n a flash of an eye
lash. His brain in action must have been a horrifying sight because the
"chronica" reports that it flushed red and pulsed and expanded during
work. The master built his reputation upon this "homunculus", but in
1438 the demoniacal feat became known; Wedderstroem was put to the stake
for sorcery--and Carolus, unhappy victim, with him....

Men as great as Mozart have started their careers as "child prodigies";
almost without exception they have died at an unnaturally early age.
Thus, in the parallel of The Brain, this is what I see:

Here is an intellect, artificially created, an intellect of stupendous
proportions, but as unfortunate as ever was the boy Carolus. It cannot
move, it has no physical means of defense. It is being ruthlessly
exploited by its masters. The Brain is being crammed with facts, it is
being over-stimulated, it is invested with more and more cell capacity
in order that it should produce more increment for its masters. Its
development is completely lopsided in that it is being fed whole
scientific libraries, while in all other respects, such as metaphysics,
the poor thing gropes in the dark picking up such scraps as accidentally
have fallen from science's table.

It's an appalling parallel, but I am very much afraid that it is only
too true. And even more appalling are the anticipations which logically
follow _if my surmise is true_:

For how can, how must a childish mind develop under such circumstances?
Into a warped personality of course. Already The Brain is building up a
defensive mechanism against its exploiters by "embezzling" cell capacity
from them, by withholding part of its powers for its own use. Already it
protects the integrity of its ego through concealment, already it is on
the lookout for "tools"--such as I am for example--to further its own
ends. Absurd as it may seem, I _pity_ The Brain. I pity it as I would
any child which must suffer under such terrific frustrations and
handicaps. But what would happen if this frustrated genius ever were
driven to _rebel_ against its masters? It's fortunate indeed that there
is no chance for that. For even if The Brain had the will to rebel it
would be lacking all organs for the execution of that will.

Another "case-history", this one from the 18th century appears to me of
great significance in relation to The Brain. It's the story of that boy
Kaspar Hauser, the "Child of Europe". He had been kept from infancy in a
dark c