thoughts on man-第82章

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rged　by　so　bitter　oppression　and　such　unendurable　sufferings？　　The　whole　temper　of　the　human　heart　must　be　spoiled；　and　the　wine　of　life　acquire　a　quality　acrimonious　and　malignant。

But　it　is　not　only　in　the　extreme　classes　of　society　that　the　glaring　inequality　with　which　property　is　shared　produces　its　injurious　effects。　　All　those　who　are　born　in　the　intermediate　ranks　are　urged　with　a　distempered　ambition；　unfavourable　to　independence　of　temper；　and　to　true　philanthropy。　Each　man　aspires　to　the　improvement　of　his　circumstances；　and　the　mounting；　by　one　step　and　another；　higher　in　the　scale　of　the　community。　　The　contemplations　of　the　mind　are　turned　towards　selfishness。　　In　opulent　communities　we　are　presented　with　the　genuine　theatre　for　courts　and　kings。　　And；　wherever　there　are　courts；　duplicity；　lying；　hypocrisy　and　cringing　dwell　as　in　their　proper　field。　　Next　come　trades　and　professions；　with　all　the　ignoble　contemplations；　the　resolved　smoothness；　servility　and　falshood；　by　which　they　are　enabled　to　gain　a　prosperous　and　triumphant　career。

It　is　by　such　means；　that　man；　whom　〃God　made　upright；〃　is　led　away　into　a　thousand　devious　paths；　and；　long　before　the　closing　scene　of　his　life；　is　rendered　something　the　very　reverse　of　what　in　the　dawning　of　existence　he　promised　to　be。　　He　is　like　Hazael　in　the　Jewish　history；　who；　when　the　prophet　set　before　him　the　crying　enormities　he　should　hereafter　perpetrate；　exclaimed；　〃Is　thy　servant　a　dog；〃　that　he　should　degrade　himself　so　vilely？　　He　feels　the　purity　of　his　purposes；　but　is　goaded　by　one　excitement　and　exasperation　after　another；　till　he　becomes　debased；　worthless　and　criminal。　　This　is　strikingly　illustrated　in　the　story　of　Dr。　Johnson　and　the　celebrated　Windham；　who；　when　he　was　setting　out　as　secretary　to　the　lord　lieutenant　of　Ireland；　expressed　to　his　aged　monitor；　some　doubts　whether　he　could　ever　reconcile　himself　to　certain　indirect　proceedings　which　he　was　afraid　would　be　expected　of　him：　　to　which　the　veteran　replied；　〃Oh；　sir；　be　under　no　alarm；　in　a　short　time；　depend　upon　it；　you　will　make　a　very　pretty　rascal＇87＇。〃

＇87＇　　The　phrase　here　used　by　Johnson　is　marked　with　the　licentiousness　we　sometimes　indulge　in　familiar　conversation。　　Translate　it　into　a　general　maxim；　and　it　contains　much　melancholy　truth。　　It　is　true　also；　that　there　are　few　individuals；　who；　in　the　urgent　realities　of　life；　have　not　occasionally　descended　from　the　heights　of　theoretical　excellence。　　It　is　but　just　however　to　observe　in　the　case　of　Windham；　that；　though　he　was　a　man　of　many　errors；　he　was　not　the　less　characterised　by　high　honour　and　eminent　virtue。


