thoughts on man-第49部分

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The　execution　of　any　thing　considerable　implies　in　the　first　place　previous　persevering　meditation。　　He　that　undertakes　any　great　achievement　will；　according　to　the　vulgar　phrase；　〃think　twice；〃　before　he　buckles　up　his　resolution；　and　plunges　into　the　ocean；　which　he　has　already　surveyed　with　anxious　glance　while　he　remained　on　shore。　　Let　our　illustration　be　the　case　of　Columbus；　who；　from　the　figure　of　the　earth；　inferred　that　there　must　be　a　way　of　arriving　at　the　Indies　by　a　voyage　directly　west；　in　distinction　from　the　very　complicated　way　hitherto　practiced；　by　sailing　up　the　Mediterranean；　crossing　the　isthmus　of　Suez；　and　so　falling　down　the　Red　Sea　into　the　Indian　Ocean。　　He　weighed　all　the　circumstances　attendant　on　such　an　undertaking　in　his　mind。　　He　enquired　into　his　own　powers　and　resources；　imaged　to　himself　the　various　obstacles　that　might　thwart　his　undertaking；　and　finally　resolved　to　engage　in　it。　　If　Columbus　had　not　entertained　a　very　good　opinion　of　himself；　it　is　impossible　that　he　should　have　announced　such　a　project；　or　should　have　achieved　it。

Again。　　Let　our　illustration　be；　of　Homer　undertaking　to　compose　the　Iliad。　　If　he　had　not　believed　himself　to　be　a　man　of　very　superior　powers　to　the　majority　of　the　persons　around　him；　he　would　most　assuredly　never　have　attempted　it。　　What　an　enterprise！　To　describe　in　twenty…four　books；　and　sixteen　thousand　verses；　the　perpetual　warfare　and　contention　of　two　great　nations；　all　Greece　being　armed　for　the　attack；　and　all　the　western　division　of　Asia　Minor　for　the　defence：　　the　war　carried　on　by　two　vast　confederacies；　under　numerous　chiefs；　all　sovereign　and　essentially　independent　of　each　other。　　To　conceive　the　various　characters　of　the　different　leaders；　and　their　mutual　rivalship。　　To　engage　all　heaven；　such　as　it　was　then　understood；　as　well　as　what　was　most　respectable　on　earth；　in　the　struggle。　　To　form　the　idea；　through　twenty…four　books；　of　varying　the　incidents　perpetually；　and　keeping　alive　the　attention　of　the　reader　or　hearer　without　satiety　or　weariness。　　For　this　purpose；　and　to　answer　to　his　conception　of　a　great　poem；　Homer　appears　to　have　thought　it　necessary　that　the　action　should　be　one；　and　he　therefore　took　the　incidental　quarrel　of　Achilles　and　the　commander　in　chief；　the　resentment　of　Achilles；　and　his　consequent　defection　from　the　cause；　till；　by　the　death　of　Patroclus；　and　then　of　Hector；　all　traces　of　the　misunderstanding　first；　and　then　of　its　consequences；　should　be　fully　obliterated。

There　is　further　an　essential　difference　between　the　undertaking　of　Columbus　and　that　of　Homer。　　Once　fairly　engaged；　there　was　for　Columbus　no　drawing　back。　　Being　already　at　sea　on　the　great　Atlantic　Ocean；　he　could　not　retrace　his　steps。　　Even　when　he　had　presented　his　project　to　the　sovereigns　of　Spain；　and　they　had　accepted　it；　and　still　more　when　the　ships　were　engaged；　and　the　crews　mustered；　he　must　go　forward；　or　submit　to　indelible　disgrace。

