NUMB. 151. TUESDAY, August 27, 1751. ̓Αμφὶ δ ̓ ἀνθρώ των φρεσὶν αμπλακίαι τα φέρτατον ἀνδρὶ τυχεῖν. PIND. But wrapt in error is the human mind, TH WEST. HE writers of medicine and physiology have traced, with great appearance of accuracy, the effects of time upon the human body, by marking the various periods of the constitution, and the several stages by which animal life makes its progrefs from infancy to decrepitude. Though their obfervations have not enabled them to discover how manhood may be accelerated, or old age retarded, yet furely, if they be confidered only as the amusements of curiofity, they are of equal importance with conjectures on things more remote, with catalogues of the fixed ftars, and calculations of the bulk of planets. It had been a task worthy of the moral philofo phers to have confidered with equal care the climactericks of the mind; to have pointed out the time at which every paffion begins and ceafes to predominate, and noted the regular variations of defire, and the fucceffion of one appetite to another. The periods of mental change are not to be stated with equal certainty: our bodies grow up under the care of nature, and depend fo little on our own management, that fomething more than negligence is neceffary to difcompofe their ftructure, or impede their vigour. But our minds are committed in a great measure first to the direction of others, and afterwards of ourselves. It would be difficult to protract the weakness of infancy beyond the usual time, but the mind may be very eafily hindered from its fhare of improvement, and the bulk and strength of manhood muft, without the affistance of education and inftruction, be informed only with the understanding of a child. Yet amidst all the diforder and inequality which variety of difcipline, example, converfation, and employment produce in the intellectual advances of different men, there is still discovered by a vigilant fpectator, fuch a general and remote fimilitude, as may be expected in the fame common nature affected by external circumstances indefinitely varied. We all enter the world in equal ignorance, gaze round about us on the fame objects, and have our first pains and pleasures, our first hopes and fears, our first averfions and defires, from the fame caufes; and though, as we proceed farther, life opens wider profpects to our view, and accidental impulfes determine us to different paths, yet as every mind, however vigorous or abstracted, is neceffitated, in its prefent ftate of union, to receive its informations, and execute its purposes, by the intervention of the body, the uniformity of our corporeal nature communicates itself to our intellectual operations; and thofe those whose abilities or knowledge incline them most to deviate from the general round of life, are recalled from excentricity by the laws of their exist ence. If we confider the exercises of the mind, it will be found that in each part of life fome particular faculty is more eminently employed. When the treasures of knowledge are firft opened before us, while novelty blooms alike on either hand, and every thing equally unknown and unexamined feems of equal value, the power of the foul is principally exerted in a vivacious and defultory curiofity. She applies by turns to every object, enjoys it for a short time, and flies with equal ardour to another. She delights to catch up loose and unconnected ideas, but starts away from fyftems and complications which would obftruct the rapidity of her tranfitions, and detain her long in the fame purfuit. When a number of diftinct images are collected by these erratick and hafty surveys, the fancy is bufied in arranging them; and combines them into pleafing pictures with more resemblance to the realities of life as experience advances, and new observations rectify the former. While the judgment is yet uninformed and unable to compare the draughts of fiction with their originals, we are delighted with improbable adventures, impracticable virtues, and inimitable characters: But in proportion as we have more opportunities of acquainting ourselves with living nature, we are fooner difgufted with copies. in which there appears no refemblance. We first discard abfurdity and impoffibility, then exact greater and greater degrees of probability, but at last become VOL. VII. F cold cold and infenfible to the charms of falfehood, however fpecious, and from the imitations of truth, which are never perfect, transfer our affection to truth itfelf. Now commences the reign of judgment or reafon; we begin to find little pleasure but in comparing arguments, ftating propofitions, difentangling perplexities, clearing ambiguities, and deducing confequences. The painted vales of imagination are deferted, and our intellectual activity is exercised in winding through the labyrinths of fallacy, and toiling with firm and cautious fteps up the narrow tracks of demonftration. Whatever may lull vigilance, or mislead attention, is contemptuously rejected, and every difguife in which error may be concealed, is carefully obferved, till by degrees a certain number of incontestable or unfufpected propofitions are established, and at last concatenated into arguments, or compacted into systems. At length wearinefs fucceeds to labour, and the mind lies at ease in the contemplation of her own attainments, without any defire of new conquefts or excurfions. This is the age of recollection and narrative; the opinions are fettled, and the avenues of apprehenfion shut against any new intelligence; the days that are to follow must pass in the inculcation of precepts already collected, and affertion of tenets already received; nothing is henceforward fo odious as oppofition, fo infolent as doubt, or fo dangerous as novelty. In like manner the paffions ufurp the separate command of the fucceffive periods of life. To the happiness of our first years nothing more feems ne ceffary than freedom from restraint: Every man may remember that if he was left to himself, and indulged in the disposal of his own time, he was once content without the fuperaddition of any actual pleasure. The new world is itself a banquet; and till we have exhausted the freshness of life, we have always about us fufficient gratifications: the funshine quickens us to play, and the fhade invites us to fleep. But we foon become unfatisfied with negative felicity, and are folicited by our fenfes and appetites to more powerful delights, as the taste of him who has fatisfied his hunger must be excited by artificial ftimulations. The fimplicity of natural amusement is now past, and art and contrivance must improve our pleasures; but in time, art, like nature, is exhaufted, and the fenfes can no longer fupply the cravings of the intellect. The attention is then transferred from pleasure to intereft, in which pleasure is perhaps included, though diffused to a wider extent, and protracted through new gradations. Nothing now dances before the eyes but wealth and power, nor rings in the ear but the voice of fame; wealth, to which, however variously denominated, every man at some time or other aspires; power, which all wish to obtain within their circle of action; and fame, which no man, however high or mean, however wife or ignorant, was yet able to defpife. Now prudence and forefight exert their influence: No hour is devoted wholly to any present enjoyment, no act or purpose terminates in itself, but every motion is referred to fome diftant end; the accomplishment of one defign F 2 |