第 3 节
作者:疯狂热线      更新:2021-02-20 18:03      字数:9322
  Aristotelian; that his most usual thesis was: 〃That the touchstone and
  square of all solid imagination; and of all truth; was an absolute
  conformity to Aristotle's doctrine; and that all besides was nothing but
  inanity and chimera; for that he had seen all; and said all。〃 A position;
  that for having been a little too injuriously and broadly interpreted;
  brought him once and long kept him in great danger of the Inquisition at
  Rome。
  Let him make him examine and thoroughly sift everything he reads; and
  lodge nothing in his fancy upon simple authority and upon trust。
  Aristotle's principles will then be no more principles to him; than those
  of Epicurus and the Stoics: let this diversity of opinions be propounded
  to; and laid before him; he will himself choose; if he be able; if not;
  he will remain in doubt。
  〃Che non men the saver; dubbiar m' aggrata。〃
  '〃I love to doubt; as well as to know。〃Dante; Inferno; xi。 93'
  for; if he embrace the opinions of Xenophon and Plato; by his own reason;
  they will no more be theirs; but become his own。  Who follows another;
  follows nothing; finds nothing; nay; is inquisitive after nothing。
  〃Non sumus sub rege; sibi quisque se vindicet。〃
  '〃We are under no king; let each vindicate himself。〃
  Seneca; Ep。;33'
  Let him; at least; know that he knows。  It will be necessary that he
  imbibe their knowledge; not that he be corrupted with their precepts;
  and no matter if he forget where he had his learning; provided he know
  how to apply it to his own use。  Truth and reason are common to every
  one; and are no more his who spake them first; than his who speaks them
  after: 'tis no more according to Plato; than according to me; since both
  he and I equally see and understand them。  Bees cull their several sweets
  from this flower and that blossom; here and there where they find them;
  but themselves afterwards make the honey; which is all and purely their
  own; and no more thyme and marjoram: so the several fragments he borrows
  from others; he will transform and shuffle together to compile a work
  that shall be absolutely his own; that is to say; his judgment:
  his instruction; labour and study; tend to nothing else but to form that。
  He is not obliged to discover whence he got the materials that have
  assisted him; but only to produce what he has himself done with them。
  Men that live upon pillage and borrowing; expose their purchases and
  buildings to every one's view: but do not proclaim how they came by the
  money。  We do not see the fees and perquisites of a gentleman of the long
  robe; but we see the alliances wherewith he fortifies himself and his
  family; and the titles and honours he has obtained for him and his。  No
  man divulges his revenue; or; at least; which way it comes in but every
  one publishes his acquisitions。  The advantages of our study are to
  become better and more wise。  'Tis; says Epicharmus; the understanding
  that sees and hears; 'tis the understanding that improves everything;
  that orders everything; and that acts; rules; and reigns: all other
  faculties are blind; and deaf; and without soul。  And certainly we render
  it timorous and servile; in not allowing it the liberty and privilege to
  do anything of itself。  Whoever asked his pupil what he thought of
  grammar and rhetoric; or of such and such a sentence of Cicero?  Our
  masters stick them; full feathered; in our memories; and there establish
  them like oracles; of which the letters and syllables are of the
  substance of the thing。  To know by rote; is no knowledge; and signifies
  no more but only to retain what one has intrusted to our memory。  That
  which a man rightly knows and understands; he is the free disposer of at
  his own full liberty; without any regard to the author from whence he had
  it; or fumbling over the leaves of his book。  A mere bookish learning is
  a poor; paltry learning; it may serve for ornament; but there is yet no
  foundation for any superstructure to be built upon it; according to the
  opinion of Plato; who says; that constancy; faith; and sincerity; are the
  true philosophy; and the other sciences; that are directed to other ends;
  mere adulterate paint。  I could wish that Paluel or Pompey; those two
  noted dancers of my time; could have taught us to cut capers; by only
  seeing them do it; without stirring from our places; as these men pretend
  to inform the understanding without ever setting it to work; or that we
  could learn to ride; handle a pike; touch a lute; or sing without the
  trouble of practice; as these attempt to make us judge and speak well;
