thoughts on man-第58部分

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＇41＇　See　above；　Essay　II。


Certainly　many　of　Gall's　organs　are　a　libel　upon　our　common　nature。　　And；　though　a　scrupulous　and　exact　philosopher　will　perhaps　confess　that　he　has　little　distinct　knowledge　as　to　the　design　with　which　〃the　earth　and　all　that　is　therein〃　were　made；　yet　he　finds　in　it　so　much　of　beauty　and　beneficent　tendency；　as　will　make　him　extremely　reluctant　to　believe　that　some　men　are　born　with　a　decided　propensity　to　rob；　and　others　to　murder。　　Nor　can　any　thing　be　more　ludicrous　than　this　author's　distinction　of　the　different　organs　of　memoryof　things；　of　places；　of　names；　of　language；　and　of　numbers：　　organs；　which　must　be　conceived　to　be　given　in　the　first　instance　long　before　names　or　language　or　numbers　had　an　existence。　　The　followers　of　Gall　have　in　a　few　instances　corrected　this：　　but　what　their　denominations　have　gained　in　avoiding　the　grossest　absurdities　of　their　master；　they　have　certainly　lost　in　explicitness　and　perspicuity。

There　is　a　distinction；　not　unworthy　to　be　attended　to；　that　is　here　to　be　made　between　Lavater's　system　of　physiognomy；　and　Gall's　of　craniology；　which　is　much　in　favour　of　the　former。　　The　lines　and　characteristic　expressions　of　the　face　which　may　so　frequently　be　observed；　are　for　the　most　part　the　creatures　of　the　mind。　　This　is　in　the　first　place　a　mode　of　observation　more　agreeable　to　the　pride　and　conscious　elevation　of　man；　and　is　in　the　next　place　more　suitable　to　morality；　and　the　vindication　of　all　that　is　most　admirable　in　the　system　of　the　universe。　　It　is　just；　that　what　is　most　frequently　passing　in　the　mind；　and　is　entertained　there　with　the　greatest　favour；　should　leave　its　traces　upon　the　countenance。　　It　is　thus　that　the　high　and　exalted　philosopher；　the　poet；　and　the　man　of　benevolence　and　humanity　are　sometimes　seen　to　be　such　by　the　bystander　and　the　stranger。　　While　the　malevolent；　the　trickish；　and　the　grossly　sensual；　give　notice　of　what　they　are　by　the　cast　of　their　features；　and　put　their　fellow…creatures　upon　their　guard；　that　they　may　not　be　made　the　prey　of　these　vices。

But　the　march　of　craniology　or　phrenology；　by　whatever　name　it　is　called；　is　directly　the　reverse　of　this。　　It　assigns　to　us　organs；　as　far　as　the　thing　is　explained　by　the　professors　either　to　the　public　or　to　their　own　minds；　which　are　entailed　upon　us　from　our　birth；　and　which　are　altogether　independent；　or　nearly　so；　of　any　discipline　or　volition　that　can　be　exercised　by　or　upon　the　individual　who　drags　their　intolerable　chain。　　Thus　I　am　told　of　one　individual　that　he　wants　the　organ　of　colour；　and　all　the　culture　in　the　world　can　never　supply　that　defect；　and　enable　him　to　see　colour　at　all；　or　to　see　it　as　it　is　seen　by　the　rest　of　mankind。　　Another　wants　the　organ　of　benevolence；　and　his　case　is　equally　hopeless。　　I　shrink　from　considering　the　condition　of　the　wretch；　to　whom　nature　has　supplied　the　organs　of　theft　and　murder　in　full　and　ample　proportions。　　The　case　is　like　that　of　astrology

　　　　　（Their　stars　are　more　in　fault　than　they）；

with　this　aggravation；　that　our　stars；　so　far　as　the　faculty　of　prediction　had　been　supposed　to　be　attained；　swayed　in　few　things；　but　craniology　climbs　at　once　to　universal　empire；　and　in　her　map；　as　I　have　said；　there　are　no　vacant　places；　no　unexplored　regions　and　happy　wide…extended　deserts。

It　is　all　a　system　of　fatalism。　　Independently　of　ourselves；　and　far　beyond　our　control；　we　are　reserved　for　good　or　for　evil　by　the　predestinating　spirit　that　reigns　over　all　things。　　Unhappy　is　the　individual　who　enters　himself　in　this　school。　　He　has　no　consolation；　except　the　gratified　wish　to　know　distressing　truths；　unless　we　add　to　this　the　pride　of　science；　that　he　has　by　his　own　skill　and　application　purchased　for　himself　the　discernment　which　places　him　in　so　painful　a　preeminence。　　The　great　triumph　of　man　is　in　the　power　of　education；　to　improve　his　intellect；　to　sharpen　his　perceptions；　and　to　regulate　and　modify　his　moral　qualities。　　But　craniology　reduces　this　to　almost　nothing；　and　exhibits　us　for　the　most　part　as　the　helpless　victims　of　a　blind　and　remorseless　destiny。

In　the　mean　time　it　is　happy　for　us；　that；　as　this　system　is　perhaps　the　most　rigorous　and　degrading　that　was　ever　devised；　so　it　is　in　almost　all　instances　founded　upon　arbitrary　assumptions　and　confident　assertion；　totally　in　opposition　to　the　true　spirit　of　patient　and　laborious　investigation　and　sound　philosophy。

