MAECENAS AND HIS HAPPENINGS 161 



and in social improvements, but for the plain reason that 

 he was conscious of knowing little or nothing of the 

 points generally at issue. He kept away of set purpose 

 from State matters. Cotemporary illusions as to the 

 rapid perfectibility of mankind under French guidance 

 he regarded with contempt the contempt of ignorance. 

 The only notice taken of persons given to social or 

 political unsettling was a somewhat petulant refusal 

 to have any dealings with them whatever. In truth, 

 Banks was quite unfitted for any political association ; 

 and he knew it. He uniformly rejected all overtures 

 made to him to enter parliamentary life, though fre- 

 quently and strongly tempted. Thus he saved himself a 

 thousand vexations. Outside of party politics he could 

 continue to be a personal friend of the King without 

 incurring much displeasure from any one. 



Banks's religious principles were as simple as were his 

 political tenets. Just as he never troubled to under- 

 stand the new thoughts on Government which were 

 pervading the world in his days, so he never cared to take 

 in question his own or any one else's creed. He was 

 tolerant of all, but his was the tolerance of a man who 

 felt that religious and political discussions did not 

 concern him. He was contented with the " Church as by 

 law established " (a familiar expression of the period), 

 because he could be happy and contented under it, 

 and saw that the majority of his fellow-countrymen were 

 of the same mind with him. Of course, all his pursuits, 

 from his earliest years, kept him necessarily apart from 

 politics and polemics alike. Neither his rather narrow 

 education nor his incapacity for transcendental inquiry 

 allowed him to enter into such matters. But, as we have 

 just said, he was tolerant. And he did not like intolerance 

 in other people. 



It is not often that religious topics occur in all his 

 vast correspondence. Once in a while there is an attempt 



M 



