Operation of the passions in regard to the understanding.

or less, according as chance had been more or less favourable to him. Now what does experience teach us concerning this matter? That the inequality of understandings is less the effect of the unequal distribution of the gifts of chance, than the indifference with which we receive them.

The inequality of understandings ought therefore to be regarded principally as the effect of the different degree of attention, exerted in observing the resemblances and differences, the agreements and disagreements between different objects. Now this inequality of attention is the necessary consequence of the unequal force of our passions.

There is no man animated with an ardent desire of glory that does not always distinguish himself, more or less, in the art or science which he cultivates. It is true, that between two men equally desirous of becoming illustrious, it is chance that, by presenting to one of them objects of comparison from which result the most fruitful ideas and the most important discoveries, determines his superiority. Chance, by the influence which it always has over the choice of objects that offer themselves to us, will therefore always preserve some influence over our understandings. When we confine its power within those narrow limits, we do all that is possible. To whatever degree of perfection the science of education may be carried, we must never expect to make men of genius of all the individuals of a nation; all it can do is to increase them, and to

make

Application necessary to the development of genius.

make the greatest part of them men of knowledge and discernment, and this is all that is within its power. It is sufficient to rouse the attention of the people, and encourage them to cultivate a science whose perfection will procure in general so much happiness to humanity, and in particular so many advantages to the nations by whom it is cultivated.

A people to whom public education should give genius to a certain number of citizens, and discernment to almost all, would be without doubt the first people in the universe. The only and sure method to produce this effect is early to habituate children to the fatigue of attention.

The seeds of discoveries presented to us by chance will remain barren, if attention do not render them fruitful. The scarcity of attention is the cause of that of genius. But what must be done to force men to application? Inspire them with the passions of emulation, glory, and the love of truth. It is the unequal force of those passions that we ought to regard as the cause of the great inequality in the understandings of men.

CHAP.

Indifference to glory stifles genius.

CHAP. IV.

OF THE SECOND CAUSE OF THE INEQUALITY OF UNDERSTANDINGS.

ALMOST all men are without passions, without love of glory (2): and so far from exciting in them this desire, most governments, by a mean and false policy (3) endeavour on the contrary to extinguish it; therefore, indifferent to glory, the people make little account of public esteem, and little efforts to deserve it.

I see among the greatest part of mankind none but greedy commercial men. If they fit out a ship, it is not with the hope to give their name to some new country. Solely sensible to the love of gain, all they fear is lest their vessel should depart from the frequented tracks; now those tracks lead not to discoveries. If the ship by chance, or tempest, be carried to an unknown land, the master compelled to stop there, makes no inquiry either concerning the country or the inhabitants; he takes in water, sets sail, and hurries to another coast, to exchange his merchandize. Returned at last to his own port, he unloads, fills the warehouses of his owners with commodities, but brings back no discoveries.

There

Science compared to a forest.

There are but few such men as Columbus*. They who now launch forth on the vast ocean are solely anxious for honours, employments, wealth, and power few embark to make new discoveries in science. How then can we wonder that such discoveries are rare ?

Truths are sown by the hand of Heaven, here and there, in an obscure and pathless forest; a road bounds that forest; it is frequented by an infinite multitude of travellers, among whom are some curious men, whom even the thickness and obscurity of the wood inspires with a desire to penetrate it. They enter, but embarrassed by the trees, and torn by the briars, they are disgusted with the entrance, abandon the enterprise, and regain the beaten path. Others, but their number is small, animated, not by a vague curiosity, but an ardent and constant desire of glory, pierce into the thickest part of the forest, pass the dangerous bogs, nor cease their course till chance presents them with the discovery of some truth, more or less important. That discovery made, they turn their steps, and make a path from that truth to the high road, which every traveller then perceives as he passes by, because all

It would have been much for the honour of Spain, and much for the interest of humanity, if such a man as Columbus had never existed. What did she gain by his discovery? Wealth: and what did she lose? Every title to justice and humanity; and entailed a horrid, detestable, indelible disgrace on the name of Spaniard and Christian. T.

that

The desire of glory synonimous with the desire of pleasure.

that have eyes may see it; and nothing is wanting to the discovery but an earnest desire to seek, and the patience necessary to find it.

Does a man, anxious for a great name, set himself in the pursuit of an important truth? He should arm himself with the patience of a hunter. It is the same with the philosopher as with the Indian: the least movement of the latter separates him from his game, and the least inattention of the former carries him away from the truth. Now nothing is more painful than to keep the body or the mind for a long time in the same immobility or attention it is the consequence of a strong passion. In the Indian it is the necessity of eating, in the philosopher the desire of glory, that produces this effect.

But what is this desire of glory? Even the desire of pleasure. So that in every country where glory ceases to be the representative of pleasure, the citizen is indifferent to glory, and the country is sterile in men of genius and discoveries. There is no nation, however, that does not from time to time produce illustrious men ; because there is none where some individual is not to be found, who, struck, as I have said, with the eulogies lavished in history on talents, does not desire to merit the same applause, and does not for that purpose go in quest of some new truth. If he obtain the object of his inquiry, and accomplish his discovery, he is elated with the acquisition, and carries it about his country in triumph. But what is his surprise, when, from the indifference