An Introduction to a Biology 



necessary to the labours of the first. But those that are 

 busied with dead things and those that are busied with the 

 living agree with one another in this, that they desire that 

 there should be orderliness in the things with which they 

 deal. And behold, this desire is so strong within them 

 that they do not rest until they have discovered, in those 

 things with which they deal, this order, this regularness. 

 But more words must be spoken of the dead things, and 

 more of the living. Now wizards declare that all things 

 both living and dead are made up of things so small that 

 they cannot be cut up, and so small that they cannot be 

 seen, and so small that unbelievers in these matters have 

 said, " They are not." 



The things (or as some say, the units) with which those 

 that treat of the dead are busied are these things that can- 

 not be cut up ; and the things with which those that treat 

 of the living are busied are not the things so small that 

 they cannot be cut up, but things so large that they can 

 be, and often are, cut up : herbs and beasts. Nevertheless, 

 they are made up of the invisible things which cannot be 

 cut up ; and that is why, on the one hand, the knowledge 

 of the wizards of the dead is necessary to the labours 

 of the wizards of the living ; and why, on the other hand, 

 the knowledge of the wizards of the living is not necessary 

 to the labours of the wizards of the dead. And when a 

 wizard of the living asks a wizard of the dead, " What are 

 the things which cannot be cut up like ; and what do they ? " 

 he makes answer, " Wullahy ! we know not what any one 

 of them is like ; and we know not, neither can we foretell 

 what any one of them will do ; but we know very surely 

 what a vast multitude of them is like, and can foretell what 

 it will do." And when a wizard of the dead asks a wizard 

 of the living, " What like are your things which can be cut 

 up, your herbs and beasts ? Can it be so that you can see 

 and handle them and know their virtues ? " he makes answer, 

 " Very truly this is so ; and it is our chief desire to know 



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