Thefoundationofthecustomarycharacterofsomeotherprofessionsisnotsoobvious,andourapprobationofitisfoundedentirelyinhabit,withoutbeingeitherconfirmed,orenlivenedbyanyreflectionsofthiskind。Weareledbycustom,forexample,toannexthecharacterofgaiety,levity,andsprightlyfreedom,aswellasofsomedegreeofdissipation,tothemilitaryprofession。Yet,ifweweretoconsiderwhatmoodortoneoftemperwouldbemostsuitabletothissituation,weshouldbeapttodetermine,perhaps,thatthemostseriousandthoughtfulturnofmindwouldbestbecomethosewhoselivesarecontinuallyexposedtouncommondanger,andwhoshouldthereforebemoreconstantlyoccupiedwiththethoughtsofdeathanditsconsequencesthanothermen。Itisthisverycircumstance,however,whichisnotimprobablytheoccasionwhythecontraryturnofmindprevailssomuchamongmenofthisprofession。Itrequiressogreatanefforttoconquerthefearofdeath,whenwesurveyitwithsteadinessandattention,thatthosewhoareconstantlyexposedtoit,finditeasiertoturnawaytheirthoughtsfromitaltogether,towrapthemselvesupincarelesssecurityandindifference,andtoplungethemselves,forthispurpose,intoeverysortofamusementanddissipation。Acampisnottheelementofathoughtfuloramelancholyman:personsofthatcast,indeed,areoftenabundantlydetermined,andarecapable,byagreateffort,ofgoingonwithinflexibleresolutiontothemostunavoidabledeath。Buttobeexposedtocontinual,thoughlessimminentdanger,tobeobligedtoexert,foralongtime,adegreeofthiseffort,exhaustsanddepressesthemind,andrendersitincapableofallhappinessandenjoyment。Thegayandcareless,whohaveoccasiontomakenoeffortatall,whofairlyresolvenevertolookbeforethem,buttoloseincontinualpleasuresandamusementsallanxietyabouttheirsituation,moreeasilysupportsuchcircumstances。
Whenever,byanypeculiarcircumstances,anofficerhasnoreasontolayhisaccountwithbeingexposedtoanyuncommondanger,heisveryapttolosethegaietyanddissipatedthoughtlessnessofhischaracter。Thecaptainofacityguardiscommonlyassober,careful,andpenuriousananimalastherestofhisfellow-citizens。Alongpeaceis,forthesamereason,veryapttodiminishthedifferencebetweenthecivilandthemilitarycharacter。Theordinarysituation,however,ofmenofthisprofession,rendersgaiety,andadegreeofdissipation,somuchtheirusualcharacter;andcustomhas,inourimagination,sostronglyconnectedthischaracterwiththisstateoflife,thatweareveryapttodespiseanyman,whosepeculiarhumourorsituation,rendershimincapableofacquiringit。Welaughatthegraveandcarefulfacesofacityguard,whichsolittleresemblethoseoftheirprofession。Theythemselvesseemoftentobeashamedoftheregularityoftheirownmanners,and,nottobeoutofthefashionoftheirtrade,arefondofaffectingthatlevity,whichisbynomeansnaturaltothem。Whateveristhedeportmentwhichwehavebeenaccustomedtoseeinarespectableorderofmen,itcomestobesoassociatedinourimaginationwiththatorder,thatwheneverweseetheone,welayouraccountthatwearetomeetwiththeother,andwhendisappointed,misssomethingwhichweexpectedtofind。Weareembarrassed,andputtoastand,andknownothowtoaddressourselvestoacharacter,whichplainlyaffectstobeofadifferentspeciesfromthosewithwhichweshouldhavebeendisposedtoclassit。
Thedifferentsituationsofdifferentagesandcountriesareapt,inthesamemanner,togivedifferentcharacterstothegeneralityofthosewholiveinthem,andtheirsentimentsconcerningtheparticulardegreeofeachquality,thatiseitherblamableorpraise-worthy,vary,accordingtothatdegreewhichisusualintheirowncountry,andintheirowntimes。Thatdegreeofpoliteness,whichwouldbehighlyesteemed,perhapswouldbethoughteffeminateadulation,inRussia,wouldberegardedasrudenessandbarbarismatthecourtofFrance。Thatdegreeoforderandfrugality,which,inaPolishnobleman,wouldbeconsideredasexcessiveparsimony,wouldberegardedasextravaganceinacitizenofAmsterdam。Everyageandcountrylookuponthatdegreeofeachquality,whichiscommonlytobemetwithinthosewhoareesteemedamongthemselves,asthegoldenmeanofthatparticulartalentorvirtue。Andasthisvaries,accordingastheirdifferentcircumstancesrenderdifferentqualitiesmoreorlesshabitualtothem,theirsentimentsconcerningtheexactproprietyofcharacterandbehaviourvaryaccordingly。
