thoughts on man-第6章

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seniors；　shrinking　under　the　judgment　they　may　pass　upon　him；　and　the　oppression　they　may　exercise　towards　him。　　He　is　probably　competent　to　talk　in　a　manner　that　may　afford　instruction　to　men　in　other　respects　wise　and　accomplished；　and　is　no　less　clear　and　well…digested　in　his　discourse　respecting　the　subjects　to　which　his　study　and　labour　have　been　applied；　than　they　are　on　the　questions　that　have　exercised　the　powers　of　analysis　with　which　they　are　endowed。　　Like　Elihu　in　the　Book　of　Job；　he　says；　〃I　am　young；　and　you　are　old；　I　said　therefore；　Days　shall　speak；　and　multitude　of　years　shall　teach　wisdom。　　But　there　is　a　spirit　in　man；　and　the　inspiration　of　the　Almighty　giveth　him　understanding。　　Great　men　are　not　always　wise；　neither　do　the　aged　understand　judgment。　　Hearken　therefore　to　me；　and　I　also　will　shew　my　opinion。〃

What　however　in　the　last　instance　is　affirmed；　is　not　always　realised　in　the　experiment。　　The　humblest　mechanic；　who　works　con　amore；　and　feels　that　he　discharges　his　office　creditably；　has　a　sober　satisfaction　in　the　retrospect；　and　is　able　to　express　himself　perspicuously　and　well　on　the　subject　that　has　occupied　his　industry。　　He　has　a　just　confidence　in　himself。　　If　the　occasion　arises；　on　which　he　should　speak　on　the　subject　of　what　he　does；　and　the　methods　he　adopts　for　effecting　it；　he　will　undoubtedly　acquit　himself　to　the　satisfaction　of　those　who　hear　him。　　He　knows　that　the　explanations　he　can　afford　will　be　sound　and　masculine；　and　will　stand　the　test　of　a　rigid　examination。

But；　in　proportion　as　he　feels　the　ground　on　which　he　stands；　and　his　own　power　to　make　it　good；　he　will　not　fail　to　retire　from　an　audience　that　is　not　willing　to　be　informed　by　him。　　He　will　often　appear　in　the　presence　of　those；　whom　the　established　arrangements　of　society　call　his　superiors；　who　are　more　copiously　endowed　with　the　treasures　of　language；　and　who；　confident　perhaps　in　the　advantage　of　opulence；　and　what　is　called；　however　they　may　have　received　it；　a　liberal　education；　regard　with　disdain　his　artless　and　unornamented　explanations。　　He　did　not；　it　may　be；　expect　this。　　And；　having　experienced　several　times　such　unmerited　treatment；　he　is　not　willing　again　to　encounter　it。　　He　knew　the　worth　of　what　he　had　to　offer。　　And；　finding　others　indisposed　to　listen　to　his　suggestions；　he　contentedly　confines　them　within　the　circle　of　his　own　thoughts。

To　this　it　must　be　added　that；　though　he　is　able　to　explain　himself　perspicuously；　yet　he　is　not　master　of　the　graces　of　speech；　nor　even　perhaps　of　the　niceties　of　grammar。　　His　voice　is　not　tuned　to　those　winning　inflections　by　which　men；　accustomed　to　the　higher　ranks　of　society；　are　enabled　so　to　express　themselves；

　　　　　　That　aged　ears　play　truant　at　their　tales；　　　　　　　And　younger　hearings　are　quite　ravished；　　　　　　　So　sweet　and　voluble　is　their　discourse。

On　the　contrary　there　is　a　ruggedness　in　his　manner　that　jars　upon　the　sense。　　It　is　easy　for　the　light　and　supercilious　to　turn　him　into　ridicule。　　And　those　who　will　not　be　satisfied　with　the　soundness　of　his　matter；　expounded；　as　he　is　able　to　expound　it；　in　clear　and　appropriate　terms；　will　yield　him　small　credit；　and　listen　to　him　with　little　delight。

These　considerations　therefore　bring　us　back　again　to　the　reasons　of　the　prevalent　opinion；　that　the　majority　of　mankind　are　dull；　and　of　apprehension　narrow　and　confused。　　The　mass　of　boys　in　the　process　of　their　education　appear　so；　because　little　of　what　is　addressed　to　them　by　their　instructors；　awakens　their　curiosity；　and　inspires　them　with　the　desire　to　excel。　　The　concealed　spark　of　ambition　is　not　yet　cleared　from　the　crust　that　enveloped　it　as　it　first　came　from　the　hand　of　nature。　　And　in　like　manner　the　elder　persons；　who　have　not　experienced　the　advantages　of　a　liberal　education；　or　by　whom　small　profit　was　made　by　those　advantages；　being　defective　in　exterior　graces；　are　generally　listened　to　with　impatience；　and　therefore　want　the　confidence　and　the　inclination　to　tell　what　they　know。

