benefit　in　ages　past。　All　the　labour　and　the　toil　of　so　many　millions
  continued　through　such　vistas　of　time；　down　to　those　millions　who　at　this
  hour　are　rushing　to　and　fro　in　London；　has
  accumulated　nothing　for　us。　Nothing　for　our　good。　The　only　things　that　have
  been　stored　up　have　been　for　our　evil　and　destruction；　diseases　and
  weaknesses　crossed　and　cultivated　and　rendered　almost　part　and　parcel　of　our
  very　bones。　Now　let　us　begin　to　roll　back　the　tide　of　death；　and　to　set　our
  faces
  steadily　to　a　future　of　life。　It　should　be　the　sacred　and　sworn　duty　of
  every　one；　once　at　least　during　lifetime；　to　do　something　in　person　towards
  this　end。　It　would　be　a　delight　and　pleasure　to　me　to　do　something　every
  day；　were　it　ever　so　minute。　To　reflect　that　another　human　being；　if　at　a
  distance　of　ten　thousand　years　from　the　year　1883；　would　enjoy　one　hour's
  more　life；　in　the　sense　of　fulness　of　life；　in　consequence　of　anything　I　had
  done　in　my　little　span；　would　be　to　me　a　peace　of　soul。
  CHAPTER　X
  UNITED　effort　through　geological　time　in　front　is　but　the　beginning　of　an
  idea。　I　am　convinced　that　much　more　can　be　done；　and　that　the　length　of　time
  may　be　almost　immeasurably　shortened。　The　general　principles　that　are　now　in
  operation　are　of　the　simplest　and　most　elementary　character；　yet　they　have
  already　made　considerable　difference。　I　am　not　content　with　these。　There
  must　be　much　morethere　must　be　things　which　are　at　present　unknown　by
  whose　aid　advance　may　be　made。　Research　proceeds　upon　the　same　old　lines　and
  runs　in　the　ancient　grooves。　Further；　it　is　restricted　by　the
  ultra…practical　views　which　are　alone　deemed　reasonable。　But　there　should　be
  no　limit　placed　on　the　mind。　The　purely　ideal　is　as　worthy　of　pursuit　as　the
  practical；　and　the　mind　is　not　to　be　pinned　to　dogmas　of　science　any　more
  than　to　dogmas　of　superstition。　Most　injurious
  of　all　is　the　continuous　circling　on　the　same　path；　and　it　is
  from　this　that　I　wish　to　free　my　mind。
  The　pursuit　of　theorythe　organon　of　pure　thoughthas　led
  incidentally　to　great　discoveries；　and　for　myself　I　am　convinced
  it　is　of　the　highest　value。　The　process　of　experiment　has　produced　much；　and
  has　applied　what　was　previously　found。
  Empiricism　is　worthy　of　careful　re…working　out；　for　it　is　a　fact
  that　most　things　are　more　or　less　empirical；　especially　in
  medicine。　Denial　may　be　given　to　this　statement；　nevertheless
  it　is　true；　and　I　have　had　practical　exemplification　of　it　in　my
  own　experience。　Observation　is　perhaps　more　powerful　an　organon
  than　either　experiment　or　empiricism。　　If　the　eye　is　always　watching；　and
  the　mind　on　the　alert；　ultimately　chance　supplies　the　solution。
  The　difficulties　I　have　encountered　have　generally　been　solved
  by　chance　in　this　way。　When　I　took　an　interest　in
  archaeological　mattersan　interest　long　since　extinctI
  considered　that　a　part　of　an　army　known　to　have　marched　in　a
  certain　direction　during　the　Civil　War　must　have　visited　a　town
  in　which　I　was　interested。　But　I　exhausted　every　mode　of
  research　in　vain；　there　was　no　evidence　of　it。　If　the　knowledge
  had　ever　existed　it　had　dropped　again。　Some　years　afterwards；
  when　my　interest　had　ceased；　and　I　had　put　such　inquiries　for
  ever　aside　（being　useless；　like　the　Egyptian　papyri）；　I　was
  reading　in　the　British　Museum。　Presently　I　returned　my　book　to
  the　shelf；　and　then　slowly　walked　along　the　curving　wall　lined　with　volumes；
  looking　to　see　if　I　could　light　on　anything　to　amuse　me。　I　took　out　a　volume
  for　a　glance；　it　opened　of　itself　at　a　certain　page；　and　there　was　the
  information　I　had　so　long　soughta　reprint　of　an　old　pamphlet　describing
  the　visit　of　the　army　to　the　town　in　the　Civil　War。　So　chance　answered　the
  question　in　the　course　of　time。
  And　I　think　that；　seeing　how　great　a　part　chance　plays　in　human　affairs；　it
  is　essential　that　study　should　be　made　of　chance；　it　seems　to　me　that　an
  organon　from　experiment。　Then　there　is　the　inner　consciousnessthe
  psychethat　has　never　yet　been　brought　to　bear　upon　life　and　its　questions。
  Besides　which　there　is　a　super…sensuous　reason。　Often　I　have　argued　with
  myself　that　such　and　such　a　course　was　the　right　one　to　follow；　while　in　the
  intervals　of　thinking　about　it　an　undercurrent　of　unconscious　impulse　has
  desired　me　to　do　the　reverse　or　to　remain　inactive。
  Sometimes　it　has　happened　that　the　supersensuous　reasoning　has　been　correct；
  and　the　most　faultless　argument　wrong。　I　presume　this　supersensuous
  reasoning；　preceeding　independently　in　the　mind；　arises　from　preceptions　too
  delicate　for　analysis。　From　these　considerations　alone　I　am　convinced　that；
