tions and explanations of human life
have been made. These explanations
vary according to the genius, the en-
vironment, and the history of races;
but in every case they represent the
very soul of race life, for they are the
spiritual forms in which that life has
expressed itself. Other forms of race
activity, however valuable or beauti-
ful, are lost in the passage of time,
or are taken up and absorbed, and so
part with their separate and individ-
ual existence; but the quintessence of
experience and thought expressed in
great works of art is gathered up and
preserved, as Milton said, for "a life
beyond life."

Now, it is upon this imperishable
food which the past has stored up
through the genius of great artists
that later generations feed and nour-
ish themselves. It is through inti-

[[88]]

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v?