fficulties. He was about to enter on an
examination of these difficulties, but the philosopher moved them aside
contemptuously, and Joseph understood that he could not demean himself
to the point of discussing the fallacies of the Pharisees, who, Joseph
said, hope to stem the just anger of God on the last day by minute
observances of the Sabbath. Mathias raised his eyes, and it was a
revulsion of feeling, Joseph continued, against hypocrisy and
fornication, that put me astride my mule as soon as I heard of the
Essenes, the most enlightened sect of the Jews in Palestine. That you
should be among them is testimony of their enlightenment.... Mathias
raised his hand, and Joseph's face dropped into an expression of
attention. Mathias was willing to accede that much, but certain
circumlocutions in his language led Joseph to suspect that Mathias was
not altogether satisfied with the Essenes. He seemed to think that they
were too prone to place mere piety above philosophy: a mistake; for our
intellect being the highest gift we have received from God, it follows
that we shall please him best by using it assiduously. He spoke about
the prayers before sunrise and asked Joseph if they did not seem to him
somewhat trite and trivial and if he did not think that the moment would
be more profitably spent by instituting a comparison between the light
of the intellect and that of the sun?

Mathias turned to Joseph, and waited for him to confess his
perplexities. But it was hard to confess to Mathias that philosophy was
useless if the day of judgment were at hand! He dared not speak against
philosophy and it was a long time before Mathias guessed his trouble,
but as soon as it dawned on him that Joseph was in doubt as to the
utility of philosophy, his face assumed so stern an expression that
Joseph began to feel that Mathias looked upon him as a fool. It may have
been that Joseph's consternation, so apparent on his face, restored
Mathias into a kindly humour. Be that as it may, Mathias pointed out,
and with less contempt than Joseph expected, that the day of judgment
and philosophy had nothing in common. We should never cease to seek
after wisdom, he said. Joseph concurred. It was not, however, pleasing
to Joseph to hear prophecy spoken of as the outpourings of madmen,
but--having in mind the contemptuous glance that would fall upon him if
he dared to put prophecy above philosophy--he held his peace, venturing
only to remark that no proph