PREFACE. 15 



" Are my thoughts really free?" No one values more 

 highly than I do the advantage of a free press. But 

 you must remember always that a newspaper editor, 

 however honest or able, is no more infallible than the 

 Pope; that he may, just as you may, only see one side 

 of a question, while any question is sure to have two 

 sides, or perhaps three or four; and if you only see 

 the side which suits you, day after day, month after 

 month, you must needs become bigoted to it. Your 

 thoughts must needs run in one groove. They cannot 

 (as Mr. Matthew Arnold would say) "play freely round" 

 a question; and look it all over, boldly, patiently, 

 rationally, charitably. 



And I tell you that if you, or I, or any man, want 

 to let our thoughts play freely round questions, and so 

 escape from the tendency to become bigoted and narrow- 

 minded which there is in every human being, then we 

 must acquire something of that inductive habit of mind 

 which the study of Natural Science gives. It is, after 

 all, as Professor Huxley says, only common sense well 

 regulated. But then it is well regulated; and how 

 precious it is, if you can but get it. The art of seeing, 

 the art of knowing what you see; the art of comparing, 

 of perceiving true likenesses and true differences, and 

 so of classifying and arranging what you see: the art 

 of connecting facts together in your own mind in 

 chains of cause and effect, and that accurately, patiently, 

 calmly, without prejudice, vanity, or temper this is 

 what is wanted for true freedom of mind. But ac- 

 curacy, patience, freedom from prejudice, carelessness 

 for all except the truth, whatever the truth may be 

 are not these the virtues of a truly free spirit? Then, 

 as I said just now, I know no study so able to give 



