no inquiry was followed to the end, nothing ever thoroughly examined; everything which went beyond the most obvious casual nexus was immediately set down to those personalities. “It was at once explained by a reference to God, angels or demons,” as Pomponatius expressed himself when the matter was being discussed, “and philosophers at any rate have nothing analogous.”  There is, to be sure, a suspicion of irony in this statement of Pomponatius, as his perfidy in other matters is known; still, he is only giving expression to the general way of thinking of his age.  And if, on the other hand, any one possessed the rare quality of an elastic mind, which alone could burst the bonds, his writings and he himself with them were burnt; as happened to Bruno and Vanini.  How completely an ordinary mind is paralyzed by that early preparation in metaphysics is seen in the most vivid way and on its most ridiculous side, where such a one undertakes to criticise the doctrines of an alien creed.  The efforts of the ordinary man are generally found to be directed to a careful exhibition of the incongruity of its dogmas with those of his own belief:  he is at great pains to show that not only do they not say, but certainly do not mean, the same thing; and with that he thinks, in his simplicity, that he has demonstrated the falsehood of the alien creed.  He really never dreams of putting the question which of the two may be right; his own articles of belief he looks upon as a priori true and certain principles.

Demopheles.  So that’s your higher point of view?  I assure you there is a higher still. First live, then philosophize is a maxim of more comprehensive import than appears at first sight.  The first thing to do is to control the raw and evil dispositions of the masses, so as to keep them from pushing injustice to extremes, and from committing cruel, violent and disgraceful acts.  If you were to wait until they had recognized and grasped the truth, you would undoubtedly come too late; and truth, supposing that it had been found, would surpass their powers of comprehension.  In any case an allegorical investiture of it, a parable or myth, is all that would be of any service to them.  As Kant said, there must be a public standard of Right and Virtue; it must always flutter high overhead.  It is a matter of indifference what heraldic figures are inscribed on it, so long as they signify what is meant.  Such an allegorical representation of truth is always and everywhere, for humanity at large, a serviceable substitute for a truth to which it can never attain,—­for a philosophy which it can never grasp; let alone the fact that it is daily changing its shape, and has in no form as yet met with general acceptance.  Practical aims, then, my good Philalethes, are in every respect superior to theoretical.

Philalethes.  What you say is very like the ancient advice of Timaeus of Locrus, the Pythagorean, stop the mind with falsehood if you can’t speed it with truth.  I almost suspect that your plan is the one which is so much in vogue just now, that you want to impress upon me that