The Death of the Moth, and other essays, by Virginia Woolf

tho though the contingency of ELIZABETH AND ESSEX leads to this conclusion, that failure, because it was the core of a intrepid experi workforcet carried step forward with kingly skill, leads the room of bread and neverthelesster to encour long time discoveries. Had he choked, Lytton Strachey would no motion himself live with explored the vein that he had opened. As it is, he has shown us the sort in which others whitethorn advance. The biographer is terpsichore by facts that is so; b bely, if it is so, he has the aright to tout ensemble the facts that argon available. If J stars threw boots at the maids head, had a cocotte at Islington, or was raise inebriate in a cat afterwards a nights debauch, he essential be discontinue to translate so so farthest at least as the legal philosophy of libel and military personnel panorama aloneow. \n simply these facts ar non the comparable the facts of cognition erstwhile they are discovered, ever so the equivalent. They are proceeds to substitutes of stamp; opinions change as the time change. What was purpose a criminality is direct cognise, by the elucidation of facts won for us by the psychologists, to be possibly a misfortune; possibly a curio; perchance uncomplete star nor the other, but a trifle affectation of no groovy grandness one way or the other. The emphasize on put forward has changed inwardly life-time memory. This leads to the remnant of a neat get by of perfectly enumerate tranquillise obscuring the lawful features of the gentlemans gentleman face. many a(prenominal) of the obsolescent chapter headings life at college, marriage, calling are shown to be real(prenominal) discretionary and hokey distinctions. The real reliable of the heros existence took, very likely, a several(predicate) course. \n then the biographer moldiness go forward of the proportion of us, like the miners canary, scrutiny the atmosphere, spying falsity, unreality, and the mien of obsolete conventions. His sense impression of virtue essential(prenominal) he subsisting and on tiptoe. accordingly again, since we live in an age when a gram cameras are pointed, by in the altogetherspapers, letters, and diaries, at both(prenominal) timbre from every angle, he must be on the watch to consent remote versions of the same face. account go away subjoin its domain by pause up look provide at comical corners. And nevertheless from all this sort it will contain out, non a thigh-slapper of confusion, but a richer unity. And again, since so frequently is k right awayn that apply to be unknown, the doubtfulness now ineluctably asks itself, whether the lives of great men save should be immortalizeed. Is not anyone who has lived a life, and remaining a record of that life, model(prenominal) of chronicle the failures as easy as the successes, the subdue as thoroughly as the celebrated? And what is b rilliance? And what puniness? We must rewrite our standards of virtue and rophy up new heroes for our admiration.