thoughts on man-第50部分

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ce　from　the　line　of　danger。

But　this　consideration　has　led　me　much　beyond　the　true　subject　of　this　Essay。　　The　instructor　of　youth；　as　I　have　already　said；　is　called　upon　to　use　all　his　skill；　to　animate　the　courage；　and　maintain　the　cheerfulness　and　self…complacency　of　his　pupil。　　And；　as　such　is　the　discipline　to　be　observed　to　the　candidate；　while　he　is　〃under　a　schoolmaster；〃　so；　when　he　is　emancipated；　and　his　plan　of　conduct　is　to　be　regulated　by　his　own　discretion；　it　is　necessary　that　he　should　carry　forward　the　same　scheme；　and　cultivate　that　tone　of　feeling；　which　should　best　reconcile　him　to　himself；　and；　by　teaching　him　to　esteem　himself　and　bear　in　mind　his　own　value；　enable　him　to　achieve　things　honourable　to　his　character；　and　memorably　useful　to　others。　　Melancholy；　and　a　disposition　anticipating　evil　are　carefully　to　be　guarded　against；　by　him　who　is　desirous　to　perform　his　part　well　on　the　theatre　of　society。　　He　should　habitually　meditate　all　cheerful　things；　and　sing　the　song　of　battle　which　has　a　thousand　times　spurred　on　his　predecessors　to　victory。　　He　should　contemplate　the　crown　that　awaits　him；　and　say　to　himself；　I　also　will　do　my　part；　and　endeavour　to　enrol　myself　in　the　select　number　of　those　champions；　of　whom　it　has　been　predicated　that　they　were　men；　of　whom；　compared　with　the　herd　of　ordinary　mortals；　〃the　world；〃　the　species　among　whom　they　were　rated；　〃was　not　worthy。〃

Another　consideration　is　to　be　recollected　here。　　Without　self…complacency　in　the　agent　no　generous　enterprise　is　to　be　expected；　and　no　train　of　voluntary　actions；　such　as　may　purchase　honour　to　the　person　engaged　in　them。

But；　beside　this；　there　is　no　true　and　substantial　happiness　but　for　the　self…complacent。　　〃The　good　man；〃　as　Solomon　says；　〃is　satisfied　from　himself。〃　The　reflex　act　is　inseparable　from　the　constitution　of　the　human　mind。　　How　can　any　one　have　genuine　happiness；　unless　in　proportion　as　he　looks　round；　and；　〃behold！　　every　thing　is　very　good？〃　This　is　the　sunshine　of　the　soul；　the　true　joy；　that　gives　cheerfulness　to　all　our　circulations；　and　makes　us　feel　ourselves　entire　and　complete。　　What　indeed　is　life；　unless　so　far　as　it　is　enjoyed？　　It　does　not　merit　the　name。　　If　I　go　into　a　school；　and　look　round　on　a　number　of　young　faces；　the　scene　is　destitute　of　its　true　charm；　unless　so　far　as　I　see　inward　peace　and　contentment　on　all　sides。　　And；　if　we　require　this　eminently　in　the　young；　neither　can　it　be　less　essential；　when　in　growing　manhood　we　have　the　real　cares　of　the　world　to　contend　with；　or　when　in　declining　age　we　need　every　auxiliary　to　enable　us　to　sustain　our　infirmities。

But；　before　I　conclude　my　remarks　on　this　subject；　it　is　necessary　that　I　should　carefully　distinguish　between　the　thesis；　that　self…complacency　is　the　indispensible　condition　of　all　that　is　honourable　in　human　achievements；　and　the　proposition　contended　against　in　Essay　XI；　that　〃self…love　is　the　source　of　all　our　actions。〃　　Self…complacency　is　indeed　the　feeling　without　which　we　cannot　proceed　in　an　honourable　course；　but　is　far　from　being　the　motive　that　impels　us　to　act。　　The　motive　is　in　the　real　nature　and　absolute　properties　of　the　good　thing　that　is　proposed　to　our　choice：　　we　seek　the　happiness　of　another；　because　his　happiness　is　the　object　of　our　desire。　　Self…complacency　may　be　likened　to　the　bottle…holder　in　one　of　those　contentions　for　bodily　prowess；　so　characteristic　of　our　old　English　manners。　　The　bottle…holder　is　necessary　to　supply　the　combatant　with　refreshment；　and　to　encourage　him　to　persist；　but　it　would　be　most　unnatural　to　regard　him　as　the　cause　of　the　contest。　　No：　　the　parties　have　found　reason　for　competition；　they　apprehend　a　misunderstanding　or　a　rivalry　impossible　to　be　settled　but　by　open　contention；　and　the　putting　forth　of　mental　and　corporeal　energy；　and　the　bottle…holder　is　an　auxiliary　called　in　afterwards；　his　interference　implying　that　the　parties　have　already　a　motive　to　act；　and　have　thrown　down　the　gauntlet　in　token　of　the　earnest　good…will　which　animates　them　to　engage。



