of the delicacy of taste and passion- 第1部分

　　　　　　　　　　OF　THE　DELICACY　OF　TASTE　AND　PASSION

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　David　Hume

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1741

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　





　　　　　/SOME　People　are　subject　to　a　certain　　of

；　which　makes　them　extremely　sensible　to　all　the

accidents　of　life；　and　gives　them　a　lively　joy　upon　every

prosperous　event；　as　well　as　a　piercing　grief；　when　they

meet　with　misfortunes　and　adversity。　Favours　and　good

offices　easily　engage　their　friendship；　while　the　smallest

injury　provokes　their　resentment。　Any　honour　or　mark　of

distinction　elevates　them　above　measure；　but　they　are　as

sensibly　touched　with　contempt。　People　of　this　character

have；　no　doubt；　more　lively　enjoyments；　as　well　as　more

pungent　sorrows；　than　men　of　cool　and　sedate　tempers：　But；　I

believe；　when　every　thing　is　balanced；　there　is　no　one；　who

would　not　rather　be　of　the　latter　character；　were　he

entirely　master　of　his　own　disposition。　Good　or　ill　fortune

is　very　little　at　our　disposal：　And　when　a　person；　that　has

this　sensibility　of　temper；　meets　with　any　misfortune；　his

sorrow　or　resentment　takes　entire　possession　of　him；　and

deprives　him　of　all　relish　in　the　common　occurrences　of

life；　the　right　enjoyment　of　which　forms　the　chief　part　of

our　happiness。　Great　pleasures　are　much　less　frequent　than

great　pains；　so　that　a　sensible　temper　must　meet　with　fewer

trials　in　the　former　way　than　in　the　latter。　Not　to　mention；

that　men　of　such　lively　passions　are　apt　to　be　transported

beyond　all　bounds　of　prudence　and　discretion；　and　to　take

false　steps　in　the　conduct　of　life；　which　are　often

irretrievable。

　　　　　There　is　a　　of　　observable　in　some

men；　which　very　much　resembles　this　　of　；

and　produces　the　same　sensibility　to　beauty　and　deformity　of

every　kind；　as　that　does　to　prosperity　and　adversity；

obligations　and　injuries。　When　you　present　a　poem　or　a

picture　to　a　man　possessed　of　this　talent；　the　delicacy　of

his　feeling　makes　him　be　sensibly　touched　with　every　part　of

it；　nor　are　the　masterly　strokes　perceived　with　more

exquisite　relish　and　satisfaction；　than　the　negligences　or

absurdities　with　disgust　and　uneasiness。　A　polite　and

judicious　conversation　affords　him　the　highest

entertainment；　rudeness　or　impertinence　is　as　great　a

punishment　to　him。　In　short；　delicacy　of　taste　has　the　same

effect　as　delicacy　of　passion：　It　enlarges　the　sphere　both

of　our　happiness　and　misery；　and　makes　us　sensible　to　pains

as　well　as　pleasures；　which　escape　the　rest　of　mankind。

　　　　　I　believe；　however；　every　one　will　agree　with　me；　that；

notwithstanding　this　resemblance；　delicacy　of　taste　is　as

much　to　be　desired　and　cultivated　as　delicacy　of　passion　is

to　be　lamented；　and　to　be　remedied；　if　possible。　The　good　or

ill　accidents　of　life　are　very　little　at　our　disposal；　but

we　are　pretty　much　masters　what　books　we　shall　read；　what

diversions　we　shall　partake　of；　and　what　company　we　shall

keep。　Philosophers　have　endeavoured　to　render　happiness

entirely　independent　of　every　thing　external。　That　degree　of

perfection　is　impossible　to　be　：　But　every　wise

man　will　endeavour　to　place　his　happiness　on　such　objects

chiefly　as　depend　upon　himself：　and　　is　not　to　be

　so　much　by　any　other　means　as　by　this　delicacy　of

sentiment。　When　a　man　is　possessed　of　that　talent；　he　is

more　happy　by　what　pleases　his　taste；　than　by　what　gratifies

his　appetites；　and　receives　more　enjoyment　from　a　poem　or　a

piece　of　reasoning　than　the　most　expensive　luxury　can

afford。

　　　　　Whatever　connexion　there　may　be　originally　between

these　two　species　of　delicacy；　I　am　persuaded；　that　nothing

is　so　proper　to　cure　us　of　this　delicacy　of　passion；　as　the

