Philosophic Evolution. 181 



the world is astonished to learn that it has never ceased 

 to have both teachers and disciples. It is even amusing 

 to observe how pointless are m'any of the arguments of 

 moderns such as Mr. Spencer, Mr. Lewes, etc., from their 

 want of acquaintance with the Scholastics, and the simple 

 way* in which they think that all is done when Kant 

 has been replied to, and that it is quite needless to go 

 further back. 



Some readers may be disposed to ask, Where has this 

 philosophy been preserved, and who are its teachers 

 now ? 



At the epoch of that flood of barbarian invasion which 

 overspread a world deemed by so many to be approaching 

 its end, the treasures of classic literature found fortunate 

 shelter within the libraries of Benedictine monasteries, 

 scattered far and wide in dense forests, savage, rocky 

 solitudes, or dismal swamps. Those black-robed monks, 

 whose manual labour spread agriculture over Northern 

 Europe, not content with ministering to the peoples' 

 bodily and spiritual needs, paved the way for refined 



* Thus Mr. Spencer ignores all philosophy anterior to Descartes, 

 and contents himself with Berkeley, Hume, and Kant, as examples of 

 the moderns. Mr. Lewes (" Problems," vol. i., p. 437) actually affirms, 

 "All modern metempirics are either Kantian or founded upon 

 Kantian principles." For examples of complete misapprehension of 

 the only philosophy worthy the name, and consequently futile argu- 

 mentation, see pp. 152, 212, 214, 245, 249, 265, 271, 278, 363, 368, 437, 

 and 447. 



