628 LYMAN— BRIEF NOTES. 



" Of Man, flesh, spook, mind, spirit, in all twice twain, 

 To places four these double pairs attain : 

 To earth the flesh ; the spook near by will fly ; 

 The mind to Netherworld, the spirit soars high." 



Or in the original : 



"Bis duo sunt Homini, manes, caro, spiritus, umbra; 

 Quatuor ista loci bis duo suscipiunt : 

 Terra tegit carnem, tumulum circumvolat umbra, 

 Orcus habet manes, spiritus alta petit." 



According to Hindoo belief, each body has seven souls. Of course, 

 one of the souls would be suggested by the lifelike apparition of de- 

 ceased relatives or friends, seen either while the observer was awake 

 or in dreams. The absurdity of the inference from the occurrence 

 is evident from the fact that the apparitions reproduce even the in- 

 animate clothing, as well as the admittedly mortal material body. 



The idea of a soul has lent itself very readily to the promotion 

 of morals, so dear and so natural to the human race. The soul in 

 its life after the death of the body has been supposed to be in happy 

 or unhappy condition, according to behavior during the life of the 

 body; or according to the behavior of descendants left alive; sup- 

 plying an incentive to good behavior during one's own life, or after 

 the death of loved relatives. The systems of morals built upon the 

 idea of a soul are highly refined, with marvellously ingenious and 

 carefully consistent complications ; and are considered to be a strong 

 argument in favor of that idea. But, as all false errors are per- 

 nicious, and entail further harmful errors ; so, we may be sure, the 

 eradication of this falsity w^ould be a benefit to morality. The 

 strongest incentives to morality and the surest guides to it are to be 

 found in the relations of the natural body, without regard to any 

 imaginary soul; and morality based upon the existence of souls is 

 uncertain and groping, notwithstanding its good intention. 



The Word of God. 



The Christian, Buddhist and other peoples so deeply revere their 

 sacred scriptures, that they downright consider them to be literally 

 the word of God, an omniscient God. But that idea is hardly borne 



