thoughts on man-第19部分

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of　kindness　for　a　being　of　our　own　species。　　A　multitude　of　men　feel　this　kindness　for　every　thing　that　has　animal　life。　　We　would　not　willingly　molest　the　stranger　who　has　done　us　no　injury。　　On　the　contrary　we　would　all　of　us　to　a　certain　extent　assist　him；　under　any　unforeseen　casualty　and　tribulation。　　A　part　therefore　of　the　innocence　that　characterises　our　species　is　to　be　attributed　to　philanthropy。

Childhood　is　diffident。　　Children　for　the　most　part　are　averse　to　the　addressing　themselves　to　strangers；　unless　in　cases　where；　from　the　mere　want　of　anticipation　and　reflection；　they　proceed　as　if　they　were　wholly　without　the　faculty　of　making　calculations　and　deducing　conclusions。　　The　child　neither　knows　himself　nor　the　stranger　he　meets　in　his　path。　　He　has　not　measured　either　the　one　or　the　other。　　He　does　not　know　what　the　stranger　may　be　able；　or　may　likely　be　prompted　to　do　to　him；　nor　what　are　his　own　means　of　defence　or　escape。　　He　takes　refuge　therefore　in　a　wary；　sometimes　an　obstinate　silence。　　It　is　for　this　reason　that　a　boy　at　school　often　appears　duller　and　more　inept；　than　would　be　the　amount　of　a　fair　proportion　to　what　he　is　found　to　be　when　grown　up　to　a　man。

As　we　improve　in　judgment　and　strength；　we　know　better　ourselves　and　others；　and　in　a　majority　of　instances　take　our　due　place　in　the　ranks　of　society。　　We　acquire　a　modest　and　cautious　firmness；　yield　what　belongs　to　another；　and　assert　what　is　due　to　ourselves。　　To　the　last　however；　we　for　the　most　part　retain　the　inoffensiveness　described　in　the　beginning　of　this　Essay。

How　comes　it　then　that　our　nature　labours　under　so　bitter　an　aspersion？　　We　have　been　described　as　cunning；　malicious　and　treacherous。　　Other　animals　herd　together　for　mutual　convenience；　and　their　intercourse　with　their　species　is　for　the　most　part　a　reciprocation　of　social　feeling　and　kindness。　　But　community　among　men；　we　are　told；　is　that　condition　of　human　existence；　which　brings　out　all　our　evil　qualities　to　the　face　of　day。　　We　lie　in　wait　for；　and　circumvent　each　other　by　multiplied　artifices。　　We　cannot　depend　upon　each　other　for　the　truth　of　what　is　stated　to　us；　and　promises　and　the　most　solemn　engagements　often　seem　as　if　they　were　made　only　to　mislead。　　We　are　violent　and　deadly　in　our　animosities；　easily　worked　up　to　ferocity；　and　satisfied　with　scarcely　any　thing　short　of　mutilation　and　blood。　　We　are　revengeful：　　we　lay　up　an　injury；　real　or　imaginary；　in　the　store…house　of　an　undecaying　memory；　waiting　only　till　we　can　repay　the　evil　we　have　sustained　tenfold；　at　a　time　when　our　adversary　shall　be　lulled　in　unsuspecting　security。　　We　are　rapacious；　with　no　symptom　that　the　appetite　for　gain　within　us　will　ever　be　appeased；　and　we　practise　a　thousand　deceits；　that　it　may　be　the　sooner；　and　to　the　greater　degree　glutted。　　The　ambition　of　man　is　unbounded；　and　he　hesitates　at　no　means　in　the　course　it　prompts　him　to　pursue。　　In　short；　man　is　to　man　ever　the　most　fearful　and　dangerous　foe：　　and　it　is　in　this　view　of　his　nature　that　the　king　of　Brobdingnag　says　to　Gulliver；　〃I　cannot　but　conclude　the　bulk　of　your　race　to　be　the　most　pernicious　generation　of　little；　odious　vermin；　that　were　ever　suffered　to　crawl　upon　the　surface　of　the　earth。〃　　The　comprehensive　faculties　of　man　therefore；　and　the　refinements　and　subtlety　of　his　intellect；　serve　only　to　render　him　the　more　formidable　companion；　and　to　hold　us　up　as　a　species　to　merited　condemnation。

It　is　obvious　however　that　the　picture　thus　drawn　is　greatly　overcharged；　that　it　describes　a　very　small　part　of　our　race；　and　that　even　as　to　them　it　sets　before　us　a　few　features　only；　and　a　partial　representation

Historythe　successive　scenes　of　the　drama　in　which　individuals　play　their　partis　a　labyrinth；　of　which　no　man　has　as　yet　exactly　seized　the　clue。

It　has　long　since　been　observed；　that　the　history　of　the　four　great　monarchies；　of　tyrannies　and　free　states；　of　chivalry　and　clanship；　of　Mahometanism　and　the　Christian　church；　of　the　balance　of　Europe　and　the　revolution　of　empires；　is　little　else　than　a　tissue　of　crimes；　exhibiting　nations　as　if　they　were　so　many　herds　of　ferocious　animals；　whose　genuine　occupation　was　to　tear　each　other　to　pieces；　and　to　deform　their　mother…earth　with　mangled　carcases　and　seas　of　blood。

