thoughts on man-第1节

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Thoughts　on　Man
His　Nature；　Productions　and　Discoveries
Interspersed　with　Some　Particulars
Respecting　the　Author
by
William　Godwin



　Oh；　the　blood　more　stirs
To　rouse　a　lion；　than　to　start　a　hare！

SHAKESPEARE




LONDON：　EFFINGHAM　WILSON；　ROYAL　EXCHANGE。　1831。

PREFACE

In　the　ensuing　volume　I　have　attempted　to　give　a　defined　and　permanent　form　to　a　variety　of　thoughts；　which　have　occurred　to　my　mind　in　the　course　of　thirty…four　years；　it　being　so　long　since　I　published　a　volume；　entitled；　the　Enquirer；thoughts；　which；　if　they　have　presented　themselves　to　other　men；　have；　at　least　so　far　as　I　am　aware；　never　been　given　to　the　public　through　the　medium　of　the　press。　　During　a　part　of　this　period　I　had　remained　to　a　considerable　degree　unoccupied　in　my　character　of　an　author；　and　had　delivered　little　to　the　press　that　bore　my　name。And　I　beg　the　reader　to　believe；　that；　since　I　entered　in　1791　upon　that　which　may　be　considered　as　my　vocation　in　life；　I　have　scarcely　in　any　instance　contributed　a　page　to　any　periodical　miscellany。

My　mind　has　been　constitutionally　meditative；　and　I　should　not　have　felt　satisfied；　if　I　had　not　set　in　order　for　publication　these　special　fruits　of　my　meditations。　　I　had　entered　upon　a　certain　career；　and　I　held　it　for　my　duty　not　to　abandon　it。

One　thing　further　I　feel　prompted　to　say。　　I　have　always　regarded　it　as　my　office　to　address　myself　to　plain　men；　and　in　clear　and　unambiguous　terms。　　It　has　been　my　lot　to　have　occasional　intercourse　with　some　of　those　who　consider　themselves　as　profound；　who　deliver　their　oracles　in　obscure　phraseology；　and　who　make　it　their　boast　that　few　men　can　understand　them；　and　those　few　only　through　a　process　of　abstract　reflection；　and　by　means　of　unwearied　application。

To　this　class　of　the　oracular　I　certainly　did　not　belong。　　I　felt　that　I　had　nothing　to　say；　that　it　should　be　very　difficult　to　understand。　　I　resolved；　if　I　could　help　it；　not　to　〃darken　counsel　by　words　without　knowledge。〃　　This　was　my　principle　in　the　Enquiry　concerning　Political　Justice。　　And　I　had　my　reward。　　I　had　a　numerous　audience　of　all　classes；　of　every　age；　and　of　either　sex。　　The　young　and　the　fair　did　not　feel　deterred　from　consulting　my　pages。

It　may　be　that　that　book　was　published　in　a　propitious　season。　　I　am　told　that　nothing　coming　from　the　press　will　now　be　welcomed；　unless　it　presents　itself　in　the　express　form　of　amusement。　　He　who　shall　propose　to　himself　for　his　principal　end；　to　draw　aside　in　one　particular　or　another　the　veil　from　the　majesty　of　intellectual　or　moral　truth；　must　lay　his　account　in　being　received　with　little　attention。

I　have　not　been　willing　to　believe　this：　　and　I　publish　my　speculations　accordingly。　　I　have　aimed　at　a　popular；　and　（if　I　could　reach　it）　an　interesting　style；　and；　if　I　am　thrust　aside　and　disregarded；　I　shall　console　myself　with　believing　that　I　have　not　neglected　what　it　was　in　my　power　to　achieve。

