thoughts on man-第3部分

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Hence　arises　the　notion；　which　has　been　entertained　ever　since　the　birth　of　reflection　and　logical　discourse　in　the　world；　and　which　in　some　faint　and　confused　degree　exists　probably　even　among　savages；　that　the　body　is　the　prison　of　the　mind。　　It　is　in　this　sense　that　Waller；　after　completing　fourscore　years　of　age；　expresses　himself　in　these　affecting　and　interesting　couplets。

　　　　　　When　we　for　age　could　neither　read　nor　write；　　　　　　　The　subject　made　us　able　to　indite。　　　　　　　The　soul's　dark　cottage；　battered　and　decayed；　　　　　　　Lets　in　new　light　by　chinks　that　time　hath　made：　　　　　　　Stronger　by　weakness；　wiser；　men　become；　　　　　　　As　they　draw　near　to　their　eternal　home。

Thus　it　is　common　with　persons　of　elevated　soul　to　talk　of　neglecting；　overlooking；　and　taking　small　account　of　the　body。　　It　is　in　this　spirit　that　the　story　is　recorded　of　Anaxarchus；　who；　we　are　told；　was　ordered　by　Nicocreon；　tyrant　of　Salamis；　to　be　pounded　in　a　mortar；　and　who；　in　contempt　of　his　mortal　sufferings；　exclaimed；　〃Beat　on；　tyrant！　thou　dost　but　strike　upon　the　case　of　Anaxarchus；　thou　canst　not　touch　the　man　himself。〃　　And　it　is　in　something　of　the　same　light　that　we　must　regard　what　is　related　of　the　North　American　savages。　　Beings；　who　scoff　at　their　tortures；　must　have　an　idea　of　something　that　lies　beyond　the　reach　of　their　assailants。

It　is　just　however　to　observe；　that　some　of　the　particulars　here　related；　belong　not　less　to　the　brute　creation　than　to　man。　　If　men　are　imperfectly　acquainted　with　their　external　figure　and　appearance；　this　may　well　be　conceived　to　be　still　more　predicable　of　the　inferior　animals。　　It　is　true　that　all　of　them　seem　to　be　aware　of　the　part　in　their　structure；　where　lie　their　main　strength　and　means　of　hostility。　　Thus　the　bull　attacks　with　his　horns；　and　the　horse　with　his　heels；　the　beast　of　prey　with　his　claws；　the　bird　with　his　beak；　and　insects　and　other　venomous　creatures　with　their　sting。　　We　know　not　by　what　impulse　they　are　prompted　to　the　use　of　the　various　means　which　are　so　intimately　connected　with　their　preservation　and　welfare；　and　we　call　it　instinct。　　We　may　be　certain　it　does　not　arise　from　a　careful　survey　of　their　parts　and　members；　and　a　methodised　selection　of　the　means　which　shall　be　found　most　effectual　for　the　accomplishment　of　their　ends。　　There　is　no　premeditation；　and；　without　anatomical　knowledge；　or　any　distinct　acquaintance　with　their　image　and　likeness；　they　proceed　straight　to　their　purpose。

Hence；　even　as　men；　they　are　more　familiar　with　the　figures　and　appearance　of　their　fellows；　their　allies；　or　their　enemies；　than　with　their　own。

Man　is　a　creature　of　mingled　substance。　　I　am　many　times　a　day　compelled　to　acknowledge　what　a　low；　mean　and　contemptible　being　I　am。　　Philip　of　Macedon　had　no　need　to　give　it　in　charge　to　a　page；　to　repair　to　him　every　morning；　and　repeat；　〃Remember；　sir；　you　are　a　man。〃　　A　variety　of　circumstances　occur　to　us；　while　we　eat；　and　drink；　and　submit　to　the　humiliating　necessities　of　nature；　that　may　well　inculcate　into　us　this　salutary　lesson。　　The　wonder　rather　is；　that　man；　who　has　so　many　things　to　put　him　in　mind　to　be　humble　and　despise　himself；　should　ever　have　been　susceptible　of　pride　and　disdain。　　Nebuchadnezzar　must　indeed　have　been　the　most　besotted　of　mortals；　if　it　were　necessary　that　he　should　be　driven　from　among　men；　and　made　to　eat　grass　like　an　ox；　to　convince　him　that　he　was　not　the　equal　of　the　power　that　made　him。

But　fortunately；　as　I　have　said；　man　is　a　〃stranger　at　home。〃　　Were　it　not　for　this；　how　incomprehensible　would　be

　　　　　　The　ceremony　that　to　great　ones　'longs；　　　　　　　The　monarch's　crown；　and　the　deputed　sword；　　　　　　　The　marshal's　truncheon；　and　the　judge's　robe！

How　ludicrous　would　be　the　long　procession　and　the　caparisoned　horse；　the　gilded　chariot　and　the　flowing　train；　the　colours　flying；　the　drums　beating；　and　the　sound　of　trumpets　rending　the　air；　which　after　all　only　introduce　to　us　an　ordinary　man；　no　otherwise　perhaps　distinguished　from　the　vilest　of　the　ragged　spectators；　than　by　the　accident　of　his　birth！

But　what　is　of　more　importance　in　the　temporary　oblivion　we　are　enabled　to　throw　over　the　refuse　of　the　body；　it　is　thus　we　arrive　at　the　majesty　of　man。　　That　sublimity　of　conception　which　renders　the　poet；　and　the　man　of　great　literary　and　original　endowments　〃in　apprehension　like　a　God；〃　we　could　not　have；　if　we　were　not　privileged　occasionally　to　cast　away　the　slough　and　exuviae　of　the　body　from　incumbering　and　dishonouring　us；　even　as　Ulysses　passed　over　his　threshold；　stripped　of　the　rags　that　had　obscured　him；　while　Minerva　enlarged　his　frame；　and　gave　loftiness　to　his　stature；　added　a　youthful　beauty　and　grace　to　his　motions；　and　caused　his　eyes　to　flash　with　more　than　mortal　fire。　　With　what　disdain；　when　I　have　been　rapt　in　the　loftiest　moods　of　mind；　do　I　look　down　upon　my　limbs；　the　house　of　clay　that　contains　me；　the　gross　flesh　and　blood　of　which　my　frame　is　composed；　and　wonder　at　a　lodging；　poorly　fitted　to　entertain　so　divine　a　guest！

