“And so am I, with laughing at it. Ah! my sage brother, every man thinks that perfection, that he is himself—that the only knowledge that he possesses—and that the only pleasure that he pursues. Trust me, there are as many ways of living as there are men, and one is no more fit to lead another, than a bird to lead a fish, or a fish a quadruped.”
“You would make a strange world, were you the queen of it,” said Hermachus, laughing.
“Just as strange, and no stranger than it is at present. For why? I should take it as I found it, and leave it as I found it. ’Tis you philosophers, who would rub and twist, and plague and doctor it, and fret your souls out, to bring all its heterogeneous parts, fools, wits, knaves, simpletons, grave, gay, light, heavy, long faced and short faced, black, white, brown, straight and crooked, tall, short, thin and fat, to fit together, and patient reflect each other, like the acorns of an oak, or the modest wives and helpless daughters of the good citizens of Athens; ’tis you, I say, who would make a strange world, were you kings of it—you would shorten and lengthen, clip, pull, and carve men’s minds to fit your systems, as the tyrant did men’s bodies to fit his bed.”
“I grant there’s some truth, my girl, in thy nonsense,” said the Master.
“And I grant that there is not a philosopher in Athens, who would have granted as much, save thyself. You will find, my young hero,” turning to Theon, “that my father philosophises more sense, that is, less absurdity, than any man since the seven sages, nay! even than the seven sages philosophized themselves. He only lacks to be a perfectly wise man——”
“To burn,” said the Master, “his books of philosophy, and to sing a tune to thy lyre.”
“No, it shall do to let me sing a tune to it myself.” She bounded from the couch and the room, and returned in a moment, with the instrument in her hand. “Fear not,” she said, nodding to the sage, as she lightly swept the chords, “I shall not woo my own lover, but your mistress.”
“Come, Goddess! come! not in thy power,
With gait and garb austere,
And threatening brow severe,