thoughts on man-第43部分

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nage；　and　recollects　that　he　was　himself　the　victim　of　the　intemperance　to　be　pronounced　upon。　　The　interest　that　he　must　necessarily　take　in　the　scenes　in　which　he　once　had　an　engrossing　concern；　will　supply　peculiar　luminousness　to　his　views。　　He　taxes　himself　to　be　just。　　The　transaction　is　over　now；　and　is　passed　to　the　events　that　preceded　the　universal　deluge。　　He　holds　the　balance　with　a　steadiness；　which　sets　at　defiance　all　attempts　to　give　it　a　false　direction　one　way　or　the　other。　　But　the　judgment　he　made　on　the　case　at　the　time；　and　immediately　after　the　humiliation　he　suffered；　remains　with　him。　　It　was　the　sentiment　of　his　ripening　youth；　it　was　the　opinion　of　his　opening　manhood；　and　it　still　attends　him；　when　he　is　already　fast　yielding　to　the　incroachments　and　irresistible　assaults　of　declining　years。



ESSAY　XV。　OF　LOVE　AND　FRIENDSHIP。

Who　is　it　that　says；　〃There　is　no　love　but　among　equals？〃　　Be　it　who　it　may；　it　is　a　saying　universally　known；　and　that　is　in　every　one's　mouth。　　The　contrary　is　precisely　the　truth；　and　is　the　great　secret　of　every　thing　that　is　admirable　in　our　moral　nature。

By　love　it　is　my　intention　here　to　understand；　not　a　calm；　tranquil；　and；　as　it　were；　half…pronounced　feeling；　but　a　passion　of　the　mind。　　We　may　doubtless　entertain　an　approbation　of　other　men；　without　adverting　to　the　question　how　they　stand　in　relation　to　ourselves；　as　equals　or　otherwise。　　But　the　sentiment　I　am　here　considering；　is　that　where　the　person　in　whom　it　resides　most　strongly　sympathises　with　the　joys　and　sorrows　of　another；　desires　his　gratification；　hopes　for　his　welfare；　and　shrinks　from　the　anticipation　of　his　being　injured；　in　a　word；　is　the　sentiment　which　has　most　the　spirit　of　sacrifice　in　it；　and　prepares　the　person　in　whom　it　dwells；　to　postpone　his　own　advantage　to　the　advantage　of　him　who　is　the　object　of　it。

Having　placed　love　among　the　passions；　which　is　no　vehement　assumption；　I　then　say；　there　can　be　no　passion；　and　by　consequence　no　love；　where　there　is　not　imagination。　　In　cases　where　every　thing　is　understood；　and　measured；　and　reduced　to　rule；　love　is　out　of　the　question。　　Whenever　this　sentiment　prevails；　I　must　have　my　attention　fixed　more　on　the　absent　than　the　present；　more　upon　what　I　do　not　see　than　on　what　I　do　see。　　My　thoughts　will　be　taken　up　with　the　future　or　the　past；　with　what　is　to　come　or　what　has　been。　　Of　the　present　there　is　necessarily　no　image。　　Sentiment　is　nothing；　till　you　have　arrived　at　a　mystery　and　a　veil；　something　that　is　seen　obscurely；　that　is　just　hinted　at　in　the　distance；　that　has　neither　certain　outline　nor　colour；　but　that　is　left　for　the　mind　to　fill　up　according　to　its　pleasure　and　in　the　best　manner　it　is　able。

The　great　model　of　the　affection　of　love　in　human　beings；　is　the　sentiment　which　subsists　between　parents　and　children。

Let　not　this　appear　a　paradox。　　There　is　another　relation　in　human　society　to　which　this　epithet　has　more　emphatically　been　given：　　but；　if　we　analyse　the　matter　strictly；　we　shall　find　that　all　that　is　most　sacred　and　beautiful　in　the　passion　between　the　sexes；　has　relation　to　offspring。　　What　Milton　calls；　〃The　rites　mysterious　of　connubial　love；〃　would　have　little　charm　in　them　in　reflection；　to　a　mind　one　degree　above　the　brutes；　were　it　not　for　the　mystery　they　include；　of　their　tendency　to　give　existence　to　a　new　human　creature　like　ourselves。　　Were　it　not　for　this　circumstance；　a　man　and　a　woman　would　hardly　ever　have　learned　to　live　together；　there　scarcely　could　have　been　such　a　thing　as　domestic　society；　but　every　intercourse　of　this　sort　would　have　been　〃casual；　joyless；　unendeared；〃　and　the　propensity　would　have　brought　along　with　it　nothing　more　of　beauty；　lustre　and　grace；　than　the　pure　animal　appetites　of　hunger　and　thirst。　　Bearing　in　mind　these　considerations；　I　do　not　therefore　hesitate　to　say；　that　the　great　model　of　the　affection　of　love　in　human　beings；　is　the　sentiment　which　subsists　between　parents　and　children。

The　original　feature　in　this　sentiment　is　the　conscious　feeling　of　the　protector　and　the　protected。　　Our　passions　cannot　subsist　in　lazy　indolence；　passion　and　action　must　operate　on　each　other；　passion　must　produce　action；　and　action　give　strength　to　the　tide　of　passion。　　We　do　not　vehemently　desire；　where　we　can　do　nothing。　　It　is　in　a　very　faint　way　that　I　entertain　a　wish　to　possess　the　faculty　of　flying；　and　an　ordinary　man　can　scarcely　be　said　to　desire　to　be　a　king　or　an　emperor。　　None　but　a　madman；　of　plebeian　rank；　falls　in　love　with　a　princess。　　But　shew　me　a　good　thing　within　my　reach；　convince　me　that　it　is　in　my　power　to　attain　it；　demonstrate　to　me　that　it　is　fit　for　me；　and　I　am　fit　for　it；　then　begins　the　career　of　passion。　　In　the　same　manner；　I　cannot　love　a　person　vehemently；　and　strongly　interest　myself　in　his　miscarriages　or　success；　till　I　feel　that　I　can　be　something　to　him。　　Love　cannot　dwell　in　a　state　of　impotence。　　To　affect　and　be　affected；　this　is　the　common　nature　I　require；　this　is　the　being　that　is　like　unto　myself；　all　other　likeness　resides　in　the　logic　and　the　definition；　but　has　nothing　to　do　with　feeling　or　with　practice。

