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by persuading him to arrive at the same conviction by the same
paththat； namely； of doing the thing required of him。〃
〃Required of him by what？〃
〃By any one； any thing； any thought； with which can go the word
required byanything that carries right in its demand。 If a man
does not do the thing which the very notion of a free will requires；
what in earth； heaven； or hell； would be the use of his knowing all
about the will？ But it is impossible he should know anything。〃
〃You are a bold preacher！〃 said the earl。 〃Suppose now a man was
unconscious of any ability to do the thing required of him？〃
〃I should say there was the more need he should do the thing。〃
〃That is nonsense。〃
〃If it be nonsense； the nonsense lies in the supposition that a man
can be conscious of not possessing a power； he can only be not
conscious of possessing it； and that is a very different thing。 How
is a power to be known but by being a power； and how is it to be a
power but in its own exercise of itself？ There is more in man than
he can at any given moment be conscious of； there is life； the power
of the eternal behind his consciousness； which only in action can he
make his own； of which； therefore； only in action； that is
obedience； can he become conscious； for then only is it his。〃
〃You are splitting a hair！〃
〃If the only way to life lay through a hair； what must you do but
split it？ The fact； however； is； that he who takes the live sphere
of truth for a flat intellectual disc； may well take the disc's edge
for a hair。〃
〃Come； come！ how does all this apply to mea man who would really
like to make up his mind about the thing； and is not at the moment
aware of any very pressing duty that he is neglecting to do？〃
〃Is your lordship not aware of some not very pressing duty that you
are neglecting to do？ Some duties need but to be acknowledged by the
smallest amount of action； to become paramount in their demands upon
us。〃
〃That is the worst of it！〃 murmured the earl。 〃I refuse； I avoid
such acknowledgment！ Who knows whither it might carry me； or what it
might not go on to demand of me！〃
He spoke like one unaware that he spoke。
〃Yes； my lord；〃 said Donal； 〃that is how most men treat the greatest
things！ The devil blinds us that he may guide us！〃
〃The devil！bah！〃 cried his lordship； glad to turn at right angles
from the path of the conversation； 〃you don't surely believe in that
legendary personage？〃
〃He who does what the devil would have him do； is the man who
believes in him； not he who does not care whether he is or not； so
long as he avoids doing his works。 If there be such a one； his last
thought must be to persuade men of his existence！ He is a subject I
do not care to discuss； he is not very interesting to me。 But if
your lordship now would but overcome the habit of depending on
medicine； you would soon find out that you had a free will。〃
His lordship scowled like a thunder…cloud。
〃I am certain； my lord；〃 added Donal； 〃that the least question asked
by the will itself； will bring an answer； a thousand asked by the
intellect； will bring nothing。〃
〃I did not send for you to act the part of father confessor； Mr。
Grant；〃 said his lordship； in a tone which rather perplexed Donal；
〃but as you have taken upon you the office； I may as well allow you
keep it； the matter to which you refer； that of my medical treatment
of myself； is precisely what has brought me into my present
difficulty。 It would be too long a story to tell you how； like poor
Coleridge； I was first decoyed； then enticed from one stage to
another； the desire to escape from pain is a natural instinct； and
that； and the necessity also for escaping my past self； especially
in its relations to certain others； have brought me by degrees into
far too great a dependence on the use of drugs。 And now that； from
certain symptoms； I have ground to fear a change of some kind not so
far offI do not of course mean to…morrow； or next year； but
somewhere nearer than it was this time； I won't say last year； but
say ten years agowhy； then； one begins to think about things one
has been too ready to forget。 I suppose； however； if the will be a
natural possession of the human being； and if a man should； through
actions on the tissue of his brain； have ceased to be conscious of
any will； it must return to him the moment he is free from the body；
that is from the dilapidated brain！〃
〃My lord； I would not have you count too much upon that。 We know
very little about these things； but what if the brain give the
opportunity for the action which is to result in freedom？ What if
there should； without the brain； be no means of working our liberty？
What if we are here like birds in a cage； with wings； able to fly
but not flying about the cage； and what if； when we are dead； we
shall indeed be out of the cage； but without wings； having never
made use of such as we had while we had them？ Think for a moment
what we should be without the senses！〃
〃We shall be able at least to see and hear； else where were the use
of believing in another world？〃
〃I suspect； my lord； the other world does not need our believing in
it to make a fact of it。 But if a man were never to teach his soul
to see； if he were obstinately to close his eyes upon this world；
and look at nothing all the time he was in it； I should be very
doubtful whether the mere fact of going a little more dead； would
make him see。 The soul never having learned to see； its sense of
seeing； correspondent to and higher than that of the body； never
having been developed； how should it expand and impower itself by
mere deliverance from the one best schoolmaster to whom it would
give no heed？ The senses are； I suspect； only the husks under which
are ripening the deeper； keener； better senses belonging to the next
stage of our life； and so； my lord； I cannot think that； if the will
has not been developed through the means and occasions given in； the
mere passing into another condition will set it free。 For freedom is
the unclosing of the idea which lies at our root； and is the vital
power of our existence。 The rose is the freedom of the rose tree。 I
should think； having lost his brain； and got nothing instead； a man
would find himself a mere centre of unanswerable questions。〃
〃You go too far for me；〃 said his lordship； looking a little
uncomfortable； 〃but I think it is time to try and break myself a
little of the habitor almost time。 By degrees one might； you
know；eh？〃
〃I have little faith in doing things by degrees； my lordexcept
such indeed as by their very nature cannot be done at once。 It is
true a bad habit can only be contracted by degrees； and I will not
say； because I do not know； whether anyone has ever cured himself of
one by degrees； but it cannot be the best way。 What is bad ought to
be got rid of at once。〃
〃Ah； but； don't you know？ that might cost you your life！〃
〃What of that； my lord！ Life； the life you mean； is not the first
thing。〃
〃Not the first thing！ Why； the Bible says； 'All that a man hath will
he give for his life'！〃
〃That is in the Bible； but whether the Bible says it； is another
thing。〃
〃I do not