" is the reply, "you may preach that to Metternich and remain with
him." And so the Prince worked on; determined that neither fear, nor
treachery, nor much less blundering, on his part, should imperil the
precarious balance of the world's life.

Once more, and for the last time, SAGACITY lifts up her voice. "You were
the fittest man to rule. Give solidity to your life's work by leaving a
fit successor to carry it on. Secure yourself this successor in a son.
The world is open to you for the choice of your bride."

And again the ideal Prince retorts on the suggestion. "The fit successor
is not secured in this way. All experience proves it. The spark of
genius is dropped where God will. It may find hereditary (hence
accumulated) faculties ready to be ignited. It may fire the barren
rock." And, changing the metaphor,

"... The seed o' the apple-tree
Brings forth another tree which bears a crab:
'Tis the great gardener grafts the excellence
On wildings where he will." (p. 203.)

He ends by calling up the vision of an Italian wayside temple, in which,
as the legend declares, succession was carried on after a very different
principle. Each successive high priest has become so by murdering his
predecessor, his qualification being found in that simple fact; or in
the qualities of cunning or courage of which it has been the test.[56]

And now the dream is lived through, and Prince Hohenstiel-Schwangau
awakens in his own palace: not much better pleased with his own plain
speaking than with the imaginary heroics of Messrs. Hugo and Thiers.
"One's case is so much stronger before it is put into words. Motives
which seem sufficient in the semi-darkness of one's own consciousness,
are so feeble in the light of day. When we reason with ourselves, we
subordinate outward claims without appearing to do so: since the
necessity of making the best of life for our own sake supplies
unconsciously to ourselves the point of view from which all our
reasonings proceed. When forced to think aloud, we stoop to what is
probably an untruth. We say that our motives were--what they should have
been; what perhaps we have fancied them to be."

These closing pages convey the author's comment on Prince Hohenstiel's
defence. They present it, in his well-known manner, as what such a man
might be tempted to say; rather than what this particular man was
justified in saying. But he takes th