But　these　latter；　if　they　are　not　attended　to　upon　the　subjects　to　which　their　attention　and　ingenuity　have　been　applied；　do　not　the　less　possess　a　knowledge　and　skill　which　are　intrinsically　worthy　of　applause。　　They　therefore　contentedly　shut　up　the　sum　of　their　acquisitions　in　their　own　bosoms；　and　are　satisfied　with　the　consciousness　that　they　have　not　been　deficient　in　performing　an　adequate　part　in　the　generation　of　men　among　whom　they　live。

Those　persons　who　favour　the　opinion　of　the　incessant　improveableness　of　the　human　species；　have　felt　strongly　prompted　to　embrace　the　creed　of　Helvetius；　who　affirms　that　the　minds　of　men；　as　they　are　born　into　the　world；　are　in　a　state　of　equality；　alike　prepared　for　any　kind　of　discipline　and　instruction　that　may　be　afforded　them；　and　that　it　depends　upon　education　only；　in　the　largest　sense　of　that　word；　including　every　impression　that　may　be　made　upon　the　mind；　intentional　or　accidental；　from　the　hour　of　our　birth；　whether　we　shall　be　poets　or　philosophers；　dancers　or　singers；　chemists　or　mathematicians；　astronomers　or　dissectors　of　the　faculties　of　our　common　nature。

But　this　is　not　true。　　It　has　already　appeared　in　the　course　of　this　Essay；　that　the　talent；　or；　more　accurately　speaking；　the　original　suitableness　of　the　individual　for　the　cultivation；　of　music　or　painting；　depends　upon　certain　peculiarities　that　we　bring　into　the　world　with　us。　　The　same　thing　may　be　affirmed　of　the　poet。　　As；　in　the　infinite　variety　of　human　beings；　there　are　no　two　faces　so　alike　that　they　cannot　be　distinguished；　nor　even　two　leaves　plucked　from　the　same　tree；　so　there　are　varieties　in　the　senses；　the　organs；　and　the　internal　structure　of　the　human　species；　however　delicate；　and　to　the　touch　of　the　bystander　evanescent；　which　give　to　each　individual　a　predisposition　to　rise　to　excellence　in　one　particular　art　or　attainment；　rather　than　in　any　other。

And　this　view　of　things；　if　well　considered；　is　as　favourable；　nay；　more　so；　to　the　hypothesis　of　the　successive　improveableness　of　the　human　species；　as　the　creed　of　Helvetius。　　According　to　that　philosopher；　every　human　creature　that　is　born　into　the　world；　is　capable　of　becoming；　or　being　made；　the　equal　of　Homer；　Bacon　or　Newton；　and　as　easily　and　surely　of　the　one　as　the　other。　　This　creed；　if　sincerely　embraced；　no　doubt　affords　a　strong　stimulus　to　both　preceptor　and　pupil；　since；　if　true；　it　teaches　us　that　any　thing　can　be　made　of　any　thing；　and　that；　wherever　there　is　mind；　it　is　within　the　compass　of　possibility；　not　only　that　that　mind　can　be　raised　to　a　high　pitch　of　excellence；　but　even　to　a　high　pitch　of　that　excellence；　whatever　it　is；　that　we　shall　prefer　to　all　others；　and　most　earnestly　desire。

Still　this　creed　will；　after　all；　leave　both　preceptor　and　pupil　in　a　state　of　feeling　considerably　unsatisfactory。　　What　it　sets　before　us；　is　too　vast　and　indefinite。　　We　shall　be　left　long　perhaps　in　a　state　of　balance　as　to　what　species　of　excellence　we　shall　choose；　and；　in　the　immense　field　of　accessible　improvement　it　offers　to　us；　without　land…mark　or　compass　for　the　direction　of　our　course；　it　is　scarcely　possible　that　we　should　feel　that　assured　confidence　and　anticipation　of　success；　which　are　perhaps　indispensibly　required　to　the　completion　of　a　truly　arduous　undertaking。