ESSAY　XX。　OF　PHRENOLOGY。

The　following　remarks　can　pretend　to　he　nothing　more　than　a　few　loose　and　undigested　thoughts　upon　a　subject；　which　has　recently　occupied　the　attention　of　many　men；　and　obtained　an　extraordinary　vogue　in　the　world。　　It　were　to　be　wished；　that　the　task　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　a　writer　whose　studies　were　more　familiar　with　all　the　sciences　which　bear　more　or　less　on　the　topic　I　propose　to　consider：　　but；　if　abler　and　more　competent　men　pass　it　by；　I　feel　disposed　to　plant　myself　in　the　breach；　and　to　offer　suggestions　which　may　have　the　fortune　to　lead　others；　better　fitted　for　the　office　than　myself；　to　engage　in　the　investigation。　　One　advantage　I　may　claim；　growing　out　of　my　partial　deficiency。　　It　is　known　not　to　be　uncommon　for　a　man　to　stand　too　near　to　the　subject　of　his　survey；　to　allow　him　to　obtain　a　large　view　of　it　in　all　its　bearings。　　I　am　no　anatomist：　　I　simply　take　my　stand　upon　the　broad　ground　of　the　general　philosophy　of　man。

It　is　a　very　usual　thing　for　fanciful　theories　to　have　their　turn　amidst　the　eccentricities　of　the　human　mind；　and　then　to　be　heard　of　no　more。　　But　it　is　perhaps　no　ill　occupation；　now　and　then；　for　an　impartial　observer；　to　analyse　these　theories；　and　attempt　to　blow　away　the　dust　which　will　occasionally　settle　on　the　surface　of　science。　　If　phrenology；　as　taught　by　Gall　and　Spurzheim；　be　a　truth；　I　shall　probably　render　a　service　to　that　truth；　by　endeavouring　to　shew　where　the　edifice　stands　in　need　of　more　solid　supports　than　have　yet　been　assigned　to　it。　　If　it　be　a　falshood；　the　sooner　it　is　swept　away　to　the　gulph　of　oblivion　the　better。　　Let　the　inquisitive　and　the　studious　fix　their　minds　on　more　substantial　topics；　instead　of　being　led　away　by　gaudy　and　deceitful　appearances。　　The　human　head；　that　crowning　capital　of　the　column　of　man；　is　too　interesting　a　subject；　to　be　the　proper　theme　of　every　dabbler。　　And　it　is　obvious；　that　the　professors　of　this　so　called　discovery；　if　they　be　rash　and　groundless　in　their　assertions；　will　be　in　danger　of　producing　momentous　errors；　of　exciting　false　hopes　never　destined　to　be　realised；　and　of　visiting　with　pernicious　blasts　the　opening　buds　of　excellence；　at　the　time　when　they　are　most　exposed　to　the　chance　of　destruction。

I　shall　set　out　with　acknowledging；　that　there　is；　as　I　apprehend；　a　science　in　relation　to　the　human　head；　something　like　what　Plato　predicates　of　the　statue　hid　in　a　block　of　marble。　　It　is　really　contained　in　the　block；　but　it　is　only　the　most　consummate　sculptor；　that　can　bring　it　to　the　eyes　of　men；　and　free　it　from　all　the　incumbrances；　which；　till　he　makes　application　of　his　art　to　it；　surround　the　statue；　and　load　it　with　obscurities　and　disfigurement。　　The　man；　who；　without　long　study　and　premeditation；　rushes　in　at　once；　and　expects　to　withdraw　the　curtain；　will　only　find　himself　disgraced　by　the　attempt。

