36 LI BE AND HABIT. 



We do not feel that it increases the glory of a king 

 or great nobleman that he should excel in what is 

 commonly called science. Certainly he should not go 

 further than Prince Eupert's drops. Nor should he 

 excel in music, art, literature, or theology — all which 

 things are more or less parts of science. He should be 

 above them all, save in so far as he can without effort 

 reap renown from the labours of others. It is a Idche 

 in him that he should write music or books, or paint 

 pictures at all ; but if he must do so, his work should 

 be at best contemptible. Much as we must condemn 

 Marcus Aurelius, we condemn James I. even more 

 severely. 



It is a pity there should exist so general a confusion 

 of thought upon this subject, for it may be asserted 

 without fear of contradiction that there is hardly any 

 form of immorality now rife which produces more dis- 

 astrous effects upon those who give themselves up to it, 

 and upon society in general, than the so-called science of 

 those who know that they know too well to be able to 

 know truly. With very clever people — the people 

 who know that they know — it is much as with the 

 members of the early Corinthian Church, to whom St. 

 Paul wrote, that if they looked their numbers over, 

 they would not find many wise, nor powerful, nor well- 

 born people among them. Dog-fanciers tell us that 

 performing dogs never carry their tails ; such dogs have 

 eaten of the tree of knowledge, and are convinced of 

 sin accordingly — they know that they know things, in 

 respect of which, therefore, they are no longer under 

 grace, but under the law, and they have yet so much 



