if it had occurred to the Evangelists to adopt in their narratives the
method which long afterwards recommended itself to the author of 'The
Ring and the Book,' we should now be in possession of a mass of very
curious information. But, excellent as all this is in the realm of
criticism, the question remains, How does a restless habit of mind
tell upon conduct?

John Mill was not one from whose lips the advice '_Stare super
antiquas vias_' was often heard to proceed, and he was by
profession a speculator, yet in that significant book, the
'Autobiography,' he describes this age of Truth-hunters as one 'of
weak convictions, paralyzed intellects, and growing laxity of
opinions.'

Is Truth-hunting one of those active mental habits which, as Bishop
Butler tells us, intensify their effects by constant use; and are weak
convictions, paralyzed intellects, and laxity of opinions amongst the
effects of Truth-hunting on the majority of minds? These are not
unimportant questions.

Let us consider briefly the probable effects of speculative habits on
conduct.

The discussion of a question of conduct has the great charm of
justifying, if indeed not requiring, personal illustration; and this
particular question is well illustrated by instituting a comparison
between the life and character of Charles Lamb and those of some of
his distinguished friends.

Personal illustration, especially when it proceeds by way of