d be that no life
in any social station must be without leisure, and on such leisure
self-culture depends.

/vii./ This section makes a transitional stage to the next division of
our selections, as it consists of an Essay containing a Sonnet.

The argument of the whole is that Life is a thing of joy, tempered by
the sense of responsibility. The latter idea is conveyed by the word
'judgment,' which throughout the Old Testament stands for the
irreconcilable antagonism between good and evil, and the certain
overthrow of evil: the recognition of this makes action responsible.
With this limitation, the author urges that the very shortness of life
and youth is so much incentive to make joyful what days are allowed.

The scheme of high parallelism [see above, page 256] in this sonnet is
the 'pendulum structure': the alternation of successive lines between
two thoughts is conveyed to the eye by the indenting of the lines. The
middle lines put symbolic descriptions of old age; the lines indented on
the left drop the symbolism and speak in plain terms. [The lines
indented on the right are subordinate clauses.]

The matter of the sonnet is a tour-de-force of symbolism, under which
are veiled the symptoms of senile decay followed by death. It is very
likely that some of the symbols may be lost; but it is not difficult to
see, without straining, a possible interpretation for each; and some of
them have passed into traditional use. The poetic beauty of the passage
is marvellous.

_Or ever the sun, and the light ... be darkened_: in view of the opening
words of the preceding essay, which take the 'light' and 'sun' as
symbols of the whole happiness of conscious existence, it is clear that
the darkening of this light is the gradual failing of the joy of
living.--_And the clouds return after the rain_: an exquisite symbol,
closely akin to the last. In youth we may overstrain and disturb our
health, but we soon rally; these are storms that quickly clear up. In
age the rallying power is gone: "the clouds return after the
rain."--_The keepers of the house shall tremble_: Cheyne understands of
the hands and arms, the trembling of which is a natural accompaniment of
old age.--_The strong men shall bow themselves_: the stooping frame; the
plural is merely by attraction to 'keepers.'--_The grinders cease
because they are few_: obviously of the teeth.--_Those that look out of
the windows be darkened_: the eyes becoming dim.--_The doors shal