Theos-Talk Archives (November 1997 Message tt00202)

Great beings nearly always have jackels snapping at their heeels, it is a
mark of their greatness that this is so. A few quotations just about sum up
what the great have said about critics:-
"You know who the critics are? The men who have failed in literature and
art." Disraeli
"What is a modern poet's fate?
The critic spits on what is done,
Gives it a wipe-and all is gone." Thomas Hood.
'Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world,-though cant of
hypocrits may be the worst,-the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!"
Laurence Sterne.

In terms of positive influence, I suggest that Blavatsky and Besant rank as
high as any women in history. The former by alerting the West to the
profound philosophies of the East, the latter whose gift of intelligent
oratory linked with compassion served to assuage the misery of millions.
Very few of the 'jackels' snapping at the heels of these two have read and
understood Blavatsky's 'The Secret Doctrine' or appreciated the social and
political activism of Besant. Most importantly, they serve to (if such were
needed) accredit each other; both were persons of the very highest integrity
and intelligence and they loved and respected each other! Sure, they made
mistakes, but let one final quotation serve my purpose:-
"The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything." Edward John
Phelps.

Philip S. Harris