RDW Glass
Sadie Mclellan stained glass dalle de verre
Detail of a dalle de verre stained glass window by Sadie Mclellan(1914-2007). Killearn, Scotland.
The Terrible Crystal by Hugh MacDiarmid.
To Sadie McLellan (Mrs. Walter Pritchard)
Clear thought is the quintessence of human life.
In the end its acid power will disintegrate
All the force and flummery of current passions and pretences,
Eat the life out of every false loyalty and craven creed
And bite its way through to a world of light and truth.
Give me the open and unbiased mind
Valuing truth above all prepossessions to such an extent
As to be ready to discard them all
τό χατ᾿ ἀνθρωπόν, and, furthermore,
Is content to approach Metaphysics through Physics,
In the Aristotlean sense in so far
As it recognises that empirical factuality
Can best be attested in that domain,
And is therefore impelled to recognise in the cosmos
A dynamic and teleological character
And by virtue of that recognition
Stands not far from religion
---A teleology essentially immanent,
God's relation to the world being in some general way
Like the relation of our minds to our bodies.
This is the hidden and lambent core I seek.
Like crystal it is hidden deep
And only to be found by those
Who will dig deep.
Like crystal it is formed by cataclysm and central fires;
Like crystal it gathers into an icy unity
And a gem-like transparence
All the colour and fire of life;
Like crystal it concentrates and irradiates light;
Like crystal it endures.
Sadie Mclellan stained glass dalle de verre
Detail of a dalle de verre stained glass window by Sadie Mclellan(1914-2007). Killearn, Scotland.
The Terrible Crystal by Hugh MacDiarmid.
To Sadie McLellan (Mrs. Walter Pritchard)
Clear thought is the quintessence of human life.
In the end its acid power will disintegrate
All the force and flummery of current passions and pretences,
Eat the life out of every false loyalty and craven creed
And bite its way through to a world of light and truth.
Give me the open and unbiased mind
Valuing truth above all prepossessions to such an extent
As to be ready to discard them all
τό χατ᾿ ἀνθρωπόν, and, furthermore,
Is content to approach Metaphysics through Physics,
In the Aristotlean sense in so far
As it recognises that empirical factuality
Can best be attested in that domain,
And is therefore impelled to recognise in the cosmos
A dynamic and teleological character
And by virtue of that recognition
Stands not far from religion
---A teleology essentially immanent,
God's relation to the world being in some general way
Like the relation of our minds to our bodies.
This is the hidden and lambent core I seek.
Like crystal it is hidden deep
And only to be found by those
Who will dig deep.
Like crystal it is formed by cataclysm and central fires;
Like crystal it gathers into an icy unity
And a gem-like transparence
All the colour and fire of life;
Like crystal it concentrates and irradiates light;
Like crystal it endures.