The Greek word euphuia, a finely tempered nature, gives exactly
the notion of perfection as culture brings us to perceive it; a
harmonious perfection, a perfection in which the characters of
beauty and intelligence are both present, which unites "the two
noblest of things"--as Swift . . . most happily calls them in his
Battle of the Books, "the two noblest of things, sweetness and
light."
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Everye white will have its blacke,
And everye sweete its soure.
Everye white will have its blacke,
And everye sweete its soure.
To pile up honey upon sugar, and sugar upon honey, to an
interminable tedious sweetness.
To pile up honey upon sugar, and sugar upon honey, to an
interminable tedious sweetness.
Instead of dirt and poison, we have rather chosen to fill our
hives with honey and wax, thus furnishing read more
Instead of dirt and poison, we have rather chosen to fill our
hives with honey and wax, thus furnishing mankind with the two
noblest of things, which are sweetness and light.
Sometimes I'm so sweet even I can't stand it.
Sometimes I'm so sweet even I can't stand it.
The sweetest thing that ever grew
Beside a human door.
The sweetest thing that ever grew
Beside a human door.
The pursuit of the perfect, then, is the pursuit of sweetness and
light.
The pursuit of the perfect, then, is the pursuit of sweetness and
light.
Nor waste their sweetness in the desert air.
Nor waste their sweetness in the desert air.
Culture is the passion for sweetness and light, and (what is
more) the passion for making them prevail.
Culture is the passion for sweetness and light, and (what is
more) the passion for making them prevail.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the read more
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
