THE STORY OF AUTO NOUS. 285 



introduction to death. Keasoning over this occurrence, he advances 

 step by step to the thought of dissolution and the immortality of the 

 soul. We may suppose that he is really grieved over the loss of his 

 faithful companion, but of this he says very little. And we have heard 

 of other philosophers who, preoccupied with such questions as God, 

 freedom and immortality, have had small energy to spare for ordinary 

 mundane affairs. 



Having followed Autonous in some detail up to this point, we shall 

 probably express no great surprise when we learn of his further achieve- 

 ments, practical and intellectual. Passing over such feats as the inven- 

 tion of a sun-dial and the fashioning of a quadrant, we come at length 

 to an important discovery which is made by simple accident. One day, 

 while he is chopping down a tree, his hatchet strikes fire, some chips 

 are ignited and he burns his fingers. Of course, he goes to work to 

 experiment on this new element, fire, and in his pursuit of knowledge 

 under difficulties, not only nearly burns down his cottage, but does, in 

 fact, destroy a good deal of property and a number of animals. In this 

 way he learns very effectually that fire, though a good servant, is a bad 

 master. Indirectly, another consequence follows. His alarming adven- 

 ture rather oddly gives him 'the first sad experience of the severe Lashes 

 of a self-condemning Conscience'; a trouble compared with which he 

 finds that all his other sorrows were* as nothing. With such a youth as 

 Autonous, the remote results of this discovery may be easily anticipated. 

 An 'inward Sense of guilt and shame' arises; he begins to realize the 

 "natural Depravity and Perverseness' of his temper; and a new idea — 

 the idea of Duty — takes shape in his mind. He begins to reflect on 

 the 'great Disorders of the Soul,' of which other creatures on the island 

 seem to know nothing, and comes slowly to feel that the world is 

 'nothing else but a black scene' of 'wickedness and impiety.' Having 

 thought out for himself the principles of natural religion, our young 

 theologian is, as we see, on the high-road to Christianity. Man by 

 nature, he concludes, is in an 'indigent and imperfect State,' and is 

 evidently so placed that he may be kept in a due sense of dependence 

 on God. Hence the need of 'some Supernatural means' by which God 

 must have made known His will to men; hence the inevitableness of 

 prayer and supplication; and hence the necessity of a future life, with 

 rewards and punishments, as the logical completion of the scheme of 

 salvation. 



The long course of Autonous's education* is now complete, and 

 there is nothing left for him but to be rescued and brought into human 



* It will be observed that by a striking oversight (whether intentional or not I cannot say) 

 not a word is said about the question of language. Autonous clearly did not evolve this by him- 

 self, though, as we have seen, he had arrived at the idea of intercourse through speech. He 

 must, therefore, on his return to civilization, have been in the condition of a dumb philosopher 

 unable, till taught, to put his thoughts into language. 