One　characteristic　of　the　present　publication　will　not　fail　to　offer　itself　to　the　most　superficial　reader。　　I　know　many　men　who　are　misanthropes；　and　profess　to　look　down　with　disdain　on　their　species。　　My　creed　is　of　an　opposite　character。　　All　that　we　observe　that　is　best　and　most　excellent　in　the　intellectual　world；　is　man：　　and　it　is　easy　to　perceive　in　many　cases；　that　the　believer　in　mysteries　does　little　more；　than　dress　up　his　deity　in　the　choicest　of　human　attributes　and　qualifications。　　I　have　lived　among；　and　I　feel　an　ardent　interest　in　and　love　for；　my　brethren　of　mankind。　　This　sentiment；　which　I　regard　with　complacency　in　my　own　breast；　I　would　gladly　cherish　in　others。　In　such　a　cause　I　am　well　pleased　to　enrol　myself　a　missionary。

　　　　　February　15；　1831。


The　particulars　respecting　the　author；　referred　to　in　the　title…page；　will　be　found　principally　in　Essays　VII；　IX；　XIV；　and　XVIII。


CONTENTS

Essay。　　I。　　Of　Body　and　Mind。　　The　Prologue　　II。　　Of　the　Distribution　of　Talents　　　III。　　Of　Intellectual　Abortion　　IV。　　Of　the　Durability　of　Human　Achievements　and　Productions　　V。　　Of　the　Rebelliousness　of　Man　　VI。　　Of　Human　Innocence　　　VII。　　Of　the　Duration　of　Human　Life　　VIII。　　Of　Human　Vegetation　　IX。　　Of　Leisure　　　X。　　Of　Imitation　and　Invention　　XI。　　Of　Self…Love　and　Benevolence　　　XII。　　Of　the　Liberty　of　Human　Actions　　XIII。　　Of　Belief　　XIV。　　Of　Youth　and　Age　　XV。　　Of　Love　and　Friendship　　　XVI。　　Of　Frankness　and　Reserve　　XVII。　　Of　Ballot　　XVIII。　　Of　Diffidence　　　XIX。　　Of　Self　Complacence　　　XX。　　Of　Phrenology　　XXI。　　Of　Astronomy　　XXII。　　Of　the　Material　Universe　　XXIII。　　Of　Human　Virtue。　　The　Epilogue


THOUGHTS；　&c。


ESSAY　I。　OF　BODY　AND　MIND。

THE　PROLOGUE。

There　is　no　subject　that　more　frequently　occupies　the　attention　of　the　contemplative　than　man：　　yet　there　are　many　circumstances　concerning　him　that　we　shall　hardly　admit　to　have　been　sufficiently　considered。

Familiarity　breeds　contempt。　　That　which　we　see　every　day　and　every　hour；　it　is　difficult　for　us　to　regard　with　admiration。　　To　almost　every　one　of　our　stronger　emotions　novelty　is　a　necessary　ingredient。　　The　simple　appetites　of　our　nature　may　perhaps　form　an　exception。　　The　appetite　for　food　is　perpetually　renewed　in　a　healthy　subject　with　scarcely　any　diminution　and　love；　even　the　most　refined；　being　combined　with　one　of　our　original　impulses；　will　sometimes　for　that　reason　withstand　a　thousand　trials；　and　perpetuate　itself　for　years。　　In　all　other　cases　it　is　required；　that　a　fresh　impulse　should　be　given；　that　attention　should　anew　be　excited；　or　we　cannot　admire。　　Things　often　seen　pass　feebly　before　our　senses；　and　scarcely　awake　the　languid　soul。

〃Man　is　the　most　excellent　and　noble　creature　of　the　world；　the　principal　and　mighty　work　of　God；　the　wonder　of　nature；　the　marvel　of　marvels＇1＇。〃

