Spiritedness
To many of you, the title of this lesson - Spiritedness - may seem
to have some connection with "spirits," "disembodied entities," or
else the "soul" or some higher part of it, to which the name Spirit is
often applied. But, in this case, we use the word in a different
sense, and yet in a sense approved by many advanced teachers and
investigators of the occult and spiritual. One of the meanings of the
word"spirit" as given by Webster is as follows:"Energy, vivacity,
ardor, enthusiasm, courage," etc. , while the same authority defines
the word "spirited" as:"Animated; full of life and vigor, lively,"
etc. These definitions will give you a hint of the sense in which we
are now using the term, but there is still more to it.
To us the word Spirit expresses the idea of the real essential
nature of the Universal Power, and which is also manifested in man as
the center of his being - his essential strength and power, from
whence proceeds all that renders him an Individual. Spiritedness does
not mean the quality of being ethereal, "goody-goody," spiritual,
otherworldly, or anything of that sort. It means the state of being
"animated," meaning, "possessed of life and vigor" - so that the state
is really that of being filled with Power and Life. And that Power and
Life comes from the very center of one’s being - the "I AM" region or
plane of mind and consciousness.
Spiritedness is manifested in different degrees among different men
- and even among the animals. It is an elementary, fundamental,
primitive quality and expression of Life, and does not depend upon
culture, refinement or education - its development seems to depend
upon such instinctive or intuitional recognition of the Something
Within - the Power of the Individual which is derived from that
Universal Power of which we are all expressions. And even some of the
animals seem to possess it.
A recent writer on the "Taming of Animals" expresses instinctive
realization of Spiritedness among some of the higher animals as
follows:"Put two male baboons in the same cage, and they will open
their mouths, show all their teeth, and ‘blow’ at each other. But one
of them, even though he may possess the uglier dentition, will blow
with a difference, with an inward shakiness that marks him as the
under dog at once. No test of battle is needed at all. It is the same
with the big cats. Put two, or four, or a dozen lions together, and
they also, probably without a single contest, will soon discover which
one of them possesses the mettle of the master. Thereafter he takes
the choice of the meat; if he chooses, the rest shall not even begin
to eat until he has finished; he goes first to the fresh pan of water.
In short he is ‘king of the cage. ’Now, then, when a tamer goes into a
den with a big cat that has taken a notion to act ‘funny,’ his
attitude is almost exactly that of the ‘king beast’ above mentioned
would be toward a subject rash and ill advised enough to challenge his
kingship."
You will notice in the above quotation, that the writer states
clearly that it is not always the baboon with the fiercest tusks that
is the master, neither does the "king lion" necessarily assert his
dominion by winning a physical fight - it is something far more subtle
than the physical - it is the manifestation of some soul quality of
the animal. And so it is with men, it is not always the biggest and
strongest physically who rule -the ruler becomes so by reason of the
mysterious soul quality which we call Spiritedness, and which men
often call "nerve," or "mettle," or "sand." When two individuals come
into contact with each other there is mental struggle - there may not
be even a word uttered - and yet soul grapples with soul as the two
pairs of eyes gaze into each other, and a subtle something in each
engages and grapples with a subtle something in the other. It may be
all over in a moment, but the conflict is settled for the time, and
each of the mental combatants knows that he is victor or defeated, as
the case may be. There may be no feeling of antagonism between the
parties engaging, but nevertheless there seems to be an inward
recognition on both sides that there is something between them always
leads. And this leadership does not depend upon physical strength,
intellectual attainment, or culture in the ordinary sense, but upon
the manifestation and recognition of that subtle quality that we have
called Spirit.
People unconsciously assert their recognition of quality in
themselves and others, by their use of the term. We often hear of
people "lacking spirit"; being "spiritless"; and of others having had
"their spirit broken;" etc. The term is used in the sense of "mettle.
"A "mettled" horse or man is "high-spirited," according to the
dictionaries; and the same authorities define "mettlesome" as "full of
spirit," so you see the term is used as we have employed it - but the
explanation of the source of the "spiritedness" is not given. Breeders
of thoroughbred racing horses will tell you that a horse having
"spirit" will run a gamer race and will often outdistance and out-wind
a horse having higher physical characteristics, but less "spirit" or
"class." Horsemen insist that the possession of "spirit" in a horse is
recognized by the other horses, who are effected by it and become
discouraged and allow themselves to be beaten, although often they may
be better racing machines, physically. This spirit is a fundamental
vital strength possessed by all living things in degrees - and it may
be developed and strengthened in one’s self. In our next lesson we
shall recite a few instances of its manifestation among men.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, in one of his books, gives the following
vivid description of the conflict of spiritedness between two men:
"The Koh-i-noor’s face turned so white with rage that his blue-black
mustache and beard looked fearful against it. He grinned with wrath,
and caught at a tumbler, as if he would have thrown its contents at
the speaker. The young Marylander fixed his clear, steady eye upon
him, and laid his hand on his arm, carelessly almost, but the Jewel
felt that he could not move it. It was no use. The youth was his
master, and in a deadly Indian hug in which men wrestle with their
eyes, over in five seconds, but which breaks one of their two backs,
and is good for three score years and ten, one trial enough - settles
the whole matter - just as when two feathered songsters of the
barnyard, game and dunghill, come together. After a jump or two at
each other, and a few sharp kicks, there is an end to it; and it is
‘After you, monsieur,’ with the beaten party in all the social
relations for all the rest of his days."
