1802] 
for the blind it ever had; but the deaf 
man is very differently fituated. Hes lofs 
is aggravated, from witneffing the plea- 
fure which converfation affords to thofe 
about him, while he is unable to partici- 
pate. He /ees his friends, "tis true, but 
they are to him little more than the al- 
moit animated pictures on the canyas. 
He is a fpeCtator of their happinefs, but 
the more to feel his ow misfortune. 
The blind perfon, on the contrary, 
jut efcaped, perhaps, from the tedium 
of a darkened folitude, feels himfelf alive 
to all the pleafures arifing from focial in- 
tercourfe ; the chit-chat aud topic of the 
day, difcuflions on literature and tafte, 
the brilliancy of wit, and edge of fatire, 
in their turn engage the attention, and be 
is a partaker of the entertainment they 
afford. Mufic, that ** fofteft foother of 
the mind,’’ founds as melodious as ever 
in Ais ear; and, while rapt in the enthu- 
fiam it not unfrequently excites, a lover 
of this charming {cience would, with re- 
luétance, give up the pleafures it affords 
for the reftoration even of fight itfelf.* 
The fenfations that arife from the con- 
templation of beauty are no longer his, 
but then he does not witnefs that delight 
in which he cannot fhare. ‘Tantalus 
would have felt his deprivation lefs had 
he not /een the obje& of his’ with. 
Let us now review the deaf man’s feel- 
ings; and, todo fo mo? to fis advantage, 
we mult follow him into retirement. Na- 
ture difplays her ample volume to bis 
View in all her charms, her unnumbered 
beauties pats before him in filent majeity ; 
fuch fcenes he contemplates with rapture, 
and, loft in admiration, no wonder he 
exclaims, ** Thank God I am not blind !”’ 
In his clofet the treafures of learning and 
fcience afford him means of improvement 
and delight; books fupply him with in- 
telle€tual gratification, without giving 
trouble to himfelf or others; philofophi- 
cal experiments may enlarge his mind, 
and their benevolent application warm his 
heart.+ 
This fhort view (which might be much 
eee ern ee 
* <¢ Sonorum immenfa varietas eft.—Va- 
rios animi afleGus, tries imprimis et lztos 
infpirant, multiqie hominum ex hoc incx- 
haufto fonte, puras et fuaviffimas voluprates hau- 
riunt.”” Gregorii Con/pcéius. 
TAll this, to a certain extent, may be. 
afferted of the diind: but their dependance 
on others in the inftances alluded to is fo 
great and abfolute, that the anticipated plea- 
jure muf often terminate in pain. 
Comparifon between Blindnefs and Deafnefir _ 
~ 
101 
enlarged upon) will ferve to fhew, that if 
in foctety the blind have their advantages, 
in retirement the deaf have theirs: and 
reconciles the feeming contradiétion of 
the vivacity of the one and gloom of the 
other. 
If we inftitute a clofer comparifon of 
their refpective wants and enjoyments, 
they will be found much nearer on a level 
than is generally fuppofed. 
In confidering their mutwal dependance 
on the affifance and kind offices of others, 
it muft be confefled, that primd facie the 
deaf man feems to have the advantage, 
but a minuter inveftigation will induce us 
perhaps to be lefs confident in our firft 
opinion, The idea of being led from 
place to place is melancholy, and I be- 
lieve has principal weight among the rea- 
fons which induce us to prefer the fitua- 
tion of the deaf: but their dependance, 
though of a different kind, is very nearly | 
as great as the other. TZAey can purfue 
their way unaiced it is true, but ’tis the 
cheerlefs walk of jilence ; they fee the bufy 
ftir of men, are anxious to know the 
meaning of dis hafte or hex alarm, but 
enquire in vain; they are introduced, ag 
at were, by one fenfe to the {cene before 
them, but the motive or deiign of the 
actors, is unknown from the lofs of aa- 
other. Sight will, in moft inftances, 
enable us to efcape from, or prevent thofe 
accidental dangers, which a lofs of it 
would frequentiy expofe to; yet I have 
known a deaf perfon rode ever from not 
hearing the approach of milchief, which 
if beard, a blind one covuid have fhunned, 
In cafe of fre we picture to ourlclyes 
with horror the helplefs fituation. of the 
blind: terrified and alarmed, aware of the 
timpending danger, he is yet unable to 
take advantage of the’ warning, but mutt 
tru(t to the precarious fidelity of attend- 
ants, who, in fuch a fituation, are im- 
pelled, by the ftrongeft law of nature, to 
feek their owz in preference to another's 
prefervation. In fuch an awful {cene, 
however, the deaf man is in imminent 
danger. Night is the feafoa of repofe, 
and thofe who are incapable of Acaring an 
alarm are moft likely to fleep found and 
undifturbed. A friend or fervant may 
cry with the voice of Stentor, or thunder 
at his door, in vain—he fleeps on—or 
only wakes, alas! to /ee, without being 
able to efcape trom the calamity. 
<¢ Horror ubique animos, fimul ipfa filenria 
terrent.” LEN Il, Us 755. 
Ts a blind man fond of books? he can 
fli 