cultivating　of　that　higher　and　more　refined　taste；　which

enables　us　to　judge　of　the　characters　of　men；　of

compositions　of　genius；　and　of　the　productions　of　the　nobler

arts。　A　greater　or　less　relish　for　those　obvious　beauties；

which　strike　the　senses；　depends　entirely　upon　the　greater

or　less　sensibility　of　the　temper：　But　with　regard　to　the

sciences　and　liberal　arts；　a　fine　taste　is；　in　some　measure；

the　same　with　strong　sense；　or　at　least　depends　so　much　upon

it；　that　they　are　inseparable。　In　order　to　judge　aright　of　a

composition　of　genius；　there　are　so　many　views　to　be　taken

in；　so　many　circumstances　to　be　compared；　and　such　a

knowledge　of　human　nature　requisite；　that　no　man；　who　is　not

possessed　of　the　soundest　judgment；　will　ever　make　a

tolerable　critic　in　such　performances。　And　this　is　a　new

reason　for　cultivating　a　relish　in　the　liberal　arts。　Our

judgment　will　strengthen　by　this　exercise：　We　shall　form

juster　notions　of　life：　Many　things；　which　please　or　afflict

others；　will　appear　to　us　too　frivolous　to　engage　our

attention：　And　we　shall　lose　by　degrees　that　sensibility　and

delicacy　of　passion；　which　is　so　incommodious。

　　　　　But　perhaps　I　have　gone　too　far　in　saying；　that　a

cultivated　taste　for　the　polite　arts　extinguishes　the

passions；　and　renders　us　indifferent　to　those　objects；　which

are　so　fondly　pursued　by　the　rest　of　mankind。　On　farther

reflection；　I　find；　that　it　rather　improves　our　sensibility

for　all　the　tender　and　agreeable　passions；　at　the　same　time

that　it　renders　the　mind　incapable　of　the　rougher　and　more

boisterous　emotions。

　　　　　。

　　　　　For　this；　I　think　there　may　be　assigned　two　very

natural　reasons。　In　the　　place；　nothing　is　so

improving　to　the　temper　as　the　study　of　the　beauties；　either

of　poetry；　eloquence；　music；　or　painting。　They　give　a

certain　elegance　of　sentiment　to　which　the　rest　of　mankind

are　strangers。　The　emotions　which　they　excite　are　soft　and

tender。　They　draw　off　the　mind　from　the　hurry　of　business

and　interest；　cherish　reflection；　dispose　to　tranquillity；

and　produce　an　agreeable　melancholy；　which；　of　all

dispositions　of　the　mind；　is　the　best　suited　to　love　and

friendship。

　　　　　In　the　　place；　a　delicacy　of　taste　is

favourable　to　love　and　friendship；　by　confining　our　choice

to　few　people；　and　making　us　indifferent　to　the　company　and

conversation　of　the　greater　part　of　men。　You　will　seldom

find；　that　mere　men　of　the　world；　whatever　strong　sense　they

may　be　endowed　with；　are　very　nice　in　distinguishing

characters；　or　in　marking　those　insensible　differences　and

gradations；　which　make　one　man　preferable　to　another。　Any

one；　that　has　competent　sense；　is　sufficient　for　their

entertainment：　They　talk　to　him；　of　their　pleasure　and

affairs；　with　the　same　frankness　that　they　would　to　another；

and　finding　many；　who　are　fit　to　supply　his　place；　they

never　feel　any　vacancy　or　want　in　his　absence。　But　to　make

use　of　the　allusion　of　a　celebrated　French＇2＇　author；　the

judgment　may　be　compared　to　a　clock　or　watch；　where　the　most

ordinary　machine　is　sufficient　to　tell　the　hours；　but　the

most　elaborate　alone　can　point　out　the　minutes　and　seconds；

and　distinguish　the　smallest　differences　of　time。　One　that

has　well　digested　his　knowledge　both　of　books　and　men；　has

little　enjoyment　but　in　the　company　of　a　few　select

companions。　He　feels　too　sensibly；　how　much　all　the　rest　of

mankind　fall　short　of　the　notions　which　he　has　entertained。

And；　his　affections　being　thus　confined　within　a　narrow

circle；　no　wonder　he　carries　them　further；　than　if　they　were

more　general　and　undistinguished。　The　gaiety　and　frolic　of　a

bottle　companion　improves　with　him　into　a　solid　friendship：

And　the　ardours　of　a　youthful　appetite　become　an　elegant

passion。