Whether Genius ought to be confidered as a natural Gift. the impoffible, which men of fenfe are ever confounding; becaufe, not being animated by ftrong paffions, thefe fenfible perfons never rife above mediocrity a propofition which I 9 fhall hereafter demonftrate, in order to prove the great fuperiority of the man of itrong paffions above any other, and that in reality great paffions only can produce great men. Whether Genius ought to be confidered as a natural Gift; or, as an Effect of Education: an Essay. I AM going to examine, in this difcourfe, what the mind receives from nature and education: for which purpose it is neceffary, firft, to determine what is here meant by the word Nature. This word may raife in our minds a confused idea of a being, or a force, that has endued us with all our fenfes now the fenfes are the fources of all our ideas. Being deprived of our fenfes, we are deprived of all the ideas relative to it: a man born blind has, for this reason, no idea of colours: it is then evident, that in this fignification, genius ought to be confidered as a gift of nature. But if the word is taken in a different acceptation, and we fuppofe that among the men well formed, and endued with all their fenfes, without any perceivable defect of their organization; nature has made fuch a remarkable difference, and formed fuch an unequal diftribution of the intellectual powers, that one fhall be fo organized as to be ftupid, and the other be a man of genius, the question will become more delicate. I confefs, that at firit we cannot confider the great inequality in the minds of men, without admitting that there is the fame difference between them as between bodies, fome of which are weak and delicate, while others are strong and robuft. What can here occafion fuch variations from the uniform manner wherein nature operates ? VOL. I. This reafoning, 'tis true, is founded only on analogy. It is like that of the aftronomers, who conclude that the moon is inhabited, becaufe it is compofed of nearly the same matter as our earth. How weak foever this reafoning may be, it must yet appear demonftrative; for, fay they, to what cause can be attributed the great difproportion of intellects, obfervable between people who appear to have had the fame education? In order to reply to this objection, it is proper, firft, to enquire, whether feveral men can, ftrictly speaking, have the fame education; and for this purpofe to fix the idea included in the word Education. If by education, we merely underftand, that received in the fame places, and under the fame mafters; in this fenfe the education is the fame with an infinite number of men. But, if we give to this word a more true and extenfive fignification, and, in general, comprehend every thing that relates to our instruction; then, I fay, that nobody receives the fame education; becaufe each individual has, for his preceptors, if I may be allowed to fay fo, the form of government under which he lives, his friends, his miftreffes, the people about him, whatever he reads, and, in fhort, chance; that is, an infinite number of events, with refpect to which our ignorance will not permit us to perceive their caufes, and the chain B chain that connects them together. Now, this chance has a greater fhare in our education than is imagined. It is this that places certain objects before us, and in confequence of this occafions more happy ideas, and fometimes leads to the greatest difcoveries. To give fome examples: it was chance that conducted Galileo into the gardens of Florence, when the gardeners were working the pumps: it was that which infpired thofe gardeners, when not being able to raise the water above the height of thirty-two feet, to ask him the caufe, and by that queftion, piqued the vanity of the philofopher: it was at length his vanity, put in action by fo cafual a queftion, that obliged him to make this natural effect the fubject of his thoughts, till at laft, by difcovering the weight of the air, he found the folution of the problem. In the moment when the peaceful foul of Newton was employed by no bufinefs, and agitated by no paffion, it was also chance that, drawing him under an apple-tree, loofened fome of the fruit from the branches, and gave that philofopher the firft idea of his fyftem on gravitation: it was really this incident, that afterwards made him turn his thoughts to enquire, whether the moon does not gravitate towards the earth, with the fame force as that with which bodies fall on its furface? It is then to chance that great geniufes are frequently obliged for their most happy thoughts. How many great minds are confounded among the people of moderate capacities, for want of a certain tranquillity of foul, the queftion of a gardener, or the fall of an apple! I am fenfible, that we cannot at firit, without fome pain, attribute fuch great effects to caufes fo diftant, and fo fmall in appearance. We read, in the literary year, that Boi leau, when a child, playing in a yard, fell down. In his fall, his coats turned up, when a turkey gave him feveral pecks on a very tender part. Boileau felt the injury during his whole life; and perhaps from thence arofe that