187 



amount of time and earnest thought to the elaboration of the 

 details of their work, which is rarely achieved in these go-ahead 

 times. Their work was like their pace— a walk. They had time to 

 digest every detail of the landscape in their earnest gaze ; we race 

 along by steam, and talk by telegraph and telephone ; but we see 

 so much that we see little long. We see it also superficially and 

 imperfectly, and there is much that we ought to see that we never 

 see at all. 



I am aware that there is a disposition to over-rate Symbolism, 

 and to attach in some quarters too great and over due importance 

 to it. But while we deprecate such exaggeration and extravagance, 

 let us take care that we do not go into the other extreme, and 

 deny it any interest and importance at all. The best security 

 against the abuse of symbols is to study them for ourselves, and 

 learn their true meaning and value. As a means of communicating 

 ideas, as an educational medium, .symbolism owed its usefulness to 

 its faculty of appealing to the sense of sight of an illiterate, but an 

 earnest and devout, people. The spread of education, the increase 

 of schools and churches, has superseded this necessity. Its chief 

 value — and it is very great — lies in the clue it gives to past history. 

 It is not Religion, and it is not Art, but it is a very valuable aid to 

 the study of both. It carries the mind back to remote ages, and 

 raises — be it ever so little — that mysterious veil which enshrouds 

 the story of primeval man. It links the living present with the 

 mighty spirits that have long passed away ; and whilst it strengthens 

 the bonds of a broad, reflecting, and enduring faith in ourselves, it 

 preaches above all things — humility and wide toleration of the 

 opinions of others. 



