250 
WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIEDS. 
gelic man, tlian is the Eagle which stands his supremest an- 
titype. 
In a word, the Artist sees in this Eagle, not a long- winged 
fowl, but the expression of what is most glorious in the ac- 
tion of the physical — ^the living, swift embodiment of all 
sublimest energies in his own soul, taunting its inaction forth 
to know the joy of rushing wings in fields of boundless air. 
Looking on its " powerful grace," a proud emulation stirs 
his life of lives, he feels "the aspiration in him breeding 
wings," and with the tense vision of a will aroused, he'll now 
"out-stare the lightning!" Deeds of Epic grandeur swell 
within his clear, keen thought, and action follows as quick, 
in merciless promptitude, as the fell swoop of the bird ! He 
becomes inspired into the Eagle-man ; and if he do not con- 
quer nations, the bloodless triumphs that he wins to Art are 
far more glorious. His piercing vision glancing down the 
past, everywhere recognizes in its heroes Eagle-men. With 
alert heads, the vaulting beak-like nose, and round, stern eye, 
the mightiest of the world's masters even in the sculptured 
marble, seem as if upon the stoop to soar again among the 
clouds with conquering cries. 
Well may the Artist shout " Eureka " now, for the vital 
clue of art has been revealed to him. He has found that he 
can follow the antitype up from the animal to its type in man, 
and trace it in him with assurance, through certain absolute 
features of physical resemblance. 
Thus, in the vaulted nose he sees the Eagle, but soon discov- 
ers that all birds or men with vaulted beaks are not Eagles ; 
that some are silly parrots, and others filthy carrion-loving 
vultures ! That one short step between the sublime and the 
ridiculous is illustrated to him here, in the ease with which 
a facial line peculiar to the greatest of men may be con- 
founded with that belonging to the meanest. 
The Parrot-man is often mistaken for the Eagle-man ; but 
the Artist observes, that in the face of the driveller the line 
of the nose vaults abruptly like the beak of the parrot, while 
