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44 still over the minds of men, we must remember what things perfectly new and previously unsuspected he poured into men's ears." And he proceeds to enumerate some of them ; yet in concluding his essay he writes : " A great moral teacher. Yes. But it would have been better for France if his book, tied to a millstone, had been hurled into the sea. . . . He destroyed effectually, perhaps for centuries yet to come, earnestness in France. He found men craving for a better faith, believing that it was to be found, and left them doubting whether any system in the world could give it. Great and noble as are many of the passages in Rabelais, profoundly wise as he was, I do believe that no writer who ever lived has inflicted such lasting injury on his country." Now, assuredly Mr. Besant is no Philistine ; yet I cannot but think that when writing the last passage he was labouring under an attack of Philistinism. Perhaps he was de- pressed with a bad cigar, or bilious with a bad glass of wine ; perhaps his good manners were corrupted for the moment by evil communications with men from Qaza, Gath, or Ascalon. Moreover, he is clearly inconsis- tent. If Rabelais has inflicted such unequalled and lasting injury on his own country, how can Mr. Besant hope that he will yet be more largely appreciated, that is to say more extensively studied, here ? Does he want earnestness effectually destroyed in England ? Again, how can a great moral teacher, profoundly wise, inflict lasting injury on his country? How can it be better for said country that the book of such a teacher should be tied to a millstone and hurled into the sea? If this is how Mr. Besant would treat the books of great moral teachers, what a dreadfully