4* PROLOGUE I 



rounded and interpenetrated by another intangible 

 and mysterious world, no more bound by fixed 

 rules than, as they fancied, were the thoughts and 

 passions which coursed through their minds and 

 seemed to exercise an intermittent and capricious 

 rule over their bodies. They attributed to the 

 entities, with which they peopled this dim and 

 dreadful region, an unlimited amount of that 

 power of modifying the course of events of which 

 they themselves possessed a small share, and 

 thus came to regard them as not merely beyond, 

 but above, Nature. 



C Hence arose the conception of a " Supernature " 

 antithetic to " Nature " the primitive dualism of 

 a natural world " fixed in fate " and a super- 

 natural, left to the free play of volition which 

 has pervaded all later speculation and, for thou- 

 sands of years, has exercised a profound influence 

 on practice.) For it is obvious that, on this theory 

 of the Universe, the successful conduct of life 

 must demand careful attention to both worlds ; 

 and, if either is to be neglected, it may be safer 

 that it should be Nature. In any given contin- 

 gency, it must doubtless be desirable to know 

 what may be expected to happen in the ordinary 

 course of things ; but it must be quite as 

 necessary to have some inkling of the line likely 

 to be taken by supernatural agencies able, and 

 possibly willing, to suspend or reverse that course. 

 Indeed, logically developed, the dualistic theory 



