thoughts on man-第54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！

d　left　to　itself；　might　betray　us　into。　　But　positive　enterprise；　and　great　actual　improvement　cannot　be　expected　by　us　in　this　way。　　All　this　is　what　the　apostle　refers　to；　when　he　speaks　of　〃the　law　as　a　schoolmaster　to　bring　us　to　liberty；〃　after　which　he　advises　us　〃not　to　be　again　entangled　with　the　yoke　of　bondage。〃

On　the　other　hand；　if　we　would　enter　ourselves　in　the　race　of　positive　improvement；　if　we　would　become　familiar　with　generous　sentiments；　and　the　train　of　conduct　which　such　sentiments　inspire；　we　must　provide　ourselves　with　the　soil　in　which　such　things　grow；　and　engage　in　the　species　of　husbandry　by　which　they　are　matured；　in　other　words；　we　must　be　no　strangers　to　self…esteem　and　self…complacency。

The　truth　of　this　statement　may　perhaps　be　most　strikingly　illustrated；　if　we　take　for　our　example　the　progress　of　schoolboys　under　a　preceptor。　　A　considerable　proportion　of　these　are　apt；　diligent；　and　desirous　to　perform　the　tasks　in　which　they　are　engaged；　so　as　to　satisfy　the　demands　of　their　masters　and　parents；　and　to　advance　honourably　in　the　path　that　is　recommended　to　them。　　And　a　considerable　proportion　put　themselves　on　the　defensive；　and　propose　to　their　own　minds　to　perform　exactly　as　much　as　shall　exempt　them　from　censure　and　punishment；　and　no　more。

Now　I　say　of　the　former；　that　they　cannot　accomplish　the　purpose　they　have　conceived；　unless　so　far　as　they　are　aided　by　a　sentiment　of　self…reverence。

The　difference　of　the　two　parties　is；　that　the　latter　proceed；　so　far　as　their　studies　are　concerned；　as　feeling　themselves　under　the　law　of　necessity；　and　as　if　they　were　machines　merely；　and　the　former　as　if　they　were　under　what　the　apostle　calls　〃the　law　of　liberty。〃

We　cannot　perform　our　tasks　to　the　best　of　our　power；　unless　we　think　well　of　our　own　capacity。

But　this　is　the　smallest　part　of　what　is　necessary。　　We　must　also　be　in　good　humour　with　ourselves。　　We　must　say；　I　can　do　that　which　I　shall　have　just　occasion　to　look　back　upon　with　satisfaction。　　It　is　the　anticipation　of　this　result；　that　stimulates　our　efforts；　and　carries　us　forward。　　Perseverance　is　an　active　principle；　and　cannot　continue　to　operate　but　under　the　influence　of　desire。　　It　is　incompatible　with　languor　and　neutrality。　　It　implies　the　love　of　glory；　perhaps　of　that　glory　which　shall　be　attributed　to　us　by　others；　or　perhaps　only　of　that　glory　which　shall　be　reaped　by　us　in　the　silent　chambers　of　the　mind。　　The　diligent　scholar　is　he　that　loves　himself；　and　desires　to　have　reason　to　applaud　and　love　himself。　　He　sits　down　to　his　task　with　resolution；　he　approves　of　what　he　does　in　each　step　of　the　process；　and　in　each　enquires；　Is　this　the　thing　I　purposed　to　effect？

And；　as　it　is　with　the　unfledged　schoolboy；　after　the　same　manner　it　is　with　the　man　mature。　　He　must　have　to　a　certain　extent　a　good　opinion　of　himself；　he　must　feel　a　kind　of　internal　harmony；　giving　to　the　circulations　of　his　frame　animation　and　cheerfulness；　or　he　can　never　undertake　and　execute　considerable　things。

The　execution　of　any　thing　considerable　implies　in　the　first　place　previous　persevering　meditation。　　He　that　undertakes　any　great　achievement　will；　according　to　the　vulgar　phrase；　〃think　twice；〃　before　he　buckles　up　his　resolution；　and　plunges　into　the　ocean；　which　he　has　already　surveyed　with　anxious　glance　while　he　remained　on　shore。　　Let　our　illustration　be　the　case　of　Columbus；　who；　from　the　figure　of　the　earth；　inferred　that　there　must　be　a　way　of　arriving　at　the　Indies　by　a　voyage　directly　west；　in　distinction　from　the　very　complicated　way　hitherto　practiced；　by　sailing　up　the　Mediterranean；　crossing　the　isthmus　of　Suez；　and　so　falling　down　the　Red　Sea　into　the　Indian　Ocean。　　He　weighed　all　the　circumstances　attendant　on　such　an　undertaking　in　his　mind。　　He　enquired　into　his　own　powers　and　resources；　imaged　to　himself　the　various　obstacles　that　might　thwart　his　undertaking；　and　finally　resolved　to　engage　in　it。　　If　Columbus　had　not　entertained　a　very　good　opinion　of　himself；　it　is　impossible　that　he　should　have　announced　such　a　project；　or　should　have　achieved　it。

