Thehabitofreflection,andtheknowledgeattainedbyfosteringanypassion,mightbeshowntobeequallyusefulthoughtheobjectbeprovedequallyfallacious;fortheywouldallappearinthesamelight,iftheywerenotmagnifiedbythegoverningpassionimplantedinusbytheAuthorofallgood,tocallforthandstrengthenthefacultiesofeachindividual,andenableittoattainalltheexperiencethataninfantcanobtain,whodoescertainthings,itcannottellwhy。
Idescendfrommyheight,andmixingwithmyfellowcreatures,feelmyselfhurriedalongthecommonstream;ambition,love,hope,andfear,exerttheirwontedpower,thoughwebeconvincedbyreasonthattheirpresentandmostattractivepromisesareonlylyingdreams;buthadthecoldhandofcircumspectiondampedeachgenerousfeelingbeforeithadleftanypermanentcharacter,orfixedsomehabit,whatcouldbeexpected,butselfishprudenceandreasonjustrisingaboveinstinct？WhothathasreadDeanSwift\'sdisgustingdescriptionoftheYahoos,andinsipidoneofHouyhnhnmwithaphilosophicaleye,canavoidseeingthefutilityofdegradingthepassions,ormakingmanrestincontentment？
TheyouthshouldACT;forhadhetheexperienceofagreyhead,hewouldbefitterfordeaththanlife,thoughhisvirtues,ratherresidinginhisheadthanhisheartcouldproducenothinggreat,andhisunderstandingpreparedforthisworld,wouldnot,byitsnobleflights,provethatithadatitletoabetter。
Besides,itisnotpossibletogiveayoungpersonajustviewoflife;hemusthavestruggledwithhisownpassionsbeforehecanestimatetheforceofthetemptationwhichbetrayedhisbrotherintovice。Thosewhoareenteringlife,andthosewhoaredeparting,seetheworldfromsuchverydifferentpointsofview,thattheycanseldomthinkalike,unlesstheunfledgedreasonoftheformerneverattemptedasolitaryflight。
Whenwehearofsomedaringcrime——itcomesfulluponusinthedeepestshadeofturpitude,andraisesindignation;buttheeyethatgraduallysawthedarknessthicken,mustobserveitwithmorecompassionateforbearance。Theworldcannotbeseenbyanunmovedspectator,wemustmixinthethrong,andfeelasmenfeelbeforewecanjudgeoftheirfeelings。Ifwemean,inshort,toliveintheworldtogrowwiserandbetter,andnotmerelytoenjoythegoodthingsoflife,wemustattainaknowledgeofothersatthesametimethatwebecomeacquaintedwithourselves——knowledgeacquiredanyotherwayonlyhardenstheheartandperplexestheunderstanding。