Taking after the Root

"The things which from of old have obtained Unity are these: - Heaven, which by Unity is clear. Earth, which by Unity is steady. Spirits, which by Unity are spiritual. The valleys, which by Unity are full (of water). All creatures, which by Unity live. Princes and kings, who by Unity rule the world. This is all the result of Unity. Heaven, but for some source of clearness, would be in danger of rending. Earth, but for some source of steadiness, would be in danger of tumbling in pieces. Spirits, but for some source of spirituality, would be in danger of annihilation. Valleys, but for some source of replenishment, would be in danger of drying up. All creatures, but for some source of vitality, would be in danger of extinction. Princes and kings, were it not for some source of dignity and highness, would be in danger of an ignominious fall. And here (in this last case) one sees how nobility is rooted in (and entirely dependent upon) what is ignoble; and highness is founded and supported upon what is low. Hence it is that princes and kings speak of themselves as orphans, lonely men, and wheelless carts. Is this not an acknowledgement that they are rooted in (and dependent upon) their inferiors? Deny it! Why, a cart taken in pieces is no cart. A man has just as much objection to be isolated like a solitary gem, as to be lost in a crowd, like a pebble."