thoughts on man-第24章

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in　a　high　degree　interesting　as　frivolous　and　unworthy　of　regard；　is　not　the　way　by　which　we　shall　arrive　at　a　true　and　just　estimation　of　life。　　Whatever　is　now　past；　and　is　of　little　value；　was　once　present：　　and　he　who　would　form　a　sound　judgment；　must　look　upon　every　part　of　our　lives　as　present　in　its　turn；　and　not　suffer　his　opinion　to　be　warped　by　the　consideration　of　the　nearness　or　remoteness　of　the　object　he　contemplates。

One　sentence；　which　has　grown　into　a　maxim　for　ever　repeated；　is　remarkable　for　the　grossest　fallacy：　　Ars　longa；　vita　brevis＇9＇。　　I　would　fain　know；　what　art；　compared　with　the　natural　duration　of　human　life　from　puberty　to　old　age；　is　long。

＇9＇　Art　is　long；　life　is　short。


If　it　is　intended　to　say；　that　no　one　man　can　be　expected　to　master　all　possible　arts；　or　all　arts　that　have　at　one　time　or　another　been　the　subject　of　human　industry；　this　indeed　is　true。　　But　the　cause　of　this　does　not　lie　in　the　limited　duration　of　human　life；　but　in　the　nature　of　the　faculties　of　the　mind。　　Human　understanding　and　human　industry　cannot　embrace　every　thing。　　When　we　take　hold　of　one　thing；　we　must　let　go　another。　　Science　and　art；　if　we　would　pursue　them　to　the　furthest　extent　of　which　we　are　capable；　must　be　pursued　without　interruption。　　It　would　therefore　be　more　to　the　purpose　to　say；　Man　cannot　be　for　ever　young。　　In　the　stream　of　human　existence；　different　things　have　their　appropriate　period。　　The　knowledge　of　languages　can　perhaps　be　most　effectually　acquired　in　the　season　of　nonage。

At　riper　years　one　man　devotes　himself　to　one　science　or　art；　and　another　man　to　another。　　This　man　is　a　mathematician；　a　second　studies　music；　a　third　painting。　　This　man　is　a　logician；　and　that　man　an　orator。　　The　same　person　cannot　be　expected　to　excel　in　the　abstruseness　of　metaphysical　science；　and　in　the　ravishing　effusions　of　poetical　genius。　　When　a　man；　who　has　arrived　at　great　excellence　in　one　department　of　art　or　science；　would　engage　himself　in　another；　he　will　be　apt　to　find　the　freshness　of　his　mind　gone；　and　his　faculties　no　longer　distinguished　by　the　same　degree　of　tenacity　and　vigour　that　they　formerly　displayed。　　It　is　with　the　organs　of　the　brain；　as　it　is　with　the　organs　of　speech；　in　the　latter　of　which　we　find　the　tender　fibres　of　the　child　easily　accommodating　themselves　to　the　minuter　inflections　and　variations　of　sound；　which　the　more　rigid　muscles　of　the　adult　will　for　the　most　part　attempt　in　vain。

If　again；　by　the　maxim；　Ars　longa；　vita　brevis；　it　is　intended　to　signify；　that　we　cannot　in　any　art　arrive　at　perfection；　that　in　reality　all　the　progress　we　can　make　is　insignificant；　and　that；　as　St。　Paul　says；　we　must　〃not　count　ourselves　to　have　already　attained；　but　that；　forgetting　the　things　that　are　behind；　it　becomes　us　to　press　forward　to　the　prize　of　our　calling；〃this　also　is　true。　　But　this　is　only　ascribable　to　the　limitation　of　our　faculties；　and　that　even　the　shadow　of　perfection　which　man　is　capable　to　reach；　can　only　be　attained　by　the　labour　of　successive　generations。　　The　cause　does　not　lie　in　the　shortness　of　human　life；　unless　we　would　include　in　its　protracted　duration　the　privilege　of　being　for　ever　young；　to　which　we　ought　perhaps　to　add；　that　our　activity　should　never　be　exhausted；　the　freshness　of　our　minds　never　abate；　and　our　faculties　for　ever　retain　the　same　degree　of　tenacity　and　vigour；　as　they　had　in　the　morning　of　life；　when　every　thing　was　new；　when　all　that　allured　or　delighted　us　was　seen　accompanied　with　charms　inexpressible；　and；　as　Dryden　expresses　it＇10＇；　〃the　first　sprightly　running〃　of　the　wine　of　life　afforded　a　zest　never　after　to　be　hoped　for。

＇10＇　Aurengzebe。


I　return　then　to　the　consideration　of　the　alleged　shortness　of　life。　　I　mentioned　in　the　beginning　of　this　Essay；　that　〃human　life　consists　of　years；　months　and　days；　each　day　containing　twenty…four　hours。〃　　But；　when　I　said　this；　I　by　no　means　carried　on　the　division　so　far　as　it　might　be　carried。　　It　has　been　calculated　that　the　human　mind　is　capable　of　being　impressed　with　three　hundred　and　twenty　sensations　in　a　second　of　time。＇11＇

