Non-Fiction > Books > London, 1887 - Virginibus Puerisque, and other papers

I o6 Crabbed Age and Youth
nothing more certain than that both are right,
except perhaps that both are wrong. Let
them agree to differ ; for who knows but
what agreeing to differ may not be a form
of agreement rather than a form of differ-
ence?
I suppose it is written that any one who
sets up for a bit of a philosopher, must con-
tradict himself to his very face. For here
have I fairly talked myself into thinking that
we have the whole thing before us at last ;
that there is no answer to the mystery,
except that there are as many as you please ;
that there is no centre to the maze because,
like the famous sphere, its centre is every-
where ; and that agreeing to differ with
every ceremony of politeness, is the only
" one undisturbed song of pure concent " to
which we are ever likely to lend our musical
voices.