IMAGO MUNDI 15 



gravely debate the number of the band of angels able to maintain 

 its balance upon the needle's point. It will find scant leisure, 

 we may imagine, for that barren and fruitless philosophy which 

 in all ages has sought to penetrate the mystery of things by 

 fixing its intent gaze, as it were, upon the navel of the mind. 



In the experimental investigation of the scheme of nature, 

 the mind of man has a work to do ; but with the outer mystery 

 it has nothing to do. We may conceive that in the times to 

 come it will wholly give over the search for final causes or first 

 causes, will recognise its vanity and its absurdity. What we 

 call philosophy will be transformed or forgotten. After three 

 or four thousand years man is no forwarder in his search for 

 the meaning of things than when he began. Save in its content 

 of positive knowledge, it is not clear that the philosophy of 

 Spencer represents any considerable advance upon that of 

 Democritus, who antedates him by twenty-three centuries. 

 Alike they recognised the impercipience of the unknowable, 

 which apparently the most of minds that betake themselves 

 to metaphysics never can. The philosophers are like im- 

 prisoned birds within a glass-house, beating their ineffectual 

 wings against the panes, for ever drawn on by the illusion 

 of apparent freedom and the seemingly illimitable expanse of 

 attainable knowledge. For that matter the whole of the race 

 is a good deal the same. 



But it is clear enough now that in some ways we shall never 

 be any further advanced than we are. The simplest physical 

 problem followed far enough, and usually it needs but a brief 

 pursuit, lands the mind in the bogs of metaphysic. The 

 ancient paradox as to the impossibility of contact between any 

 two material bodies is but an instance among a multitude. 



It is with the same sense of impotence that we recoil from 

 an endeavour to read any purpose or plan into the scheme of 

 nature. The thoughts of men widen with the suns ; but " the 

 increasing purpose " tends rather to disappear. The expansion 

 of knowledge within the last few hundred years has been 

 immense. Yet so far from bringing a real illumination of the 

 larger problems of existence the mystery has been immeasurably 

 deepened. 



Not upon Pisgah's heights nor in Patmian visions, nor among 

 the fisher-folk of Galilee, we may imagine, has the riddle of 

 the world been most deeply felt, but rather by Weimar's high- 