What　can　be　more　clear　and　sound　in　explanation；　than　the　love　of　a　parent　to　his　child？　　The　affection　he　bears　and　its　counterpart　are　the　ornaments　of　the　world；　and　the　spring　of　every　thing　that　makes　life　worth　having。　　Whatever　besides　has　a　tendency　to　illustrate　and　honour　our　nature；　descends　from　these；　or　is　copied　from　these；　grows　out　of　them　as　the　branches　of　a　tree　from　the　trunk；　or　is　formed　upon　them　as　a　model；　and　derives　from　them　its　shape；　its　character；　and　its　soul。　　Yet　there　are　men　so　industrious　and　expert　to　strip　the　world　we　live　in　of　all　that　adorns　it；　that　they　can　see　nothing　glorious　in　these　affections；　but　find　the　one　to　be　all　selfishness；　and　the　other　all　prejudice　and　superstition。

The　love　of　the　parent　to　his　child　is　nursed　and　fostered　by　two　plain　considerations；　first；　that　the　subject　is　capable　of　receiving　much；　and　secondly；　that　my　power　concerning　it　is　great　and　extensive。

When　an　infant　is　presented　to　my　observation；　what　a　wide　field　of　sentiment　and　reflection　is　opened　to　me！　　Few　minds　are　industrious　and　ductile　enough　completely　to　compass　this　field；　if　the　infant　is　only　accidentally　brought　under　their　view。　　But；　if　it　is　an　infant　with　which　I　begin　to　be　acquainted　to…day；　and　my　acquaintance　with　which　shall　not　end　perhaps　till　one　of　us　ceases　to　exist；　how　is　it　possible　that　the　view　of　its　little　figure　should　not　lead　me　to　the　meditation　of　its　future　history；　the　successive　stages　of　human　life；　and　the　various　scenes　and　mutations　and　vicissitudes　and　fortunes　through　which　it　is　destined　to　pass？　　The　Book　of　Fate　lies　open　before　me。　　This　infant；　powerless　and　almost　impassive　now；　is　reserved　for　many　sorrows　and　many　joys；　and　will　one　day　possess　a　power；　formidable　and　fearful　to　afflict　those　within　its　reach；　or　calculated　to　diffuse　blessings；　wisdom；　virtue；　happiness；　to　all　around。　　I　conceive　all　the　various　destinations　of　which　man　is　susceptible；　my　fancy　at　least　is　free　to　select　that　which　pleases　me　best；　I　unfold　and　pursue　it　in　all　its　directions；　observe　the　thorns　and　difficulties　with　which　it　is　beset；　and　conjure　up　to　my　thoughts　all　that　it　can　boast　of　inviting；　delightful　and　honourable。

But　if　the　infant　that　is　near　to　me　lays　hold　of　my　imagination　and　affections　at　the　moment　in　which　he　falls　under　my　observation；　how　much　more　do　I　become　interested　in　him；　as　he　advances　from　year　to　year！　　At　first；　I　have　the　blessing　of　the　gospel　upon　me；　in　that；　〃having　not　seen；　yet　I　believe。〃　　But；　as　his　powers　expand；　I　understand　him　better。　　His　little　eye　begins　to　sparkle　with　meaning；　his　tongue　tells　a　tale　that　may　be　understood；　his　very　tones；　and　gestures；　and　attitudes；　all　inform　me　concerning　what　he　shall　be。　　I　am　like　a　florist；　who　has　received　a　strange　plant　from　a　distant　country。　　At　first　he　sees　only　the　stalk；　and　the　leaves；　and　the　bud　having　yet　no　other　colour　than　that　of　the　leaves。　　But　as　he　watches　his　plant　from　day　to　day；　and　from　hour　to　hour；　the　case　which　contains　the　flower　divides；　and　betrays　first　one　colour　and　then　another；　till　the　shell　gradually　subsides　more　and　more　towards　the　stalk；　and　the　figure　of　the　flower　begins　now　to　be　seen；　and　its　radiance　and　its　pride　to　expand　itself　to　the　ravished　observer。Every　lesson　that　the　child　leans；　every　comment　that　he　makes　upon　it；　every　sport　that　he　pursues；　every　choice　that　he　exerts；　the　demeanour　that　he　adopts　to　his　playfellows；　the　modifications　and　character　of　his　little　fits　of　authority　or　submission；　all　make　him　more　and　more　an　individual　to　me；　and　open　a　wider　field　for　my　sagacity　or　my　prophecy；　as　to　what　he　promises　to　be；　and　what　he　may　be　made。

But　what　gives；　as　has　already　been　observed；　the　point　and　the　finish　to　all　the　interest　I　take　respecting　him；　lies　in　the　vast　power　I　possess　to　influence　and　direct　his　character　and　his　fortune。　　At　first　it　is　abstract　power；　but；　when　it　has　already　been　exerted　（as　the　writers　on　politics　as　a　science　have　observed　of　property