Evening star., 1929-12-14

was, indeed, rushing in where angels
fear to tread. Although he knew moth
ing about painting, he did not hesitate
| for second to tell one of the greatest
artists of the age just how to do it.
Now, we all know people like that
They come into the merchants store
and tell him how to run the business
they invade the editors sanctum and
tell him how to run the paper; they go
to the White House and would tell the
President how to run the United States
! if they could get in.
X x X X
"The artist listened in silence"
Leonardo the Florentine was too wise
a man. reaching out for scientific truth
yet holding fast to the old good. to
attempt to argue with such man.
! He kept STILL
! What was the use? He knew better
| than to add fuel to the flame. Some
time or other the speaker would have
| to run down. His ignorant zeal would
wear itself out.
| what difference did it make If he
! went away thinking he had outtalked
the artist?
! He hadl
When it came to talking Soderini
was there" to use an expressive mod
erniSn. Leonardo bowed his head be-
fore the storm as a traveller who Is
caught on n dusty road.
Do you remember as a child when a
sudden little Summer WhirlWind OF the
| play variety swept across the home
! town road2 How the dust was blown
around in miniature whirlpool fashion
while You, a child with bare feet, had
enough common sense 10 close your eyes
and wait until the disturbance was
over?
| So Leonardo Da Vinci did with the
droolings of Soderini. How we'll the
| author puts the thoughts of the artist
as he kept silent:
I'm these ordinary thoughts of ordi-
| narW men Leonardo felt blind, deaf
| imniaCable force with which one cam
nC. contend"
| Blind, deaf, implacable, but some
/ thing with which one cannot contend
| because reason is pcwerless. The igno-
rance of the other was (and always is)
so immense that one knows inStinc-
lively that there is no use giving ones
viewpoint. All that would be gained
would be 10 give the other new toe
hold for ridicule.
| A man who has become wise In some
one small department OF human knowl-
| edge sees that what may be known is
so much that one cannot know it all
0OOuV oA1y SAAAAASt AASO CfCA OAlC
own speciality.
Therefore, when he is confronted
with this blind. deaf, implacable force
he knows instinctively that there is nc
use contending with it. If it were pos
sible to run away, he would run; but
failing locomotion. he becomes as quiet
as possible.
He even agrees! With shame, yet
with laughter at his heart, he agrees
with what he knows is a lie in order
to still the sound of that voice, to get
rid of the man, to end the thing as
peacefully as possible.
He knows that the thoughts Of the
other are not only fiat and Improbable
but that they hold in their depths much
misery, shame and cruelty, since such
knowledge" ever longs to back itself UP
with the sword, the bullet, the whip, the
fist.
He sees in the whirling depth all the
frightful things which have come from
such men through all the centuries, for
it is in this abyss that ignorance
breathes and moves and has its being.
He shrinks back and is afraid, for
fear rules here: and no man can say
what terrible crimes fear will not bring
forth in the twinkling of an eye and
without intention even. His head goes
round as he realizes that he Is looking
into fearful void.