Fothergill says: "Emily Bronte sketched out her ideal of a being
possessed of immense willpower in a thorough ruffian - Heathcliff. A
massive, muscular brute! Well, it was a girl’s conception of a strong
man; but I think I have seen some quiet, inoffensive-looking men in
spectacles, who could very soon have shown the ruffian where the
superiority lay."
A celebrated historical example of Spiritedness, under apparently
overwhelming odds, is that of the interview between Hugo, Bishop of
Lincoln and Richard Coeur de Lion, in the church of Roche d’Andeli. In
his desire to prosecute the war in Normandy, Richard demanded
additional supplies and money from his barons and bishops, but Hugo
refused to furnish men or money. He claimed that although the See of
Lincoln was legally bound to supply men and money for military service
within the four seas of Britain, the war in Normandy did not come
under that head, and he defied the king. King Richard, called the
Lion-Hearted, was a dangerous man to defy, and so when he summoned
Bishop Hugo to Normandy, and the latter went forth to beard the lion
in his den, few doubted the outcome, and the bishop’s downfall was
taken as a matter of course. When the bishop landed in Normandy two
friendly barons who informed him that the king was in a terrible rage
against him, and who advised him to send some humble, conciliatory
message to him before entering the royal presence. But the bishop
refused to do this, and proceeded boldly to meet his monarch. Richard
was sitting at Mass when the bishop entered. Hugo walked up to him,
and disregarding his frown, said,"Kiss me, my lord King!" Richard
turned wrathfully away, withholding his salute. But Hugo, gazing into
his eyes, and shaking the royal shoulder vigorously, repeated his
demand. "Thou hast not deserved it," roared the king in anger and
chagrin. "I have," retorted Hugo, shaking the royal shoulder the
harder. The king gradually dropped his eyes from those of the bishop,
and gave the kingly salute and kiss, and the bishop passed on calmly
to take part in the service. Hugo afterward defied the king in his
council chamber, and persisted in his refusal, and even ventured to
rebuke his royal master for infidelity to the queen. The council was
astounded, for knowing Richard’s courage and fiery temper they
expected to see Hugo crush in a moment - but instead he emerged the
victor in the struggle of Spiritedness. The historian says: "The Lion
was tamed for the moment. The King acknowledged nothing, but
restrained his passion, remarking afterward, ‘If all bishops were like
my lord of Lincoln, not a prince among us could lift his head among
them. ’"
And this was not the first time that this doughty Bishop of Lincoln
had vanquished a king. In his earlier days, shortly after King Henry
Plantagenet had created him bishop, he became involved in a fierce
dispute with that monarch. Henry was at Woodstock Park surrounded by
his courtiers when Hugo approached. The king feigned not to see the
bishop, taking no notice whatsoever of him. After a few moments of
strained silence, the bishop, pushing aside a powerful earl who was
seated by the king’s side, took his place beside the king. The king
pretended to be mending his leather glove. The bishop cheerfully and
lightly said: "Your Majesty reminds me of your cousin at Falaise."
Falaise was the place at which Henry’s ancestor Duke Robert met
Arlotta, the daughter of a tanner of leather, who bore him his
illegitimate son who was afterward known as William the Conqueror. The
Bishop’s impudent allusion to the king’s ancestry was too much for the
latter, and he was badly worsted in the encounter and later acceded to
the wishes of the bishop.
But as Fothergill truly says: "It is a great mistake to suppose
that this Will is disposed to air itself on all occasions; far from
it. It often has a tendency to conceal itself, and is not rarely found
under and exterior of much pleasantness. There are men, and women,
too, who present an appearance of such politeness that they seem to
have no will of their own; they apparently exist merely to do what is
agreeable to others; but just wait till the time comes, and then the
latent will-power is revealed, and we find under this velvet glove the
iron hand - and no mistake about it. It is the secret of the
diplomatist. Talleyrand possessed it to a remarkable degree, and was a
cool, bold, successful diplomat; Cavour also possessed this power and
used it wisely. The blusterer and bragger are devoid of it." It is a
subtle, tenuous Power, resting latent beneath the surface and out of
evidence - but when needed it flashes forth like the dynamic electric
spark, driving all before it. It is an elemental force, of
irresistible power.
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