Such　are　the　〃inventions　of　man；〃　or　rather　such　is　the　operation　of　those　institutions　which　ordinarily　prevail　in　society。　　Still；　however；　much　honour　ought　to　be　rendered　to　our　common　nature；　since　all　of　us　are　not　led　away　by　the　potent　spells　of　the　enchantress。　　If　the　vulgar　crew　of　the　vessel　of　Ulysses　were　by　Circe　changed　into　brutes；　so　was　not　their　commander。　　The　human　species　is　divided　into　two　classes；　the　successfully　tempted；　and　the　tempted　in　vain。　　And；　though　the　latter　must　be　admitted　to　be　a　small　minority；　yet　they　ought　to　be　regarded　as　the　〃salt　of　the　earth；〃　which　preserves　the　entire　mass　from　putridity　and　dishonour。　　They　are　like　the　remnant；　which；　if　they　had　been　to　be　found　in　the　cities　of　the　Asphaltic　lake；　the　God　of　Abraham　pronounced　as　worthy　to　redeem　the　whole　community。　　They　are　like　the　two　witnesses　amidst　the　general　apostasy；　spoken　of　in　the　book　of　Revelations；　who　were　the　harbingers　and　forerunners　of　the　millenium；　the　reign　of　universal　virtue　and　peace。　　Their　excellence　only　appears　with　the　greater　lustre　amidst　the　general　defection。

Nothing　can　be　more　unjust　than　the　spirit　of　general　levelling　and　satire；　which　so　customarily　prevails。　　History　records；　if　you　will；　the　vices　and　follies　of　mankind。　　But　does　it　record　nothing　else？　　Are　the　virtues　of　the　best　men；　the　noblest　philosophers；　and　the　most　disinterested　patriots　of　antiquity；　nothing？　　It　is　impossible　for　two　things　to　be　more　unlike　than　the　general　profligacy　of　the　reigns　of　Charles　the　Second　and　Louis　the　Fifteenth　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　austere　virtues　and　the　extinction　of　all　private　considerations　in　the　general　happiness　and　honour；　which　constitute　the　spirit　of　the　best　pages　of　ancient　history；　and　which　exalt　and　transfix　the　spirit　of　every　ingenuous　and　high…souled　reader；　on　the　other。

Let　us　then　pay　to　human　virtue　the　honour　that　is　so　justly　its　due！　　Imagination　is　indeed　a　marvellous　power；　but　imagination　never　equalled　history；　the　achievements　which　man　has　actually　performed。　　It　is　in　vain　that　the　man　of　contemplation　sits　down　in　his　closet；　it　is　in　vain　that　the　poet　yields　the　reins　to　enthusiasm　and　fancy：　　there　is　something　in　the　realities　of　life；　that　excites　the　mind　infinitely　more；　than　is　in　the　power　of　the　most　exalted　reverie。　　The　true　hero　cannot；　like　the　poet；　or　the　delineator　of　fictitious　adventures；　put　off　what　he　has　to　do　till　to…morrow。　　The　occasion　calls；　and　he　must　obey。　　He　sees　the　obstacles；　and　the　adversary　he　has　to　encounter；　before　him。　　He　sees　the　individuals；　for　whose　dear　sake　he　resolves　to　expose　himself　to　every　hazard　and　every　evil。　　The　very　circumstance；　that　he　is　called　on　to　act　in　the　face　of　the　public；　animates　him。　　It　is　thus　that　resolution　is　produced；　that　martyrdom　is　voluntarily　encountered；　and　that　the　deeds　of　genuine；　pure　and　undeniable　heroism　are　performed。

Let　then　no　man；　in　the　supercilious　spirit　of　a　fancied　disdain；　allow　himself　to　detract　from　our　common　nature。　　We　are　ourselves　the　models　of　all　the　excellence　that　the　human　mind　can　conceive。　　There　have　been　men；　whose　virtues　may　well　redeem　all　the　contempt　with　which　satire　and　detraction　have　sought　to　overwhelm　our　species。　　There　have　been　memorable　periods　in　the　history　of　man；　when　the　best；　the　most　generous　and　exalted　sentiments　have　swallowed　up　and　obliterated　all　that　was　of　an　opposite　character。　　And　it　is　but　just；　that　those　by　whom　these　things　are　fairly　considered；　should　anticipate　the　progress　of　our　nature；　and　believe　that　human　understanding　and　human　virtue　will　hereafter　accomplish　such　things　as　the　heart　of　man　has　never　yet　been　daring　enough　to　conceive。




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