Where the rose-spirit derived from we shall later on enquire. Here we must note a point of the utmost importance. The seed of this _Rosa persica_ is imbued with the spirit of _Rosa persica._ It has this ideal working within it. But it is not confined within the rigid limits of that ideal. It has that ideal, but _something beyond also_ --something in the _direction_ of that ideal, but stretching on ahead to an illimitable distance. The rose-seed developed riot only into the rose-flower, but through the flowers into numerous rose-seeds. And from the original _Rosa persica_ seeds have sprung roses of scores of varieties. Roses of every variety of form, colour, habit, texture are constantly appearing. By purposeful mating, and supplying favourable conditions of soil, temperature, etc., almost any kind of variety can be produced. So we have not only yellow roses of every shade from gold and cream to lemon, but also white and red and pink roses of every hue. We have single roses and roses as full as small cabbages. And we have dwarf roses and roses climbing 50 or 60 feet in height. From all this it is evident that within the original seed of _Rosa persica_ was a rose-spirit which refused to be confined within the limits of _Rosa persica_ only, but stretched out far beyond as well. The rose-spirit had latent in it, and was unconsciously stretching out to, all the beauties which roses have since attained to, and beyond that again to all the beauties that are yet to come. The horizon of the rose-spirit was never confined by a single plan--the plan of the _Rosa persica_--as the builder is confined by the plan of the architect, beyond which he cannot go. The rose-spirit could reach out along the line of roses to an unlimited extent. It could produce nothing but roses; it could not produce laburnums. But it could produce roses of unlimited variety, provided favourable conditions were available.