Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

walks, made vistas upon the stables and hogsties, and showed his friends that a man of taste should always be doing.

"The next candidate for taste and genius was a captain of a ship, who bought the garden because the former possessor could find nothing more to mend; but unfortunately he had taste too. His great passion lay in building, in making Chinese temples, and cage-work summer-houses. As the place before had an ap pearance of retirement and inspired meditation, he gave it a more peopled air; every turning presented a cottage, or ice-house, or a temple; the improvement was converted into a little city, and it only wanted inhabitants to give it the air of a village in the East Indies.

"In this manner, in less than ten years, the improvement has gone through the hands of as many proprietors, who were all willing to have taste, and to show their taste too. As the place had received its best finishing from the hand of the first possessor, so every innovator only lent a hand to do mischief. Those parts which were obscure, have been enlightened; those walks which led naturally, have been twisted into serpentine windings. The color of the flowers of the field is not more various than the variety of tastes that have been employed here, and all in direct contradiction to the original aim of the first improver. Could the origi nal possessor but revive, with what a sorrowful heart would he look upon his favorite spot again! He would scarcely recollect a dryad or a wood-nymph of his former acquaintance, and might perhaps find himself as much a stranger in his own plantation, as in the deserts of Siberia."

Enry, XXXII.

The following paragraph is one of those gems in English Prose Literature, of which few authors, if any, afford a greater number than Goldsmith. It is in the latter part of a review, as severe as his good-nature would allow, of Barrett's translation of Ovid's Epistles; to be found in the Critical Review of 1759.

ALL CANNOT BE POETS.

But let not the reader imagine we can find pleasure in thus exposing absurdities which are too ludicrous for serious reproof. While we censure as critics, we feel as men, and could sincerely wish that those whose greatest sin is, perhaps, the venial one of writing bad verses, would regard their failure in this respect as we do, not as faults, but foibles: they may be good and useful inembers of society without being poets. The regions of taste can be travelled only by a few, and even those often find indifferent accommodation by the way. Let such as have not got a passport from nature, be content with happiness, and leave to the poet the unrivalled possession of his misery, his garret, and his fam

DAVID HUME. 1711-1776.

DAVID HUME, the celebrated Scotch historian, was born in Edinburgh in 1711. He was designed for the law, but having no inclination for it, he applied himself to mercantile pursuits, and in 1734 became clerk to a house in Bristol. He did not, however, continue long in that line, owing to his strong propensity to literature. He says in his autobiography, "I went over to France with a view of prosecuting my studies in a country retreat, and I then laid that plan of life which I have steadily and successfully pursued. I resolved to make a very rigid frugality supply my deficiency of fortune; to maintain, unimpaired, my independency; and to regard every object as con. temptible except the improvement of my talents in literature."

In 1738 he published his "Treatise of Human Nature," a metaphysical work, which met with a very indifferent reception. In 1742 appeared his "Moral Essays," which were a little better received. During the next ten years he published his "Inquiry concerning Human Understanding," "Political Discourses," and "Inquiry concerning the Principles of Morals." While many of the principles of these works are exceptionable, they are, as composi tions, a model of a perspicuous and a highly finished style. In 1754 he published the first volume of his "History of England," which he commenced with the House of Stuart "The History of the House of Tudor" followed in 1759, and the two volumes containing the earlier English History, which com pleted the work, in 1761. While this work was in progress, he gave to the world his "Natural History of Religion," which was attacked with just se verity by Warburton and Hurd. After enjoying one or two offices of honor and profit, he retired to his native country in 1769, and died in 1776.

As an author, Hume is to be viewed in the three characters of Historian, Political Economist, and Philosopher. "In History he was the first to divert attention from wars, treaties, and successions, to the living progress of the people, in all that increases their civilization and their happiness;" and notwithstanding his "History of England" is disfigured by evident partiality, and lacks in many places that accuracy which is the first requisite in historical compositions, yet, with all the faults of its matter, its purely literary merits are so great, that, as a classical and popular work, it has hitherto encountered no rival.

As a Political Economist, "his triumphs are those which, in the present day, stand forth with the greatest prominence and lustre. In no long time, a hun dred years will have elapsed from the day when Hume told the world, what the legislature of England is now declaring, that national exclusiveness in trade was as foolish as it was wicked; that no nation could profit by stopping the natural flood of commerce between itself and the rest of the world; that commercial restrictions deprive the nations of the earth of that free commu nication and exchange, which the Author of the world has intended by giving them soils, climates, and geniuses, so different from each other;' and that, like the healthy circulation of the blood in living bodies, FREE TRADE is the vital principle by which the nations of the earth are to become united in one harmonious whole."1

As a Philosopher, though acute and ingenious, he is not profound. He was the first to make Utility the foundation of moral obligation, which, as a theory

1 Read-the "Life and Correspondence of David Hume," by John Hill Burton, Esq., 2 vols. 8vg Edinburgh, 1846--a very valuable contribution to the biographical literature of the present century.

is absurd, and can never be a guide to general duty; for none but Omniscience can know what will conduce to general utility; and, therefore, though in many cases it may be a motive, it can never be the ultimate motive for human action. The Will of God is, and ever must be, the only true founda tion of all moral obligation, for the Creator alone can know what is best for his creatures. It is, therefore, from his most defective theory in morals, but more especially from his infidelity, that, in my estimation, Hume hardly deserves the name of a Philosopher, inasmuch as he neglected all search after the highest wisdom-the "wisdom from above;" and exhibited none of that docility upon the subject of religion, which he himself would be the first to require of any one who wished to make attainments in any other science: and most deeply is it to be lamented, that a man of such a mind should not have had, upon his death-bed, the consolations of the Christian religion.1

ON DELICACY OF TASTE.

