For  the  rest,  the  desire  of  knowledge,  which  is,  as  we  have
seen,  among  the  most  profound  of  the  desires  of  the  century,
may  become  the  source  of,  perhaps,  the  most
trustworthy  and  most  infallible  cure  for  a  great
number  of  human  ills.  Some  of  us,  certainly,  who  are  of  the
physically  and  mentally  disinherited,  may  cry  :  "  I  have  suffered
in  all  my  joys."  Nescio  quid  amari  was  present  for  us  in  the
first  draught  of  pleasure,  in  the  first  smile,  in  the  first  kiss,  and
yet  the  present  life  is  not  without  its  sweetness  when  we  do
not  rebel  against  it,  when  it  is  rationally  accepted.  What
makes  up  for  the  bitterness  of  knowledge  is  the  definiteness
and  clearness  that  it  lends  to  the  world.  As  science  becomes
more  perfect  it  may  some  day  inspire  the  soul  with  something
of  the  serenity  that  is  everywhere  incidental  to  unfaltering
clear  light.  Therein  lies  the  secret  of  Spinoza's  intellectual
calm.  If  his  objective  optimism  is  indefensible,  his  subjective
optimism  is  not  without  an  aspect  of  truth  in  the  conscious-
ness of  inner  peace  that  belongs  to  breadth  of  intelligence  and
harmony  of  thought.
So  far  as  introspection  is  concerned,  and  the  dissolving  force
it  exercises  upon  our  joys,  introspection  is  destructive,  really,
of  none  but  irrational  joys,  and  by  way  of  compensation,  it
is  destructive  also  of  irrational  griefs.  Truth  resists  analysis;
it  is  our  business  to  seek  in  truth  not  only  for  the  beautiful,


466  NON-RELIGION  OF   THE  FUTURE.
but  for  the  good.     Take  it  all  in  all,  there  is  as  much  solid

and  enduring  truth  in  enlightened  love  of  family,  of  country,

.    ,    .  ,  of  humanity,  as  in  the  most  unquestionable  scien-

Analysis  de-  ■'  ..
