So we return to the Perfect Woman, having gained this much knowledge of her,--that her
perfection is nothing more or less than her unique, individual, charming imperfection, and that she is simply the woman we love and who is fool enough to love us.
But for the full development of Life to its highest mode of perfection, something more is needed.
The true perfection of man lies, not in what man has, but in what man is.
And what mean you by saying that I am no longer the Perfection of all Beauty?
My Lord, your own wisdom has taught me to aspire to One even more great, more beautiful, and more closely approximate to Perfection than yourself.
Can we believe that natural selection could produce, on the one hand, organs of trifling importance, such as the tail of a giraffe, which serves as a fly-flapper, and, on the other hand, organs of such wonderful structure, as the eye, of which we hardly as yet fully understand the inimitable perfection?
Hence, if we look at each species as descended from some other unknown form, both the parent and all the transitional varieties will generally have been exterminated by the very process of formation and perfection of the new form.
She hath married a gentleman, though perhaps not quite her equal in fortune; and if he hath any
perfections in her eye which can make up that deficiency, I see no reason why I should object to her choice of her own happiness; which I, no more than herself, imagine to consist only in immense wealth.
When I shall have surmounted myself therein, then will I surmount myself also in that which is greater; and a VICTORY shall be the seal of my
perfection!--
But the chief ground of my satisfaction with thus method, was the assurance I had of thereby exercising my reason in all matters, if not with absolute
perfection, at least with the greatest attainable by me: besides, I was conscious that by its use my mind was becoming gradually habituated to clearer and more distinct conceptions of its objects; and I hoped also, from not having restricted this method to any particular matter, to apply it to the difficulties of the other sciences, with not less success than to those of algebra.
Concessions on the part of the friends of the plan, that it has not a claim to absolute
perfection, have afforded matter of no small triumph to its enemies.
Selenographic charts have been constructed with a
perfection which equals, if it does not even surpass, that of our terrestrial maps.
He appeared to possess that kind of health and strength which, when found in
perfection, are the most impressive--the physical capital which the owner does nothing to "keep up." If he was a muscular Christian, it was quite without knowing it.
As the supreme
perfection and universality of the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey" cast into oblivion whatever pre-Homeric poets had essayed, so these same qualities exercised a paralysing influence over the successors of Homer.
But lovely as I was the Graces of my Person were the least of my
Perfections. Of every accomplishment accustomary to my sex, I was Mistress.