Nothing is so improving to the temper as the study of the beau ties either of poetry, eloquence, music, or painting. They give a certain elegance of sentiment to which the rest of mankind are strangers. The emotions which they excite are soft and tender. They draw off the mind from the hurry of business and interest; cherish reflection; dispose to tranquillity; and produce an agree able melancholy, which, of all dispositions of the mind, is the best suited to love and friendship.

men.

In the second place, a delicacy of taste is favorable to love and friendship, by confining our choice to few people, and making us indifferent to the company and conversation of the greater part of You will seldom find that mere men of the world, whatever strong sense they may be endowed with, are very nice in distinguishing characters, or in marking those insensible differ ences and gradations which make one man preferable to another. Any one that has competent sense is sufficient for their entertainment: they talk to him of their pleasure and affairs with the same frankness that they would to another; and finding many who are fit to supply his place, they never feel any vacancy or want in his absence. But, to make use of the allusion of a celebrated French author, the judgment may be compared to a clock or watch where the most ordinary machine is sufficient to tell the hours, but the most elaborate alone can point out the minutes and seconds, and distinguish the smallest differences of time. One that has well digested his knowledge, both of books and men, has little enjoyment but in the company of a few select companions.

1 "I mentioned to Dr. Johnson that David Hume's persisting in his infidelity when he was dying shocked me much." JOHNSON. "Why should it shock you, sir? Hume owned he had never read the New Testament with attention. Here, then, was a man who had been at no pains to inquire Into the truth of religion, and had continually turned his mind the other way. It was not to be ex pected the prospect of death would alter his way of thinking, unless God should send an angel to set him right. He had a vanity in being thought easy." Croker's Boswell, 8vo, p. 545. See also, re arks upon Hume's deisn. at pp $8, 151, and 174 of the same book.

[ocr errors]

He feels too sensibly how much all the rest of mankind fall short of the notions which he has entertained; and his affections being thus confined within a narrow circle, no wonder he carries them further than if they were more general and undistinguished. The gayety and frolic of a bottle companion improves with him into a solid friendship; and the ardors of a youthful appetite become an elegant passion.

ON SIMPLICITY AND REFINEMENT.

It is a certain rule that wit and passion are entirely incompatible. When the affections are moved, there is no place for the imagination. The mind of man being naturally limited, it is impossible that all its faculties can operate at once; and the more any one predominates, the less room is there for the others to exert their vigor. For this reason a greater degree of simplicity is required in all compositions where men, and actions, and passions. are painted, than in such as consist of reflections and observations. And, as the former species of writing is the more engaging and beautiful, one may safely, upon this account, give the preference to the extreme of simplicity above that of refinement.

We may also observe, that those compositions which we read the oftenest, and which every man of taste has got by heart, have the recommendation of simplicity, and have nothing surprising in the thought when divested of that elegance of expression and harmony of numbers with which it is clothed. If the merit of the composition lie in a point of wit, it may strike at first; but the mind anticipates the thought in the second perusal, and is no longer affected by it. When I read an epigram of Martial, the first line recalls the whole; and I have no pleasure in repeating to myself what I know already. But each line, each word in Catullus, has its merit; and I am never tired with the perusal of him. It is sufficient to run over Cowley once; but Parnell, after the fiftieth reading, is as fresh as the first. Besides, it is with books as with women, where a certain plainness of manner and of dress is more engaging than that glare of paint, and airs, and apparel, which may dazzle the eye, but reaches not the affections. Terence is a modest and bashful beauty, to whom we grant every thing, because he assumes nothing; and whose purity and nature make a durable though not a violent impression on us.

ON THE MIDDLE STATION OF LIFE.

The moral of the following fable will easily discover itself without my explaining it. One rivulet meeting another, with whom he had been long united in strictest amity, with noisy haughtiness and disdain thus bespoke him:-"What, brother! still in the

same state! Still low and creeping! Are you not ashamed when you behold me, who, though lately in a like condition with you, am now become a great river, and shall shortly be able rival the Danube or the Rhine, provided those friendly rains continue which have favored my banks, but neglected yours!" "Very true," replies the humble rivulet, "you are now, indeed, swollen to a great size; but methinks you are become withal some what turbulent and muddy. I am contented with my low condi tion and my purity."

Instead of commenting upon this fable, I shall take occasion from it to compare the different stations of life, and to persuade such of my readers as are placed in the middle station to be satisfied with it, as the most eligible of all others. These form the most numerous rank of men that can be supposed susceptible of philosophy, and therefore all discourses of morality ought princi pally to be addressed to them. The great are too much immersed in pleasure, and the poor too much occupied in providing for the necessities of life, to hearken to the calm voice of reason. The middle station, as it is most happy in many respects, so particu larly in this, that a man placed in it can, with the greatest leisure, consider his own happiness, and reap a new enjoyment, from comparing his situation with that of persons above or below him.

Agur's prayer is sufficiently noted-"Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny thee, and say, who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." The middle station is here justly recom mended, as affording the fullest security for virtue; and I may also add, that it gives opportunity for the most ample exercise of it, and furnishes employment for every good quality which we can possibly be possessed of. Those who are placed among the lower ranks of men have little opportunity of exerting any other virtue besides those of patience, resignation, industry, and integrity. Those who are advanced into the higher stations, have full employment for their generosity, humanity, affability, and charity. When a man lies betwixt these two extremes, he can exert the former virtues towards his superiors, and the latter towards his inferiors. Every moral quality which the human soul Is susceptible of, may have its turn, and be called up to action; and a man may, after this manner, be much more certain of his progress in virtue, than where his good qualities lie dormant and without employment.

But there is another virtue that seems principally to lie among equals; and is, for that reason, chiefly calculated for the middle station of life. This virtue is friendship. I believe most men of

t

« AnteriorContinuar »