of refinement in the arts-第2章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


battle；　where　honour　and　interest　steel　men　against　compassion　as
well　as　fear；　the　combatants　divest　themselves　of　the　brute；　and
resume　the　man。
　　　　Nor　need　we　fear；　that　men；　by　losing　their　ferocity；　will
lose　their　martial　spirit；　or　become　less　undaunted　and　vigorous
in　defence　of　their　country　or　their　liberty。　The　arts　have　no
such　effect　in　enervating　either　the　mind　or　body。　On　the
contrary；　industry；　their　inseparable　attendant；　adds　new　force
to　both。　And　if　anger；　which　is　said　to　be　the　whetstone　of
courage；　loses　somewhat　of　its　asperity；　by　politeness　and
refinement；　a　sense　of　honour；　which　is　a　stronger；　more
constant；　and　more　governable　principle；　acquires　fresh　vigour　by
that　elevation　of　genius　which　arises　from　knowledge　and　a　good
education。　Add　to　this；　that　courage　can　neither　have　any
duration；　nor　be　of　any　use；　when　not　accompanied　with　discipline
and　martial　skill；　which　are　seldom　found　among　a　barbarous
people。　The　ancients　remarked；　that　DATAMES　was　the　only
barbarian　that　ever　knew　the　art　of　war。　And　PYRRHUS；　seeing　the
ROMANS　marshal　their　army　with　some　art　and　skill；　said　with
surprize；　These　barbarians　have　nothing　barbarous　in　their
discipline！　It　is　observable；　that；　as　the　old　ROMANS；　by
applying　themselves　solely　to　war；　were　almost　the　only
uncivilized　people　that　ever　possessed　military　discipline；　so
the　modern　ITALIANS　are　the　only　civilized　people；　among
EUROPEANS；　that　ever　wanted　courage　and　a　martial　spirit。　Those
who　would　ascribe　this　effeminacy　of　the　ITALIANS　to　their
luxury；　or　politeness；　or　application　to　the　arts；　need　but
consider　the　FRENCH　and　ENGLISH；　whose　bravery　is　as
uncontestable；　as　their　love　for　the　arts；　and　their　assiduity　in
commerce。　The　ITALIAN　historians　give　us　a　more　satisfactory
reason　for　this　degeneracy　of　their　countrymen。　They　shew　us　how
the　sword　was　dropped　at　once　by　all　the　ITALIAN　sovereigns；
while　the　VENETIAN　aristocracy　was　jealous　of　its　subjects；　the
FLORENTINE　democracy　applied　itself　entirely　to　commerce；　ROME
was　governed　by　priests；　and　NAPLES　by　women。　War　then　became　the
business　of　soldiers　of　fortune；　who　spared　one　another；　and　to
the　astonishment　of　the　world；　could　engage　a　whole　day　in　what
they　called　a　battle；　and　return　at　night　to　their　camp；　without
the　least　bloodshed。
　　　　What　has　chiefly　induced　severe　moralists　to　declaim　against
refinement　in　the　arts；　is　the　example　of　ancient　ROME；　which；
joining；　to　its　poverty　and　rusticity；　virtue　and　public　spirit；
rose　to　such　a　surprizing　height　of　grandeur　and　liberty；　but
having　learned　from　its　conquered　provinces　the　ASIATIC　luxury；
fell　into　every　kind　of　corruption；　whence　arose　sedition　and
civil　wars；　attended　at　last　with　the　total　loss　of　liberty。　All
the　LATIN　classics；　whom　we　peruse　in　our　infancy；　are　full　of
these　sentiments；　and　universally　ascribe　the　ruin　of　their　state
to　the　arts　and　riches　imported　from　the　East：　Insomuch　that
SALLUST　represents　a　taste　for　painting　as　a　vice；　no　less　than
lewdness　and　drinking。　And　so　popular　were　these　sentiments；
during　the　later　ages　of　the　republic；　that　this　author　abounds
in　praises　of　the　old　rigid　ROMAN　virtue；　though　himself　the　most
egregious　instance　of　modern　luxury　and　corruption；　speaks
contemptuously　of　the　GRECIAN　eloquence；　though　the　most　elegant
writer　in　the　world；　nay；　employs　preposterous　digressions　and
declamations　to　this　purpose；　though　a　model　of　taste　and
correctness。
　　　　But　it　would　be　easy　to　prove；　that　these　writers　mistook　the
cause　of　the　disorders　in　the　ROMAN　state；　and　ascribed　to　luxury
and　the　arts；　what　really　proceeded　from　an　ill　modelled
