thoughts on man-第21章

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　way　in　which　the　proposed　transaction　will　proceed；　and　that　it　will　proceed　to　our　wish。

Let　us　put　the　case；　that　I　am　passing　along　the　highway；　destitute　and　pennyless；　and　without　foresight　of　any　means　by　which　I　am　to　procure　the　next　meal　that　my　nature　requires。

The　vagrant；　who　revolves　in　his　mind　the　thought　of　extorting　from　another　the　supply　of　which　he　is　urgently　in　need；　surveys　the　person　upon　whom　he　meditates　this　violence　with　a　scrutinising　eye。　　He　considers；　Will　this　man　submit　to　my　summons　without　resistance；　or　in　what　manner　will　he　repel　my　trespass？　　He　watches　his　eye；　he　measures　his　limbs；　his　strength；　and　his　agility。　　Though　they　have　met　in　the　deserts　of　Africa；　where　there　is　no　law　to　punish　the　violator；　he　knows　that　he　exposes　himself　to　a　fearful　hazard；　and　he　enters　upon　his　purpose　with　desperate　resolve。　　All　this　and　more　must　occur　to　the　man　of　violence；　within　the　pale　of　a　civilised　community。

Begging　is　the　mildest　form　in　which　a　man　can　obtain　from　the　stranger　he　meets；　the　means　of　supplying　his　urgent　necessities。

But；　even　here；　the　beggar　knows　that　he　exposes　himself　not　only　to　refusal；　but　to　the　harsh　and　opprobrious　terms　in　which　that　refusal　may　be　conveyed。　　In　this　city　there　are　laws　against　begging；　and　the　man　that　asks　alms　of　me；　is　an　offender　against　the　state。　　In　country…towns　it　is　usual　to　remark　a　notice　upon　entering；　to　say；　Whoever　shall　be　found　begging　in　this　place；　shall　be　set　in　the　stocks。

There　are　modes　however　in　which　I　may　accost　a　stranger；　with　small　apprehension　that　I　shall　be　made　to　repent　of　it。　　I　may　enquire　of　him　my　way　to　the　place　towards　which　my　business　or　my　pleasure　invites　me。　　Ennius　of　old　has　observed；　that　lumen　de　lumine；　to　light　my　candle　at　my　neighbour's　lamp；　is　one　of　the　privileges　that　the　practices　of　civil　society　concede。

But　it　is　not　merely　from　forecast　and　prudence　that　we　refrain　from　interrupting　the　stranger　in　his　way。　　We　have　all　of　us　a　certain　degree　of　kindness　for　a　being　of　our　own　species。　　A　multitude　of　men　feel　this　kindness　for　every　thing　that　has　animal　life。　　We　would　not　willingly　molest　the　stranger　who　has　done　us　no　injury。　　On　the　contrary　we　would　all　of　us　to　a　certain　extent　assist　him；　under　any　unforeseen　casualty　and　tribulation。　　A　part　therefore　of　the　innocence　that　characterises　our　species　is　to　be　attributed　to　philanthropy。

Childhood　is　diffident。　　Children　for　the　most　part　are　averse　to　the　addressing　themselves　to　strangers；　unless　in　cases　where；　from　the　mere　want　of　anticipation　and　reflection；　they　proceed　as　if　they　were　wholly　without　the　faculty　of　making　calculations　and　deducing　conclusions。　　The　child　neither　knows　himself　nor　the　stranger　he　meets　in　his　path。　　He　has　not　measured　either　the　one　or　the　other。　　He　does　not　know　what　the　stranger　may　be　able；　or　may　likely　be　prompted　to　do　to　him；　nor　what　are　his　own　means　of　defence　or　escape。　　He　takes　refuge　therefore　in　a　wary；　sometimes　an　obstinate　silence。　　It　is　for　this　reason　that　a　boy　at　school　often　appears　duller　and　more　inept；　than　would　be　the　amount　of　a　fair　proportion　to　what　he　is　found　to　be　when　grown　up　to　a　man。

As　we　improve　in　judgment　and　strength；　we　know　better　ourselves　and　others；　and　in　a　majority　of　instances　take　our　due　place　in　the　ranks　of　society。　　We　acquire　a　modest　and　cautious　firmness；　yield　what　belongs　to　another；　and　assert　what　is　due　to　ourselves。　　To　the　last　however；　we　for　the　most　part　retain　the　inoffensiveness　described　in　the　beginning　of　this　Essay。

