thoughts on man-第44部分

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　when　it　has　already　been　exerted　（as　the　writers　on　politics　as　a　science　have　observed　of　property）；　the　sweat　of　my　brow　becomes　mingled　with　the　apple　I　have　gathered；　and　my　interest　is　greater。　　No　one　understands　my　views　and　projects　entirely　but　myself；　and　the　scheme　I　have　conceived　will　suffer；　if　I　do　not　complete　it　as　I　began。

And　there　are　men　that　say；　that　all　this　mystery；　the　most　beautiful　attitude　of　human　nature；　and　the　crown　of　its　glory；　is　pure　selfishness！

Let　us　now　turn　from　the　view　of　the　parental；　to　that　of　the　filial　affection。

The　great　mistake　that　has　been　made　on　this　subject；　arises　from　the　taking　it　nakedly　and　as　a　mere　abstraction。　　It　has　been　sagely　remarked；　that　when　my　father　did　that　which　occasioned　me　to　come　into　existence；　he　intended　me　no　benefit；　and　therefore　I　owe　him　no　thanks。　　And　the　inference　which　has　been　made　from　this　wise　position　is；　that　the　duty　of　children　to　parents　is　a　mere　imposture；　a　trick；　employed　by　the　old　to　defraud　the　young　out　of　their　services。

I　grant　most　readily；　that　the　mere　material　ligament　that　binds　together　the　father　and　the　child；　by　itself　is　worthless；　and　that　he　who　owes　nothing　more　than　this　to　his　father；　owes　him　nothing。　　The　natural；　unanimated　relationship　is　like　the　grain　of　mustard…seed　in　the　discourses　of　Jesus　Christ；　〃which　indeed　is　the　least　of　all　seeds；　but；　when　it　is　unfolded　and　grows　up；　it　becomes　a　mighty　tree；　so　that　the　birds　of　the　air　may　come　and　lodge　in　its　branches。〃

The　hard　and　insensible　man　may　know　little　of　the　debt　he　owes　to　his　father；　but　he　that　is　capable　of　calling　up　the　past；　and　beholding　the　things　that　are　not　as　if　they　now　were；　will　see　the　matter　in　a　very　different　light。　　Incalculable　are　the　privations　（in　a　great　majority　of　instances）；　the　toils；　the　pains；　the　anxieties；　that　every　child　imposes　on　his　father　from　the　first　hour　of　his　existence。　　If　he　could　know　the　ceaseless　cares；　the　tender　and　ardent　feelings；　the　almost　incredible　efforts　and　exertions；　that　have　accompanied　him　in　his　father's　breast　through　the　whole　period　of　his　growth；　instead　of　thinking　that　he　owed　his　parent　nothing；　he　would　stand　still　and　wonder　that　one　human　creature　could　do　so　much　for　another。

I　grant　that　all　this　may　be　done　for　a　child　by　a　stranger；　and　that　then　in　one　sense　the　obligation　would　be　greater。　　It　is　however　barely　possible　that　all　this　should　be　done。　　The　stranger　wants　the　first　exciting　cause；　the　consideration；　〃This　creature　by　the　great　scheme　of　nature　belongs　to　me；　and　is　cast　upon　my　care。〃　　And；　as　the　tie　in　the　case　of　the　stranger　was　not　complete　in　the　beginning；　so　neither　can　it　be　made　so　in　the　sequel。　　The　little　straggler　is　like　the　duckling　hatched　in　the　nest　of　a　hen；　there　is　danger　every　day；　that　as　the　nursling　begins　to　be　acquainted　with　its　own　qualities；　it　may　plunge　itself　into　another　element；　and　swim　away　from　its　benefactor。

Even　if　we　put　all　these　considerations　out　of　the　question；　still　the　affection　of　the　child　to　its　parent　of　adoption；　wants　the　kernel；　and；　if　I　may　so　speak；　the　soul；　of　the　connection　which　has　been　formed　and　modelled　by　the　great　hand　of　nature。　　If　the　mere　circumstance　of　filiation　and　descent　creates　no　debt；　it　however　is　the　principle　of　a　very　close　connection。　　One　of　the　most　memorable　mysteries　of　nature；　is　how；　out　of　the　slightest　of　all　connections　（for　such；　literally　speaking；　is　that　between　father　and　child）；　so　many　coincidences　should　arise。　　The　child　resembles　his　parent　in　feature；　in　temperament；　in　turn　of　mind；　and　in　class　of　disposition；　while　at　the　same　time　in　many　particulars；　in　these　same　respects；　he　is　a　new　and　individual　creature。　　In　one　view　therefore　the　child　is　merely　the　father　multiplied　and　repeated。　　Now　one　of　the　indefeasible　principles　of　affection　is　the　partaking　of　a　common　nature；　and　as　man　is　a　species　by　himself；　so　to　a　certain　degree　is　every　nation　and　every　family；　and　this　consideration；　when　added　to　the　moral　and　spiritual　ties　already　treated　of；　undoubtedly　has　a　tendency　to　give　them　their　zest　and　perfection。

