第14章
加入书架 A- A+

  buttoolongspeechestotheEphori,whenhesaid:\"Ostranger!thouspeakestthethingsthoushouldstspeak,butnotasthoushouldstspeakthem。\"——[Plutarch,ApothegmsoftheLacedamonians。]——Suchashaveleanandsparebodiesstuffthemselvesoutwithclothes;sotheywhoaredefectiveinmatterendeavourtomakeamendswithwords。

  Humanunderstandingismarvellouslyenlightenedbydailyconversationwithmen,forweare,otherwise,compressedandheapedupinourselves,andhaveoursightlimitedtothelengthofourownnoses。OneaskingSocratesofwhatcountryhewas,hedidnotmakeanswer,ofAthens,butoftheworld;——[Cicero,Tusc。Quaes。,v。37;Plutarch,OnExile,c。4。]——

  hewhoseimaginationwasfullerandwider,embracedthewholeworldforhiscountry,andextendedhissocietyandfriendshiptoallmankind;

  notaswedo,wholooknofurtherthanourfeet。Whenthevinesofmyvillagearenippedwiththefrost,myparishpriestpresentlyconcludes,thattheindignationofGodhasgoneoutagainstallthehumanrace,andthatthecannibalshavealreadygotthepip。Whoisitthat,seeingthehavocofthesecivilwarsofours,doesnotcryout,thatthemachineoftheworldisneardissolution,andthatthedayofjudgmentisathand;

  withoutconsidering,thatmanyworsethingshavebeenseen,andthatinthemeantime,peopleareverymerryinathousandotherpartsoftheearthforallthis?Formypart,consideringthelicenceandimpunitythatalwaysattendsuchcommotions,Iwondertheyaresomoderate,andthatthereisnomoremischiefdone。Tohimwhofeelsthehailstonespatterabouthisears,thewholehemisphereappearstobeinstormandtempest;liketheridiculousSavoyard,whosaidverygravely,thatifthatsimplekingofFrancecouldhavemanagedhisfortuneasheshouldhavedone,hemightintimehavecometohavebeenstewardofthehouseholdtothedukehismaster:thefellowcouldnot,inhisshallowimagination,conceivethattherecouldbeanythinggreaterthanaDukeofSavoy。And,intruth,weareallofus,insensibly,inthiserror,anerrorofaverygreatweightandveryperniciousconsequence。Butwhoevershallrepresenttohisfancy,asinapicture,thatgreatimageofourmothernature,inherfullmajestyandlustre,whoeverinherfaceshallreadsogeneralandsoconstantavariety,whoevershallobservehimselfinthatfigure,andnothimselfbutawholekingdom,nobiggerthantheleasttouchorprickofapencilincomparisonofthewhole,thatmanaloneisabletovaluethingsaccordingtotheirtrueestimateandgrandeur。

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