Page:Dawn of the Day.pdf/379

Rh minds from one day to another ;—"knowledge " was a matter of horrible importance. We have recovered courage for errors, endeavours, provisional acceptance — it is all not so very important!—and for this very reason individuals and races are now enabled to fix their eyes on tasks of such vastness as in years gone by would have been considered madness and defiance to heaven and hell. We are allowed to experiment upon ourselves. Yes, mankind has a right to do so. The greatest sacrifices have not yet been offered up to knowledge—nay, in olden times it would have been a sacrilege and a sacrifice of eternal salvation even to surmise ideas such as in our days precede our actions. —In a state of passion the wild, abominable, unbearable animal breaks loose in some. Another raises himself to a noble, lofty and splendid demeanour, compared with which his usual self appears small. A third, who is genuinely noble, has also the noblest storm and stress; in this state he represents nature in its wild beauty and stands only one stage lower than nature in its great calm beauty, which he usually represents: but it is in his passion that mankind understand him better and reverence him: more highly on account of those very emotions —for then he is one step nearer and more akin to them. They are delighted and horrified at such a sight and call it indeed divine.