ours we seek for what is almost infinitely
complex and coordinated in a material universe relatively simple
and heterogeneous. In our mental attitude towards the great
question, this fact must be regarded as fundamental.

I can only fitly close a discourse which has throughout weighed
the question of the living thought against the unthinking laws of
matter, by a paraphrase of the words

199

of a great poet when he, in higher and, perhaps, more philosophic
language, also sought to place the one in comparison with the
other.[1]

Richter thought that he was--with his human heart
unstrengthened--taken by an angel among the universe of stars.
Then, as they journeyed, our solar system was sunken like a faint
star in the abyss, and they travelled yet further, on the wings
of thought, through mightier systems: through all the countless
numbers of our galaxy. But at length these also were left behind,
and faded like a mist into the past. But this was not all. The
dawn of other galaxies appeared in the void. Stars more countless
still with insufferable light emerged. And these also were
passed. And so they went through galaxies without number till at
length they stood in the great Cathedral of the Universe. Endless
were the starry aisles; endless the starry columns; infinite the
arches and the architraves of stars. And the poet saw the mighty
galaxies as steps descending to infinity, and as steps going up
to infinity.

Then his human heart fainted and he longed for some narrow cell;
longed to lie down in the grave that he might hide from infinity.
And he said to the angel:

"Angel, I can go with thee no farther. Is there, then, no end to
the universe of stars?"

[1] De Quincy in his _System of the Heavens_ gives a fine
paraphrase of "Richter's Dream."

200

Then the angel flung up his glorious hands to the heaven of
heavens, saying "End is there none to the universe of God? Lo!
also there is no beginning."

201

THE LATENT IMAGE [1]

My inclination has led me, in spite of a lively dread of
incurring a charge of presumption, to address you principally on
that profound and most subtle question, the nature and mode of
formation of the photographic image. I am impelled to do so, not
only because the subject is full of fascination and hopefulness,
but because the wide topics of photographic methods or
photographic applications would be quite unfittingly handled by
the president you have chosen.

I would first