feverity of manners, and that want of fenfibility visible in all his works; from thence his fatire against women, against Lulli, Quinaut, and all verfes of gallantry. Perhaps his antipathy against turkies, might occafion that fecret averfion he always had to the Jefuits, who brought them into France. To the fame accident, perhaps, we owe his fatire on double meanings, his admiration of Mr. Arnaud, and his epiftle on the love of God; so true it is, that imperceptible causes often determine the whole conduct of life, and the whole feries of our ideas. However, experience informs us, that in the phyfical, as in the moral world, the greatest events are often produced by almoft imperceptible caufes. Who doubts that Alexander owed, in part, his conqueft of Perfia to the inftitutor of the Macedonian phalanx? That the adventures of Achilles, animating that prince with all the rage of glory, had a share in the destruction of the empire of Darius, as Quintius Curtius contributed to the victories of Charles XII? Who can doubt that the tears of Veturia, by difarming Coriolanus, confirmed the power of Rome, which was ready to fink under the efforts of the Volfcii, and occafioned that long train of victories which changed the face of the world; and that, confequently, it was to the tears of Veturia, that Europe owes its prefent fituation? What a number of facts of the like kind might here be mentioned? Guftavus, fays the abbe de Vertot,, proceeded in vain through all the provinces of Sweden; he wandered above a year in the mountains of Delecarlia A Speech lately made in the Court of King's Bench. Delecarlia. The mountaineers, though prepoffeffed by his good mien, the tallness of his ftature, and the apparent itrength of his body, were not however determined to join him, till on that very day when the prince harangued the Delecarlians, the old men of the country remarked, that the north wind had for fome time conftantly blowed. This wind appeared to them as a certain fign of the protection of Heaven, and as an order to take up arms in favour of the hero. It was then the north wind that placed the crown of Sweden on the head of Guftavus. Moft events fpring from caufes equally fmall: we are unacquainted with them, because mott hiftorians have been themselves ignorant of them, or have not had eyes capable of perceiving them. "Tis true, that, in this refpect, the mind may repair their omiffions; for the knowledge of certain principles eafily fupplies the knowledge of certain facts. Thus, without ftaying any longer to prove that chance plays a greater part in the theatre of the world than is imagined, I fhall conclude what I have juft faid with obferving, that if under the word Education, be comprehended every thing in general that contributes to our inftruction, chance muft neceffarily have the greatest hare in it; and that no perfon being placed in exactly the fame concourfe of circumftances, no perfon can receive exactly the fame education. I This fact being well weighed, who II can be certain that a difference in education does not produce the difference obfervable in minds? Who can affert, that men are not like thofe trees of the fame fpecies, whose feed being abfolutely the fame, but never sown exactly in the fame earth, nor expofed entirely to the fame winds, the fame fun, or the fame rain, muft, in unfolding themselves, neceffarily produce an infinity of different forms. I may then conclude, that the inequality observable in the minds of men may be indifferently confidered, either as the effect of nature, or of education. But whatever truth there may be in this conclufion, yet, as it is extremely vague, and may be reduced in a manner to a perhaps, I think I ought to confider this question in a new point of view, and return back to principles more certain and determinate. To this purpose, it will be proper to reduce the question to fimple points; to afcend to the origin of our ideas, and to the opening of the mind; and to recollect that man can only make use of his fenfes, remember, and obferve resemblances and differences; that is, the connection fubfifting between the different objects that present themselves, either to him, or to his memory; that, therefore, nature can only give 'men more or fewer capacities of mind, by enduing fome preferably to others, with a little more delicacy of the fenfes, extent of memory, and capacity of attention. A Speech lately made in the Court of King's Bench. Have now gone through the feveral errors affigned by the defendant, and which have been ingeniously argued, and confidently relied on, by his council at the bar: I have given my fentiments upon them, and if upon the whole, after the clofeit attention to what has been faid, and with the strongest inclination in favour of the defendant, no arguments which have been urged, no cafes which have been cited, no reasons that occur to me, are fufficient to fatisfy me in my confcience and judgment, that this outlawry fhould be reverfed, I am bound to affirm it-and here let me make a pause. Many arguments have been fuggefted, both in and out of court, upon the confequences of establishing this outlawry, either as they may affect the defendant as