autobiography and selected essays-第14节

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an　Eve；　a　new　and　greater　world；　that　of　social　and　moral

phenomena；　would　be　revealed。　　Joys　and　woes；　compared　with　which

all　others　might　seem　but　faint　shadows；　would　spring　from　the　new

relations。　　Happiness　and　sorrow　would　take　the　place　of　the

coarser　monitors；　pleasure　and　pain；　but　conduct　would　still　be

shaped　by　the　observation　of　the　natural　consequences　of　actions；

or；　in　other　words；　by　the　laws　of　the　nature　of　man。



To　every　one　of　us　the　world　was　once　as　fresh　and　new　as　to　Adam。

And　then；　long　before　we　were　susceptible　of　any　other　modes　of

instruction；　Nature　took　us　in　hand；　and　every　minute　of　waking

life　brought　its　educational　influence；　shaping　our　actions　into

rough　accordance　with　Nature's　laws；　so　that　we　might　not　be　ended

untimely　by　too　gross　disobedience。　　Nor　should　I　speak　of　this

process　of　education　as　past　for　any　one；　be　he　as　old　as　he　may。

For　every　man　the　world　is　as　fresh　as　it　was　at　the　first　day；　and

as　full　of　untold　novelties　for　him　who　has　the　eyes　to　see　them。

And　Nature　is　still　continuing　her　patient　education　of　us　in　that

great　university；　the　universe；　of　which　we　are　all　membersNature

having　no　Test…Acts。＇54＇



Those　who　take　honours　in　Nature's　university；　who　learn　the　laws

which　govern　men　and　things　and　obey　them；　are　the　really　great　and

successful　men　in　this　world。　　The　great　mass　of　mankind　are　the

〃Poll；〃＇55＇　who　pick　up　just　enough　to　get　through　without　much

discredit。　　Those　who　won't　learn　at　all　are　plucked；＇56＇　and　then

you　can't　come　up　again。　　Nature's　pluck　means　extermination。



Thus　the　question　of　compulsory　education　is　settled　so　far　as

Nature　is　concerned。　　Her　bill　on　that　question　was　framed　and

passed　long　ago。　　But；　like　all　compulsory　legislation；　that　of

Nature　is　harsh　and　wasteful　in　its　operation。　　Ignorance　is

visited　as　sharply　as　wilful　disobedienceincapacity　meets　with

the　same　punishment　as　crime。　　Nature's　discipline　is　not　even　a

word　and　a　blow；　and　the　blow　first；　but　the　blow　without　the　word。

It　is　left　to　you　to　find　out　why　your　ears　are　boxed。



The　object　of　what　we　commonly　call　educationthat　education　in

which　man　intervenes　and　which　I　shall　distinguish　as　artificial

educationis　to　make　good　these　defects　in　Nature's　methods；　to

prepare　the　child　to　receive　Nature's　education；　neither　incapably

nor　ignorantly；　nor　with　wilful　disobedience；　and　to　understand　the

preliminary　symptoms　of　her　pleasure；　without　waiting　for　the　box

on　the　ear。　　In　short；　all　artificial　education　ought　to　be　an

anticipation　of　natural　education。　　And　a　liberal　education　is　an

artificial　education　which　has　not　only　prepared　a　man　to　escape

the　great　evils　of　disobedience　to　natural　laws；　but　has　trained

him　to　appreciate　and　to　seize　upon　the　rewards；　which　Nature

scatters　with　as　free　a　hand　as　her　penalties。



That　man；　I　think；　has　had　a　liberal　education　who　has　been　so

trained　in　youth　that　his　body　is　the　ready　servant　of　his　will；

and　does　with　ease　and　pleasure　all　the　work　that；　as　a　mechanism；

it　is　capable　of；　whose　intellect　is　a　clear；　cold；　logic　engine；

with　all　its　parts　of　equal　strength；　and　in　smooth　working　order；

ready；　like　a　steam　engine；　to　be　turned　to　any　kind　of　work；　and

spin　the　gossamers　as　well　as　forge　the　anchors　of　the　mind；　whose

mind　is　stored　with　a　knowledge　of　the　great　and　fundamental　truths

of　Nature　and　of　the　laws　of　her　operations；　one　who；　no　stunted

ascetic；　is　full　of　life　and　fire；　but　whose　passions　are　trained

to　come　to　heel　by　a　vigorous　will；　the　servant　of　a　tender

conscience；　who　has　learned　to　love　all　beauty；　whether　of　Nature

or　of　art；　to　hate　all　vileness；　and　to　respect　others　as　himself。



Such　an　one　and　no　other；　I　conceive；　has　had　a　liberal　education；

for　he　is；　as　completely　as　a　man　can　be；　in　harmony　with　Nature。

He　will　make　the　best　of　her；　and　she　of　him。　　They　will　get　on

together　rarely；　she　as　his　ever　beneficent　mother；　he　as　her

mouthpiece；　her　conscious　self；　her　minister　and　interpreter。







ON　A　PIECE　OF　CHALK　　　　　＇57＇





If　a　well　were　sunk　at　our　feet　in　the　midst　of　the　city　of

Norwich；　the　diggers　would　very　soon　find　themselves　at　work　in

that　white　substance　almost　too　soft　to　be　called　rock；　with　which

we　are　all　familiar　as　〃chalk。〃



Not　only　here；　but　over　the　whole　county　of　Norfolk；　the　well…

