THE PRIDE OF IGNORANCE. 259 



tucle and longitude verifies the belief tliat tlie 

 earth is round, and a hundred other beliefs as 

 well, as to its relation to the sun, its orbit, its 

 nutation, and so forth, through all the long string 

 of its recognized astronomical and cosmical prop- 

 erties. But absolutely ignorant people are alwaj'S 

 to be found, in spite of their own crass inacquaint- 

 ance with the very elements of the abstruse sub- 

 ject, to deny the fact that the earth is round, to 

 dispute the truths about its condition as a planet, 

 and to declare dogmatically tlieir unfounded 

 belief that it occupies the very centre of the 

 universe — a belief wholly incompatible with the 

 due arrival of the tea they drink every morning 

 for breakfast, or the sugar with which they 

 sweeten their whiskey toddy every night at 

 bedtime. 



Another very noteworthy form of the pride of 

 ignorniice is that which assumes the guise of 

 huuii y, and declaims against the supposed intel 

 lectual arrogance and blindness of otiiers. This 

 particular variety of the affection habitually takes 

 a mock-modest shape. You happen to observe of 

 a particular geological specimen, it may be, that 

 it probably dates back (as science has decided) to 

 a couple of million years ago or so. Pride of 

 ignorance is immediately aroused. How can you 

 venture to make such a terrible assertion? It is 

 contrary to your critic's own personal interpreta- 



