IN PRAISE OF THE AYERAGE

in that his exceptionality cuts him oS from fadle and free entry into the conunon life. His exceptional wealth, or learning, or position, constitute hedges about him ; few can get near to him, and he can get near to few only. It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of Eqnality. Men of high rank feel this so strongly that they go incognito to share the Uves, and enter into ihe expérience, of the average people. A man' s possessions become as walls shutting him out from the world-life. To the extent that a man is exceptional, he is constantly in the pubUc eye, watched, reported, expected to do justice to fais exceptionaUty ; this reacts on him and tends to make him artificial ; however much he^ may want to, he cannot let his life flow freely forli and mingle with the life of others about him. On the other hand, the average undistinguished man is unobserved, unprevented, he can mix easily with the crowd, he can without risk or damage *' give himself away," he can go hère, there, and everywhere, and enter into ail kinds of expérience, enjoy Ufe with naîveU and naturalness, make many acquaintances, glving and receiving freely without pose and enforced pretension. The less he possesses, the more he enjoys. He goes along his way, finds something pleasant, human, good on either hand ; takes it, accepts it, gives himself up to it. Everywhere " he gives the sign of Equality." * He, to a degree scarcely

"THE CRAZIEST SOT" 217

ever possible to the exceptional man, cornes to know himself ; for

tfaa médium in which the knowledge of Youiself subsista 18 Equality.^

Perhaps, pressing towards the logical issue of his prindples witk boldness, as is his wont, Carpenter ever and anon delivers himself of a hard saying which, at first sonnd, not only mystifies but repels, He has said,

If I am net level with the lowest I am nothing ; and if I did not know for a certainty that the craziest sot in the village is my equal ; and were not proud to hâve him walk with me as my friend ; I would not write another word — for in this is my strength.*

That seems to be a reductio ad absurdum of Equality ; yet, if the first principle as described in this chapter i^ admitted, this saying is simply and beautifully true. To become more inwardly free, is to love more and with less discrimination of outward things. The outward things which make a man '* the craziest sot in the village " cease at last altogether to stand in the way. For, in the first place, the friend sees beneath thèse extemalities — ^imperfections, idiosyncrasies, vices, sins — to the slumbering imprisoned possibiUty of manhood like his own. Recognizing that, he no longer tums from it in pride or shame or disgust, but begins to draw towards it in love. And there is more than this. If the love-lift

* r. D., p. 37. * XWrf., p. 6.