But；　upon　the　principles　laid　down　in　this　Essay；　the　case　is　widely　different。　　We　are　here　presented　in　every　individual　human　creature　with　a　subject　better　fitted　for　one　sort　of　cultivation　than　another。　　We　are　excited　to　an　earnest　study　of　the　individual；　that　we　may　the　more　unerringly　discover　what　pursuit　it　is　for　which　his　nature　and　qualifications　especially　prepare　him。　　We　may　be　long　in　choosing。　　We　may　be　even　on　the　brink　of　committing　a　considerable　mistake。　　Our　subsequent　observations　may　enable　us　to　correct　the　inference　we　were　disposed　to　make　from　those　which　went　before。　　Our　sagacity　is　flattered　by　the　result　of　the　laborious　scrutiny　which　this　view　of　our　common　nature　imposes　upon　us。

In　addition　to　this　we　reap　two　important　advantages。

In　the　first　place；　we　feel　assured　that　every　child　that　is　born　has　his　suitable　sphere；　to　which　if　he　is　devoted；　he　will　not　fail　to　make　an　honourable　figure；　or；　in　other　words；　will　be　seen　to　be　endowed　with　faculties；　apt；　adroit；　intelligent　and　acute。　　This　consideration　may　reasonably　stimulate　us　to　call　up　all　our　penetration　for　the　purpose　of　ascertaining　the　proper　destination　of　the　child　for　whom　we　are　interested。

And；　secondly；　having　arrived　at　this　point；　we　shall　find　ourselves　placed　in　a　very　different　predicament　from　the　guardian　or　instructor；　who；　having　selected　at　random　the　pursuit　which　his　fancy　dictates；　and　in　the　choice　of　which　he　is　encouraged　by　the　presumptuous　assertions　of　a　wild　metaphysical　philosophy；　must　often；　in　spite　of　himself；　feel　a　secret　misgiving　as　to　the　final　event。　　He　may　succeed；　and　present　to　a　wondering　world　a　consummate　musician；　painter；　poet；　or　philosopher；　for　even　blind　chance　may　sometimes　hit　the　mark；　as　truly　as　the　most　perfect　skill。　　But　he　will　probably　fail。　　Sudet　multum；　frustraque　laboret。　　And；　if　he　is　disappointed；　he　will　not　only　feel　that　disappointment　in　the　ultimate　result；　but　also　in　every　step　of　his　progress。　　When　he　has　done　his　best；　exerted　his　utmost　industry；　and　consecrated　every　power　of　his　soul　to　the　energies　he　puts　forth；　he　may　close　every　day；　sometimes　with　a　faint　shadow　of　success；　and　sometimes　with　entire　and　blank　miscarriage。　　And　the　latter　will　happen　ten　thousand　times；　for　once　that　the　undertaking　shall　be　blessed　with　a　prosperous　event。

But；　when　the　destination　that　is　given　to　a　child　has　been　founded　upon　a　careful　investigation　of　the　faculties；　tokens；　and　accidental　aspirations　which　characterise　his　early　years；　it　is　then　that　every　step　that　is　made　with　him；　becomes　a　new　and　surer　source　of　satisfaction。　　The　moment　the　pursuit　for　which　his　powers　are　adapted　is　seriously　proposed　to　him；　his　eyes　sparkle；　and　a　second　existence；　in　addition　to　that　which　he　received　at　his　birth；　descends　upon　him。　　He　feels　that　he　has　now　obtained　something　worth　living　for。　　He　feels　that　he　is　at　home；　and　in　a　sphere　that　is　appropriately　his　own。　　Every　effort　that　he　makes　is　successful。　　At　every　resting…place　in　his　race　of　improvement　he　pauses；　and　looks　back　on　what　he　has　done　with　complacency。　　The　master　cannot　teach　him　so　fast；　as　he　is　prompted　to　acquire。

What　a　contrast　does　this　species　of　instruction　exhibit；　to　the　ordinary　course　of　scholastic　education！　There；　every　lesson　that　is　prescribed；　is　a　source　of　indirect　warfare　between　the　instructor　and　the　pupil；　the　one　professing　to　aim　at　the　advancement　of　him　that　is　taught；　in　the　career　of　knowledge；　and　the　other　contemplating　the　effect　that　is　intended　to　be　produced　upon　him　with　aversion；　and　longing　to　be　engaged　in　any　thing　else；　rather　than　in　that　which　is　pressed　upon　his　foremost　attention。　　In　this　sense　a　numerous　school　is；　to　a　degree　that　can　scarcely　be　adequately　described；　the　slaughter…house　of　mind。　　It　is　like　the　undertaking；　related　by　Livy；　of　Accius　Navius；　the　augu