“Thematerialworld。”continuedDupin，“aboundswithverystrictanalogiestotheimmaterial；andthussomecoloroftruthhasbeengiventotherhetoricaldogma，thatmetaphor，orsimile，maybemadetostrengthenanargument，aswellastoembellishadescription。Theprincipleofthevisinerti？forexample，seemstobeidenticalinphysicsandmetaphysics。Itisnotmoretrueintheformer，thatalargebodyiswithmoredifficultysetinmotionthanasmallerone，andthatitssubsequentmomentumiscommensuratewiththisdifficulty，thanitis，inthelatter，thatintellectsofthevastercapacity，whilemoreforcible，moreconstant，andmoreeventfulintheirmovementsthanthoseofinferiorgrade，areyetthelessreadilymoved，andmoreembarrassedandfullofhesitationinthefirstfewstepsoftheirprogress。Again：haveyouevernoticedwhichofthestreetsigns，overtheshop-doors，arethemostattractiveofattention？”
“Ihavenevergiventhematterathought。”Isaid。
“Thereisagameofpuzzles。”heresumed，“whichisplayeduponamap。Onepartyplayingrequiresanothertofindagivenword-thenameoftown，river，stateorempire-anyword，inshort，uponthemotleyandperplexedsurfaceofthechart。Anoviceinthegamegenerallyseekstoembarrasshisopponentsbygivingthemthemostminutelyletterednames；buttheadeptselectssuchwordsasstretch，inlargecharacters，fromoneendofthecharttotheother。These，liketheover-largelyletteredsignsandplacardsofthestreet，escapeobservationbydintofbeingexcessivelyobvious；andherethephysicaloversightispreciselyanalogouswiththemoralinapprehensionbywhichtheintellectsufferstopassunnoticedthoseconsiderationswhicharetooobtrusivelyandtoopalpablyself-evident。Butthisisapoint，itappears，somewhataboveorbeneaththeunderstandingofthePrefect。Heneveroncethoughtitprobable，orpossible，thattheMinisterhaddepositedtheletterimmediatelybeneaththenoseofthewholeworld，bywayofbestpreventinganyportionofthatworldfromperceivingit。
“ButthemoreIreflecteduponthedaring，dashing，anddiscriminatingingenuityofD；uponthefactthatthedocumentmustalwayshavebeenathand，ifheintendedtouseittogoodpurpose；
anduponthedecisiveevidence，obtainedbythePrefect，thatitwasnothiddenwithinthelimitsofthatdignitary’sordinarysearch-