Page:The reflections of Lichtenberg.djvu/120

 By our constant reading we not only accustom ourselves to take things for true which are not so, but the proofs advanced also assume a form which is often demanded not so much by the nature of the case as by our own unconscious adherence to convention. Among scholars those who most despise all the rest are commonly such as after a laborious comparison of innumerable authors at length establish a definite opinion in respect of some one particular point. This is bound to happen, and they deserve the more sincere thanks, the more clearly it is shown that we should do and think exactly the same, were we in their place. Much reading and long vigils, people think, merit the reward of fame. Yet our friends should also remember that to see into the world direct with our own eyes is another study, for which they have no talent. No author who has them in stock should hesitate to introduce in a novel observations founded on the most intimate experience or the deepest insight. They will be discovered to a certainty, and in this way works of genius approximate to works of Nature. Not only does a tree yield shade to every wanderer, but its leaves also will bear microscopical examination. A book that pleases the sage may for this reason be popular as well. The mob does not need to appreciate everything, but it must be there, in case someone should come by with a keen vision