It　is　in　reality　very　little　that　we　know　of　the　genuine　characters　of　men。　　Every　human　creature　is　a　mystery　to　his　fellow。　　Every　human　character　is　made　up　of　incongruities。　　Of　nearly　all　the　great　personages　in　history　it　is　difficult　to　say　what　was　decidedly　the　motive　in　which　their　actions　and　system　of　conduct　originated。　　We　study　what　they　did；　and　what　they　said；　but　in　vain。　　We　never　arrive　at　a　full　and　demonstrative　conclusion。　　In　reality　no　man　can　be　certainly　said　to　know　himself。　〃The　heart　of　man　is　deceitful　above　all　things。〃

But　these　dogmatists　overlook　all　those　difficulties；　which　would　persuade　a　wise　man　to　suspend　his　judgment；　and　induce　a　jury　of　philosophers　to　hesitate　for　ever　as　to　the　verdict　they　would　pronounce。　　They　look　only　at　the　external　character　of　the　act　by　which　a　man　honours　or　disgraces　himself。　　They　decide　presumptuously　and　in　a　lump；　This　man　is　a　murderer；　a　hero；　a　coward；　the　slave　of　avarice；　or　the　votary　of　philanthropy；　and　then；　surveying　the　outside　of　his　head；　undertake　to　find　in　him　the　configuration　that　should　indicate　these　dispositions；　and　must　be　found　in　all　persons　of　a　similar　character；　or　rather　whose　acts　bear　the　same　outward　form；　and　seem　analogous　to　his。

Till　we　have　discovered　the　clue　that　should　enable　us　to　unravel　the　labyrinth　of　the　human　mind；　it　is　with　small　hopes　of　success　that　we　should　expect　to　settle　the　external　indications；　and　decide　that　this　sort　of　form　and　appearance；　and　that　class　of　character；　will　always　be　found　together。

But　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at；　that　these　disorderly　fragments　of　a　shapeless　science　should　become　the　special　favourites　of　the　idle　and　the　arrogant。　　Every　man　（and　every　woman）；　however　destitute　of　real　instruction；　and　unfitted　for　the　investigation　of　the　deep　or　the　sublime　mysteries　of　our　nature；　can　use　his　eyes　and　his　hands。　　The　whole　boundless　congregation　of　mankind；　with　its　everlasting　varieties；　is　thus　at　once　subjected　to　the　sentence　of　every　pretender：

　　　　　And　fools　rush　in；　where　angels　fear　to　tread。

Nothing　is　more　delightful　to　the　headlong　and　presumptuous；　than　thus　to　sit　in　judgment　on　their　betters；　and　pronounce　ex　cathedra　on　those；　〃whose　shoe…latchet　they　are　not　worthy　to　stoop　down　and　unloose。〃　　I　remember；　after　lord　George　Gordon's　riots；　eleven　persons　accused　were　set　down　in　one　indictment　for　their　lives；　and　given　in　charge　to　one　jury。　　But　this　is　a　mere　shadow；　a　nothing；　compared　with　the　wholesale　and　indiscriminating　judgment　of　the　vulgar　phrenologist。



ESSAY　XXI。　OF　ASTRONOMY。

SECTION　I。

It　can　scarcely　be　imputed　to　me　as　profane；　if　I　venture　to　put　down　a　few　sceptical　doubts　on　the　science　of　astronomy。　　All　branches　of　knowledge　are　to　be　considered　as　fair　subjects　of　enquiry：　　and　he　that　has　never　doubted；　may　be　said；　in　the　highest　and　strictest　sense　of　the　word；　never　to　have　believed。

The　first　volume　that　furnished　to　me　the　groundwork　of　the　following　doubts；　was　the　book　commonly　known　by　the　name　of　Guthrie's　Geographical　Grammar；　many　parts　and　passages　of　which　engaged　my　attention　in　my　own　study；　in　the　house　of　a　rural　schoolmaster；　in　the　year　1772。　　I　cannot　therefore　proceed　more　fairly　than　by　giving　here　an　extract　of　certain　passages　in　that　book；　which　have　relation　to　the　present　subject。　　I　know　not　how　far　they　have　been　altered　in　the　edition　of　Guthrie　which　now　lies　before　me；　from　the　language　of　the　book　then　in　my　possession；　but　I　feel　confident　that　in　the　main　particulars　they　continue　the　same＇42＇。

＇42＇　The　article　Astronomy；　in　this　book；　appears　to　have　been　written　by　the　well　known　James　Ferguson。


〃In　passing　rapidly　over　the　heavens　with　his　new　telescope；　the　universe　increased　under　the　eye　of　Herschel；　44；000　stars；　seen　in　the　space　of　a　few　degrees；　seemed　to　indicate　that　there　were　seventy…five　millions　in　the　heavens。　　But　what　are　all　these；　when　compared　with　those　that　fill　the　whole　expanse；　the　boundless　field　of　aether？

〃The　immense　distance　of　the　fixed　stars　from　our　earth；　and　from　each　other；　is　of　all　considerations　the　most　proper　for　raising　our　ideas　of　the　works　of　God。　　Modern　discoveries　make　it　probable　that　each　of　these　stars　is　a　sun；　having　planets　and　comets　revolving　round　it；　as　our　sun　has　the　earth　and　other　planets　revolving　round　him。A　ray　of　light；　though　its　motion　is　so　quick　as　to　be　commonly　thought　instantaneous；　takes　up　more　time　in　travelling　from　the　stars　to　us；　than　we　do　in　making　a　West…India　voyage。　　A　sound；　which；　next　to　light；　is　considered　as　the　quickest　body　we　are　acquainted　with；　would　not　arrive　to　us　from　thence　in　50；000　years。　　And　a　cannon…ball；　flying　at　the　rate　of　480　miles　an　hour；　would　not　r