humanity. Ever soaring into the ideal, philosophizing by the aid of
his emotional impulses, Shelley possessed, like all true Hermetists
and Theosophists imbued with mysticism, a wonderful power of continued
abstraction in the contemplation of the Supreme Power. His mentality,
described by one of his critics as essentially Greek, "simple, not
complex, imaginative rather than fanciful, abstract not concrete,
intellectual not emotional," contributed its share to his belief in a
pantheistic philosophy, making him find Supreme Intelligence permeated
through the whole of infinite and interminable Nature. Regarding the
universe as an abstract whole, he endorsed the fundamental
metaphysics of Plato, and believed that "passing phenomena are types
of eternal archetypes, embodiments of eternal realities."

Even if despite of my assertions to the contrary, there be those who
still insist on the atheism of Shelley, they had better restudy the
elementary axioms and learn to think--to those who imagine that there
is but little difference between atheism and pantheism to the
discredit of either, I would remind them that Bacon in his "Moral
Essays," lays down as a principle that:--

"Atheism leaves to man reason, philosophy, nature, piety,
laws, reputation and everything that can serve to conduct him
to virtue; but superstition destroys all these, and erects
itself into a tyranny over the understandings of men; hence
atheism never disturbs the government, but renders man more
clear-sighted, since he sees nothing beyond the boundaries of
the present life."

In making use of this quotation do not let it be presumed that I wish
to endorse Materialism; my desire is to add the authority of a great