Page:The Philosophy of Creation.djvu/127

 It exists in the writer or orator first as affection or desire. But no amount of affection constitutes speech. Before speech can be produced there must be thought concerning idea and word. But however much one might desire to write or to speak, or however beautiful and forceful speech might be conceived, desire and thought can not convey themselves to another. To affection and thought some act of the body, as speech written or spoken, must be added as a vehicle. One might have great desire to write a valuable book, but he could not do so until he had gathered the knowledge acquired by the searching study of the scholar. But a collection of books will not make knowledge. The affection is upon one plane, the thoughts are upon another, and books are upon another. Yet it is perceived that affection, thought, and act always have a certain relation. The discrete degrees of every series are related as end, cause, and effect. Assume that a writer loves his country, and desires to benefit it. Use for country is the end existing in his affections. It is the purpose, motive and intent of all further action. Use to country in the affections proceeds by thoughts as a cause to speech, which is the effect. Affection, thought, and speech are therefore not continuous degrees; they are not one thing