fed　steed　that　manifests　his　wantonness　in　a　thousand　antics　and　ruades。　　But　this　is　a　temporary　extravagance。　　He　presently　becomes　as　wise　and　calculating；　as　the　schoolboy　was　before　him。

The　human　being　then；　that　has　attained　a　certain　stature；　watches　and　poises　his　situation；　and　considers　what　he　may　do　with　impunity。　　He　ventures　at　first　with　no　small　diffidence；　and　pretends　to　be　twice　as　assured　as　he　really　is。　　He　accumulates　experiment　after　experiment；　till　they　amount　to　a　considerable　volume。　　It　is　not　till　he　has　passed　successive　lustres；　that　he　attains　that　firm　step；　and　temperate　and　settled　accent；　which　characterise　the　man　complete。　　He　then　no　longer　doubts；　but　is　ranged　on　the　full　level　of　the　ripened　members　of　the　community。

There　is　therefore　little　room　for　wonder；　if　we　find　the　same　individual；　whom　we　once　knew　a　sheepish　and　irresolute　schoolboy；　that　hung　his　head；　that　replied　with　inarticulated　monotony；　and　stammered　out　his　meaning；　metamorphosed　into　a　thoroughly　manly　character；　who　may　take　his　place　on　the　bench　with　senators；　and　deliver　a　grave　and　matured　opinion　as　well　as　the　best。　　It　appears　then　that　the　trial　and　review　of　full…grown　men　is　not　altogether　so　disadvantageous　to　the　reckoning　of　our　common　nature；　as　that　of　boys　at　school。

It　is　not　however；　that　the　full…grown　man　is　not　liable　to　be　checked；　reprimanded　and　rebuked；　even　as　the　schoolboy　is。　　He　has　his　wife　to　read　him　lectures；　and　rap　his　knuckles；　he　has　his　master；　his　landlord；　or　the　mayor　of　his　village；　to　tell　him　of　his　duty　in　an　imperious　style；　and　in　measured　sentences；　if　he　is　a　member　of　a　legislature；　even　there　he　receives　his　lessons；　and　is　told；　either　in　phrases　of　well…conceived　irony；　or　by　the　exhibition　of　facts　and　reasonings　which　take　him　by　surprise；　that　he　is　not　altogether　the　person　he　deemed　himself　to　be。　　But　he　does　not　mind　it。　　Like　Iago　in　the　play；　he　〃knows　his　price；　and；　by　the　faith　of　man；　that　he　is　worth　no　worse　a　place〃　than　that　which　he　occupies。　　He　finds　out　the　value　of　the　check　he　receives；　and　lets　it　〃pass　by　him　like　the　idle　wind〃a　mastery；　which　the　schoolboy；　however　he　may　affect　it；　never　thoroughly　attains　to。

But　it　unfortunately　happens；　that；　before　he　has　arrived　at　that　degree　of　independence；　the　fate　of　the　individual　is　too　often　decided　for　ever。　　How　are　the　majority　of　men　trampled　in　the　mire；　made　〃hewers　of　wood；　and　drawers　of　water；〃　long；　very　long；　before　there　was　an　opportunity　of　ascertaining　what　it　was　of　which　they　were　capable！　　Thus　almost　every　one　is　put　in　the　place　which　by　nature　he　was　least　fit　for：　　and；　while　perhaps　a　sufficient　quantity　of　talent　is　extant　in　each　successive　generation；　yet；　for　want　of　each　man's　being　duly　estimated；　and　assigned　his　appropriate　duty；　the　very　reverse　may　appear　to　be　the　case。　　By　the　time　that　they　have　attained　to　that　sober　self…confidence　that　might　enable　them　to　assert　themselves；　they　are　already　chained　to　a　fate；　or　thrust　down　to　a　condition；　from　which　no　internal　energies　they　possess　can　ever　empower　them　to　escape。


SECTION　II。

EQUALITY　OF　MAN　WITH　MAN。TALENTS　EXTENSIVELY　DISTRIBUTED。WAY　IN　WHICH　THIS　DISTRIBUTION　IS　COUNTERACTED。THE　APTITUDE　OF　CHILDREN　FOR　DIFFERENT　PURSUITS　SHOULD　BE　EARLY　SOUGHT　OUT。　HINTS　FOR　A　BETTER　SYSTEM　OF　EDUCATION。AMBITION　AN　UNIVERSAL　PRINCIPLE。

The　reflections　thus　put　down；　may　assist　us　in　answering　the　question　as　to　the　way　in　which　talents　are　distributed　among　men　by　the　hand　of　nature。

All　things　upon　the　earth　and　under　the　earth；　and　especially　all　organised　bodies　of　the　animal　or　vegetable　kingdom；　fall　into　classes。　　It　is　by　this　means；　that　the　child　no　sooner　learns　the　terms；　man；　horse；　tree；　flower；　than；　if　an　object　of　any　of　these　kinds　which　he　has　never　seen　before；　is　exhibited　to　him；　he　pronounces　without　hesitation；　This　is　a　man；　a　horse；　a　tree；　a　flower。

