登陆注册
5362600000463

第463章

Aristarchus said that anciently there were scarce seven sages to be found in the world, and in his time scarce so many fools: have not we more reason than he to say so in this age of ours? Affirmation and obstinacy are express signs of want of wit. This fellow may have knocked his nose against the ground a hundred times in a day, yet he will be at his Ergo's as resolute and sturdy as before. You would say he had had some new soul and vigour of understanding infused into him since, and that it happened to him, as to that ancient son of the earth, who took fresh courage and vigour by his fall;

"Cui cum tetigere parentem, jam defecta vigent renovata robore membra:"

["Whose broken limbs, when they touched his mother earth, immediately new force acquired."--Lucan, iv. 599.] does not this incorrigible coxcomb think that he assumes a new understanding by undertaking a new dispute? 'Tis by my own experience that I accuse human ignorance, which is, in my opinion, the surest part of the world's school. Such as will not conclude it in themselves, by so vain an example as mine, or their own, let them believe it from Socrates, the master of masters; for the philosopher Antisthenes said to his disciples, "Let us go and hear Socrates; there I will be a pupil with you"; and, maintaining this doctrine of the Stoic sect, "that virtue was sufficient to make a life completely happy, having no need of any other thing whatever"; except of the force of Socrates, added he.

That long attention that I employ in considering myself, also fits rile to judge tolerably enough of others; and there are few things whereof I speak better and with better excuse. I happen very often more exactly to see and distinguish the qualities of my friends than they do themselves:

I have astonished some with the pertinence of my description, and have given them warning of themselves. By having from my infancy been accustomed to contemplate my own life in those of others, I have acquired a complexion studious in that particular; and when I am once interit upon it, I let few things about me, whether countenances, humours, or discourses, that serve to that purpose, escape me. I study all, both what I am to avoid and what I am to follow. Also in my friends, I discover by their productions their inward inclinations; not by arranging this infinite variety of so diverse and unconnected actions into certain species and chapters, and distinctly distributing my parcels and divisions under known heads and classes;

"Sed neque quam multae species, nec nomina quae sint, Est numerus."

["But neither can we enumerate how many kinds there what are their names."--Virgil, Georg., ii. 103.]

The wise speak and deliver their fancies more specifically, and piece by piece; I, who see no further into things than as use informs me, present mine generally without rule and experimentally: I pronounce my opinion by disjointed articles, as a thing that cannot be spoken at once and in gross; relation and conformity are not to be found in such low and common souls as ours. Wisdom is a solid and entire building, of which every piece keeps its place and bears its mark:

"Sola sapientia in se tota conversa est."

["Wisdom only is wholly within itself"--Cicero, De Fin., iii. 7.]

I leave it to artists, and I know not whether or no they will be able to bring it about, in so perplexed, minute, and fortuitous a thing, to marshal into distinct bodies this infinite diversity of faces, to settle our inconstancy, and set it in order. I do not only find it hard to piece our actions to one another, but I moreover find it hard properly to design each by itself by any principal quality, so ambiguous and variform they are with diverse lights. That which is remarked for rare in Perseus, king of Macedon, "that his mind, fixing itself to no one condition, wandered in all sorts of living, and represented manners so wild and erratic that it was neither known to himself or any other what kind of man he was," seems almost to fit all the world; and, especially, I have seen another of his make, to whom I think this conclusion might more properly be applied; no moderate settledness, still running headlong from one extreme to another, upon occasions not to be guessed at; no line of path without traverse and wonderful contrariety: no one quality simple and unmixed; so that the best guess men can one day make will be, that he affected and studied to make himself known by being not to be known. A man had need have sound ears to hear himself frankly criticised; and as there are few who can endure to hear it without being nettled, those who hazard the undertaking it to us manifest a singular effect of friendship; for 'tis to love sincerely indeed, to venture to wound and offend us, for our own good. I think it harsh to judge a man whose ill qualities are more than his good ones: Plato requires three things in him who will examine the soul of another: knowledge, benevolence, boldness.

I was sometimes asked, what I should have thought myself fit for, had any one designed to make use of me, while I was of suitable years:

"Dum melior vires sanguis dabat, aemula necdum Temporibus geminis canebat sparsa senectus:"

["Whilst better blood gave me vigour, and before envious old age whitened and thinned my temples."--AEneid, V. 415.]

