82 BEING AND FACULTIES OF MAN. 



do so ; but let us show the fallacy of their so doing by au 

 illustration. Very lately a celebrated African traveller 

 was said to have been murdered by savage natives while 

 pursuing his magnanimous journey in the interior of that 

 country. When the news reached England, they were 

 fully credited by some and wholly discredited by 

 others. Neither of these parties by believing or dis- 

 believing could fix the actual fact ; their views of the 

 matter were mere opinions. But what we have to do with 

 here is, whether these opinions, either or both of them, 

 were, or could be, of any use as the basis of any action 

 that required to be taken in the circumstances. If the 

 parties who believed the illustrious traveller to be dead 

 were to take any action, what could their action be on the 

 basis of their opinion ? Could it be anything more than 

 merely to send out at their leisure and ascertain the 

 reality of the fact, which they held to be true already 

 hurry in the matter being unnecessary and out of the 

 question, because the traveller they were satisfied was 

 really dead ? On the other hand, what action could those 

 who did not believe the news of the traveller's murder 

 take on the basis of their opinion? Was it necessary 

 for them to do anything at all, seeing they were satisfied 

 that all was right ? It would be to discredit the wisdom 

 of their own opinion were they to do anything. Where, 

 then, is the value of opinion as a basis of action in such a 

 case? and where is there any case to which it better 

 applies? Any action taken by those who considered it 

 necessary to act in the case of the eminent traveller we 

 have mentioned was not taken on the basis of these 

 opinions, but by steering clear altogether of them. It did 

 occur in a sensible way, and as matter of fact, that certain 

 of the companions of the traveller's journey had returned 

 that was matter of fact. Part of the contemplated strength 

 of the enterprise was not with it, whatever its condition 



