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and the silver moon as a schoolboy feels if he has one sovereign and
one shilling。
These subconscious convictions are best hit off by the colour
and tone of certain tales。 Thus I have said that stories of magic
alone can express my sense that life is not only a pleasure but a
kind of eccentric privilege。 I may express this other feeling of
cosmic cosiness by allusion to another book always read in boyhood；
〃Robinson Crusoe；〃 which I read about this time； and which owes
its eternal vivacity to the fact that it celebrates the poetry
of limits； nay； even the wild romance of prudence。 Crusoe is a man
on a small rock with a few comforts just snatched from the sea：
the best thing in the book is simply the list of things saved from
the wreck。 The greatest of poems is an inventory。 Every kitchen
tool becomes ideal because Crusoe might have dropped it in the sea。
It is a good exercise； in empty or ugly hours of the day；
to look at anything； the coal…scuttle or the book…case； and think
how happy one could be to have brought it out of the sinking ship
on to the solitary island。 But it is a better exercise still
to remember how all things have had this hair…breadth escape：
everything has been saved from a wreck。 Every man has had one
horrible adventure： as a hidden untimely birth he had not been；
as infants that never see the light。 Men spoke much in my boyhood
of restricted or ruined men of genius： and it was common to say
that many a man was a Great Might…Have…Been。 To me it is a more
solid and startling fact that any man in the street is a Great
Might…Not…Have…Been。
But I really felt （the fancy may seem foolish） as if all the order
and number of things were the romantic remnant of Crusoe's ship。
That there are two sexes and one sun； was like the fact that there
were two guns and one axe。 It was poignantly urgent that none should
be lost； but somehow； it was rather fun that none could be added。
The trees and the planets seemed like things saved from the wreck：
and when I saw the Matterhorn I was glad that it had not been overlooked
in the confusion。 I felt economical about the stars as if they were
sapphires （they are called so in Milton's Eden）： I hoarded the hills。
For the universe is a single jewel； and while it is a natural cant
to talk of a jewel as peerless and priceless； of this jewel it is
literally true。 This cosmos is indeed without peer and without price：
for there cannot be another one。
Thus ends； in unavoidable inadequacy； the attempt to utter the
unutterable things。 These are my ultimate attitudes towards life；
the soils for the seeds of doctrine。 These in some dark way I
thought before I could write； and felt before I could think：
that we may proceed more easily afterwards； I will roughly recapitulate
them now。 I felt in my bones； first； that this world does not
explain itself。 It may be a miracle with a supernatural explanation；
it may be a conjuring trick； with a natural explanation。
But the explanation of the conjuring trick； if it is to satisfy me；
will have to be better than the natural explanations I have heard。
The thing is magic； true or false。 Second； I came to feel as if magic
must have a meaning； and meaning must have some one to mean it。
There was something personal in the world； as in a work of art；
whatever it meant it meant violently。 Third； I thought this
purpose beautiful in its old design； in spite of its defects；
such as dragons。 Fourth； that the proper form of thanks to it
is some form of humility and restraint： we should thank God
for beer and Burgundy by not drinking too much of them。 We owed；
also； an obedience to whatever made us。 And last； and strangest；
there had come into my mind a vague and vast impression that in some
way all good was a remnant to be stored and held sacred out of some
primordial ruin。 Man had saved his good as Crusoe saved his goods：
he had saved them from a wreck。 All this I felt and the age gave me
no encouragement to feel it。 And all this time I had not even thought
of Christian theology。
V THE FLAG OF THE WORLD
When I was a boy there were two curious men running about
who were called the optimist and the pessimist。 I constantly used
the words myself； but I cheerfully confess that I never had any
very special idea of what they meant。 The only thing which might
be considered evident was that they could not mean what they said；
for the ordinary verbal explanation was that the optimist thought
this world as good as it could be； while the pessimist thought
it as bad as it could be。 Both these statements being obviously
raving nonsense； one had to cast about for other explanations。
An optimist could not mean a man who thought everything right and
nothing wrong。 For that is meaningless； it is like calling everything
right and nothing left。 Upon the whole； I came to the conclusion
that the optimist thought everything good except the pessimist；
and that the pessimist thought everything bad； except himself。
It would be unfair to omit altogether from the list the mysterious
but suggestive definition said to have been given by a little girl；
〃An optimist is a man who looks after your eyes； and a pessimist
is a man who looks after your feet。〃 I am not sure that this is not
the best definition of all。 There is even a sort of allegorical truth
in it。 For there might； perhaps； be a profitable distinction drawn
between that more dreary thinker who thinks merely of our contact
with the earth from moment to moment； and that happier thinker
who considers rather our primary power of vision and of choice
of road。
But this is a deep mistake in this alternative of the optimist
and the pessimist。 The assumption of it is that a man criticises
this world as if he were house…hunting； as if he were being shown
over a new suite of apartments。 If a man came to this world from
some other world in full possession of his powers he might discuss
whether the advantage of midsummer woods made up for the disadvantage
of mad dogs； just as a man looking for lodgings might balance
the presence of a telephone against the absence of a sea view。
But no man is in that position。 A man belongs to this world before
he begins to ask if it is nice to belong to it。 He has fought for
the flag； and often won heroic victories for the flag long before he
has ever enlisted。 To put shortly what seems the essential matter；
he has a loyalty long before he has any admiration。