THE HARMONY OF VIRTUE

I. 1. The Harmony of Virtue33without any prompting conceive images not a whit less beautiful.Keshav: The germ of the story was really a dream, but theform and application are my own. The myth means, as I daresay you have found out, that our present servitude to conventionswhich are the machinery of thought and action, is principallydue to weaknesses forming a large element in human nature.Our lives ought not to be lived in accordance with humannature which can nowhere be found apart from the disturbingelement of reason, but according to nature at large where wefind the principle of harmony pure and undefiled.Wilson: On that we are both at one; let us start directly fromthis base of operations. I am impatient to follow the crocus moonwith her triple zone of burning stars into the Eden of murmuringbrooks and golden groves and fields of asphodel.Keshav: The basis of morality is then the application to humanlife of the principles governing the universe; and the greatprinciple of the universe is beauty, is it not?Wilson: So we have discovered.Keshav: And we described beauty as harmony in effect andproportion in detail.Wilson: That was our description.Keshav: Then the aim of morality must be to make humanlife harmonious. Now the other types in the universe are harmoniousnot merely in relation to their internal parts, but in relationto each other and the sum of the universe, are they not?Wilson: Yes.Keshav: We mean, I suppose, that the star fills its placein the Cosmos and the rose fills her place, but man does notfill his.Wilson: That is what we mean.Keshav: Then the human race must not only be harmoniouswithin itself, but it must be harmonious in relation to thestar and the rose and so fill its place as to perfect the harmonyof the universe.Wilson: Are we not repeating ourselves?Keshav: No, but we are in danger of it. I am aiming at aclear and accurate wording of my position and that is not easyto acquire at a moment's notice. I think our best way would be