Camilla; or, A Picture of Youth — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Camilla; or, A Picture of Youth
John Stuart Mill · en
Mr. Tyrold, who saw that in this plan the inventor alone could be
disappointed, made no further remonstrance, and communicated the design
to Dr. Orkborne; who, growing now deeply engaged in his own undertaking,
was perfectly indifferent to whom or to what his occasional attendance
might be given.
CHAPTER V
_Schooling of a young Gentleman_
Mrs. Tyrold expressed much astonishment that her husband could afford
any countenance to this new plan. 'Your expectations from it,' she
cried, 'can be no higher than my own; you have certainly some influence
with your brother; why, then, will you suffer him thus egregiously to
expose himself?'
'I cannot protect his pride,' answered Mr. Tyrold, 'at the expence of
his comfort. His faculties want some object, his thoughts some
employment. Inaction bodily and intellectual pervading the same
character, cannot but fix disgust upon every stage and every state of
life. Vice alone is worse than such double inertion. Where mental vigour
can be kept alive without offence to religion and virtue, innocence as
well as happiness is promoted; and the starter of difficulties with
regard to the means which point to such an end, inadvertently risks
both. To save the mind from preying inwardly upon itself, it must be
encouraged to some outward pursuit. There is no other way to elude
apathy, or escape discontent; none other to guard the temper from that
quarrel with itself, which ultimately ends in quarrelling with all
mankind.'
'But may you not, by refusing to send him your son, induce him to seek
recreation in some more rational way?'
'Recreation, my dear Georgiana, must be spontaneous. Bidden pleasures
fly the perversity of our tastes. Let us take care, then, scrupulously,
of our duties, but suffer our amusements to take care of themselves. A
project, a pastime, such as this, is, at least, as harmless as it is
hopeless, since the utmost sport of wit, or acrimony of malice, can only
fasten a laugh upon it: and how few are the diversions of the rich and
indolent that can so lightly be acquitted!'
Lionel, the new young student, speedily, though but little to her
satisfaction, abetted the judgment of his mother. He was no sooner
summoned to Cleves, than, enchanted to find himself a fellow-pupil with
his uncle, he conceived the highest ideas of his own premature genius:
and when this vanity, from the avowed ignorance of the artless baronet,
subsided, it was only replaced by a sovereign contempt of his new
associate. He made the most pompous display of his own little
acquirements; he took every opportunity to ask questions of Sir Hugh
which he knew he could not answer; and he would sometimes, with an arch
mock solemnity, carry his exercise to him, and beg his assistance.