Life is short and annoying. We spend life wishing. When life is wretched, it is hard to bear; when it is happy, it is dreadful to lose it. The one alternative is as bad as the other. Death occurs only once, but makes itself felt at every moment of our life. It is more painful to fear it than to suffer it. There are but three events for man: birth, life, and death. He does not realise his birth, he suffers when he dies, and he forgets to live. We seek our happiness outside ourselves. We seek it in the opinions of men whom we know are flatterers, and who lack sincerity. What folly! Most men spend half their lives making the other half miserable. It is easier for many men to acquire one thousand virtues than to get rid of one defect. It is as difficult to find a conceited man who believes himself really happy as to discover a modest man who thinks himself too unhappy. The birch is necessary to children. Grown-up men need a crown, a sceptre, velvet caps and fur-lined robes. Reason and justice devoid of ornaments would not be imposing or convincing. Man, who is a mind, is led by his eyes and his ears! _IV.--On Customs and Religion_ Fashion in matters of food, health, taste and conscience is utterly foolish. Game is at present out of fashion, and condemned as a food. It is to-day a sin against fashion to be cured of the ague by blood-letting. The conceited man thinks every day of the way in which he will be able to attract attention on the following day. The philosopher leaves the matter of his clothes to his tailor. It is just as childish to avoid fashion as to follow its decrees too closely. Fashion exists in the domain of religion. There have been young ladies who were virtuous, healthy and pious, who wished to enter a convent, but who were not rich enough to take in a wealthy abbey the vows of poverty. How many men one sees who are strong and righteous, who would never listen to the entreaties of their friends, but who are easily influenced and corrupted by women. I would like to hear a sober, moderate, chaste, righteous man declare that there is no God. At least he would be speaking in a disinterested manner. But there is no such man to be found. The fact that I am unable to prove that God does not exist establishes for me the fact that God does exist. Atheism does not exist. If there were real atheists, it would merely prove that there are monsters in this world. Forty years ago I didn't exist, and it was not within my power to be born. It does not depend upon me who now exist to be no more. Consequently, I began being and am going on being, thanks to something which is beyond me, which will last after me, which is mightier than I am. If that something is not God, pray tell me what it is. Everything is great and worthy of admiration in Nature. O you vain and conceited man, make one of these worms which you despise! You loathe toads; make a toad if you can!