Amongcivilizednations,thevirtueswhicharefoundeduponhumanity,aremorecultivatedthanthosewhicharefoundeduponself-denialandthecommandofthepassions。Amongrudeandbarbarousnations,itisquiteotherwise,thevirtuesofself-denialaremorecultivatedthanthoseofhumanity。Thegeneralsecurityandhappinesswhichprevailinagesofcivilityandpoliteness,affordlittleexercisetothecontemptofdanger,topatienceinenduringlabour,hunger,andpain。Povertymayeasilybeavoided,andthecontemptofitthereforealmostceasestobeavirtue。Theabstinencefrompleasurebecomeslessnecessary,andthemindismoreatlibertytounbenditself,andtoindulge。itsnaturalinclinationsinallthoseparticularrespects。
Amongsavagesandbarbariansitisquiteotherwise。EverysavageundergoesasortofSpartandiscipline,andbythenecessityofhissituationisinuredtoeverysortofhardship。
Heisincontinualdanger:heisoftenexposedtothegreatestextremitiesofhunger,andfrequentlydiesofpurewant。Hiscircumstancesnotonlyhabituatehimtoeverysortofdistress,butteachhimtogivewaytononeofthepassionswhichthatdistressisapttoexcite。Hecanexpectfromhiscountrymennosympathyorindulgenceforsuchweakness。Beforewecanfeelmuchforothers,wemustinsomemeasurebeateaseourselves。Ifourownmiserypinchesusveryseverely,wehavenoleisuretoattendtothatofourneighbour:andallsavagesaretoomuchoccupiedwiththeirownwantsandnecessities,togivemuchattentiontothoseofanotherperson。Asavage,therefore,whateverbethenatureofhisdistress,expectsnosympathyfromthoseabouthim,anddisdains,uponthataccount,toexposehimself,byallowingtheleastweaknesstoescapehim。Hispassions,howfuriousandviolentsoever,areneverpermittedtodisturbtheserenityofhiscountenanceorthecomposureofhisconductandbehaviour。
ThesavagesinNorthAmerica,wearetold,assumeuponalloccasionsthegreatestindifference,andwouldthinkthemselvesdegradediftheyshouldeverappearinanyrespecttobeovercome,eitherbylove,orgrief,orresentment。Theirmagnanimityandself-command,inthisrespect,arealmostbeyondtheconceptionofEuropeans。Inacountryinwhichallmenareuponalevel,withregardtorankandfortune,itmightbeexpectedthatthemutualinclinationsofthetwopartiesshouldbetheonlythingconsideredinmarriages,andshouldbeindulgedwithoutanysortofcontrol。This,however,isthecountryinwhichallmarriages,withoutexception,aremadeupbytheparents,andinwhichayoungmanwouldthinkhimselfdisgracedforever,ifheshewedtheleastpreferenceofonewomanaboveanother,ordidnotexpressthemostcompleteindifference,bothaboutthetimewhen,andthepersontowhom,hewastobemarried。Theweaknessoflove,whichissomuchindulgedinagesofhumanityandpoliteness,isregardedamongsavagesasthemostunpardonableeffeminacy。Evenafterthemarriage,thetwopartiesseemtobeashamedofaconnexionwhichisfoundeduponsosordidanecessity。Theydonotlivetogether。Theyseeoneanotherbystealthonly。Theybothcontinuetodwellinthehousesoftheirrespectivefathers,andtheopencohabitationofthetwosexes,whichispermittedwithoutblameinallothercountries,ishereconsideredasthemostindecentandunmanlysensuality。Norisitonlyoverthisagreeablepassionthattheyexertthisabsoluteself-command。Theyoftenbear,inthesightofalltheircountrymen,withinjuries,reproach,andthegrossestinsults,withtheappearanceofthegreatestinsensibility,andwithoutexpressingthesmallestresentment。Whenasavageismadeprisonerofwar,andreceives,asisusual,thesentenceofdeathfromhisconquerors,hehearsitwithoutexpressinganyemotion,andafterwardssubmitstothemostdreadfultorments,withouteverbemoaninghimself,ordiscoveringanyotherpassionbutcontemptofhisenemies。