It　is　not　so　in　writing　a　poem。　　The　author　of　the　latter　may　stop　whenever　he　pleases。　　Of　consequence；　during　every　day　of　its　execution；　he　requires　a　fresh　stimulus。　　He　must　look　back　on　the　past；　and　forward　on　what　is　to　come；　and　feel　that　he　has　considerable　reason　to　be　satisfied。　　The　great　naval　discoverer　may　have　his　intervals　of　misgiving　and　discouragement；　and　may；　as　Pope　expresses　it；　〃wish　that　any　one　would　hang　him。〃　He　goes　forward；　for　he　has　no　longer　the　liberty　to　choose。　　But　the　author　of　a　mighty　poem　is　not　in　the　same　manner　entangled；　and　therefore　to　a　great　degree　returns　to　his　work　each　day；　〃screwing　his　courage　to　the　sticking…place。〃　　He　must　feel　the　same　fortitude　and　elasticity；　and　be　as　entirely　the　same　man　of　heroic　energy；　as　when　he　first　arrived　at　the　resolution　to　engage。　　How　much　then　of　self…complacency　and　self…confidence　do　his　undertaking　and　performance　imply！

I　have　taken　two　of　the　most　memorable　examples　in　the　catalogue　of　human　achievements：　　the　discovery　of　a　New　World；　and　the　production　of　the　Iliad。　　But　all　those　voluntary　actions；　or　rather　series　and　chains　of　actions；　which　comprise　energy　in　the　first　determination；　and　honour　in　the　execution；　each　in　its　degree　rests　upon　self…complacency　as　the　pillar　upon　which　its　weight　is　sustained；　and　without　which　it　must　sink　into　nothing。

Self…complacency　then　being　the　indispensible　condition　of　all　that　is　honourable　in　human　achievements；　hence　we　may　derive　a　multitude　of　duties；　and　those　of　the　most　delicate　nature；　incumbent　on　the　preceptor；　as　well　as　a　peculiar　discipline　to　be　observed　by　the　candidate；　both　while　he　is　〃under　a　schoolmaster；〃　and　afterwards　when　he　is　emancipated；　and　his　plan　of　conduct　is　to　he　regulated　by　his　own　discretion。

The　first　duty　of　the　preceptor　is　encouragement。

Not　that　his　face　is　to　be　for　ever　dressed　in　smiles；　and　that　his　tone　is　to　be　at　all　times　that　of　invitation　and　courtship。　　The　great　theatre　of　the　world　is　of　a　mingled　constitution；　made　up　of　advantages　and　sufferings；　and　it　is　perhaps　best　that　so　should　be　the　different　scenes　of　the　drama　as　they　pass。　　The　young　adventurer　is　not　to　expect　to　have　every　difficulty　smoothed　for　him　by　the　hand　of　another。　　This　were　to　teach　him　a　lesson　of　effeminacy　and　cowardice。　　On　the　contrary　it　is　necessary　that　he　should　learn　that　human　life　is　a　state　of　hardship；　that　the　adversary　we　have　to　encounter　does　not　always　present　himself　with　his　fangs　sheathed　in　the　woolly　softness　which　occasionally　renders　them　harmless；　and　that　nothing　great　or　eminently　honourable　was　ever　achieved　but　through　the　dint　of　resolution；　energy　and　struggle。　　It　is　good　that　the　winds　of　heaven　should　blow　upon　him；　that　he　should　encounter　the　tempest　of　the　elements；　and　occasionally　sustain　the　inclemency　of　the　summer's　heat　and　winter's　cold；　both　literally　and　metaphorically。

But　the　preceptor；　however　he　conducts　himself　in　other　respects；　ought　never　to　allow　his　pupil　to　despise　himself；　or　to　hold　himself　as　of　no　account。　　Self…contempt　can　never　be　a　discipline　favourable　to　energy　or　to　virtue。　　The　pupil　ought　at　all　times　to　judge　himself　in　some　degree　worthy；　worthy　and　competent　now　to　attempt；　and　hereafter　to　accomplish；　things　deserving　of　commendation。　　The　preceptor　must　never　degrade　his　pupil　in　his　own　eyes；　but　on　the　contrary　must　teach　him　that　nothing　but　resolution　and　perseverance　are　necessary；　to　enable　him　to　effect　all　that　the　judicious　director　can　expect　from　him。　　He　should　be　encouraged　through　every　step　of　his　progress；　and　specially　encouraged　when　he　has　gained　a　certain　point；　and　arrived　at　an　important　resting…place。　　It　is　thus　we　are　taught　the　whole　circle　of　what　are　called　accomplishments；　dancing；　music；　fencing；　and　the　rest；　and　it　is　surely　a　strange　anomaly；　if　those　things　which　are　most　essential　in　raising　the　mind　to　its　true　standard；　cannot　be　communicated　with　equal　suavity　and　kindness；　be　surrounded　with　allurements；　and　regarded　as　sources　of　pleasure　and　genuine　hilarity。