sinker　might　carry　his　shaft　down　many　hundred　feet　without　coming

to　the　end　of　the　chalk；　and；　on　the　sea…coast；　where　the　waves

have　pared　away　the　face　of　the　land　which　breasts　them；　the

scarped　faces　of　the　high　cliffs　are　often　wholly　formed　of　the

same　material。　　Northward；　the　chalk　may　be　followed　as　far　as

Yorkshire；　on　the　south　coast　it　appears　abruptly　in　the

picturesque　western　bays　of　Dorset；　and　breaks　into　the　Needles　of

the　Isle　of　Wight；＇58＇　while　on　the　shores　of　Kent　it　supplies　that

long　line　of　white　cliffs　to　which　England　owes　her　name　of　Albion。



Were　the　thin　soil　which　covers　it　all　washed　away；　a　curved　band

of　white　chalk；　here　broader；　and　there　narrower；　might　be　followed

diagonally　across　England　from　Lulworth　in　Dorset；　to　Flamborough

Head　＇59＇　in　Yorkshirea　distance　of　over　two　hundred　and　eighty

miles　as　the　crow　flies。



From　this　band　to　the　North　Sea；　on　the　east；　and　the　Channel；　on

the　South；　the　chalk　is　largely　hidden　by　other　deposits；　but；

except　in　the　Weald　＇60＇　of　Kent　and　Sussex；　it　enters　into　the

very　foundation　of　all　the　south…eastern　counties。



Attaining；　as　it　does　in　some　places；　a　thickness　of　more　than　a

thousand　feet；　the　English　chalk　must　be　admitted　to　be　a　mass　of

considerable　magnitude。　　Nevertheless；　it　covers　but　an

insignificant　portion　of　the　whole　area　occupied　by　the　chalk

formation　of　the　globe；　which　has　precisely　the　same　general

characters　as　ours；　and　is　found　in　detached　patches；　some　less；

and　others　more　extensive；　than　the　English。



Chalk　occurs　in　north…west　Ireland；　it　stretches　over　a　large　part

of　France；the　chalk　which　underlies　Paris　being；　in　fact；　a

continuation　of　that　of　the　London　basin；　it　runs　through　Denmark

and　Central　Europe；　and　extends　southward　to　North　Africa；　while

eastward；　it　appears　in　the　Crimea　and　in　Syria；　and　may　be　traced

as　far　as　the　shores　of　the　Sea　of　Aral；　in　Central　Asia。



If　all　the　points　at　which　true　chalk　occurs　were　circumscribed；

they　would　lie　within　an　irregular　oval　about　three　thousand　miles

in　long　diameterthe　area　of　which　would　be　as　great　as　that　of

Europe；　and　would　many　times　exceed　that　of　the　largest　existing

inland　seathe　Mediterranean。



Thus　the　chalk　is　no　unimportant　element　in　the　masonry　of　the

earth's　crust；　and　it　impresses　a　peculiar　stamp；　varying　with　the

conditions　to　which　it　is　exposed；　on　the　scenery　of　the　districts

in　which　it　occurs。　　The　undulating　downs　and　rounded　coombs；

covered　with　sweet…grassed　turf；　of　our　inland　chalk　country；　have

a　peacefully　domestic　and　mutton…suggesting　prettiness；　but　can

hardly　be　called　either　grand　or　beautiful。　　But　on　our　southern

coasts；　the　wall…sided　cliffs；　many　hundred　feet　high；　with　vast

needles　and　pinnacles　standing　out　in　the　sea；　sharp　and　solitary

enough　to　serve　as　perches　for　the　wary　cormorant　confer　a

wonderful　beauty　and　grandeur　upon　the　chalk　headlands。　　And；　in

the　East；　chalk　has　its　share　in　the　formation　of　some　of　the　most

venerable　of　mountain　ranges；　such　as　the　Lebanon。





What　is　this　wide…spread　component　of　the　surface　of　the　earth？　and

whence　did　it　come？



You　may　think　this　no　very　hopeful　inquiry。　　You　may　not

unnaturally　suppose　that　the　attempt　to　solve　such　problems　as

these　can　lead　to　no　result；　save　that　of　entangling　the　inquirer

in　vague　speculations；　incapable　of　refutation　and　of　verification。



If　such　were　really　the　case；　I　should　have　selected　some　other

subject　than　a　〃piece　of　chalk〃　for　my　discourse。　　But；　in　truth；

after　much　deliberation；　I　have　been　unable　to　think　of　any　topic

which　would　so　well　enable　me　to　lead　you　to　see　how　solid　is　the

foundation　upon　which　some　of　the　most　startling　conclusions　of

physical　science　rest。



A　great　chapter　of　the　history　of　the　world　is　written　in　the

chalk。　　Few　passages　in　the　history　of　man　can　be　supported　by　such

an　overwhelming　mass　of　direct　and　indirect　evidence　as　that　which

testifies　to　the　truth　of　the　fragment　of　the　history　of　the　globe；

which　I　hope　to　enable　you　to　read；　with　your　own　eyes；　tonight。



Let　me　add；　that　few　chapters　of　human　history　have　a　more　profound

significance　for　ourselves。　　I　weigh　my　words　well　when　I　assert；

that　the　man　who　should　know　the　true　history　of　the　bit　of　chalk

which　every　carpenter　carries　about　in　his　breeches…pocket；　though

ignorant　of　all　other　history；　is　likely；　if　he　will　think　his

knowledge　out　to　its　ultimate　results；　to　have　a　truer；　and

therefore　a　better；　conc