an individual, or the publick in general: as to the firft, whatever they may be, the defendant has brought them upon himfelf; they are inevitable confequences of law arifing from his own act; if the penalty, to which he is thereby fubjected, is more than a punishment adequate to the crime he has committed, he fhould not have brought himself into this unfortunate predicament, by flying from the juftice of his country; he thought proper to do fo, and he must tafte the fruits of his own conduct, however bitter and unpalatable they may be; and although we may be heartily forry for any perfon who has brought himself into this fituation, it is not in our power, God forbid it fhould ever be in our power, to deliver him from it; we can't prevent the judgment of the law by creating irregularity in the proceedings; we can't prevent the confequences of that judgment by pardoning the crime; if the defendant has any pretenfions to mercy, thofe pretenfions must be urged, and that power exercifed in another place, where the conftitution has wifely and neceffarily vefted it: the crown will judge for itself; it does not belong to us to interfere with punishment; we have only to declare the law; none of us had any concern in the profecution of this bufinefs, nor any wishes upon the event of it; it was not our fault that the defendant was profecuted for the libels upon which he has been convicted; I took no fhare in another place, in the meafures which were taken to profecute him for one of them; it was not our fault that he was convicted; it was not our fault that he fled; it was not our fault that he was outlawed; it was not our fault that he rendered himself up to juftice; none of us revived the profecution against him, nor could any one of us top that profecution when it was revived; it is not our fault if there are not any errors upon the record, nor is it in our power to create any if there are none; we are bound by our oath and in our confciences, to give fuch a judgment as the law will warrant, and as our reafon can approve; fuch a judgment as we muft ftand or fall by, in the opinion of the present times, and of posterity; in doing it, therefore, we must have a regard to our reputation as honeft men, and men of skill and knowledge competent to the ftations we hold; no confiderations whatsoever should mislead us from this great object, to which we ever ought, and, I truft, ever fhall direct our attentions. But confequences of a public nature, reafons of ftate, political ones, have been ftrongly urged, (private anonymous letters fent to me I fhall pass over) open avowed publications which have been judicially noticed, and may therefore be mentioned, have endeavoured to influence or intimidate the court, and fo prevail upon us to trifle and prevaricate with God, our confciences, and the public: it has been intimated that confequences of a frightful nature will flow from the establishment of this outlawry; it is faid the people expect the reverfal, that the temper of the times demand it, that the multitude will have it fo, that the continuation of the outlawry in full force will not be endured, that the execution of the law upon the defendant will be refifted; these are arguments which will not weigh a feather with me. If infurrection and rebellion are to follow our determi nation, A Speech lately made in the nation, we have not to anfwer for the confequences, though we thould be the innocent caufe-we can only fay, fiat juftitia ruat cælum; we fhall difcharge our duty without expectations of approbation, or the apprehenfions of cenfure; if we are fubjected to the latter unjustly, we mult fubmit to it; we can't prevent it; we will take care not to deserve it. He must be a weak man indeed who can be itaggered by fuch a confideration. The misapprehenfion, or the mifreprefentation of the ignorant or the wicked, the mendax infamia, which is the confequence of both, are equally indifferent to, unworthy the attention of, and incapable of making any impreffion on men of firmnefs and intrepidity.-Thofe who imagine judges are capable of being influenced by fuch unworthy, indirect means, moft grofsly deceive themfelves; and for my own part, I truft that my temper, and the colour and conduct of my life, have cloathed me with a fuit of armour to fhield me from fuch arrows. If I have ever fupported the king's measures, if I have ever afforded any affiftance to government; if I have discharged my duty as a public or private character, by endeavouring to preferve pure and perfect the principles of the conftitution, maintain unfullied the honour of the courts of justice, and, by an upright adminiftration of, to give a due effect to, the laws, I have hitherto done it without any other gift or reward than that most pleafing and moft honourable one, the confcientious conviction of doing what was right. I do not affect to fcorn the opinion of mankind; I with earnestly for popularity, I will feek and will have popularity; but I will tell you how I will obtain it; I will have that popularity which follows, and not that which is run after. It's not the applaufe of a day, it's not the huzzas of thoufands, that can Court of King's Bench. the Quere |