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The　earlier　Pantheists　were　misled　by　the　endeavour　＇sic＇　to　lay　

hold　of　two　distinct　ideas；　the　one　of　which　was　a　reality　that　

has　since　been　grasped　and　is　of　inestimable　value；　the　other　a　

phantom　which　has　misled　all　who　have　followed　it。　　The　reality　is　

the　unity　of　Life；　the　oneness　of　the　guiding　and　animating　

spirit　which　quickens　animals　and　plants；　so　that　they　are　all　

the　outcome　and　expression　of　a　common　mind；　and　are　in　truth　one　

animal；　the　phantom　is　the　endeavour　＇sic＇　to　find　the　origin　of　

things；　to　reach　the　fountain…head　of　all　energy；　and　thus　to　lay　

the　foundations　on　which　a　philosophy　may　be　constructed　which　

none　can　accuse　of　being　baseless；　or　of　arguing　in　a　circle。



In　following　as　through　a　thick　wood　after　the　phantom　our　

forefathers　from　time　to　time　caught　glimpses　of　the　reality；　

which　seemed　so　wonderful　as　it　eluded　them；　and　flitted　back　

again　into　the　thickets；　that　they　declared　it　must　be　the　

phantom　they　were　in　search　of；　which　was　thus　evidenced　as　

actually　existing。　　Whereon；　instead　of　mastering　such　of　the　

facts　they　met　with　as　could　be　captured　easily…which　facts　would　

have　betrayed　the　hiding…places　of　others；　and　these　again　of　

others；　and　so　ad　infinitum…they　overlooked　what　was　

within　their　reach；　and　followed　hotly　through　brier　and　brake　

after　an　imaginary　greater　prize。



Great　thoughts　are　not　to　be　caught　in　this　way。　　They　must　

present　themselves　for　capture　of　their　own　free　will；　or　be　

taken　after　a　little　coyness　only。　　They　are　like　wealth　and　

power；　which；　if　a　man　is　not　born　to　them；　are　the　more　likely　

to　take　him；　the　more　he　has　restrained　himself　from　an　attempt　

to　snatch　them。　　They　hanker　after　those　only　who　have　tamed　their　

nearer　thoughts。　　Nevertheless；　it　is　impossible　not　to　feel　that　

the　early　Pantheists　were　true　prophets　and　seers；　though　the　

things　were　unknown　to　them　without　which　a　complete　view　was　

unattainable。　　What　does　Linus　mean；　we　ask　ourselves；　when　he　

says　：…　〃One　sole　energy　governs　all　things〃　？　How　can　one　sole　

energy　govern；　we　will　say；　the　reader　and　the　chair　on　which　he　

sits？　What　is　meant　by　an　energy　governing　a　chair？　If　by　an　

effort　we　have　made　ourselves　believe　we　understand　something　

which　can　be　better　expressed　by　these　words　than　by　any　others；　

no　sooner　do　we　turn　our　backs　than　the　ideas　so　painfully　

collected　fly　apart　again。　　No　matter　how　often　we　go　in　search　of　

them；　and　force　them　into　juxtaposition；　they　prove　to　have　none　

of　that　innate　coherent　power　with　which　ideas　combine　that　we　

can　hold　as　true　and　profitable。



Yet　if　Linus　had　confined　his　statement　to　living　things；　and　had　

said　that　one　sole　energy　governed　all　plants　and　animals；　he　

would　have　come　near　both　to　being　intelligible　and　true。　　For　if；　

as　we　now　believe；　all　animals　and　plants　are　descended　from　a　

single　cell；　they　must　be　considered　as　cousins　to　one　another；　

and　as　forming　a　single　tree…like　animal；　every　individual　plant　

or　animal　of　which　is　as　truly　one　and　the　same　person　with　the　

primordial　cell　as　the　oak　a　thousand　years　old　is　one　and　the　

same　plant　with　the　acorn　out　of　which　it　has　grown。　　This　is　

easily　understood；　but　will；　I　trust；　be　made　to　appear　simpler　

presently。



When　Linus　says；　〃All　things　are　unity；　and　each　portion　is　All；　

for　of　one　integer　all　things　were　born；〃　it　is　impossible　for　

plain　people…who　do　not　wish　to　use　words　unless　they　mean　the　

same　things　by　them　as　both　they　and　others　have　been　in　the　

habit　of　meaning…to　understand　what　is　intended。　　How　can　each　

portion　be　all？　How　can　one　Londoner　be　all　London？　I　know　that　

this；　too；　can　in　a　way　be　shown；　but　the　resulting　idea　is　too　

far　to　fetch；　and　when　fetched　does　not　fit　in　well　enough　with　

our　other　ideas　to　give　it　practical　and　commercial　value。　　How；　

again；　can　all　things　be　said　to　be　born　of　one　integer；　unless　

the　statement　is　confined　to　living　things；　which　can　alone　be　

born　at　all；　and　unless　a　theory　of　evolution　is　intended；　such　

as　Linus　would　hardly　have　accepted？



Yet　limit　the　〃all　things〃　to　〃all　living　things；〃　grant　the　

theory　of　evolution；　and　explain　〃each　portion　is　All〃　to　mean　

that　all　life　is　akin；　and　possesses　the　same　essential　

fundamental　characteristics；　and　it　is　surprising　how　nearly　

Linus　approaches　both　to　truth　and　intelligibility。



