thoughts on man-第6章

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　and　would　be　made　an　efficient　member　of　the　commonwealth；　so　it　were　to　be　desired　that；　as　early　as　a　clear　discrimination　on　the　subject　might　be　practicable；　a　competent　decision　should　be　given　as　to　the　future　occupation　and　destiny　of　a　child。

But　this　is　a　question　attended　with　no　common　degree　of　difficulty。　　To　the　resolving　such　a　question　with　sufficient　evidence；　a　very　considerable　series　of　observations　would　become　necessary。　　The　child　should　be　introduced　into　a　variety　of　scenes；　and　a　magazine；　so　to　speak；　of　those　things　about　which　human　industry　and　skill　may　be　employed；　should　be　successively　set　before　him。　　The　censor　who　is　to　decide　on　the　result　of　the　whole；　should　be　a　person　of　great　sagacity；　and　capable　of　pronouncing　upon　a　given　amount　of　the　most　imperfect　and　incidental　indications。　　He　should　be　clear…sighted；　and　vigilant　to　observe　the　involuntary　turns　of　an　eye；　expressions　of　a　lip；　and　demonstrations　of　a　limb。

The　declarations　of　the　child　himself　are　often　of　very　small　use　in　the　case。　　He　may　be　directed　by　an　impulse；　which　occurs　in　the　morning；　and　vanishes　in　the　evening。　　His　preferences　change　as　rapidly　as　the　shapes　we　sometimes　observe　in　the　evening　clouds；　and　are　governed　by　whim　or　fantasy；　and　not　by　any　of　those　indications　which　are　parcel　of　his　individual　constitution。　　He　desires　in　many　instances　to　be　devoted　to　a　particular　occupation；　because　his　playfellow　has　been　assigned　to　it　before　him。

The　parent　is　not　qualified　to　judge　in　this　fundamental　question；　because　he　is　under　the　dominion　of　partiality；　and　wishes　that　his　child　may　become　a　lord　chancellor；　an　archbishop；　or　any　thing　else；　the　possessor　of　which　condition　shall　be　enabled　to　make　a　splendid　figure　in　the　world。　　He　is　not　qualified；　because　he　is　an　interested　party；　and；　either　from　an　exaggerated　estimate　of　his　child's　merits；　or　from　a　selfish　shrinking　from　the　cost　it　might　require　to　mature　them；　is　anxious　to　arrive　at　a　conclusion　not　founded　upon　the　intrinsic　claims　of　the　case　to　be　considered。

Even　supposing　it　to　be　sufficiently　ascertained　in　what　calling　it　is　that　the　child　will　be　most　beneficially　engaged；　a　thousand　extrinsical　circumstances　will　often　prevent　that　from　being　the　calling　chosen。　　Nature　distributes　her　gifts　without　any　reference　to　the　distinctions　of　artificial　society。　　The　genius　that　demanded　the　most　careful　and　assiduous　cultivation；　that　it　might　hereafter　form　the　boast　and　ornament　of　the　world；　will　be　reared　amidst　the　chill　blasts　of　poverty；　while　he　who　was　best　adapted　to　make　an　exemplary　carpenter　or　artisan；　by　being　the　son　of　a　nobleman　is　thrown　a　thousand　fathoms　wide　of　his　true　destination。

Human　creatures　are　born　into　the　world　with　various　dispositions。　　According　to　the　memorable　saying　of　Themistocles；　One　man　can　play　upon　a　psaltery　or　harp；　and　another　can　by　political　skill　and　ingenuity　convert　a　town　of　small　account；　weak　and　insignificant；　into　a　city　noble；　magnificent　and　great。

It　is　comparatively　a　very　little　way　that　we　can　penetrate　into　the　mysteries　of　nature。

Music　seems　to　be　one　of　the　faculties　most　clearly　defined　in　early　youth。　　The　child　who　has　received　that　destination　from　the　hands　of　nature；　will　even　in　infancy　manifest　a　singular　delight　in　musical　sounds；　and　will　in　no　long　time　imitate　snatches　of　a　tune。　　The　present　professor　of　music　in　the　university　of　Oxford　contrived　for　himself；　I　believe　at　three　years　old；　a　way　for　playing　on　an　instrument；　the　piano　forte；　unprompted　by　any　of　the　persons　about　him。　　This　is　called　having　an　ear。

Instances　nearly　as　precocious　are　related　of　persons；　who　afterwards　distinguished　themselves　in　the　art　of　painting。

These　two　kinds　of　original　destination　appear　to　be　placed　beyond　the　reach　of　controversy。

Horace　says；　The　poet　is　born　a　poet；　and　cannot　be　made　so　by　the　ingenuity　of　art：　　and　this　seems　to　be　true。　　He　sees　the　objects　about　him　with　an　eye　peculiarly　his　own；　the　sounds　that　reach　his　ear；　produce　an　effect　upon　him；　and　leave　a　memory　behind；　different　from　that　which　is　experienced　by　his　fellows。　　His　perceptions　have　a　singular　vividness。