How　comes　it　then　that　our　nature　labours　under　so　bitter　an　aspersion？　　We　have　been　described　as　cunning；　malicious　and　treacherous。　　Other　animals　herd　together　for　mutual　convenience；　and　their　intercourse　with　their　species　is　for　the　most　part　a　reciprocation　of　social　feeling　and　kindness。　　But　community　among　men；　we　are　told；　is　that　condition　of　human　existence；　which　brings　out　all　our　evil　qualities　to　the　face　of　day。　　We　lie　in　wait　for；　and　circumvent　each　other　by　multiplied　artifices。　　We　cannot　depend　upon　each　other　for　the　truth　of　what　is　stated　to　us；　and　promises　and　the　most　solemn　engagements　often　seem　as　if　they　were　made　only　to　mislead。　　We　are　violent　and　deadly　in　our　animosities；　easily　worked　up　to　ferocity；　and　satisfied　with　scarcely　any　thing　short　of　mutilation　and　blood。　　We　are　revengeful：　　we　lay　up　an　injury；　real　or　imaginary；　in　the　store…house　of　an　undecaying　memory；　waiting　only　till　we　can　repay　the　evil　we　have　sustained　tenfold；　at　a　time　when　our　adversary　shall　be　lulled　in　unsuspecting　security。　　We　are　rapacious；　with　no　symptom　that　the　appetite　for　gain　within　us　will　ever　be　appeased；　and　we　practise　a　thousand　deceits；　that　it　may　be　the　sooner；　and　to　the　greater　degree　glutted。　　The　ambition　of　man　is　unbounded；　and　he　hesitates　at　no　means　in　the　course　it　prompts　him　to　pursue。　　In　short；　man　is　to　man　ever　the　most　fearful　and　dangerous　foe：　　and　it　is　in　this　view　of　his　nature　that　the　king　of　Brobdingnag　says　to　Gulliver；　〃I　cannot　but　conclude　the　bulk　of　your　race　to　be　the　most　pernicious　generation　of　little；　odious　vermin；　that　were　ever　suffered　to　crawl　upon　the　surface　of　the　earth。〃　　The　comprehensive　faculties　of　man　therefore；　and　the　refinements　and　subtlety　of　his　intellect；　serve　only　to　render　him　the　more　formidable　companion；　and　to　hold　us　up　as　a　species　to　merited　condemnation。

It　is　obvious　however　that　the　picture　thus　drawn　is　greatly　overcharged；　that　it　describes　a　very　small　part　of　our　race；　and　that　even　as　to　them　it　sets　before　us　a　few　features　only；　and　a　partial　representation

Historythe　successive　scenes　of　the　drama　in　which　individuals　play　their　partis　a　labyrinth；　of　which　no　man　has　as　yet　exactly　seized　the　clue。

It　has　long　since　been　observed；　that　the　history　of　the　four　great　monarchies；　of　tyrannies　and　free　states；　of　chivalry　and　clanship；　of　Mahometanism　and　the　Christian　church；　of　the　balance　of　Europe　and　the　revolution　of　empires；　is　little　else　than　a　tissue　of　crimes；　exhibiting　nations　as　if　they　were　so　many　herds　of　ferocious　animals；　whose　genuine　occupation　was　to　tear　each　other　to　pieces；　and　to　deform　their　mother…earth　with　mangled　carcases　and　seas　of　blood。

But　it　is　not　just　that　we　should　establish　our　opinion　of　human　nature　purely　from　the　records　of　history。　　Man　is　alternately　devoted　to　tranquillity　and　to　violence。　　But　the　latter　only　affords　the　proper　materials　of　narration。　　When　he　is　wrought　upon　by　some　powerful　impulse；　our　curiosity　is　most　roused　to　observe　him。　　We　remark　his　emotions；　his　energies；　his　tempest。　　It　is　then　that　he　becomes　the　person　of　a　drama。　　And；　where　this　disquietude　is　not　the　affair　of　a　single　individual；　but　of　several　persons　together；　of　nations；　it　is　there　that　history　finds　her　harvest。　　She　goes　into　the　field　with　all　the　implements　of　her　industry；　and　fills　her　storehouses　and　magazines　with　the　abundance　of　her　crop。　　But　times　of　tranquillity　and　peace　furnish　her　with　no　materials。　　They　are　dismissed　in　a　few　slight　sentences；　and　leave　no　memory　　behind。

Let　us　divide　this　spacious　earth　into　equal　compartments；　and　see　in　which　violence；　and　in　which　tranquillity　prevails。　　Let　us　look　through　the　various　ranks　and　occupations　of　human　society；　and　endeavour　to　arrive　at　a　conclusion　of　a　similar　sort。　　The　soldier　by　occupation；　and　the　officer　who　commands　him；　would　seem；　when　they　are　employed　in　their　express　functions；　to　be　men　of　strife。　　Kings　and　ministers　of　state　have　in　a　multitude　of　instances　fallen　under　this　description。　　Conquerors；　the　firebrands　of　the　earth；　have　sufficiently　displayed　their　noxious　propensities。

But　these　are　but　a　small　part　of　the　tenantry　of　the　many…peopled　globe。　　Man　lives　by　the　sweat　of　his　brow。　　The　teeming　earth　is　given　him；　that　by　his　labour　he　may　raise　from　it　the　means　of　his　subsistence。　　Agriculture　is；　at　least　among　civilised　nations；　the　first；　and　certainly　the　most　indispensible　of　professions。　　The　profession　itself　is　the　emblem　of　peace。　　All　its　occupations；　from　seed…time　to　harvest；　are　tranquil；