第19部分(第5/7 頁)

of　the　mind　certify　our　ignorance；　the　strange　thing　is　that　they　can　be　held　by　any　one　to　demonstrate　that　our　ignorance　is　final　knowledge。

XI

Yet　that；　perhaps；　will　be　the　mind　of　ing　man；　if　not　the　final　attainment　of　his　intellectual　progress；　at　all　events　a　long　period　of　self…satisfaction；　assumed　as　finality。　We　talk　of　the　〃ever　aspiring　soul〃；　we　take　for　granted　that　if　one　religion　passes　away；　another　must　arise。　But　what　if　man　presently　find　himself　without　spiritual　needs？　Such　modification　of　his　being　cannot　be　deemed　impossible；　many　signs　of　our　life　to…day　seem　to　point　towards　it。　If　the　habits　of　thought　favoured　by　physical　science　do　but　sink　deep　enough；　and　no　vast　calamity　e　to　check　mankind　in　its　advance　to　material　contentment；　the　age　of　true　positivism　may　arise。　Then　it　will　be　the　mon　privilege；　〃rerum　cognoscere　causas〃；　the　word　supernatural　will　have　no　sense；　superstition　will　be　a　dimly　understood　trait　of　the　early　race；　and　where　now　we　perceive　an　appalling　Mystery；　everything　will　be　lucid　and　serene　as　a　geometric　demonstration。　Such　an　epoch　of　Reason　might　be　the　happiest　the　world　could　know。　Indeed；　it　would　either　be　that；　or　it　would　never　e　about　at　all。　For　suffering　and　sorrow　are　the　great　Doctors　of　Metaphysic；　and；　remembering　this；　one　cannot　count　very　surely　upon　the　rationalist　millennium。

XII

The　free　man；　says　Spinoza；　thinks　of　nothing　less　often　than　of　death。　Free；　in　his　sense　of　the　word；　I　may　not　call　myself。　I　think　of　death　very　often；　the　thought；　indeed；　is　ever　in　the　background　of　my　mind；　yet　free　in　another　sense　I　assuredly　am；　for　death　inspires　me　with　no　fear。　There　was　a　time　when　I　dreaded　it；　but　that；　merely　because　it　meant　disaster　to　others　who　depend