＇1＇　Anatomy　of　Melancholy；　p。　1。


Let　us　have　regard　to　his　corporeal　structure。　　There　is　a　simplicity　in　it；　that　at　first　perhaps　we　slightly　consider。　　But　how　exactly　is　it　fashioned　for　strength　and　agility！　　It　is　in　no　way　incumbered。　　It　is　like　the　marble　when　it　comes　out　of　the　hand　of　the　consummate　sculptor；　every　thing　unnecessary　is　carefully　chiseled　away；　and　the　joints；　the　muscles；　the　articulations；　and　the　veins　come　out；　clean　and　finished。　　It　has　long　ago　been　observed；　that　beauty；　as　well　as　virtue；　is　the　middle　between　all　extremes：　　that　nose　which　is　neither　specially　long；　nor　short；　nor　thick；　nor　thin；　is　the　perfect　nose；　and　so　of　the　rest。　　In　like　manner；　when　I　speak　of　man　generally；　I　do　not　regard　any　aberrations　of　form；　obesity；　a　thick　calf；　a　thin　calf；　I　take　the　middle　between　all　extremes；　and　this　is　emphatically　man。

Man　cannot　keep　pace　with　a　starting　horse：　　but　he　can　persevere；　and　beats　him　in　the　end。

What　an　infinite　variety　of　works　is　man　by　his　corporeal　form　enabled　to　accomplish！　　In　this　respect　he　casts　the　whole　creation　behind　him。

What　a　machine　is　the　human　hand！　　When　we　analyse　its　parts　and　its　uses；　it　appears　to　be　the　most　consummate　of　our　members。　　And　yet　there　are　other　parts；　that　may　maintain　no　mean　rivalship　against　it。

What　a　sublimity　is　to　be　attributed　to　his　upright　form！　　He　is　not　fashioned；　veluti　pecora；　quae　natura　prona　atque　ventri　obedientia　finxit。　　He　is　made　coeli　convexa　tueri。　　The　looks　that　are　given　him　in　his　original　structure；　are　〃looks　commercing　with　the　skies。〃

How　surpassingly　beautiful　are　the　features　of　his　countenance；　the　eyes；　the　nose；　the　mouth！　　How　noble　do　they　appear　in　a　state　of　repose！　　With　what　never…ending　variety　and　emphasis　do　they　express　the　emotions　of　his　mind！　　In　the　visage　of　man；　uncorrupted　and　undebased；　we　read　the　frankness　and　ingenuousness　of　his　soul；　the　clearness　of　his　reflections；　the　penetration　of　his　spirit。　　What　a　volume　of　understanding　is　unrolled　in　his　broad；　expanded；　lofty　brow！　　In　his　countenance　we　see　expressed　at　one　time　sedate　confidence　and　awful　intrepidity；　and　at　another　godlike　condescension　and　the　most　melting　tenderness。　　Who　can　behold　the　human　eye；　suddenly　suffused　with　moisture；　or　gushing　with　tears　unbid；　and　the　quivering　lip；　without　unspeakable　emotion？　　Shakespear　talks　of　an　eye；　〃whose　bend　could　awe　the　world。〃

What　a　miraculous　thing　is　the　human　complexion！　　We　are　sent　into　the　world　naked；　that　　all　the　variations　of　the　blood　might　be　made　visible。　　However　trite；　I　cannot　avoid　quoting　here　the　lines　of　the　most　deep…thinking　and　philosophical　of　our　poets：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　We　understood　　　　　　　Her　by　her　sight：　　her　pure　and　eloquent　blood　　　　　　　Spoke　in　her　cheeks；　and　so　distinctly　wrought；　　　　　　　That　one　might　almost　say　her　body　thought。

What　a　curious　phenomenon　is　that　of　blushing！　It　is　impossible　to　witness　this　phenomenon　without　interest　and　sympathy。　　It　comes　at　once；　unanticipated　by　the　person　in　whom　we　behold　it。　It　comes　from　the　soul；　and　expresses　with　equal　certainty　shame；　modesty；　and　vivid；　uncontrollable　affection。　　It　spreads；　as　it　were　in　so　many　stages；　over　the　cheeks；　the　brow；　and　the　neck；　of　him　or　her　in　whom　the　sentiment　that　gives　birth　to　it　is　working。

Thus　far　I　have　not　mentioned　speech；　not　perhaps　the　most　inestimable　of　human　gifts；　but；　if