  without exercising us in judging or speaking。  Now in this initiation of
  our studies in their progress; whatsoever presents itself before us is
  book sufficient; a roguish trick of a page; a sottish mistake of a
  servant; a jest at the table; are so many new subjects。
  And for this reason; conversation with men is of very great use and
  travel into foreign countries; not to bring back (as most of our young
  monsieurs do) an account only of how many paces Santa Rotonda 'The
  Pantheon of Agrippa。' is in circuit; or of the richness of Signora
  Livia's petticoats; or; as some others; how much Nero's face; in a statue
  in such an old ruin; is longer and broader than that made for him on some
  medal; but to be able chiefly to give an account of the humours; manners;
  customs; and laws of those nations where he has been; and that we may
  whet and sharpen our wits by rubbing them against those of others。  I
  would that a boy should be sent abroad very young; and first; so as to
  kill two birds with one stone; into those neighbouring nations whose
  language is most differing from our own; and to which; if it be not
  formed betimes; the tongue will grow too stiff to bend。
  And also 'tis the general opinion of all; that a child should not be
  brought up in his mother's lap。  Mothers are too tender; and their
  natural affection is apt to make the most discreet of them all so
  overfond; that they can neither find in their hearts to give them due
  correction for the faults they may commit; nor suffer them to be inured
  to hardships and hazards; as they ought to be。  They will not endure to
  see them return all dust and sweat from their exercise; to drink cold
  drink when they are hot; nor see them mount an unruly horse; nor take a
  foil in hand against a rude fencer; or so much as to discharge a carbine。
  And yet there is no remedy; whoever will breed a boy to be good for
  anything when he comes to be a man; must by no means spare him when
  young; and must very often transgress the rules of physic:
  〃Vitamque sub dio; et trepidis agat
  In rebus。〃
  '〃Let him live in open air; and ever in movement about something。〃
  Horace; Od。 ii。; 3; 5。'
  It is not enough to fortify his soul; you are also to make his sinews
  strong; for the soul will be oppressed if not assisted by the members;
  and would have too hard a task to discharge two offices alone。  I know
  very well to my cost; how much mine groans under the burden; from being
  accommodated with a body so tender and indisposed; as eternally leans and
  presses upon her; and often in my reading perceive that our masters; in
  their writings; make examples pass for magnanimity and fortitude of mind;
  which really are rather toughness of skin and hardness of bones; for I
  have seen men; women; and children; naturally born of so hard and
  insensible a constitution of body; that a sound cudgelling has been less
  to them than a flirt with a finger would have been to me; and that would
  neither cry out; wince; nor shrink; for a good swinging beating; and when
  wrestlers counterfeit the philosophers in patience; 'tis rather strength
  of nerves than stoutness of heart。  Now to be inured to undergo labour;
  is to be accustomed to endure pain:
  〃Labor callum obducit dolori。〃
  '〃Labour hardens us against pain。〃Cicero; Tusc。 Quaes。; ii。 15。'
  A boy is to be broken in to the toil and roughness of exercise; so as to
  be trained up to the pain and suffering of dislocations; cholics;
  cauteries; and even imprisonment and the rack itself; for he may come by
  misfortune to be reduced to the worst of these; which (as this world
  goes) is sometimes inflicted on the good as well as the bad。  As for
  proof; in our present civil war whoever draws his sword against the laws;
  threatens the honestest men with the whip and the halter。
  And; moreover; by living at home; the authority of this governor; which
  ought to be sovereign over the boy he has received into his charge; is
  often checked and hindered by the presence of parents; to which may also
  be added; that the respect the whole family pay him; as their master's
  son; and the knowledge he has of the estate and greatness he is heir to;
  are; in my opinion; no small inconveniences in these tender years。
  And yet; even in this conversing with men I spoke of but now; I have
  observed this vice; that instead of gathering observations from others;
  we make it our whole business to lay ourselves open to them; and are more
  concerned how to expose and set out our own commodities; than how to
  increase our stock by acquiring new。  Silence; th