thoughts on man-第4部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

or　a　figure　among　his　equals；　as　when　he　is　addressed　by　his　seniors。

One　of　the　reasons　of　the　latter　phenomenon　consists　in　the　torpedo　effect　of　what　we　may　call；　under　the　circumstances；　the　difference　of　ranks。　　The　schoolmaster　is　a　despot　to　his　scholar；　for　every　man　is　a　despot；　who　delivers　his　judgment　from　the　single　impulse　of　his　own　will。　　The　boy　answers　his　questioner；　as　Dolon　answers　Ulysses　in　the　Iliad；　at　the　point　of　the　sword。　　It　is　to　a　certain　degree　the　same　thing；　when　the　boy　is　questioned　merely　by　his　senior。　　He　fears　he　knows　not　what；a　reprimand；　a　look　of　lofty　contempt；　a　gesture　of　summary　disdain。　　He　does　not　think　it　worth　his　while　under　these　circumstances；　to　〃gird　up　the　loins　of　his　mind。〃　　He　cannot　return　a　free　and　intrepid　answer　but　to　the　person　whom　he　regards　as　his　equal。　　There　is　nothing　that　has　so　disqualifying　an　effect　upon　him　who　is　to　answer；　as　the　consideration　that　he　who　questions　is　universally　acknowledged　to　be　a　being　of　a　higher　sphere；　or；　as　between　the　boy　and　the　man；　that　he　is　the　superior　in　conventional　and　corporal　strength。

Nor　is　it　simple　terror　that　restrains　the　boy　from　answering　his　senior　with　the　same　freedom　and　spirit；　as　he　would　answer　his　equal。　　He　does　not　think　it　worth　his　while　to　enter　the　lists。　　He　despairs　of　doing　the　thing　in　the　way　that　shall　gain　approbation；　and　therefore　will　not　try。　　He　is　like　a　boxer；　who；　though　skilful；　will　not　fight　with　one　hand　tied　behind　him。　　He　would　return　you　the　answer；　if　it　occurred　without　his　giving　himself　trouble；　but　he　will　not　rouse　his　soul；　and　task　his　strength　to　give　it。　　He　is　careless；　and　prefers　trusting　to　whatever　construction　you　may　put　upon　him；　and　whatever　treatment　you　may　think　proper　to　bestow　upon　him。　　It　is　the　most　difficult　thing　in　the　world；　for　the　schoolmaster　to　inspire　into　his　pupil　the　desire　to　do　his　best。

Among　full…grown　men　the　case　is　different。　　The　schoolboy；　whether　under　his　domestic　roof；　or　in　the　gymnasium；　is　in　a　situation　similar　to　that　of　the　Christian　slaves　in　Algiers；　as　described　by　Cervantes　in　his　History　of　the　Captive。　　〃They　were　shut　up　together　in　a　species　of　bagnio；　from　whence　they　were　brought　out　from　time　to　time　to　perform　certain　tasks　in　common：

they　might　also　engage　in　pranks；　and　get　into　scrapes；　as　they　pleased；　but　the　master　would　hang　up　one；　impale　another；　and　cut　off　the　ears　of　a　third；　for　little　occasion；　or　even　wholly　without　it。〃　　Such　indeed　is　the　condition　of　the　child　almost　from　the　hour　of　birth。　　The　severities　practised　upon　him　are　not　so　great　as　those　resorted　to　by　the　proprietor　of　slaves　in　Algiers；　but　they　are　equally　arbitrary　and　without　appeal。　　He　is　free　to　a　certain　extent；　even　as　the　captives　described　by　Cervantes；　but　his　freedom　is　upon　sufferance；　and　is　brought　to　an　end　at　any　time　at　the　pleasure　of　his　seniors。　　The　child　therefore　feels　his　way；　and　ascertains　by　repeated　experiments　how　far　he　may　proceed　with　impunity。　　He　is　like　the　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