thoughts on man-第5节

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his　is　a　man；　a　horse；　a　tree；　a　flower。

All　organised　bodies　of　the　animal　or　vegetable　kingdom　are　cast　in　a　mould　of　given　dimension　and　feature　belonging　to　a　certain　number　of　individuals；　though　distinguished　by　inexhaustible　varieties。　　It　is　by　means　of　those　features　that　the　class　of　each　individual　is　determined。

To　confine　ourselves　to　man。

All　men；　the　monster　and　the　lusus　naturae　excepted；　have　a　certain　form；　a　certain　complement　of　limbs；　a　certain　internal　structure；　and　organs　of　sensemay　we　not　add　further；　certain　powers　of　intellect？

Hence　it　seems　to　follow；　that　man　is　more　like　and　more　equal　to　man；　deformities　of　body　and　abortions　of　intellect　excepted；　than　the　disdainful　and　fastidious　censors　of　our　common　nature　are　willing　to　admit。

I　am　inclined　to　believe；　that；　putting　idiots　and　extraordinary　cases　out　of　the　question；　every　human　creature　is　endowed　with　talents；　which；　if　rightly　directed；　would　shew　him　to　be　apt；　adroit；　intelligent　and　acute；　in　the　walk　for　which　his　organisation　especially　fitted　him。

But　the　practices　and　modes　of　civilised　life　prompt　us　to　take　the　inexhaustible　varieties　of　man；　as　he　is　given　into　our　guardianship　by　the　bountiful　hand　of　nature；　and　train　him　in　one　uniform　exercise；　as　the　raw　recruit　is　treated　when　he　is　brought　under　the　direction　of　his　drill…serjeant。

The　son　of　the　nobleman；　of　the　country…gentleman；　and　of　those　parents　who　from　vanity　or　whatever　other　motive　are　desirous　that　their　offspring　should　be　devoted　to　some　liberal　profession；　is　in　nearly　all　instances　sent　to　the　grammar…school。　　It　is　in　this　scene　principally；　that　the　judgment　is　formed　that　not　above　one　boy　in　a　hundred　possesses　an　acute　understanding；　or　will　be　able　to　strike　into　a　path　of　intellect　that　shall　be　truly　his　own。

I　do　not　object　to　this　destination；　if　temperately　pursued。　　It　is　fit　that　as　many　children　as　possible　should　have　their　chance　of　figuring　in　future　life　in　what　are　called　the　higher　departments　of　intellect。　　A　certain　familiar　acquaintance　with　language　and　the　shades　of　language　as　a　lesson；　will　be　beneficial　to　all。　　The　youth　who　has　expended　only　six　months　in　acquiring　the　rudiments　of　the　Latin　tongue；　will　probably　be　more　or　less　the　better　for　it　in　all　his　future　life。

But　seven　years　are　usually　spent　at　the　grammar…school　by　those　who　are　sent　to　it。　　I　do　not　in　many　cases　object　to　this。　　The　learned　languages　are　assuredly　of　slow　acquisition。　　In　the　education　of　those　who　are　destined　to　what　are　called　the　higher　departments　of　intellect；　a　long　period　may　advantageously　be　spent　in　the　study　of　words；　while　the　progress　they　make　in　theory　and　dogmatical　knowledge　is　too　generally　a　store　of　learning　laid　up；　to　be　unlearned　again　when　they　reach　the　period　of　real　investigation　and　independent　judgment。　　There　is　small　danger　of　this　in　the　acquisition　of　words。

But　this　method；　indiscriminately　pursued　as　it　is　now；　is　productive　of　the　worst　consequences。　　Very　soon　a　judgment　may　be　formed　by　the　impartial　observer；　whether　the　pupil　is　at　home　in　the　study　of　the　learned　languages；　and　is　likely　to　make　an　adequate　progress。　　But　parents　are　not　impartial。　　There　are　also　two　reasons　why　the　schoolmaster　is　not　the　proper　person　to　pronounce：　　first；　because；　if　he　pronounces　in　the　negative；　he　will　have　reason　to　fear　that　the　parent　will　be　offended；　and　secondly；　because　he　does　not　like　to　lose　his　scholar。　　But　the　very　moment　that　it　can　be　ascertained；　that　the　pupil　is　not　at　home　in　the　study　of　the　learned　languages；　and　is　unlikely　to　make　an　adequate　progress；　at　that　moment　he　should　be　taken　from　it。

The　most　palpable　deficiency　that　is　to　be　found　in　relation　to　the　education　of　children；　is　a　sound　judgment　to　be　formed　as　to　the　vocation　or　employment　in　which　each　is　most　fitted　to　excel。

As；　according　to　the　institutions　of　Lycurgus；　as　soon　as　a　boy　was　born；　he　was　visited　by　the　elders　of　the　ward；　who　were　to　decide　whether　he　was　to　be　reared；　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　indiv