and　which　I　promised　to　explain　in　this　Part；　namely；　that　death　becomes
  less　hurtful；　in　proportion　as　the　mind's　clear　and　distinct　knowledge　is
  greater；　and；　consequently；　in　proportion　as　the　mind　loves　God　more。　Again；
  since　from　the　third　kind　of　knowledge　arises　the　highest　possible
  acquiescence　（V：xxvii。）；　it　follows　that　the　human　mind　can　attain　to
  being　of　such　a　nature；　that　the　part　thereof　which　we　have　shown　to
  perish　with　the　body　（V：xxi。）　should　be　of　little　importance　when　compared
  with　the　part　which　endures。　But　I　will　soon　treat　of　the　subject　at　greater
  length。
  Prop。　XXXIX。　He；　who　possesses　a　body　capable
  of　the　greatest　number　of　activities；　possesses
  a　mind　whereof　the　greatest　part　is　eternal。
  Proof。…　He；　who　possesses　a　body　capable　of　the　greatest　number　of
  activities；　is　least　agitated　by　those　emotions　which　are　evil　（IV：xxxviii。）
  that　is　（IV：xxx。）；　by　those　emotions　which　are　contrary　to　our　nature；
  therefore　（V：x。）；　he　possesses　the　power　of　arranging　and　associating　the
  modifications　of　the　body　according　to　the　intellectual　order；　and；
  consequently；　of　bringing　it　about；　that　all　the　modifications　of　the　body
  should　be　referred　to　the　idea　of　God；　whence　it　will　come　to　pass　that
  （V：xv。）　he　will　be　affected　with　love　towards　God；　which　（V：xvi）　must　occupy
  or　constitute　the　chief　part　of　the　mind；　therefore　（V：xxxiii。）；　such　a　man
  will　possess　a　mind　whereof　the　chief　part　is　eternal。　Q。E。D。
  Note。…　Since　human　bodies　are　capable　of　the　greatest　number　of　activities；
  there　is　no　doubt　but　that　they　may　be　of　such　a　nature；　that　they　may　be
  referred　to　minds　possessing　a　great　knowledge　of　themselves　and　of　God；　and
  whereof　the　greatest　or　chief　part　is　eternal；　and；　therefore；　that　they
  should　scarcely　fear　death。　But；　in　order　that　this　may　be　understood　more
  clearly；　we　must　here　call　to　mind；　that　we　live　in　a　state　of　perpetual
  variation；　and；　according　as　we　are　changed　for　the　better　or　the　worse；　we
  are　called　happy　or　unhappy。
  For　he；　who；　from　being　an　infant　or　a　child；　becomes　a　corpse；　is　called
  unhappy；　whereas　it　is　set　down　to　happiness；　if　we　have　been　able　to　live
  through　the　whole　period　of　life　with　a　sound　mind　in　a　sound　body。　And；　in
  reality；　he；　who；　as　in　the　case　of　an　infant　or　a　child；　has　a　body　capable
  of　very　few　activities；　and　depending；　for　the　most　part；　on　external
  causes；　has　a　mind　which；　considered　in　itself　alone；　is　scarcely　conscious
  of　itself；　or　of　God；　or　of　things；　whereas；　he；　who　has　a　body　capable　of
  very　many　activities；　has　a　mind　which；　considered　in　itself　alone；　is
  highly　conscious　of　itself；　of　God；　and　of　things。　In　this　life；　therefore；
  we　primarily　endeavour　to　bring　it　about；　that　the　body　of　a　child；　in　so
  far　as　its　nature　allows　and　conduces　thereto；　may　be　changed　into　something
  else　capable　of　very　many　activities；　and　referable　to　a　mind　which　is
  highly　conscious　of　itself；　of　God；　and　of　things；　and　we　desire　so　to
  change　it；　that　what　is　referred　to　its　imagination　and　memory　may　become
  insignificant；　in　comparison　with　its　intellect；　as　I　have　already　said　in
  the　note　to　the　last　Proposition。
  Prop。　XL。　In　proportion　as　each　thing　possesses
  more　of　perfection；　so　is　it　more　active；　and
  less　passive；　and；　vice　versa；　in　proportion　as
  it　is　more　active；　so　is　it　more　perfect。
  Proof。…　In　proportion　as　each　thing　is　more　perfect；　it　possesses　more　of
  reality　（II：Def。vi。）；　and；　consequently　（III：iii。and　Note）；　it　is　to　that
  extent　more　active　and　less　passive。　This　demonstration　may　be　reversed；　and
  thus　prove　that；　in　proportion　as　a　thing　is　more　active；　so　is　it　more
  perfect。　Q。E。D。
  Corollary。…　Hence　it　follows　that　the　part　of　the　mind　which　endures；　be　it
  great　or　small；　is　more　perfect　than　the　rest。　For　the　eternal　part　of　the
  mind　（V：xiii。　and　V：xxix。）　the　understanding；　through　which　alone　we　are
  said　to　act　（III：iii。）；　the　part　which　we　have　shown　to　perish　is　the
  imagination　（V：xxi。）；　through　which　only　we　are　said　to　be　passive　（III：iii。
  and　general　Def。　of　the　Emotions）；　therefore；　the　former；　be　it　great　or
  small；　is　more　perfect　than　the　latter。　Q。E。D。
  Note。…　Such　are　the　doctrines　which　I　had　purposed　to　set　forth　concerning
  the　mind；　in　so　far　as　it　is　regarded　without　relation　to　the　body；　whence；