There　is　a　passage　in　an　acute　writer＇39＇；　whose　talents　singularly　fitted　him；　even　when　he　appeared　totally　immerged　in　mummery　and　trifles；　to　illustrate　the　most　important　truths；　that　is　applicable　to　the　point　I　am　considering。

＇39＇　Sterne；　Tristram　Shandy；　Vol。　1。


〃Pray；　what　was　that　man's　name；for　I　write　in　such　a　hurry；　I　have　no　time　to　recollect　or　look　for　it；who　first　made　the　observation；　'That　there　was　great　inconstancy　in　our　air　and　climate？'　Whoever　he　was；　it　was　a　just　and　good　observation　in　him。　　But　the　corollary　drawn　from　it；　namely；　'That　it　is　this　which　has　furnished　us　with　such　a　variety　of　odd　and　whimsical　characters；'that　was　not　his；it　was　found　out　by　another　man；　at　least　a　century　and　a　half　after　him。　　Then　again；　that　this　copious　storehouse　of　original　materials　is　the　true　and　natural　cause　that　our　comedies　are　so　much　better　than　those　of　France；　or　any　others　that　have　or　can　be　wrote　upon　the　continent；　that　discovery　was　not　fully　made　till　about　the　middle　of　king　William's　reign；　when　the　great　Dryden；　in　writing　one　of　his　long　prefaces　（if　I　mistake　not）；　most　fortunately　hit　upon　it。　　Then；　fourthly　and　lastly；　that　this　strange　irregularity　in　our　climate；　producing　so　strange　an　irregularity　in　our　characters；　cloth　thereby　in　some　sort　make　us　amends；　by　giving　us　somewhat　to　make　us　merry　with；　when　the　weather　will　not　suffer　us　to　go　out　of　doors；that　observation　is　my　own；　and　was　struck　out　by　me　this　very　rainy　day；　March　26；　1759；　and　betwixt　the　hour　of　nine　and　ten　in　the　morning。

〃Thusthus；　my　fellow…labourers　and　associates　in　this　great　harvest　of　our　learning；　now　ripening　before　our　eyes；　thus　it　is；　by　slow　steps　of　casual　increase；　that　our　knowledge　physical；　metaphysical；　physiological；　polemical；　nautical；　mathematical；　aenigmatical；　technical；　biographical；　romantical；　chemical；　and　obstetrical；　with　fifty　other　branches　of　it；　（most　of　them　ending；　as　these　do；　in　ical；）　has；　for　these　two　last　centuries　and　more；　gradually　been　creeping　upwards　towards　that　acme　of　their　perfections；　from　which；　if　we　may　form　a　conjecture　from　the　advantages　of　these　last　seven　years；　we　cannot　possibly　be　far　off。〃

Nothing　can　be　more　true；　than　the　proposition　ludicrously　illustrated　in　this　passage；　that　real　science　is　in　most　instances　of　slow　growth；　and　that　the　discoveries　which　are　brought　to　perfection　at　once；　are　greatly　exposed　to　the　suspicion　of　quackery。　　Like　the　ephemeron　fly；　they　are　born　suddenly；　and　may　be　expected　to　die　as　soon。

Lavater；　the　well　known　author　of　Essays　on　Physiognomy；　appears　to　have　been　born　seventeen　years　before　the　birth　of　Gall。　　He　attempted　to　reduce　into　a　system　the　indications　of　human　character　that　are　to　be　found　in　the　countenance。　　Physiognomy；　as　a　subject　of　ingenious　and　probable　conjecture；　was　well　known　to　the　ancients。　　But　the　test；　how　far　any　observations　that　have　been　made　on　the　subject　are　worthy　the　name　of　a　science；　will　lie　in　its　application　by　the　professor　to　a　person　respecting　whom　he　has　had　no　opportunity　of　previous　information。　　Nothing　is　more　easy；　when　a　great　warrior；　statesman；　poet；　philosopher　or　philanthropist　is　explicitly　placed　before　us；　than　for　the　credulous　inspector　or　fond