202 ESSAYS OF A BIOLOGIST 



worthy of another Shaving of Shagpat: we will shave 

 the Absolute. 



The hoary Absolute, enormous and venerable, 

 grey-bearded and grey-locked — he sits enthroned, 

 wielding tremendous power, filling young minds with 

 fear and awe. 



Up, barbers, and at him ! Heat the water of your 

 enthusiasm: lather those disguising appurtenances. 

 See the tufts collapse into the white foam — feel the 

 hairy jungles melt away before your steel ! And at 

 the end, when the last hair falls, you will wipe away 

 the lather, and look upon that face and see — ah, what 

 indeed? 



I will not be so banal as to attempt to describe that 

 sight in detail. You will have seen it already in 

 your mind's eye: "or else" (to quote Mr. Belloc) — 

 "or else you will not; I cannot be positive which.'' 

 If not, you never will; if yes, what need to waste 

 more of the compositor's time? But of him who 

 forges that razor, who arms those barbers, who gives 

 them courage for their colossal task, of him shall a 

 new Lucretius sing. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



Belloc, H. "The Bad Child's Book of Beasts." 

 Bergson, H. "Time and Free-Will." 

 Carroll, L. "Alice in Wonderland." 



"Alice Through the Looking Glass." 



Clerk Maxwell. "Collected Papers." 