  as　also　from　I：xxi。　and　other　places；　it　is　plain　that　our　mind；　in　so　far
  as　it　understands；　is　an　eternal　mode　of　thinking；　which　is　determined　by
  another　eternal　mode　of　thinking；　and　this　other　by　a　third；　and　so　on　to
  infinity；　so　that　all　taken　together　at　once　constitute　the　eternal　and
  infinite　intellect　of　God。
  Prop。　XLI。　Even　if　we　did　not　know　that
  our　mind　is　eternal；　we　should　still
  consider　as　of　primary　importance　piety
  and　religion；　and　generally　all　things
  which；　in　Part　IV。；　we　showed　to　be
  attributable　to　courage　and　high…mindedness。
  Proof。…　The　first　and　only；　foundation　of　virtue；　or　the　rule　of　right
  living　is　（IV：xxii。Coroll。　and　IV：xxiv。）　seeking　one's　own　true　interest。
  Now；　while　we　determined　what　reason　prescribes　as　useful；　we　took　no
  account　of　the　mind's　eternity；　which　has　only　become　known　to　us　in　this
  Fifth　Part。　Although　we　were　ignorant　at　that　time　that　the　mind　is　eternal；
  we　nevertheless　stated　that　the　qualities　attributable　to　courage　and　high…
  mindedness　are　of　primary　importance。　Therefore；　even　if　we　were　still
  ignorant　of　this　doctrine；　we　should　yet　put　the　aforesaid　precepts　of
  reason　in　the　first　place。　Q。E。D。
  Note。…　The　general　belief　of　the　multitude　seems　to　be　different。　Most
  people　seem　to　believe　that　they　are　free；　in　so　far　as　they　may　obey　their
  lusts；　and　that　they　cede　their　rights；　in　so　far　as　they　are　bound　to　live
  according　to　the　commandments　of　the　divine　law。　They　therefore　believe　that
  piety；　religion；　and；　generally；　all　things　attributable　to　firmness　of
  mind；　are　burdens；　which；　after　death；　they　hope　to　lay　aside；　and　to
  receive　the　reward　for　their　bondage；　that　is；　for　their　piety；　and
  religion；　it　is　not　only　by　this　hope；　but　also；　and　chiefly；　by　the　fear　of
  being　horribly　punished　after　death；　that　they　are　induced　to　live　according
  to　the　divine　commandments；　so　far　as　their　feeble　and　infirm　spirit　will
  carry　them。
  If　men　had　not　this　hope　and　this　fear；　but　believed　that　the　mind　perishes
  with　the　body；　and　that　no　hope　of　prolonged　life　remains　for　the　wretches
  who　are　broken　down　with　the　burden　of　piety；　they　would　return　to　their　own
  inclinations；　controlling　everything　in　accordance　with　their　lusts；　and
  desiring　to　obey　fortune　rather　than　themselves。　Such　a　course　appears　to　me
  not　less　absurd　than　if　a　man；　because　he　does　not　believe　that　he　can　by
  wholesome　food　sustain　his　body　for　ever；　should　wish　to　cram　himself　with
  poisons　and　deadly　fare；　or　if；　because　he　sees　that　the　mind　is　not　eternal
  or　immortal；　he　should　prefer　to　be　out　of　his　mind　altogether；　and　to　live
  without　the　use　of　reason；　these　ideas　are　so　absurd　as　to　be　scarcely　worth
  refuting。
  Prop。　XLII。　Blessedness　is　not　the　reward　of　virtue；　but　virtue
  itself　；　neither　do　we　rejoice　therein；　because　we　control　our
  lusts；　but；　contrariwise；　because　we　rejoice　therein；　we　are　able
  to　control　our　lusts。
  Proof。…　Blessedness　consists　in　love　towards　God　（V：xxxvi。　and　Note）；　which
  love　springs　from　the　third　kind　of　knowledge　（V：xxxii。Coroll。）；　therefore
  this　love　（III：iii。　and　III：lix。）　must　be　referred　to　the　mind；　in　so　far　as
  the　latter　is　active；　therefore　（IV：Def。viii。）　it　is　virtue　itself。
  This　was　our　first　point。　Again；　in　proportion　as　the　mind　rejoices　more　in
  this　divine　love　or　blessedness；　so　does　it　the　more　understand　（V：xxxii。）；
  that　is　（V：iii。Coroll。）；　so　much　the　more　power　has　it　over　the　emotions；
  and　（V：xxxviii。）　so　much　the　less　is　it　subject　to　those　emotions
  which　are　evil；　therefore；　in　proportion　as　the　mind　rejoices　in　this　divine
  love　or　blessedness；　so　has　it　the　power　of　controlling　lusts。　And；　since
  human　power　in　controlling　the　emotions　consists　solely　in　the
  understanding；　it　follows　that　no　one　rejoices　in　blessedness；　because　he
  has　controlled　his　lusts；　but；　contrariwise；　his　power　of　controlling　his
  lusts　arises　from　this　blessedness　itself。　Q。E。D。
  Note。…　I　have　thus　completed　all　I　wished　to　set　forth　touching　the　mind's
  power　over　the　emotions　and　the　mind's　freedom。　Whence　it　appears；　how
  potent　is　the　wise　man；　and　how　much　he　surpasses　the　ignorant　man；　who　is
  driven　only　by　his　lusts。　For　the　ignorant　man　is　not　only　distracted　in
  various　ways　by　external　causes　without　ever　gaining；　the　true　acquies