thoughts on man-第29章

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ooks　of　amusement　merely；　or　are　employed　in　witnessing　public　shews　and　exhibitions。

That　portion　of　every　day　of　our　existence　which　is　occupied　by　us　with　a　mind　attentive　and　on　the　alert；　I　would　call　life　in　a　transcendant　sense。　　The　rest　is　scarcely　better　than　a　state　of　vegetation。

And　yet　not　so　either。　　The　happiest　and　most　valuable　thoughts　of　the　human　mind　will　sometimes　come　when　they　are　least　sought　for；　and　we　least　anticipated　any　such　thing。　　In　reading　a　romance；　in　witnessing　a　performance　at　a　theatre；　in　our　idlest　and　most　sportive　moods；　a　vein　in　the　soil　of　intellect　will　sometimes　unexpectedly　be　broken　up；　〃richer　than　all　the　tribe〃　of　contemporaneous　thoughts；　that　shall　raise　him　to　whom　it　occurs；　to　a　rank　among　his　species　altogether　different　from　any　thing　he　had　looked　for。　　Newton　was　led　to　the　doctrine　of　gravitation　by　the　fall　of　an　apple；　as　he　indolently　reclined　under　the　tree　on　which　it　grew。　　〃A　verse　may　find　him；　who　a　sermon　flies。〃　　Polemon；　when　intoxicated；　entered　the　school　of　Xenocrates；　and　was　so　struck　with　the　energy　displayed　by　the　master；　and　the　thoughts　he　delivered；　that　from　that　moment　he　renounced　the　life　of　dissipation　he　had　previously　led；　and　applied　himself　entirely　to　the　study　of　philosophy。　　But　these　instances　are　comparatively　of　rare　occurrence；　and　do　not　require　to　be　taken　into　the　account。

It　is　still　true　therefore　for　the　most　part；　that　not　more　than　eight　hours　in　the　day　are　passed　by　the　wisest　and　most　energetic；　with　a　mind　attentive　and　on　the　alert。　　The　remainder　is　a　period　of　vegetation　only。　　In　the　mean　time　we　have　all　of　us　undoubtedly　to　a　certain　degree　the　power　of　enlarging　the　extent　of　the　period　of　transcendant　life　in　each　day　of　our　healthful　existence；　and　causing　it　to　encroach　upon　the　period　either　of　mental　indolence　or　of　sleep。With　the　greater　part　of　the　human　species　the　whole　of　their　lives　while　awake；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　brief　and　insulated　intervals；　is　spent　in　a　passive　state　of　the　intellectual　powers。　　Thoughts　come　and　go；　as　chance；　or　some　undefined　power　in　nature　may　direct；　uninterfered　with　by　the　sovereign　will；　the　steersman　of　the　mind。　　And　often　the　understanding　appears　to　be　a　blank；　upon　which　if　any　impressions　are　then　made；　they　are　like　figures　drawn　in　the　sand　which　the　next　tide　obliterates；　or　are　even　lighter　and　more　evanescent　than　this。

Let　me　add；　that　the　existence　of　the　child　for　two　or　three　years　from　the　period　of　his　birth；　is　almost　entirely　a　state　of　vegetation。　　The　impressions　that　are　made　upon　his　sensorium　come　and　go；　without　either　their　advent　or　departure　being　anticipated；　and　without　the　interference　of　the　will。　　It　is　only　under　some　express　excitement；　that　the　faculty　of　will　mounts　its　throne；　and　exercises　its　empire。　　When　the　child　smiles；　that　act　is　involuntary；　but；　when　he　cries；　will　presently　comes　to　mix　itself　with　the　phenomenon。　　Wilfulness；　impatience　and　rebellion　are　infallible　symptoms　of　a　mind　on　the　alert。　　And；　as　the　child　in　the　first　stages　of　its　existence　puts　forth　the　faculty　of　will　only　at　intervals；　so　for　a　similar　reason　this　period　is　but　rarely　accompanied　with　memory；　or　leaves　any　traces　of　recollection　for　our　after…life。

There　are　other　memorable　states　of　the　intellectual　powers；　which　if　I　did　not　mention；　the　survey　here　taken　would　seem　to　be　glaringly　imperfect。　　The　first　of　these　is　madness。　　In　this　humiliating　condition　of　our　nature　the　sovereignty　of　reason　is　deposed：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chaos　umpire　sits；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　by　decision　more　embroils　the　fray。

The　mind　is　in　a　state　of　turbulence　and　tempest　in　one　instant；　and　in　another　subsides　into　the　deepest　imbecility；　and；　even　when　the　will　is　occasionally　roused；　the　link　which　preserved　its　union　with　good　sense　and　sobriety　is　dissolved；　and　the　views　by　which　it　has　the　appearance　of　being　regulated；　are　all　based　in　misconstruction　and　delusion。

