82 A LIBERAL EDUCATION; IV 



you not think that we should look with a disap- 

 probation amounting to scorn, upon the father who 

 allowed his son, or the state which allowed its 

 members, to grow up without knowing a pawn 

 from a knight ? 



Yet it is a very plain and elementary truth, that 

 the life, the fortune, and the happiness of every 

 one of us, and, more or less, of those who are con- 

 nected with us, do depend upon our knowing 

 something of the rules of a game infinitely more 

 difficult and complicated than chess. It is a game 

 which has been played for untold ages, every man 

 and woman of us being one of the two players in a 

 game of his or her own. The chess-board is the 

 world, the pieces are the phenomena of the 

 universe, the rules of the game are what we call 

 the laws of Nature. The player on the other side 

 is hidden from us. We know that his play is 

 always fair, just and patient. But also we know, 

 to our cost, that he never overlooks a mistake, or 

 makes the smallest allowance for ignorance. To 

 the man who plays -well, the highest stakes are 

 paid, with that sort of overflowing generosity with 

 which the strong shows delight in strength. And 

 one who plays ill is checkmated without haste, 

 but without remorse. 



My metaphor will remind some of you 

 of the famous picture in which Retzsch has 

 depicted Satan playing at chess with man for his 

 soul. Substitute for the mocking fiend in that 



