thoughts on man-第26章

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tions　of　study。　　I　remember　when　I　was　a　boy；　looking　forward　with　terror　to　the　ample　field　of　human　life；　and　saying；　When　I　have　read　through　all　the　books　that　have　been　written；　what　shall　I　do　afterwards？　And　there　is　infinitely　more　sense　in　this；　than　in　the　ludicrous　exclamations　of　men　who　complain　of　the　want　of　time；　and　say　that　life　affords　them　no　space　in　which　to　act　their　imaginings。

On　the　contrary；　when　a　man　has　got　to　the　end　of　one　art　or　course　of　study；　he　is　compelled　to　consider　what　he　shall　do　next。　　And；　when　we　have　gone　through　a　cycle　of　as　many　acquisitions；　as；　from　the　limitation　of　human　faculties；　are　not　destructive　of　each　other；　we　shall　find　ourselves　frequently　reduced　to　the　beginning　some　of　them　over　again。　　Nor　is　this　the　least　agreeable　occupation　of　human　leisure。　　The　book　that　I　read　when　I　was　a　boy；　presents　quite　a　new　face　to　me　as　I　advance　in　the　vale　of　years。　　The　same　words　and　phrases　suggest　to　me　a　new　train　of　ideas。　　And　it　is　no　mean　pleasure　that　I　derive　from　the　singular　sensation　of　finding　the　same　author　and　the　same　book；　old　and　yet　not　old；　presenting　to　me　cherished　and　inestimable　recollections；　and　at　the　same　time　communicating　mines　of　wealth；　the　shaft　of　which　was　till　now　unexplored。

The　result　then　of　these　various　observations　is　to　persuade　the　candid　and　ingenuous　man；　to　consider　life　as　an　important　and　ample　possession；　to　resolve　that　it　shall　he　administered　with　as　much　judgment　and　deliberation　as　a　person　of　true　philanthropy　and　wisdom　would　administer　a　splendid　income；　and　upon　no　occasion　so　much　to　think　upon　the　point　of　in　how　short　a　time　an　interesting　pursuit　is　to　be　accomplished；　as　by　what　means　it　shall　be　accomplished　in　a　consummate　and　masterly　style。　　Let　us　hear　no　more；　from　those　who　have　to　a　considerable　degree　the　command　of　their　hours；　the　querulous　and　pitiful　complaint　that　they　have　no　time　to　do　what　they　ought　to　do　and　would　wish　to　do；　but　let　them　feel　that　they　have　a　gigantic　store　of　minutes　and　hours　and　days　and　months；　abundantly　sufficient　to　enable　them　to　effect　what　it　is　especially　worthy　of　a　noble　mind　to　perform！



ESSAY　VIII。　OF　HUMAN　VEGETATION。

There　is　another　point　of　view　from　which　we　may　look　at　the　subject　of　time　as　it　is　concerned　with　the　business　of　human　life；　that　will　lead　us　to　conclusions　of　a　very　different　sort　from　those　which　are　set　down　in　the　preceding　Essay。

Man　has　two　states　of　existence　in　a　striking　degree　distinguished　from　each　other：　　the　state　in　which　he　is　found　during　his　waking　hours；　and　the　state　in　which　he　is　during　sleep。

The　question　has　been　agitated　by　Locke　and　other　philosophers；　〃whether　the　soul　always　thinks；〃　in　other　words；　whether　the　mind；　during　those　hours　in　which　our　limbs　lie　for　the　most　part　in　a　state　of　inactivity；　is　or　is　not　engaged　by　a　perpetual　succession　of　images　and　impressions。　　This　is　a　point　that　can　perhaps　never　be　settled。　　When　the　empire　of　sleep　ceases；　or　when　we　are　roused　from　sleep；　we　are　often　conscious　that　we　have　been　to　that　moment　busily　employed　with　that　sort　of　conceptions　and　scenes　which　we　call　dreams。　　And　at　times　when；　on　waking；　we　have　no　such　consciousness；　we　can　never　perhaps　be　sure　that　the　shock　that　waked　us；　had　not　the　effect　of　driving　away　these　fugitive　and　unsubstantial　images。　　There　are　men　who　are　accustomed　to　say；　they　never　dream。　　If　in　reality　the　mind　of　man；　from　the　hour　of　his　birth；　must　by　the　law　of　its　nature　be　constantly　occupied　with　sensations　or　images　（and　of　the　contrary　we　can　never　be　sure）；　then　these　men　are　all　their　lives　in　the　state　of　persons；　upon　whom　the　shock　that　wakes　them；　has　the　effect　of　driving　away　such　fugitive　and　unsubstantial　images。Add　to　which；　there　may　be　sensations　in　the　human　subject；　of　a　species　confused　and　unpronounced；　which　never　arrive　at　that　degree　of　distinctness　as　to　take　the　shape　of　what　we　call　dreaming。

So　much　for　man　in　the　state　of　sleep。

But　during　our　waking　hours；　our　minds　are　very　differently　occupied　at　different　periods　of　the　day。　　I　would　particularly　distinguish　the　two　dissimilar　states　of　the　waking　man；　when　the　mind　is　indolent；　and　when　it　is　on　the　alert。

