Page:The Chronicle of Clemendy.pdf/88

 which hath perplexed many of us, for in our teaching we utterly abhor all doleful, hypochondriac imaginations. And the Rubrican, being somewhat drunk, was fumbling desperately at this entanglement, quoting the old Annals of the Court, and moralising our Legends and Songs till he seemed to himself to have found out a high method and signification in this terrible symbol; tis the very pith and most dogmatical article of our knowledge," said he. "For you must consider that the whole world and all our life is a most rare and quintessential jest or merry piece, so subtile indeed is the peal of joyous laughter that sounds through it that the gross ears perceive it not and imagine that the noises they hear are a continual sobbing, a bitter ceaseless wailing, a crying and a lamentable moan for mercy, and sighs and weeping without end. But these noises we Silurists know well to be mere fictions, like the sounds heard by deaf people of drums and bells; and are all of us agreed that to see the best play one need only live. So the world being shown to be an exceeding merry world, and man being of it the microcosm (as it is well termed by the Brethren of the R. C.), it would follow that the image of a man might stand for the effigies and symbol of the Silurian Knowledge and joyous philosophy. But the great sages who founded the Session Cwrw Dda, and in their Round Table have mystically taught us whence all things come and whither all things go, have refined upon this conceit, and truly considering that a man standing for the world, his head may best represent man