But　it　is　not　just　that　we　should　establish　our　opinion　of　human　nature　purely　from　the　records　of　history。　　Man　is　alternately　devoted　to　tranquillity　and　to　violence。　　But　the　latter　only　affords　the　proper　materials　of　narration。　　When　he　is　wrought　upon　by　some　powerful　impulse；　our　curiosity　is　most　roused　to　observe　him。　　We　remark　his　emotions；　his　energies；　his　tempest。　　It　is　then　that　he　becomes　the　person　of　a　drama。　　And；　where　this　disquietude　is　not　the　affair　of　a　single　individual；　but　of　several　persons　together；　of　nations；　it　is　there　that　history　finds　her　harvest。　　She　goes　into　the　field　with　all　the　implements　of　her　industry；　and　fills　her　storehouses　and　magazines　with　the　abundance　of　her　crop。　　But　times　of　tranquillity　and　peace　furnish　her　with　no　materials。　　They　are　dismissed　in　a　few　slight　sentences；　and　leave　no　memory　　behind。

Let　us　divide　this　spacious　earth　into　equal　compartments；　and　see　in　which　violence；　and　in　which　tranquillity　prevails。　　Let　us　look　through　the　various　ranks　and　occupations　of　human　society；　and　endeavour　to　arrive　at　a　conclusion　of　a　similar　sort。　　The　soldier　by　occupation；　and　the　officer　who　commands　him；　would　seem；　when　they　are　employed　in　their　express　functions；　to　be　men　of　strife。　　Kings　and　ministers　of　state　have　in　a　multitude　of　instances　fallen　under　this　description。　　Conquerors；　the　firebrands　of　the　earth；　have　sufficiently　displayed　their　noxious　propensities。

But　these　are　but　a　small　part　of　the　tenantry　of　the　many…peopled　globe。　　Man　lives　by　the　sweat　of　his　brow。　　The　teeming　earth　is　given　him；　that　by　his　labour　he　may　raise　from　it　the　means　of　his　subsistence。　　Agriculture　is；　at　least　among　civilised　nations；　the　first；　and　certainly　the　most　indispensible　of　professions。　　The　profession　itself　is　the　emblem　of　peace。　　All　its　occupations；　from　seed…time　to　harvest；　are　tranquil；　and　there　is　nothing　which　belongs　to　it；　that　can　obviously　be　applied　to　rouse　the　angry　passions；　and　place　men　in　a　frame　of　hostility　to　each　other。　　Next　to　the　cultivator；　come　the　manufacturer；　the　artificer；　the　carpenter；　the　mason；　the　joiner；　the　cabinet…maker；　all　those　numerous　classes　of　persons；　who　are　employed　in　forming　garments　for　us　to　wear；　houses　to　live　in；　and　moveables　and　instruments　for　the　accommodation　of　the　species。　　All　these　persons　are；　of　necessity；　of　a　peaceable　demeanour。　　So　are　those　who　are　not　employed　in　producing　the　conveniencies　of　life；　but　in　conducting　the　affairs　of　barter　and　exchange。　　Add　to　these；　such　as　are　engaged　in　literature；　either　in　the　study　of　what　has　already　been　produced；　or　in　adding　to　the　stock；　in　science　or　the　liberal　arts；　in　the　instructing　mankind　in　religion　and　their　duties；　or　in　the　education　of　youth。　　〃Civility；〃　〃civil；〃　are　indeed　terms　which　express　a　state　of　peaceable　occupation；　in　opposition　to　what　is　military；　and　imply　a　tranquil　frame　of　mind；　and　the　absence　of　contention；　uproar　and　violence。　　It　is　therefore　clear；　that　the　majority　of　mankind　are　civil；　devoted　to　the　arts　of　peace；　and　so　far　as　relates　to　acts　of　violence　innocent；　and　that　the　sons　of　rapine　constitute　the　exception　to　the　general　character。

We　come　into　the　world　under　a　hard　and　unpalatable　law；　〃In　the　sweat　of　thy　brow　shalt　thou　eat　bread。〃　　It　is　a　bitter　decree　that　is　promulgated　against　us；　〃He　that　will　not　work；　neither　shall　he　eat。〃　　We　all　of　us　love　to　do　our　own　will；　and　to　be　free　from　the　manacles　of　restraint。　　What　our　hearts　〃find　us　to　do；〃　that　we　are　disposed　to　execute　〃with　all　our　might。〃　　Some　men　are　lovers　of　strenuous　occupation。　　They　build　and　they　plant；　they　raise　splendid　edifices；　and　lay　out　pleasure…grounds　of　mighty　extent。　　Or　they　devote　their　minds　to　the　acquisition　of　knowledge；　they

　　　　　　　　　　outwatch　the　bear；　With　thrice　great　Hermes；　or　unsphere　The　spirit　of　Plato；　to　unfold　What　worlds；　or　what　vast　regions　hold　The　immortal　mind。

Others　again　would　waste　perhaps　their　whole　lives　in　reverie　and　idleness。　　They　are　constituted　of　materials　so　kindly　and　serene；　that　their　spirits　never　flag　from　want　of　occupation　and　external　excitement。　　They　could　lie　for　ever　on　a　sunny　bank；　in　a　condition　divided　between　thinking　and　no　thinking；　refreshed　by　the　fanning　breeze；　viewing　the　undulations　of　the　soil；　and　the　rippling　of　the　brook；　admiring　the　azure　heavens；　and　the　vast；　the　bold；　and　the　sublime　figure　of　the　clouds；　yielding　themselves　occasionally　to　〃thick…coming　fancies；〃　and　day…dreams；　and　the　endless　romances　of　an　undisciplined　mind；

　　　　　And　find　no　end；　in　wandering　mazes　lost。

But　all　men；　alike　the　busy　of　constitution　and　the　idle；　would　desire　to　follow　the　impulses　of　their　own　minds；　unbroken　in　upon　by　harsh　necessity；　or　the　imperious　commands　of　their　fellows。

We　cannot　however；　by　the　resistless　law　of　our　existence；　live；　except　the　few　who　by　the　accide