“Above all, there were several German philosophers, who, having founded various physical theories, more or less extensive, on the perspicuous metaphysics of their countrymen, were confident that, if they had not hit on the modes which Supreme Wisdom had adopted, their modes were yet very excellent modes; and they were absolutely clamorous that their experiments should begin.  But, alas! many of them stood but little chance of being ever tried, for the very same reason which prevented the disciple of Leibnitz from obtaining his ‘Monads’; their authors could not make their meaning intelligible to the delegated omniscience.  As to some of the metaphysicians, since their theories embraced nothing less than the evolution of the ‘totality’ of the universe, the ‘infinite’ and the ‘absolute’ included, it was of course impossible that they could be tried.  But it was thought an appropriate punishment for them to be condemned to write on till they had made their meaning intelligible.  Some have labored with incredible industry to comply with this very reasonable request, but their notions seem to grow darker and darker at every step; and one in particular has written a huge folio, in which, by universal consent of men and angels, there is not the smallest glimmer of meaning from one end to the other.  Another even complains in private of the want of philosophical genius in the court of celestial criticism, and declares that in Germany they could have constructed ten theories of the universe and given twenty solutions of the ‘infinite’ and the ‘absolute’ in the time he has been vainly endeavoring to explain his meaning to personages so deplorably deficient in metaphysical acumen.”

He was going on with some other details of the hapless philosophers.

“I would much rather hear from you,” said I, “for it is a subject in which I take a far deeper interest, how those have sped who have objected to the Revelation with which God has favored man, on the ground that it cannot be true, else it would have been more unexceptionably framed or more wisely promulgated.  I take it for granted that these have not been destitute of opportunities of trying their experiment.”

“Surely not,” replied my new acquaintance. “‘The Paradise of Fools’ is well stocked with creatures of this description.  Many of the experiments which required time to test them were commenced hundreds of years ago, and are completed.  Others are still unfinished while there have been many which required only to be commenced and they were completed instantly, to the confusion of their authors.”

“I should much like,” said I, “to hear an account of some of these experiments.”

“Willingly,” answered he; “only you must bear in mind that they were all to be performed under certain limitations, without which no revelation which God can give to man would be of the slightest value.”