But　even　this　is　not　the　most　agreeable　point　of　view　in　which　we　may　consider　the　filial　affection。　　I　come　back　to　my　first　position；　that　where　there　is　no　imagination；　there　can　be　no　passion；　and　by　consequence　no　love。　　No　parent　ever　understood　his　child；　and　no　child　ever　understood　his　parent。　　We　have　seen　that　the　affectionate　parent　considers　his　child　like　a　flower　in　the　bud；　as　a　mine　of　power　that　is　to　be　unfolded；　as　a　creature　that　is　to　act　and　to　pass　through　he　knows　not　what；　as　a　canvas　that　〃gives　ample　room　and　verge　enough；〃　for　his　prophetic　soul　to　hang　over　in　endless　visions；　and　his　intellectual　pencil　to　fill　up　with　various　scenes　and　fortunes。　　And；　if　the　parent　does　not　understand　his　child；　certainly　as　little　does　the　child　understand　his　parent。　　Wherever　this　relation　subsists　in　its　fairest　form；　the　parent　is　as　a　God；　a　being　qualified　with　supernatural　powers；　to　his　offspring。　　The　child　consults　his　father　as　an　oracle；　to　him　he　proposes　all　his　little　questions；　from　him　he　learns　his　natural　philosophy；　his　morals；　his　rules　of　conduct；　his　religion；　and　his　creed。　　The　boy　is　uninformed　on　every　point；　and　the　father　is　a　vast　Encyclopedia；　not　merely　of　sciences；　but　of　feelings；　of　sagacity；　of　practical　wisdom；　and　of　justice；　which　the　son　consults　on　all　occasions；　and　never　consults　in　vain。　　Senseless　and　inexpert　is　that　parent；　who　endeavours　to　govern　the　mind　by　authority；　and　to　lay　down　rugged　and　peremptory　dogmas　to　his　child；　the　child　is　fully　and　unavoidably　prepared　to　receive　every　thing　with　unbounded　deference；　and　to　place　total　reliance　in　the　oracle　which　nature　has　assigned　him。　　Habits；　how　beautiful！　　Inestimable　benefit　of　nature；　that　has　given　me　a　prop　against　which　to　sustain　my　unripened　strength；　and　has　not　turned　me　loose　to　wander　with　tottering　steps　amidst　the　vast　desert　of　society！

But　it　is　not　merely　for　contemplative　wisdom　that　the　child　honours　his　parent；　he　sees　in　him　a　vast　fund　of　love；　attachment　and　sympathy。　　That　he　cannot　mistake；　and　it　is　all　a　mystery　to　him。　　He　says；　What　am　I；　that　I　should　be　the　object　of　this？　　and　whence　comes　it？　　He　sees　neither　the　fountain　from　which　it　springs；　nor　the　banks　that　confine　it。　　To　him　it　is　an　ocean；　unfathomable；　and　without　a　shore。

To　the　bounty　of　its　operations　he　trusts　implicitly。　　The　stores　of　judgment　and　knowledge　he　finds　in　his　father；　prompt　him　to　trust　it。　　In　many　instances　where　it　appeared　at　first　obscure　and　enigmatical；　the　event　has　taught　him　to　acknowledge　its　soundness。　　The　mutinousness　of　passion　will　sometimes　excite　a　child　to　question　the　decrees　of　his　parent；　it　is　very　long　before　his　understanding；　as　such；　comes　to　set　up　a　separate　system；　and　teaches　him　to　controvert　the　decisions　of　his　father。

Perhaps　I　ought　earlier　to　have　stated；　that　the　filial　connection　we　have　here　to　consider；　does　not　include　those　melancholy　instances　where　some　woful　defect　or　utter　worthlessness　in　the　parent　counteracts　the　natural　course　of　the　affections；　but　refers　only　to　cases；　where　the　character　of　father　is　on　the　whole　sustained　with　honour；　and　the　principle　of　the　connection　is　left　to　its　true　operation。　　In　such　cases　the　child　not　only　observes　for　himself　the　manifestations　of　wisdom　and　goodness　in　his　parent；　but　is　also　accustomed　to　hear　well　of　him　from　all　around。　　There　is　a　generous　conspiracy　in　human　nature；　not　to　counteract　the　honour　borne　by　the　offspring　to　him　from　whom　he　sprung；　and　the　wholsome　principle　of　superiority　and　dependence　which　is　almost　indispensible　between　persons　of　different　ages　dwelling　under　the　same　roof。　　And；　exclusively　of　this　consideration；　the　men　who　are　chiefly　seen　by　the　son　are　his　father's　friends　and　associates；　and　it　is　the　very　bent；　and；　as　it　were；　law　of　our　nature；　that　we　do　not　associate　much；　but　with　persons　whom　we　favour；　and　who　are　prepared　to　mention　us　with　kindness　and　honour。

Thus　every　way　the　child　is　deeply　imbued　with　veneration　for　his　parent；　and　forms　the　habit　of　regarding　him　as　his　book　of　wisdom；　his　philosopher　and　guide。　　He　is　accustomed　to　hear　him　spoken　of　as　a　true　friend；　an　active　ally；　and　a　pattern　of　justice　and　honour；　and　he　finds　him　so。　　Now　these　are　the　true　objects　of　affection；wisdom　and　beneficence；　and　the　human　heart　loves　this　beneficence　better　when　it　is　exercised　towards　him　who　loves；　first；　because　inevitably　in　almost　all　instances　we　are　best　pleased　with　the　good　that　is　done　to　ourselves；　and　secondly；　because　it　can　scarcely　happen　but　that　we　in　that　case　understand　it　best；　both　in　its　operation　and　its　effects。

The　active　principles　of　religion　are　all　moulded　upon　this　familiar　and　sensible　relation　of　father　and　child：　　and　to　understand　whet　the　human　heart　is　capable　to　conceive　on　this　subject；　we　have　only　to　refer　to　the　many　eloquent　and　glowing　treatises　that　have　been　written　upon　the　love　of　God　to　his　creatures；　and　the　love　that　the　creature　in　return　owes　to　his　God。　　I