While　I　am　writing　this　Essay；　my　mind　may　be　said　to　be　on　the　alert。　　It　is　on　the　alert；　so　long　as　I　am　attentively　reading　a　book　of　philosophy；　of　argumentation；　of　eloquence；　or　of　poetry。

It　is　on　the　alert；　so　long　as　I　am　addressing　a　smaller　or　a　greater　audience；　and　endeavouring　either　to　amuse　or　instruct　them。　　It　is　on　the　alert；　while　in　silence　and　solitude　I　endeavour　to　follow　a　train　of　reasoning；　to　marshal　and　arrange　a　connected　set　of　ideas；　or　in　any　other　way　to　improve　my　mind；　to　purify　my　conceptions；　and　to　advance　myself　in　any　of　the　thousand　kinds　of　intellectual　process。　　It　is　on　the　alert；　when　I　am　engaged　in　animated　conversation；　whether　my　cue　be　to　take　a　part　in　the　reciprocation　of　alternate　facts　and　remarks　in　society；　or　merely　to　sit　an　attentive　listener　to　the　facts　and　remarks　of　others。

This　state　of　the　human　mind　may　emphatically　be　called　the　state　of　activity　and　attention。

So　long　as　I　am　engaged　in　any　of　the　ways　here　enumerated；　or　in　any　other　equally　stirring　mental　occupations　which　are　not　here　set　down；　my　mind　is　in　a　frame　of　activity。

But　there　is　another　state　in　which　men　pass　their　minutes　and　hours；　that　is　strongly　contrasted　with　this。　　It　depends　in　some　men　upon　constitution；　and　in　others　upon　accident；　how　their　time　shall　be　divided；　how　much　shall　be　given　to　the　state　of　activity；　and　how　much　to　the　state　of　indolence。

In　an　Essay　I　published　many　years　ago　there　is　this　passage。

〃The　chief　point　of　difference　between　the　man　of　talent　and　the　man　without；　consists　in　the　different　ways　in　which　their　minds　are　employed　during　the　same　interval。　　They　are　obliged；　let　us　suppose；　to　walk　from　Temple…Bar　to　Hyde…Park…Corner。　　The　dull　man　goes　straight　forward；　he　has　so　many　furlongs　to　traverse。　　He　observes　if　he　meets　any　of　his　acquaintance；　he　enquires　respecting　their　health　and　their　family。　　He　glances　perhaps　the　shops　as　he　passes；　he　admires　the　fashion　of　a　buckle；　and　the　metal　of　a　tea…urn。　　If　he　experiences　any　flights　of　fancy；　they　are　of　a　short　extent；　of　the　same　nature　as　the　flights　of　a　forest…bird；　clipped　of　his　wings；　and　condemned　to　pass　the　rest　of　his　life　in　a　farm…yard。　　On　the　other　hand　the　man　of　talent　gives　full　scope　to　his　imagination。　　He　laughs　and　cries。　　Unindebted　to　the　suggestions　of　surrounding　objects；　his　whole　soul　is　employed。　　He　enters　into　nice　calculations；　he　digests　sagacious　reasonings。　　In　imagination　he　declaims　or　describes；　impressed　with　the　deepest　sympathy；　or　elevated　to　the　loftiest　rapture。　　He　makes　a　thousand　new　and　admirable　combinations。　　He　passes　through　a　thousand　imaginary　scenes；　tries　his　courage；　tasks　his　ingenuity；　and　thus　becomes　gradually　prepared　to　meet　almost　any　of　the　many…coloured　events　of　human　life。　　He　consults　by　the　aid　of　memory　the　books　he　has　read；　and　projects　others　for　the　future　instruction　and　delight　of　mankind。　　If　he　observe　the　passengers；　he　reads　their　countenances；　conjectures　their　past　history；　and　forms　a　superficial　notion　of　their　wisdom　or　folly；　their　virtue　or　vice；　their　satisfaction　or　misery。　　If　he　observe　the　scenes　that　occur；　it　is　with　the　eye　of　a　connoisseur　or　an　artist。　　Every　object　is　capable　of　suggesting　to　him　a　volume　of　reflections。　　The　time　of　these　two　persons　in　one　respect　resembles；　it　has　brought　them　both　to　Hyde…Park…Corner。　　In　almost　every　other　respect　it　is　dissimilar；＇14＇。〃

＇14＇　Enquirer；　Part　1；　Essay　V。


This　passage　undoubtedly　contains　a　true　description　of　what　may　happen；　and　has　happened。

But　there　lurks　in　this　statement　a　considerable　error。

It　has　appeared　in　the　second　Essay　of　this　volume；　that　there　is　not　that　broad　and　strong　line　of　distinction　between　the　wise　man　and　the　dull　that　has　often　been　supposed。　　We　are　all　of　us　by　turns　both　the　one　and　the　other。　　Or；　at　least；　the　wisest　man　that　ever　existed　spends　a　portion　of　his