in perpetual victory. As certainly as water falls in rain on the tops of mountains and runs down into valleys, plains, and pits, so does thought fall first on the best minds, and runs down from class to class until it reaches the masses and works revolutions." 1 Touching this speculation even Buckle is among the prophets: "It is always the case that practical statesmen only apply and work out ideas which have long before been suggested by more advanced thinkers." 2 Yes, if the disorders of the world are ever to be rectified, it must be through the operations of Mind-by the power and influence of brave and noble thinking. "Let us proclaim," says Whitman, "that the slightest song - tune, the countless ephemera of passion aroused by orators and taletellers, are more dense, more weighty, than the engines there in the great factories, or the granite blocks in their foundations." 3 But the process is a very slow one. Moses and the Prophets, one is sometimes disposed to think, are little more regarded by the masses (either the welldressed or the ill-dressed) than if they were a company of bill-posters. Yet the Human Race can have no rational and abiding hope but in Moses and the Prophets-modern, of course, as

1 The Man of Letters,' Vol. x. p. 239.

2 History of Civilisation,' Vol. ii. p. 349. Which admission, by the way, greatly modifies his theory of the insignificance of the Individual in History, and goes far to render any attempted anticipation or surmise of historic movements little more than a sport of the fancy. Should a man of first-rate ability and character appear amongst our leaders even at the present time (1908, Campbell-Bannerman Administration), he might do great things not only for Great Britain, but for the British Empire and for the World at large. Having no such leader, our Country has neither an objective nor a rational policy concerning anything, and staggers along whithersoever Time and want of rational purpose may carry it. (We now (1924) know that this diagnosis was all too correct.) 3 Democratic Vistas,' p. 54.

well as ancient. The Pen, badly used, may be deadlier than the Sword; but well used, it may become a kind of Fountain of Life. A low author may be a minister of the Bottomless Pit; a high author may be as an Angel of Light bringing blessings to Mankind.

244

CHAPTER X.

NECESSITY OF LUCIDITY IN LITERATURE.

1. All writers should energise for the Salvation and Delectation of Smith and Brown.-It stands to reason that a story or theme of any kind should be of high interest and importance in order to warrant the labour and expense of setting it forth in hundreds or thousands of printed pages; and it stands no less to reason that it should possess those virtues in order to warrant the laying of any claim for it to the attention of the world. Together with high quality of thought, every piece of Literature should be characterised by perspicuity of arrangement and by pure lucidity of expression.

"The

2. The Virtue of Lucidity.-This doctrine has been widely recognised. Thus Aristotle: virtue of diction consists in being perspicuous.” 1 Quintilian: "We should study not only to be understood in what we write and speak, but to make it impossible for the attentive to misunderstand us." 2 Let all the occultists and obscurantists consider it. Cervantes: "Study to express your thoughts and to set them in the truest light, labouring as much as possible not to leave them dark or intricate, but clear and intelligible."

1 'Poetics,' chap. xxii.

"3

* Quoted by Beattie, 'Elements of Moral Science,' Vol. ii. p. 283. 'Don Quixote,' Preface.

66

Locke: "Propriety of speech is that which gives our thoughts entrance into other men's minds with the greatest ease and advantage." 1 Johnson : Truth, indeed, is always truth, and reason is always reason. but good may be so concealed in baser matter that only a chymist can recover it sense may be so hidden in unrefined and plebeian words that none but philosophers can distinguish it and both may be so buried in impurities as not to pay the cost of their extraction. The diction being the vehicle of the thoughts, first presents itself to the intellectual eye: and if the first appearance offends, a further knowledge is not often sought. Whatever professes to benefit by pleasing must please at once. The pleasures of the mind imply something sudden and unexpected: that which elevates must always surprise. What is perceived by slow degrees may gratify us with the consciousness of improvement, but will never strike with the sense of pleasure." 2 Lord Kames : 66 Perspicuity ought not to be sacrificed to any other beauty whatever if it should be doubted whether perspicuity be a positive beauty, it cannot be doubted that the want of it is the greatest defect." 3 Campbell: "The least obscurity, ambiguity, or confusion in the style instantly removes the attention from the sentiment to the expression, and the hearer endeavours by the aid of reflection to correct the imperfections of the speaker's language." 4 Carlyle: Clearness of sight we have called the foundation of all talent; for, in fact, unless we see our object, how shall we know how to place or prize it in our understanding, our imagination,

1 'Essay,' Bk. iii., ii. 11.

2 'Works,' Vol. iii. p. 193.

3

'Elements of Criticism,' Vol. ii. p. 19.

• The Philosophy of Rhetoric,' p. 303; also pp. 311 et seq.

our affections?" 1 Newman: "The primary duty of a literary man is to have clear conceptions, and to be exact and intelligible in expressing them." 2 (I wish he had been as sensible touching Theology!) Poe rightly reminds his readers that it is the many who stand in need of Salvation.3 All writers should tenaciously remember this truth, and resolutely energise for the Salvation and for the delectation of Smith and Brown. Also, we shall especially take the liberty of valuing a philosopher or a theologian in proportion to the worth of his pronouncements to Smith and Brown-who should be the desired nurslings and pupils of all philosophers and theologians. Smith and Brown have the first claim upon all wise men's attention. All wise men (in so far as they are wise) endeavour to shape their discourse for the easy apprehension of wayfaring persons. “He who hath ears to hear, let him hear," is the keynote of their discourse. Under this reasonable requisition of lucidity we immediately get rid of a great many books.

3. The speech of intelligent purpose and clear thought is alone worthy of utterance.-No speech but that which proceeds from intelligent purpose and clear thought can possibly be worth the utterance. If you find yourself without intelligent purpose and without clear thought concerning any subject whatever, it is most indubitably your plain duty not to speak about it beyond asking for information. The universal acceptance even of this one precept would have saved us from distracting myriads of books of philosophy, theology, pseudo-science, poetry, history, and general literature, with which the world has been en

1 'Crit. and Misc. Essays,' Vol. i. p. 276.

24 Grammar of Assent,' pp. 18-19.

3 'Works,' Vol. iii. p. 314.