CONCLUSION: BEADING, WRITING, AND SPEAKING 73 



translator as a physicist. For the sake of English readers, 

 a similar experiment has just been made, the results of 

 which are given in Appendix III. A passage from Professor 

 W. James's Talks to Teachers on Psychology, dealing with 

 the laws of habit, was translated into Ido by Professor 

 Couturat, and the Ido text retranslated into English by 

 Mr. P. D. Hugon in London, who was unacquainted with 

 the original. A comparison of the two English texts demon- 

 strates the marvellous lucidity of Ido as a medium for the 

 transmission of thought without distortion. 



Two things are indispensable for the realisation of a great 

 idea. In the first place, the idea must, as regards its nature 

 and value, have a rational foundation, and its possibility 

 must be demonstrated. In the second place, there must be 

 present courage, energy, and persevering devotion in order 

 to realise practically that which has been recognised to be 

 right and good. No amount of energy, however great, can 

 produce a lasting result from a mistaken idea ; but at the 

 same time nothing great has ever been accomplished by 

 doubters and pessimists. The readers of our brochure will 

 concede to us that the idea of an international auxiliary 

 language and its realisation by means of the language of 

 the Delegation have in the foregoing chapters* been fully 

 examined in the cold light of reason and shown to be good 

 and practicable, whilst the appendices will enable'this opinion 

 to be experimentally tested and confirmed. Now that the 

 head has done its work, the heart, the source of courage 

 and devotion, must do its part. We have full confidence, 

 therefore, in calling upon the representatives of science, who 

 have followed us so far, to assist us in the work, in the first 

 place by joining the Uniono di I'Amiki di la Lingvo Interna- 

 ciona and by making its labours known. This step can 

 be taken also by those who do not see in the language as 

 at present constituted the final and best solution of the 

 problem, for before one can reach the topmost heights one 



