y and refreshing to look upon. They all talked
nonsense and thought themselves very wise. There was but one exception
which interested me: a yellow Buddhist monk inquired, what they thought of
English missionaries, who in time of famine distributed bread to the poor,
but only on one condition, that they adopted the Christian superstition
(indifferent whether honestly or not). The so-called 'Ethical Culture
Societies' were not admitted by the committee to their congress of many
religions. Max, it was pitiful to listen to the tittle-tattle that was
read. None had learned beforehand what he wanted to say. _Dicere de
scripto_ is a shame for learned men. Only Cardinal Gibbons made a short,
but colourless and dull extemporaneous address, which closed with the
hypocrisy, what a great thing it is to keep oneself unspotted by this
world. Accursed hypocrites, you yourselves are this world,--pitifully
incarnate, it is true,--but you yourselves are this 'spotted world.' Why
then still hold to the stupid distinction between good and evil, when we
must admit that evil is essential to the very existence of things, and it
would be impossible for the world to be, except as it is. We must be as we
are, or we should not be at all. O beautiful longing for the primeval
cause! Our ignorance is like evil, welcome. Let us, O Max, embrace the
evil and ignorance, for if we were nothing but wretched cripples of
virtue, and knew everything, we could not bear to live. As it is, we enjoy
the spirited battle, and carry a sweet yearning in our breasts.

"Max, how are you personally? Have you a family? How is your health? How
old are you? What relation do you bear to the learned set in England? Do
you know the one German philosopher, with the courage of his convictions,
Emil Duehring, in Berlin. I consider my knowledge of the writings of Dr.
Duehring as the greatest gift of fate which has been vouchsafed to me. The
Jews and state professors hide his fame under a bushel. Oh! could not such
independent men as you, honoured Max Mueller, do something to bring this
hero nearer to our young students? Duehring is the only writer of the
present day who is to be enjoyed almost without drawback. What is to be
said of our German set which is cowardly enough to repress so long the
greatest mind which our century has produced? Were I in _your_ position,
how would I shout my 'Quos Ego' across to Germany! Please, my countryman,
favour me with a few lines in answer to t