176 BIRDS AND POETS 



and that one is not? "There may be any number 

 of supremes," says the master, and "one by no means 

 contravenes another." Every gas is a vacuum to 

 every other gas, says Emerson, quoting the scientist; 

 and every great poet complements and leaves the 

 world free to every other great poet. 



Emerson's limitation or fixity is seen also in the 

 fact that he has taken no new step in his own direc- 

 tion, if indeed another step could be taken in that 

 direction and not step off. He is a prisoner on his 

 peak. He cannot get away from the old themes. 

 His later essays are upon essentially the same sub- 

 jects as his first. He began by writing upon nature, 

 greatness, manners, art, poetry, etc. , and he is still 

 writing upon them. He is a husbandman who prac- 

 tices no rotation of crops, but submits to the exhaus- 

 tive process of taking about the same things from 

 his soil year after year. Some readers think they 

 detect a falling ofi'. It is evident there is not the 

 same spontaneity, and that the soil has to be more 

 and more stirred and encouraged, which is not at 

 all to be wondered at. 



But if Emerson has not advanced, he has not 

 receded, at least in conviction and will, which is al- 

 ways the great danger with our bold prophets. The 

 world in which he lives, the themes upon which he 

 writes, never become hackneyed to him. They are 

 always fresh and new. He has hardened, but time 

 has not abated one jot or tittle his courage and hope, 

 ■ — no cynicism and no relaxing of his hold, no decay 

 of his faith, while the nobleness of his tone, the 



