Optimism 99 



hypothesis, and is not even yet fully verified, 

 he says : 



"Within the ears of men, and without their 

 knowledge or contrivance, this lute of 3000 strings 

 has existed for ages, accepting the music of the 

 outer world, and rendering it fit for reception 

 by the brain. ... I do not ask you to con- 

 sider these views as established, but only as 

 probable. They present the phenomena in a 

 connected and intelligible form ; and should they 

 be doomed to displacement by a more correct or 

 comprehensive theory, it will assuredly be found 

 that the wonder is not diminished by the sub- 

 stitution of the truth." 



