Volume Iii Part 66 (1/2)
No. 537. Sat.u.r.day, November 15, 1712. J. Hughes.
[Greek: Tou men gar genos esmen--]
_To the_ SPECTATOR.
_SIR,_
'It has been usual to remind Persons of Rank, on great Occasions in Life, of their Race and Quality, and to what Expectations they were born; that by considering what is worthy of them, they may be withdrawn from mean Pursuits, and encouraged to laudable Undertakings.
This is turning n.o.bility into a Principle of Virtue, and making it productive of Merit, as it is understood to have been originally a Reward of it.
'It is for the like reason, I imagine, that you have in some of your Speculations a.s.serted to your Readers the _Dignity of Human Nature_.
But you cannot be insensible that this is a controverted Doctrine; there are Authors who consider Human Nature in a very different View, and Books of Maxims have been written to shew the _Falsity of all Human Virtues_. The Reflections which are made on this Subject usually take some Tincture from the Tempers and Characters of those that make them. Politicians can resolve the most s.h.i.+ning Actions among Men into Artifice and Design; others, who are soured by Discontent, Repulses, or ill Usage, are apt to mistake their Spleen for Philosophy; Men of profligate Lives, and such as find themselves incapable of rising to any Distinction among their Fellow-Creatures, are for pulling down all Appearances of Merit, which seem to upbraid them: and Satirists describe nothing but Deformity. From all these Hands we have such Draughts of Mankind as are represented in those burlesque Pictures, which the _Italians_ call _Caracatura's;_ where the Art consists in preserving, amidst distorted Proportions and aggravated Features, some distinguis.h.i.+ng Likeness of the Person, but in such a manner as to transform the most agreeable Beauty into the most odious Monster.
'It is very disingenuous to level the best of Mankind with the worst, and for the Faults of Particulars to degrade the whole Species. Such Methods tend not only to remove a Man's good Opinion of others, but to destroy that Reverence for himself, which is a great Guard of Innocence, and a Spring of Virtue.
'It is true indeed that there are surprizing Mixtures of Beauty and Deformity, of Wisdom and Folly, Virtue and Vice, in the Human Make; such a Disparity is found among Numbers of the same Kind, and every Individual, in some Instances, or at some Times, is so unequal to himself, that _Man_ seems to be the most wavering and inconsistent Being in the whole Creation. So that the Question in Morality, concerning the Dignity of our Nature, may at first sight appear like some difficult Questions in Natural Philosophy, in which the Arguments on both Sides seem to be of equal Strength. But as I began with considering this Point as it relates to Action, I shall here borrow an admirable Reflection from Monsieur _Pascal_, which I think sets it in its proper Light.
'_It is of dangerous Consequence_, says he, _to represent to Man how near he is to the Level of Beasts, without shewing him at the same time his_ Greatness. _It is likewise dangerous to let him see his Greatness, without his_ Meanness. _It is more dangerous yet to leave him ignorant of either; but very beneficial that he should be made sensible of both._ [1]
Whatever Imperfections we may have in our Nature, it is the Business of Religion and Virtue to rectify them, as far as is consistent with our present State. In the mean time, it is no small Encouragement to generous Minds to consider that we shall put them all off with our Mortality. That sublime Manner of Salutation with which the _Jews_ approached their Kings,
O King, _live for ever!_
may be addressed to the lowest and most despised Mortal among us, under all the Infirmities and Distresses with which we see him surrounded. And whoever believes the _Immortality of the Soul_, will not need a better Argument for the Dignity of his Nature, nor a stronger Incitement to Actions suitable to it.
'I am naturally led by this Reflection to a Subject I have already touched upon in a former Letter, and cannot without pleasure call to mind the Thoughts of _Cicero_ to this purpose, in the close of his Book concerning _Old Age_. Every one who is acquainted with his Writings, will remember that the elder _Cato_ is introduced in that Discourse as the Speaker, and _Scipio_ and _Lelius_ as his Auditors.
This venerable Person is represented looking forward as it were from the Verge of extreme Old Age, into a future State, and rising into a Contemplation on the unperishable Part of his Nature, and its Existence after Death. I shall collect Part of his Discourse. And as you have formerly offered some Arguments for the Soul's Immortality, agreeable both to Reason and the Christian Doctrine, I believe your Readers will not be displeased to see how the same great Truth s.h.i.+nes in the Pomp of _Roman_ Eloquence.
”This, says _Cato_, my firm Persuasion, that since the human Soul exerts it self with so great Activity, since it has such a Remembrance of the Past, such a Concern for the Future, since it is enriched with so many Arts, Sciences and Discoveries, it is impossible but the Being which contains all these must be Immortal.
”The elder _Cyrus_, just before his Death, is represented by XENOPHON speaking after this Manner.”
'_Think not, my dearest Children, that when I depart from you I shall be no more, but remember, that my Soul, even while I lived among you, was invisible to you; yet by my Actions you were sensible it existed in this Body. Believe it therefore existing still, though it be still unseen. How quickly would the Honours of ill.u.s.trious Men perish after Death, if their Souls performed nothing to preserve their Fame? For my own part, I never could think that the Soul while in a mortal Body, lives, but when departed out of it, dies; or that its Consciousness is lost when it is discharged out of an unconscious Habitation. But when it is freed from all corporeal Alliance, then it truly exists. Further, since the Human Frame is broken by Death, tell us what becomes of its Parts? It is visible whither the Materials of other Beings are translated, namely to the Source from whence they had their Birth.
The Soul alone, neither present nor departed, is the Object of our Eyes._' [2]
”Thus _Cyrus_. But to proceed. No one shall persuade me, _Scipio_, that your worthy Father, or your Grandfathers _Paulus_ and _Africa.n.u.s_, or _Africa.n.u.s_ his Father, or Uncle, or many other excellent Men whom I need not name, performed so many Actions to be remembered by Posterity, without being sensible that Futurity was their Right. And, if I may be allowed an old Man's Privilege, to speak of my self, do you think I would have endured the Fatigue of so many wearisome Days and Nights both at home and abroad, if I imagined that the same Boundary which is set to my Life must terminate my Glory? Were it not more desirable to have worn out my days in Ease and Tranquility, free from Labour, and without Emulation? But I know not how, my Soul has always raised it self, and looked forward on Futurity, in this View and Expectation, that when it shall depart out of Life, it shall then live for ever; and if this were not true, that the Mind is immortal, the Souls of the most worthy would not, above all others, have the strongest Impulse to Glory.