Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-01-02
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INTERESTING PSYCHOLOGICAL lNoCl-
RIE*.-In trn,cr's Magazine We ind Il highly III
,srglr;i,c article, whic!i purpor's to be II review Of n
series of e.,ays entitled Psychological Inq"iricH. We
rul! from The review lin which the ESSAYS ARE liberal
" quottLl the following valuable passages:
IpLEXrss ,yD OccrrATioy.-But il, observes En-.
bulus To Ersaf,s. II life OF leisure be painful 10 PEI
-nu. who haze been brought up in id!cucrs-
..Wha: mus, il be n one Ike y"n or me. who 'inNc
advanced beyond the mi,I!!r period q: life, without
hayin. had any experience nj II! This = II" Np"ri-
m:ivr inquiry; il may he answered from ariini "0-
s.rvntinr. Not n few persons who abandon their "ai-
uInvmrnrs under the impression that they will be
happy in doing 40. actually lie OF rnnni. IL INDUCES
bodily Liscas" more than physical or mental labor
Others, indeed, survive the ordeal. But. where the
body does not suffer, the mind often does. ! have
known instances NJ persons whose habits have brru
suddenly changed from those OF great activity 20
those Of no employment nj all, who have been ipr II
:!mc in n state OF mental excitement or hypochondra-
il. bordering on mental alteration. Moreover, !; j.
with the mind ~ II j. with the bOdy-it is srniiri
from want of use, and TIE clever and Intelligent
Young man, who sits down 10 lead wha, is called n
iii. Of leisure. invariably becomes Il stupid oil man"
Trlcr words were never written. Even the retired
,allow-chanGl,r begged, III his despair, Ia I've allowed
To- rcvisi; the establishment which he had left, "n
mer,Rg iGys, and derived some consolation from The
pcrmi>sinu--sGCh consolation Us II ghost may br sup
ro.,I Ia Lr:i"" from haunting. the scene Of il. former
treasurer. But. even refined pursuits will pail On the
intellectual pg!at". Study, drawing, music, writing.
Son.i lose their lr,t: zone cannot always be dancing.
D,wtL.r." ~ the boatrwajn said. No, there mu>, be-
s,m. rrrrrnp,nrv occupations; something that is your
master, 10 give relish 10 the holiday: II yaut cnEirer
r5'r1 jHrdIW.'
Eubulus. after Noticing the pns,imcs % which the
rabhasc-p!anting Diccletiaa and the seli-t!agrllnting
Charles the Fifth were reduced. thus Continues -
.Bu,I suspect thar, in spite OF his m!sfortracs, Lord
Bacon WIS not altogether unhappy while engaged in
completing his philosophical works nnd | cannot
Goub, that H.. VA. much lc-s so than he would have
been il lie had shared the occupations ana amuse-
mcnts OF the EnperOrs.'
To this, Critics objects that Lord Bacon could not
have been wholly and entirely occupied III III" way
mentioned, but that he must It'll haze ha! many
hours of leisure on hi Lnnd-; and Eubuin- repllrs:-
That j. true. \ man IN n profession 'n"$ b" en-
gagrl in professional matters for twelve or fourteen
hours daily, and suffer no very great Inconvenience
hcyonL that which NAV he traced 10 bodily fatigue
The greater part ii what he has I" do lat least !: Ii :"
after a certain amount Of eSrtr!""rcl IS nearly the
4an, H. that which he has done many times before.
ar, becomes almost matter Of course. lie uses no!
ouiv his previous knowledge Of !ncts or his simple
experience. but hi. previous thoughts, ana the con-
.,ln-;nns NJ which he had arrived formerly; ana Il l.
unlv nj, intervals that he IL called upon I" make any
considerable mental eXc:tinn. But AZ every SIP !H
The composition Of ha philosophical works Lord pa
con had 10 think: and 40 on" can b." engaged III 'i!:.
which requires Il sustained "uoF' "i th""-ht 'or NOR"
than n very limited portion u: the twenty iour hours.
Such III nnloui: OF that kind OF occupation mu-'
nave, been quite sufficient even for 80 pnwcrir! Il mind
n. thu, of Lord Bacon. Mental relaxation Aifrr >~-
we're mental vxrr;ion is not les agreeable than hpIi.
IS rrpu-r after bodily labor. \ few hour. Of ten"
mi, lncuial labor viii exhaust the craving inr nc;lv"
employment, end vii! leave the mind in II s'ntr ~
winch ih" -ubtrGuru; leisure (which IS rpt ncccs.a:i'
Is mere iilcuc>sJ will be ne agreeable a. j, would have
been irksomc and painful Othrrwi"e.'