government；　and　the　unlimited　extent　of　conquests。　Refinement　on
the　pleasures　and　conveniencies　of　life　has　no　natural　tendency
to　beget　venality　and　corruption。　The　value；　which　all　men　put
upon　any　particular　pleasure；　depends　on　comparison　and
experience；　nor　is　a　porter　less　greedy　of　money；　which　he　spends
on　bacon　and　brandy；　than　a　courtier；　who　purchases　champagne　and
ortolans。　Riches　are　valuable　at　all　times；　and　to　all　men；
because　they　always　purchase　pleasures；　such　as　men　are
accustomed　to；　and　desire：　Nor　can　any　thing　restrain　or　regulate
the　love　of　money；　but　a　sense　of　honour　and　virtue；　which；　if　it
be　not　nearly　equal　at　all　times；　will　naturally　abound　most　in
ages　of　knowledge　and　refinement。
　　　　Of　all　EUROPEAN　kingdoms；　POLAND　seems　the　most　defective　in
the　arts　of　war　as　well　as　peace；　mechanical　as　well　as　liberal；
yet　it　is　there　that　venality　and　corruption　do　most　prevail。　The
nobles　seem　to　have　preserved　their　crown　elective　for　no　other
purpose；　than　regularly　to　sell　it　to　the　highest　bidder。　This　is
almost　the　only　species　of　commerce；　with　which　that　people　are
acquainted。
　　　　The　liberties　of　ENGLAND；　so　far　from　decaying　since　the
improvements　in　the　arts；　have　never　flourished　so　much　as　during
that　period。　And　though　corruption　may　seem　to　encrease　of　late
years；　this　is　chiefly　to　be　ascribed　to　our　established　liberty；
when　our　princes　have　found　the　impossibility　of　governing
without　parliaments；　or　of　terrifying　parliaments　by　the　phantom
of　prerogative。　Not　to　mention；　that　this　corruption　or　venality
prevails　much　more　among　the　electors　than　the　elected；　and
therefore　cannot　justly　be　ascribed　to　any　refinements　in　luxury。
　　　　If　we　consider　the　matter　in　a　proper　light；　we　shall　find；
that　a　progress　in　the　arts　is　rather　favourable　to　liberty；　and
has　a　natural　tendency　to　preserve；　if　not　produce　a　free
government。　In　rude　unpolished　nations；　where　the　arts　are
neglected；　all　labour　is　bestowed　on　the　cultivation　of　the
ground；　and　the　whole　society　is　divided　into　two　classes；
proprietors　of　land；　and　their　vassals　or　tenants。　The　latter　are
necessarily　dependent；　and　fitted　for　slavery　and　subjection；
especially　where　they　possess　no　riches；　and　are　not　valued　for
their　knowledge　in　agriculture；　as　must　always　be　the　case　where
the　arts　are　neglected。　The　former　naturally　erect　themselves
into　petty　tyrants；　and　must　either　submit　to　an　absolute　master；
for　the　sake　of　peace　and　order；　or　if　they　will　preserve　their
independency；　like　the　ancient　barons；　they　must　fall　into　feuds
and　contests　among　themselves；　and　throw　the　whole　society　into
such　confusion；　as　is　perhaps　worse　than　the　most　despotic
government。　But　where　luxury　nourishes　commerce　and　industry；　the
peasants；　by　a　proper　cultivation　of　the　land；　become　rich　and
independent；　while　the　tradesmen　and　merchants　acquire　a　share　of
the　property；　and　draw　authority　and　consideration　to　that
middling　rank　of　men；　who　are　the　best　and　firmest　basis　of
public　liberty。　These　submit　not　to　slavery；　like　the　peasants；
from　poverty　and　meanness　of　spirit；　and　having　no　hopes　of
tyrannizing　over　others；　like　the　barons；　they　are　not　tempted；
for　the　sake　of　that　gratification；　to　submit　to　the　tyranny　of
their　sovereign。　They　covet　equal　laws；　which　may　secure　their
property；　and　preserve　them　from　monarchical；　as　well　as
aristocratical　tyranny。
　　　　The　lower　house　is　the　support　of　our　popular　government；　and
all　the　world　acknowledges；　that　it　owed　its　chief　influence　and
consideration　to　the　encrease　of　commerce；　which　threw　such　a
balance　of　property　into　the　hands　of　the　commons。　How
inconsistent　then　is　it　to　blame　so　violently　a　refinement　in　the
arts；　and　to　represent　it　as　the　bane　of　liberty　and　public
