The Chambers of Human Life

… axioms in philosophy are not axioms until they are proved upon our pulses: We read fine things but never feel them to the full until we have gone the same Steps as the Author - I know this is not plain; you will know exactly my meaning when I say, that now I shall relish Hamlet more than I ever have done-… Until we are sick, we understand not;- in fine, as Byron says, "Knowledge is sorrow," and I go on to say that "Sorrow is Wisdom"- and further for aught we can know for certainty! "Wisdom is folly"… I compare human life to a large mansion of Many Apartments, two of which I can only describe, the doors of the rest being as yet shut upon me- The first we step into we call the infant or thoughtless Chamber, in which we remain as long as we do not think- We remain there a long while, and notwithstanding the doors of the second Chamber remain wide open, showing a bright appearance, we care not to hasten to it; but are at length imperceptibly impelled by the awakening of the thinking principle - within us- we no sooner get into the second Chamber, which I shall call the Chamber of Maiden-Thought, than we become intoxicated with the light and the atmosphere,we see nothing but pleasant wonders, and think of delaying there for ever in delight: However among the effects this breathing is father of is that tremendous one of sharpening one's vision into the-head heart and nature of Man- of convincing ones nerves that the World is full of Misery and Heartbreak, Pain, Sickness and oppression- whereby This Chamber of Maiden Thought becomes gradually darken'd and at the same time on all sides of it many doors are set open- but all dark- all leading to dark passages- We see not the balance of good and evil. We are in a Mist- We are now in that state- We feel the "burden of the Mystery," To this point was Wordsworth come, as far as I can conceive when he wrote "Tintern Abbey" and it seems to me that his Genius is explorative of those dark Passages. Now if we live, and go on thinking, we too shall explore them. he is a Genius and superior (to) us…

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