far more from his play than from work that is
given him, so does wisdom progress far more quickly in happiness than
in misfortune. It is only one side of morality that unhappiness throws
into light; and the man whom sorrow has taught to be wise, is like one
who has loved and never been loved in return. There must always be
something unknown to the love whereto no other love has made answer;
and this, too, will remain unknown to him whose wisdom is born of
sorrow.

"Is happiness truly as happy as people imagine?" was asked of two happy
ones once by a philosopher whom protracted injustice had saddened. No;
it is a thing more desirable far, but also much less to be envied, than
people suppose; for it is in itself quite other than they can conceive
who have never been perfectly happy. To be gay is not to be happy, nor
will he who is happy always be gay. It is only the little ephemeral
pleasures that forever are smiling; and they die away as they smile.
But some loftiness once obtained, lasting happiness becomes no less
grave than majestic sorrow. Wise men have said it were best for us not
to be happy, so that happiness thus might be always the one thing
desired. But how shall the sage, to whom happiness never has come, be
aware that wisdom is the one thing alone that happiness neither can
sadden nor weary? Those thinkers have learned to love wisdom with a far
more intimate love whose lives have been happy, than those whose lives
have been sad. The wisdom forced into growth by misfortune is different
far from the wisdom that ripens beneath happiness. The first, where it
seeks to console, must whisper of happiness; the other tells of itself.
He who is sad is taught by his wisdom that happiness yet may be his; he
who is happy is taught by his wisdom that he may become wiser still.
The discovery of happiness may well be the great aim of wisdom; and we
needs must be happy ourselves before we can know that wisdom itself
contains all.

57. There are some who are wholly unable to support the burden of joy.
There is a courage of happiness as well as a courage of sorrow. It may
even be true that permanent happiness calls for more strength in man
than permanent sorrow; for the heart wherein wisdom is not delights
more in the expectation of that which it has not yet, than in the full
possession of all it has ever desired. He in whom happiness dwells is
amazed at the heart that finds aliment only in fear or in hope, and
that cannot be