第9部分(第7/7 頁)

experiences　I　form　numberless　associations　and　correspondences。　I

observe；　I　feel；　I　think；　I　imagine。　I　associate　the　countless　varied

impressions；　experiences；　concepts。　Out　of　these　materials　Fancy；　the

cunning　artisan　of　the　brain；　welds　an　image　which　the　sceptic　would

deny　me；　because　I　cannot　see　with　my　physical　eyes　the　changeful；

lovely　face　of　my　thought…child。　He　would　break　the　mind's　mirror。　This

spirit…vandal　would　humble　my　soul　and　force　me　to　bite　the　dust　of

material　things。　While　I　champ　the　bit　of　circumstance；　he　scourges　and

goads　me　with　the　spur　of　fact。　If　I　heeded　him；　the　sweet…visaged　earth

would　vanish　into　nothing；　and　I　should　hold　in　my　hand　nought　but　an

aimless；　soulless　lump　of　dead　matter。　But　although　the　body　physical　is

rooted　alive　to　the　Promethean　rock；　the　spirit…proud　huntress　of　the

air　will　still　pursue　the　shining；　open　highways　of　the　universe。

Blindness　has　no　limiting　effect　upon　mental　vision。　My　intellectual

horizon　is　infinitely　wide。　The　universe　it　encircles　is　immeasurable。

Would　they　who　bid　me　keep　within　the　narrow　bound　of　my　meagre　senses

demand　of　Herschel　that　he　roof　his　stellar　universe　and　give　us　back

Plato's　solid　firmament　of　glassy　spheres？　Would　they　mand　Darwin

from　the　grave　and　bid　him　blot　out　his　geological　time；　give　us　back　a

paltry　few　thousand　years？　Oh；　the　supercilious　dou