our world they were but in
the prime of life, if not of early manhood. Besides which they had
formed contracted notions on many subjects, some of them being what is
called eccentric.

On the other hand, the collected works of the ten men who had profited
by contact with the world and its amusements were equal in all respects,
and indeed superior in some, to those of the "seclusionists." They were
for the most part large and liberal minded. There was but one who might
be called narrow-minded and eccentric, but his exceptional state was
greatly owing to the fact that the origin of this tendency had not been
attended to in childhood. He had, indeed, been educated under the old
system and consequently before the establishment of the office of
Character-divers. This man was the only one who was subject, though
partially, to the physical accidents which had affected the
"Seclusionists." The remaining nine "Society-sympathisers" remained
fresh, vigorous, and gay.

What, however, satisfied my wise men the most was, that the works of the
learned men who had lived in contact with the world were actually in
many respects superior to the works of the Seclusionists, although these
also were more than remarkable.

In requiring learned men to mix with the world, I did not forbid
frequent solitude and retirement for meditation. I only objected to the
passion being indulged in to the exclusion of the refreshing sympathies
developed by a contact with society.

The result of the experiment I have referred to seemed to satisfy even
the ten Seclusionists, who at least changed their habits in obedience to
my law, The effects of the seclusion on some of the ten were, however,
not got rid of, until a certain time had elapsed, and, but for increased
knowledge of the malady of monomania, these effects on one of the ten
Seclusionists would have been even far more serious than they
fortunately proved to be.

THE MONOMANIAC.

This man, eminent in the highest degree, believed that another learned
man, his friend and greatest admirer, was his bitter enemy. All efforts
to convince him to the contrary were fruitless, for although remarkably
clear-sighted on most other subjects, he obstinately refused on this to
listen to the truth. Indeed, the remonstrances of his friends had the
effect of strengthening his conviction that the reptile, as he called
the supposed enemy, assumed the appearance of friendship, the better to
mask his infamous de