142 CxLAUCUS ; OE, 



but that as to what connects cause and effect, as to 

 what is the reason, the final cause, or even the causa 

 causans, of any phenomenon, we know not more, 

 but less than ever ; for those laws or customs which 

 seem to us simplest (" endosmose," for instance, or 

 gravitation), are just the most inexplicable, logically 

 unexpected, seemingly arbitrary, certainly super- 

 natural — miraculous, if you will ; for no natural and 

 physical cause whatsoever can be assigned for them ; 

 while if any one shall argue against their being 

 miraculous and supernatural on the ground of their 

 being so common, I can only answer, that of all 

 absurd and illogical arguments, this is the most so. 

 For what has the number of times which the miracle 

 occurs to do with the question, save to increase the 

 wonder? ^A^iich is more strange, that an inexpli- 

 cable and unfathomable thing should occur once and 

 for all, or that it should occur a million times every 

 day all the world over ? 



Let those, however, who are too proud to wonder, 

 do as seems good to them. Their want of wonder 

 will not help them toward the required explanation ; 



