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And mine in his was wound and whirl'd
About empyreal heights of thought；
And came on that which is； and caught
The deep pulsations of the world。〃
Mystery！ We cannot fathom it； we know not the paths of the souls of
Pascal and Gordon； of Plotinus and St。 Paul。 They are wise with a
wisdom not of this world； or with a foolishness yet more wise。
In his practical philosophy Plotinus was an optimist； or at least he
was at war with pessimism。
〃They that love God bear lightly the ways of the worldbear lightly
whatsoever befalls them of necessity in the general movement of
things。〃 He believed in a rest that remains for the people of God；
〃where they speak not one with the other； but； as we understand many
things by the eyes only； so does soul read soul in heaven； where the
spiritual body is pure； and nothing is hidden； and nothing feigned。〃
The arguments by which these opinions are buttressed may be called
metaphysical； and may be called worthless； the conviction； and the
beauty of the language in which it is stated； remain immortal
possessions。
Why such a man as Plotinus； with such ideas； remained a pagan； while
Christianity offered him a sympathetic refuge； who can tell？
Probably natural conservatism； in him as in Dr。 Johnson
conservatism and tastecaused his adherence to the forms at least
of the older creeds。 There was much to laugh at in Plotinus； and
much to like。 But if you read him in hopes of material for strange
stories； you will be disappointed。 Perhaps Lord Lytton and others
who have invoked his name in fiction （like Vivian Grey in Lord
Beaconsfield's tale） knew his name better than his doctrine。 His
〃Enneads；〃 even as edited by his patient Boswell； Porphyry； are not
very light subjects of study。
LUCRETIUS
To the Rev。 Geoffrey Martin； Oxford。
Dear Martin；〃How individuals found religious consolation from the
creeds of ancient Greece and Rome〃 is； as you quote C。 O。 Muller； 〃a
very curious question。〃 It is odd that while we have countless
books on the philosophy and the mythology and the ritual of the
classic peoples； we hear about their religion in the modern sense
scarcely anything from anybody。 We know very well what gods they
worshipped； and what sacrifices they offered to the Olympians； and
what stories they told about their deities； and about the beginnings
of things。 We know； too； in a general way； that the gods were
interested in morality。 They would all punish offences in their own
department； at least when it was a case of numine laeso； when the
god who protected the hearth was offended by breach of hospitality；
or when the gods invoked to witness an oath were offended by
perjury。
But how did a religiously minded man regard the gods？ What hope or
what fears did he entertain with regard to the future life？ Had he
any sense of sin； as more than a thing that could be expiated by
purification with the blood of slaughtered swine； or by purchasing
the prayers and 〃masses；〃 so to speak； of the mendicant clergy or
charlatans； mentioned by Plato in the 〃Republic〃？ About these great
questions of the religious lifethe Future and man's fortunes in
the future； the punishment or reward of justice or iniquitywe
really know next to nothing。
That is one reason why the great poem of Lucretius seems so valuable
to me。 The De Rerum Natura was written for no other purpose than to
destroy Religion； as Lucretius understood it； to free men's minds
from all dread as to future punishment； all hope of Heaven； all
dread or desire for the interference of the gods in this mortal life
of ours on earth。 For no other reason did Lucretius desire to 〃know
the causes of things；〃 except that the knowledge would bring
〃emancipation；〃 as people call it； from the gods； to whom men had
hitherto stood in the relation of the Roman son to the Roman sire；
under the patria potestas or in manu patris。
As Lucretius wrought all his arduous work to this end； it follows
that his fellow…countrymen must have gone in a constant terror about
spiritual penalties； which we seldom associate in thought with the
〃blithe〃 and careless existence of the ancient peoples。 In every
line of Lucretius you read the joy and the indignation of the slave
just escaped from an intolerable thraldom to fear。 Nobody could
well have believed on any other evidence that the classical people
had a gloomy Calvinism of their own time。 True； as early as Homer；
we hear of the shadowy existence of the souls； and of the torments
endured by the notably wicked； by impious ghosts； or tyrannical；
like Sisyphus and Tantalus。 But when we read the opening books of
the 〃Republic；〃 we find the educated friends of Socrates treating
these terrors as old…wives' fables。 They have heard； they say； that
such notions circulate among the people； but they seem never for a
moment to have themselves believed in a future of rewards and
punishments。
The remains of ancient funereal art； in Etruria or Attica； usually
show us the semblances of the dead lying at endless feasts； or
receiving sacrifices of food and wine （as in Egypt） from their
descendants； or； perhaps； welcoming the later dead； their friends
who have just rejoined them。 But it is only in the descriptions by
Pausanias and others of certain old wall…paintings that we hear of
the torments of the wicked； of the demons that torture them and；
above all； of the great chief fiend； coloured like a carrion fly。
To judge from Lucretius； although so little remains to us of this
creed； yet it had a very strong hold of the minds of people； in the
century before Christ。 Perhaps the belief was reinforced by the
teaching of Socrates； who； in the vision of Er； in the 〃Republic；〃
brings back； in a myth； the old popular faith in a Purgatorio； if
not in an Inferno。
In the 〃Phaedo；〃 for certain； we come to the very definite account
of a Hell； a place of eternal punishment； as well as of a Purgatory；
whence souls are freed when their sins are expiated。 〃The spirits
beyond redemption； for the multitude of their murders or sacrileges；
Fate hurls into Tartarus； whence they never any more come forth。〃
But souls of lighter guilt abide a year in Tartarus； and then drift
out down the streams Cocytus and Pyriphlegethon。 Thence they reach
the marsh of Acheron； but are not released until they have received
the pardon of the souls whom in life they had injured。
All this； and much more to the same purpose in other dialogues of
Plato's； appears to have been derived by Socrates from the popular
unphilosophic traditions； from Folk…lore in short； and to have been
raised by him to the rank of 〃pious opinion；〃 if not of dogma。 Now；
Lucretius represents nothing but the reaction against all this dread
of future doom； whether that dread was inculcated by Platonic
philosophy or by popular belief。 The latter must have been much the
more powerful and widely diffused。 It follows tha