4 PHYSICAL SCIENCE BK. i 



He wholly absorbed in Himself, or does He some 

 times regard us ? does He do something daily, or 

 has He done once for all ? is He a portion of the 

 world, or the whole world ? may He issue new 

 decrees even to-day and thus modify the laws of 

 fate, or is it an infringement of His majesty and an 

 acknowledgment of error to alter what has once been 



3 made ? for surely the same must always please 

 Him who can be pleased only with what is best. 

 Nor yet withal is His freedom or power diminished, 

 for He is a law unto Himself. 



Life would have been a useless gift, were I not 

 admitted to the study of such themes. What 

 cause for joy would it be to be set merely in 

 the number of those who live ? In order to digest 

 food and drink ? To repair a diseased, enfeebled 

 body, that would perish unless it were continually 

 refilled, and thus lead the life of a sick man s 

 attendant? To fear death, to which our very 

 birth destines us ? Away with the priceless boon ! 



4 Life is not worth the heat and the sweat. How 

 despicable a creature is man, unless he rise above 

 the earth ! What great thing can we do as long as 

 we have to wrestle with our passions ? Even if we 

 prevail, we but conquer monsters. What cause 

 have we to esteem ourselves because we are not 

 quite so bad as the very worst ? I can see no great 

 reason for self-satisfaction because one s strength is 

 rather above the average of those in the same 

 hospital. You are still far from good health and 

 vigour. Or, again, you have escaped vices of soul, 

 the hypocrite s brow, the flatterer s speech fashioned 

 to serve another s will, the dissembler s heart, the 

 miser s spirit, which robs all, but yet mortifies itself. 

 You are a prey neither to luxury, which loses basely 