Next　to　madness　occur　the　different　stages　of　spleen；　dejection　and　listlessness。　　The　essence　of　these　lies　in　the　passiveness　and　neutrality　of　the　intellectual　powers。　　In　as　far　as　the　unhappy　sufferer　could　be　roused　to　act；　the　disease　would　be　essentially　diminished；　and　might　finally　be　expelled。　　But　long　days　and　months　are　spent　by　the　patient　in　the　midst　of　all　harassing　imaginations；　and　an　everlasting　nightmare　seems　to　sit　on　the　soul；　and　lock　up　its　powers　in　interminable　inactivity。　　Almost　the　only　interruption　to　this；　is　when　the　demands　of　nature　require　our　attention；　or　we　pay　a　slight　and　uncertain　attention　to　the　decencies　of　cleanliness　and　attire。

In　all　these　considerations　then　we　find　abundant　occasion　to　humble　the　pride　and　vain…glory　of　man。　　But　they　do　not　overturn　the　principles　delivered　in　the　preceding　Essay　respecting　the　duration　of　human　life；　though　they　certainly　interpose　additional　boundaries　to　limit　the　prospects　of　individual　improvement。



ESSAY　IX。　OF　LEISURE。

The　river　of　human　life　is　divided　into　two　streams；　occupation　and　leisureor；　to　express　the　thing　more　accurately；　that　occupation；　which　is　prescribed；　and　may　be　called　the　business　of　life；　and　that　occupation；　which　arises　contingently；　and　not　so　much　of　absolute　and　set　purpose；　not　being　prescribed：　　such　being　the　more　exact　description　of　these　two　divisions　of　human　life；　inasmuch　as　the　latter　is　often　not　less　earnest　and　intent　in　its　pursuits　than　the　former。

It　would　be　a　curious　question　to　ascertain　which　of　these　is　of　the　highest　value。

To　this　enquiry　I　hear　myself　loudly　and　vehemently　answered　from　all　hands　in　favour　of　the　first。　　〃This；〃　I　am　told　by　unanimous　acclamation；　〃is　the　business　of　life。〃

The　decision　in　favour　of　what　we　primarily　called　occupation；　above　what　we　called　leisure；　may　in　a　mitigated　sense　be　entertained　as　true。　　Man　can　live　with　little　or　no　leisure；　for　millions　of　human　beings　do　so　live：　　but　the　species　to　which　we　belong；　and　of　consequence　the　individuals　of　that　species；　cannot　exist　as　they　ought　to　exist；　without　occupation。

Granting　however　the　paramount　claims　that　occupation　has　to　our　regard；　let　us　endeavour　to　arrive　at　a　just　estimate　of　the　value　of　leisure。

It　has　been　said　by　some　one；　with　great　appearance　of　truth；　that　schoolboys　learn　as　much；　perhaps　more；　of　beneficial　knowledge　in　their　hours　of　play；　as　in　their　hours　of　study。

The　wisdom　of　ages　has　been　applied　to　ascertain　what　are　the　most　desirable　topics　for　the　study　of　the　schoolboy。　　They　are　selected　for　the　most　part　by　the　parent。　　There　are　few　parents　that　do　not　feel　a　sincere　and　disinterested　desire　for　the　welfare　of　their　children。　　It　is　an　unquestionable　maxim；　that　we　are　the　best　judges　of　that　of　which　we　have　ourselves　had　experience；　and　all　parents　have　been　children。　　It　is　therefore　idle　and　ridiculous　to　suppose　that　those　studies　which　have　for　centuries　been　chosen　by　the　enlightened　mature　for　the　occupation　of　the　young；　have　not　for　the　most　part　been　well　chosen。　　Of　these　studies　the　earliest　consist　in　the　arts　of　reading　and　writing。　　Next　follows　arithmetic；　with　perhaps　some　rudiments　of　algebra　and　geometry。　　Afterward　comes　in　due　order　the　acquisition　of　languages；　particularly　the　dead　languages；　a　most　fortunate　occupation　for　those　years　of　man；　in　which　the　memory　is　most　retentive；　and　the　reasoning　powers　have　yet　acquired　neither　solidity　nor　enlargement。　　Such　are　the　occupations　of　the　schoolboy　in　his　prescribed　hours　of　study。

But　the　schoolboy　is　cooped　up　in　an　apartment；　it　may　be　with　a　number　of　his　fellows。　　He　is　seated　at　a　desk；　diligently　conning　the　portion　of　learning　that　is　doled　out　to　him；　or；　when　he　has　mastered　his　lesson；　reciting　it　with　anxious　brow　and　unassured　lips　to　the　senior；　who　is　to　correct　his　errors；　and　pronounce　upon　the　sufficiency　of　his　industry。　　All　this　may　be　well：　　but　it　is　a　new　and　more　exhilarating　spectacle　that　presents　itself　to　our　observation；　when　he　is　dismissed　from　his　temporary　labours；　and　rushes　impetuously　out　to　the　open　air；　and　gives　free　scope　to　his　limbs　and　his　voice；　and　is　no