英国散文选读

1OFSTUDIESFrancisBaconStudiesservefordelight,forornament,andforability.Theirchiefusefordelight,isinprivatenessandretiring;forornament,isindiscourse;andforability,isinthejudgmentanddispositionofbusiness;forexpertandexecute,andperhapsjudgeofparticulars,onebyone;butthegeneralcounsels,andtheplotsandmarshallingofaffairs,comebestformthosethatarelearned.Tospendtoomuchtimeinstudiesissloth;tousethemtoomuchforornament,isaffectation;tomakejudgmentwhollybytheirrules,isthehumourofascholar.Theyperfectnature,andareperfectedbyexperience:fornaturalabilitiesarelikenaturalplants,thatneedproyning(pruning)bystudy;andstudiesthemselvesdogiveforthdirectionstoomuchatlarge,excepttheybeboundedinbyexperience.Craftymencontemnstudies,simplemenadmirethem,andwisemenusethem;fortheyteachnottheirownuse;butthatisawisdomwithoutthem,andabovethem,wonbyobservation.Readnottocontradictandconfute;nortobelieveandtakeforgranted;nortofindtalkanddiscourse;buttoweighandconsider.Somebooksaretobetasted,otherstobeswallowed,andsomefewtobechewedanddigested;thatis,somebooksaretobereadonlyinparts;otherstoberead,butnotcuriously;andsomefewtobereadwholly,andwithdiligenceandattention.Somebooksalsomaybereadbydeputy,andextractsmadeofthembyothers;butthatwouldbeonlyinthelessimportantarguments,andthemeanersortofbooks;elsedistilledbooksare,likecommondistilledwaters,flashythings.Readingmakethafullman;conferenceareadyman;andwritinganexactman.Andtherefore,ifamanwritelittle,hehadneedhaveagreatmemory;ifheconferlittle,hehadneedhaveapresentwit;andifhereadlittle,hehadneedhavemuchcunning,toseemtoknowthathedothnot.Historiesmakemenwise;poetswitty;themathematicssubtile;naturalphilosophydeep;moralgrave;logicandrhetoricabletocontend.Abeuntstudiainmorse.Naythereisnostandorimpedimentinthewit,butmaybewroughtoutbyfitstudies:likeasdiseasesofthebodymayhaveappropriateexercises.Bowlingisgoodforthestoneandreins;shootingforthelungsandbreast;gentlewalkingforthestomach;ridingforthehead;andthelike.Soifaman'switbewandering,lethimstudythemathematics;forindemonstrations,ifhiswitbecalledawayneversolittle,hemustbeginagain.Ifhiswitbenotapttodistinguishorfinddifferences,lethimstudytheschoolmen;fortheyareCuminisectors.Ifhebenotapttobeatovermatters,andtocalluponethingtoproveandillustrateanother,lethimstudythelawyers'cases.Soeverydefectofthemindmayhaveaspecialreceipt.2SundayintheCountrySundayintheCountryJosephAddisonIamalwayswellpleasedwithacountrySunday,andthink,ifkeepingholytheseventhdaywereonlyahumaninstitution,itwouldbethebestmethodthatcouldhavebeenthoughtofforthepolishingandcivilizingofmankind.Itiscertainthecountrypeoplewouldsoondegenerateintoakindofsavagesandbarbarians,weretherenotsuchfrequentreturnsofastatedtime,inwhichthewholevillagemeettogetherwiththeirbestfaces,andintheircleanliestsubjects,toconversewithoneanotherupondifferentsubjects,heartheirdutiesexplainedtothem,andjointogetherinadorationoftheSupremeBeing.Sundayclearsawaytherustofthewholeweek,notonlyasitrefreshesintheirmindsthenotionsofreligion,butasitputsboththesexesuponappearingintheirmostagreeableforms,andexertingallsuchqualitiesasareapttogivethemafigureintheeyeofthevillage.Acountryfellowdistinguisheshimselfasmuchinthechurchyard,asacitizendoesuponthechange,thewholeparish-politicsbeinggenerallydiscussedinthatplaceeitheraftersermonorbeforethebellrings.MyfriendSirRoger,beingagoodchurchman,hasbeautifiedtheinsideofhischurchwithseveraltextsofhisownchoosing.Hehaslikewisegivenahandsomepulpit-cloth,andrailedinthecommuniontableathisownexpense.Hehasoftentoldme,thatathiscomingtohisestatehefoundhisparishionersveryirregular,andthatinordertomakethemkneelandjoinintheresponses,hegaveeveryoneofthemahassockandacommon-prayerbook;andatthesametimeemployedanitinerantsinging2master,whogoesaboutthecountryforthatpurpose,toinstructthemrightlyinthetunesofthePsalms;uponwhichtheynowverymuchvaluethemselves,andindeedoutdomostofthecountrychurchesthatIhaveeverheard.AsSirRogerislandlordtothewholecongregation,hekeepstheminverygoodorderandwillsuffernobodytosleepinitbesidehimself;forifbychancehehasbeensurprisedintoashortnapatsermon,uponrecoveringoutofithestandsupandlooksabouthim,andifheseesanybodyelsenodding,eitherwakesthemhimselforsendshisservantstothem.Severalotheroftheoldknightsparticularitiesbreakoutupontheseoccasions.SometimeshewillbelengtheningoutaverseinthesingingPsalmshalfaminuteaftertherestofthecongregationhavedonewithit;sometimes,whenheispleasedwiththematterofhisdevotion,hepronounces'Amen'threeorfourtimestothesameprayer;andsometimesstandsupwheneverybodyelseisupontheirknees,tocountthecongregation,orseeifanyofhistenantsaremissing.Iwasyesterdayverymuchsurprisedtohearmyoldfriend,inthemidstoftheservice,callingouttooneJohnMatthewstomindwhathewasaboutandnotdisturbthecongregation.ThisJohnMatthewsitseemsisremarkableforbeinganidlefellow,andatthattimewaskickinghisheelsforhisdiversion.Thisauthorityoftheknight,thoughexertedinthatoddmannerwhichaccompanieshiminallthecircumstancesoflife,hasaverygoodeffectupontheparish,whoarenotpoliteenoughtoseeanythingridiculousinhisbehaviour;besidest