deal as I should have put it myself。
Now； then；the Master continued；I 'll tell you what is necessary
to all these artistic idiosyncrasies to bring them into good square
human relations outside of the special province where their ways
differ from those of other people。 I am going to illustrate what I
mean by a comparison。 I don't know； by the way； but you would be
disposed to think and perhaps call me a wine…bibber on the strength
of the freedom with which I deal with that fluid for the purposes of
illustration。 But I make mighty little use of it； except as it
furnishes me an image now and then； as it did； for that matter； to
the Disciples and their Master。 In my younger days they used to
bring up the famous old wines； the White…top； the Juno； the Eclipse；
the Essex Junior； and the rest； in their old cobwebbed； dusty
bottles。 The resurrection of one of these old sepulchred dignitaries
had something of solemnity about it； it was like the disinterment of
a king； the bringing to light of the Royal Martyr King Charles I。；
for instance； that Sir Henry Halford gave such an interesting account
of。 And the bottle seemed to inspire a personal respect； it was
wrapped in a napkin and borne tenderly and reverently round to the
guests； and sometimes a dead silence went before the first gush of
its amber flood； and
〃The boldest held his breath
For a time。〃
But nowadays the precious juice of a long…dead vintage is transferred
carefully into a cut…glass decanter； and stands side by side with the
sherry from a corner grocery； which looks just as bright and
apparently thinks just as well of itself。 The old historic Madeiras；
which have warmed the periods of our famous rhetoricians of the past
and burned in the impassioned eloquence of our earlier political
demigods； have nothing to mark them externally but a bit of thread；
it may be； round the neck of the decanter； or a slip of ribbon； pink
on one of them and blue on another。
Go to a London club；perhaps I might find something nearer home that
would serve my turn；but go to a London club； and there you will see
the celebrities all looking alike modern； all decanted off from their
historic antecedents and their costume of circumstance into the
every…day aspect of the gentleman of common cultivated society。 That
is Sir Coeur de Lion Plantagenet in the mutton…chop whiskers and the
plain gray suit； there is the Laureate in a frockcoat like your own；
and the leader of the House of Commons in a necktie you do not envy。
That is the kind of thing you want to take the nonsense out of you。
If you are not decanted off from yourself every few days or weeks；
you will think it sacrilege to brush a cobweb from your cork by and
by。 O little fool； that has published a little book full of little
poems or other sputtering tokens of an uneasy condition； how I love
you for the one soft nerve of special sensibility that runs through
your exiguous organism； and the one phosphorescent particle in your
unilluminated intelligence！ But if you don't leave your spun…sugar
confectionery business once in a while； and come out among lusty
men；the bristly； pachydermatous fellows that hew out the highways
for the material progress of society； and the broad…shouldered； out…
of…door men that fight for the great prizes of life；you will come
to think that the spun…sugar business is the chief end of man； and
begin to feel and look as if you believed yourself as much above
common people as that personage of whom Tourgueneff says that 〃he had
the air of his own statue erected by national subscription。〃
The Master paused and fell into a deep thinking fit； as he does
sometimes。 He had had his own say； it is true； but he had
established his character as a listener to my own perfect
satisfaction； for I； too； was conscious of having preached with a
certain prolixity。
I am always troubled when I think of my very limited mathematical
capacities。 It seems as if every well…organized mind should be able
to handle numbers and quantities through their symbols to an
indefinite extent； and yet； I am puzzled by what seems to a clever
boy with a turn for calculation as plain as counting his fingers。 I
don't think any man feels well grounded in knowledge unless he has a
good basis of mathematical certainties； and knows how to deal with
them and apply them to every branch of knowledge where they can come
in to advantage。
Our Young Astronomer is known for his mathematical ability； and I
asked him what he thought was the difficulty in the minds that are
weak in that particular direction； while they may be of remarkable
force in other provinces of thought； as is notoriously the case with
some men of great distinction in science。
The young man smiled and wrote a few letters and symbols on a piece
of paper。…Can you see through that at once？he said。
I puzzled over it for some minutes and gave it up。
He said； as I returned it to him； You have heard military men say
that such a person had an eye for country； have n't you？ One man
will note all the landmarks； keep the points of compass in his head；
observe how the streams run； in short； carry a map in his brain of
any region that he has marched or galloped through。 Another man
takes no note of any of these things； always follows somebody else's
lead when he can； and gets lost if he is left to himself； a mere owl
in daylight。 Just so some men have an eye for an equation； and would
read at sight the one that you puzzled over。 It is told of Sir Isaac
Newton that he required no demonstration of the propositions in
Euclid's Geometry； but as soon as he had read the enuciation the
solution or answer was plain at once。 The power may be cultivated；
but I think it is to a great degree a natural gift； as is the eye for
color； as is the ear for music。
I think I could read equations readily enough；I said；if I could
only keep my attention fixed on them； and I think I could keep my
attention on them if I were imprisoned in a thinking…cell； such as
the Creative Intelligence shapes for its studio when at its divinest
work。
The young man's lustrous eyes opened very widely as he asked me to
explain what I meant。
What is the Creator's divinest work？I asked。
Is there anything more divine than the sun； than a sun with its
planets revolving about it； warming them； lighting them； and giving
conscious life to the beings that move on them？
You agree； then； that conscious life is the grand aim and end of
all this vast mechanism。 Without life that could feel and enjoy； the
splendors and creative energy would all be thrown away。 You know
Harvey's saying； omnia animalia ex ovo；all animals come from an
egg。 You ought to know it； for the great controversy going on about
spontaneous generation has brought it into special prominence lately。
Well； then； the ovum； the egg； is； to speak in human phrase； the
Creator's more private and sacred studio； for his magnum opus。 Now；
look at a hen's egg； which is a convenient one to study； because it
is large enough and built solidly enough to look at and handle
easily。 That would be the form I would choose for my thinking…cell。
Build me an oval with smooth； translucent walls； and put me in the
centre of it with Newton's 〃Principia〃 or Kant's 〃Kritik；〃 and I
think I shall develop 〃an eye for an equation；〃 as you call it； and a
capacity for an abstraction。
But do tell me；said the Astronomer； a little incredulously；what
there is in that particular form which is going to help you to be a
mathematician or a metaphysician？
It is n't help I want； it is removing hindrances。 I don't want to
see anything to draw off my attention。 I don't want a cornice； or an
angle； or anything but a containing curve。 I want diffused light and
no single luminous centre to fix my eye； and so distract my mind from
its one object of contemplation。 The metaphysics of attention have
hardly been sounded to their depths。 The mere fixing the look on any
single object for a long time may produce very strange effects。
Gibbon's well…known story of the monks of Mount Athos and their
contemplative practice is often laughed over； but it has a meaning。
They were to shut the door of the cell； recline the beard and chin on
the breast； and contemplate the abdominal centre。
〃At first all will be dark and comfortless； but if you persevere day
and night； you will feel an ineffable joy； and no sooner has the soul
discovered the place of the heart； than it is involved in a mystic
and ethereal light。〃 And Mr。 Braid produces absolute anaesthesia；
so that surgical operations can be performed without suffering to the
patient； only by making him fix his eyes and his mind on a single
object； and Newton is said to have said； as you remember； 〃I keep the
subject constantly before me； and wait till the first dawnings open
slowly by little and little into a full and clear light。〃 These are
different； but certainly very wonderful； instances of what can be
done by attention。 But now suppose that your mind is in its nature
discursive； erratic； subject to electric attractions and repulsions；
volage； it may be impossible for you to compel your attention except
by tak