Philosophic Evolution. 183 



the time of the society's foundation to the present day. 

 As gratitude is now due, and widely acknowledged, to 

 the Benedictines, for their preservation during the illit- 

 erate ages of our choicest literary treasures, so gratitude 

 is now due, and will one day be even more widely ac- 

 knowledged, to the Jesuits for their preservation during 

 the whole Renaissance movement of our choicest philo- 

 sophic treasures, as main guardians of the peripatetic 

 tradition. 



The fathers of the society enjoy the glory of peren- 

 nial persecution and hostility ; and, whatever may be 

 the view taken of their merits, and whatever good men 

 may oppose them, all must admit that they at least 

 possess the distinction conferred on them by the special 

 hostility of all the vilest of mankind. Nevertheless, it 

 is not impossible that their careful preservation for us 

 of the traditional philosophy may one day be reckoned 

 a yet greater distinction. 



This philosophy then lives, and is taught amongst us 

 here in England now, and it is to be regretted that 

 some prominent English sensists do not profit by such 

 teaching. Were one of the leaders of the modern school 

 to cease altogether to write or teach for a period of 

 some three years, and to endeavour to obtain for that 

 period the hospitality of a Jesuit seminary, and there 

 devote himself (merely at first as a learner, and not as 

 a critic) to the acquisition of the peripatetic philosophy, 



