Had vanity never any share in the public mortifications which attended the eyes of the multitude? “I scourge myself, but ’tis to expiate your faults; I go stark naked, but ’tis to reproach the luxury of your garments; I feed on herbs and snails to correct your vice of gluttony; I put an iron ring on my body to make you blush at your lewdness. Reverence me as a man cherished by the gods, who can draw down their favors on you. When accustomed to reverence, it will not be hard to obey me; I become your master in the name of the gods; and if you transgress my will in the least particular, I will have you impaled to appease the wrath of heaven.” If the first fakirs did not use these words, they probably had them engraven at the bottom of their hearts.—_Dict. Phil._ (Art. “Austerities”). Heaven _Kon._: What is meant by “the heaven and the earth: mount up to heaven, be worthy of heaven”? _Cu Su._: ’Tis but stupidity, there is no heaven; each planet is surrounded by its atmosphere, and rolls in space around its sun. Each sun is the centre of several planets which travel continually around it. There is no up nor down, ascension nor descent. You perceive that if the inhabitants of the moon said that some one ascended to the earth, that one must render himself worthy of earth, he would talk nonsense. We do so likewise when we say we must be worthy of heaven; it is as if we said we must be worthy of air, worthy of the constellation of the Dragon, worthy of space.—_Catéchisme chinois._ Magic All the fathers of the Church, without exception, believed in the power of magic. The Church always condemned magic, but she always believed it; she excommunicated sorcerers, not as deluded madmen, but as men who really had intercourse with devils.—_Dict. Phil._ (Art. “Superstition”). DETACHED THOUGHTS There are vices which it is better to ignore than to punish. One should not pronounce a word in public which an honest woman cannot repeat. I know no great men but those who have rendered great services to humanity. Honor has ever achieved greater things than interest. Occupation and work are the only resources against misfortune. My maxim is to fulfil all my duties to-day, because I am not sure of living to-morrow. Most men die before having lived. It is necessary to combat nature and fortune till the last moment, and to never despair till one is dead. Work without disputing; it is the only way to render life supportable. Passions are the winds that swell the sails of the ship. It is true, they sometimes sink her, but without them she could not sail at all. The bile makes us sick and choleric; but without the bile we could not live. Everything in this world is dangerous, and yet everything in it is necessary. We should introduce into our existence all imaginable modes, and open every door of the minds to all kinds of knowledge, and all sorts of feelings. So long as it does not all go in pell-mell, there is room enough for all.