188 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



ing ratio, as the natural concomitant of the rapid evohition of mind, 

 which distinguishes the Aryan race. It is the price we pay for progress. 

 The possessors of the newer consciousness are not insane. This is 

 shown hy an examination of the distinguishing characteristics of in- 

 sanity. His treatment of the subject is always frank, sincere and 

 reverent. 



The entire edition of " Cosmic Consciousness " was sold within 

 a short time. One of the most eminent authorities, Professor William 

 James, wrote Dr. Bucke an appreciative letter from which the following 

 extracts will be of interest: 



" I believe that you have brought this kind of consciousness 

 ' home ' to the attention of students of human nature in a way so definite 

 £>nd unescapable that it will be impossible henceforward to overlook it, 

 or ignore it, or pooh-pooh 'M entirely away. For psychology and 

 religion, that seems to me a very high service indeed .... But 

 my total re-action on your book, my dear Sir, is that it is an addition 

 to psychology of first rate importance, and that you are a benefactor 

 of us' all." 



29. 



Dr. Bucke, like his friend William D. O'Connor, was a strong 

 Baconian in the never-ending Shakespeare controversy, and wrote let- 

 ters and articles on the subject to newspapers and magazines, in 1896 

 and subsequently. In the fall of 1897 this involved him in a brief 

 controversy with Mr. Goldwin Smith, begun in the Canadian Magazine 

 and concluded by Dr. Bucke in the columns of the Toronto Glohe. At 

 the time of his death he had a volume ready for the press dealing 

 with a new cypher he claimed to have discovered. 



30. 



Death came suddenly to Dr. Bucke on the 19th February, 1903. 

 He and Mrs. Bucke had dined and spent the evening with friends in 

 the city. After dinner, the gentlemen of the party, four in number, 

 all of them university men, discussed the question of the cyphers and 

 the Baconian authorship, with special reference to the Doctor's discovery 

 of a new cypher. His book was ready for publication, and was to 

 appear in June, when the particulars would be disclosed. The general 

 question was debated with friendly freedom. The Doctor, in his cus- 

 tomary buoyant spirits, was at his best. Argument, illustration, apt 

 quotation, treasures new and old from the wonderful stores of his 

 memory, were presented to listeners, who admired whether they agreed 

 with his conclusions or not. 