It　may　be　said　that　the　animate　and　the　inanimate　have　the　same　

fundamental　substance；　so　that　a　chair　might　rot　and　be　absorbed　

by　grass；　which　grass　might　be　eaten　by　a　cow；　which　cow　might　be　

eaten　by　a　man；　and　by　similar　processes　the　man　might　become　a　

chair；　but　these　facts　are　not　presented　to　the　mind　by　saying　

that　〃one　energy　governs　all　things〃…a　chair；　we　will　say；　and　a　

man；　we　could　only　say　that　one　energy　governed　a　man　and　a　

chair；　if　the　chair　were　a　reasonable　living　person；　who　was　

actively　and　consciously　engaged　in　helping　the　man　to　attain　a　

certain　end；　unless；　that　is　to　say；　we　are　to　depart　from　all　

usual　interpretation　of　words；　in　which　case　we　invalidate　the　

advantages　of　language　and　all　the　sanctions　of　morality。



〃All　things　shall　again　become　unity〃　is　intelligible　as　meaning　

that　all　things　probably　have　come　from　a　single　elementary　

substance；　say　hydrogen　or　what　not；　and　that　they　will　return　to　

it；　but　the　explanation　of　unity　as　being　the　〃unity　of　

multiplicity〃　puzzles；　if　there　is　any　meaning　it　is　too　

recondite　to　be　of　service　to　us。



What；　again；　is　meant　by　saying　that　〃the　soul　of　the　world　is　

the　Divine　energy　which　interpenetrates　every　portion　of　the　

mass〃　？　The　soul　of　the　world　is　an　expression　which；　to　myself；　

and；　I　should　imagine；　to　most　people；　is　without　propriety。　　We　

cannot　think　of　the　world　except　as　earth；　air；　and　water；　in　

this　or　that　state；　on　and　in　which　there　grow　plants　and　

animals。　　What　is　meant　by　saying　that　earth　has　a　soul；　and　

lives？　　Does　it　move　from　place　to　place　erratically？　Does　it　

feed？　Does　it　reproduce　itself？　Does　it　make　such　noises；　or　

commit　such　vagaries　as　shall　make　us　say　that　it　feels？　Can　it　

achieve　its　ends；　and　fail　of　achieving　them　through　mistake？　If　

it　cannot；　how　has　it　a　soul　more　than　a　dead　man　has　a　soul；　out　

of　whom　we　say　that　the　soul　has　departed；　and　whose　body　we　

conceive　of　as　returning　to　dead　earth；　inasmuch　as　it　is　now　

soulless？　Is　there　any　unnatural　violence　which　can　be　done　to　

our　thoughts　by　which　we　can　bring　the　ideas　of　a　soul　and　of　

water；　or　of　a　stone　into　combination；　and　keep　them　there　for　

long　together？　　The　ancients；　indeed；　said　they　believed　their　

rivers　to　be　gods；　and　carved　likenesses　of　them　under　the　forms　

of　men　；　but　even　supposing　this　to　have　been　their　real　mind；　

can　it　by　any　conceivable　means　become　our　own？　Granted　that　a　

stone　is　kept　from　falling　to　dust　by　an　energy　which　compels　its　

particles　to　cohere；　which　energy　can　be　taken　out　of　it　and　

converted　into　some　other　form　of　energy；　granted　（which　may　or　

may　not　be　true）　also；　that　the　life　of　a　living　body　is　only　the　

energy　which　keeps　the　particles　which　compose　it　in　a　certain　

disposition；　and　granted　that　the　energy　of　the　stone　may　be　

convertible　into　the　energy　of　a　living　form；　and　that　thus；　

after　a　long　journey　a　tired　idea　may　lag　after　the　sound　of　such　

words　as　〃the　soul　of　the　world。〃　Granted　all　the　above；　

nevertheless　to　speak　of　the　world　as　having　a　soul　is　not　

sufficiently　in　harmony　with　our　common　notions；　nor　does　it　go　

sufficiently　with　the　grain　of　our　thoughts　to　render　the　

expression　a　meaning　one；　or　one　that　can　be　now　used　with　any　

propriety　or　fitness；　except　by　those　who　do　not　know　their　own　

meaninglessness。　　Vigorous　minds　will　harbour　＇sic＇　vigorous　

thoughts　only；　or　such　as　bid　fair　to　become　so；　and　vigorous　

thoughts　are　always　simple；　definite；　and　in　harmony　with　

everyday　ideas。



We　can　imagine　a　soul　as　living　in　the　lowest　slime　that　moves；　

feeds；　reproduces　itself；　remembers；　and　dies。　　The　amoeba　wants　

things；　knows　it　wants　them；　alters　itself　so　as　to　try　and　alter　

them；　thus　preparing　for　an　intended　modification　of　outside　

matter　by　a　preliminary　modification　of　itself。　　It　thrives　if　

the　modification　from　within　is　followed　by　the　desired　

modification　in　the　external　object；　it　knows　that　it　is　well；　

and　breeds　more　freely　in　consequence。　　If　it　cannot　get　hold　of　

outside　matter；　or　cannot　proselytise　＇sic＇　that　matter　and　

persuade　it　to　see　things　through　its　own　（the　amoeba's）　

spectacles…if　it　cannot　convert　that　matter；　if　the　matter　

persists　in　disagreeing　with　it…its　spirits　droop；　its　

soul　is　disquieted　within　it；　it　becomes　listless　like　a　

withering　flower…it　languishes　and　dies。　　We　cannot　imagine　a　

thing　to　live　at　all　and　yet　be　soulless　except　in　slee