Page:The Classical Heritage of the Middle Ages.djvu/144

126 THE CLASSICAL HERITAGE [chap. he cannot perceive, as one born blind cannot see the splendor of sunlight. To see the beauty of the true and intellectual light, each man has need of eyes of his own ; and he who by gift of divine inspiration can see it, retains his ecstasy unexpressed, while he who sees it not cannot be made to know the greatness of his loss. How should he ? For this good is inexpres- sible, we have not learned the language to tell this beauty. Well may one exclaim in the psalmist's words, " All men are liars ! " not because hating the truth, but because of human feebleness to express in language the ineffable light. How can language tell of the invisible and formless Beauty which is destitute of qualities perceptible to sense ? Not that we are to despair of winning it, but, as it is so very great, we must lift our thoughts, fearful of losing share in that Good which we always run the risk of losing because of its height and mystery. Yet we must pass to the unseen Beauty by means of data of sense. One with clear vision sees that visible beauties are but the elements on which the form ^ of beauty works ; to him they will be but the ladder by which he climbs to the prospect of that in- tellectual Beauty from which other beauties derive their existence. He who turns from all grosser thoughts and longings after what seems, and explores the nature of beauty which is simple, immaterial, and formless, is in the path leading to its discovery ; he will leave behind and below him all other objects ; he will lift up his powers to heights the senses cannot reach, beyond the beauty of the heavens, to the Beauty whose glory the heavens and firmament declare and 1 The Platonic idea.