A　still　more　important　chapter　in　the　history　of　the　human　mind　has　its　origin　in　these　considerations。　　Hence　it　is　that　unenlightened　man；　in　almost　all　ages　and　countries；　has　been　induced；　independently　of　divine　revelation；　to　regard　death；　the　most　awful　event　to　which　we　are　subject；　as　not　being　the　termination　of　his　existence。　　We　see　the　body　of　our　friend　become　insensible；　and　remain　without　motion；　or　any　external　indication　of　what　we　call　life。　　We　can　shut　it　up　in　an　apartment；　and　visit　it　from　day　to　day。　　If　we　had　perseverance　enough；　and　could　so　far　conquer　the　repugnance　and　humiliating　feeling　with　which　the　experiment　would　be　attended；　we　might　follow　step　by　step　the　process　of　decomposition　and　putrefaction；　and　observe　by　what　degrees　the　〃dust　returned　unto　earth　as　it　was。〃　　But；　in　spite　of　this　demonstration　of　the　senses；　man　still　believes　that　there　is　something　in　him　that　lives　after　death。　　The　mind　is　so　infinitely　superior　in　character　to　this　case　of　flesh　that　incloses　it；　that　he　cannot　persuade　himself　that　it　and　the　body　perish　together。

There　are　two　considerations；　the　force　of　which　made　man　a　religious　animal。　　The　first　is；　his　proneness　to　ascribe　hostility　or　benevolent　intention　to　every　thing　of　a　memorable　sort　that　occurs　to　him　in　the　order　of　nature。　　The　second　is　that　of　which　I　have　just　treated；　the　superior　dignity　of　mind　over　body。　　This；　we　persuade　ourselves；　shall　subsist　uninjured　by　the　mutations　of　our　corporeal　frame；　and　undestroyed　by　the　wreck　of　the　material　universe。



ESSAY　II。　OF　THE　DISTRIBUTION　OF　TALENTS。

｛Greek　…　omitted｝　Thucydides；　Lib。I；　cap。　84。

SECTION　I。

PRESUMED　DEARTH　OF　INTELLECTUAL　POWER。SCHOOLS　FOR　THE　EDUCATION　OF　YOUTH　CONSIDERED。THE　BOY　AND　THE　MAN　COMPARED。

One　of　the　earliest　judgments　that　is　usually　made　by　those　whose　attention　is　turned　to　the　characters　of　men　in　the　social　state；　is　of　the　great　inequality　with　which　the　gifts　of　the　understanding　are　distributed　among　us。

Go　into　a　miscellaneous　society；　sit　down　at　table　with　ten　or　twelve　men；　repair　to　a　club　where　as　many　are　assembled　in　an　evening　to　relax　from　the　toils　of　the　dayit　is　almost　proverbial；　that　one　or　two　of　these　persons　will　perhaps　be　brilliant；　and　the　rest　〃weary；　stale；　flat　and　unprofitable。〃

Go　into　a　numerous　schoolthe　case　will　be　still　more　striking。　　I　have　been　present　where　two　men　of　superior　endowments　endeavoured　to　enter　into　a　calculation　on　the　subject；　and　they　agreed　that　there　was　not　above　one　boy　in　a　hundred；　who　would　be　found　to　possess　a　penetrating　understanding；　and　to　be　able　to　strike　into　a　path　of　intellect　that　was　truly　his　own。　　How　common　is　it　to　hear　the　master　of　such　a　school　say；　〃Aye；　I　am　proud　of　that　lad；　I　have　been　a　schoolmaster　these　thirty　years；　and　have　never　had　such　another！〃

The　society　above　referred　to；　the　dinner…party；　or　the　club；　was　to　a　considerable　degree　select；　brought　together　by　a　certain　supposed　congeniality　between　the　individuals　thus　assembled。　　Were　they　taken　indiscriminately；　as　boys　are　when　consigned　to　the　care　of　a　schoolmaster；　the　proportion　of　the　brilliant　would　not　be　a　whit　greater　than　in　the　latter　case。

A　main　criterion　of　the　superiority　of　the　schoolboy　will　be　found　in　his　mode　of　answering　a　casual　question　proposed　by　the　master。　　The　majority　will　be　wholly　at　fault；　will　shew　that　they　do　not　understand　the　question；　and　will　return　an　answer　altogether　from　the　purpose。　　One　in　a　hundred　perhaps；　perhaps　in　a　still　less　proportion；　will　reply　in　a　laudable　manner；　and　convey　his　ideas　in　perspicuous　and　spirited　language。

It　does　not　certainly　go　altogether　so　ill；　with　men　grown　up　to　years　of　maturity。　　They　do　not　for　the　most　part　answer　a　plain　question　in　a　manner　to　make　you　wonder　at　their　fatuity。

A　main　cause　of　the　disadvantageous　appearance　exhibited　by　the　ordinary　schoolboy；　lies　in　what　we　denominate　sheepishness。　　He　is　at　a　loss；　and　in　the　first　place　stares　at　you；　instead　of　giving　an　answer。　　He　does　not　make　by　many　degrees　so　poor　a　figure　among　his　equals；　as　when　he　is　addressed　by　his　seniors。

One