_There is more Objection made to promoting People to important
Employments on account of their Youth, than there ought to be._
XXXVIII. As in the use of their potential or intellectual faculties, some
give early tokens of dulness or perverseness, and others display bright
tokens of commendable and useful talents; which render it probable, that
the state would prevent great mischiefs by the early chastisements of
the first, and that it would reap great benefits by the timely favouring
and encouraging the virtuous bodings of the second; as there are young
men, who in prudence and understanding excell those who are much further
advanced in years. If such, in the prime of their lives, were promoted
to fill posts of importance, the state would for a long time, reap
the benefit of their good administration: whereas, by deferring their
advancement till they grow old, this benefit is but of short duration.
The most learned and penetrating society of Jesuits, at the age of
thirty-eight, raised to the high post of Prepositor-general of their
Order, Father Claudius Acquaviva. Who can entertain a doubt, but that in
so extensive a society, there were many men further advanced in life,
possessed of all the requisites for the well-discharging the duties of
such an office? But notwithstanding this, Father Acquaviva, at this age,
was preferred to all the others, to fill this important station; this was
done, either because he possessed the requisite qualities for discharging
the duties of the office in a more eminent degree than the others, or
because, although they might be equal to him in talents, there was a
probability of their enjoying the fruits of his excellent government for
a much longer time, than they were likely to enjoy the benefit of the
services of those who were further advanced in life; in which expectation
it turned out afterwards that they were not disappointed. The famous
Servita Fray Pablo Sarpi was made Provincial of his Religion, at the
age of twenty-seven. The portentous talents of that young man, gave
just reason for their electing him, and their judgment in doing so, was
afterwards confirmed by the sentiments of the republic; who appointed
him, contrary to their ordinary practice, at about the same period his
own society conferred this honour on him, their Counsellor. It is true,
that this extraordinary favour of the republic, was very injurious to
the religious character of Father Sarpi, for he engaged with such warmth
in defence of the state, against the pretensions of the Apostolic See,
that only in his habit of a friar, he preserved the appearance of being a
Catholic.
XXXIX. He who at thirty, has the discretion that people commonly have
at fifty, when he arrives at the age of forty, will have a discretion,
much superior to that of the bulk of mankind. And this exceeding will
be greater still, if from the age of thirty, he begins to exercise his
talents in public business, as he will go on improving them more and more
every day by his practice. Why then should not the state encourage the
cultivation of a soil, which is capable of producing so much for their
service? Or why should they lose any part of the copious fruit, that may
be produced from such a stock?
XL. To this reasoning I shall add, that when there is an equality of
intellectual talents, the middle age should be preferred to the more
advanced, for that is the time, in which the faculties of both body and
mind are in their full vigour, which are things of great importance, in
the good administration or execution of public business. What might be
gained by the experience of a man who has had a great deal of practice;
if he happens only to begin to act at a time of life when his faculties
are on the decline, may be overbalanced by the loss that would be
sustained by the languid execution of his designs. I am persuaded that
the miscarriages of Cyrus, Pompey, and other famous warriors in their
advanced state of life, who had always been conquerors in the days of
their youth and vigour, was owing to no other cause but this; and am of
opinion, that they attributed to a falling-off of fortune, what only
resulted from a decadence of their robustness, and the activity of their
minds.
XLI. It may perhaps be objected to what I have been advancing, that it is
in but here and there a rare instance, that this doctrine of mine will
apply, for that it is very uncommon to meet in an early time of life,
with a man of equal ability, to one who is more advanced in years; and
that if I only mean to recommend, that in these rare instances, they
shall have the preference given them, I have been beating my brains to
little purpose; for that this is already an established practice; and
there is no man who has observed the world with any attention, who is not
convinced, that we have had here and there an instance, of a young man
being preferred to one more advanced in years?
XLII. But to this, I reply in the first place, that admitting, in
these particular cases, what is just and proper has been done, it does
not follow from thence, that the doctrine we have been laying down is
useless; for although our arguments on this head may be unnecessary as an
instruction to those who have the dispensation of employments, they may
be of use by way of reproof or correction, to grumblers and complainers.
A young man scarce ever attains any honour or preferment, but a thousand
old unprofitable ones murmur at it, and not only a thousand old ones who
are useless, but the majority of the young ones also; who by being of
about the same standing in life, are stimulated to shew resentment, by
the fire of emulation.
XLIII. We shall answer secondly, that a young man’s excelling old ones in
understanding and judgment, is nothing near so uncommon as is generally
imagined, but is rather a thing which we experience very frequently.
There is scarce a community consisting of twenty or thirty individuals,
where we do not see a particular young man, better informed, and more
capable than many of the old ones. This proceeds, from the temperaments
of men having generally a greater effect on the faculties of their
minds, than their ages. The exceeding that a man experiences in himself
in this respect at fifty years of age, and at thirty-five, is seldom
very considerable, and will rarely be perceptible, if he has not passed
the last fifteen years, from a life of much indolence, to one of much
application. On the contrary, the exceeding there is between some men
and others on account of their different temperaments and geniuses, is
enormous. We every day see those, who from their aptness at acquiring
every science and faculty, will become adepts in them, in a quarter part
of the time, that others are obliged to employ in hard study to attain
them.
XLIV. From this great difference in the temperaments and genius of
individuals, spring those prodigious advances of some young men in
literary attainments, which are frequently not equalled, by those who
have studied till eighty. Such for example as John Pico de Mirandola,
the Scotch man Jacob Creighton, the Spaniard Fernando de Cordoba, Gaspar
Scioppius, Hugo Grotius, Spanolito who is now the wonder of Paris, and
others. We might add to these examples many more, which are not so
well known, but which are not less extraordinary; but we shall content
ourselves with pointing out two, that are the most striking ones. The
first is Gustavus de Helmfeld, the son of a Swedish Senator, who at ten
years of age, could speak twelve Languages, the Swedish, the Muscovite,
the Polish, the French, the Spanish, the Italian, the German, the
Flemish, the English, the Latin, the Greek, and the Hebrew; he besides
had a knowledge of philosophy, and a tincture of that of theology, and
also understood some parts of the mathematics.
