himself. He acknowledges authority as little as a monarch admits a
command; he subscribes to nothing but what he has himself authorized.
The multitude of common minds, laboring under all sorts of current
opinions, authorities, prejudices, is like the people, which silently
obeys the law and accepts orders from above.

Those who are so zealous and eager to settle debated questions by
citing authorities, are really glad when they are able to put the
understanding and the insight of others into the field in place of
their own, which are wanting. Their number is legion. For, as
Seneca says, there is no man but prefers belief to the exercise
of judgment--_unusquisque mavult credere quam judicare_. In their
controversies such people make a promiscuous use of the weapon of
authority, and strike out at one another with it. If any one chances
to become involved in such a contest, he will do well not to try
reason and argument as a mode of defence; for against a weapon of that
kind these people are like Siegfrieds, with a skin of horn, and dipped
in the flood of incapacity for thinking and judging. They will meet
his attack by bringing up their authorities as a way of abashing
him--_argumentum ad verecundiam_, and then cry out that they have won
the battle.

In the real world, be it never so fair, favorable and pleasant,
we always live subject to the law of gravity which we have to
be constantly overcoming. But in the world of intellect we are
disembodied spirits, held in bondage to no such law, and free from
penury and distress. Thus it is that there exists no happiness on
earth like that which, at the auspicious moment, a fine and fruitful
mind finds in itself.