XIII 

 "ALL'S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD" 



WHETHER or not we can accept Browning's 

 morning line, " All 's right with the world," 

 depends upon our point of view. To the intellect, 

 the disinterested faculties, undoubtedly, all's right 

 with the ysrorld. To the seeing mind nature presents 

 a series, an infinite series, of logical sequences; 

 cause and effect are inseparably joined, and things 

 could in no wise be other than what they are. The 

 forces that destroy us are only going their appointed 

 ways, and if they turned out or made an exception 

 on our account, the very foundations of the univeise 

 would be impeached. 



The creation is good, and man's explanation and 

 vindication of it have given rise to what we call 

 science. One recalls Whitman's lines : — 



"I lie abstracted and hear beautiful tales of things and the 



reasons of things, 

 They are so beautiful I nudge myself to listen." 



To our aesthetic faculties, all's right with the 

 world. What beauty, what grandeur, what per- 

 fection! the sum of all we know or can know of 

 263 



