PROLEGOMENON. 



A PROLEGOMENON, Proem, or Preface to any production 

 of the human mind is defined by lexicographers to be 

 " preliminary observations to a book," " introductory re- 

 marks or discourse prefixed to a book," or treatise inform- 

 ing the reader or hearer of the "main design," or whatever 

 is necessary to the understanding of the discourse, book, or 

 essay. A Preface, then, ought to be an epitome, a con- 

 densation, of the soul or substance of that which is to follow, 

 a shadow cast before; at least a bird's-eye view of the 

 field, or photograph under clearest light of the production 

 itself. In the nature of things, is this possible ? Can a leaf 

 preface a tree ? a tree preface a forest ? or a rock preface 

 a mountain ? If the book, essay, or discourse told its own 

 story, why a twice-told tale, in the shape of a preface, to 

 give the " burden of its song," " main design," " introduc- 

 tory remarks," or whatever is necessary to the understand- 

 ing of the same ? To speak a word, to tell a fact, to articu- 

 late any secret of the universe, truly and forever, seems to 

 be the great trouble with all books, essays, and discourses. 

 " To speak and to create are one to the Infinite :" for light 

 to be, it is only necessary to say, "Let there be light;" but 

 for man, the finite, poor man ! ! when he speaks, there is 

 mumbling and confusion ; the idea and the symbol, the 

 thought and its dress the word, can scarcely get together: 

 his efforts to create light are generally followed by a pain- 

 ful visibility of his own darkness. The flirtations of the 

 word and the spirit have always been calamitous : witness 

 the reign of horrors and barbarisms in the history of the 

 soul in the past, and even in the present hour, with every 