  by　the　aid　of　ideas　yet　to　be　discovered；　the　geological　time　in　front　may
  be　immeasurably　shortened。　　These　modes　of　research　are　not　all。　The
  psychethe　soul　in　metells　me　that　there　is　much　more；　that　these　are
  merely　beginnings　of　the　crudest　kind。
  I　fully　recognise　the　practical　difficulty　arising　from　the　ingrained；
  hereditary；　and　unconscious　selfishness　which　began　before　history；　and　has
  been　crossed　and　cultivated　for　twelve　thousand　years　since。　This　renders　me
  less　sanguine　of　united　effort　through　geological　time　ahead；　unless　some
  idea　can　be　formed　to　give　a　stronger　impulse　even　than　selfishness；　or
  unless　the　selfishness　can　be　utilised。　The　complacency　with　which　the　mass
  of　people　go　about　their　daily　task；　absolutely
  indifferent　to　all　other　considerations；　is　appalling　in　its
  concentrated　stolidity。　They　do　not　intend　wrongthey　intend　rightly：　in
  truth；　they　work　against　the　entire　human　race。
  So　wedded　and　so　confirmed　is　the　world　in　its　narrow　groove　of　self；　so
  stolid　and　so　complacent　under　the　immense　weight　of　misery；　so　callous　to
  its　own　possibilities；　and　so　grown　to　its　chains；　that　I　almost　despair　to
  see　it　awakened。　Cemeteries　are　often　placed　on　hillsides；　and　the　white
  stones　are　visible　far　off。　If　the　whole　of　the　dead　in　a　hillside　cemetery
  were　called　up　alive　from　their　tombs；　and　walked　forth　down　into　the
  valley；　it　would　not　rouse　the　mass　of　people　from　the　dense　pyramid　of
  stolidity　which　presses　on　them。
  There　would　be　gaping　and　marvelling　and　rushing　about；　and　what　then？　In　a
  week　or　two　the　ploughman　would　settle　down　to　his　plough；　the　carpenter　to
  his　bench；　the　smith　to　his　anvil；　the
  merchant　to　his　money；　and　the　dead　come　to　life　would　be
  utterly　forgotten。　No　matter　in　what　manner　the　possibilities
  of　human　life　are　put　before　the　world；　the　crowd　continues　as　stolid　as
  before。　Therefore　nothing　hitherto　done；　or　suggested；　or　thought　of；is　of
  much　avail；　but　this　fact　in　no　degree
  stays　me　from　the　search。　On　the　contrary；the　less　there　has　been
  accomplished　the　more　anxious　I　am；　the　truth　it　teaches　is
  that　the　mind　must　be　lifted　out　of　its　old　grooves　before　anything　will　be
  certainly　begun。　Erase　the　past　from　the　mindstand　face　to　face　with　the
  real　nowand　work　out　all　anew。　Call　the　soul　to　our　assistance；　the　soul
  tells　me　that　outside　all　the　ideas　that　have　yet　occurred　there　are　others；
  whole　circles　of　others。
  I　remember　a　cameo　of　Augustus　Caesarthe　head　of　the　emperor　is　graven　in
  delicate　lines；　and　shows　the　most　exquisite　proportions。　It　is　a　balanced
  head；　a　head　adjusted　to　the　calmest　intellect。　That　head　when　it　was　living
  contained　a　circle　of　ideas；　the　largest；　the　widest；　the　most　profound
  current　in　his　time。　All　that　philosophy　had　taught；　all　that　practice；
  experiment；　and　empiricism　had　discovered；　was　familiar　to　him。　There　was　no
  knowledge　in　the　ancient　world　but　what　was　accessible　to　the　Emperor　of
  Rome。　Now　at　this　day　there　are　amongst　us　heads　as　finely　proportioned　as
  that　cut　out　in　the　cameo。　Though　these　living　men　do　not　possess　arbitrary
  power；　the　advantages　of　arbitrary　poweras　far　as　knowledge　is
  concernedare　secured　to　them　by　education；　by　the　printing…press；　and　the
  facilities　of　our　era。　It　is　reasonable　to　imagine　a　head　of　our　time　filled
  with　the　largest；　the　widest；　the　most　profound　ideas　current　in　the　age。
  Augustus　Caesar；　however　great　his　intellect；　could　not　in　that　balanced
  head　have　possessed　the　ideas　familiar　enough　to　the　living　head　of　this
  day。　As　we　have　a　circle　of　ideas　unknown　to　Augustus　Caesar；　so　I　argue
  there　are　whole　circles　of　ideas　unknown　to　us。　It　is　these　that　I　am　so
  earnestly　desirous　of　discovering。
  For　nothing　has　as　yet　been　of　any　value；　however　good　its　intent。　There　is
  no　virtue；　or　reputed　virtue；　which　has　not
  been　rigidly　pursued；　and　things　have　remained　as　before。　Men
  and　women　have　practised　self…denial；　and　to　what　end？　They
  have　compelled　themselves　to　suffer　hunger　and　thirst；　in
  vain。　They　have　clothed　themselves　in　sack　cloth　and　lacerated　the　flesh。
  They　have　mutilated　themselves。　Some　have　been　scrupulous　to　bathe；　and　some
  have　been　scrupulous　to　cake　their　bodies　with　the　foulness　of　years。　Many
  have　devoted　their　lives　to　assist　others　in　sickness　or　poverty。　Chastity
  has　been　faithfully　observed；　chastity　both　of　body　and　mind。
  Self…examination　has　been　pursued　till　it　ended　in　a　species　of　sacred
  insanity；　and　all　these　have　been　of　no　more　value　than　the　tortures
  undergone　by　the　Indian　mendicant　who　hangs　himself　up　by　a　hook　thr