Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-04
Realizing and IdealisinG.

observations Of Philosophical Friend
OF Ours)
" omnia que contactu foedant immundo'"
Virgil.
Nil tetigit quod non ornavit."
-Ali9uis.
The contrast between the flesh and thz
spirit is. perhaps, nowhere more splendid
" displayed than in Comus. 1t would do
nobody any harm TO carry about a copy
of the famous lines and read them from
time TO time until they should be I'M
printed on the tables OF the mind or tho
soul be saturated with them. We VEN
ture 10 give what we refer to:
so dear to Heaven is sanity chastity
That when a soul is found sincerely 30
A thousand liveried angels lacqusy her,
Driving far off each thought of sin and
guilt;
And in clear dream and solemn vision
Tell her of things that no gross ear can
hear,
TIL oft converse with Heavenly habit
tants
Begins to cast beam on tn outward
shape.
The unpolluted temple Of the mind,
And turns il by degrees to the soufs
essence.
Till ali be made immortal; but when
BY unchaste looks. loose gestures, and
foul talk M
But most by lewd and lavish act OF sin,
Lets in dehlement TO the inward parts,
The soul grows clotted by contagion.
Imbodies and imbrutes TIL II quite lose
The divine perfection OF her first being"
This Is 10 make the lady or gentleman
or the miserable reverse, I'm a natural
way, endogenously, from within out
wards. without the aid OF an artist, q
tailor. or a costumor.
Realistic and idealistic philosophers
don't differ very widely from what ara
known as flesh and spirit, for sense aud
soul Realism and mateFiallsm are In
Interchangeable without violence, and spirirs
soul and ideaism are trinity in unity.
Realism walks on its feet; at times
does little crawling. nay. grovelllng;
believes in what It sees. feels tastes.
hears, and smells. In other words, IL -
Of the earth earthly, and Is Identified with
its environments as far as they can be
appropriated, absorbed, or enjoyed
through the senses The realistic takes
things as they are, and as what n COM
mon way Of looking at them-called con-
mon sense-sees them 10 be. II grazes
like cattle on the common. The world
has always abounded In this common
style, though OF late more than ever they
have been digniied as realistic, and those
OF a low strain and pessimist!c temper
are said 20 be OF the realistic school.
In "As You Like II" Jaques 10 forever
pouring forth his realistic views and
brags Of what unpleasant truths he'd tell
II he only had a chance. The amiabls
Duke shows him just what sort Of .
philosopher he IS:
Jad: would I but do good7
Duke Most mischieyous foul sin, inc
GLIDING sin,
For thou myself hast been a libertine,
As sensual as the british sting itself.
And all tho embossed sores and headed
evils.
That thou with license OF cree foot hast
caught,
Wouldst thou disgorge into tho general
world"
Our experiences and observations and
associations supply our ideas aud
thoughts, our lights and colors. and de-
termine the direction and character and
tone OF our minds; our ways OF lookisu3
at things and OF estimating value. dIgs
nifty, and merit. The mind OF tho wicked
Is as the troubled sea that casts up nlira
and dirt. Wisdom and virtue 20 the villa
seem vile. There can be no greater wartls
ing on earth against sin than a thorough~
ly sensuallzed soul For II tho good. The
true. and the beautiful have no charnA
Its senses are al full Of defilement, ana
{ like the Harples. shed thslr touness %
whatever is presented 70 them. Fflthe
SAVIOUR but themselves. The purest an0
holiest and lovellest things on earth -
them are dlrtily and vilely suggestive
Decency fears TO awake their noise or
scatter their odors. And the sensualizsd
soul holds its own ywhere--"wtis sssto
itself In a celestial bed and prey on
garbage" II may soar in the heavens 10
high life and carry all It's feulness with It.
The realistic claims that A Is tho only
real; that all else Is fancy, visionary,
sentimental--a mere notion; supernatural
and out OF the order OF things. not Inc
cluded In Cosmos. And 30 the issue ie
made up Christianity Is ideal; its stand
ard and Leader Is divine; mans perfection
Is after the image OF God. ana not OF this
devil The devil Is terribly reaiistic--an
internal reality. Bot the great God Al
mighty Is the supreme and ali-embraefns
reality. the foundations or the earth
were laid the heavens were stretched out
by Him. They shall pass away as un-
realities, But He. the great reality. shall
endure forever. And only what Is idanti-
fed with Ills laws and His righteousness
shall endure with Him That Is reais
that shall endure forever. only the soul
that IL full OF His Hight and IN II idealiseo
His creation sees and enjoys things In
their true beauty and signify and reality.
The seeing eye and thu hearing ear are
OF the Lord. He hath made al thlAss
beautiful Ia their time. and hath SET tha
world In their hearts. The argument ID
on the one hand redrciio ad snfernsm,
on the other infinite deyelopment and
endless life. VI