The Star in the West

THE NEW WINE 291 scenes . trampled by Bacchic feet , so to-day we find once again the farces of Aristophanes redacted on the grand stage of the world on which the great actors have played their part , and have retired behind the So once more , much to the joy of little children , the little Rationalias , the little Secularias , the harlequinade has again begun . Sinbad has sailed away with all his treasure ; Aladdin has departed , and has not forgotten to take with him his wonderful lamp . No more Jinn are to be unbottled from their sleep of a thousand years ; the moon - faced ones have passed away , some singing , some laughing , some weeping ; and in their place have come the clowns and pantaloons of modern thought , hurling rational sausages at each others ' heads , and waylaying un wary curates , foolish young women , and the inarticu late guardians of the peace . We are indeed living in an approximate age , when in proportion to the simple distance , instead of the square of that distance , inversely our knowledge be comes known ; yet curious to say , as Rousseau once said : “ The choice which is opposed to Reason comes to us from Reason . We have made the god of love blind because he has better eyes than we have , and sees things which we cannot perceive . now making the Sublime ridiculous , and like the Bhikkhu can no longer see the “ dainty lady ” but in her place “ a set of bones .” ? Not until we under stand ourselves , shall we understand the world of God , and not until we have replenished the lamp of our soul with love , will it burn up into a brilliant » 1 So are we 1 J. J. Rousseau , “ Emile ," 1, 4, ed . Garnier , p . 230 . Gargoyles , vol . iii, p . 104 . 2