Control of Instincts, 221 



strained action of those Instincts as a crime, man 

 shows at once, that his governing power is higher in 

 kind, than his animal nature. But if he is wise, he 

 never attempts to entirely check an instinct, but 

 he directs it into the right course and then favors 

 it, to its full activity, in subordination to Reason. 

 And the right course of the appetites and instincts 

 in man, can only be learned by experience. And 

 just in proportion as there is ability to learn by 

 experience, is there chance for loss before the ex- 

 perience comes. Liability to suffering from igno- 

 rance, and ability to improve by experience, are as 

 necessary polarities, in the same being, as capacity 

 for suffering and enjoyment are necessary polarities. 

 As much as one is diminished, so much is the other 

 weakened ; as by weakening the polarity of one 

 end of a magnet, you weaken the other at the same 

 time. As, in man, the ability to profit from expe- 

 rience is at its maximum, because he can avail him- 

 self of the experience of others in the past as Vv-ell 

 as present, so is the danger of loss from ignorance, 

 in following the instincts which in him, are simply 

 impulses, and never fully directive, as they are 

 among the lower animals. They are powerful — 

 must be heeded — but in general need instruction 

 and law to direct them ; both of which, to be of any 

 value, must be simply the echo of experience. 

 They never will be perfect, till they are the true 

 echoes of the best possible experience. 



So then marriage, high and holy as it is, around 

 which all that is most lovely, and pure, and sacred 

 on earth, centres, has its origin in the instinctive 



