u in any way to change the essence
of its formulation. If this be an objectively moral universe, all acts
that I make on that assumption, all expectations that I ground on it,
will tend more and more completely to interdigitate with the phenomena
already existing. _M_ + _x_ will be in accord; and the more I live,
and the more the fruits of my activity come to light, the more
satisfactory the consensus will grow. While if it be not such a moral
universe, and I mistakenly assume that it is, the course of experience
will throw ever new impediments in the way of my belief, and become
more and more difficult to express in its language. Epicycle upon
epicycle of subsidiary hypothesis will have to be invoked to give to
the discrepant terms a temporary appearance of squaring with each
other; but at last even this resource will fail.

If, on the other hand, I rightly assume the universe to be not moral,
in what does my verification consist? It is that by letting moral
interests sit lightly, by disbelieving that there is any duty about
_them_ (since duty obtains only as _between_ them and other phenomena),
and so throwing them over if I find it hard to get them satisfied,--it
is that by refusing to take up a tragic attitude, I deal in the
long-run most satisfactorily with the facts of life. "All is vanity"
is here the last word of wisdom. Even though in certain limited series
there may be a great appearance of seriousness, he who in the main
treats things with a degree of good-natured scepticism and radical
levity will find that the practical fruits of his epicurean hypothesis
verify it more and more, and not only save him from pain but do honor
to his sagacity. While, on the other hand, he who contrary {107} to
reality stiffens himself in the notion that certain things absolutely
should be, and rejects the truth that at bottom it makes no difference
what is, will find himself evermore thwarted and perplexed and
bemuddled by the facts of the world, and his tragic disappointment
will, as experience accumulates, seem to drift farther and farther away
from that final atonement or reconciliation which certain partial
tragedies often get.

_Anaesthesia_ is the watchword of the moral sceptic brought to bay and
put to his trumps. _Energy_ is that of the moralist. Act on my creed,
cries the latter, and the results of your action will prove the creed
true, and that the nature of things is earnest infinitely. Act on
mine, says