Whileheishungbytheshouldersoveraslowfire,hederideshistormentors,andtellsthemwithhowmuchmoreingenuityhehimselfhadtormentedsuchoftheircountrymenashadfallenintohishands。Afterhehasbeenscorchedandburnt,andlaceratedinallthemosttenderandsensiblepartsofhisbodyforseveralhourstogether,heisoftenallowed,inordertoprolonghismisery,ashortrespite,andistakendownfromthestake:heemploysthisintervalintalkinguponallindifferentsubjects,inquiresafterthenewsofthecountry,andseemsindifferentaboutnothingbuthisownsituation。Thespectatorsexpressthesameinsensibility;thesightofsohorribleanobjectseemstomakenoimpressionuponthem;theyscarcelookattheprisoner,exceptwhentheylendahandtotormenthim。Atothertimestheysmoketobacco,andamusethemselveswithanycommonobject,asifnosuchmatterwasgoingon。Everysavageissaidtopreparehimselffromhisearliestyouthforthisdreadfulend。Hecomposes,forthispurpose,whattheycallthesongofdeath,asongwhichheistosingwhenhehasfallenintothehandsofhisenemies,andisexpiringunderthetortureswhichtheyinflictuponhim。Itconsistsofinsultsuponhistormentors,andexpressesthehighestcontemptofdeathandpain。Hesingsthissonguponallextraordinaryoccasions,whenhegoesouttowar,whenhemeetshisenemiesinthefield,orwheneverhehasamindtoshowthathehasfamiliarisedhisimaginationtothemostdreadfulmisfortunes,andthatnohumaneventcandaunthisresolution,oralterhispurpose。Thesamecontemptofdeathandtortureprevailsamongallothersavagenations。ThereisnotanegrofromthecoastofAfricawhodoesnot,inthisrespect,possessadegreeofmagnanimitywhichthesoulofhissordidmasteristoooftenscarcecapableofconceiving。Fortuneneverexertedmorecruellyherempireovermankind,thanwhenshesubjectedthosenationsofheroestotherefuseofthejailsofEurope,towretcheswhopossessthevirtuesneitherofthecountrieswhichtheycomefrom,norofthosewhichtheygoto,andwhoselevity,brutality,andbaseness,sojustlyexposethemtothecontemptofthevanquished。
Thisheroicandunconquerablefirmness,whichthecustomandeducationofhiscountrydemandofeverysavage,isnotrequiredofthosewhoarebroughtuptoliveincivilizedsocieties。Iftheselastcomplainwhentheyareinpain,iftheygrievewhentheyareindistress,iftheyallowthemselveseithertobeovercomebylove,ortobediscomposedbyanger,theyareeasilypardoned。Suchweaknessesarenotapprehendedtoaffecttheessentialpartsoftheircharacter。Aslongastheydonotallowthemselvestobetransportedtodoanythingcontrarytojusticeorhumanity,theylosebutlittlereputation,thoughtheserenityoftheircountenance,orthecomposureoftheirdiscourseandbehaviour,shouldbesomewhatruffledanddisturbed。Ahumaneandpolishedpeople,whohavemoresensibilitytothepassionsofothers,canmorereadilyenterintoananimatedandpassionatebehaviour,andcanmoreeasilypardonsomelittleexcess。Thepersonprincipallyconcernedissensibleofthis;andbeingassuredoftheequityofhisjudges,indulgeshimselfinstrongerexpressionsofpassion,andislessafraidofexposinghimselftotheircontemptbytheviolenceofhisemotions。Wecanventuretoexpressmoreemotioninthepresenceofafriendthaninthatofastranger,becauseweexpectmoreindulgencefromtheonethanfromtheother。Andinthesamemannertherulesofdecorumamongcivilizednations,admitofamoreanimatedbehaviour,thanisapprovedofamongbarbarians。Thefirstconversetogetherwiththeopennessoffriends;thesecondwiththereserveofstrangers。TheemotionandvivacitywithwhichtheFrenchandtheItalians,thetwomostpolishednationsuponthecontinent,expressthemselvesonoccasionsthatareatallinteresting,surpriseatfirstthosestrangerswhohappentobetravellingamongthem,andwho,havingbeeneducatedamongapeopleofdullersensibility,cannotenterintothispassionatebehaviour,ofwhichtheyhaveneverseenanyexampleintheirowncountry。A
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