Authors have no right to complain
that their wise books lie unread by the multitude, if they persist in
overlooking the nature of the human mind, and addressing themselves
to what they think it ought to be instead of what it really is. They
expatiate admiringly upon the simplicity and vividness of the style
of Herodotus, and upon the classic taste of the Athenian public in
appreciating him; and then, forgetting that the public of our own day
are quick to admire the same traits, turn to their desks and write their
histories as unlike as possible to him whom they have been praising.
The same repulsive want of Imagination too often characterizes Theology
and Metaphysics, and prevents mankind from receiving the instruction
from works on these topics that they need. In the early days of
man's history, Religion and Philosophy addressed themselves to the
Imagination, and then the people listened to their teachings; but
gradually these heaven-born teachers turned more and more away from
Imagination and towards Thought,--lost themselves in abstractions, dried
up, withered, and changed into Theology and Metaphysics; and then the
people turned wearily away from their words; and were they to blame?
They wanted bread, and only stones were given to them. The multitude
would not have followed the Lord, and listened with admiring wonder
to his instructions, had they not been addressed to the Imagination.
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