VII. 



WHAT IS INSPIRATION? 



THE word " inspiration " furnishes an excellent 

 example of the way in which a whole theory of 

 the universe may be imbedded in an etymology. 

 In its origin the word means a " breathing in," or 

 suggestion from some external source, of thoughts 

 not natural to the writer or speaker. The non- 

 naturalness of the thought is an essential part of 

 the definition, since, if the thought be such as 

 would naturally arise, through ordinary logical or 

 emotional sequence, in the mind of the writer or 

 speaker, there is no reason for referring it to any 

 external source. That thoughts often do come 

 into the mind unbidden, and apparently without 

 any assignable immediate antecedent, is a matter 

 of the commonest experience. From the purpose- 

 less succession of phantasms in idle reverie up 

 to the orderly visions of Milton, the melodious 

 themes of Beethoven, or even the wonderful 

 flashes of insight of Newton or Faraday, we have 

 instances of visual or auditory images, or appro- 