Again。　　Let　our　illustration　be；　of　Homer　undertaking　to　compose　the　Iliad。　　If　he　had　not　believed　himself　to　be　a　man　of　very　superior　powers　to　the　majority　of　the　persons　around　him；　he　would　most　assuredly　never　have　attempted　it。　　What　an　enterprise！　To　describe　in　twenty…four　books；　and　sixteen　thousand　verses；　the　perpetual　warfare　and　contention　of　two　great　nations；　all　Greece　being　armed　for　the　attack；　and　all　the　western　division　of　Asia　Minor　for　the　defence：　　the　war　carried　on　by　two　vast　confederacies；　under　numerous　chiefs；　all　sovereign　and　essentially　independent　of　each　other。　　To　conceive　the　various　characters　of　the　different　leaders；　and　their　mutual　rivalship。　　To　engage　all　heaven；　such　as　it　was　then　understood；　as　well　as　what　was　most　respectable　on　earth；　in　the　struggle。　　To　form　the　idea；　through　twenty…four　books；　of　varying　the　incidents　perpetually；　and　keeping　alive　the　attention　of　the　reader　or　hearer　without　satiety　or　weariness。　　For　this　purpose；　and　to　answer　to　his　conception　of　a　great　poem；　Homer　appears　to　have　thought　it　necessary　that　the　action　should　be　one；　and　he　therefore　took　the　incidental　quarrel　of　Achilles　and　the　commander　in　chief；　the　resentment　of　Achilles；　and　his　consequent　defection　from　the　cause；　till；　by　the　death　of　Patroclus；　and　then　of　Hector；　all　traces　of　the　misunderstanding　first；　and　then　of　its　consequences；　should　be　fully　obliterated。

There　is　further　an　essential　difference　between　the　undertaking　of　Columbus　and　that　of　Homer。　　Once　fairly　engaged；　there　was　for　Columbus　no　drawing　back。　　Being　already　at　sea　on　the　great　Atlantic　Ocean；　he　could　not　retrace　his　steps。　　Even　when　he　had　presented　his　project　to　the　sovereigns　of　Spain；　and　they　had　accepted　it；　and　still　more　when　the　ships　were　engaged；　and　the　crews　mustered；　he　must　go　forward；　or　submit　to　indelible　disgrace。

It　is　not　so　in　writing　a　poem。　　The　author　of　the　latter　may　stop　whenever　he　pleases。　　Of　consequence；　during　every　day　of　its　execution；　he　requires　a　fresh　stimulus。　　He　must　look　back　on　the　past；　and　forward　on　what　is　to　come；　and　feel　that　he　has　considerable　reason　to　be　satisfied。　　The　great　naval　discoverer　may　have　his　intervals　of　misgiving　and　discouragement；　and　may；　as　Pope　expresses　it；　〃wish　that　any　one　would　hang　him。〃　He　goes　forward；　for　he　has　no　longer　the　liberty　to　choose。　　But　the　author　of　a　mighty　poem　is　not　in　the　same　manner　entangled；　and　therefore　to　a　great　degree　returns　to　his　work　each　day；　〃screwing　his　courage　to　the　sticking…place。〃　　He　must　feel　the　same　fortitude　and　elasticity；　and　be　as　entirely　the　same　man　of　heroic　energy；　as　when　he　first　arrived　at　the　resolution　to　engage。　　How　much　then　of　self…complacency　and　self…confidence　do　his　undertaking　and　performance　imply！

I　have　taken　two　of　the　most　memorable　examples　in　the　catalogue　of　human　achievements：　　the　discovery　of　a　New　World；　and　the　production　of　the　Iliad。　　But　all　those　voluntary　actions；　or　rather　series　and　chains　of　actions；　which　comprise　energy　in　the　first　determination；　and　honour　in　the　execution；　each　in　its　degree　rests　upon　self…complacency　as　the　pillar　upon　which　its　weight　is　sustained；　and　without　which　it　must　sink　into　nothing。

Self…complacency　then　being　the　indispensible　condition　of　all　that　is　honourable　in　human　achievements；　hence　we　may　derive　a　multitude　of　duties；　and　those　of　the　most　delicate　nature；　incumbent　on　the　preceptor；　as　well　as　a　peculiar　discipline　to　be　observed　by　the　candidate；　both　while　he　is　〃under　a　schoolmaster；〃　and　afterwards　when　he　is　emancipated；　and　his　plan　of　conduct　is　to　he　regulated　by　his　own　discretion。

The　first　duty　of　the　preceptor　is　encouragement。

Not　that　his　face　is　to　be　for　ever　dressed　in　smiles；　and　that　his　tone　is　to　be　at　all　times　that　of　invitation　and　courtship。　　The　great　theatre　of　the　world　is　of　a　mingled　constitution；　made　up　of　advantages　and　sufferings；　and　it　is　perhaps　best　that　so　should　be　the　different　scenes　of　the　drama　as　they　pass。　　The　young　adventurer　is　not　to　expect　to　have　every　difficulty　smoothed　for　him　by　the　hand　of　another。　　This　were　to　teach　him　a　lesson　of　effeminacy　and　cowardice。　　On　the　contrary　it　is　necessary　that　he　should　learn　that　human　life　is　a　state　of　hardship；　that　the　adversary　we　have　to　encounter　does　not　always　present　himself　with　his　fangs　sheathed　in　the　woolly　softness　which　occasionally　renders　them　harmless；　and　that　nothing　great　or　eminently　honourable　was　ever　achieved　but　through　the　dint　of　resolution；　energy　and　struggle。　　It　is　good　that　the　winds　of　heaven　should　blow　upon　him；　that　he　should　encounter　the　tempest　of　the　elements；　and　occasionally　sustain　the　inclemency　of　the　summer's　heat　and　winter's　cold；　both　literally　and　metaphorically。

But　the　preceptor；　however　he　conducts　himself　in　other　respects；　ought　never　to　allow　his　pupil　to　despise　himself；　or　to　hold　himself　as　of　no　account。　　Self…contempt　can　never　be　a　discipline　favourable　to　energy　or　to　virtue。　　The　pupil　ought　at　all　times　to　judge　himself　in　some　degree　worthy；