All　organised　bodies　of　the　animal　or　vegetable　kingdom　are　cast　in　a　mould　of　given　dimension　and　feature　belonging　to　a　certain　number　of　individuals；　though　distinguished　by　inexhaustible　varieties。　　It　is　by　means　of　those　features　that　the　class　of　each　individual　is　determined。

To　confine　ourselves　to　man。

All　men；　the　monster　and　the　lusus　naturae　excepted；　have　a　certain　form；　a　certain　complement　of　limbs；　a　certain　internal　structure；　and　organs　of　sensemay　we　not　add　further；　certain　powers　of　intellect？

Hence　it　seems　to　follow；　that　man　is　more　like　and　more　equal　to　man；　deformities　of　body　and　abortions　of　intellect　excepted；　than　the　disdainful　and　fastidious　censors　of　our　common　nature　are　willing　to　admit。

I　am　inclined　to　believe；　that；　putting　idiots　and　extraordinary　cases　out　of　the　question；　every　human　creature　is　endowed　with　talents；　which；　if　rightly　directed；　would　shew　him　to　be　apt；　adroit；　intelligent　and　acute；　in　the　walk　for　which　his　organisation　especially　fitted　him。

But　the　practices　and　modes　of　civilised　life　prompt　us　to　take　the　inexhaustible　varieties　of　man；　as　he　is　given　into　our　guardianship　by　the　bountiful　hand　of　nature；　and　train　him　in　one　uniform　exercise；　as　the　raw　recruit　is　treated　when　he　is　brought　under　the　direction　of　his　drill…serjeant。

The　son　of　the　nobleman；　of　the　country…gentleman；　and　of　those　parents　who　from　vanity　or　whatever　other　motive　are　desirous　that　their　offspring　should　be　devoted　to　some　liberal　profession；　is　in　nearly　all　instances　sent　to　the　grammar…school。　　It　is　in　this　scene　principally；　that　the　judgment　is　formed　that　not　above　one　boy　in　a　hundred　possesses　an　acute　understanding；　or　will　be　able　to　strike　into　a　path　of　intellect　that　shall　be　truly　his　own。

I　do　not　object　to　this　destination；　if　temperately　pursued。　　It　is　fit　that　as　many　children　as　possible　should　have　their　chance　of　figuring　in　future　life　in　what　are　called　the　higher　departments　of　intellect。　　A　certain　familiar　acquaintance　with　language　and　the　shades　of　language　as　a　lesson；　will　be　beneficial　to　all。　　The　youth　who　has　expended　only　six　months　in　acquiring　the　rudiments　of　the　Latin　tongue；　will　probably　be　more　or　less　the　better　for　it　in　all　his　future　life。

But　seven　years　are　usually　spent　at　the　grammar…school　by　those　who　are　sent　to　it。　　I　do　not　in　many　cases　object　to　this。　　The　learned　languages　are　assuredly　of　slow　acquisition。　　In　the　education　of　those　who　are　destined　to　what　are　called　the　higher　departments　of　intellect；　a　long　period　may　advantageously　be　spent　in　the　study　of　words；　while　the　progress　they　make　in　theory　and　dogmatical　knowledge　is　too　generally　a　store　of　learning　laid　up；　to　be　unlearned　again　when　they　reach　the　period　of　real　investigation　and　independent　judgment。　　There　is　small　danger　of　this　in　the　acquisition　of　words。

But　this　method；　indiscriminately　pursued　as　it　is　now；　is　productive　of　the　worst　consequences。　　Very　soon　a　judgment　may　be　formed　by　the　impartial　observer；　whether　the　pupil　is　at　home　in　the　study　of　the　learned　languages；　and　is　likely　to　make　an　adequate　progress。　　But　parents　are　not　impartial。　　There　are　also　two　reasons　why　the　schoolmaster　is　not　the　proper　person　to　pronounce：　　first；　because；　if　he　pronounces　in　the　negative；　he　will　have　reason　to　fear　that　the　parent　will　be　offended；　and　secondly；　because　he　does　not　like　to　lose　his　scholar。　　But　the　very　moment　that　it　can　be　ascertained；　that　the　pupil　is　not　at　home　in　the　study　of　the　learned　languages；　and　is　unlikely　to　make　an　adequate　progress；　at　that　moment　he　should　be　taken　from　it。

The　most　palpable　deficiency　that　is　to　be　found　in　relation　to　the　education　of　children；　is　a　sound　judgment　to　be　formed　as　to　the　vocation　or　employment　in　which　each　is　most　fitted　to　excel。

As；　according　to　the　institutions　of　Lycurgus；　as　soon　as　a　boy　was　born；　he　was　visited　by　the　elders　of　the　ward；　who　were　to　decide　whether　he　was　to　be　reared；　and　would　be　made　an　efficient　member　of　the　commonwealth；　so　it　were　to　be　desired　that；　as　early