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〃I have had a good deal；〃 he went on； 〃to shake my belief in the
common ideas on such points。Do you believe there is such a thing
as free will？〃
He ceased； awaiting the answer which Donal felt far from prepared to
give him。
〃My lord；〃 he said at length； 〃what I believe； I do not feel
capable； at a moment's notice； of setting forth； neither do I think；
however unavoidable such discussions may be in the forum of one's
own thoughts； that they are profitable between men。 I think such
questions； if they are to be treated at all between man and man； and
not between God and man only； had better be discussed in print；
where what is said is in some measure fixed； and can with a glance
be considered afresh。 But not so either do I think they can be
discussed to any profit。〃
〃What do you mean？ Surely this question is of the first importance
to humanity！〃
〃I grant it； my lord； if by humanity you mean the human individual。
But my meaning is； that there are many questions； and this one； that
can be tested better than argued。〃
〃You seem fond of paradox！〃
〃I will speak as directly as I can： such questions are to be
answered only by the moral nature； which first and almost only they
concern； and the moral nature operates in action； not discussion。〃
〃Do I not then；〃 said his lordship； the faintest shadow of
indignation in his tone； 〃bring my moral nature to bear on a
question which I consider from the ground of duty？〃
〃No； my lord；〃 answered Donal； with decision； 〃you bring nothing but
your intellectual nature to bear on it so； the moral nature； I
repeat； operates only in action。 To come to the point in hand： the
sole way for a man to know he has freedom is to do something he
ought to do； which he would rather not do。 He may strive to acquaint
himself with the facts concerning will； and spend himself imagining
its mode of working； yet all the time not know whether he has any
will。〃
〃But how am I to put a force in operation； while I do not know
whether I possess it or not？〃
〃By putting it in operationthat alone； by being alive； by doing
the next thing you ought to do； or abstaining from the next thing
you are tempted to； knowing you ought not to do it。 It sounds
childish； and most people set action aside as what will do any time；
and try first to settle questions which never can be settled but in
just this divinely childish way。 For not merely is it the only way
in which a man can know whether he has a free will； but the man has
in fact no will at all unless it comes into being in such action。〃
〃Suppose he found he had no will； for he could not do what he
wished？〃
〃What he ought； I said； my lord。〃
〃Well； what he ought；〃 yielded the earl almost angrily。
〃He could not find it proved that he had no faculty for generating a
free will。 He might indeed doubt it the more； but the positive only；
not the negative； can be proved。〃
〃Where would be the satisfaction if he could only prove the one
thing and not the other。〃
〃The truth alone can be proved； my lord； how should a lie be proved？
The man that wanted to prove he had no freedom of will； would find
no satisfaction from his testand the less the more honest he was；
but the man anxious about the dignity of the nature given him； would
find every needful satisfaction in the progress of his obedience。〃
〃How can there be free will where the first thing demanded for its
existence or knowledge of itself is obedience？〃
〃There is no free will save in resisting what one would like； and
doing what the Truth would have him do。 It is true the man's liking
and the truth may coincide； but therein he will not learn his
freedom； though in such coincidence he will always thereafter find
it； and in such coincidence alone； for freedom is harmony with the
originating law of one's existence。〃
〃That's dreary doctrine。〃
〃My lord； I have spent no little time and thought on the subject；
and the result is some sort of practical clearness to myself； but；
were it possible； I should not care to make it clear to another save
by persuading him to arrive at the same conviction by the same
paththat； namely； of doing the thing required of him。〃
〃Required of him by what？〃
〃By any one； any thing； any thought； with which can go the word
required byanything that carries right in its demand。 If a man
does not do the thing which the very notion of a free will requires；
what in earth； heaven； or hell； would be the use of his knowing all
about the will？ But it is impossible he should know anything。〃
〃You are a bold preacher！〃 said the earl。 〃Suppose now a man was
unconscious of any ability to do the thing required of him？〃
〃I should say there was the more need he should do the thing。〃
〃That is nonsense。〃
〃If it be nonsense； the nonsense lies in the supposition that a man
can be conscious of not possessing a power； he can only be not
conscious of possessing it； and that is a very different thing。 How
is a power to be known but by being a power； and how is it to be a
power but in its own exercise of itself？ There is more in man than
he can at any given moment be conscious of； there is life； the power
of the eternal behind his consciousness； which only in action can he
make his own； of which； therefore； only in action； that is
obedience； can he become conscious； for then only is it his。〃
〃You are splitting a hair！〃
〃If the only way to life lay through a hair； what must you do but
split it？ The fact； however； is； that he who takes the live sphere
of truth for a flat intellectual disc； may well take the disc's edge
for a hair。〃
〃Come； come！ how does all this apply to mea man who would really
like to make up his mind about the thing； and is not at the moment
aware of any very pressing duty that he is neglecting to do？〃
〃Is your lordship not aware of some not very pressing duty that you
are neglecting to do？ Some duties need but to be acknowledged by the
smallest amount of action； to become paramount in their demands upon
us。〃
〃That is the worst of it！〃 murmured the earl。 〃I refuse； I avoid
such acknowledgment！ Who knows whither it might carry me； or what it
might not go on to demand of me！〃
He spoke like one unaware that he spoke。
〃Yes； my lord；〃 said Donal； 〃that is how most men treat the greatest
things！ The devil blinds us that he may guide us！〃
〃The devil！bah！〃 cried his lordship； glad to turn at right angles
from the path of the conversation； 〃you don't surely believe in that
legendary personage？〃
〃He who does what the devil would have him do； is the man who
believes in him； not he who does not care whether he is or not； so
long as he avoids doing his works。 If there be such a one； his last
thought must be to persuade men of his existence！ He is a subject I
do not care to discuss； he is not very interesting to me。 But if
your lordship now would but overcome the habit of depending on
medicine； you would soon find out that you had a free will。〃
His lordship scowled like a thunder…cloud。
〃I am certain； my lord；〃 added Donal； 〃that the least question asked
by the will itself； will bring an answer； a thousand asked by the
intellect； will bring nothing。〃
〃I did not send for you to act the part of father confessor； Mr。
Grant；〃 said his lordship； in a tone which rather perplexed Donal；
〃but as you have taken upon you the office； I may as well allow you
keep it； the matter to which you refer； that of my medical treatment
of myself； is precisely what has brought me into my present
difficulty。 It would be too long a story to tell you how； like poor
Coleridge； I was first decoyed； then enticed from one stage to
another； the desire to escape from pain is a natural instinct； and
that； and the necessity also for escaping my past self； especially
in its relations to certain others； have brought me by degrees into
far too great a dependence on the use of drugs。 And now that； from
certain symptoms； I have ground to fear a change of some kind not so
far offI do not of course mean to…morrow； or next year； but
somewhere nearer than it was this time； I won't say last year； but
say ten years agowhy； then； one begins to think about things one
has been too ready to forget。 I suppose； however； if the will be a
natural possession of the human being； and if a man should； through
actions on the tissue of his brain； have ceased to be conscious of
any will； it must return to him the moment he is free from the body；
that is from the dilapidated brain！〃
〃My lord； I would not have you count too much upon that。 We know
very little about these things； but what if the brain give the
opportunity for the action which is to result in freedom？ What if
there should； without the brain； be no means of working our liberty？
What if we are here like birds in a cage； with wings； able to fly
but not flying about the cage； and what if； when we are dead； we
shall indeed be out of the cage； but without wings； having never
made use of such as we had while we had them？ Think for a moment
what we should be without the senses！〃
〃We shall be able at least to see and hear； else where were the use
of believing in another world？〃
〃I suspect； my lord； the other world does not need our