"'I equally have found it,' replied the third.
"And each one based his opinion on preconceived notions which reflected their bent of mind:
"'This vase,' said the first, 'was intended to hold incense, which they burned a that epoch, in the belief that the smoke dispelled the evil spirits.'
"'Nonsense!' cried out the second; 'this vase is a pot which at that time served as a receptacle for keeping spices.'
"'Not so!' insisted the third, 'it is an urn of antiquated design used for receiving tears; that is all.'
"These three serious men were certainly sincere in giving explanations which each one of them declared decisive. They exprest opinions which they believed implicitly and which their respective natures directed irresistibly toward their peculiar bents of mind.
"Judgment, in order to be free from all which is not common sense, ought then to put aside all personal predilections, all desire to form a conclusion to humor our inclinations.
"Absolute impartiality of judgment is one of the rarest gifts and at the same time is the noblest quality which we can possess."
We should then conclude, with the Shogun, that common sense aids in the production of noble aspirations, and is not concerned only with that which relates to materiality, as so many people would have us understand.
The Nippon philosopher teaches us also the part which he assigns to the habitual practise of goodness.