XLV. But the prodigious child, that was born at Lubec in 1721, and died
in 1725, exceeded every thing we have hitherto heard of. His name was
Christian Henry Heneiken. The relation I shall give of him, is taken
from the first volume of the Memoirs of Trevoux of 1731, into which it
was copied, from the accounts we have had of him from various authors of
the same city and country, all of whom were esteemed men of the greatest
credit and veracity. This surprizing child, at ten months old begun to
speak, and at twelve, understood the principal events contained in the
Pentateuch; and at thirteen, those of the history of the Old Testament;
at fourteen those of the New; and at two years of age, he answered
pertinently to any questions that were asked him, concerning antient or
modern history, and likewise, with respect to geography. He very soon
after, began to speak Latin with ease, and immediately upon that, French
also. Before he entered into his fourth year, he knew the genealogies of
the principal houses in Europe, and explained sensibly and judiciously,
many sentences and passages of holy scripture. He soon after this,
learned to write, at a time when he was scarce able to hold the pen. He
abhorred all other aliment except milk, which must always be that of the
nurse who first begun to suckle him; so that he was not weaned till a few
months before his death. He was of a very delicate frame, and frequently
visited with sickness. And at length, on the 27th of June, 1725, he died;
filling with astonishment all those who knew him, at the constancy and
heroic resignation he shewed through the whole course of his sickness,
till the period, that he surrendered his soul into the hands of his
Creator.
XLVI. I am very well aware, that the circumstances of this history may
have been exaggerated, but I do not find any thing impossible in them.
Who knows the ultimate bounds, to which the ability of man may extend?
Perhaps there may be none assigned to it, but that it may continue to
increase more and more, and that the limits of its extension have never
yet been fixed or assigned. With respect to his essential perfection, all
philosophers and theologians agree, that no creature was ever so perfect,
but that God may create another still more perfect. Why then with regard
to accidental perfection in the same species, do we not see the same
thing? Our gross mode of reasoning, is apt to confine possibility within
the narrow limits of our experience. That which we never saw, we imagine
can never happen; as if in the little which God has been pleased to
present to our view, is displayed the utmost extent of the omnipotent
power. Setting bounds to possibility, is setting them to the operations
of the all powerful.
XLVII. I agree, that our assent to the existence of a thing, should
not be extended so far, as not to be confined within less bounds, than
the immense space of possibility; letting our belief be regulated by
probability, is much safer, than letting it extend to possibilities;
possibility, can only be measured by the extent of the divine power;
probability, may be guided and limited by the force and credibility
of testification. Thus he would act prudently, who with respect to the
history of the child of Lubec, should reject a good portion of the
circumstances, but still admit enough of them, to render the story a most
wonderful one, the like of which, had never been known in former ages;
as it is not probable, that the authors who were the countrymen of the
child, should lie exorbitantly, in a case where if they had deviated
greatly from the truth, it was in the power of thousands of living
witnesses to have convicted them of the imposture.
XLVIII. From the beforementioned examples, and an infinite number of
others that might be instanced, may be inferred, the enormous difference
there is between some souls and others, which difference, is owing
solely to a difference of temperament; compared to which, that produced
by a disparity of age, is very small, even if we compute it from early
manhood, to the period of decadence. The result of my own observation,
with the exception of here and there a rare instance, is, that those who
at thirty years old are dull, will always be dull; that those who at
that age are imprudent, will always be imprudent; and that those who at
thirty, in matters of argument or conversation, do not talk pertinently,
or reason well, will never reason well. I do not however deny, that
cultivation will not improve both men and plants, but it will never make
thorns bear grapes, or brambles figs.
XLIX. I think there seems now to remain but one objection for me to
answer out of all those that have been urged to what I have advanced; and
that is, that although admitting some have a great natural superiority
of talents compared to others; still, the impetuosity and fire which
commonly prevails in the flower of a man’s youth, is apt to have a
pernicious effect on his conduct. Granted. But besides the exceptions to
this rule being infinite, as we every day see youths, who are very sedate
and discreet; and to which we may add, that there is another passion very
predominant in old people that is productive of much more mischief in
public affairs, than the fire or impetuosity of youth; I mean the vice of
avarice, in the operations of which, there is not a moment’s relaxation;
on the contrary, the passion of anger, is only apt to be excited by
particular accidents, and when the ebullitions of choler abate or
subside, they are succeeded by long intervals of calm and tranquillity.
Anger is a transitory fury, or a fever of short duration, whose attacks
are sudden, and last but for a little while, and which in a moderate
space of time vanish and disappears; but avarice is a harpy, that has
nested itself in the heart, and is a dropsy of the soul, which increases
and grows worse every day. The first, now and then disturbs and irritates
the moral temper of man; the other, vitiates all his actions, because its
venomous influence ever exists. The first grows weaker every day, and is
enfeebled by its own exertions; the other, is incessantly gaining new
strength, and becoming more powerful, _vires acquirit eundo_; so that
avarice contrary to the ordinary course of nature, is by so much the more
vigorous, by so much the older it grows; it is a passion, that not only
acts in cold blood, but acts with so much the more activity, the colder
the blood grows; and hence it is, that its mischiefs are not only greater
than those produced by anger; but they are also much more incurable. Thus
if the infirmities incident to youth, are pernicious in those who occupy
posts of importance in the public line, those that are attendant on old
age are much more so.