XXIII. 



THE PllIDE OF IGNORANCE. 



We often hear a great deal about tlie pride of 

 knowledge or tlie pride of intellect ; and perhaps 

 knowledge and intellect sometimes are proud, 

 though, to be sure, tliose who have mixed most 

 with the really greatest and wisest men generally 

 find iheni marked instead by profound modesty, 

 deep humility, Jind extreme caution in the exjjres- 

 sion of opinion. But people do not usually lay 

 enough stress upon that opposite and singularly 

 topsy-turvy form of pride, the pride of ignoiance, 

 which nevertheless does really exist and flourish 

 amongst us in a very high degree of development 

 and perfection. Nothing is commoner than to 

 hear the hard-headed practical man plume him- 

 self openly upon his own undisguised want of 

 knowledge. "Scientific people will tell yf)U so- 

 and-so," he says, patronizingly, with a little depre- 

 catory wave of his hand, like Mr. Podsnap ; '^ I 

 dare say they're quite right. They may be ; I 

 know nothing about it. But, for my part, Vm 

 not in the least scientific. I don't pretend to 

 know anything at all upon the subject." And then 



252 



