thoughts on man-第2部分

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Thus　far　I　have　not　mentioned　speech；　not　perhaps　the　most　inestimable　of　human　gifts；　but；　if　it　is　not　that；　it　is　at　least　the　endowment；　which　makes　man　social；　by　which　principally　we　impart　our　sentiments　to　each　other；　and　which　changes　us　from　solitary　individuals；　and　bestows　on　us　a　duplicate　and　multipliable　existence。　　Beside　which　it　incalculably　increases　the　perfection　of　one。　　The　man　who　does　not　speak；　is　an　unfledged　thinker；　and　the　man　that　does　not　write；　is　but　half　an　investigator。

Not　to　enter　into　all　the　mysteries　of　articulate　speech　and　the　irresistible　power　of　eloquence；　whether　addressed　to　a　single　hearer；　or　instilled　into　the　ears　of　many；a　topic　that　belongs　perhaps　less　to　the　chapter　of　body　than　mind；let　us　for　a　moment　fix　our　thoughts　steadily　upon　that　little　implement；　the　human　voice。　　Of　what　unnumbered　modulations　is　it　susceptible！　　What　terror　may　it　inspire！　　How　may　it　electrify　the　soul；　and　suspend　all　its　functions！　　How　infinite　is　its　melody！　　How　instantly　it　subdues　the　hearer　to　pity　or　to　love！　　How　does　the　listener　hang　upon　every　note　praying　that　it　may　last　for　ever；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　that　even　silence　　　　　　　Was　took　ere　she　was　ware；　and　wished　she　might　　　　　　　Deny　her　nature；　and　be　never　more；　　　　　　　　　　　　　Still　to　be　so　displaced。

It　is　here　especially　that　we　are　presented　with　the　triumphs　of　civilisation。　　How　immeasurable　is　the　distance　between　the　voice　of　the　clown；　who　never　thought　of　the　power　that　dwells　in　this　faculty；　who　delivers　himself　in　a　rude；　discordant　and　unmodulated　accent；　and　is　accustomed　to　confer　with　his　fellow　at　the　distance　of　two　fields；　and　the　man　who　understands　his　instrument　as　Handel　understood　the　organ；　and　who；　whether　he　thinks　of　it　or　no；　sways　those　that　hear　him　as　implicitly　as　Orpheus　is　said　to　have　subdued　the　brute　creation！

From　the　countenance　of　man　let　us　proceed　to　his　figure。　　Every　limb　is　capable　of　speaking；　and　telling　its　own　tale。　　What　can　equal　the　magnificence　of　the　neck；　the　column　upon　which　the　head　reposes！　　The　ample　chest　may　denote　an　almost　infinite　strength　and　power。　　Let　us　call　to　mind　the　Apollo　Belvidere；　and　the　Venus　de　Medicis；　whose　very　〃bends　are　adornings。〃　　What　loftiness　and　awe　have　I　seen　expressed　in　the　step　of　an　actress；　not　yet　deceased；　when　first　she　advanced；　and　came　down　towards　the　audience！　　I　was　ravished；　and　with　difficulty　kept　my　seat！　　Pass　we　to　the　mazes　of　the　dance；　the　inimitable　charms　and　picturesque　beauty　that　may　be　given　to　the　figure　while　still　unmoved；　and　the　ravishing　grace　that　dwells　in　it　during　its　endless　changes　and　evolutions。

The　upright　figure　of　man　produces；　incidentally　as　it　were；　and　by　the　bye；　another　memorable　effect。　　Hence　we　derive　the　power　of　meeting　in　halls；　and　congregations；　and　crowded　assemblies。　　We　are　found　〃at　large；　though　without　number；〃　at　solemn　commemorations　and　on　festive　occasions。　　We　touch　each　other；　as　the　members　of　a　gay　party　are　accustomed　to　do；　when　they　wait　the　stroke　of　an　electrical　machine；　and　the　spark　spreads　along　from　man　to　man。　　It　is　thus　that　we　have　our　feelings　in　common　at　a　theatrical　representation　and　at　a　public　dinner；　that　indignation　is　communicated；　and　patriotism　become　irrepressible。

One　man　can　convey　his　sentiments　in　articulate　speech　to　a　thousand；　and　this　is　the　nursing　mother　of　oratory；　of　public　morality；　of　public　religion；　and　the　drama。　　The　privilege　we　thus　possess；　we　are　indeed　too　apt　to　abuse；　but　man　is　scarcely　ever　so　magnificent　and　so　awful；　as　when　hundreds　of　human　heads　are　assembled　together；　hundreds　of　faces　lifted　up　to　contemplate　one　object；　and　hundreds　of　voices　uttered　in　the　expression　of　one　common　sentiment。

But；　notwithstanding　the　infinite　beauty；　the　magazine　of　excellencies　and　perfections；　that　appertains　to　the　human　body；　the　mind　claims；　and　justly　claims；　an　undoubted　superiority。　　I　am　not　going　into　an　enumeration　of　the　various　faculties　and　endowments　of　the　mind　of　man；　as　I　have　done　of　his　body。　　The　latter　was　necessary　for　my　purpose。　　Before　I　proceeded　to　consider　the　ascendancy　of　mind；　the　dominion　and　loftiness　it　is　accustomed　to　assert；　it　appeared　but　just　to　recollect　what　was　the　nature　and　value　of　its　subject　and　its　slave。