In　the　mean　time　it　is　to　be　admitted　that　every　human　creature；　especially　in　the　season　of　youth；　and　not　being　the　victim　of　some　depressing　disease　either　of　body　or　mind；　has　in　him　a　good　obstinate　sort　of　self…complacency；　which　cannot　without　much　difficulty　be　eradicated。　　〃Though　he　falleth　seven　times；　yet　will　he　rise　again。〃　　And；　when　we　have　encountered　various　mortifications；　and　have　been　many　times　rebuked　and　inveighed　against；　we　nevertheless　recover　our　own　good　opinion；　and　are　ready　to　enter　into　a　fresh　contention　for　the　prize；　if　not　in　one　kind；　then　in　another。

It　is　in　allusion　to　this　feature　in　the　human　character；　that　we　have　an　expressive　phrase　in　the　English　language；〃to　break　the　spirit。〃　　The　preceptor　may　occasionally　perhaps　prescribe　to　the　pupil　a　severe　task；　and　the　young　adventurer　may　say；　Can　I　be　expected　to　accomplish　this？　　But　all　must　be　done　in　kindness。　　The　generous　attempter　must　be　reminded　of　the　powers　he　has　within　him；　perhaps　yet　unexercised；　with　cheering　sounds　his　progress　must　be　encouraged；　and；　above　all；　the　director　of　the　course　must　take　care　not　to　tax　him　beyond　his　strength。　　And；　be　it　observed；　that　the　strength　of　a　human　creature　is　to　be　ascertained　by　two　things；　first；　the　abstract　capacity；　that　the　thing　required　is　not　beyond　the　power　of　a　being　so　constituted　to　perform；　and；　secondly；　we　must　take　into　the　account　his　past　achievements；　the　things　he　has　already　accomplished；　and　not　expect　that　he　is　at　once　to　overleap　a　thousand　obstacles。

For　there　is　such　a　thing　as　a　broken　spirit。　　I　remember　a　boy　who　was　my　schoolfellow；　that；　having　been　treated　with　uncalled　for　severity；　never　appeared　afterwards　in　the　scene　of　instruction；　but　with　a　neglected　appearance；　and　the　articles　of　his　dress　scarcely　half　put　on。　　I　was　very　young　at　the　time；　and　viewed　only　the　outside　of　things。　　I　cannot　tell　whether　he　had　any　true　ambition　previously　to　his　disgrace；　but　I　am　sure　he　never　had　afterwards。

How　melancholy　an　object　is　the　man；　who；　〃for　the　privilege　to　breathe；　bears　up　and　down　the　city

　　　　　A　discontented　and　repining　spirit　　　　　　Burthensome　to　itself；〃

incapable　of　enterprise；　listless；　with　no　courage　to　undertake；　and　no　anticipation　of　the　practicability　of　success　and　honour！　　And　this　spectacle　is　still　more　affecting；　when　the　subject　shall　be　a　human　creature　in　the　dawn　of　youth；　when　nature　opens　to　him　a　vista　of　beauty　and　fruition　on　every　side；　and　all　is　encouraging；　redolent　of　energy　and　enterprise！

To　break　the　spirit　of　a　man；　bears　a　considerable　resemblance　to　the　breaking　the　main　spring；　or　principal　movement；　of　a　complicated　and　ingeniously　constructed　machine。　　We　cannot　tell　when　it　is　to　happen；　and　it　comes　at　last　perhaps　at　the　time　that　it　is　least　expected。　　A　judicious　superintendent　therefore　will　be　far　from　trying　consequences　in　his　office；　and　will；　like　a　man　walking　on　a　cliff　whose　extremes　are　ever　and　anon　crumbling　away　and　falling　into　the　ocean；　keep　much　within　the　edge；　and　at　a　safe　distance　from　the　line　of　danger。

But　this　consideration　has　led　me　much　beyond　the　true　subje