II. PINGUICULA. 53 



every statement and every principle is only to be under- 

 stood as true or tenable, respecting the plants which the 

 writer has seen, and which he is sure that the reader 

 can easily see : liable to modification to any extent by 

 wider experience ; but better first learned securely with- 

 in a narrow fence, and afterwards trained or fructified, 

 along more complex trellises. 



7. And indeed my readers at least, my newly found 

 readers must note always that the only power which 

 I claim for any of my books, is that of being right and 

 true as far as they reach. None of them pretend to be 

 Kosmoses ; none to be systems of Positivism or Nega- 

 tivism, on which the earth is in future to swing instead 

 of on its old worn-out poles ; none of them to be works 

 of genius ; none of them to be, more than all true work 

 must be, pious ; and none to be, beyond the power of 

 common people's eyes,* ears, and noses, < aesthetic.' 

 They tell you that the world is so big, and can't be made 

 bigger that you yourself are also so big, and can't be 

 made bigger, however you puff or bloat yourself ; but 

 that, on modern mental nourishment, you may very 

 easily be made smaller. They tell you that two and two 

 are four, that ginger is hot in the mouth, that roses are 

 red, and smuts black. Not themselves assuming to be 



* The bitter sorrow with which I first recognized the extreme rarity 

 of finely-developed organic sight is expressed enough in the lecture 

 on the Mystery of Life, added in the large edition of ' Sesame and 

 Lilies.' 



