176 BIRDS AND POETS 
and that one is not? ‘‘There may be any number 
of supremes,” says the master, and “one by no means 
contravenes another.” Every gas is a vacuum to 
every other gas, says Emerson, quoting the scientist , 
and every great poet complements and leaves the 
world free to every other great poet. 
Emerson’s limitation or fixity is seen also in the 
fact that he has taken no new step in his own direc- 
tion, if indeed another step could be taken in that 
direction and not step off. He is a prisoner on his 
peak. He cannot get away from the old’ themes, 
His later essays are upon essentially the same sub- 
jects as his first. He began by writing upon nature, 
greatness, manners, art, poetry, etc., and he is still 
writing upon them. He is a husbandman who prac- 
tices no rotation of crops, but submits to the exhaus- 
tive process of taking about the same things from 
his soil year after year. Some readers think they 
detect a falling off. It is evident there is not the 
same spontaneity, and that the soil has to be more 
and more stirred and encouraged, which is not at 
all to be wondered at. 
But if Emerson has not advanced, he has not 
receded, at least in conviction and will, which is al- 
ways the great danger with our bold prophets. The 
world in which he lives, the themes upon which he 
writes, never become hackneyed to him. ‘They are 
always fresh and new. He has hardened, but time 
has not abated one jot or tittle his courage and hope, 
—no cynicism and no relaxing of his hold, no decay 
of his faith, while the nobleness of his tone, the 
