thoughts on man-第46章

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spirits；　by　the　state　of　the　solids　and　fluids　of　the　human　body；　and　by　the　state　of　the　weather。　　But　in　a　paramount　sense　that　only　can　be　said　to　be　a　man's　opinion　which　he　entertains　in　his　clearest　moments；　and　from　which；　when　he　is　most　himself；　he　is　least　subject　to　vary。　　In　this　emphatical　sense；　I　should　say；　a　man　does　not　always　know　what　is　his　real　opinion。　　We　cannot　strictly　be　said　to　believe　any　thing；　in　cases　where　we　afterwards　change　our　opinion　without　the　introduction　of　some　evidence　that　was　unknown　to　us　before。　　But　how　many　are　the　instances　in　which　we　can　be　affirmed　to　be　in　the　adequate　recollection　of　all　the　evidences　and　reasonings　which　have　at　some　time　occurred　to　us；　and　of　the　opinions；　together　with　the　grounds　on　which　they　rested；　which　we　conceived　we　had　justly　and　rationally　entertained？

The　considerations　here　stated　however　should　by　no　means　be　allowed　to　inspire　us　with　indifference　in　matters　of　opinion。　　It　is　the　glory　and　lustre　of　our　nature；　that　we　are　capable　of　receiving　evidence；　and　weighing　the　reasons　for　and　against　any　important　proposition　in　the　balance　of　an　impartial　and　enlightened　understanding。　　The　only　effect　that　should　be　produced　in　us；　by　the　reflection　that　we　can　at　last　by　no　means　be　secure　that　we　have　attained　to　a　perfect　result；　should　be　to　teach　us　a　wholsome　diffidence　and　humility；　and　induce　us　to　confess　that；　when　we　have　done　all；　we　are　ignorant；　dim…sighted　and　fallible；　that　our　best　reasonings　may　betray；　and　our　wisest　conclusions　deceive　us。

＇32＇　Enquiry　concerning　Virtue；　Book　1；　Part　1；　Section　ii。



ESSAY　XIV。　OF　YOUTH　AND　AGE。

Magna　debetur　pueris　reverentia。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quintilian。

I　am　more　doubtful　in　writing　the　following　Essay　than　in　any　of　those　which　precede；　how　far　I　am　treating　of　human　nature　generally；　or　to　a　certain　degree　merely　recording　my　own　feelings　as　an　individual。　　I　am　guided　however　in　composing　it；　by　the　principle　laid　down　in　my　Preface；　that　the　purpose　of　my　book　in　each　instance　should　be　to　expand　some　new　and　interesting　truth；　or　some　old　truth　viewed　under　a　new　aspect；　which　had　never　by　any　preceding　writer　been　laid　before　the　public。

Education；　in　the　conception　of　those　whose　office　it　is　to　direct　it；　has　various　engines　by　means　of　which　it　is　to　be　made　effective；　and　among　these　are　reprehension　and　chastisement。

The　philosophy　of　the　wisest　man　that　ever　existed；　is　mainly　derived　from　the　act　of　introspection。　　We　look　into　our　own　bosoms；　observe　attentively　every　thing　that　passes　there；　anatomise　our　motives；　trace　step　by　step　the　operations　of　thought；　and　diligently　remark　the　effects　of　external　impulses　upon　our　feelings　and　conduct。　　Philosophers；　ever　since　the　time　in　which　Socrates　flourished；　to　carry　back　our　recollections　no　further；　have　found　that　the　minds　of　men　in　the　most　essential　particulars　are　framed　so　far　upon　the　same　model；　that　the　analysis　of　the　individual　may　stand　in　general　consideration　for　the　analysis　of　the　species。　　Where　this　principle　fails；　it　is　not　easy　to　suggest　a　proceeding　that　shall　supply　the　deficiency。　　I　look　into　my　own　breast；　I　observe　steadily　and　with　diligence　what　passes　there；　and　with　all　the　parade　of　the　philosophy　of　the　human　mind　I　can　do　little　more　than　this。

In　treating　therefore　of　education　in　the　point　of　view　in　which　it　has　just　been　proposed；　I　turn　my　observation　upon　myself；　and　I　proceed　thus。If　I　do　not　stand　as　a　competent　representative　for　the　whole　of　my　species；　I　suppose　I　may　at　least　assume　to　be　the　representative　of　no　inconsiderable　number　of　them。

I　find　then　in　myself；　for　as　long　a　time　as　I　can　trace　backward　the　records　of　memory；　a　prominent　vein　of　docility。　　Whatever　it　was　proposed　to　teach　me；　that　was　in　any　degree　accordant　with　my　constitution　and　capacity；　I　was　willing　to　learn。　　And　this　limit　is　sufficient　for　the　topic　I　am　proposing　to　treat。　　I　do　not　intend　to　consider　education　of　any　other　sort；　than　that　which　has　something　in　it　of　a　liberal　and　ingenuous　nature。　　I　am　not　here　discussing　the　education　of　a　peasant；　an　artisan；　or　a　slave。

