the circulation of the blood-第5部分

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time；　England　had　to　show　statesmen　like　Burleigh；　Strafford；　and
CromwellI　mean　men　who　were　real　statesmen；　and　not　intriguers；
seeking　to　make　a　reputation　at　the　expense　of　the　nation。　　In　the
course　of　that　time；　the　nation　had　begun　to　throw　off　those　swarms　of
hardy　colonists　which；　to　the　benefit　of　the　worldand　as　I　fancy；　in
the　long　run；　to　the　benefit　of　England　herselfhave　now　become　the
United　States　of　America；　and；　during　the　same　epoch；　the　first
foundations　were　laid　of　that　Indian　Empire　which；　it　may　be；　future
generations　will　not　look　upon　as　so　happy　a　product　of　English
enterprise　and　ingenuity。　　In　that　time　we　had　poets　such　as　Spenser；
Shakespere；　and　Milton；　we　had　a　great　philosopher；　in　Hobbes；　and　we
had　a　clever　talker　about　philosophy；　in　Bacon。　　In　the　beginning　of
the　period；　Harvey　revolutionized　the　biological　sciences；　and　at　the
end　of　it；　Newton　was　preparing　the　revolution　of　the　physical　sciences。
I　know　not　any　period　of　our　historyI　doubt　if　there　be　any　period　of
the　history　of　any　nationwhich　has　precisely　such　a　record　as　this　to
show　for　a　hundred　years。　　But　I　do　not　recall　these　facts　to　your
recollection　for　a　mere　vainglorious　purpose。　　I　myself　am　of　opinion
that　the　memory　of　the　great　men　of　a　nation　is　one　of　its　most　precious
possessionsnot　because　we　have　any　right　to　plume　ourselves　upon
their　having　existed　as　a　matter　of　national　vanity；　but　because　we
have　a　just　and　rational　ground　of　expectation　that　the　race　which　has
brought　forth　such　products　as　these　may；　in　good　time　and　under
fortunate　circumstances；　produce　the　like　again。　　I　am　one　of　those
people　who　do　not　believe　in　the　natural　decay　of　nations。　　I　believe；
to　speak　frankly；　though　perhaps　not　quite　so　politely　as　I　could
wishbut　I　am　getting　near　the　end　of　my　lecturethat　the　whole
theory　is　a　speculation　invented　by　cowards　to　excuse　knaves。　　My
belief　is；　that　so　far　as　this　old　English　stock　is　concerned　it　has　in
it　as　much　sap　and　vitality　and　power　as　it　had　two　centuries　ago；　and
that；　with　due　pruning　of　rotten　branches；　and　due　hoeing　up　of　weeds；
which　will　grow　about　the　roots；　the　like　products　will　be　yielded
again。　　The　〃weeds〃　to　which　I　refer　are　mainly　three：　　the　first　of
them　is　dishonesty；　the　second　is　sentimentality；　and　the　third　is
luxury。　　If　William　Harvey　had　been　a　dishonest　manI　mean　in　the　high
sense　of　the　worda　man　who　failed　in　the　ideal　of　honestyhe　would
have　believed　what　it　was　easiest　to　believethat　which　he　received　on
the　authority　of　his　predecessors。　　He　would　not　have　felt　that　his
highest　duty　was　to　know　of　his　own　knowledge　that　that　which　he　said
he　believed　was　true；　and　we　should　never　have　had　those
investigations；　pursued　through　good　report　and　evil　report；　which　ended
in　discoveries　so　fraught　with　magnificent　results　for　science　and　for
man。　　If　Harvey　had　been　a　sentimentalistby　which　I　mean　a　person　of
false　pity；　a　person　who　has　not　imagination　enough　to　see　that　great；
distant　evils　may　be　much　worse　than　those　which　we　can　picture　to
ourselves；　because　they　happen　to　be　immediate　and　near　（for　that；　I
take　it；　is　the　essence　of　sentimentalism）if　Harvey　had　been　a　person
of　that　kind；　he；　being　one　of　the　kindest　men　living；　would　never　have
pursued　those　researches　which；　as　he　tells　us　over　and　over　again；　he
was　obliged　to　pursue　in　order　to　the　ascertainment　of　those　facts　which
have　turned　out　to　be　of　such　inestimable　value　to　the　human　race；　and
I　say；　if　on　such　grounds　he　had　failed　to　do　so；　he　would　have　failed
in　his　duty　to　the　human　race。　　The　third　point　is　that　Harvey　was
devoid　of　care　either　for　wealth；　or　for　riches；　or　for　ambition。　　The
man　found　a　higher　ideal　than　any　of　these　things　in　the　pursuit　of
truth　and　the　benefit　of　his　fellow…men。　　If　we　all　go　and　do　likewise；
I　think　there　is　no　fear　for　the　decadence　of　England。　　I　think　that　our
children　and　our　successors　will　find　themselves　in　a　commonwealth；
different　it　may　be　from　that　for　which　Eliott；　and　Pym；　and　Hampden
struggled；　but　one　which　will　be　identical　in　the　substance　of　its
aimsgreat；　worthy；　and　well　to　live　in。







End