＇11＇　See　Watson　on　Time；　Chapter　II。


〃How　infinitely　rapid　is　the　succession　of　thought！　　While　I　am　speaking；　perhaps　no　two　ideas　are　in　my　mind　at　the　same　time；　and　yet　with　what　facility　do　I　slide　from　one　to　another！　If　my　discourse　be　argumentative；　how　often　do　I　pass　in　review　the　topics　of　which　it　consists；　before　I　utter　them；　and；　even　while　I　am　speaking；　continue　the　review　at　intervals；　without　producing　any　pause　in　my　discourse！　　How　many　other　sensations　are　experienced　by　me　during　this　period；　without　so　much　as　interrupting；　that　is；　without　materially　diverting；　the　train　of　my　ideas！　　My　eye　successively　remarks　a　thousand　objects　that　present　themselves。　　My　mind　wanders　to　the　different　parts　of　my　body；　and　receives　a　sensation　from　the　chair　on　which　I　sit；　or　the　table　on　which　I　lean。　　It　reverts　to　a　variety　of　things　that　occurred　in　the　course　of　the　morning；　in　the　course　of　yesterday；　the　most　remote　from；　the　most　unconnected　with；　the　subject　that　might　seem　wholly　to　engross　me。　　I　see　the　window；　the　opening　of　a　door；　the　snuffing　of　a　candle。　　When　these　most　perceptibly　occur；　my　mind　passes　from　one　to　the　other；　without　feeling　the　minutest　obstacle；　or　being　in　any　degree　distracted　by　their　multiplicity＇12＇。〃

＇12＇　Political　Justice；　Book　IV；　Chapter　ix。


If　this　statement　should　appear　to　some　persons　too　subtle；　it　may　however　prepare　us　to　form　a　due　estimate　of　the　following　remarks。

〃Art　is　long。〃　　No；　certainly；　no　art　is　long；　compared　with　the　natural　duration　of　human　life　from　puberty　to　old　age。　　There　is　perhaps　no　art　that　may　not　with　reasonable　diligence　be　acquired　in　three　years；　that　is；　as　to　its　essential　members　and　its　skilful　exercise。　　We　may　improve　afterwards；　but　it　will　be　only　in　minute　particulars；　and　only　by　fits。　　Our　subsequent　advancement　less　depends　upon　the　continuance　of　our　application；　than　upon　the　improvement　of　the　mind　generally；　the　refining　of　our　taste；　the　strengthening　our　judgment；　and　the　accumulation　of　our　experience。

The　idea　which　prevails　among　the　vulgar　of　mankind　is；　that　we　must　make　haste　to　be　wise。　　The　erroneousness　of　this　notion

however　has　from　time　to　time　been　detected　by　moralists　and　philosophers；　and　it　has　been　felt　that　he　who　proceeds　in　a　hurry　towards　the　goal；　exposes　himself　to　the　imminent　risk　of　never　reaching　it。

The　consciousness　of　this　danger　has　led　to　the　adoption　of　the　modified　maxim；　Festina　lente；　Hasten；　but　with　steps　deliberate　and　cautious。

It　would　however　be　a　more　correct　advice　to　the　aspirant；　to　say；　Be　earnest　in　your　application；　but　let　your　march　be　vigilant　and　slow。

There　is　a　doggrel　couplet　which　I　have　met　with　in　a　book　on　elocution：

　　　　　Learn　to　speak　slow：　　all　other　graces　　　　　　Will　follow　in　their　proper　places。

I　could　wish　to　recommend　a　similar　process　to　the　student　in　the　course　of　his　reading。

Toplady；　a　celebrated　methodist　preacher　of　the　last　age；　somewhere　relates　a　story　of　a　coxcomb；　who　told　him　that　he　had　read　over　Euclid's　Elements　of　Geometry　one　afternoon　at　his　tea；　only　leaving　out　the　A's　and　B's　and　crooked　lines；　which　seemed　to　be　intruded　merely　to　retard　his　progress。

Nothing　is　more　easy　than　to　gabble　through　a　work　replete　with　the　profoundest　elements　of　thinking；　and　to　carry　away　almost　nothing；　when　we　have　finished。

The　book　does　not　deserve　even　to　be　read；　which　does　not　impose　on　us　the　duty　of　frequent　pauses；　much　reflecting　and　inward　debate；　or　require　that　we　should　often　go　back；　compare　one　observation　and　statement　with　another；　and　does　not　call　upon　us　to　combine　and　knit　together　the　disjecta　membra。

It　is　an　observation　which　has　often　been　repeated；　that；　when　we　come　to　read　an　excellent　author　a　second　and　a　third　time；　we　find　in　him　a　multitude　of　things；　that　we　did　not　in　the　slightest　degree　perceive　in　a　first　reading。　　A　careful　first　reading　would　have　a　tendency　in　a　considerable　degree　to　anticipate　this　following　crop。

Nothing　is　more　certain　than　that　a　schoolboy　gathers　mu