574 Aphorisms on Man. [Nov. 



XXII. 



It is the force and violence of the English mind that has put it into 

 the safe custody of the law, and it is every man's disposition to act upon 

 his own judgment and presumption, without regard to others, that has 

 made it absolutely necessary to establish equal claims to curb them. 

 We are too much in a state of nature to submit to what Burke calls 

 <e the soft collar of social esteem," and require " the iron rod, the tor- 

 turing hour," to tame us. But though the foundations of liberty, life, 

 and property, are formally secured in this way from the ebullitions of 

 national character, yet the spirit breaks out upon the surface of manners, 

 and is often spurted in our face. Lord Castlereagh was wrong in saying 

 that "liberty was merely a custom of England;" it is the indigenous 

 growth of our temper and our clime ; and woe to him who deprives us 

 of the only amends for so many disadvantages and failings ! The wild 

 beast roaming his native forests is respectable though formidable shut 

 up in Exeter 'Change, he is equally odious and wretched. 



XXIII. 



It was a long time made an argument for not throwing open the gal- 

 leries of noblemen and others to the public, that if permission were 

 given they would be filled with the lowest of the rabble, and with 

 squalid wretches, who would run up against well-dressed people, and 

 damage the works of art. Nothing could be more false than this theory, 

 as experience has shewn. It was in vain to quote the example of foreign 

 countries, as it was said the common people there were kept more in 

 subjection ; but if they are tamer, ours are prouder for that very reason. 

 The National Gallery in Pall-Mali is now open to all the world ; and, 

 except a shabby artist or two, who ever saw a soul there who was not, if 

 not well-dressed, yet dressed in his best, and behaving with decency, 

 instead of trying to turn the place into a bear-garden, as had been pre- 

 dicted.* People will not go out of their way to see pictures unless they 

 have an interest in them, which gives the title, and is a security against 

 ill consequences ; much less will any class of people obtrude themselves 

 w r here they are pointed at as inferior to the rest of the company, or sub- 

 ject themselves to looks of scorn and disgust, to see any sights in the 

 world. There is no man so poor or low but he loves himself better than 

 pictures or statues ; and if he must get snubbed and treated with con- 

 tempt to indulge his admiration of celebrated works, he will forego the 

 latter. Comparisons are odious ; and we avoid them. The first object 

 of every human being (high or low, great or small) is to stand well with 

 himself, and to appear to the best advantage to others. A man is not 

 very fond of passing along the streets in a thread-bare coat, and shoes 

 with holes in them. Will he go in this trim into a group of well-dressed 

 people to make himself ridiculous ? The mind, so far from being dull 

 or callous on this point, is but too sensitive ; our jealousy of public 

 opinion is the ruling passion, a morbid disease. Does not the conscious- 

 ness of any singularity or impropriety of appearance immediately take 

 off from our pleasure at a play ? How seldom we observe an interloper 

 in the dress circle ; and how sure he is to pay for it ! If a man has any 



* If it were a show of wild-beasts, or a boxing-match, the reasoning might be somewhat 

 different ; though I do not know that it would. No people behave better than the yods 

 after the play once begins. 



