s two reformers, one
of whom is assassinated by John; the second perishes in a street
broil, leaving the field free for the triumph of Jesus of Nazareth.
In the second play, _Jesus_, he tells the story of Jesus and the
Magdalene. She throws over her protector, one of the Rabbi, and
refuses her admirer, Judas, for Jesus. The Rabbi plots to destroy
Jesus, and employs Judas. In the third play, _Peter_, he pictures the
struggle of the new idea in pagan Rome, and it ends in Peter flying
from Rome to escape crucifixion; but outside the city he sees Christ
carrying His cross, and Christ says He is going to be crucified a
second time, whereupon Peter returns to Rome.

As they descended the rough chalk road into the weald, John said, "I
have sacrificed much for my religion. I think, therefore, I have a
right to say that it is hard that my house should be selected for the
manufacture of blasphemous trilogies."

Knowing that argument would profit him nothing, Mike allayed John's
heaving conscience with promises not to write another line of the
trilogy, and to devote himself entirely to his poem. At the end of a
long silence, John said--

"Now the very name of Schopenhauer revolts me. I accept nothing of
his ideas. From that ridiculous pessimism I have drifted very far
indeed. Pessimism is impossible. To live we must have an ideal, and
pessimism offers none. So far it is inferior even to positivism."

"Pessimism offers no ideal! It offers the highest--not to create life
is the only good; the creation of life is the only evil; all else
which man in his bestial stupidity calls good and evil is ephemeral
and illusionary."

"Schopenhauer's arguments against suicide are not valid, that you
admit, therefore it is impossible for the pessimist to justify his
continued existence."

"Pardon me, the diffusion of the principle of sufficient reason can
alone end this world, and we are justified in living in order that by
example and precept we may dissuade others from the creation of life.
The incomparable stupidity of life teaches us to love our
parents--divine philosophy teaches us to forgive them."

That evening Mike played numerous games of backgammon with Mrs.
Norton; talked till two in the morning to John of literature, and
deplored the burning of the poems, and besought him to write them
again, and to submit them, if need be, to a bishop. He worked hard to
obliterate the effect of his foolish confidences; for he was very
happy