Life as a Fine Art. 427 



which the mind of man has not fathomed : equally bound- 

 less may be our rational hope. 



Art and Nature, as applied to life, are not antithetical, but 

 supplementary. Art crowns the definite actualities of Na- 

 ture with the halo of infinite hope, and this impels man to 

 higher realizations. " The art that you say adds to Nature 

 is an art that Nature makes." Art is a higher and a truer 

 nature. " If you take a man as he is made by Nature," says 

 Plato, " and compare him with another who is perfected by 

 art, the work of Nature will always appear less beautiful, be- 

 cause art is more accurate than Nature." 



If life seems to you an insoluble problem, cultivate this 

 spirit of rational philosophy and high hope. View life 

 through the artist's eyes. Put behind you the darkness of 

 pessimism and waning hope. Let your philosophy of life 

 be synthetic rather than analytical. Seek for the good in 

 things evil for the truth in creeds antagonistic. Cultivate 

 a large charity for the thoughts of others, while firmly ad- 

 hering to your own convictions of truth. Man's beliefs, too, 

 are products of evolution growths, not manufactures. Un- 

 der all seeming antagonisms lies some germinal form of truth 

 as in a similar semblance of antithesis, Nature finds its 

 most perfect manifestation in art, and liberty its complete 

 fulfillment under law. 



So in ethics : the compulsion of conscience ultimates in 

 the freedom of the spirit ; the sense of obligation is but a 

 step toward the extinction of obligation in willing obedience. 

 The stern mandates of the Ought are not definitive of the 

 last and highest stage in the evolution of conduct. Duty is 

 a school-master, whose control, doubtless, we all yet need, 

 but only as a preparation for the higher university of life 

 wherein ^ natural spontaneity of right action will supersede 

 compulsion wherein we shall serve the right for love of the 

 right, and find in such faithful and willing service our su- 

 premest joy. 



As the wise Goethe hath said : 



Art from Nature's rudeness ever seems to fly, 



Yet, before we think it, they are one again ; 

 My distrust of Nature, too, has passed away : 



Art and Nature draw me by a single chain. 

 Faithful work this only helps the growing life. 



When in love we labor, serving noble Art, 

 Life's horizon broadens deepens with the strife : 



Freely then may Nature glow within the heart. 



