574 A TERRIBLE SIGHT. 



Critias added to these ideas" that of the seat of the soul being in the 

 blood. 



The Sophists invented certain formulae, by the aid of which every 

 species of paradox could be demonstrated, and which have received 

 from them the name of sophisms. They are founded on the abuse 

 of the meaning- of words. These soi-disant philosophers had this 

 common property, that they rendered opinions and morality alike 

 subordinate to individual interests. Caliicles did not fear to avow 

 all the consequences of this doctrine. 



" Morality is only the effect of fear and custom. Physical necessity 

 is the only interest of man ; and the wisest man is he who puts no 

 bounds on his desires." 



The entire system of the second school of Elea is only a suite of the 

 ideas of Pythagoras reduced to a more material form. In truth, 

 unity is the principle of all things : all things are derived from it by 

 the laws of combination. These two systems are to each other what 

 geometry is to mechanics. What most of all disturbed these philo- 

 sophers was the apparent mobility of sensible objects, and the variety 

 of their aspects. For one cannot honour, by the name of science, 

 that knowledge whose object is not fixed, constant, and the same to 

 all. They thus excluded sensible phenomena from the order of our 

 real knowledge, or forced themselves to represent them as the results 

 of invisible but permanent principles. Although they adopted a 

 course which promised better results, yet deceived by their prejudices, 

 they, like their predecessors, lost themselves in a sea of vague ideas 

 which left them no certain clue to judgment in arbitrary hypo- 

 theses which turned them from useful research. 



(To be continued.} 



A TERRIBLE SIGHT. 



I saw, when beneath the midnight moon, 

 The witches joined in their hellish croon. 

 When churchyard lights burned dim and blue, 

 And shadowy forms in the grey light flew ; 

 When the raven flapp'd o'er the gibbet tree, 

 And the murd'rer's knife gleam'd fearfully 

 I saw, when wolves howled long and loud 

 As they ript the ghastly wretch from his shroud, 

 And death birds shrieked, and portals crash'd, 

 And flaming forms through the opening dash'd ; 

 When the sad bell toll'd from castle wall 

 For the haughty baron's funeral, 

 While mournful monks of order grey 

 In spectred aisles for his spirit pray ; 

 In the dun black valley's deepest gloom, 

 Where skeletons dance o'er the creeping tomb : 

 'Twas dead of night as trembling and hid, 

 With horror I gazed on the terrible deed. 

 'Twas blackest night, like funeral clothing, 

 I saw, good reader, what you see nothing ! 