By　the　mind　we　understand　that　within　us　which　feels　and　thinks；　the　seat　of　sensation　and　reason。　　Where　it　resides　we　cannot　tell；　nor　can　authoritatively　pronounce；　as　the　apostle　says；　relatively　to　a　particular　phenomenon；　〃whether　it　is　in　the　body；　or　out　of　the　body。〃　　Be　it　however　where　or　what　it　may；　it　is　this　which　constitutes　the　great　essence　of；　and　gives　value　to；　our　existence；　and　all　the　wonders　of　our　microcosm　would　without　it　be　a　form　only；　destined　immediately　to　perish；　and　of　no　greater　account　than　as　a　clod　of　the　valley。

It　was　an　important　remark；　suggested　to　me　many　years　ago　by　an　eminent　physiologer　and　anatomist；　that；　when　I　find　my　attention　called　to　any　particular　part　or　member　of　my　body；　I　may　be　morally　sure　that　there　is　something　amiss　in　the　processes　of　that　part　or　member。　　As　long　as　the　whole　economy　of　the　frame　goes　on　well　and　without　interruption；　our　attention　is　not　called　to　it。　　The　intellectual　man　is　like　a　disembodied　spirit。

He　is　almost　in　the　state　of　the　dervise　in　the　Arabian　Nights；　who　had　the　power　of　darting　his　soul　into　the　unanimated　body　of　another；　human　or　brute；　while　he　left　his　own　body　in　the　condition　of　an　insensible　carcase；　till　it　should　be　revivified　by　the　same　or　some　other　spirit。　　When　I　am；　as　it　is　vulgarly　understood；　in　a　state　of　motion；　I　use　my　limbs　as　the　implements　of　my　will。　　When；　in　a　quiescent　state　of　the　body；　I　continue　to　think；　to　reflect　and　to　reason；　I　use；　it　may　be；　the　substance　of　the　brain　as　the　implement　of　my　thinking；　reflecting　and　reasoning；　though　of　this　in　fact　we　know　nothing。

We　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　the　mind　cannot　subsist　without　the　body；　at　least　we　must　be　very　different　creatures　from　what　we　are　at　present；　when　that　shall　take　place。　　For　a　man　to　think；　agreeably　and　with　serenity；　he　must　be　in　some　degree　of　health。　　The　corpus　sanum　is　no　less　indispensible　than　the　mens　sana。　　We　must　eat；　and　drink；　and　sleep。　　We　must　have　a　reasonably　good　appetite　and　digestion；　and　a　fitting　temperature；　neither　too　hot　nor　cold。　　It　is　desirable　that　we　should　have　air　and　exercise。　　But　this　is　instrumental　merely。　　All　these　things　are　negatives；　conditions　without　which　we　cannot　think　to　the　best　purpose；　but　which　lend　no　active　assistance　to　our　thinking。

Man　is　a　godlike　being。　　We　launch　ourselves　in　conceit　into　illimitable　space；　and　take　up　our　rest　beyond　the　fixed　stars。　　We　proceed　without　impediment　from　country　to　country；　and　from　century　to　century；　through　all　the　ages　of　the　past；　and　through　the　vast　creation　of　the　imaginable　future。　　We　spurn　at　the　bounds　of　time　and　space；　nor　would　the　thought　be　less　futile　that　imagines　to　imprison　the　mind　within　the　limits　of　the　body；　than　the　attempt　of　the　booby　clown　who　is　said　within　a　thick　hedge　to　have　plotted　to　shut　in　the　flight　of　an　eagle。

We　never　find　our　attention　called　to　any　particular　part　or　member　of　the　body；　except　when　there　is　somewhat　amiss　in　that　part　or　member。　　And；　in　like　manner　as　we　do　not　think　of　any　one　part　or　member　in　particular；　so　neither　do　we　consider　our　entire　microcosm　and　frame。　　The　body　is　apprehended　as　no　more　important　and　of　intimate　connection　to　a　man　engaged　in　a　train　of　reflections；　than　the　house　or　apartment　in　which　he　dwells。　　The　mind　may　aptly　be　described　under　the　denomination　of　the　〃stranger　at　home。〃　　On　set　occasions　and　at　appropriate　times　we　examine　our　stores；　and　ascertain　the　various　commodities　we　have；　laid　up　in　our　presses　and　our　coffers。　　Like　the　governor　of　a　fort　in　time　of　peace；　which　was　erected　to　keep　out　a　foreign　assailant；　we　occasionally　visit　our　armoury；　and　take　account　of　the　muskets；　the　swords；　and　other　implements　of　war　it　contains；　but　for　the　most　part　are　engaged　in　the　occupations　of　peace；　and　do　not　call　the　means　of　warfare　in　any　sort　to　our　recollection。

The　mind　may　aptly　be　described　under　the　denomination　of　the　〃stranger　at　home。〃　　With　their　bodies　most　men　are　little　acquainted。　　We　are　〃like　unto　a　man　beholding　his　natural　face　in　a　glass；　who　beholdeth　himself；　and　goeth　his　way；　and　straightway　forgetteth　what　manner　of　man　he　is。〃　　In　the　ruminations　of　the　inner　man；　and　the　dissecting　our　thoughts　and　desires；　we　employ　our　intellectual　arithmetic；　we　add；　and　subtract；　and　multiply；　and　divide；　without　asking　the　aid；　without　adverting　to　the　existence；　of　our　joints　and　members。　　Even　as　to　the　more　corporeal　part　of　our　avocations；　we　behold　the　external　world；　and　proceed　straight　to　the　object　of　our　desires；　without　almost　ever　thinking　of　this　medium；　our　own　material　frame；　unaided　by　which　none　of　these　things　could　be　accomplished。　　In　this　sense　we　may　properly　be　said　to　be　spiritual　existences；　however　imperfect　may　be　the　idea　we　are　enabled　to　affix　to　the　term　spirit。

Hence　arises　the　notion；　whi