In　addition　to　this　vein　of　docility；　which　easily　prompted　me　to　learn　whatever　was　proposed　for　my　instruction　and　improvement；　I　felt　in　myself　a　sentiment　of　ambition；　a　desire　to　possess　the　qualifications　which　I　found　to　be　productive　of　esteem；　and　that　should　enable　me　to　excel　among　my　contemporaries。　　I　was　ambitious　to　be　a　leader；　and　to　be　regarded　by　others　with　feelings　of　complacency。　　I　had　no　wish　to　rule　by　brute　force　and　compulsion；　but　I　was　desirous　to　govern　by　love；　and　honour；　and　〃the　cords　of　a　man。〃

I　do　not　imagine　that；　when　I　aver　thus　much　of　myself；　I　am　bringing　forward　any　thing　unprecedented；　or　that　multitudes　of　my　fellow…men　do　not　largely　participate　with　me。

The　question　therefore　I　am　considering　is；　through　what　agency；　and　with　what　engines；　a　youth　thus　disposed；　and　with　these　qualifications；　is　to　be　initiated　in　all　liberal　arts。

I　will　go　back　no　further　than　to　the　commencement　of　the　learning　of　Latin。　　All　before　was　so　easy　to　me；　as　never　to　have　presented　the　idea　of　a　task。　　I　was　immediately　put　into　the　accidence。　　No　explanation　was　attempted　to　be　given　why　Latin　was　to　be　of　use　to　me；　or　why　it　was　necessary　to　commit　to　memory　the　cases　of　nouns　and　the　tenses　of　verbs。　　I　know　not　whether　this　was　owing　to　the　unwillingness　of　my　instructor　to　give　himself　the　trouble；　or　to　my　supposed　incapacity　to　apprehend　the　explanation。　　The　last　of　these　I　do　not　admit。　　My　docility　however　came　to　my　aid；　and　I　did　not　for　a　moment　harbour　any　repugnance　to　the　doing　what　was　required　of　me。　　At　first；　and　unassisted　in　the　enquiry；　I　felt　a　difficulty　in　supposing　that　the　English　language；　all　the　books　in　my　father's　library；　did　not　contain　every　thing　that　it　would　be　necessary　for　me　to　know。　　In　no　long　time　however　I　came　to　experience　a　pleasure　in　turning　the　thoughts　expressed　in　an　unknown　tongue　into　my　own；　and　I　speedily　understood　that　I　could　never　be　on　a　level　with　those　eminent　scholars　whom　it　was　my　ambition　to　rival；　without　the　study　of　the　classics。

What　then　were　the　obstacles；　that　should　in　any　degree　counteract　my　smooth　and　rapid　progress　in　the　studies　suggested　to　me？　　I　can　conceive　only　two。

First；　the　versatility　and　fickleness　which　in　a　greater　or　less　degree　beset　all　human　minds；　particularly　in　the　season　of　early　youth。　　However　docile　we　may　be；　and　willing　to　learn；　there　will　be　periods；　when　either　some　other　object　powerfully　solicits　us；　or　satiety　creeps　in；　and　makes　us　wish　to　occupy　our　attention　with　any　thing　else　rather　than　with　the　task　prescribed　us。　　But　this　is　no　powerful　obstacle。　　The　authority　of　the　instructor；　a　grave　look；　and　the　exercise　of　a　moderate　degree　of　patience　will　easily　remove　it　in　such　a　probationer　as　we　are　here　considering。

Another　obstacle　is　presumption。　　The　scholar　is　willing　to　conceive　well　of　his　own　capacity。　　He　has　a　vanity　in　accomplishing　the　task　prescribed　him　in　the　shortest　practicable　time。　　He　is　impatient　to　go　away　from　the　business　imposed　upon　him；　to　things　of　his　own　election；　and　occupations　which　his　partialities　and　his　temper　prompt　him　to　pursue。　　He　has　a　pride　in　saying　to　himself；　〃This；　which　was　a　business　given　to　occupy　me　for　several　hours；　I　can　accomplish　in　less　than　one。〃　　But　the　presumption　arising　out　of　these　views　is　easily　subdued。　　If　the　pupil　is　wrong　in　his　calculation；　the　actual　experiment　will　speedily　convince　him　of　his　error。　　He　is　humbled　by　and　ashamed　of　his　mistake。　　The　merely　being　sent　back　to　study　his　lesson　afresh；　is　on　the　face　of　the　thing　punishment　enough。

It　follows　from　this　view　of　the　matter；　that　an　ingenuous　youth；　endowed　with　sufficient　capacity　for　the　business　prescribed　him；　may　be　led　on　in　the　path　of　intellectual　acquisition　and　improvement　with　a　silken　cord。　　It　will　demand　a　certain　degree　of　patience　on　the　part　of　the　instructor。　　But　Heaven　knows；　that　this　patience　is　sufficiently　called　into