, 1881-05-01
THOMAS CARLYLE,

Translated by 7. o. Russell from the French nf e. T.l-
bsrt in tue R<r4e t<x Utr Mo1d<s of 4NureA 1851
| SECOND PART.
| Mysticism declares war on untlerhand deal
] ings, On antique formulas, worn-eaten idols;
! it works for the eIfrnnchI5ement Of the human
mind, but it Gun procure for it only scml-lib-
| erty. IT s the enemy of superstition; hut it nc
| commodities Itself with difficulty to pure rea-
son, and 1T fears science. Science seeks to
| explain everything by bringing everything
under the power OF law: but mysticism, has Il
holy horror OF explanations: it sees mystery
everywhere, and professes to believe that full
knowledge Of things is an impossihity. Men Of
most rigidly orthodox belief have cxcelle1 in
scleucc. They thought that Divine omntpotence
had In oden times reserved to itself M usig-
uit1cant mountainous country in order to work
miracles in 1t, and that the sun did stand ar
rested on Mount Gipcou and the moon on
AtolOu. They confined and bounded miracles to
certain space of time, e11d certain part OF the
earth; they gave miracles their place, bur they
admitted that in the rest Of the universe all is
governed BY eternal laws In accord with com
mon SENSE. Newton believed in Revelation with
bis whole soul, nnd 1t did no: prevent hiu, from
discovering the law of unyersnl attraction, or
from tnventiug the calculus. Carlyle main
tained that nature Is supernatural, and that
When 1t Is not Divine 1t is diabolicu No chem
i6t ever found either God or SatAn in his cruci
ble; Carlyle therefore disiked tho chemists as
much as the utilitarians; he speaks with disdain
about their alampics and reacttves, their
presumptuous ignorance, which hopes to
solve. the mystery Of Life By EXPLAIN.
tions which explain nothing. ''Thou
pretcndtst,' 6Hys in SurtOr ReSurt1ts,
to 20 through the world by means Of that pale
1nmiunry which thou ca1test Truth, or Of that
pocket lantern which c,,lf attorneys logic. unu
explnin everything, give an account OF every
thing, and believe nothing bur what thou seest-
Whoever bows down before the unfath"1nahlo
realm OF Mystery, which is everywher: under
our feet, ami which We can touch with our
fingers; whoevcr allows himself TO believe that
tho universe IL I'M oracle and temple, II well as
IL kitchen and stable, thou trcAtest him as
deliriOus mystic. Does not thy ca" bring forth!
and thou tnyself, art thou not born and 1lusr
thou not dteI Ex plain all this to me- or, It not,
do either Of two things: go back TO thy house,
aoS kse or bsnS s
the reign Of miracle is past and thu1
Gods world is changed into vile prose- and kno"
that thou hast been until to-day nothing buta
duettdntc and di,1l-sfghted pedunt-' He adds:
- The man who c1nnor wonder. the nun " no ts
not in tho habit OF wondering we're he rresident
of iunumerAble Royal Societies, were he 70 car
r. in his head the whole Of 'f4apace's Nechan-
Ism OF the Heavens. all the philosophy OF
that are made in all the laboratories nnd in all
the. obseryntorics on earth Is ouly a pair OF
spectacles. behind which there are no eyes: Let
see, aud We will find means to make use OF his
Bpectaces.
of science, Carlyle wished it to be the last He
condemns US to perpetual admiration: It La
vosier mud been satisfied 10 wonder and admire
chemistry would not buve been discovered. One
secs how true it IL to sAy that this genial Scotch
man ouly procured for his disciples sctnl-lt-
erty, which could not suffice them long: II IS
said thut Il Door monk was 50 soAccusto1ne to per-
form miracles that the Prior was obliged TO rep
rimand him for his indlscrcct zeal, and forbid !
him the exercise Of his talent The monk |
cbeyed not without chaxriu. Lnt seeing poor |
slater tall from the top Of roof. he found him
1nan'3 life and obedience 10 the commands OF |
his superior. In order to conciiiate every one:
he suspended the slater in the mir until be gould
refer to the Prior, who It appears permitted bin
10 accomplish bis miracle Oh the condition that
t,e never would perform any more. II England |
had bad no guide but the author OF Sartor |
Rcsartu5" she should have always been sus- |
pended between dogma and science. between