spirit！
　　　　To　declaim　against　present　times；　and　magnify　the　virtue　of
remote　ancestors；　is　a　propensity　almost　inherent　in　human
nature：　And　as　the　sentiments　and　opinions　of　civilized　ages
alone　are　transmitted　to　posterity；　hence　it　is　that　we　meet　with
so　many　severe　judgments　pronounced　against　luxury；　and　even
science；　and　hence　it　is　that　at　present　we　give　so　ready　an
assent　to　them。　But　the　fallacy　is　easily　perceived；　by　comparing
different　nations　that　are　contemporaries；　where　we　both　judge
more　impartially；　and　can　better　set　in　opposition　those　manners；
with　which　we　are　sufficiently　acquainted。　Treachery　and　cruelty；
the　most　pernicious　and　most　odious　of　all　vices；　seem　peculiar
to　uncivilized　ages；　and　by　the　refined　GREEKS　and　ROMANS　were
ascribed　to　all　the　barbarous　nations；　which　surrounded　them。
They　might　justly；　therefore；　have　presumed；　that　their　own
ancestors；　so　highly　celebrated；　possessed　no　greater　virtue；　and
were　as　much　inferior　to　their　posterity　in　honour　and　humanity；
as　in　taste　and　science。　An　ancient　FRANK　or　SAXON　may　be　highly
extolled：　But　I　believe　every　man　would　think　his　life　or　fortune
much　less　secure　in　the　hands　of　a　MOOR　or　TARTAR；　than　in　those
of　a　FRENCH　or　ENGLISH　gentleman；　the　rank　of　men　the　most
civilized　in　the　most　civilized　nations。
　　　　We　come　now　to　the　second　position　which　we　proposed　to
illustrate；　to　wit；　that；　as　innocent　luxury；　or　a　refinement　in
the　arts　and　conveniencies　of　life；　is　advantageous　to　the
public；　so　wherever　luxury　ceases　to　be　innocent；　it　also　ceases
to　be　beneficial；　and　when　carried　a　degree　farther；　begins　to　be
a　quality　pernicious；　though；　perhaps；　not　the　most　pernicious；
to　political　society。
　　　　Let　us　consider　what　we　call　vicious　luxury。　No
gratification；　however　sensual；　can　of　itself　be　esteemed
vicious。　A　gratification　is　only　vicious；　when　it　engrosses　all　a
man's　expence；　and　leaves　no　ability　for　such　acts　of　duty　and
generosity　as　are　required　by　his　situation　and　fortune。　Suppose；
that　he　correct　the　vice；　and　employ　part　of　his　expence　in　the
education　of　his　children；　in　the　support　of　his　friends；　and　in
relieving　the　poor；　would　any　prejudice　result　to　society？　On　the
contrary；　the　same　consumption　would　arise；　and　that　labour；
which；　at　present；　is　employed　only　in　producing　a　slender
gratification　to　one　man；　would　relieve　the　necessitous；　and
bestow　satisfaction　on　hundreds。　The　same　care　and　toil　that
raise　a　dish　of　peas　at　CHRISTMAS；　would　give　bread　to　a　whole
family　during　six　months。　To　say；　that；　without　a　vicious　luxury；
the　labour　would　not　have　been　employed　at　all；　is　only　to　say；
that　there　is　some　other　defect　in　human　nature；　such　as
indolence；　selfishness；　inattention　to　others；　for　which　luxury；
in　some　measure；　provides　a　remedy；　as　one　poison　may　be　an
antidote　to　another。　But　virtue；　like　wholesome　food；　is　better
than　poisons；　however　corrected。
　　　　Suppose　the　same　number　of　men；　that　are　at　present　in　GREAT
BRITAIN；　with　the　same　soil　and　climate；　I　ask；　is　it　not
possible　for　them　to　be　happier；　by　the　most　perfect　way　of　life
that　can　be　imagined；　and　by　the　greatest　reformation　that
Omnipotence　itself　could　work　in　their　temper　and　disposition？　To
assert；　that　they　cannot；　appears　evidently　ridiculous。　As　the
land　is　able　to　maintain　more　than　all　its　present　inhabitants；
they　could　never；　in　such　a　UTOPIAN　state；　feel　any　other　ills
than　those　which　arise　from　bodily　sickness；　and　these　are　not
the　half　of　human　miseries。　All　other　ills　spring　from　some　vice；
either　in　ourselves　or　others；　and　even　many　of　our　diseases
proceed　from　the　same　origin。　Remove　the　vices；　and　the　ills
follow。　You　must　only　take　care　to　remove　all　th