Art and Science 



I should not advise any one with ordinary 

 independence of mind to attempt the public 

 ear unless he is confident that he can out-lung 

 and out-last his own generation ; for if he has 

 any force, people will and ought to be on 

 their guard against him, inasmuch as there is 

 no knowing where he may not take them. 

 Besides, they have staked their money on the 

 wrong men so often without suspecting it, 

 that when there comes one whom they do 

 suspect it would be madness not to bet against 

 him. True, he may die before he has out- 

 screamed his opponents, but that has nothing 

 to do with it. If his scream was well pitched 

 it will sound clearer when he is dead. We do 

 not know what death is. If we know so little 

 about life which we have experienced, how 

 shall we know about death which we have not 

 and in the nature of things never can ? 

 Every one, as I said years ago in " Alps and 

 Sanctuaries," is an immortal to himself, for he 

 cannot know that he is dead until he is dead, 

 and when dead how can he know anything 

 about anything ? All we know is, that even 

 the humblest dead may live long after all 



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