Spiritual Evolution of Society 1 8 1 



but as a natural luminary shining by the gift of heaven, 

 a flowing light fountain, as I say, of native original 

 insight, of manhood, and heroic nobleness, in whose 

 radiance all souls must feel that it is well with them." 

 Why do we quote this ? To show how necessary it is 

 that we study the thoughts of the great ones of the 

 past, for in them we possess the most potent factor in 

 helping on the spiritual evolution of humanity. A 

 general rise in intellectual development is necessary to 

 the spiritual evolution of man. In another notable 

 passage Carlyle makes this very clear : " Beautiful it 

 is, and a gleam from the same eternal pole-star, visible 

 amid the destinies of men, that all talent, all intellect, 

 is in the first place moral ; what a world were this 

 otherwise. But it is the heart always that sees before 

 the head can see ; let us know that and know therefore 

 that the good is deathless and victorious, that hope is 

 sure and steadfast in all phases of this ' Place of Hope.' " 

 It is very necessary that the full meaning of this 

 sublime passage should be realised. Think of it — all 

 intellect, all talent is in the first place moral, therefore 

 the good alone is deathless and victorious. It follows 

 as a necessary consequence that leisure for culture is 

 necessary to the higher evolution of humanity. 

 Matthew Arnold, another great man, for whom we 

 cannot be sufficiently grateful, defined " Culture " as 

 " a knowledge of the best that has been known and said 

 in the world, and thus with the history of the human 

 spirit." How necessary is it, then, that all men — the 

 children of the toiling millions as well as the sons and 

 daughters of the rich and privileged — should have 

 leisure whereby they can acquire this knowledge of the 

 best things which have been said by the best men, and 

 expressed in the best way — the radiance emanating from 

 those " living light fountains which have enlightened 

 the darkness of the world . . . natural luminaries 