　　　　　　The　poet's　eye；　in　a　fine　frenzy　rolling；　　　　　　　Doth　glance　from　heaven　to　earth；　from　earth　to　heaven；　　　　

　　　　　　And　his　imagination　bodies　forth　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　forms　of　things　unknown；

It　is　not　probable　that　any　trainings　of　art　can　give　these　endowments　to　him　who　has　not　received　them　from　the　gift　of　nature。

The　subtle　network　of　the　brain；　or　whatever　else　it　is；　that　makes　a　man　more　fit　for；　and　more　qualified　to　succeed　in；　one　occupation　than　another；　can　scarcely　be　followed　up　and　detected　either　in　the　living　subject　or　the　dead　one。　　But；　as　in　the　infinite　variety　of　human　beings　no　two　faces　are　so　alike　that　they　cannot　be　distinguished；　nor　even　two　leaves　plucked　from　the　same　tree＇2＇；　so　it　may　reasonably　be　presumed；　that　there　are　varieties　in　the　senses；　the　organs；　and　the　internal　structure　of　the　human　species；　however　delicate；　and　to　the　touch　of　the　bystander　evanescent；　which　may　give　to　each　individual　a　predisposition　to　rise　to　a　supreme　degree　of　excellence　in　some　certain　art　or　attainment；　over　a　million　of　competitors。

＇2＇　Papers　between　Clarke　and　Leibnitz；　p。　95。


It　has　been　said　that　all　these　distinctions　and　anticipations　are　idle；　because　man　is　born　without　innate　ideas。　　Whatever　is　the　incomprehensible　and　inexplicable　power；　which　we　call　nature；　to　which　he　is　indebted　for　his　formation；　it　is　groundless　to　suppose；　that　that　power　is　cognisant　of；　and　guides　itself　in　its　operations　by；　the　infinite　divisibleness　of　human　pursuits　in　civilised　society。　　A　child　is　not　designed　by　his　original　formation　to　be　a　manufacturer　of　shoes；　for　he　may　be　born　among　a　people　by　whom　shoes　are　not　worn；　and　still　less　is　he　destined　by　his　structure　to　be　a　metaphysician；　an　astronomer；　or　a　lawyer；　a　rope…dancer；　a　fortune…teller；　or　a　juggler。

It　is　true　that　we　cannot　suppose　nature　to　be　guided　in　her　operations　by　the　infinite　divisibleness　of　human　pursuits　in　civilised　society。　　But　it　is　not　the　less　true　that　one　man　is　by　his　structure　best　fitted　to　excel　in　some　one　in　particular　of　these　multifarious　pursuits；　however　fortuitously　his　individual　structure　and　that　pursuit　may　be　brought　into　contact。　　Thus　a　certain　calmness　and　steadiness　of　purpose；　much　flexibility；　and　a　very　accurate　proportion　of　the　various　limbs　of　the　body；　are　of　great　advantage　in　rope…dancing；　while　lightness　of　the　fingers；　and　a　readiness　to　direct　our　thoughts　to　the　rapid　execution　of　a　purpose；　joined　with　a　steadiness　of　countenance　adapted　to　what　is　figuratively　called　throwing　dust　in　the　eyes　of　the　bystander；　are　of　the　utmost　importance　to　the　juggler：　　and　so　of　the　rest。

It　is　as　much　the　temper　of　the　individual；　as　any　particular　subtlety　of　organ　or　capacity；　that　prepares　him　to　excel　in　one　pursuit　rather　than　a　thousand　others。　　And　he　must　have　been　a　very　inattentive　observer　of　the　indications　of　temper　in　an　infant　in　the　first　months　of　his　existence；　who　does　not　confess　that　there　are　various　peculiarities　in　that　respect　which　the　child　brings　into　the　world　with　him。

There　is　excellent　sense　in　the　fable　of　Achilles　in　the　island　of　Scyros。　　He　was　placed　there　by　his　mother　in　female　attire　among　the　daughters　of　Lycomedes；　that　he　might　not　be　seduced　to　engage　in　the　Trojan　war。　　Ulysses　was　commissioned　to　discover　him；　and；　while　he　exhibited　jewels　and　various　woman's　ornaments　to　the　princesses；　contrived　to　mix　with　his　stores　a　suit　of　armour；　the　sight　of　which　immediately　awakened　the　spirit　of　the　hero。

Every　one　has　probably　within　him　a　string　more　susceptible　than　the　rest；　that　demands　only　a　kindred　impression　to　be　made；　to　call　forth　its　latent　character。　　Like　the　war…horse　described　in　the　Book　of　Job：　　〃He　paweth　in　the　valley；　and　rejoiceth　in　his　strength；　he　goeth　on　to　meet　the　armed　men；　he　smelleth　the　battle　afar　off；　the　thunder　of　the　captains；　and　the　shouting。〃

Nothing　can　be　more　unlike　than　the　same　man　to　himself；　when　he　i