THE HARMONY OF VIRTUE

I. 1. The Harmony of Virtue39single requisite in divergence, shall we not infer that we havefound the idea of which we are inquisitive?Wilson: Obviously.Keshav: And we shall find it most easily by comparing onetype with another, shall we not?Wilson: That is our first idea.Keshav: But if we compare a rose to a star, we shall notfind them agree in any respect except the brilliance of their huesand that is not likely to be the dominant idea.Wilson: They are both beautiful.Keshav: Exactly; but we wish to learn the elements of theirbeauty, and we agreed that these were variety, to begin with,and method in variety. Now we are inquiring what the methodis they observe in their variety. We know that they are both beautiful;but we wish to know why they are both beautiful.Wilson: And how are you going to do it?Keshav: Well, since it will not do to compare a rose with astar, we will compare a star with a star; and here we find, that,however widely they differ, there is a large residuum of properties,such as brilliance and light, which are invariably present inone and the other, and they diverge not in the possession and absenceof properties peculiar to a star, but in things accidental, intheir size and the exactness of their shape and the measure oftheir brilliance and the character of the orbits they are describing.And if we compare flower with flower, we shall find a residuumof properties invariably present in one and the other but the divergenceof flower from flower just like the divergence of starfrom star, not in properties peculiar to a flower, but in accidentslike size and peculiarities of shape and varying vividness of huesand time and length of efflorescence. Moreover we perceive thatthe star is content to pierce the darkness with its rays and to burnlike a brilliant diamond in the bodice of heaven, and is not ambitiousto shed sweet perfumes upon space or to burden the heartof the night with song, but develops the virtues of a star withoutaspiring to the virtues of a flower or a bird, and the rose is contentto be an empress in colour and perfume and a gorgeousharmony of petals and is not ambitious to give light in the darknessor to murmur a noontide song in response to the bee, but