ion, spirituality, invention, presentiment, induction, dialectics, delduction, criticism, collection of materials, an objective mode of thinking, contemplativeness, a com- prehensive view, and, last not least, fairness and affection towards all that exists,—but these were, all and each, in the history of the " life contemplative," once con- sidered as purposes and final purposes, and bestowed on their inventors that perfect happiness which fills the human soul at the flash of a final purpose.
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Origin and importance.—Why does this thought enter and re-enter my mind, and flash upon me in ever- varying brilliancy?—that, in lines of yore, explorers, in their search after the origin of things, ever expected to find a something which might be of invaluable import- ance to every action and judgment, nay, that they always presumed the welfare of mankind to depend on the insight into the origin of things—whereas now, the farther we trace the origin the less we feel concerned about our interests; nay, all our valuations and interested- ness in things begin to lose their meaning the further we retrocede in our knowledge and the nearer we approach the things themselves. The insignificance of the origin increases in proportion to our insight into the origin ; whereas the things nearest to, around, and within our- selves gradually begin to display colours and beauty, puzzles and riches of greater importance than the older