同类推荐
  • 困学斋杂录

    困学斋杂录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三国演义白话文

    三国演义白话文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYCH

    THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYCH

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 余墨偶谈

    余墨偶谈

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 家政须知

    家政须知

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 俳谐文辑佚

    俳谐文辑佚

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 萌宝叛变:妈咪一个亿

    萌宝叛变:妈咪一个亿

    一场意外,她失去了她的老大,临死前老大让她要好好照顾一个男人,当晚她躲避追杀终于找到了那个男人,却稀里糊涂被他睡了……再次归来已是六年后——“妈咪,我已经给你找好了工作,是我爹地的公司”某只小糯米团子笑的一脸无害……
  • 帝少强势宠:娇妻,休想逃

    帝少强势宠:娇妻,休想逃

    “乖,吃太多肚子要吃坏的。”男人一脸宠溺地拿走她藏在怀里的螃蟹。被继母白莲花妹妹算计,夏知晚转身就随便找了一个男人结婚。婚前,老公坐轮椅没钱没地位,婚后,老公健步如飞开豪车住顶级别墅,连他家的狗都被人争着抢着拍马屁。某日,收礼物收到手软的夏知晚终于爆发了,“帝夜冥,你这个骗财骗色的大骗子。”送礼物的某人却一脸无辜淡定:“晚晚,我的财我的色都是你的。”【宠文,超甜,双洁1V1】
  • 舞之邪

    舞之邪

    俗话说“雷不劈好人。”下面这位人物不知道算不算是特殊的。女大学生林晓舞为赴帅哥约会,顶着下雨之天出去了,本想来个浪漫的约会,可惜老天不给面子,惊雷一声,我们还没来得及和帅哥好好说句话的林晓舞,竟然被雷给华丽丽的劈死了,醒来后,发现自己重生于一个未知的时空。而且自己还变成了一个婴儿,林晓舞很是郁闷,自己可是绝对的乖宝宝,怎么会遭雷劈?怎么会呢?好吧,有时候是有点小坏,呜呜......可是也不至于遭雷劈吧,我不就是花痴一点吗?我不就是没事整整我那个后妈吗?我不就是逃逃课吗?我不就是看不过眼的时候,适当的伸张一下“正义”吗?至于被雷劈吗?算了甩甩眼泪,就勉强活一下吧。想知道重生后的,林晓舞是怎样勉强活一下的吗?还等什么?快点击《舞之邪》吧。
  • 春风,晴空,不及你

    春风,晴空,不及你

    凌一墨,A市叱咤风云的人物,阴错阳差将夜总会的小姐错认为自己失散多年的妹妹。从此,他便成为名副其实的宠妹狂魔。只是,一场意外,让他知道这个“妹妹”竟然是冒牌货,而且自己的妹妹也是为了这个“假妹妹”而死。从此,凌一墨发誓,要将给她的宠爱全部收回,并且要让她尝到欺骗自己的下场。只是这场仇恨的厮杀中,伤的遍体鳞伤的不止是她,还有他……
  • 超级玩家II

    超级玩家II

    这是一个把电影和游戏相结合的游戏……和欧阳峰癫狂东成西就……与周淮安闯新龙门客栈……和令狐冲演绎笑傲江湖……陪小马哥展现英雄本色……相约华弟交织天若有情……和陈家驹打造警察故事……与朱华标联袂怒火街头……跟周星星玩转逃学威龙……陪程蝶衣伤怀霸王别姬……催促阿甘奔跑阿甘正传……助辛德勒完善救赎名单……陪安妮公主游罗马假日……与擎天柱怒战变形金刚……携手麦考利激斗盗火线……和麦卡伦上演虎胆龙威……
  • 名门掠婚:抢来的新娘

    名门掠婚:抢来的新娘

    他是黑暗中的王者,审视着她:“我给过你机会逃走了。”两年前一场交易,她以为只有她丢了心。再次相遇,她已经成为了他兄弟的女人。于是,巧取豪夺、阴谋诡计,她注定只能是他的女人!“女人,你难道忘了,你曾经答应陪我一生一世。”“对不起,慕先生,我要结婚了,请滚开!”
  • 魔倾天下千年等待

    魔倾天下千年等待

    千年的回眸换回的是什么,是擦肩而过,还是再续前缘……“我与魔教并不相熟。”“无碍。”“教主与我可是有何纠葛?”“并无。”“如此,还请教主留情。”“……好。”你可知,教主回眸时那滴泪水?你可知,千年前那位痴心的教主?你……还记得吗?是忘了吧……
  • 扶桑

    扶桑

    父亲走了好久之后,母亲才和我说起她,婉西,那个叶片般的女孩儿。母亲说,你见过她的,在你父亲的葬礼上。我父亲的葬礼上?我说,并没往心里去。但我很快发现了母亲的异样。母亲坐在与我同一张沙发上,因为说话,她下意识侧着身;因为紧张或者别的什么,她坐得很虚,半边屁股挂在沙发上,另一半则悬着,胸口的事胀起来,一直撑到了嗓子眼,让她的脖子伸上去,仿佛整个人挂在了半空中。
  • 娶个山村女尸做老婆

    娶个山村女尸做老婆

    爷爷在坟圈子捡到了我,说我命数邪,我不信邪。但某次进山,却冲撞了一座大坟,青石墓碑前,一个身穿红裙的漂亮妹纸,死活要嫁给我……