200 THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE v 



animal world is on about the same level as a 

 gladiator's show. The creatures are fairly well 

 treated, and set to fight — whereby the strongest, 

 the swiftest, and the cunningest live to fight an- 

 other day. The spectator has no need to turn 

 his thumbs down, as no quarter is given. He 

 must admit that the skill and training displayed 

 are wonderful. But he must shut his eyes if he 

 would not see that more or less enduring suffering 

 is the meed of both vanquished and victor. And 

 since the great game is going on in every corner 

 of the world, thousands of times a minute; since, 

 were our ears sharp enough, we need not descend 

 to the gates of hell to hear — 



sospiri, pianti, ed alti guai. 



Voci alte e fioche, e suon di man con elle 



— it seems to follow that, if the world is governed 

 by benevolence, it must be a different sort of be- 

 nevolence from that of John Howard. 



But the old Babylonians wisely symbolized Na- 

 ture by their great goddess Istar, who combined 

 the attributes of Aphrodite with those of Ares. 

 Her terrible aspect is not to be ignored or covered 

 up with shams; but it is not the only one. If 

 the optimism of Leibnitz is a foolish though pleas- 

 ant dream, the pessimism of Schopenhauer is a 

 nightmare, the more foolish because of its hideous- 

 ness. Error which is not pleasant is surely the 

 worst form of wrong. 



